The Skinny on Baby Stuff: Final Notes (but next week I'll have some Mommy Stuff)

So today I'll be posting my final installment of baby notes...until, of course, I think of something else that might be useful for other new mamas.  As always, please take my comments and recommendations with a grain of salt.  These are simply products that have worked for me, and there certainly might be other options that will work better for you and your baby.

This is a mish-mash of items that didn't seem to fit into categories in previous posts, so bear with me!

• Thermometer:  Some doctors will say that you should only use rectal or axillary (armpit) thermometers on infants.  However, the policy at the hospital where I did my nursing school clinicals was that rectal temperatures were restricted to the initial temperature check right after birth, since rectal thermometers can damage the anal mucosa of the infant.  All follow-up temperatures were taken in the armpit.  I already had a couple of digital thermometers floating around my house (one was a basal body thermometer).  However, I bought an additional one to use just for the baby, and decided on a tympanic (ear) thermometer for after six months, which is the recommended age for that method.  I also received two more multi-method thermometers as shower gifts.  Rather than taking some back, I keep one in the nursery and the other for the diaper bag just in case.  If you choose to take rectal temperatures on your baby, please check with your doctor for the proper use.  Another recommendation would be to keep one thermometer designated for rectal use and another for oral use...and always remember to keep plenty of those plastic thermometer shields handy for easy clean up!
• Baby Book:  I originally didn't think I'd need a baby book because I didn't want to feel pressured to do things "by the book" rather than following my instincts.  However, I did read What to Expect When You're Expecting while I was pregnant and found it very helpful.  After Bunkey was born, I found myself with a lot of questions that I felt were too stupid to call the doctor every five minutes and I was referencing my mom's baby book, which is 30 years old!  So I bought What to Expect the First Year, and bundled it with What to Expect the Second Year, and so far it's been really helpful.  I wish I'd bought it just before I delivered because the first couple of chapters pertain to last minute preps!  It also has extra chapters on First Aid, Dos and Don'ts, etc. which I'm sure will come in handy in the months to come!
• Clothes:  Bunkey didn't last in newborn size clothes for long.  I stocked up on 0-3 months and I'm glad I did.  At a couple days shy of 7 weeks, he'd already outgrown some of his clothes, and at 3 months, he's pretty much exclusively in 6 month sizes!  I had a ton of clothes, but in varying sizes, so I didn't have much in the 3-6 month size.  I bought what the Exchange (on-base department store) and Target had to round out my supply.  The sleep & play suits (with feet) are awesome for during the day, and Bunkey liked the gowns for sleeping for the first month or so.  Because the weather here is cooler than VA Beach was, I didn't get much use out of onesies so I didn't buy any bigger sizes beyond what I already had.  Also, we never used the mittens that a lot of people put on babies to keep them from scratching.  That is one thing I don't think I'll use even on future babies, so I am probably going to give what I have to a girlfriend who's about to have her baby.  Bunkey also hated being swaddled.  Some of the SwaddleMes we had hadn't been washed so I was able to return them.  The others hopefully I'll be able to use on a future baby.  In retrospect, I wish I'd only opened one to see if he'd like it before washing them all, since they can be rather expensive...  Lesson learned, I suppose!

Other notes:

• Babies R Us:  If you go to Babies R Us, get a rewards card.  Then, when you get home, hook the rewards card up to your registry.  I think they can do this right at the store too, but you can link it over the internet (and you can also create a registry over the internet).  You'll get points (which turn into coupons) for things other people buy for you!  And, if people get things off of your registry and not off of your registry in the same purchase, it'll record all of it and you'll be able to return stuff you don't want/need or get doubles of.  You can't return to them if you don't have a receipt or some other proof of purchase - so hooking your registry up to the rewards card is key!
• Pampers Gifts that Grow:  If you use Pampers products, all the packages (even refill packs for baby wipes) come with a Gift to Grow code.  You can register those codes on the website for points to get cool free stuff, like a Radio Flyer tricycle!!