Clothes, video monitors, and convertible seats

[peaches]

I have so many Q's for you mommas!

1. How much clothes do we REALLY need in what sizes? My baby will probably be about 7.5-8lbs at birth. Trying to figure out how much we should return

2. Monitors - has anyone not bought one and tried to use a webcam or other system instead?

3. When did your LO outgrow their seat? We are trying to figure out if we should wait to buy the seats, to take advance or the 10% coupon registry closer now

[minipie]

Hi peaches!

I am sure you'll get different answers, but I'll give you my two cents.

1. Make sure you have at least a few NB size things on hand. I listened to everyone's advice that 0-3m would be fine, but that was a mistake. My daughter was 7lb 5oz and 20 inches at birth, and she was SWIMMING in 0-3m stuff. My DH had to make an emergency shopping trip when we got home just so she'd have something to wear. Granted, she outgrew NB size stuff within 2-3 weeks, but it would have been super helpful to have a few things on hand. Nobody gave us ANY NB stuff!

Regarding other sizes, have lots of different sizes on hand. They grow fast, but you really will need things in most sizes. My daughter grew exceptionally fast and was in 3-6m stuff by 6 weeks. I didn't return any of our clothes because I found it helpful to have lots of clothes on hand. Diaper explosions and spitting up mean that the baby will most likely have more than one outfit on per day. I also personally preferred separates (pants and shirts) to onesies because then I could just change the dirty piece rather than the whole outfit.

Also, in the very beginning, it is very helpful to have the kimono type body suits. It can be hard to get things over the head, and anything that minimizes screaming is a plus. Look at clothes in terms of functionality rather than cuteness! For example, onesies that only have snaps in the crotch (but not down the front) are HARD to get on!

2. We never had a video monitor, which has worked fine for us. We have a Philips digital monitor, which I really like. We kept Louisa in with us until she was 3 months old and then moved her to her own room. Never tried a webcam so I can't give any advice there.

3. Louisa was out of her infant seat at about 10 months. She just wouldn't fit in it anymore! Germany doesn't have any convertible seats (at least not that work in our car) so I reluctantly turned her forward facing in a larger car seat around 10-11 months. She was (and is) a very big girl though -- 90-95th percentile for length and weight -- so it probably would be different for smaller kids. Have you considered a convertible car seat that can go rear facing for infants and forward facing for toddlers? Might be a good compromise.

Good luck!!!

[EJ1008]

Here's my take:

1. Agree with mini that NB clothes are necessary. DS was 8 lbs, 2 oz, but lost about a pound in the hospital and took forever to regain it. I think he was in NB clothes for almost 5 weeks. I didn't have many sleepers, and I wish I had more of them. You can get away with being in your jammies all day when you're that little. Also look at the store you are going to for returns. Target only has 90 days from date of purchase but Kohl's and Wal-Mart have no return-by date. You never know how fast babies will grow, and what season they might hit a particular size. Like we got a lot of summer clothes in 6 months (DS was born in June), but he wasn't wearing 6 months until late-September and needed fall clothes by then.

2. We don't use a video monitor. DS was in our room until 6 months and now we use a Sony digital monitor. I thought I'd never get sleep if I had a video monitor in my room. We've been fine without one.

3. I'd wait on the convertible car seats. With safety items, I don't like to buy too far in advance because you never know what will be recalled (even with the best brands) or changed for the better. We put DS in a convertible at just about a year. He still fit weight wise, but was getting to be too tall for the infant seat. Amazon and other online stores have great prices on convertibles, so you can save money if you comparison shop when it's time.

Hope that helps!

[EJ1008]

One more reason to wait on the convertible. If you registered at BRU, you'll be on their mailing list. After the baby is born, you'll regularly (maybe every 6 weeks to 2 months) receive coupon books. There is almost always a 20% off one item coupon, plus coupons for 15% off one item from certain categories, like all car seats or all high chairs.

