32 Weeks: Baby Stuff

There is so much going on the last trimester of pregnancy.  For one, I am wiped out again.  Taking care of four kids is enough by itself.  By this time in my other pregnancies, I may have already washed and organized all the baby clothing.  This time around I have yet to do this for multiple reasons.   I do no know where to put the clothing yet, and I feel too lazy to go into the garage, get out all the clothing, and arranged it all again.  Plus, boy clothes and girl clothes will be sitting around until I give birth.  My house already feels like clothing is swallowing us up.  Maybe I am less motivated because I know I have what I need and so all I will really need is a few days to get everything ready.

Some people may still be sitting around trying to figure out what it means to feel like one has everything for the first year of a baby's life.  Here are the things that I have found most important for my family.  We always need a pack and play.  Cribs have not worked so far.  We had a beautiful crib we borrowed from a friend for my first born, but having kids so close together would have meant we would need to buy a crib every few years.  Plus, cribs take up more space.  In fact, with my third child I got a moses basket for my baby so I would have more space in my bedroom.  I had a feeling this baby would be in my room for a while.  After all, my other two bedrooms were filled and teaching my two kids to share a room was going to be a new challenge.  Don't forget to have two fitted sheets for the baby bed and some baby blankets (we have a basket full from gifts). 

Having plenty of diapers is always helpful.  If you are not cloth diaper obsessed, have three or four cases of newborn diapers.  The average newborn goes through about twelve diapers a day.  I had no idea, but one gets through those diaper cases every few days!  When my closet was filled with diapers for my first child, I had no idea how helpful this would be.  If you love cloth diapers, but are unsure of how many you will need I recommend at least twelve diapers.  We seem to get through four to six covers in a couple of days, so eighteen diapers has been a good number.   With Fuzzi Bunz, my first try with cloth, we had twenty diapers and this was great for doing laundry every other day.  Cloth diapers take up less space in the closet and the trash, but do make one need to keep to a good laundry schedule.

Baby clothes are interesting.  I get out three sizes right away.  All of my babies have been around five pounds so we have about five preemie footies and some cute outfits.   For nighttime, we use the gowns that have those hand covers to prevent the baby from scratching his or her face.  I have seven of these, but one does laundry so much when a baby is small three or four are fine.  My babies have been in size newborn a few weeks after the birth, so all these clothes are washed and in the drawer too.  I have quite a collection after having two boys and two girls.  Some clothing goes unworn at this stage.  Think seasonally, we do not put dresses on my baby girls in the fall when they are tiny.  It makes changing diapers such a pain.  I love footies until my kids try and more around.  Socks fall off! Then I have 0-3 months clothing out too, just in case my kids suddenly grows out of everything!  Trust me it happens fast.  After this I have been able to relax with the kids clothing.

Getting a car seat is confusing.  A friend gave us one she had picked up at a second hand store.  We never had a problem with it and used it for two kids.  Here is the deal with used car seats:  If they have been in a crash they are not a good investment.  One does no know if this has happened unless a good friend gives you an old car seat.  Purchase your own car seat if you can.  They have a five year life and then the plastic is no longer considered safe.  Most people who have two kids can use the same car seat for both infants.  We needed a new one for our third child.  It will still be in decent shape for our fifth.  

We did not get a highchair until my first born was five months old.  Our apartment was small so, if we did not need it, we did not have it.  People gave us some toys, but we did not buy any ourselves.  Basically, all we really needed to get started were diapers, clothes, a car seat, and a place for the baby to sleep (even though our babies have spent more time in our bed the first month, than in a pack and play or moses basket).

If you breastfeed, food is there for the baby around the clock.  Otherwise, try and find glass baby bottles.  BPA is a problem with plastic bottles and there is already enough BPA coating the cans of formula.  I do not have much experience with bottle feeding.  I did give my first born formula because I was pregnant and losing too much weight.  Now I have been able to breast feed and be pregnant at the same time just fine.  I understand there are times when breastfeeding is not possible, but if you can breastfeed enjoy it.  Yes, the baby never leaves your breast the first month, but it gets better and your bond is stronger because of it.

There are plenty more fun things to buy for a new baby, but do not stress.  There are stores open after one has a baby, not to mention websites to buy from.  I love www.diapers.com.  It is easy to get obsessive about baby stuff.  I used to walk around the baby section of target just drooling.  It is hard to stop wanting more things.  One can never be too prepared.  It can be fun to add a few random things to baby shower registry.  Sometimes a cute baby outfit can make you smile when your baby has already spat up on you a hundred times and you somehow got mustard poop stains all over your favorite shirt.  Enjoy nesting, it is fun, plus it is the most organized one will be for awhile.  Once the baby is born, days fly by.