Babies Only

The age old question:  what to pay.  Usually the higher the price, we expect better quality or more gadgets.  But we are talking about baby clothes.  Something that does not need to last forever.  Remember the sizes – NB, 3mo, 6mo, 9mo.  See what I mean?

We also need to go with our own budget.  Some are fortunate to have family that may add to your budget.  Price does not always equal the best.  We can watch for sales, groups that swap clothes, and hand-me-downs.  Do what works for you and your family.  Remember that the baby does not know anything about money at this age.

SIDS is something that we do not like to talk about, but it is out there and every parents needs to know the things that help prevent this horrible thing that can take our precious baby from us.  Many things are know about SIDS and yet many things are not known.  We do know that certain products contribute to SIDS.  Amount them is baby clothing, bedding, smoking, room temperature and a pacifier.

Let’s start with baby clothing.  Dress baby in light clothing to keep from overheating.  If in cooler weather, use a sleep sack as a safe way to add warmth.  No extra blankets are needed.

Room temperature is important.  Keep it at a moderate temperature ( a little cool).

Smoking is not good for anyone, so it would be especially bad for baby.  Do your best to keep your baby from being around someone that is smoking or a home that has a smoker in it.

A pacifier for baby while in the crib has been shown in studies to reduce SIDS.

Put baby to sleep on its back.  I know that this is not what Grandma will tell you, but this is what all medical people say.  When it comes to SIDS, we want to do all and anything that will protect our precious baby.

My husband has a saying:  “It is easier to keep making old mistakes than it is to make new mistakes”.  So its does not surprise me that babies and children are still choking on food items and baby toys.

According to the Archives of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery thousands of children are injured or die from choking every year.  We as parents must be more aware of what we give our babies to eat and things that they might play with.  A small child or baby can put toys or objects into their mouths that we as adults would have a hard time doing.  We have been told for years that certain foods such as hot dogs, seeds, nuts, grapes and raw carrots can cause a child to ckoke and yet we see parents and other adults give these foods to babies over and over.  It will be a hard lesson to learn if your child is at the hospital because your baby choked on one of theses foods or toy items.

The AAP (Academy of Pediatrics) would like to see better labeling on food products. “Not for children under the age of 3″ is a common warning on toys, but maybe the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) needs to rethink their guide for standards.  The bottom line is that we as parents are responsible for protecting our babies.  All the rules and government warnings can do no good if we as parents don’t pay attention to what we feed our babies and with what toys and objects we allow them to play.

We have gotten over the surprise, happiness, or maybe shock that at baby is coming and I need to get ready for this special delivery.  We have looked at the baby clothing needs for the first few weeks. Now what is next?

Our third things needed to “Getting Ready for Baby”.  Some of  these choices will depend on several things like do you want to use disposable diapers, or cloth diapers, or maybe a diaper service.  Yes, they do still have these around. The number of items in this list can vary to suit your own ideas of what you want.

2 packs of disposable diapers or enough cloth diapers for at least two days.

1 package of disposable wipes or 10 cloth wipes.

Water proof pad for diaper changing.

3-5 baby washcloths.

1-2 hooded towels.

Baby nail clippers

Digital thermometer.

Next step in “Getting Ready for Baby” is with the basic baby clothing needs for a newborn.  A Baby Layette is the basic baby item in clothing and baby blankets.

You can add or delete the number of the items that is suggested depending on the part of the country you live and the season of the birth and the most important thing: depending on how often you want to do laundry.

5-10 onesies or rompers, long/short sleeve, and long/short legs.

1 sleep sack (if baby is born in any other time than summer).

5-7 sleepers or nightgowns (I suggest gowns, as they make it easier to change diapers).

5-7 pairs of baby socks (keep head and feet warm and baby will be more content).

1-2 newborn hats (caps).

4-6 undershirts.

4-6 light weight blankets

All other clothing is optional for the first few weeks of baby’s life.

Getting ready for a new baby in your family is very rewarding and at the same time it can be a time of confusion.  There are many layers of things to buy.  Baby clothes is usually the first thing we think of.  What do I need and then there is what do I want?  These two things are very far apart.

