Baby First Aid/Health/Grooming Kits

[agpjt413]

I guess this question is for STM+ but would love to hear what FTMs have put together as well if you ladies already have. Other than the usual first aid/health/grooming items, what other essentials would you guys recommend? I've looked around at completed kits but feel like there are either too many things we may not need or that we'd have to add to them anyway. This is what we have so far:

•Nail clipper
•File
•Soft brush/comb
•Aspirator (nurse in L&D said the hospital was gifting us one with a nice long needle nose when we leave to come home)
•Nasal spray (?)
•Basic first aid stuff (band aids, ointments, etc)
•Basic meds (fever reducers - acetaminophen, oragel, etc)
•Thermometer (we're looking at the Exergen Temporal Thermometer)
•Gripe Water w/ applicator

Is there anything else you guys would add or remove?

[thelorax]

We love our Temporal thermometer. We haven't used it much, but it is easy to use.

At least when we had DD they didn't recommend Oragel for babies under 2. It could cause some rare side effect that reduced O2 in the blood stream.

[thelorax]

Not sure it's first aid, but I loved having coconut oil around. It helps with cradle cap and weird baby rashes without irratating the skin.

[agpjt413]

Oooh thanks for the tip re Oragel and coconut oil thelorax!!

[dc2london]

I highly, highly recommend the Nose Frieda.
We also usually keep mylicon on hand.

[bocaburger]

Jul 13, 2016 10:42:19 GMT -5 dc2london said:

I highly, highly recommend the Nose Frieda.
We also usually keep mylicon on hand.

I know everyone recommends it but I just can't get over the ick factor.

[dc2london]

Jul 13, 2016 10:49:18 GMT -5 bocaburger said:

Jul 13, 2016 10:42:19 GMT -5 dc2london said:

I highly, highly recommend the Nose Frieda.
We also usually keep mylicon on hand.

I know everyone recommends it but I just can't get over the ick factor.

Fair enough

[spicysalmonroll]

I remember when my nephew was a baby- my brother calling me at like midnight and asking if I could go buy some fever reducer because he didn't want to hassle bringing the baby to the store screaming in the middle of the night.
So I definitely already bought some of that to have on hand! lol

Other than that, I just have a basic kit I received as a gift. It also has some things to administer, like syringes & a plastic-cup-type-thing attached to a pacifier. No idea if I'll ever use it.

[spicysalmonroll]

bocaburger, ditto. I know there's a filter but I will never get one lol

[agpjt413]

Jul 13, 2016 10:42:19 GMT -5 dc2london said:

I highly, highly recommend the Nose Frieda.
We also usually keep mylicon on hand.

Funny you should mention the nose Frida - it automatically popped up on Amazon as a best seller when I was searching for baby first aid stuff

bocaburger - just from glancing at it, makes me feel like the ickiness factor is comparable to the Nettie Pot!

[agpjt413]

dc2london - Would you prefer Mylicon over gripe water?

[dc2london]

Jul 13, 2016 10:56:23 GMT -5 agpjt413 said:

dc2london - Would you prefer Mylicon over gripe water?

We usually have both on hand

[countrycotton]

Jul 13, 2016 10:56:23 GMT -5 agpjt413 said:

dc2london - Would you prefer Mylicon over gripe water?

I would keep both on hand. The mylicon is a necessity if they get gassy. But gripe water is my general cure all for the first 6 months. It is basicly suger water with fennel and anise. It is a magic cure for hiccups!! And I found myself giving it anytime she was had some sort of "gripe". Because it want "medican" I didn't mind giving it...all the time.
You will want a regular thermoter for the first 6 months or so. Drs generally want a rectal temp on them for at least a year. It is the most accurate while they are leading to regulate their body temp.

[agpjt413]

Jul 13, 2016 11:10:16 GMT -5 countrycotton said:

Jul 13, 2016 10:56:23 GMT -5 agpjt413 said:

dc2london - Would you prefer Mylicon over gripe water?

I would keep both on hand. The mylicon is a necessity if they get gassy. But gripe water is my general cure all for the first 6 months. It is basicly suger water with fennel and anise. It is a magic cure for hiccups!! And I found myself giving it anytime she was had some sort of "gripe". Because it want "medican" I didn't mind giving it...all the time.
You will want a regular thermoter for the first 6 months or so. Drs generally want a rectal temp on them for at least a year. It is the most accurate while they are leading to regulate their body temp.

Thanks! My mom mentioned the rectal thermometer as well.

[ameliabird]

Jul 13, 2016 10:51:45 GMT -5 spicysalmonroll said:

bocaburger, ditto. I know there's a filter but I will never get one lol

I felt the same until DD was like 6 months and had a terrible cold. Decided to give it a try because the regular aspirator wasn't working and have never looked back. And I'm very squeamish about mucus in particular lol!!