[chelseaf]

For clothes, I didn't have many newborn things and had to go shopping after I got home because of it! Plus because they are pooping non stop at first you go through a couple wardrobe changes during the day. We did more sleepers than outfits. It was just easier.

For a monitor, we started out with a regular one, but when sleep training came we got a video monitor.

On the car seat, I would probably wait. Even with BRU coupons I can usually find the car seats cheaper on Amazon or other websites.

[esarah]

Another reason to wait on the convertible seat is that they have expiration date so you want to buy right you start using it so it doesn't expire befoore you are done with it.
My oldest just started in a convertible seat. The others were in chiccco keyfit 30s and none of them were over 30lbs and 30 inches at a year. They were all small though an anywhere from 13 to 16 lbs at a year so really small.

[leeann38]

Newborn clothes: Both of mine (7lb 8 oz, 8lb 0oz) were in newborn clothes for about a month. Also NB diapers for at least 3 weeks at about 8-10 diaper changes a day. I didn't go through tons of clothes per day, though. My girls never were diaper blower-outers, thank God!

Video Monitor: Didn't have one with our first daughter and it was fine, however, we got one with our second because we also had a 2.5 year old. So we bought 2 cameras. I honestly could live without it, but would prefer not to. It has been an awesome purchase for us - so much so that we upgraded to a better camera with pan/tilt and 2-way communication for this baby. Definitely not a necessity, but if you can afford one, I'd get one. There was a groupon the other day for a Motorola one for $99 with 2 cameras. Not sure if they still have it available!

Convertible Seat: Probably best to wait, unless you want to skip the travel system/infant seat route and go with a convertible seat from the start. I have tall kids, so mine were out of the infant seat around 6-9 months. I just got the Chicco Keyfit 30 for Zoey and based on height limit and our other 2 girls, she'll outgrow it height wise at 9 months. I'm going to use it until she outgrows it, and then Lord help us, because I'll have to try and find a convertible seat that will fit in the back of our car or buy a van... trying to hold off on the van for a little longer, if possible! haha

[QueenFroggie]

1. I agree, have a few NB, but not a lot. For me, both my girls were bigger (7lbs 9 and 9 lbs 12). the first wore NB for about a week, and the 2nd wore NB for a day. I would get maybe 5-10 onsies in NB and not worry about anything else. My girls outgrow clothes about every 2-3 months for the first 9 months, and then 3-4 months after that.

2. Not sure on monitor, don't have a video one.

3. We have gone convertible carseat by 9 months with both (7 months I think with our younger daughter). So buying it now, or at Christmas to me would work. But they are both big girls, been very tall, Dh is tall, both our families are pretty tall. So I would say it depends, but for me, our 3rd (if we have one), I would buy it with the 10% because I figure that baby will be big as well.

[knutfugget]

1. I made the same mistake as mini with my first and bought 0-3 because everyone said we wouldn't need newborn. He was 7 lbs 3 oz and was just drowned in those clothes! Same with Hailey who was 7 lbs 5 oz and Sophie at 6 lbs 2 oz. They grow fast, but it's a pain to have their little legs keep getting stuck up in the tummy of jammies that are too big.

2. I just have a regular monitor and it worked fine. Honestly, if it's your first, your house is probably still quiet enough to hear the baby without the monitor, lol. I'm sure the webcam or whatever would work ok as well.

3. I would wait on the convertible. Ours generally move from infant carrier to convertible around 9 months or so. We used Graco Snugride for the infant carrier and Britax Boulevard or Marathon when they outgrew that. All of my kids are still in their Britax seats. Sophie is steadily 90-95% for height and still managed to stay rear-facing until just recently. Depending on the seat you choose, they can use them for a very long time.

[leeann38]

Originally Posted by knutfugget

Honestly, if it's your first, your house is probably still quiet enough to hear the baby without the monitor, lol. I'm sure the webcam or whatever would work ok as well.

SO TRUE! LOL! We didn't even use an old school sound monitor with Makenna. We could hear her plain as day. Not so much after number 1... hahahaha!!!!!