Lauren's Pregnancy and Baby Picks: Where to Find a Deal

After 1 3/4 pregnancies, I somehow became the resident expert on pregnancy among my friends.  Not really, but my newly pregnant friends have lots of questions about maternity clothing, pregnancy, essential baby items, etc.  So I figured I would share my knowledge in a blog post.  Five, actually.

This is post five of five.

Where to Find a Deal: 
I do not like to pay full retail.  I don't negotiate for a better price in Target, for instance, but it's important to me to comparison shop and to use coupons when available.  I (heart) Amazon, and often find that I can get great deals there, but K-mart surprisingly has lower prices for many toys.  And the sale/clearance prices at babyGap are almost always lower in store than online, so support your local Gap.  My point is, be an educated consumer.

These daily deal sites offer one baby or maternity product each day until it sells out:
Baby Half Off
Baby Steals

These flash sale sites have limited time boutiques:
Gilt Groupe.  Gilt has children's clothing, toys, and books for limited-time sales at up to 70% off retail.  Keep your eyes open for free shipping promotions, such as for inviting 10 friends to join.  When a friend that you refer makes their first purchase, you get a $25 credit.
Zulily.  This flash sale site is geared exclusively toward moms and kids.  Find clothing, shoes, toys, etc. for a fraction of retail value.  Refer your friends and get a $10 credit when they make their first purchase.

Coupons:
Ebates.  Sign up for Ebates.  Before you visit a website to shop or make a purchase, access the site via Ebates.  You will earn back a percentage of your purchase.  Ebates is also a reliable source for online coupons.
RetailMeNot  Before you make a purchase online, check RetailMeNot for coupon codes.  I also check this site whenever I order pizza.  Because I do order pizza online.  The Domino's Pizza Tracker makes me happy.

I like to enter giveaways.  I've even won a few things.  Here are my favorite bloggers who like to give things away on a regular basis:
Feisty Frugal and Fabulous
Freebies for Mom
Melissa & Doug
Mompetition

These bloggers find deals and share them:
Baby Cheapskate keeps track of hot deals for baby necessities, toys, etc. 
Birmingham Bargain Mom
The Budget Mommy
Hip2Save

What are your secrets for scoring great deals?

Also see:
Maternity Clothing
Stuff for Mom
Stuff for Baby
What to Bring to the Hospital

Lauren's Pregnancy and Baby Picks: What to Bring to the Hospital

After 1 3/4 pregnancies, I somehow became the resident expert on pregnancy among my friends.  Not really, but my newly pregnant friends have lots of questions about maternity clothing, pregnancy, essential baby items, etc.  So I figured I would share my knowledge in a blog post.  Five, actually.

This is post four of five. 

What to Bring to the Hospital:
It's recommended to have your bag packed at 8 months, since you really could go into labor at any time after that point.

For you:
Nightgown or pajamas.  The hospital provides gowns, which are conveniently open in the back and great for flashing your visitors.  If you plan to nurse, nursing tops or pajamas are especially nice to have.  I brought a robe when Joey was born and wore it for most of my stay.

Undergarments.  You'll need nursing bras if you plan to nurse.  And your doctor will probably tell you not to bring thong underwear.  That's good advice.

Socks/slippers.

Toiletries, makeup, and a hairdryer.  Your picture will be taken and you'll want to look good.  Samples from the cosmetics companies are great for the hospital bag.  Don't forget your glasses, contacts, and contact solution.

Going home clothes for you.  When you have limited maternity clothes, it's hard to pack away an outfit for possibly a month.  You can expect to look six months pregnant when you leave the hospital.  If you just can't spare an outfit for the hospital bag and you live near the hospital, send someone to bring you a change of clothing.  Or just go home in the clothes you came in.  Who will care?

For the baby:
The hospital will provide everything that you "need" for your new baby.  Don't bother to bring diapers and wipes from home; in fact, bring home everything that's not nailed down.

Mittens.  Some hospitals won't trim baby's fingernails and Joey's were quite jagged.  She scratched the heck out of her face until we put socks on her hands.  You might even want to bring the baby's nail clippers or an emery board to do it yourself.

Clothes for the baby.  Pack several outfit changes just because it's fun to dress the baby up.  Most hospitals will only provide a paper shirt for the baby to wear.  Kimono-style tops are especially nice for the early weeks because you don't need to pull clothing over the baby's head.  Be sure to pack socks if the outfits you bring don't cover the baby's feet.

Boppy.  We got a lot of use out of ours when Joey was born.  If you're not sure that you'll want/need it, at least pack it and leave it in the car.

Miscellaneous:
We enjoyed having a little entertainment during my labor with Joey.  The laptop was essential, and we were pleased that our hospital had free wi-fi.  We got a lot of use out of our baby name book because we were undecided on Josephine's name.  Many expectant parents bring iPod and speakers, and some make special baby mixes.  I brought magazines, but they weren't even touched.

