By Jeana Lee Tahnk
There is so much excitement surrounding the impending birth of a
baby that sometimes the nine months just fly by. OK, maybe not the
morning sickness phase, but after that, time seems to accelerate until
the birth day. Each of my three pregnancies went by quickly, but it's
funny how my level of preparedness decreased dramatically with each
progressive pregnancy.
With my first pregnancy, I read all the books nightly, kept a
pregnancy journal, bought tiny little onesies, washed them in the
gentlest baby detergent, arranged the changing table with diapers and
wipes and had a fully stocked nursery. All at around seven months
pregnant.
During my second pregnancy, I was busy with a toddler in tow, so
naturally, I didn't have as much energy and time. Nonetheless, I still
managed to get some hand-me-downs and stock up on the essentials with
probably a month to spare.
Pregnancy No. 3 was a whole different scenario. We had gotten rid
of our crib after our second child moved to a regular bed and we didn't
have even the barest baby essentials. With just a few weeks left in my
pregnancy, we realized we needed to get into baby mode-and fast. Those
were busy weeks! Luckily, we got it all done in time and had a stocked
nursery when the baby was born.
Based on personal experience, here are 10 things I'd recommend stocking in your nursery:
Diapers:
Of course! When you're changing these 10
to 12 times a day at the beginning, these are a stock-up must-have. I'm
talking multiple boxes of size 1 diapers. Yes, you do go through that
many.
Wipes:
Necessary accompaniment to items mentioned above.
Wipes warmer:
Some people see this as unnecessary,
but I personally used one for each baby. Those middle of the night
diaper changes are a lot less jarring when the wipes are nice and warm.
Onesies:
Regardless of what time of year it is,
short- and long-sleeve onesies are the easiest to change your little
baby in and out of.
Waterproof changing pads:
I put these anywhere I
change the baby's diaper to protect whatever I'm doing the changing on.
And they're also great to stuff one into your diaper bag as added
insurance during your one of many daily diaper changes.
Socks:
I try to use footie pants or zippered
sleepers whenever possible, but if not, socks are a must-have for
keeping those little tootsies warm. They also make a great stand-in as
mittens to keep babies from scratching their faces.
Hand sanitizer:
I bought several pumps and
dispersed them around the house, especially at the front door. With so
many visitors and people who want to touch and hold the baby, hand
sanitizer is your friend.
Nursing pillows:
Between ones passed on from
friends and ones I held onto, I somehow ended up with four nursing
pillows by my third baby. While that seems excessive, it was awfully
nice to have one in each of the main rooms I was nursing in, without
having to constantly schlep one upstairs and downstairs.
Receiving blankets:
I always had a few receiving blankets on hand to use as swaddlers, blankets, play mats, burp cloths.
Burp cloths:
Speaking of burp cloths, these are a
must have for those spitty-uppy babies and to wipe the constant drool
that starts flowing at around four months.
There are lots of lists of "essentials" out there, but the truth is
that you don't need much for a newborn. The items listed here are
recommendations, and of course, there are things you can't get by
without, such as diapers and wipes. But ultimately, lots and lots of
love is what you'll be fully stocked with after baby arrives, and that
certainly goes a long way.
Image: Getty