The answer is : yes....and no. Having a baby changes every aspect of your life - - including packing for an overnight stay...or even a trip to the grocery store. I'm sure moms all over the world have a mental checklist they go over every time before they even THINK about stepping foot out the front door: bottles - check, formula or breast milk - check, extra bibs - check, change of clothes - check, diapers - check, wipes - check, butt cream - check... I could literally be here all day. Oh, did I mention all of that was just to run an errand and back?? Gone are the days of a spontaneous "Hey, let's go to the beach!" You'll need at least 2 hours to pack and please for the love of all things keep that baby awake while you're packing so he'll sleep in the car!
Then there's the flip side: you will find that you've either purchased, or acquired, an array of things that you'll never even use...not even once. Here's my advice: do NOT take off the tags and wash all of those teeny tiny newborn clothes! Some, yes. All, no. We brought three newborn outfits to the hospital with us, but because we had a giant baby, they wouldn't even fit over his head. My mom had to go back to the house and grab some 3 month size outfits. We ended up donating the smaller clothes to the hospital for moms in need (which is actually a GREAT idea if you're interested in doing that, too). And newborn diapers? Nope. Never used them. Tristan started sporting a size 1 from his birthday... at 6 months he's already moved on up to a size 3 and/or 4, depending on the brand.
You will also have an abundance of things (blankets) and then not enough of other things (wipes). You'll get a MAM paci, and sure as the world your baby will prefer a NUK. You'll get a certain kind of bottle and then realize that you don't like it, or your baby needs a different kind. If you're using formula, you'll realize he likes Similac, but not Enfamil. See where I'm getting at here? Mommy, you're not really going to know what you need until your little nugget is actually here. He'll let you know really quickly though, so don't worry about that!
You should still enjoy getting the nursery ready and buying lots of cute stuff.. don't get me wrong, but limit yourself. I bought a ton of baby clothes for my little man, and he's going through them like nobody's business. I knew babies grew at a rapid rate, but geez! Those small clothes just won't last ya too long. And as far as "stuff" goes - it can be overwhelming when you begin the registry or start making that checklist. I gave the scanner to my husband and told him to have fun - - which he did, trust me.
Babies do need a lot of stuff, and then again, there are some things that just aren't worth the hassle. You'll soon discover what works for you and your family. And like always, people will swear by certain things - - this is where you'll smile and nod - - but just know that what works for them, may or may not work for you. Until then, you can always just stock up on gift cards! They fit every gender, size, and picky baby around.
Then there's the flip side: you will find that you've either purchased, or acquired, an array of things that you'll never even use...not even once. Here's my advice: do NOT take off the tags and wash all of those teeny tiny newborn clothes! Some, yes. All, no. We brought three newborn outfits to the hospital with us, but because we had a giant baby, they wouldn't even fit over his head. My mom had to go back to the house and grab some 3 month size outfits. We ended up donating the smaller clothes to the hospital for moms in need (which is actually a GREAT idea if you're interested in doing that, too). And newborn diapers? Nope. Never used them. Tristan started sporting a size 1 from his birthday... at 6 months he's already moved on up to a size 3 and/or 4, depending on the brand.
You will also have an abundance of things (blankets) and then not enough of other things (wipes). You'll get a MAM paci, and sure as the world your baby will prefer a NUK. You'll get a certain kind of bottle and then realize that you don't like it, or your baby needs a different kind. If you're using formula, you'll realize he likes Similac, but not Enfamil. See where I'm getting at here? Mommy, you're not really going to know what you need until your little nugget is actually here. He'll let you know really quickly though, so don't worry about that!
You should still enjoy getting the nursery ready and buying lots of cute stuff.. don't get me wrong, but limit yourself. I bought a ton of baby clothes for my little man, and he's going through them like nobody's business. I knew babies grew at a rapid rate, but geez! Those small clothes just won't last ya too long. And as far as "stuff" goes - it can be overwhelming when you begin the registry or start making that checklist. I gave the scanner to my husband and told him to have fun - - which he did, trust me.
Babies do need a lot of stuff, and then again, there are some things that just aren't worth the hassle. You'll soon discover what works for you and your family. And like always, people will swear by certain things - - this is where you'll smile and nod - - but just know that what works for them, may or may not work for you. Until then, you can always just stock up on gift cards! They fit every gender, size, and picky baby around.