question for all you experienced mothers

The other day a friend came by with her SUV and dumped a whole bunch of baby stuff at my place, including a crib with all its trimmings, a car seat, a chair that swings, another that vibrates, a stroller, two bags of maternity tops a bunch of stuff like disposable diapers too small for their monster (that baby is huge, and dense!) etc. Plus three bags of baby clothes. My problems are:

a) I don't know how the baby items are called! b) I don't know if some of them are meant to be worn together, i.e. if some are underwear and others go on top, etc. Or when to use what, basically. c) this goes along with other talk I've been hearing, such as layettes and receiving blankets.

Is there something I can read, or a website you reccomend, that explains all this?

Marissa who has never been around babies, obviously!

Reply to
Dr. Quilter
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Reply to
Ellison

First of all, it doesn't matter how you call them, they won't come.

Second, why not ask the person who dropped them off? I'm sure she'd love to help you. I can't help you cuz I would have to see them to tell you.

Good luck and congrats on getting so much for free! That stuff gets expensive! Also, if you take the car seat to the police dept., they will show you the proper way to put it in the car so it is safe.

Reply to
LN (remove NOSPAM)

Grandchildren are the way to go.

All the fun. A little bit of responsibility. Not a bad mix, all and all! I like it. Now if I could just get rid of the kids I still have at home...

Actually, they are pretty good. I guess I'll keep them. The oldest (with the drivers license) runs errands and gets Chipotle's for me. The youngest takes good care of me. The middle one hugs me a lot, even if I don't deserve it.

-- Teresa in Colorado snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net

Reply to
Teresa in Colorado

Marissa, I'm sure it would help lots if you could get a bit of practice. I remember so well the first time the nurses in Preemie ICU asked me if I would like to change #1 grandson's diaper. Well, sure. I had done a few million diaperings in my time. What could be so hard about that? Well, in the first place, the little guy was about the size of a frog. In the second place, I had never approached a disposable size 3 lb. diaper. Didn't know front from back. How to remove the things that cover the sticky fasteners. Didn't know if you put the front under and overlapped with the back . . or the other way. This might be funny in the movies but there was nothing funny about it with a screaming, enraged, hungry little bit of humanity. He lived. So did I. The diaper fell off. So . . . let's find a way for you to get some practice. Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

what a wonderful friend you have...all that baby stuff will come in handy!

just one thing to think about...just make sure that the car seat has not been in any kind of car accident. if your friend is the only one who has used it and you know for a fact it has not been in any accidents or fender benders it's fine, but if you are not sure you should not use a second hand carseat because it could have sustained structural damage.

as far as the baby clothes...it doesn't really matter...it depends on the weather as to when things are worn under each other and stuff...onesies (the t-shirts that snapp at the crotch) are supposed to be underwear...but if it's warm, you might not use them, or that might be the only thing you put on the little one. with baby clothes it's all about layering...thinner stuff goes closer to the baby, thicker stuff goes on the outside...how many layers depends on the temperature. my daughter was born in august and i don't think i put anything but onesies on her for the first month or so!

congrats on the pregnancy! i'm at 26 weeks and unfortunately am ready not to be pregnant anymore! this didn't happen until at least a month from now when i was pg with my daughter. whew...i've still got 3 months to go.

kristen :)

Reply to
Kristen L. Renneker

I can picture that, Polly, and just had to laugh. Bet you had no problem with his quilt, however. You know, the really important stuff.

kitty in phx ~If at first you don't succeed, deny everything~

Reply to
KittyG

Great haul, Marissa!

Also, with the car seat, make sure that the date of manufacture is no more than five years old. Some car insurances will not cover injuries caused in accidents in which the car seat is more than five years old. Something to think about.

If you take pictures of the items you have questions about, I'm sure we'd be able to help you more completely.

Reply to
Jalynne

:-) Sounds like a great friend to me!!! :-)) The chair that swings, it's a swing! :-) the vibrating thing..... bouncy. The clothes, depends on what time of year your baby is born. In the winter you tend to layer, in the summer, you tend to put less on..... kind of like us bigger people! ;-) The other thing I found really helpful..... oxyclean. It got almost every stain out of hand-me-downs and Jessica's clothes had no stains when I passed them on. And don't feel silly, I was in the same boat about 2 years ago! :-)))(She's darn close to 19 months now...) Sometimes blazing your own path is more fun!! :-)) Feel free to email privately if you have questions. I'm not fast, but I will answer during nap time or after she goes down.

Jan

Reply to
Jan Dunaway

If you have doubts about the car seat, take it to the police station for them to look at it. They will tell you if it is a current enough model. Just remember, the baby doesn't know you are inexperienced at motherhood. He is inexperienced at life! Learn together, it is so much fun. Nana

-- Sugar & Spice Quilts by Linda E

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Reply to
nana2b

The first night DS was home he slept almost all night. It scared me to death! I kept checking to make sure he was alive. Would have been easier to get up feed and put back to sleep. I was pretty clueless about taking care of babies. I was always around them but tended to avoid them, even on toast. I figured most of the stuff out. They are pretty resilient until they grow into teens! Taria

"LN (remove NOSPAM)" wrote:

Reply to
taria

Also remember - they are like wild animals, they can smell fear and indecision! Always make like you know what you are doing. If you make a mistake, pretend like you were testing THEM. Hey, this method has done me for the last six years and two kids.

Reply to
Sharon Harper

I'd never changed a nappy in my life before DS came along! Now, after nearly 8 weeks I feel, almost, like a pro! I still occasionally stuff the timing, but those occasions are getting rarer and mostly due to DS being a typical 'widdle boy'!

Reply to
melinda

One of the baby born dolls??? LOL

Reply to
Sharon Harper

I'm pretty sure I can pass the goat in the grocery store test. In fact, I think a pair of goats would be a pleasant change.

