Newborn Must-Haves?

Someone gave me infant tylenol and gas drops. I didn't think to buy them and they really came in handy. Especially when my son had his first fever in the middle of the night.

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I loved when people gave me clothes in larger sizes. Everyone loves to give the newborn clothes but the baby grows so quickly that at 9 months or 12, you don't have any clothes! Other things would be a good thermometer, hooded towels (can never have too many of those), gift card to Target (sound impersonal, but very helpful when you need diapers at the end of the month!

Very sweet of you to send a gift :)

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The book What to expect the first year. That was my bible as a new mom. I also had Totally Toddler stain removing wipes. They are $.99 in babies r us. These things work great on spit up, baby food, ketchup you name it. I have friends who dont have kids using them.
Thermometer
They also make a medicine bottle for giving meds. It looks like a tiny baby bottle with a nipple so that if you have to give meds they can drink it from the bottle. Its awesome and a life saver for babies. My son had thrush and would spit the meds out from the dropper, I put it in the bottle and he took all of it without spitting it out. I was impressed.
Changing tables disposeable pads. Public changing tables are always out. Also small baggies for throwing out diapers.
Blankets, butt paste, aveeno baby calming lotion, bedtime bath by Johnsons, washclothes, crib sheets, socks, hats. Diaper Genie ia a life saver.
Thats a few things I can think of.

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The Miracle Blanket and a Baby Wearer
http://www.miracleblanket.com/index.htm
http://www.thenestingplace.biz/BabyKTan.html

you can get the miracle blanket at the second site too!

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OMG, those sack pj's!!! In the middle of the night when u are so sleep deprived, the last thing you want to do is try to figure out where the leg holes are after diaper changes!

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I was always thankful for the little dangly things that hang on the carseat handle that capture baby's attention and keep them entertained :) Maybe that wasn't quite at newborn stage, but not long after!

Oh, and a bouncer! Like... http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=*&cid=158515... I don't know what I would have done without one!

Also - how about sending mom a few gifts in there as well...a gift card for a meal somewhere and some things that may help her relax!

Other ideas maybe not so much fun, but staples all the same....diapers, onesies, sleepers etc

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Don't know what your budget is, but these are in the $150 range:
Baby carrier, like the Ergo, with an infant insert
Baby swing - like the Fisher Price Zen Cradle Swing

Other options:
Swaddling blankets (like Aden & Anais (I think that is how it is spelled)) which is a 4 pack for about $30 from Target
Sophie the Giraffe -- squeaky teething toy - my son has been using is for hours every day since about 3 months (he's now 7 mos) - under $25
Portable diaper/wipes caddy - mine is a JJ Cole & I love it!!

I must disagree with the idea of a wipes warmer -- we received 3 of them with my first baby, and didn't use any of them -- they all ended up being given away for free on Freecycle. Some people love them, others, like me, had no use for them at all (and I live in the frozen tundra :)

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Sleep sacks and swaddlers!

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If she is going to breast feed her baby, you might find her a nice nursing night gown or jammies. Sometimes we get tons of stuff for the baby and its gone and outgrown in a few weeks, but something for mom is really different and it will last her a long time. And dont forget that if you want to get her a bigger item, some stores will ship for free to another address and send you the bill.

Baby washcloths--lots of them.
Yellow bear shaped foam bath aid/mat.
Ear thermometer.
T-shirts with the side snaps so no going over the head.
Towel with hoodie.
Chocolate! (For mom!)

Definitely a WIPES WARMER!

I love the baby gowns - that are open on the bottom for easy changing. I have about 10 of them.

Also, any of the day to day items... bath soap, lotion, q-tips, vasiline (for diapering), diapers (1-2), wipes, burp rages, swaddling blanket, ect.

Something my babies really did like was the 1/2 stuffed animal 1/2 blanket toys... I had one that wouldn't sleep without his till he was 2 - we even had to go get another one cause the 1st got in such bad shape.

Lastly but most important - something for mom... favorite sented candle or bath soap, box of her fav candy or something else that my make her feel special & help her to relax between feedings.

I got a timer from Itzbeen as a gift and it was/still is a huge help! It has a timer for feedings, diaper changes, sleeping, and a miscellaneous. It also has a switch for which breast you fed on last. I love love love it! I know exactly how long he's fed, and never forget which side to feed on. It has also been helpful in timing medicine doses (we had to give him simethicone every 4 hours for awhile). Plus it's super small and would be easy to ship.

Harvey Karp's "Happiest Baby on the Block.". it was a lifesaver. You have lots of other great ideas already...

I agree with Tylenol and Gas drops! I'd make sure you get the dye free Tylenol too! Also a teething ring b/c sometimes teething just sneaks up on you and you're not prepared! I prefered the Carter's sleep sacks, which I loved and my kids lived in, b/c they have long sleeves. The Halo ones are sleeveless which require full pajamas on underneath. I used the full coverage ones and just put a onsie or sometimes even just a dipaer (when the kids got a little older) under the others. You can get them at a Carter's store or Babies R Us and Target.

My other favorite thing, which is kinda pathetic was this hook I found in the check out line at Babies R Us. It hooked onto your stroller and held shopping bags, etc. It was awesome! That way you didn't have to shove everything in the basket below.

Gift cards for food is also a great idea!

Gas drops!!! They were always a lifesaver for us. Baby gowns too, makes middle of the night changes so much easier. A&D ointment I loved it seemed to prevent diaper rash w/ my kids, and made cleaning their bottoms alot easier!

