Having a Baby

[Thunder]

My brother's girlfriend is pregnant and I believe she is about a month along. I guess it will not be until 3 months when she will be able to know if its a boy or a girl. Yeah, this is way early, but I want to slowly stock up as soon I find out. They will need lots of help and I will probably be a big part of the baby's life to help raising, etc.

So, what size should I first be getting for the clothes? I don't want them to be too small and useless. I got no clue about any of this. Never bought any.

And what things is best to stock up? I know toys is fine to stock up early.

Anyone got any advice for me?! This is gonna be crazy!

[kevinpate]

Take a breath and relax. Plenty of time.
Forget about clothes for the time being. Babies come in all sizes, from below 6 lbs to above 10 lbs. If momma2be is a month along, arrival is late June to midish July, and that can vary a bit as well. Babies come when babies come. Further down the road her doc will have a reasonable guesstimate on length and weight at birth. Worry on clothes then.

Forget about toys too, for now. baby baby toys are easy to come by. Besides, the first many weeks, babies, sleep, eat, excrete and get cuddled more than anything else. When you do buy, think bright primary colors and get baby toys, not toddler toys.

Light weight receiving blankies and swaddlers are always a good starting gift and if you are compelled to shop early, plenty of unisex colors to choose from.

Luck to the family. Be a good unkie when the time comes.

[Jesseda]

whats good about the baby it will be a summer baby, so you might stock up on the summer sale items left, in yellow and green the unisex colors.. also you can pick up some 6 month old-9 month old winter stuff when they hit the sales rack in spring.. My kids went througha lot of zip up body pjs (dont know the proper name for it). also socks are must, my wife and i lost hem left and right and had to go out a buy them over and over again, so if you get a good deal a box of socks then grab them..Diaper rash cream, bnoxes of diapers, dont get the newborns they grow to quick out of them.. my wife and i went through a lot of size 3 boxes of diapers, usually during baby showers friends bring newborn to size 2 diapers and newborn clothes.. Buy baby wipes in bulk, and believe me dont go off and buy the expensive wipes.. On Diapers we used pampers because white cloud seemed to fall apart a lot..It will be fun to shop for a baby, maybe stock up on diapers, bottles, burping clothes until you find out the sex of the baby then the real shopping can start.. my places for baby deals is usually, kohls,jcpennies and toysrus has good sales in may usually

[PennyQuilts]

If they are together, they need to get married and commit to the long haul. If they aren't willing to legally commit to each other, why would they commit the baby to the other parent? That is the absolute best thing they can do for that baby. I've seen too many young people go into this half heartedly and end up spending years in court over child support and mixed messages. They don't want that. Trust me. They need to decide if they are in or out for the long haul before the baby has to suffer with their angst over the situation.

That being said, baby sizes come in newborn, 3mos, 6 mos, 9 mos, 12 mos, 18 mos, 2T (for 2 year old Toddler), 3T, 4T, 5T, etc. I usually get a few 3 months and 6months to start out, assuming the baby is full term. Receiving blankets are inexpensive. "Onesies" are also inexpensive. Depending on if they are planning to use disposable diapers, that is a huge expense that new parents may not realize. Disposable diapers come in different sizes and help getting those is usually appreciated. Formula is also expensive (even nursing babies - and nursing is better for them - usually end up using some). You can get used baby furniture from Craigslist (although I'd get a new mattress) and fixing it up is sometimes fun while you wait for the baby to arrive (Mama needs to avoid inhaling fumes). Educational toys in primary colors are good for little ones and it is rarely too soon to start reading to them, even if they don't understand the words. Do you sign? Some people are teaching pre-verbal babies to sign and I've read that some babies they are quite proficient in "talking" by 9 - 10 months.

Your mom can help you - she'll have a ball getting ready. And congratulations to the parents and to you, Uncle. Family is a wonderful thing.

[Easy180]

Buy target diapers...much cheaper than pampers and work pretty well

[Thunder]

Thanks for the posts! It is really exciting. Even tho it is likely I'll never have one of my own (unless I adopt), this is like the closest thing that I can experience with. I talked to him some about me, him, and the girl living together with the baby and splitting the rent and bills. Not too sure about that. Ya know, he and I don't really get along.... But still, the baby!

My mom blew up at me when I told the girl about preparing for medical issues. I told the girl that whatever gene that caused mom and I to be this way, it may happen to the baby, because the gene is dormant in my brother (is why he look normal), but don't know if this mysterious gene may activate in the baby. No clue! Mom was saying not to say anything to her that will scare her... So? It is better to know things and be prepared.

So, how much part in the baby's life should I have? I know parents and grandparents have the most. Rarely for aunts and uncles... I am not sure what is the line...as in what is too much. Not like I want the baby to consider me the daddy, nah, but just want an important role to the baby.

Yeah, you betcha I will be teasing baby signs from the start. The baby gotta communicate to me somehow! lol :-P

[FritterGirl]

Thunder, before any one buys the first binky, I think the MOST IMPORTANT thing to focus on is the baby's - and mother's - HEALTH. I am hopeful she will be getting regular pre-natal care throughout her entire pregnancy. It will also be critical that if she smokes or drinks now, she ceases immediately, as both can do significant harm to a growing fetus. Prescription drugs, and even some over the counter medications for colds and flus, allergies, etc., can also be terribly harmful. Even too much caffeine and some foods (honey, peanuts, sushi) can have adverse effects, so she really needs to consult a physician to determine her health needs throughout her pregnancy. She also needs to get on a good pre-natal vitamin.

Education is the best line of offense in this case and will help your brother and his girlfriend prepare. There are countless resources out there that can assist in this, including non-profit social service organizations that can help. I would highly recommend you look into some of these so your brother and his girlfriend understand the full commitment they are in for. Even the library can serve as an excellent place to pick up some pre-natal books and/or magazines -- and these can serve as great resources to uncles, too.

I know one popular book is called "What to Expect When You're Expecting." It pretty much goes step-by-step through each week of the baby's development in utero and provides friendly, practical advice for the pregnant mom. It also has lots of lists for diet, diet and medication no-no's, a "list" of what the baby will need when it comes home from the hospital, etc. The library likely has it, or you may be able to find a discounted copy at Half Price Books.

Don't get too caught up in the insignificant details now when there are much bigger - and more important things - that need to be addressed.

Good luck!

[Thunder]

Yes, FritterGirl, thank you. She been staying here in his bedroom alone since Monday, cuz brother is out of town working. I have been meaning to talk to her without him around, so since he is coming home today, I will try to have a chat with her.

[PennyQuilts]

Yes, FritterGirl, thank you. She been staying here in his bedroom alone since Monday, cuz brother is out of town working. I have been meaning to talk to her without him around, so since he is coming home today, I will try to have a chat with her.

Thunder, word to the wise. You don't need to be having conversations with your brother's significant other out of his presence. I am not suggesting you are up to no good but, trust me, in the long run, things will be smoother if you don't say anything to her that you couldn't/wouldn't say in front of your brother short of making plans for a surprise party (for him). It will just get back to him, anyway, and he'll be royally irriated at you, won't trust you, and chances are, he'll hear something you never said or meant in the first place and it will cause friction.