What does a baby need?

As I mentioned previously, one of my friends is having a baby and I am trying to help her out.

Now I told her to put her stuff she wanted on a registry and me and some other people I know will help her get everything she needs.

She did not understand the assignment. Well I guess she did but like......not for baby things hehehehehehe omg. I mean she put random things on there not baby related which I'm probably still gonna buy because everybody needs basic cooking utensils and things but like.....she needs baby stuff!

So I have some questions about baby stuff and what someone actually needs.

Diapers? Now they have these huge packs that have all sizes in them but im not sure for example how long the baby will wear each size of diaper and I want to make sure we get her enough to last like.....the whole time. One and done on the diapers.

We did manage to clean her apartment up and what made her stop arguing with me about cleaning is actually pretty funny. She was at my house and look, I smoke inside my house because its my house right? So she was over here and I was smoking a cig and she asked if I would smoke outside because the smell makes her nauseous with the baby and probably not good for the baby. So I did go outside but that gave me a brainstorm. Like............her apartment smells SO bad! You can smell it from outside but I wonder if she is nose blind to it. So we had a small trip coming up just going a little ways out of town for my birthday, hotel the whole works it was just supposed to be me and a couple of my other friends but I said what the hell let me invite this girl along too and see if being away from her smelly place will reset her nose.

It worked! When we got back after being in nice hotel suite for 4 days with no ammonia cat poop smell, she went up to her apartment and SHE could smell it from outside. Go in and she is repulsed by how bad it smells and wants to clean NOW! So we got it all deep cleaned we cleaned all the trash and cat poop (I did the cat poop) and I got permission from her apartment to have someone come repaint. Thankfully her place is mostly tile floors so the cat pee didn't like.....soak in and the main problem is she never remembered to clean out her cats litter box so the cat would just poop and pee everywhere so we got her a litter robot and I hope that helps.

But now, like I said I have no idea what all she actually needs for a baby.

Any input from you guys would be really helpful as far as essentials or how much of things to buy like diapers how many diapers does a baby go through during the day? 5 or 6? I have no idea.

Blankets, clothes I've got a crib on lockdown im just waiting for it to come into the store because I had to special order it. Car seat. Stroller? Is a stroller really necessary? If I can find a combo car seat that turns into a stroller would that be good? Bottles? Pacifier? I have no idea guys help me out pleeeeeeease!

Or just little things that make life easier when you have a baby. Like something maybe you didn't know or think you needed until after the baby was home?

a reply to: Shoshanna

Get her one of those devices that instantly stop babies from choking by sucking out the blockage.
It's something every new parent should have but doesn't think of having ready for an emergency.

First off, you are amazing and she is very lucky to have you in her life!

10 diapers a day is a safe bet. Newborn size might last a month, sometimes a little more.
Just start with the basics.
Bottles, wet wipes, diapers, crib and car seat.
Also great to have when the baby comes home, you can usually buy a basket set, that has the baby shampoo, lotion and diaper rash lotion. I always liked Desitin in the tube.
You can also buy a bundle of the "extras" Baby fingernail clippers (they grow fast and they always scratch themselves) the nose sucky thing (Blue usually) to get out baby boogers. LOL
And basic meds for baby.

Also: Helpful tip in case of colic!
Look up Gripe water. Dill seed and water. Natual way to help baby out. And save moms sanity.

originally posted by: CarlLaFong
a reply to: Shoshanna

Get her one of those devices that instantly stop babies from choking by sucking out the blockage.
It's something every new parent should have but doesn't think of having ready for an emergency.

This is an excellent suggestion I didn't even know something like this existed but this is what I'm talking about I have no idea what she really needs and neither does she! All my other friends are childless hags like me so nobody really knows what to get but we all wanna help.

a reply to: Shoshanna

I want to make sure we get her enough to last like.

Unless you're Elon Musk, that's not possible. You would need a garage stacked to the rafters with diapers.

Besides, the baby will need different sizes at different stages of growth, but that can vary.

Will she breastfeed ? If not, good baby formulae is expensive, so get that too, along with bottles, nipples, pacifiers, teething rings [side not : Mini frozen waffles are great for teething babies ]

Detergent for baby clothes. Tide and all those others can be harsh on their skin.

Bibs for when they start on solids. A high chair.

I've got 3 kids and could fill a page with stuff and still forget things. Sometimes you just have to play it by ear.

DON'T SKIMP ON THE CAR SEAT. Look at the top brands and get the best you can.

Babies are expensive and the older they get, the more they need.