This is silly, but with my first someone gave me a thermometer for the bath tub that showed if the water was too warm for baby. I STILL use it and my "baby" is 6 (and I use it with his siblings too). I have a high tolerance for hot water, and it was really difficult for me to tell if the water was going to be too hot.

I'm sure you could find one at Babies R US or target.

J.

swaddling blankets, pacifier, ergo/bjorn carrier, slippers for mama!

receiving blankets, onsies, sleepers, gowns, monitor, diapers and wipes. =D

I am due any day, the latest I will go is next Monday and here are my essentials :)
-Lanolin nipple cream, if breast feeding, this is a must!! I like Lansinoh brand :D
-On my night stand I have a basket with a tube of Vaseline (for circ care if having a boy), A&D ointment after every change, baby soap, shampoo, lotion, a pack of diapers, a pack of wipes and a nasal suction bulb.
-plenty of socks, you just can't have enough baby socks
-baby hats, same as socks...you can't have enough
-they make these gel inserts you can pop in the fridge or microwave to pop in your bra to relieve tender breasts, so fab....
-a boppy would be awesome :D
-a breastfeeding cover would be great too

That's all I can think of now, congrats to your friend!

I agree with getting dye-free tylenol infant drops! Aside from that, I didn't read the rest of the posts so I am sorry if I am being redundant!
I was given crib/pack-n-play padding (to put under the sheets)--something I didn't even think about ahead of time, but it really came in handy!
A&D ointment--with a note explaining to put on after EVERY diaper change to PREVENT diaper rash (I didn't get this advice until second baby and it was a huge lifesaver!! My first baby had the WORST diaper rash in the hospital as a newborn (from me using scented wipes and trying to wipe off the meconium.........none of the nurses told me to use unscented wipes OR A&D ointment (or even vasoline!)--they wouldn't even let me use diaper rash ointment because it wasn't a doctor's order!! As a new mom, I was clueless. Okay, sorry about the rambling........
If you're going to go with diaper rash ointment, Balmex is good but Triple Ointment is even better (the most expensive you can buy--that I know of.)
Lastly, a nice large swaddle blanket. I couldn't have lived without mine. It was nothing fancy--just a large square (pretty thin) blanket. Most blankets are too small to do any good for swaddling--you need a nice, big one. If you'e good at sewing, this would be a great hand-made gift idea.

If she's breastfeeding, you could gift her some nipple ointment. I forget what it's called but I think it comes in a purple tube and it would be right by the breast pads and stuff. Also, breast pads (for leakage) are a great gift. I had to go to ShopKo when I was over-tired and leaking like crazy to get mine!!! lol :)

It's so nice of you to send your friend some things!!! She is lucky to have a nice friend like you.

The "Ultimate Crib Sheet" - goes on top of the sheet and can be taken off in a few seconds, when a diaper leeks. Awesome when you don't want to change sheets in the middle of the night. (still use with my 3 year old)

Footie pajamas -I prefered the ones that snap and not zipper. Snaps allowed for quicker diaper change. I didn't get any as a gift and ended up using at least one per night.

Little cotton shirts but the kind that is open in front & has a side snap that closes it shut. NOT the kind that pulls over the baby's head. Pullling a shirt over a newborn's head will freak out any dad and I didn't like it much either. :)

Halo Sleep sack - since a blanket is not reccomended for a baby. This let me feel good about my daughter staying warm.

Have fun shopping. :)

The Halo sleep sacks with swaddles were a huge help for us, as well as having an extra boppy cover or two as a backup when the baby would spit up. Also, having extra cloth diapers around to use as burp cloths, etc.

What I would have at the top of my list if I was going to have another baby (that fit your criteria):

BURP CLOTHS (a gazillion and one)

Stereo (for playing music while they slept to discourage 'light sleepers' from forming)

Crib Sheets (lots, for all those diaper blowouts and spit ups)

A new series of books to read while nursing

Infant meds from Canada (where they don't think parents are stupid)

Ear thermometer

Papertowels (because wipes are a rip-off)

"Go Bag" (the bag that has EVERYTHING in it that lives in the trunk of my car... so I never had to think. Just put the baby in the carseat and walk out the door)

Onsies Onesies Onsies

Coffee

Delivery menus

If it must be shipped, after diapers and wipes I would have to say gift cards to a take out restaurant. If you can find a couple near her that deliver, I would definitely get those.

The only other thing I can think of is a swing. Babies really don't need much, but mom's can usually appreciate a swing if it allows them to set baby down from time to time so they can use the restroom, take a shower, eat, etc.

BreastFriend was way better than the boppy for me. I also think an Ergo is a must have.

nothing with snaps... the middle of the night diaper changes are tiresome enough without having to unbutton things.. :) so we used those long little cotton nightdresses.. and cotton lightweight legging pants.. one...this kept the baby warm and two... made changing it much much easier....you simply pull down and pull up............ Zuntano makes cute cotton clothing and until my child was about 2 , he lived in that stuff..... plus they wash well.. you can pay lots of fancy items, but it's the simple stuff that really works.. I also liked that French foam shampoo... the name escapes me at the moment, comes in a blue and white container.. that stuff was nice because it didnt get overly soapy.... also.. a changing pad....... we used that ALL the time and took it everywhere..

my best to you

Gripe water, aden and anais swaddle blankets, disposable nursing pads, lanolin, a nice water bottle, slippers, fun socks, for her.