Know your hospital's policies. First daughter was born moments after arriving at hospital. I almost missed it because they wanted me to strip and put on a gown to be with her. I wore a flannel shirt with buttons. Took forever for Mr. Nervous to get dressed! Definitely dress in pullovers if possible!

Way to go, mate. Already have a lot of good "specific" replies here, so I will pass along the one bit of advice my dad, a wise former merchant sailor, gave me when I was obsessing about how utterly incompetent and helpless I felt with this new "thing" in my life: "Son, humans have been around for thousands of years and have somehow managed to thrive and multiply. You'll do just fine." And you know, he was right ... how do parents keep DOING that? <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Congratulations Marine! There's already been a ton of good advice given so I'll just second a couple of ideas that have been floated.

First - "Hand me downs" or second hand stuff. Big definite. Baby stuff is way pricey at best and outlasts 2 or 3 kids.

Second - The combo car seat/carrier/stroller. Used one for both of my kids. The convenience factor alone makes this worthy of consideration.

Pack a clean shirt for yourself in the diaper bag. No matter how carefully you place a burp rag the kid will find a way around it eventually.

Attend all doctor's visits with your wife. They're informative, fun, and show you care

Being a new dad can be intimidating and challenging but overall it's easier than bootcamp, it's even more rewarding, and the title lasts just as long.

Semper Fi,

Ed

Very true about the good and inexpensive baby clothes to be found in secondhand stores. It is probably because of an abundance of gift clothing for a new baby that either didn't fit and were outgrown before they could be used.

One important thing is to do your homework when it comes to buying the equipment you need for the baby. Be very cautious about the bed and mattress. In the last years safety has been a strong issue in that industry, but there are still a lot of the older beds and mattresses out there. They usually end up in garage sales and as handed down gifts. Be aware: Some of those old beds are poorly designed and are potential killers. The spacing of the railings seem to be the main problem, and ill fitting mattresses are a danger. I'm told that if you can slip a coke can (held upright) between those slats, then the railing slats are too far apart.

Really do your homework about car seats. Do NOT buy a car seat with a bar that drops down in front of the baby. Just think of the child hitting that bar in a fast stop. My daughter tells me that she had heard of instances where the bar split from the force and then snapped back catching part of the baby. (I cannot confirm this) You are just better off using recommended five-point seat belt system in the child's car seat. Also, BTW, you will need to start out with one type of car seat for infants and then go to another type as the child grows. More research, more $$$.

Another note on that: be careful about approved older/used car seats. The straps become fatigued with use. Like survival equipment, there is a lot to learn about safe equipment for the baby.

Oh...and... congratulations!

I'm no help here, just wanted to say congratulations <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Chris

OK, some more advice...

I'll second What To Expect When You're Expecting; it's a very valuable resource.

Also, DaveT jogged my memory about a couple of things:

Don't knock the baby wipe warmer. We laughed about one we were given for a gift (I think we actually got a couple.) However, both our children really like having warm wipes. The difference in their demeanor when we cleaned them up with a warm wipe & a cold one was incredible.

Used Stuff: If there are any near you, go to children's consignment sales & shops, and also, garage/yard sales (we like those anyway). Consignment sales are better for concentrated shopping for specific items--you'll pay considerably less, if you can find what you want.

Keep an eye out (new or used) for a Peg Perego "Prima Papa" high chair. Peg Perego is the Rolls Royce of high chairs (& some other lines, too), and they're worth every penny, IMO. They're very versatile. Ours is 5 years old; our son used it until about age 3; our 2 yr old daughter uses it now. We did finally replace the cover this year--but it's seen daily use for 5 years. We even take it on vacation.

Fingernail clippers: Get the baby sized, of course. However, we didn't have any with us in the hospital the first time, but I did have my Victorinox Classic SAK. My wife trimmed our son's nails with it (& I got pictures--you'll take pictures of EVERYTHING!!!), & insisted that I carry it 3 yrs later when our daughter was born. She used it at home for a long while, until they kids grew to the point where the clippers were practical. Now, she's made me retire it (it was EDC) because it's a keepsake, & she's sentimental about it.

