Expectant Mommy Advice

Sometimes I find it hard to take advice from other people concerning Baby B. I want to tell them to zip it and mind their own darn business. I usually just politely smile, uncomfortably laugh, and move on. Despite this, I though I'd do a post about what has worked for me. Do with it what you will. It might be a little on the advicey-ish side.

1) If you are expecting, make a point to buy at least one or two packs of diapers every time you make a trip to the grocery. Not only does it make your pregnancy feel more real, but it also helps you stockpile before your bambino arrives. I would advise the same for wipes. Diapers and wipes are things that disappear FREQUENTLY when you have a kid. If you can combine a sale with a coupon, even better.

2) My favorite newborn diapers are Pampers Swaddlers. They are so soft on tiny hineys, AND they come with a really cool "pee indicator strip" on the front of the diaper that lets you know when the diaper needs to be changed. Yellow changes to blue? Bingo, bango - change that diaper! It's great.

3) Don't return bibs or socks that you get at a shower. You think you have enough? Guess what? YOU DON'T! Baby B wasn't really a spit-upper, but that kid can destroy a bib in one feeding now that he's eating cereal and babyfood. And, apparently our dryer is living on a feast of baby socks these days as I can never find matches.

4) Buy your kiddo some Robeez from the soft-soled collection. I think you can get knock-offs at Target which are much nicer on the budget and equally as cute. Baby B owns a pair for every stage of development from 0-18 months. Pediatricians recommend not to put your baby in shoes, so these soft, leather kicks are perfect. They help keep baby socks on (which are frequently kicked off) and keep sweet baby feet cozy when it's chilly outside.

5) Planning to nurse? Buy or borrow a My Brestfriend Nursing Pillow. I own a Boppy too, but the Brestfriend is great when you're first learning how to nurse because it provides incredible support and velcros under your bust. It's awesome, and though I only used it for the first month, I swear it helped me get the hang of nursing. It was recommended by our lactation consultant.

6) Sign up on every baby website that there is. They will frequently send you emails with coupons, along with coupons and samples sent directly to your house. Here's some of my favs:

• http://www.pampers.com/
• http://www.naturesgoodness.com/
• http://www.earthsbest.com/
• http://www.luvs.com/
• http://www.huggies.com/
• http://www.gerber.com/

7) Shop out of season. Right now, The Children's Place has a great sale (50% off!) on their sale items. You can purchase future clothes for your kiddos at a fraction of the price.

8) Don't let those shower giftcards burn a hole in your pocket. If you're like me when I was pregnant, you couldn't wait to shop for your little one. I spent about 80% of our giftcards before the baby came, sometimes frivolously, and then realized - uh oh - I could have used that to buy _____. Be patient.

9) Make sure all of your pacifiers and bottles are BPA free. Studies have linked BPA with developmental problems. When Baby B takes a bottle, it's an Avent BPA-free model. He seems to like it, even though it's honey-colored which makes it look dirty. It's not! It's just safe plastic. And, Avent refers to bottle nipples as "teats" which totally cracks me up. (If you're already using Avent bottles that are NOT BPA-free, simply return them - used - to Babies-R-Us where they will give you credit towards purchasing new BPA-free models. Call your store first to make sure they do this!)

10) Another nursing suggestion: BUY A MEDELA PUMP. Is it expensive? YES. Will you feel like a cow when it's attached to you? YES. Will your childless girlfriends make fun of you when you use it in front of them on girl's weekend? YES. Will you LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it? YES! (I am not recommending you do this, but I totally borrowed mine from B's cousin. She used it over two years ago when she had her little boy. It still runs great and I complete sanitized everything before use. I did, however, buy my own bottles.)

I know there are a lot of mommies out there who read, so please feel free to offer your own suggestions of what worked for you.

PS. We're totally out on another Snow Day today! Yippeeeeeee :)