Friday, June 4, 2010

Shopping Advice


How cute is this? DKNY at Macy's $34.99.


Well yesterday I made my first online purchase for Superbaby. It felt awesome too! Just a small purchase, four pieces. Two Ralph Lauren Polo style onsies and two Carters sleeper sack gowns, I guess thats what you call them. They are open at bottom and have sleeves that cover their hands to prevent scratching.

But I need help.

I am not sure how to buy. Wishing4One, you don't know how to shop? Of course I do, and how I do- but not for baby. Not yet.

See what I need you guys to tell me is what sizes to buy initially, like how many 0-3 months, 6-9 months etc. Like how many pajamas, onesies... I need to know everything, as I have not a clue! Also I should calculate Superbaby's age as the seasons change too huh? Like God Willing, he will arrive in Fall, October and will be 6 months in Spring etc etc.

(Too funny- according to my Mother my sister and I were elephants and she had things she could never dress us in because we grew so fast!)

I know we don't yet know how big or small Superbaby will be, but what was you rule of thumb when shopping before your baby arrived?

Also is there anything that I won't be able to live without that I should I get? It can be anything, but something that was so amazing for you and you were glad you got it (them).

I plan on getting most of Superbaby's things from the US. I will do alot of online shopping and my sister and Mom will get me some things too. I'll get some things here in Cairo, but the good quality things for baby are waay overpriced!

I am contemplating delivering in the US as well, more on that later.

So any and all advice is welcomed. Remember I have never shopped for a baby before and know nada! Have a great Friday! xoxo




26 comments:

  1. Very cute outfit! I too do not know how to shop for a baby so I am sorry I do not have any words of wisdom. I do hope that you have fun and enjoy the shopping experience. I look forward to reading advice that you receive from others.

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  2. I have no idea either, but all good questions. I hope someone can answer.

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  3. Shopping for clothes is something that I didn't get to do much of until she was over a year old. My family hasn't had a baby girl in forever so EVERYONE was buying outfits. It is FUN to shop for baby clothes but not necessities so gifts are usually cute clothes...

    I had ideas about what I wanted before she arrived but after she came and we tried different things did we figure out what we liked best.

    Consider if you want buttons/snaps/zippers? If you have a baby that can't stand to be hot you may not want footed jammies. Or if your baby can't stand to be cold you may need socks AND footed jammies...

    Trial and error.

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  4. Here is my advice: Avoid snaps. When you up doing your multiple feedings in the late night hours, it so hard to manage to get all the snaps in the right spots. I used the gowns every night until my son was 5 months old. Love those! Also, you can't really figure sizes by adding in age months? Does this make sense? My son went from newborn to 3-6 months before he was 4 months old because of his length. I would advise you to buy as he grows or to up-size quite often. For instance, my son is now 16 months old but he wears 18 month bottoms and 24 month tops.

    I hope this helps? Congrats again on your son! I have been following you for several years and am so happy for you!

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  5. The advice that I have been given over and over again is that you simply shouldn't buy clothes, because people like to give baby clothes as gifts! I don't know what your support network is like in Cairo, so maybe this won't hold true for you-- I just don't know. Of course, telling a woman who is pregnant with her first baby NOT to shop is just silly! How could someone expect us to forgo shopping for our much-anticipated little one(s)??? Not gonna happen!

    I will say that I tried to do a little seasonal planning, but you just don't know whether your kid will be a fast or slow grower. I tried to buy things that I could layer so that if they hit a particular growth stage early, they could still wear certain things.

    BUT, as far as items that you need for the early days, it was recommended to me to get several gowns with elastic bottoms (easy changing) and mostly onesies. As cute as they are, tiny babies don't need a lot of "special" dressy outfits (unless you anticipate having lots of events to take them to). You'll need a few kimono-style tee shirts for the earliest days while the umbilical stump is healing (you don't want clothes that will rub against the stump, like a onesie), and you'll need something with leg separations (little pants or whatever) for when you have to put them in the car seat (can't put the belt between their legs when they're wearing a gown).

