From: sgauch@ccs.northeastern.edu (Susan Gauch)
Subject: Re: New mother questions
Organization: College of CS, Northeastern U
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 14:39:43 GMT

In article <1992Nov10.222550.21577@njitgw.njit.edu> sylvia@maple.njit.edu (sylvia gray ) writes:
>
>
>HI,
>
>I am new to this news group.  I am also new to anything and probably
>most everything having to do with children.  I am currently about
>22 weeks pregnant.  Some questions I have to prepare for the upcoming
>event (d*mn I'm scared).  Hope you don't mind.

It's scary, but it's fun.
>
>1.  I just started buying some furniture (and boy are they expensive).
>One of the things that was suggested to get was a baby bathtub.
>I was originally thinking something along the lines of a nice dishpan
>since all I thought was the baby bath would just hold water and keep
>the baby more or less localized (as opposed to a bathtub) and I would
>then proceed to the sink.  Someone said I really should get a good
>(and expensive,  about $40-50 he quoted) bathtub.  WHY?  What am I
>missing?
>
A dishpan may not be big enough.  Also, for the first few months, the
baby can't sit so they need to lie in the bath.  Baby baths have sloped
non-slip backs to allow this.  You can buy a small infant bath for about
$10 I believe at Toys R Us.  These are quite small and only work for a few
months. When the baby can sit use the regular
bathtub.  Better yet, one company sells a 2-piece bathtub which is
very large but has an insert that slopes.  The tiny babies use the insert.
As they grow too big, your remove it and are left with a bigger plastic
bathtub.  By the time they get too big for that (8 months?), they generally 
love the regular bathtub and can sit very well.

>2.  I have decided to use disposables (please don't flame me for this
>decision).  Some mothers told me how their kids were getting a rash from
>using Pampers (I guess from the fragrance or something).  Has anyone else
>had this problem?   Is there any problems with using say the store brand
>diapers?  And from what I read, they say to buy a months worth of diapers
>in advance (about 300 -350)?  Do you agree with this?

Pampers gave my babies rashes.  All plastic diapers really hold the heat and
moisture in.  They need to be changed every 3 hours (for my babies) to
prevent rash.  I wouldn't buy that many in advance.  Pampers has a new size
for newborns which is great, but it only fits for a few weeks.  The cutaway
front is great for leaving the cord exposed.
>
>3.  Soaps.  They say to use a detergent free soap.  What does this mean?
>Ivory maybe and not any deodarent (sp?) soaps like Dial?  What about
>Lever 2000?

Definitely none of the above.  Ivory is very drying for an infant.
We always used Dove Unscented.  Use it on the hair too.  Baby shampoo
is also drying and shouldn't be used in the first month.
>
>4.  Laundry detergent.  What is so special about Dreft and Ivory Snow?
>What about some of the others that are fill-in-the-blank-free like
>Cheer (fragrance and dye and maybe something else free)?
>
Baby skin is very sensitive.  Regular detergents are very harsh and drying.
Dreft is a delicate detergent.  Ivory Snow is soap, not detergent.  Either
is fine for babies.  Some mothers have recently posted that they can
use Tide Free on their babies.  Use Dreft or Ivory Snow for the first
few weeks.  Then, try ONE LOAD Tide Free.  See how the baby does.  My
daughter is 3.8 years old and still breaks into red blotches with
Tide.  Everyone but me in the family has sensitive skin.

>5.  One last question (for now).  This is not a baby question.
>The linea negra (or something) that appears when you are pregnant,
>I assume it goes away later after you give birth.  In my case I have
>had this line (or zipper as my husband calls it) for as long as I can 
>remember.  Any comments? (I don't expect it to go away after birth)
>
I think it goes away, gradually, but I'm not sure.  Now, if those
darn stretch marks would go away....

>		-- sylvia


-- 
Susan Gauch
sgauch@flora.ccs.northeastern.edu