Camera.  For obvious reasons.  If you don't want to keep your digital camera packed in your hospital bag, consider packing a disposable camera as a backup.

Chargers/batteries for electronics.

Change for the vending machines and for parking.

Snacks.  The hospital will feed you, but my experience was that hospital food was disgusting.  Non-perishable snacks can be packed in the hospital bag, but you should also be able to bring in other snacks, such as fruit.

We'll pack a gift for Joey from her baby sister.  Joey will give a gift to her baby sister in return. 

Also see:
Maternity Clothing
Stuff for Mom
Stuff for Baby

Coming soon:
Where to Find a Deal

Lauren's Pregnancy and Baby Picks: Stuff for Baby

After 1 3/4 pregnancies, I somehow became the resident expert on pregnancy among my friends.  Not really, but my newly pregnant friends have lots of questions about maternity clothing, pregnancy, essential baby items, etc.  So I figured I would share my knowledge in a blog post.  Five, actually.

This is post three of five.

Stuff for Baby:
Babies need lots of stuff.  They need clothes, cribs, carseats, strollers, high chairs, pacifiers, bottles, diapers, shoes...and the list goes on.  Even if you choose not to buy everything under the sun, your tiny new baby still needs lots of stuff.  There are so many options that it's mind-boggling.

Here are some more things to add to your registry.  Not all of these things are essential, but they do serve a purpose.

Bottles.  There is a resurgence in glass bottles mostly because of concerns that harmful chemicals, such as BPA, are in the plastic in baby bottles.  We used BPA-free Avent bottles and those worked well for us.  Joey had no problem taking a bottle, but some parents have to try several types of bottles to find one that's a good fit.  Some people recommend buying one of each type of bottle to see which one works best, but I find that to be wasteful if your baby doesn't have a problem taking a bottle.  Just keep your receipts until you know that your baby will take the bottles that you have.

Cloth Diapers, if that's your thing.

Bassinet, co-sleeper, or Moses basket.  The new baby needs a place to sleep!  It's nice to have a small, portable bed so that the new baby that is near you.  We didn't have one for Joey, but we plan on getting a co-sleeper for Baby Losavio.

Drying rack for bottles, etc.  You really don't need a special drying rack, but I think that this one is fun.  A bottle brush is also good to have for washing bottles.

Boppy or other nursing pillow.  This pillow helps to support your baby in a comfortable position when nursing or bottle-feeding your baby, and can be also used for tummy time.  Of course you could support the baby with a regular pillow, but using a nursing pillow is much more comfortable.

BabyLegs leg warmers.  These are adorable with onesies and great for frequent diaper changes.  Check RetailMeNot for coupon codes, or follow them on Facebook for special offers.

Sophie the Giraffe.  For some reason I am obsessed with this teether/baby toy.  Babies do like to chew on things, and this doubles as a toy and as a safe object to teethe on.  It's on my wishlist for Baby Losavio. 

White noise generator.  When Joey was an infant, she was soothed by the sound of the vacuum cleaner.  So that we wouldn't prematurely burn out our vacuum motor, we purchased an mp3 of vacuum cleaner white noise.  It was $10 well spent.  Or you could get the Cloud b Sleep Sheep, which has four soothing sounds, such as a heartbeat.  A heartbeat is preferable to vacuum noise, so I think that we might need to get this for Baby Losavio.

Also see:
Maternity Clothing
Stuff for Mom

Coming soon:
What to Bring to the Hospital
Where to Find a Deal

Lauren's Pregnancy and Baby Picks: Stuff for Mom

After 1 3/4 pregnancies, I somehow became the resident expert on pregnancy among my friends.  Not really, but my newly pregnant friends have lots of questions about maternity clothing, pregnancy, essential baby items, etc.  So I figured I would share my knowledge in a blog post.  Five, actually.

This is post two of five. 

Stuff for Mom:
In the three years between the births of my babies, there are a lot of new things on the market, and also a lot of things that I didn't know about the first time around.  Here are some of the things that I plan on using for myself when Baby Losavio arrives.

Udder Covers nursing covers.  Get a free one (plus shipping) with a coupon code from RetailMeNot.  I didn't use a nursing cover with Joey -- just receiving blankets -- but one sure would have come in handy.

Lily Padz reusable nursing pads.  I didn't have these when I was nursing Joey, but I've heard wonderful things about these.  Rather than absorbing leaking milk like other nursing pads, these stop leaks.  While on the subject of nursing pads, know that washable cloth nursing pads are an alternative to disposables.

Gel nursing pads.  When I was first nursing Joey it was extremely painful and I had no idea that these even existed.  I have not tried these, but plan to use them with Baby Losavio if I have pain from nursing.