    Otherwise, despite all advice to the contrary, I have shopped my heart out, though mostly at consignment sales or clearance items at regular department stores, with the theory that I don't want to have to do laundry very often. We are planning to cloth diaper, which means I'll be washing diapers every day or two, so I don't want to have to add a bunch of loads of baby clothes on top of that! At this point, I won't be terribly heartbroken if certain items prove useless, because I didn't spend much money on them. I can always resell them later at a consignment sale.

    So that's my advice on baby clothes, FWIW!

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  6. First, I have to say that I HATED the gowns with the elastic bottoms. My girl was queen of the diaper blowout, so having to pull a (ahem) soiled gown over her head was quite icky. I liked snaps, because, even though they were difficult and frustrating to align, I wasn't going to pinch any skin with them (I know, I have irrational zipper fears. What can I say?) But, the best gift we ever got was a fleece gown that zipped up the front - wonderful for winter! Of course, I doubt it gets that cold in Cairo...

    I don't have any shopping strategies, but I agree with the above commenters. Don't shop too much, because everyone likes to buy clothes for infants. We bought all of our clothes second-hand from someone who had a little girl with a close birthdate. And when I say all of our clothes, I mean a 2 year wardrobe. Too bad you're not having a girl, because said wardrobe is up for sale again! (My girl is an October baby).

    As far as sizes - well, it depends on the size of your baby. I think many kids run about a month or two ahead on clothes sizes (so when they're about 6 weeks, they fit in the 3-6 month clothes, when they're 4 months, they're in the 6 month sizes), and sizes can differ wildly from brand to brand...and sometimes item to item.

    Our girl spent her first 5 months in sleepers with onesies underneath. I would put her in an outfit for a special occasion or if we were going out somewhere. If we were just visiting grandma, it was just sleepers all the time. Some of this was due to my husband, though.

    Have fun shopping - but don't worry too much about it. Other people will provide you with lots of stuff.

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  7. Looks like you've gotten some great shopping advice so far!

    I would have to agree that usually gifts are in the form of clothing and you'll probably be bombarded with 0-3 and 3-6 mo clothes. Like others have said it's really hard to predict how fast your kiddo will grow. My babe was a bit roly-poly and has always been in larger sizes. Now that she's 26 months old she wears 3T-4T shirts and 2T-3T pants--but I've found that there are some big variations in size between brands/manufacturers also. I always have to get bigger sizes in the W.almart crap and smaller sizes in say G.ymbo.ree.

    The only thing that comes to mind that I wish I would have had sooner was a book about sleep. We struggled with sleep at first, mainly because I really didn't understand what exactly a baby's sleep needs were. I would recommend reading a couple different books on the subject--preferably ones with differing viewpoints (ie. cry-it-out vs. no-cry). We were able to find a happy medium that worked for us by doing that, but I didn't get the books until she was about 7 months old. Within just a couple weeks from that she was sleeping through the night!

    It's nice to have all the little things that no one really thinks about to have on hand, like booger suckers, a fast read thermometer, baby T.ylenol, spit-up rags, etc. But, for the most part, there really is no urgency to have all the stuff before the baby arrives. You will be able to get what you need later. Some babies like swings, some like the vibrating chairs, some only want to be held by mama. You may very well spend the $150 on some contraption that your little guy absolutely hates. Babies are so unpredictable.

    I'd wait to buy too much until after the gifts stop dwindling in--then take inventory and go shopping!

    I think that's all the ass-vice I've got for now. Good luck!

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  8. I highly recommend this bath tub from Target: http://www.target.com/Fisher-Price-Coral-Reef-Tub/dp/B002Q52DZ2/ref=br_1_7?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&qid=1275668850&searchView=grid5&sr=1-7&node=13866681&searchRank=pmrank&searchPage=1&rh=&searchSize=30&id=Fisher%20Price%20Coral%20Reef%20Tub&searchBinNameList=purchasing_channel%2Ctarget_com_category-bin%2Ctarget_com_character-bin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin

    Sorry the link is so long. I had one of them and LOVED it! It is great because you can bathe the baby in the hammoc until they are big enough to sit in the tub (about a month or so), and then the seat in the tub keeps your baby upright while you bathe them. I seriously could not have lived without it.

