Newborn Necessities for Quarantine
NOTE- this post was originally made on March 16, 2020 right after Indiana went into lockdown.
Last week we shared a blog post about the elephant in the room- the Coronavirus. Here’s the link in case you missed it. Over here at Indiana Birth & Parenting, we have been preparing for this for many, many weeks. It was clear to us ten days ago that most people weren’t like us, so we gathered the facts we knew at the time and posted hoping others would benefit from being proactive instead of reactive.
So here we are, one week later, and life as we know it is changing by the minute. Our clients, and parents everywhere, are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. On our website, we have a Links + Loves section- and one of them links to our 25 favorite baby products. While these items will remain favorites of ours, we want to pare it down even more to help nervous and expecting parents understand what they really need when they bring a baby home over the next couple of months.
There are luxury baby products that FEEL like must-haves because they make life more manageable. Trust us- we get it! There are so many baby items we feel we can’t live without, too. But in the end…we can.
The goal of this list is to help you prepare for life at home with your newborn for 2-4 weeks in social distancing, quarantine or isolation. Many parents are faced with canceling baby showers and they are worried about not having the necessities on hand. Our list isn’t what you might want…but rather what you will need from the eyes of two postpartum doulas.
HERE WE GO…
all babies
Bassinet or safe place for baby to sleep
Boppy lounger or safe place for baby to be during the day
disposable diapering
NEWBORN SIZE
Newborn diapers usually fit up to 10lbs
Average changes in 24hrs- 10
Average time in newborn size- 21 days
Total Newborn Diapers- 210
SIZE 1
Size 1 diapers are for babies over 10lbs. TIP- If diapers are leaking and your baby is close to 10 lbs, bump them up to size 1 at night, and newborn size during the day until newborn diapers are gone.
Average changes in 24hrs- 7
Average time in Size 1- 45 days
Total Size 1 Diapers- 315
Wipes- at least one wipe per diaper change. Average wipes used per change is 2-3.
feeding
BREASTFEEDING/PUMPING
Pump
1 set of spare parts
BOTTLE/FORMULA FEEDING
Formula supply: Newborns average 2-3oz per feeding and eat every 2-3hrs. By one month, most babies average 3-4oz per feeding and eat every 3-4hrs.
baby care
Bathing- You don’t have to have a baby tub. Baby can take a bath or shower with you once their umbilical cord falls off (10-14 days after birth). Also, a towel on the bottom of the sink works well too.
postpartum supplies
Medication- talk to your provider
Nursing bra
Cotton underwear
virtual support
Postpartum doulas- Indiana Birth & Parenting’s general support for new parents and babies (available to local and out-of-state families).
IBCLC- Sarah Lang- RN, IBCLC, MA (available to local and out-of-state families).
Check with your healthcare provider and your baby’s provider for their protocols during social distancing, quarantine, and isolation.
As of today, this is a very fluid situation- changing minute by minute. Preparing now for the first month of baby’s life, along with postpartum recovery, will help you feel more in control of everything that is happening around you.
Our approach for many weeks has been centered around preparing- NOT panicking or hoarding supplies. Take the simple steps now to ensure you have what you need- while staying mindful that expecting parents everywhere are in the same boat as you. There is enough for everyone if we all practice responsibility.
we’re all in this together
jordan + amy
The phone lines are open!
One of the main reasons people typically hire us is because we are a calm and reassuring presence- backed with a lot of knowledge around pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and newborn care.
As your doulas we can see when there's something you're worried about- we can hear it in your voice. Often we can catch your body language if it’s tensing and apply physical pressure to your shoulders to help you relax. We can gently encourage you that you are doing amazing and that things are going to be okay. We can talk through your worries-- and even if we don't have a magic answer, the worry eases because you've been able to verbally express + process it. You know that you have someone caring to help you walk through it.
To our community:
We're seeing the posts in the moms groups. We're seeing the posts on our news feeds. We're seeing the hits to our website from parents all over the globe.
We see you.
You've planned all the plans. You've daydreamed about this day for several months. Or maybe even years. And now as your due date is fast approaching- and the world is changing. Rapidly. Plans are having to evolve.
We want to be available to help you navigate this. Whether you have a general question about labor, childbirth, or postpartum. Whether it's super specific about what it will look like when you arrive at a hospital with new protocols. Whether you just need someone to talk to as you navigate the new possibilities for your birth. WE. ARE. HERE.
Please, please, please don't hesitate to reach out.
We will be answering calls and questions during business hours for the next few weeks or more! If you receive our voicemail please leave a message and we will call you back as quickly as possible. This is a FREE service we are offering to our community- no strings attached. We’re simply here for you.
You can call or text 317-762-9575
YOUR Doulas,
J + A
