Soon to be a father late April, what should I buy and what do I need before the baby comes?

Whatever you do, do not go overboard buying newborn clothing and diapers. They quickly outgrow the newborn stage and you’ll be left with many unused diapers and clothing.

Every baby and nursing mom could use a Boppy We still use my daughter’s Boppy as a back support and pillow. My daughter is 7 now. We definitely got our money’s worth buying this pillow. =)

Read the numerous sources on the internet.

Don’t over buy.

I got nearly everything from the Charity Thrift store.

Do you have the essentials like a car seat, crib and stroller? I don’t know where to start. Receiving blankets. You can never have enough receiving blankets for a newborn. Are you going to use cloth diapers or the plastic ones? Either way, you need diapers and diaper rash cream, baby soap and shampoo, lots of crib sheets, burp cloths, bibs, rubbing alcohol for treating the cord until it falls off (I think that is what they recommend using now. It changes depending on the latest medical opinions.) A soft baby hair brush. CONGRATULATIONS!! Your life is about to change forever.

Here’s my list in no particular order.

Plan on having someone come clean the house weekly after the baby comes, and if you can afford it, keep it up at least once a month long term. Your wife will sing your praises for years to come.

Do you plan to use paper or cloth diapers? We used paper for the first few months, then switched to cloth. Some people use a diaper service.

If you have other kids, you dad, need to take them out for some one-on-one time at least once a week. It will give your wife a break, and the kids will benefit too.

Buy baby laundry detergent such as Dreft if baby has rashes (check the grocery aisle).

Have you and your wife go to Baby’s R Us, or a similar place to see what you might like. Just start a list. Some people use changing tables, but I never did. I just used a towel on the floor.

If you’re going to paint the baby’s room, you might want to use low-odor paint.

Go to child birth classes with your wife.

Remember when your wife is in labor, she’s the “queen bee”. She calls the shots. Don’t crack jokes, unless she wants you to, etc.

When she’s around 6 months along, she might like a pregnancy girdle. I sure wanted one when I was carrying twins, but I couldn’t find one that fit.

When buying baby clothes, consider getting gowns with no legs. Either just a zipper, a draw string, or an elasticized bottom to it. These things are the best, and they don’t have to be as expensive as the brand in this link. http://www.green-daisies.com/by-style-sleep-sacks-c-38_43.html

Have her go to a La Leche League meeting. (A support group for breastfeeding mothers).

Not only do they quickly outgrow the newborn sized items, some infants never fit newborn sizes to begin with. Best to stick to a couple of essentials, as far as that goes (onesies, a few outfits, and diapers) but don’t go crazy buying newborn sizes.

Baby showers are essential. That way your family and friends and co-workers help to ease some of the financial burden of the first few months of the “must have” items for the little one.

Room humidifier

Diaper Genie.

Costco bundle of hypo allergenic babywipes.

Rectal thermometer.

Cabinet clips so baby can’t open drawers or cabinets.

Electrical outlets plug caps.

Rubberized, washable “pee pads” that go under crib sheets.

Talk to the pediatrician now and get an estimate, maybe even a printout of recommended office visits, immunizations and whatnot so you can budget now and have it set aside.

Get an idea of what kinds/brands of formula and foods you want to feed the baby and start stocking up or start a wish list with a store so people can pick items to gift you off the registry.

An infant car seat for both cars so you don’t have to hassle.

Several thick cotton baby blankets to throw down on floor whenever baby plays. One will always be clean when others are in the wash.

Study now about earaches, congestion, teething relief, gas relief and crying round the clock.

@Neizvestnaya, I thought about buying a stock pile of baby formula for my one and only granddaughter as a gift to her mom before she was born. Thankfully, I didn’t. She had to change formulas several times until she found one her little belly could tolerate.

Almost forgot. Buy a book/video on baby massage. It helps calm the baby and helps baby sleep, and there’s nothing better for colic or a number of other problems.

Are you, @whitetigress the new father? If so, congrats! May I ask why you chose the feminine user name? It’s confusing.

Congratulations, @whitetigress! From the way your Q is worded, I’m guessing this is your first? I really can’t add much to what others said, except one thing. If your SO can’t or chooses not to breastfeed, do enough research so you can acquire appropriate formula, bottles, equipment, whatever, immediately. I couldn’t, was single, wasn’t prepared, and it was an awkward problem to solve.

Yay! Another Jelly baby! Please keep us apprised of how things go!

Congrats on the new arrival. Just be prepared for anything. Best wishes.

Now, I want a baby.

Congrats on your soon-to-be-fatherhood!

I got a baby bath seat for my second and really wished I’d had it for my first. They are slippery little suckers when wet. Mine cost just a few pounds and was a simple frame with a towelling cloth for the seat that could be removed for washing. You can get more fancy ones too. It does the job of one hand – you need two hands to hold the baby in the bath :-)
bathtime is such a special time – they usually love it and are really alert and quiet. Getting a bit misty eyed thinking about my two as babes in the bath!