    Leave the clothes for later. Get something in all sizes intitally, but don't go nuts until you know how big or small your baby is.

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  9. Congratulations on your little boy! Other commenters have covered the clothing issue - as long as you have onesies, sleepers and gowns you will be all set. If he will be a fall baby, plan to buy a few warm outfits if you need them in Cairo or if you will be traveling.
    Other necessities: Boppy pillow for feeding, burp cloths, breast pump and nursing bras or formula and bottles, baby gas drops, bulb syringe. Diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream. Pacifiers, rocking chair, night light. Think about where the baby will be sleeping - we had a bassinet in our room and then moved them to a crib. For daytime naps, we had a pack-n-play and swing in the living room.
    So excited for you! In a perfect world I would have had 5 or 6 babies - love them!!
    God Bless,
    Shannon

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  10. I agree with the Boppy pillow suggestion. For me, this was the most important piece of gear in the first few months, because baby spends several hours a day nursing.

    I have a great tip for you between now and October. Get some bra extenders. You can get them with 1, 2, 3, or 4 hooks, which makes it possible to wear at least some of your pre-PG bras.

    Happy shopping!

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  11. 1. Until you know exactly how big your baby is, buy a few things of each size (newborn, 0-3, 3-6, etc) and buy more later.

    2. DONT BUY TOO MUCH. People will likely give you a lot of clothes. I had WAY too many clothes for my baby and she didnt even wear half of it before it got too small.

    3. Buy lots of pjs/one-piece-sleepers for newborn and 0-3.

    4. My baby was 8 lbs 8 oz (90th percentile) and still fit newborn for a month.

    5. I loved having onesies after my baby was about 2 months old.

    6. If you are unsure of sizes, buy bigger as they can grow into it versus it being to small from the get-go.

    7. You dont need baby shoes.

    8. In my opinion, onesies are better than tshirts.

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  12. I have just a few advices.

    Cothes in size 0-3 months at baby gap are just to small for 6,5 -9 lbs baby (normal size here, but I think that us babies are smaller why would they then make this size).

    Carters sizes for newborn are a bit bigger than at Gap, but will probably not last longer than the 1 month (in my case probably only 2 weeks, will probably get 8 lbs baby as we parents were both that big).Carters size 0-3 months you will probably be able to use for 1-2 months. I think Carter´s sizes are more accurate and not as snug as Gap clothes, I fear that I will get a baby who loves to eat and that some of the GAP pants will be tight in the waist.

    Baby Gap 3-6 months is approximately the same size as Carts 0-3 months. I would not buy any clothes in Baby Gap for 0-3 months unless you are sure it will be a small one.

    I was recommended to get a lot of onesies, and that the Carter´s onsies where of good quality that lasted long (my mom has still some carter´s onesies since my sister was a baby)
    Carter´s has also quite cheap packs of 5 (and extremely cute)
    http://www.carters.com/carters/Paw-Print-Multi-pack-Bodysuits/V_111-135,default,pd.html?dwvar_V__111-135_color=Blue&start=1&cgid=carters-baby-boy-little-layette-sale

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  13. My must haves: Miracle Blanket (trust me), pouch sling, moby wrap, baby gowns, cloth diapers for burp cloths, boppy pillow, lansinoh breast cream.

    As far as clothes, I only liked soft, 100% cotton clothes like Zutano - no "little man" outfits like jeans and such. They're cute but really don't look comfortable when compared to the soft cotton things.

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  14. There isn't really anything I can add to the advice already given. I just wanted to say that I'm so excited you've started shopping.

