I think DH is getting excited about baby's imminent arrival. We are both on holidays from work next week... allllll week!!! So the furniture is arriving on Tues, and our nephew is coming to help build it up on Wed.

I said to DH we need to go to Babies R Us and get the "everything else" stuff. I suggested Thurs for this... he said Nahhh let's go Sunday (i.e. Sunday coming ) I can't wait!!

My "essentials" list comprises of:
* sleepsuits, bootees, hat, mittens
* cot blankets
* rollerblind for car (trips up to mum's every 4 weeks)
* nursing pillow, bra, breast pads, nipple shields
* muslin squares
* change mat, bath, top 'n' tail tub
* cotton wool, nappy sacks

Are these essential?:
* a "stick it in the ear and it goes beep" thermometer (Would my basal one do as good if stuck under baby's arm pit?)
* baby monitor
* I plan to BF but have a steriliser and 3 bottles (comes as a package) on my list for just incase... Do you recommend I buy a breast pump? Or wait until after the birth and see how we go?

[SandKmommy]

Always good to have some bottles, incase something comes up.

As for the thermometer they suggest using a rectal temp till age 1 at least 3 if it can be done. I'm not sure if they give you one in the hospital after birth there, they do here. Its more accurate in little ones then ear or underarm readings.

Baby monitors are good to have, we didnt' have one till Seamus was over 1, and I wish we would have gotten it sooner, if you need to run outside to grab something, put the monitor on and take the other side with you, so you can still hear baby.

[Frozendesire]

I wouldn't do the in the ear thermometer but that's because I would be SO paranoid of baby moving it's head! I'd do under the arm pit.

You could buy just a manual hand pump single one. You can get them cheap, but I don't know.. they dont work all that well. I think the BEST thing is to have NO bottles, formula etc in the house for the first 6 weeks. I know if there were things on hand.... I wouldn't have made it as far as I did! BF can be tough!

I would def. get a pump!! If you need to have someone else feed the baby, this will allow him/her to be fed breastmilk instead of formula

[Mjp121212]

I highly recommend a breast pump.

And I do recommend the just in case bottles (gungho bf'ers please don't be mad!)

Ear thermometers I have one, but I LOVE the forehead one most! Braydne's dr uses it and if baby has an ear infection or something it is so much better. Easier too. AND baby's ear is so tiny that an accurate reading is hard to get. I LOVE the forehead (temporal) thermometer. They are about $10.00 more. Others don't like them since you take it now it might say 97.7 and take it a different way and it will say 98.2. But......the ease of it makes up for that slight difference. And It takes like 2 seconds to use, doesn't wake a sleeping baby or hurt and ear and yeah...LOVE IT!

[IamMom]

Fi - Here are my suggestions:

theromometer - you definitely need a butt temp taker - you need to do it that way until they are about 1 or so - I only had to take DS's temp a handful of times and "what to expect the first year" guides you thru it. They make nice flexy ones just for little bitty babies so check it out. I have an ear one now for DS and it works great - so after one you can use the ear one...he holds very still when we do it.

monitor - yes - we still use our and DS is 2 1/2 - it just makes you feel better to hear them (DS sleeps in his own room) - until he's old enough to walk to my room to get me if he needs me, I"ll use the monitor.

Breast pump - I bought an electric one and used it once (and it didn't work cause I didn't have abundant milk) - very not worth the money - so I would wait and see how the breastfeeding goes, how jellybean does, how your body does and if you find that you have excess milk and you want to have some available to go out and about or let DH do some feedings that pick one up. My sister had enough milk she could manually express for a few bottles a day/week whatever.

I was undecided on those 3 things, I have them on my list and we have the money to include buying them, but I didn't want to buy something that wouldn't be used much, if at all.

Ok, so I'm set on the forehead strip thermometer. I'm def gonna get the monitors, and the pump is a manual one, the electrics are soooooo expensive. But as said above, if I'm having trouble BFing, I'd try to pump first before moving to FFing.

I'm with Missy though, I'll have 1 tub of forumla in the house... I know people will be BFing all the way, but I'm not prepared to end up a wreck because the BFing isn't going so well. I'd rather have a full baby and be more at ease in myself. That said, I wont be giving up on BFing without a fight

p.s. is there anything you think I've missed?

[~* Helen *~]

I wouldn't bother with the nipple sheilds either hun, I used them with Ryan and they reduced my milk supply !!!! If you have sore nipples get nipple cream, lansinoh is the best one here in the UK, £10 a tube tho but worth it !!!

Thanks Helen, I'll have a look for that cream then!

[soImarriedAnerd]

Do you guys have the gel pads for your nipples? If so I'm told they are better and longer lasting then the cream (maybe some of the BTDT moms can give them a name or a recommendation)

are they ones you'd put in the fridge to cool and then put in your bra?

[soImarriedAnerd]

yep.they are made out of some silicon or gel material. And its just for your nipples not to cover the whole boob.

[Resi]

I would go for the therm. that goes under the arm. A pedi in the hospital told us it's more accurate.

Ok, I will have a watch out for these as well. Thanks

[soImarriedAnerd]

Baby finger nail clippers. And do you guys get the little blue sucky ball thing at the hospital...if not then one of those also.

I have those in my stash box And the nasal booger sucky outer thingy!