If you are expecting a baby in the next few months, the chances
are you will have started planning for some of her important
things, if not doing them and buying them already. Her crib may
be chosen; her nursery may be painted and decorated; you may
have some beautiful bedding to match the baby decor of her room;
and you may have bought a few gorgeous newborn outfits with
which to adorn your newborn.
However, there may be a whole host of things you have not really
thought of seriously, especially if you are a first time parent.
It is so tempting to focus on the pretty things, and forget, or
not learn of, the practical ones. So, when it comes to baby
clothes, leave all the cute outfits to the baby shower guests,
and concentrate for a while on the things you will really need.
After all, you do not want your baby to be caught with her
diapers down!
Having a baby is a combination of joy and stress for most
people, and I suppose that is true of most major events in our
lives. There is nothing to compare to the pleasure and happiness
that a mother feels when she holds her new baby for those first
few days after the birth; or the father showing off pictures of
the baby to his friends and family.
Unfortunately, there is also nothing quite like the stress in
worrying that everything is going to be all right on the night,
or day, as the case may be. To reduce the chance of those
stresses taking over, and to ensure that the family is properly
prepared for their joyous new addition, it is as well to get
organised with the practical things for the baby layette. Let
the person who is to organise the baby shower sort out all that
side of things, while you ensure all the most practical items
are in place by month 7 of the pregnancy.
New parents quite often fall into the trap of being unprepared
when it comes to suitable clothing for their baby. So, here are
some of the essentials you will need to complete your
preparation for the baby's arrival:
1. Cotton bodysuits, absorbent baby blankets, bibs, and baby
booties are items that a new parent can never have enough of.
Babies, God Bless them, are messy little things sometimes. For
all the cuteness and adorability that they possess, they do
dribble, slobber, vomit and overfill their diapers with some of
their profuse outputs, and they are like that for about the
first year or so of their lives. As such, their clothes do get
messy quickly and often; so be prepared, and be practical. A mum
may find herself changing her baby’s clothing almost as often as
she changes her diaper – sometimes more.
2. The best plan is to stock up on the practical things such as
“onesies” suits, baby tees, and mess-cleaning cotton blankets so
that you always have plenty on hand. Buy these practical items
in abundance, but not so many that you’ll quickly be stuck with
a pile of baby items that no longer fit the baby. It is a good
idea to have at least five clean outfits at any time; that is
clean items, and not awaiting the next wash. If you are going
out on a long outing, you will need to pack extra, so always
make sure that you have plenty of clean backups. Do not
underestimate your little baby's ability to take your laundry
load to record levels, unlike anything you have seen before if
you are a first time parent.
The cute and adorable baby outfits, and the stores are stuffed
full of those, are fine for taking baby to church, for visiting
grandparents, or for taking family photos. However, be prepared
for the baby to make a mess over that precious little outfit.
While planning and preparing for the arrival of your new
offspring, forego some of the cute outfits so that you can stock
up on more of the practical essentials. The guests at the baby
shower can provide the cute things, while you ensure that you
are truly prepared for the reality of having a bouncing new baby
in the house.
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