ETA -Cheifsmom is right. Desitin is the go to for baby butts....and if you've ever ridden a hay bailer for hours in 100 degree heat with a case of swamp ass, it works on adults too.

originally posted by: Shoshanna

originally posted by: CarlLaFong
a reply to: Shoshanna

Get her one of those devices that instantly stop babies from choking by sucking out the blockage.
It's something every new parent should have but doesn't think of having ready for an emergency.

This is an excellent suggestion I didn't even know something like this existed but this is what I'm talking about I have no idea what she really needs and neither does she! All my other friends are childless hags like me so nobody really knows what to get but we all wanna help.

One of the most advertised is called 'LifeVac'...but there are others.

a reply to: chiefsmom

Baby fingernail clippers?! This is another thing I didn't even know existed see its these little random things that are gonna for sure come in handy.

I have a couple friends too that when I explained whats going on with her immediately were like........we don't know but we wanna help however we can. She is low income and has some other issues and so we don't want her to be struggling because her family is not in the picture and the dad who I finally found out who he is............yeah. im not gonna say anything about him because I dont have anything nice to say.

You said she is going to have a baby.
You also said the apartment smelled like cat pee.
Pregnant people shouldn't be around cat liter boxes.
Shouldn't clean them .. shouldn't smell them .. etc.
Something in the pee is bad for the unborn baby.
I read that somewhere ... you should look into that.

a reply to: FlyersFan

If the house smells like cat piss...the baby could have some problems from breathing it all day and night.

a reply to: DAVID64

I wish I was Elon hehe. No I just honestly like spent about 15 years saving and saving to eventually feel financially secure enough to have a baby myself but my husband decided he was tired of waiting and wanted to leave me because he wants a baby NOW! its a long story but financial security is foremost for me personally. He basically thought I was paranoid and "single moms work at McDonald's and raise 3 or 4 kids just fine, you're too worried about money, people do it on minimum wage with more than one kid and they're not unhappy theyre super happy because they have a baby!" He basically had the theory we could live in a cardboard box and be just fine because we would have a baby and thats all that mattered. This was like an overnight attitude change so im sure it was like midlife crisis related but its done now no going back. Some words you can't take back ever with me.

Well now I'm not going to get into another serious relationship to be remotely close to having a baby so im enjoying my life. I bought a computer went on a trip and paid for my friends to go too. I'm going on another trip next week too. Basically why not spend some on something actually meaningful helping this girl out. I'm not gonna be buried with it hehehehehehehehe.

Also a few of my friends are helping out with her too so its not all just me. We just want her to have the best possible set up to succeed.

Anyway she wants to breastfeed but she's not sure if it will work out so we are playing the formula by ear because I have read that not all formula will work for all babies and if she can breastfeed she won't need as much formula anyways.

I did not realize the specific baby detergent was that important will definitely add that to the list!

a reply to: FlyersFan

I KNOW! I keep offering to take her cat for awhile since she's got so much going on she just random things piss her off like she'll get mad at me I think she feels like I'm putting her down somehow when I offer these things like cleaning her apt or taking her cat for awhile! dont know why but she gets upset. I have a cat that doesn't like other cats but I can easily keep them separated with how my house is set up.

a reply to: Shoshanna

On laundry detergents...

Some folks worry about food stains and use stuff like Oxy Clean, even though they use something like Dreft on baby clothes. When we tried it, my youngest Son developed a full body rash where ever his clothes touched, so watch out for those stain fighter detergent additives.


Thought I should mention something I've seen new Moms freak out about and run for a Doctor. They think something is wrong, but it's not.

Cradle cap. It's normal. Don't panic. You're not raising one of the Lizard People.

Cradle cap, also known as infant seborrheic dermatitis, is a common skin condition that affects newborns, causing yellow scales and crusts on the scalp. It's usually harmless and not contagious, and it's not caused by poor hygiene or bad parenting. Cradle cap is caused by overactive oil glands in the scalp, which can be a result of the mother's hormones during pregnancy or breastfeeding. It's most common in babies between 3 weeks and 12 months old, and usually clears up on its own within a few months

a reply to: DAVID64

My kids (4 total, three are under 4 years) are all SUPER allergic to dreft. I ended up getting the no dye no scent tide for the last 3, the oldest is 19 and they didn't have that back then so she had to have some all plant based crap. They make infant oxiclean powder, it's fairly cheap and works but no one's the same with reactions.

BIG things that help? 100% get some Halo and/or SwaddleMe Velcro and zipper swaddles and pods. Makes late night changing about 10 less steps.

