Its been a busy yet uneventful week, and frankly I hope it remains uneventful going forward. I can do with a boring pregnancy!
Much to my surprise, I did pass my early 1-hour glucose test! Next one will be around 28 weeks, I would think.
Last Sunday got the courage to go to Bab.ies R Us. I had done some initial online research on strollers/car seats, cribs etc, and needed to go check it out in person to get a sense of how to use them and get the feel. I am so very clueless when it comes to this stuff its not even funny.
The folks at BRU were very helpful. It was young kid and he showed us around and answered all my questions. My main plan is to finalize the big stuff - crib, changing table, stroller etc. That way I can look for deals online during the holidays. I decided to buy it all retail since I am not aware of any consignment stores in my area and I really don't know how to use ebay or those discount sites.
I am very VERY confused on what I need with respect to the big stuff. I know I want a crib and changing table, but initially I don't know if I should do a bassinet next to my bed (seems a waste if money for such short usage) or a "pack n play" which has a bassinet feature and will last me longer. I know that with a c-section I would like to have the baby in my room and close at hand, by my bed ideally so I don't have to get up.
Plus since I live in a two story house I need something downstairs as well. There are too many choices which is why I am super confused. My poor Mom is being bombarded with daily calls on different options and combinations. She is being so patient!!
I am trying to take a minimalist approach. I don't want to buy 100 useless/duplicate things and clutter the place. As one website said, the stores will still have things in them even after baby is born :-)
Okay so you can see the conundrum.
Of course, having said all that, today I went to Target, saw a Rock n Play on sale and bought it. My first baby purchase and not something I had even planned to buy!
So anyway, that is where I am. I am not buying anything major (today was just an impulse buy) but just browsing and understanding what is out there.
For those bloggers who have babies, when did you begin purchasing items for baby?
And what did you use with your newborns for sleeping arrangements?
Oh just realized -- I have passed my one year blog anniversary!!
Congrats on your glucose test and your anniversary!
ReplyDeleteI started buying things kinda early on. I went second hand/ consignment/ Craigslist/ freecycle so when something came along I couldn't really wait. My son's crib acted as the cosleeping for many months. It had a detachable side so it was sidecarred to me. What I really loved was his Moses basket. It was lightweight, portable and I could buy it a stand/ rocking stand. Best thing I ever bought used.
I have friends who swore by their pack and play though so you'd be in good company!
I agree with you that there are so many choices it can be overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteI used a bassinet upstairs and the swing downstairs! I had the pack n play for downstairs but it was mostly used for diaper changes as my little one refused to sleep in it! I too waited a long time to start buying things! We started at 25 weeks and had the nursery fully together by 32 weeks! Thankfully as I delivered at 35 weeks!
ReplyDeleteWarmest Wishes to you!
Happy anniversary!
ReplyDeleteOnce you make your decisions, please, please, please share them! I'm feeling overwhelmed and completely clueless about all of this baby stuff, too.
Sunflower, a few thoughts. First off, congrats on passing the glucose test. GD sucks, so I'm hopeful you are in the clear.
ReplyDeleteAs far as sleeping arrangements & associated gear, I went through the same dilemma as you. Mine was complicated by the fact that I have two babies, so had an even greater desire not to buy too much stuff unnecessarily. Some of this will come down to personal choice in terms of where you want to sleep your baby (i.e., in bed with you or in a crib). I wanted them to get used to sleeping in their cribs early, so opted to co-sleep them in their cribs. One is in the living room and one is in the bedroom.
I also bought a pack n' play, which is proving extremely useful and versatile. We are currently using it for a changing table in the living room (highly recommend having a changing table in your common space in the early days as you will spend a lot of time there). We then used it as a crib when we had to bring the twins to Brooklyn during Hurricane Sandy. And now that the twins have outgrown being able to share a crib, I'm going to temporarily sleep one in there and the other in a crib until our guestroom is free of guests and I can get rid of the bed and put both cribs in there permanently. So I really recommend it.
I also got the pack n' play with the bassinet feature and the changing table. It's great except I will say that the bassinet is a huge pain to take on and off. Not such a big deal if you're planning on using the bassinet for a while (as you may be), but for us we ended up taking it off and not putting it back on because it was too much of a pain. Other than that, I don't think you'll find that the pack n' plays are a waste of money at all...so useful, and later I imagine we'll use it to put the toddlers in when you want to leave the room or to travel with.
A lot of people do like Moses baskets / bassinets too - I just didn't want to purchase something that was too short-term, so opted not to go with it. I also highly recommend a swing. Didn't think I needed one, but got one for free from a mother's group in my area. We use it ALL THE TIME - it's the only thing that can soothe our babies without holding them, and it's invaluable.
Also recommend joining a mother's group in your area if you have one. The one I joined has not only been useful for meeting other mothers and getting local information, but there's an extremely active Classifieds section with people looking to buy or sell stuff. Got several things from there, and will use it to sell things once I am done.
Anyhow, hope this is a useful brain dump - I know how complicated it is to think these things through so thought I would share. Best of luck!
I had one of those cosleepers that attach to the bed - which was luckily a hand-me-down, because we never used it. I used one of those in bed cosleepers. It was great after a c-section because I didn't have to lean over to pick him up. Also really helpful is the book Baby Bargains. It helps you figure out what you need, and then has good reviews on what the best products are (and those are not usually the most expensive). Wonderful book.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 1 year and passing your glucose test!
http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Years-Secure-Sleeper/dp/B00012CHFI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354822318&sr=8-1&keywords=in+bed+co+sleeper -
Hope you stay in the clear with the next GD glucose testing. I've never been as far along in a pregnancy as you. With my first pregnancy in 1996 I was pregnant with twins. A neighbor was moving and his daughters had outgrown the stroller and crib. I couldn't pass up his bargain price of $10 for both. I only needed to buy the new teething rails back then. Alas the next move broke the crib and I've yet to need to replace it. The stroller I gave away years ago and to who I can't remember.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm ever lucky enough to get pregnant again I'm going to wait until viability. I know that is a long wait but I'm so scared of buying something and having no baby. 5 years ago I did purchase a onesie which is still in my hope chest.
Yay for passing your glucose test! I felt like going minimalist when I had my baby, but I have now surrendered to the clutter of baby gear all over my house. I cannot say enough great things about the rock n play. I used this constantly for the first 4 months. He slept in it because he being flat on his back in the crib. It's very light and easy to carry around the house to wherever you need it. It's kind of like a portable bassinet.
ReplyDeleteI definitely recommend a swing as well. Winn slept in his swing a good bit too.
Getting ready for baby can seem overwhelming, but don't sweat it - you'll kind of figure out what you need as you go along.
Not sure I have much to add that hasn't already been said but it is so hard to know ahead of time what you'll need most as every kid is so different. I refused to get a swing as I felt it was a waste of money but at 4 weeks, desperately ran out & bought a second hand one & it was a saving grace!! Then there's the crib that I HAD to have that we've hardly used since we cosleep but thankfully it was a gift & will convert to a double bed in the future.
ReplyDeleteI think the best advice I'd like to offer is really consider where you'll do most of your feedings & really go all out to purchase something comfortable for you as you will spend A LOT of time there. It took me months of switching from place to place before I broke down & bought an easyboy & man I wish I'd had that chair from the start & we are still using it daily!!
Congrats on your test results & happy blogoversary!!
Yes to the swing!! Ask a friend if you can borrow theirs and they will gladly share. Do the same with the bassinet so you won't feel guilty about spending the money. Wait until you spend fifty hours trying to figure out which swaddle to buy :)
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