| BABY
PRODUCTS
DON'T
FORGET TO CHECK OUR SPECIAL SECTION ALL ABOUT MATERNITY
CLOTHES FOR THE MOM TO BE!
Cribs
Car Seats Baby
Basics & Baby Showers
Cribs
Did
you know the safest place to put a crib is in the middle of
the room? It protects your baby from reaching out to pull things
that might be on shelves or the wall. Remember: mattresses and
bedding are sold SEPARATELY, they are rarely included with the
crib itself. What you'll want to do is look in your local yellow
pages under "Furniture-Children's".
-
Federal
regulations govern crib safety, so all you really need to
worry about is the style you want. Regulations require that
crib bars be no wider than 2 3/8 inches apart (the width
of a soda can) So if you are thinking about an older antique
crib, be sure to check this!
-
Prices
can range for $60 (the Ford of baby cribs) to $700 (the
Jaguar of cribs!). Remember that price and quality do not
always match up. The white $60 cribs are usually sturdy,
but the wood has imperfections and may have flimsier springs
than a higher priced crib.
-
Most
cribs are made of wood, the more durable are: ash, beech,
oak, hard maple, while pine is more common but not as strong.
Things
to Look For When Shopping:
-
Sturdiness
indicated construction quality
-
A
poor finish may mean other flaws as well
-
Check
the durability of drawers, be sure the floor of the drawer
is made of a hardwood, not a cardboard like wood.
-
Faulty
railings are a safety hazard, it is vital that the crib
spindles fit securely into the bars!
-
Mattresses
should be stable
-
Wheels
need locks
-
Be
sure the drop sides are accident proof
-
If
you buy a used crib, be sure to check with the manufacturer
to make sure their were not any recalls on your particular
model (this is VERY IMPORTANT)
Car
Seats
Never
buy a used car seat, there is no way of knowing if it has been
involved in an auto accident! There are 3 types of car seats,
Infant Seats (face rear and are often part of a stroller/car
seat set), Convertible Seats (switch from rear facing to front
facing as your child develops from infant to toddler) and Booster
Seats (for kids who have outgrown car seats but are not big
enough for adult seat belts).
Things to Look For :
-
Adjust
the harnesses, they should fit snugly across the strong
parts of your Childs body (shoulders and thighs).
-
A
good car seat for an infant should have 3 harnesses (2 across
the shoulder and 1 between baby's legs), while a seat for
a bit bigger baby should have 5 harnesses (2 across the
shoulders, 2 across the waist and 1 between the legs).
-
Contact
your auto maker they can tell you what types of car seats
fit best in your car model
-
Examine
the car seat you wish to purchase, pull it off the shelf
and read its manuals
Not
sure how to install your car seat? Head to your Police Department,
the Car Dealership for your car model, or the store where to
bought the seat. Proper installation is what will make your
car seat most effective. ** interesting tip: tie your child's
toys to the car seat with a short piece of yarn, this will save
you from having to pick the toy up every time it is dropped!**
Baby
Basics
Here
are the basics, things you will need for baby, BEFORE baby comes:
-
Car
Seats (see above)
-
Stroller-avoid
anything that weights more than 1/4 of your pre-pregnancy
weight!
-
Crib
(see above)-and mattress, bumpers and
bedding
-
Diapers-if
you are going for disposable diapers get at least 100 of
newborn and size 1, and a couple of cloth diapers for back
up or burp rags.
-
Diaper
Pail-Diapers genies are good.
-
Diaper
Bag-look for heavy duty moisture resistant (Land's
End has some nice non-frou frou ones that can be monogrammed)
-
Changing
Table-look for a stable, sturdy model, solid wood is a good
choice
-
Feeding
Supplie-2-3 nursing bra's; disposable breast pads; and nipple
cream
-
Pacifier-buy
at least 3, small nipple and silicone (boil at least 5 min.
before first use)
-
Clothing-6-8
night gowns or onsies, 6-8 T shirts and a small baby cap
-
Bathing/Grooming-2-4
baby towel and washcloths and fragrance free soaps, and
baby nail clippers
-
Medicine
Chest-Ask you Dr. to recommend some infant fever reducers;
a thermometer, and a nasal aspirator
-
Night
Lights-Get a lamp with a low watt bulb, this will help with
late night feedings
|
