Baby on the way... tips for a first time parent?

[JDub81]

Some of this may be repeated because I'm busy today and don't have time to read the whole thread, but as a recent first-time parent, wanted to share a few things I've learned.

Car seat - if you know the people you're getting it from and it's not over it's date, go ahead and use it.
Stroller - try it out before the baby comes. It may be what you think you want, but then find out it's not as convienient as you thought. However - walking and jogging with baby is a great way to get a break, as many babies sleep during this time. I found it easiest to have the car seat with the stroller when they're really small so their head is supported and you're not worreid about it.
Bottles - plastic with the regulator (Born Free, Dr Brown's) to avoid gas and upset tummy. Plastic because when baby gets old enough they can hold the bottle on their own.
Cloth diapers - if you decide to use these - they are great. Google pocket diapers - these are what I use and they are awesome. And they do NOT cause diaper rash. I have used from the start and haven't had diaper rash once.
Must haves - Bumbo, bouncy chair, breast pump (if you're going to breastfeed, I would suggest pumping once Mom's milk is established so Dad can give a bottle or two a day)
Finally - read the Baby Whisperer. Life saver - my little one has been sleeping through the night since she was 6 weeks - and I credit it to her being on a routine.

[Canada 02]

Originally Posted by JDub81

Cloth diapers - if you decide to use these - they are great. Google pocket diapers - these are what I use and they are awesome. And they do NOT cause diaper rash. I have used from the start and haven't had diaper rash once.

what brand do you use? how absorbent are the inserts? did you use a disposable liner? tia

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

what brand do you use? how absorbent are the inserts? did you use a disposable liner? tia

A disposable liner is essential if you are going to use cloth diapers. Allows for easy poop disposal.

[Knut]

Bouncy Chair +1,000,000 Our little guy loves the thing. If he is fussy.. put him there and aim him at the TV...boom .. out cold in about 10 minutes.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Russic

It's a personal decision I find. Cry it out is an accepted method just like a choke chain is an accepted method of dog training, but you're bound to run into people who get mad at you for it. Whether you tell people or not is totally up to you. I just got sick of people essentially calling me a shi**y parent to my face, so I stopped mentioning it.

My apologies if I implied that you didn't have what it takes for the cry it out method, that wasn't my intention. I see how that can come off as condescending.

Choke chain is the best idea yet!

No need to apologize.

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by Hesla

Bouncy Chair +1,000,000 Our little guy loves the thing. If he is fussy.. put him there and aim him at the TV...boom .. out cold in about 10 minutes.

Different kids will like different things. Neither of my kids cared much for the bouncy chair. My daughter liked her little swinging chair but my son didn't like anything that confined him except the jolly jumper (both loved that).

Also, we had a high chair with a fold-out infant seat on top that was a huge lifesaver when our kids were newborn; we could just put them in the infant seat during mealtime so they were with everyone else instead of being left alone, and later use the high chair part once they were eating solid food.

[macker]

Keep a journal. I could tell you the smallest detail of both of my kids going back to when they were both born. Kid pees on you = journal it, Kid gets first tooth = journal it, kid scores first goal = journal it. It doesn't take long. Just record age, what happened, where etc. Don't trust your memory and it is fun to go back and remember the times that tend to go by too fast.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Howie_16

Tips for the first time parent? How's this for a valuable tip: RAISE YOUR KIDS PROPERLY! Like me and my brand new son:



He was born on 9-10-11, and he shares his birthday with Tim Hunter and Joe Nieuwendyk!

Congrats!!! He looks great in red too!!!

[habernac]

Originally Posted by fotze

What type of people do you guys hang out with? If someone got pissy at me for letting cry it out, they would be getting it back 10 fold for something they do.

There are people out there that actually criticize other parents to their face over things they do? Glad I haven't met any. My responses probably wouldn't be very nice.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by habernac

There are people out there that actually criticize other parents to their face over things they do? Glad I haven't met any. My responses probably wouldn't be very nice.

Yup, and some might not even know you. It never happened to me, but I have seen countless people in grocery stores tell parents of restless children how they should be managing those same cranky children.

What they could have done instead is help out while that parent was trying to unload groceries and manage a cranky child or children at the same time.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by habernac

There are people out there that actually criticize other parents to their face over things they do? Glad I haven't met any. My responses probably wouldn't be very nice.