Car seats that don't turn into carriers are the devil.

That's all I've got off the top of my head but I'll be back lol.

a reply to: Magnivea2

I had no clue baby skin was so sensitive! I was wondering about those swaddle things because I saw them at target when I was picking up a few little outfits for her and I wondered how important they were if they were necessary so im glad you informed me im definitely gonna get a few different ones now.

Do you have a good car seat you recommend? I realize there are different sizes and will need a different one after some period of time. But like the one to bring her home from the hospital in?

a reply to: Shoshanna

Car seats I only have used Graco Snugride 35, they're about $120 on Amazon or if you go to Target and search Graco SnugRide Infant Travel System they have one that comes with the base (you can buy extra bases, for me an absolute essential if you have multiple cars... Right now I have a 2.5 week old and he's already got bases in my car, his mom's car and the minivan we use when we need to haul all 6 kids at the same time), the seat, and a stroller that the seat/carrier snaps right into.

Honestly it depends on how often your friend goes out, I didn't get much usage out of the stroller since the babies always ride on my chest in a harness but it would probably be helpful to someone that doesn't want to put a baby in a chest strap every time they go anywhere. My kids are all pretty large and those seats lasted the lasted over a year before switching to a regular seat.

OH! And one of those around the head pillow things really helps keeping their neck from flopping around. I forget what they're called but it's essentially just a newborn car seat insert (I think that should bring up some results on Google).

Lots of good ideas here one thing about getting items in bulk some times you just don't know till your little bundle of joy arrives. The basics the consumables Even diapers we got a #load of Huggies but for her Pampers seemed to fit her better.

We got a load of the Playtex milk bottles and our first daughter barely used them, she was colicky as hell and she only tolerated Nurse Soy (why she is a Democrat no doubt) in a traditional bottle and nipple. That took us weeks to figure out. Hell, she would only use one type of pacifier too. So whatever you get keep the receipt so they can return it easily.

LOL and as she got older and was a toddler she would notoriously share her "paci" with our dog. Years later I'd be cutting the grass and would find a paci in the yard, when I sold my Blazer there were 4 of them stuck way down under the back seats. We got lucky though our brother-in-law somehow got a package shipped to him by mistake, it was a case of her Disney pacifiers.

She was so hilariously funny though when it came time to try and wean her from her "paci" She caught my worn-out ex and I talking about taking it away from her, and she walked by us at the kitchen table and pulled the paci out of her mouth with a pop and said emphatically "I need my paci" stuck it back in her mouth and walked out of the kitchen, as we both burst out laughing.

With that in mind and with today's shipping, though I loathe store credit cards, there is cash or a prepaid debit card Because you just never know where the big expense will come from. Her formula was expensive as hell at the time and not everybody carried it, I gave an assistant manager at the closest grocery store 40 bucks to keep it in stock, once she settled in on it

The same goes with toys you have no idea what they will get attached to. Onesies baby wipes diaper rash stuff, bibs, blankets. Our first 8-12 weeks she was spitting up constantly, so the washer was always running

a reply to: Magnivea2

My youngest is 24, so I'm a bit outta the game so to speak, but I'm glad to see more alternatives for new Moms.

a reply to: Magnivea2

(4 total, three are under 4 years)

Should we start a GoFundMe for wine and Xanax ?

originally posted by: Shoshanna
a reply to: FlyersFan

I KNOW! I keep offering to take her cat for awhile since she's got so much going on she just random things piss her off like she'll get mad at me I think she feels like I'm putting her down somehow when I offer these things like cleaning her apt or taking her cat for awhile! dont know why but she gets upset. I have a cat that doesn't like other cats but I can easily keep them separated with how my house is set up.

Pregnant people are NOT supposed to be around litter boxes.
ANd they sure in all hell shouldn't be cleaning them.

Vet Explains Why Pregnant People Shouldn't Be Around Litter Boxes

Toxoplasmosis

a reply to: Shoshanna

Just had my first in March - can tell you something you DON'T need is a bottle warmer (was a waste of money - our kiddo seems to like bottles with room temperature, cold, warm, or any temperature liquid so that was an unnecessary purchase).

Also we got way too many clothes/onesies and he outgrew a bunch we never even put on him, probably only need like 15 onesies/outfits.

Extra diaper genie/diaper trash can thing to have a few changing stations is critical so your house doesn't smell like baby poop. Plenty of burp cloths (usually you can snag a bunch from the hospital if you have a traditional birth at one).

Those are my 2 cents!