Baby R US Week

[chompers]

I have read from past postings about Baby R Us week. Does anyone know when its taking place? My wife is due at the end of April and I am just wondering if it's anytime soon so we can stock up on certain items. Thank you!

[jglkitty25]

I believe the Babies R Us sale was on last week. Although I've been to the one before that (August 2007), this sale was not as good as the last one.

Hopefully they will have another one before your little one comes.

Maybe you should go signup on the Toyrus website to receive their latest sale info. That way you will know if their baby sale is coming up.

[LoveRFD]

Last time I checked with cashier at Babies R Us she said it should be in the middle of March.

[sonicspeed]

Depends on what you are looking for, Walmart and Loblaws / Superstore are having baby week sale this week.

[chompers]

Thanks everyone! I will just have to keep a close eye on what's happening with Baby R Us sales. My wife is not due until end of April so I still have some time!

[Jonavin]

Thanks everyone! I will just have to keep a close eye on what's happening with Baby R Us sales. My wife is not due until end of April so I still have some time!

Two months isn't a whole lot of time... plus, it could come early... you never know. Buy stuff that's on sale when you see it. You should be fully prepared a month before the due date.

We got all of the essentials well in advance and was so glad we did. You're not going to want to worry about buying stuff the first couple of weeks.

And waiting for sale at the last minute might be a bad idea. New born size diapers, for example, seems to disappear whenever there's a sale.

Congratulations and good luck.

[LoveRFD]

Two months isn't a whole lot of time... plus, it could come early... you never know. Buy stuff that's on sale when you see it. You should be fully prepared a month before the due date.

We got all of the essentials well in advance and was so glad we did. You're not going to want to worry about buying stuff the first couple of weeks.

And waiting for sale at the last minute might be a bad idea. New born size diapers, for example, seems to disappear whenever there's a sale.

Congratulations and good luck.

What are the essentials parents-to-be need to prepare? I have no clue except stroller, car seat, crib, blankets, and diapers.

[xansmommy]

What are the essentials parents-to-be need to prepare? I have no clue except stroller, car seat, crib, blankets, and diapers.

I have cut and paste this from another site, and deleted the ones I didn't agree with (ie: bumper pads, don't believe in them). I also added some comments in red. I have a newborn so didn't have time to compile a list from scratch, hope this helps.

Cradle, bassinet or crib
· Crib slats should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart.
· Drop side of crib should be easy for you to work with one hand.
Crib mattress
· Make sure it fits tightly inside the crib.
Fitted crib sheets
Receiving blankets
Warm blanket, quilt or comforter - I prefer sleep sacks for baby's safety
Dresser for storing baby’s clothes
Changing pad more than one
CD player for helping to soothe baby to sleep depends on the baby

Bathing Basics

Baby bathtub with foam pad or insert
Terry cloth bath towels
Washcloths
Tearless shampoo
Baby soap
Brush and comb
Baby nail scissors or clippers

Diaper Duty

Diapers
· You’ll likely need 70-90 diapers per week for the first six weeks.
Disposable diaper wipes (better to use a baby washcloth and water
Diaper rash ointment or cream (we've been using just vaseline with the new baby and it works better at protecting his bum than creams did on our last little guy)
Cotton swabs (for cleaning the umbilical cord area, use warm water to clean on one end of swab, dry with other end at every diaper change)
Diaper pail with locking lid (depends- we just went the grocery bag in the garbage route this time)

Clothing Collections
(it listed onesies etc, but my newborn is in fleecy sleepers most of the time, it's cold out!)
Stretchy socks or booties
Hats
Sweaters
Sleepers or stretch suits
Mild laundry detergent to wash baby’s clothes

Feeding Fundamentals
Bottles with nipples and caps (if breastfeeding or bottle-feeding) (even if breastfeeding it is good to get your baby to learn to take a bottle in my opinion (this one can be a hot topic)- my little guy didn't get nipple confusion, but they often say to wait 3 months before introducing a bottle- we didn't and he still breastfeeds fine)
Baby formula and measuring cup (if bottle-feeding)
Breast pump (if breastfeeding) (you might want to wait before making a big investment here and see how things go)
Nursing bras (if breastfeeding)
Nursing pads (if breastfeeding)
Burp cloths