The ones that do tend to be passive-aggressive about it, which makes it easy to deny if you bust them on it. Plus who wants to ruin a social even by fighting with your friends?

[The Goon]

It's Baby Goon's first birthday tomorrow, and it has been one long learning experience.

He had crazy rashes all over his body, and we only found through trial and error that he has a dairy sensitivity - when my wife cut out the dairy, he cleared up. I hope he grows out of it.

We've been lucky in some respects - he has been sleeping through the night since he was a month old, but unlucky in others - he is an awfully picky eater, and mealtime can be a nightmare.

There has been nothing in my life quite like how I felt the first time he looked at me and said "Dada". He is a very loving boy and a year later, I still can't believe he's in my life.

I would do the dad brag thing and post the first year retrospective video we made, but I'm under orders not to show anyone before his birthday party this weekend.

-Diapers - Pampers Dry Max
-We got a Graco stroller (Alano Flip-It, I think) where the top pops out and clips into the car seat. Very handy for transporting him around.
-You get a lot of clothes as gifts, but you go through a lot as well. Laundry seems like a never-ending task.
-Identify the deathtraps in your house and the moment the baby starts moving, get some gates and safety equipment up. Our guy is an incessant explorer and we are having to make adjustments almost every day.

[Bertuzzied]

3 weeks till the due date and my wife has kyboshed all the names i have suggested because either she knew someone slutty with the same name or they are the names of dogs or cats....

I told her if she keeps doing this, i'm going to name her Gertrude. poor kid....

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by fotze

You didn't set it to Time of Your life by Green Day, did you?

Or the Wonder Years theme song.

[Canada 02]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

3 weeks till the due date and my wife has kyboshed all the names i have suggested because either she knew someone slutty with the same name or they are the names of dogs or cats....

my wife is similar. Almost any person from her life, past or present, rules out that name, no matter how obscure or insignificant. Wife - "I don't like *****, that's the name of the cashiers at the grocery store who bags the meat with our produce. I don't want our baby's name associated with salmonella"

[The Goon]

Originally Posted by fotze

You didn't set it to Time of Your life by Green Day, did you?

No, and no to the Wonder Years theme song. It's a much older tune. I can't say any more as I recall that a couple of folks who will be at the party are lurkers on this board. I'm probably already in trouble.

[tvp2003]

Ahhh baby names. Not sure how many hours we spent tossing out (and rejecting) possible names, both for girls and boys (we didn't find out whether it would be a boy or a girl -- which is another topic altogether). Eventuallly settled on one if it was a girl and one if it was a boy, with a few backup options (which we also liked).

However, once she was born, we agreed the name wasn't the right fit and ended up picking what had been our third choice (and we're both happy that we did )

[red sky]

Any new parents-to-be $hitting bricks with the financial change from being DINKS to, well, not being DINKS. Mat leave should be interesting and most months should be okay but we may stuggle some times. Luckily we have decent savings.

[JDub81]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

what brand do you use? how absorbent are the inserts? did you use a disposable liner? tia

I use Fuzzy Buns one size. They fit her at about 6 weeks and adjust to fit until she is potty trained. I don't use a disposable liner as I bought an attachment for the toilet that allows me to spray the poop off right into the toilet.

I bought all of mine through www.bynature.ca - and they have been fantastic.

The inserts are great and once you have the sizing adjusted right (they do have to fit quite snug, but it doesn't bother her) they hardly leak at all - I have had one poop blow-out and I'm pretty sure it would have happened with a disposable too. I am having to double stuff her (two inserts) at night, as she is sleeping almost 10-12 hours each night, but double stuffed she does great!

I do use disposables when we go camping and sometimes for a weekend away, depending if laundry is readily available or not.

I love cloth diapers and could talk about them all day - so feel free to PM me so those who don't care don't have to read my rambling!

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by red sky

Any new parents-to-be $hitting bricks with the financial change from being DINKS to, well, not being DINKS. Mat leave should be interesting and most months should be okay but we may stuggle some times. Luckily we have decent savings.

i am taking 8 months off and going on EI for that time...

By March you should see all my new threads in the Buy/Sell forum. hehe