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  15. everyone's advice is perfect..don't buy everything Now...wait...he might be BIG, or LITTLE or just right, it's like the bears and the porridge , you just have to wait it out.

    love the outfit, as the mom of boys..I always thought I'll love having boys, but GIRLS really get the best outfits, but Honestly boys do too....they are just as stylish and just as cute (sometimes CUTER)

    keep asking, I'll try answering on time next time. LOL

    HUGS

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  16. I'd feel weird giving advice since I've never had a baby but just wanted to say that outfit is adorable :)

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  17. Sorry.. I've only seen bra extenders for the back-hook closure type bra. Drat! But I wanted to agree with the anti-snap senetiment for baby outfits. Pajamas and rompers that zip (from the foot up to the neck) are so much easier than fumbling with those insanely tiny snaps at 3 a.m. when you're deleriously tired.

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  18. We live in a really hot climate, so thought I'd share some advice from that perspective.

    One of the best gifts we received for our now three month old was a set of Aden + Anais swaddle blankets. We used them to swaddle him until last week (now we swaddle just his legs and leave his arms free), in the stroller as a sunshade or head cushion, for playing on the floor, etc., plus we always have one in the diaper bag for any of a dozen miscellaneous uses that come up. They are perfect for hot weather because they are so lightweight, and they are huge (47" x 47") so they work really well for swaddling.

    We were given most of our clothes, so I don't know much about shopping for them. But we love onesies - great for hot weather, easy to get on and off, really easy for diaper changes, easy to clean. I don't like shorts and t-shirts because the t-shirts pull up when you lift him up. We have had him in short-sleeved cotton onesies for basically the first three months.

    For carriers, we found slings and the Ergo+infant insert to be too hot for our climate (baby got heat rash), so have been using a Baby Bjorn Air, which is made of a meshy fabric. We'll start using the Ergo and a Mei Tai in the next few weeks, now that his skin is a little less sensitive.

    Be sure to get a couple of hats for the sun!

    Good luck - so happy for you!

    j.

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  19. When they were very little, I liked to put them in pajamas almost all the time unless we were going out or seeing people (which didn't happen much the first couple of months!). Footed pajamas with zippers, because you will be changing so many diapers and the snaps get annoying. Personally I never liked the gowns because I felt like they were too cold without pants since I had fall babies in a place where winter is quite cold.

    I was told that you can't have too many onesies, but that turned out to be wrong for me -- again because of the winter cold, I didn't want to put them in onesies without socks and pants, which was too much effort for everyday life the first few months. After a few months I stopped putting them in pajamas all day and now they usually wear a onesie and pants unless it's a special occasion (though I do put my daughter in dresses too, just because I have them). Since it's hot in Cairo, onesies might work better for you.

    Don't overdo it on hats. I literally received about 40 hats for the two babies, most of which have never been worn -- esp. since my daughter's head grew so big so fast! A couple of sun hats are useful, but we didn't end up using the warm hats often because when it was cold they wore snowsuits which had hoods. Of course that won't apply to you in Cairo!

    As for socks, most socks are terrible at staying on. Trumpettes are pretty good and are very cute, all sorts of designs that look like fun little shoes in every color.

    Finally, don't buy anything unless you absolutely love it, even if it's on sale. Since you may receive a lot of gifts and hand-me-downs, save your money for the clothes you won't mind seeing over and over. This is especially true of the bigger sizes; they outgrow the smallest sizes so quickly, but as the baby's growth slows, you end up being stuck with the same clothes for months.

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  20. ok, i feel like i've missed out ALOT! i had to go back to your older posts.

    First of all, I know I'm soo late to say this but am so sorry for the lost of one of the twins. Again, really sorry for saying this so late. But biiig biiiiigggg hugs to you.