Car seat: I agree; buy new. Designs usually improve, and requirements certainly change.

DaveT calls it a "Moses basket", though we used our infant car carrier, with a lockable handle, & called it a "baby bucket". Try out several, but look for 2 features: 1-- a handle that's oriented in the same direction the baby sits/lays, whether that means a "Z" shape, or a pivoting grip. Your wrist will thank you. Smooth inner sides of the handle too, are good--they let you slip the basket up on your arm to the elbow for a change. 2--get one with a docking base that you can leave buckled & adjusted in your vehicle. Get a second base for a second car--not another carrier. My in-laws even got their own docking base so we could transfer to their car easier. The "buckets" just snap & lock into the base, without you having to adjust seat belts each time. You'll save a lot of sanity with this.

Look for a ratcheting seatbelt tensioning device. They're great to make a solid installation easy.

OK, I'll shut up now. I just like kids--they're the best thing that's ever happened to us. It's truly an exciting adventure you're embarking upon.

Best wishes, again.

David

I see that there is alot of good advice out there the ones about 2nd hand bay clothes at car boots sales (brocante) is a must.

The advise about car seats, spot on.

When we knew we were expecting our first, one of the few things we bought new was a good quality push chair/ pram/ stroller. One chassis three optional seats as baby grows. First one a landau (baby carriage), this is more a bed for the new born and has served as such. Keeps the baby's back straight so my wife informed me and we used it until she was too big for it. Then we went on to the first seat which reclines so that baby can sleep comfortably. The third was a real seat which she's into now (she's 21 mths). While this combination at the beginning proved to be very useful it soon became apparent that it takes up an enormous amount of room. I have a Renult Scenic a great people carrier or a one baby carrier as all her accessories stuff the car. In fact now she's older a lightweight cane puch chair works well and we regret (a little anyway) our earlier investment. Which now resides in our basement. It won't have to wait long as were expecting number 2 in early August.

Some of the advise concern hospitals is good as well, especially about food. I believe hospital staff just assume that you know where the canteen is and don't ask you if you've eaten. That was my case it was only when they thought I was going to pass out that they asked, plus with the heat didn't help much, so take what you can, and find out as much about the layout of the hospital as you can.

One thing we've done which some may not have heard about is "Haptonomy" ( not too sure of spelling?) . Its a form of massage for the baby and the mother during the pregancy. It also has the advantage that it helps the father feel part of the pregancy. As the father can calm the baby when it starts to kick, some say it helps the baby understand that there is another presence than just the mother. I enjoyed yet it may not be to everyone's liking.

As others have said here, it's agreat advanture your embarking on, it is enjoy it, both of you.

One last bit of advice re car seats. Learn to install it correctly. About twice a year the local police or Sheriff's dept. offers free safety inspections and about half the people have the seats incorrectly installed.

Ed

So do I !! Congratulations !!

Garrett--

The ratcheting car seat tightener I mentioned is the "MightyTite". Here's a web page link to a place that carries them, FYI. We bought ours at Toys 'r' Us, or their dedicated baby store, Babies 'r' Us.

The device wasn't available when we had our son (who's now 5), but we've had one for about 18 months now for our 2-yr old. Her seat is locked in rock-solid, & is more secure than I ever was able to get his, without the device.

When you put a car seat in, put your weight on it before you fasten & tighten the seat belt. That will compress the cushions more, & help you get a good, tight installation.

Depending on your upholstery, you may want to put a towel underneath the seat, too. It keeps it from cutting into them, especially leather. Spread out, it can also be somewhat of a "bib" to catch the inevitable spills, too. (Though, in that case, replacing it means removing & re-installing the car seat, or carrier base.)

Ed's advice about getting "professionally" checked is good. I have a number of friends on the local Fire department. One, their safety coordinator (EMT & RN), actually went with us to Babies 'r' Us & helped us choose a safe seat, then helped us install it properly. If you don't know someone like that, ask around at your local PD or FD.

David