- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- babies today articles
- babies today q&a
- toddlers today articles
- toddlers today q&a
- breastfeed.com articles
- breastfeed.com q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
From Mobiles to Monitors
Creating a Well-stocked Nursery
By Lisa Hurt Kozarovich
The pregnancy test just came back, and you're already having visions of the perfect nursery. Here's some advice from those who've been there: Before hitting the stores, talk to other parents and make a list of what you and Baby will really need and use. Doing so can not only prepare you and your baby for those first few months, but also keep you from breaking the bank on gadgets that will wind up in the back of the closet.
"In addition to cribs, change tables, strollers, car seats, playpens, baby swings and all of the other big-ticket items, you'll find hundreds of other items vying for your attention and a share of your baby equipment budget," says Ann Douglas, mother of four and author of Family Finance: The Essential Guide for Parents (Dearborn Trade, 2001). "Some of them are definitely worth picking up, like those quilted pads that help prevent your baby's head from flopping sideways in a car seat. Then there are those products you and your baby can definitely live without – like the baby-wipe warmers. The trick, of course, is to figure out what you need and what you don't need."
Dr. David M. Fleece, a father and a pediatrician at Temple University Children's Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pa., couldn't agree more. "When you go to Babies 'R Us, you're going to be overwhelmed, so it's good to have a plan."
"The first thing to think about is safety. You want a safe bed in a safe house. You'll want to buy a crib that's relatively new; most of the older ones won't conform to safety standards, and you want to make sure you have working smoke alarms in your house," says Dr. Fleece. Depending on the type of heating system and home you have, you might want to consider a carbon monoxide monitor, too.
Want to see more?
Comments
There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to 
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||