Transportation Tools

Infant car set
· Choose a car seat appropriate for your baby’s age, height and weight.
· Remember that older car seats handed down from relatives or friends may not meet current federal safety standards
Stroller
Diaper bag

Other things I can think of that weren't on the list
- pacifier (a few different types)- you may not think you want to use one, but it gives the breastfeeding momma a break if you get a baby with strong sucking instinct- nice to have one on hand if you decide you need one
- bouncy seat (not necessarily essential, but nice for a break)
- baby swing (also, not essential, but see above)

Above all, enjoy!!

Laura

[thelefteyeguy]

#1...diapers when it's cheap...load up...1.5months of newborn (10-12 pcs a day), 2month of size 1 (10pcs a day), 2months of size 2 (8pcs a day)

#2 Car seat!

#3 not sure if you are breast feeding..if you are...need nursing pads, you might need a tube of nipple cream...you'll have some pain for the first 4 days or so. If you are using bottle...you'll need other stuff that I won't go into cause i have no idea

#4 4-7pcs of shirts, 4-7pcs of pjs, a few clothes for going out

#5 Diaper cream, Shampoo, liquid soap, bathing container, 2 sets of wash clothes (1 for face, 1 for body), towels, q-tips, vasoline (everytime you change diaper), baby wipes (unless you go with water and papertowels)

#6 baby bed/Mattress, cradle (option for 2-3months), changing pad (and cover...you'll have accidents for 2 months), bedsheets, a couple of blankets

#7 Vitamin D drops

#8 thermometer (underarm)

#9 tynenol liquid (first immunization shot, etc)

#10 gripe water (optional)

#11 nail clipper (you'll need it for the first week....good luck!)

hope i didnt forget anything

some other items I forgot to add (optional)

warm mist humidifer (cold is also fine...my baby can sleep very well with the white noise coming from it)
bed hanger toy (instant poo machine for her...stares at it for 30mins...boom poop!)
mittens for 2 months (she liked scratching her face for some reason)

[LoveRFD]

You guys are awesome! Thanks for all the useful information.

[mrsenator]

I would added vibrating bouncy chair and a swing to the list. Both are very useful in calming/soothing babies and give you a place to put them when you need hands free.

Wipes are expensive, unless you buy in bulk. Get a few boxes, and then buy refills in bulk. Costco's Kirkland wipes are excellent and really cheap.

Clothing: sleepers, 'onesies', winter outfits. You need more sleepers and onesies than you think because they get messy easily. Also try to find ones that button or zip up. Things that pull over baby's heads are a pain IMHO because they often lead to meltdowns.

Diapers: Buy in bulk when on sale, but don't go too crazy. It's really difficult to predict how long they'll be in any one size and it's easy to end up with lots of leftovers. For instance, if baby is born big, you may not even use Newborn diapers, but go right to size one. We bought huge quantities of No. 1 diapers before the twins were born and ended up giving 1/3rd of them away.

Check Craiglist for expensive items. Babies grow out of stuff soo quickly, it's not worth spending big bucks buying everything new.

Things to consider: some kind of carrying device: slings, wraps, babybjorn and a snap and go for the car stroller.

Finally, this isn't about 'stuff' but if you're planning on breastfeeding, do lots of research in advance. You can find lots of information here:

It's a good idea to attend a breastfeeding class before baby comes. It's pretty overwhelming trying to establish feeding in the days after the birth, so it's a good idea to have a support system in place. If you're having trouble, get help from your hospital's breastfeeding clinic or hire a lactation consultant. I say all this because people sometimes assume breastfeeding is a very natural and easy thing, and often it isn't. Once it's established, it's probably less work than bottle feeding formula. But it can be very difficult in the first few weeks and that often leads people to give up.

Good luck!

[ihk]

baby fest is on right now.