And you mustn't forget about the loud praise for accomplishing things in the public restrooms. "Good job, Mama!"

Reply to
frood

A friend sent me this - it's better than any book!ROTFLMAO

Follow these 15 simple tests before you decide to have children. . . This could be a great form of birth-control (For those of you who now have grown children ... Ahhh the memories!) (For those of you who now have Grandchildren ... Enjoy!) (If you know someone planning to have children ... Pass this on!) Test 1 Women: To prepare for maternity, put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front. Leave it there for 9 months. After 9 months remove 10% of the beans. Men: To prepare for paternity, go to local chemist, tip the contents of your wallet onto the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself. Then go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office. Go home. Pick up the newspaper and read it for the last time. Test 2 Find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have allowed their children to run wild. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behavior. Enjoy it. It will be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers. Test 3 To discover how the nights will feel . . .

1) Walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 4-6kg, with a radio tuned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. 2) At 10pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight and go to sleep. 3) Get up at 12pm and walk the bag around the living room until 1am 4) Set the alarm for 3am. 5) As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2am and make a cup of tea. 6) Go to bed at 2. 45am. 7) Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off 8) Sing songs in the dark until 4 am. 9) Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up when it goes off 10) Make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful. Test 4 Dressing small children is not as easy at it seems. 1) Buy a live octopus and a string bag . 2) Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that none of the arms hang out. Time allowed for this -- all morning. It's winter, dress child with snow suit, mittens, hat, scarf, boots, etc. ... then undress child(ren) because they have to go to the bathroom! Test 5 Forget the BMW and buy a practical 5-door sedan. And don t think that you can leave it out on the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that. 1) Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. 2) Get a coin. Insert it in the cassette player. 3) Take a family size package of chocolate biscuits, mash them into the back seat. 4) Run a garden rake along both sides of the car. There. . perfect! Test 6 Get ready to go out. 1) Wait 2) Go out the front door. 3) Come in again. 4) Go out. 5) Come back in. 6) Go out again. 7) Walk down the front path/driveway. 8) Walk back up it. 9) Walk down it again. 10) Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes. 11) Stop, inspect minutely, and ask at least 6 questions about every piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue, and dead insect along the way. 12) Retrace your steps. 13) Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbors come out and stare at you. 14) Give up and go back into the house. You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk. Test 7 Repeat everything you say at least 5 times. Test 8 Go the local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is excellent). If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat. Buy your weeks groceries without letting the goat(s) out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Test 9

1) Hollow out a melon. 2) Make a small hole in the side. 3) Suspend the melon from the ceiling and swing it from side to side 4) Now get a bowl of soggy cornflakes and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane. 5) Continue until half the cornflakes are gone. 6) Tip the rest into your lap, making sure that a lot of it falls on the floor. You are now ready to feed a 12 month old child. Test 10 Learn the names of every character from the Fimbles, Barney, Teletubbies and Disney. Watch nothing else on TV for at least five years. Test 11 Can you stand the mess children make ? To find out, smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains. Hide a fish behind the stereo and leave it there all summer. Stick your fingers in the flower beds then rub them on the clean walls. Cover the stains with crayon. How does that look ? I have one: Write on the walls and furniture with a bar of soap! Test 12 Make a recording of Janet Street-Porter shouting "Mummy" repeatedly. Important: No more than a four second delay between each "Mummy " - occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car, everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler. Test 13 Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continuously tug on your skirt hem/shirt sleeve/elbow while playing the "Mummy" tape made from Test 12 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room. Test 14 Put on your finest work attire. Pick a day on which you have an important meeting. Now: 1) Take a cup of cream, and put 1 cup lemon juice in it. 2) Stir. 3) Dump half of it on your nice silk shirt. Saturate a towel with the other half of the mixture. 4) Attempt to clean your shirt with the saturated towel. 5) Do NOT change. You have no time. 6) Go directly to work. Test 15 Go for a drive, but first. . . . 1) Find one large tomcat and six pit bulls. 2) Borrow a child safety seat and put it in the back seat of your car. 3) Put the pit bulls in the front seat of your car. 4) While holding something fragile or delicate, strap the cat into the child seat. 5) For the really adventurous. . . . Run some errands, remove and replace the cat at each stop.

You are now ready to have kids!

Reply to
ME-Judy

We had DD#1 convinced that babies came with a care label on the back of their neck. Hers said "wash with soap and water. Give lots of hugs." She kept looking for DS's on the back of his neck when he came along!

Reply to
frood

Oh, I don't get the loud praise, I just get the loud questions: Mama, are YOU going to go PEE now?? Do you have to POOP???..........we are slowly breaking DS of this habit, adn in a few years, I can see having to do the same thing with DD.

LArisa

frood wrote:

Reply to
CNYstitcher

I think the nurses take the manuals. That would explain why a baby in the hospital is perfectly mannered and once you get them home they do all sorts of things parents cant figure out.. And then they tear the labels off them so you cant return em either! Diana

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" Ellis> Howdy!

(Snipped the good information)

Reply to
Diana Curtis

Marissa: Good friend you've got there! Did she really dump them?! LOL You've heard the answers to a and b, so here ar my comments on c. Receiving blankets are those heavy cotton flannelette squares, about 32" IIRC. They are used to cover baby, to wrap baby, to nap the baby, to cover surface for changing baby, to cover momma when she holds baby, to shield sun over the stroller. In other words, you can't have enough receiving blankets! A Layette is simply the term for the collection of clothing, etc. for a baby. Sort of like the word trousseau for the bride's honeymoon clothes. Lots of books have info on what babies need. You might check the word layette in the index. Basic child care book is useful for instructions, terminology, and practical info.

Next, about the car seat. Several have menti>

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

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