    Secondly, HA! a boy! welcome to the blue team! boys, i hear, can be easier to manage but i think when they do discover they have a penis for a reason, then I'll have to be very worried. :(

    Now thirdly, drop me an email. My email is infertilewhore@yahoo.com.au. I have a list of what i bought for myself and T and a hospital check-list of things to pack. Use what you think is useful and discard what you think it's not. :)

    ps I just wanted to share a bit of assvice from me. When i was pg, i was scared shitless and didn't really shop much. Then when T came, I was exhausted most of the time and hardly went out for the first month or so. But I shopped after that with a vengenance - ONLINE! lol. i still do..*big squeal*

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  21. swaddle me! That is the first thing you need. Just google it. The onsies all fit when they are under 9 months. Then it depends on your kid. Ditto what some said about variations in size. Here is what I found
    Carters: pretty true to age
    Old Navy: Skinny babies
    Gymboree: Bigger Babies
    Target: Smaller babies (skinny and short)
    Osh Kosh: Just a littler smaller
    Just one Year: pretty true to age
    Baby Gap: Smaller

    Finally, I always buy some stuff for next year at the end of the season. So cheap then.

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  22. Someone is throwing you a shower, right? You'll get most of the early clothes you need right there. In fact, I didn't buy a stitch of clothes for my boys until they were about 9 months. People like to buy babies clothes. ;)

    In the beginning, we put the boys in just those snap shirts b/c they were easy for diaper changes and such (and there will be a lot of those!). I would put the same shirt on until it got dirty and then switch to something else. I'd say maybe about 10-12 onesies for newborn and then double that for 0-3 months? Well, it depends on how big YOU are, how big you and your husband were when you were born, if big babies run in your family, if the doctor thinks Superbaby will be big.... my boys wore NB stuff a lot longer than most babies do since they were so small. But some babies are born and never do fit into the NB stuff b/c it is so small.

    I say don't buy any small clothes until after showers and after the baby is born. You'll be fine, don't worry!

    and here's my "you're having a boy?" tip: in the beginning, point Superbaby's penis down before closing up the diaper (during diaper changes), it'll prevent pee up the front of the diaper. You'll thank me later. haha!

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  23. Hey babe I don't have many good answers for this as sizing is completely different here and it's been too long for me!! But I just wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you and really appreciating your sweet comments. xxx

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  24. I can only comment on what I've purchased so far, and what I've been told about clothing sizes. Most of my daughter's layette is Ralph Lauren and I just found out tonight that it runs really, really small. Things marked 3 months are best for 0-3 months, if it's marked 6 months, best for 3-6 months, etc.

    Good luck. The Ralph Lauren website is dangerous ;)

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  25. I love that you asked this question! I have begun pondering these things too, and I have no idea where to begin, or if I should. I don't know about showers or if I will have any, so I worry that I won't have anything when this little Halfling gets here. I might buy a few things in the 0-3 and a few in the 6-8 just so I've got something. I'm a bit concerned about delivering in late November, as that's the beginning of the ridiculous cold weather here.

    How useless is that response, huh? I don't know what to tell you as I'm so confused myself. Have fun shopping!!

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  26. How fussy are you? It is true that you will get loads of clothes as gifts but if you're anything like me you'll end up dressing bub in the stuff you like (which will be mostly what you buy because you buy your taste). Don't stress about sizes, babies grow fast. D spent his first few weeks in this one brand of organic cotton grow suit, I love the suit so much I buy more every time he needs the next size and now it's winter they're his jammies.

    If you're planning on using cloth nappies, buy a few brands to trial before you decide on a system, you will have a definite preference depending on the size/length of bub and it sucks if you invest in a system that doesn't fit right and leaks.

    I never had enough wraps oh and buy some terry towling nappies - I use them all the time as spit up rags, to put under D when he plays on our bed, to put under him when changing, all sorts.

    I was told to get a breast pump and some bottles before birth because the last thing you want to be doing if things go wrong is hunting for a pump.

    Umm... I know it was less than 5 months ago but those first weeks are a bit hazy lol. There's loads of stuff to think of but not all is needed straight away. I can't recommend ErgoPouch sleeping bags enough (we'll be stocking them, I love them), it's good to have a playmat, I spend most on clothes, blankets/wraps and nappies, I'm seriously addicted to modern cloth.

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