Then there is “where am I going to put this new little person”?  The first thing that you think of is do I have an extra bedroom that can become the “baby’s room”?  This takes in all kinds of products: furniture, baby care products, room decor, paint, fabrics, etc.  The list can go on and on, but this is where you decide how much and how little you will spend or how much your budget will allow you to spend.  Remember, you have 9 months to get ready for this special delivery.  It doesn’t all have to be done in a day.  Take your time.  Look in magazines, baby products books and spend some time in stores “just looking”.  There is a big new world out there for baby and there are also many new and really great products than can make your life easier.  Enjoy this time, it can be great.

You can almost sit and watch  an infant grow.  Especially newborns to 12 months of age.  It seems that a child changes more in this 12 months period than at any other time in their life.  So choosing a size of infant clothing can be a real task.

Keep in mind the season that the infant will be wearing this item.  Newborn size generally (and I say this because manufacturers vary in how they size their clothing) is up to 10 pounds.  If the baby is long, they will need a larger size before they will in pounds.  To be safe, you can always choose infant clothing in one size about the infant’s age.  If this is a gift, I recommend never buying the newborn size, as by the time you get the gift to the infant it may be several weeks old and gaining pounds and height.  If the infant has all the basics, buy something cute, pretty and maybe something that the parents wouldn’t spend the money for.

Baby products are many and can be purchased in many different places.  We all want the very best for our baby and would never purchase a product that we think would harm him/her.

Price does not tell you if a product is good or harmful.  Many high end products have been on the recall list from time to time.  We at Babies Only are passing along to you some of the products that have been recalled in the pass several months.  You can get more information on the following products and pictures at the CPSC web site.  The US Consumer Products Commission is a government agency.  Their web site is:   www.CPSC.gov

4-8-10       Mecca Hooded Jackets by 5 Star Apparel     646-273-1225

4-6-10       Gund Board Books     800-436-3726

3-24-10     Infantino Baby Slings by Infantino     866-860-1361

3-18-10     Graco Harmony High Chairs by Graco     877-842-3206

3-2-10       Scooby Doo, Tweety & Batman Plastic Fork & Spoon Set sold at Dollar Tree & Deals Store

2-18-10     Girls Hooded Sweatshirt by Weeplay Kids     800-505-0490

2-17-10     Baby Bracelet & Pacifier clips by Allreds Design (Hidden Hollow Beads)     866-695-3551

2-10-10     Baitex Blink Stroller by Britex     888-427-4829

2-10-10     Tiny Love Wind Chime Toys by Tiny Love     888-791-8166

2-10-10     Manhattan Toy Pull Toys by Manhattan Toy     800-541-1345

2-9-10        Discovery Kids Lamps by Discovery Kids     888-232-1535

2-9-10      Drop-Side Cribs by All Gererations 2 Worldwide and ChildESIGNS Drop-Side Cribs.  Contact place of purchase.

2-2-10       Tiny Tink Jewelry Sets by Tiny Tink     888-810-1133

2-2-10       Hooded Jackets by GTM Sportswear     800-437-9560

When it comes to keeping your baby healthy, mothers and fathers spare no expense. But often parents don’t think about the clothing their infants wear; clothing made of certain materials or dyes can be damaging to your baby’s skin and even cause internal problems. For this reason, it’s important to purchase organic baby clothes.  These baby clothes are manufactured through all natural means; meaning that during the entire manufacturing process, including harvesting the materials, no chemicals or toxins come into contact with the clothing.

When purchasing organic baby clothes, you also know that you’re doing your part to help the environment. In addition, organic clothing often costs about the same as other varieties of clothing.

Washing baby clothes can be a major problem if we let it be.  But all clothing, blankets, bedding and any other fabric item that touches baby must be washed before it comes in contact with baby.  Your first decision is do I wash my baby clothes separate from the other family clothes?

Many doctors recommend using Dreft for Baby or Ivory Snow up to the age of 2 years.  If you choose to use a regular laundry detergent, these may have dyes and perfumes in them that can irritate baby’s skin. But if you do decide that the regular detergent is for you, choose one that is dye and perfume free.  If you are using dryer sheets, here again use one that is dye and perfume free.  They are out there, but you may have to check out several places to find them as this is a fairly new product.