Belly Wrap.  During pregnancy your abdominal muscles stretch and might tear.  Belly wraps help to tighten your muscles and get all of your parts back to where they're supposed to be.  While I would obviously love a top of the line Wink Belly Compressor, there are many others on the market that will get the job done.  I plan on using something like this in an attempt to heal faster, since I do have a two-almost-three-year-old to chase.  There is a little vanity involved, as well.

Breast Pump.  Even if you are a SAHM like me and plan to breastfeed exclusively, you'll need a pump.  Otherwise you will never be able to be away from the baby for more than a few hours.  I had two: a manual pump and a single electric pump.  Both of those worked great for me for occasional pumping.  If you plan on pumping a lot, the Rolls Royce of pumps is the Medela Pump in Style.  Pumps are often available for rent from the hospital.

Under-eye concealer.  I spent about $20 for Dermablend after Joey was born, and it was the best thing I could have spent our money on.  While you might be sleep-deprived, you don't have to look it.

Diaper bag.  Babies need lots of stuff when you're on the go:  diapers, wipes, bottles/milk/formula, pacifiers, blankets, spare clothes, etc.  You'll need a cute bag to tote all of this stuff around in.  And don't forget about the man in your life.  Do you think your baby-daddy really wants to carry your diaper bag?  Get him the Diaper Dude.  He'll thank you.  As your baby grows, you won't need to tote so much stuff around.  I liked using a diaper clutch when I only needed diapers and wipes.

Also see:
Maternity Clothing

Coming soon:
Stuff for Baby
What to Bring to the Hospital
Where to Find a Deal

Lauren's Pregnancy and Baby Picks: Maternity Clothing

After 1 3/4 pregnancies, I somehow became the resident expert on pregnancy among my friends.  Not really, but my newly pregnant friends have lots of questions about maternity clothing, pregnancy, essential baby items, etc.  So I figured I would share my knowledge in a blog post.  Five, actually.

This is post one of five.

Maternity Clothing:
I loathe the idea of spending a lot of money on maternity clothes.  I'm very frugal and I don't think that maternity clothes are a good value.  They can only be worn for a few months at most and a lot of them just aren't cute.  I feel like I wear the same items over and over, but as a SAHM, I'm really not out to impress anyone with my extensive maternity wardrobe.  I do try to look nice, but I really do wear the same things all the time.

For the early months, sometimes you don't really need maternity clothes, just a little extra room.  My advice is to look for regular sized items that can be worn for early pregnancy and post-delivery.  See what's already in your closet.  Repurpose a dress as a maternity top over leggings.  Use a belly band or use a rubber band in order to wear your prepregnancy pants a little longer.

When I was pregnant with Joey I bought a lot of cheap, ill-fitting pieces because I was going for quantity over quality.  When I unpacked them for this pregnancy I really couldn't bear to wear them.  I sold a lot of things on eBay.  A few basic pieces, like tanks, fitted tops, and turtlenecks will go a long way when you pair them with cardigans and accessories that you already have.  I would suggest buying clothes that you will enjoy wearing, since there is definitely a resale market.  Buy a few trendy pieces and consign them after you deliver.  You'll at least feel good wearing them.  When your whole body is changing it's important to do something to feel good about your appearance.

When buying maternity clothes online, be sure to check the size guide.  Most companies tell you to buy your prepregnancy size.  But if you buy premium denim, for instance, you'll need to go one to two sizes larger than normal.  Toward the end of your pregnancy, you might need to buy pants a size larger than your prepregnancy size.  With the exception of leggings, you probably won't be able to wear the same pants throughout your entire pregnancy.  Maternity pants also come with a variety of waistbands:  adjustable waist, demi-panel, full-panel, back-panel, under-belly, over-belly, etc.  It may take a little trial and error to figure out what is comfortable for you.  Different styles are suggested for different stages of pregnancy. 

Here are some of my favorite maternity clothing items/stores:

Maternity Jeggings.  These look like skinny jeans, but feel like leggings.  Enough said.  I ordered mine from Old Navy.

Milan Maternity.  I cannot vouch for the quality of the clothing, but I stumbled upon this site and the clothing is cute and reasonably priced.  They sell a lot of ruched tops, which accentuate the growing belly.  A lot of maternity tops fit like a tent and just make you look, well, fat.  These tops scream, "I'm pregnant, not fat!"

Gap Maternity.  Gap quality and style, with room for a baby bump.  Some of my favorite maternity pieces come from Gap, and they often will offer coupons.

Gilt Groupe.  Every once in a while Gilt will have a maternity boutique and will sell higher end clothing for up to 70% retail.  They will also sell nursing bras and nightgowns on occasion. 

Zulily.  This flash sale site, geared toward moms and kids, often has maternity and nursing boutiques.

Rue La La.  Yet another flash sale site, but this one is great for finding premium denim.  

Coming soon:
Stuff for Mom
Stuff for Baby
What to Bring to the Hospital
Where to Find a Deal