SHTF: What I’m Prepping For Bringing a Newborn Home During the Pandemic-Delta Variant Version
By: Olivia Li
Tags: Newborn, Delta Variant, Emergency, Preppers, Shtf

SHTF: What I’m Prepping For Bringing a Newborn Home During the Pandemic-Delta Variant Version Olivia Li Aug 9·5 min read

Pregnancy has always made me a heavy nester, but there’s nothing like a global pandemic, and a raging Delta Variant to boot, to encourage you to step it into high gear. I’m due around Thanksgiving, and while I’m so grateful for this blessing of a baby(hopefully!), the Delta Variant going around is making me very nervous. Here is what I’m prepping in preparation for Labor, Delivery & Postpartum

Butt Wipes and Newborn/Size One Diapers — Last year, when panic buying raged across America, it was impossible to buy baby butt wipes. Diapers were hit or miss. Some people had to go into the stores to grab them, and I’d rather not have to take that chance in case things are worse in November than now(likely). I have slowly started stocking enough wipes to get my baby through the first three months. My previous baby was little and went through two pack of Costco newborn diapers before he switched to size one. I don’t know how big my baby girl will be, and I’d rather not have to do unopened diaper returns, so I’ll be grabbing one Costco sized box of newborn diapers, one smaller pack of newborn diapers, one box of size one diapers, and one box of size two diapers. in an emergency, you can always put a bigger diaper on a kid, but not the other way around. Don’t forget about the wipes and diapers for your other kids if you have any too! I’ll be grabbing some size 6 diapers and wipes for my toddler too. Formula — I breastfed my first baby for 10 months, but needed to supplement formula the first month while my supply was coming in, and also after 6 months after my supply started to dwindle. My baby also had a milk allergy, so I had to get him Soy formula to prevent him from getting hives. So I will be stocking up on 3 months of Soy Similac Isomil Formula for my newborn. I hopefully will be able to breastfeed and not need to use it all(formula has a pretty long expiration date, so it’ll keep at least through the first year), but if I suddenly dry up and can’t feed her, I want to have a 3 month supply so that I can rest easy that she’ll have something to drink. Don’t forget about your other kids’ milk needs too! My toddler still takes toddler formula, as well as Whole Milk. I will be stocking up on enough of his toddler formula to last the first 3 months. I will also be grabbing some aseptic packs of Horizon Whole D Milk. Laundry Detergent for Newborn — We use a gentler baby detergent for my toddler/newborn’s clothes, and a harsher detergent for washing our clothes that have been outside. In a pinch, you can use the harsher detergent on your kids’ clothes, but we’d rather not, since our first baby had eczema and sensitive skin. Make sure you have enough baby detergent for your kiddos and enough adult detergent so you don’t have to dip into their detergent if SHTF. Supplements— If you’re breastfeeding, your doctor will recommend you give your baby Vitamin D drops to supplement(not necessary if you’re giving them Vitamin D fortified formula). A tiny bottle lasts a year. Some babies need an iron supplement, I like the NovaFerrum Iron drops(my kid doesn’t mind the taste!). I’d grab a bottle of each in case you need them. Some moms swear by using Mommy’s Bliss Elderberry drops to boost immunity. If you have a colicy baby, you may need some gripe water as well. Medications — If your kid has cradle cap, they’ll need the Mustela Cradle Cap Shampoo and Lotion. If your kid has eczema, they may need hydrocortisone cream and vaseline(over the hydrocortisone cream). My son had a prescription for eczema, and I kept the tube just in case it flares up again or my newborn needs it. If your kid has allergies, you may want to keep children’s benedryl on hand. The bottle says you need to contact a physician for the dosage, but it’s still useful to have it on hand, so that when something happens, you only need to call for the dosage, and not have to go search for it at the store, where it may be out of stock. I also recommend you have a nose aspirator or nose sucker on hand, along with some infant saline solution for runny or stuffy noses. I’d also go ahead and make sure there is a working, rapid read thermometer and infant rectal thermometer ready to go as well. During panic buying, these were nowhere to be found. Bathing & Grooming Tools — Make sure you have enough low-allergen body wash, shampoo, and baking soda(for eczema) on hand. When the pandemic panic buying happened, I found it hard to get my hands on the exact unscented Honest Shampoo/Body Wash I wanted. Breastmilk Bags or other breastmilk storage — If you or the baby catch something, you may have to quarantine away from each other for safety. Have the storage bags on hand in case you have to pump instead of breastfeeding directly. Clorox and isopropyl alcohol wipes — You have SO many appointments to go to, and sometimes have to pump on the go. Have enough wipes ready to wipe down the surfaces your baby will touch, your pump and parts, the doors, etc. My baby had jaundice, so it felt like we were always coming or going from the doctor’s office, or seeing a lactation consultant, etc. I was glad to have all the wipes under the sun so that I could pump wherever we were on the go, and not have to worry about the germs as much. Mama’s Postpartum Sanity tools — If you’re uncomfortable, the baby will be uncomfortable. Stock up on those huge pads, depends, witch hazel pads, aloe(padscicles), a good pump bra or two, and some sanity snacks and pampering goodies(l’occitane shower products can save your sanity and give you a blissful escape, even for a few seconds). A happy mama has a happy baby. Also, noise cancelling/muffling headphones or earplugs, an eye mask to block out the sun so you can catch naps whenever your baby allows, and a good blanket for you on literally every couch or glider in the home. You want to make it super easy for you to catch up on sleep.

I hope this was helpful! Let me know what you’re prepping