Experts vs Reality....part 2

When we found out we were chosen by "K," to adopt Samuel, I went on the internet and found a list of things that "the experts say" you should have for a baby and then I created my list of needs and wants. Stores can be overwhelming and you can go broke buying a lot that you don't need or will get as gifts anyway, so try not to go too crazy. You'll get tons of stuff at your shower and babies grow out of clothes so quickly that you won't need a lot of outfits in any one size. I have a few things that Samuel only wore once or things he never wore because he was born in December and they were newborn summer outfits. Also, the best places to shop for baby stuff are yard sales and second hand stores. You'll save a ton of money.

In part one, I listed the things for SLEEPING, DIAPERING and THE CAR, that I use for Samuel. Let's move on to BATH, MEDICAL and FEEDING ITEMS:

BATH ITEMS:

Bath Tub: I have an infant tub that I found at GoodWill, that put in the real bathtub. I plan on using the real bathtub once he's bigger.

Towels: I got a few hooded towels, but I don't think they are necessary. I usually just use my own large bath towels.

Washcloths: I got a bag of 10 of these at a yardsale and I use a new one for each bath.
 
Shampoo, Soap and Baby Lotion: These are all Johnson's products. I got tons at my shower and I haven't had to buy any from the store yet. I do give Samuel a bath every other night. It's very short, but it really relaxes him. He enjoys it too. 


Brush: I use a mushroom brush, which is very soft for their heads and helps remove dead skin.

Nail Clippers: Samuel's nails have grown so quickly that I have to clip them every other day and they are so tiny that the baby clippers work best.

MEDICAL ITEMS:

Thermometer: They gave me one at the hospital that you use under the arm, but Samuel hasn't been sick yet, so I really haven't used it. I have ordered a Temporal Thermometer though, so as he grows and yes, inevitable will get sick, I have it ready. It looks to be so much easier. It's just like what my pediatrician uses.


Mylicon Drops: These are gas drops. I use them, but not sure that I see any difference.

Infant Tylenol: I have only used this once, when he got his one month old shots, but it's good to have on hand.

Bulb Syringe: The hospital gave us this and I used it from day one. It's a must have.

FEEDING ITEMS:

Cloth Diapers: I use these for burping and spit up. I have bibs, but will not use them until we start solid foods. I also have a bib with a pocket to catch food for later.

Bottles: I am not breast feeding, so we have used bottles from day one. Samuel was a little gassy, so I tried Playtex Drop-Ins, VentAire bottles and then Dr. Brown bottles. The Dr. Brown bottles have worked the best. We use cheap, generic bottle to heat up and store the formula and then we feed with the Dr. Browns. I would say buy a couple different kinds and then see what works best for you.

Bottle Warmer: We were putting the bottles in hot water, but it was taking too long and we couldn't find any glass bottles to put in the microwave, so I got a bottle warmer. We were storing the pre-made bottles in the refrigerator, but we found by having our Brita Water pitcher on the counter and heating the bottles from room temperature it took much less time. The bottle warmer is a must have for me.

Formula: I started with Enfamil because that is what the hospital started him on. We used this for about a week and then we went to a gentler kind of Enfamil. Sometimes it takes awhile to find what will work for your baby. Adoptive moms can try breast feeding, but usually you still have to supplement with formula, so I chose not to start. 

Water: Some people freaked out when I said I gave Samuel water, but my mother and all of my sisters used it to extend the feeding time out. Plus my pediatrician said it was fine. 

Finally, in part 3 of this series, I will go over CLOTHES, TOYS and OTHER ITEMS that we use for Samuel.