[gratefulgirl]

My kids prefer the hospital aspirator to the Nose Frida.

My pediatrician will only allow a rectal temperature before 4 months (after which they themselves use Exergen), so we have both types.

Baby Tylenol for first shots.

Saline nasal drops, which are more effective than even aspirating, for normal newborn stuffiness (also a humidifier in case of colds).

Nail clipper, comb, brush, and shampoo and I think that is all we ever use.

For gas I have socks filled with rice I gently warm and place on the stomach. I can never get a consensus from peds on mycilon.

ETA: no ped I know likes gripe water. Mine did OK probiotics for DD2, but I would always ask first.

[redhead610]

I prefer nail scissors to clippers - I feel like I have more control.

As far as medicines, they can't have tylenol/Advil until 4/6 months, so check expiration dates if you're buying them soon.

I hated the nasal aspirator. I felt like it didn't work and was impossible to clean.

I'd have some a&d, aquafor, etc on hand. I only had desitin at first, which didn't work on ds1 at all. He had a terrible diaper rash around 1 wk old. And aquafor is good for all sorts of things.

We like the exergen temporal thermometer, but also had a rectal one just in case.

[gratefulgirl]

Jul 13, 2016 11:32:13 GMT -5 redhead610 said:

I prefer nail scissors to clippers - I feel like I have more control.

As far as medicines, they can't have tylenol/Advil until 4/6 months, so check expiration dates if you're buying them soon.

I hated the nasal aspirator. I felt like it didn't work and was impossible to clean.

I'd have some a&d, aquafor, etc on hand. I only had desitin at first, which didn't work on ds1 at all. He had a terrible diaper rash around 1 wk old. And aquafor is good for all sorts of things.

We like the exergen temporal thermometer, but also had a rectal one just in case.

We were OK-ed Tylenol (at the recommended dose for weight) as early as needed, which has always been 2 month shots for us or later. Baby Motrin/Advil/Ibuprofen is 6 months according to my ped.

ETA: YES to Aquaphor. Desitin works for my kids, but I often do Aquaphor under at Desitin over.

[dc2london]

just another thought: I am not a fan of baby powder for several reasons but it's not a bad idea to have some cornstarch on hand. If your LO starts to develop any kind of diaper rash a sprinkle of corn starch can help keep the area dry, which can help the rash heal

[thelorax]

We also had to buy bacitracin and lotrimin for diaper rashes shortly after DD came home.

[agpjt413]

Jul 13, 2016 11:54:15 GMT -5 dc2london said:

just another thought: I am not a fan of baby powder for several reasons but it's not a bad idea to have some cornstarch on hand. If your LO starts to develop any kind of diaper rash a sprinkle of corn starch can help keep the area dry, which can help the rash heal

After the whole "baby powder highly possibly linked to fibroids and ovarian cancer," we haven't had any in the house but we do already keep cornstarch on hand and planned to do the same w/ baby. Thanks for the tip re diaper rashes!

[elm1214]

Nail scissors, aquaphor, Desitin (the purple kind, not blue), rectal thermometer (with thermometer covers and Vaseline to get the temp easier) and the nose frida are my main things in the beginning.

The nose frida grossed me out so much, until DD1 got really sick as a baby and I was desperate. Both the girls hated getting it done, but it really was effective. Now I love it.

We have an Exergen temporal thermometer, but I feel like ours gives inconsistent readings.

[countrycotton]

The whole baby powder/overian an er thing is related to talcem powder. Today, baby powder is actually made with corn starch. I personally buy corn starch, it's cheaper and the exact same except for a sweet baby colored container.

[agpjt413]

Jul 13, 2016 13:19:08 GMT -5 countrycotton said:

The whole baby powder/overian an er thing is related to talcem powder. Today, baby powder is actually made with corn starch. I personally buy corn starch, it's cheaper and the exact same except for a sweet baby colored container.

I've always seen them sit on the shelf at the store side by side. One day I accidentally grabbed the one with cornstarch instead and we were fine with it so it's been a staple in our house ever since!

[eaglewife]

Jul 13, 2016 10:53:22 GMT -5 agpjt413 said:

Jul 13, 2016 10:42:19 GMT -5 dc2london said:

I highly, highly recommend the Nose Frieda.
We also usually keep mylicon on hand.

Funny you should mention the nose Frida - it automatically popped up on Amazon as a best seller when I was searching for baby first aid stuff

bocaburger - just from glancing at it, makes me feel like the ickiness factor is comparable to the Nettie Pot!

I tried a Nose Frida but it was a freaking mess. We used this one (Link) and it's SO nice, especially when they get so stuffy. Nasal drops before hand and a little suction and baby can breathe. Priceless. 

[eaglewife]

And this kit is pretty comprehensive (link). They are still my favorite clippers.

[spicysalmonroll]

Jul 13, 2016 13:19:08 GMT -5 countrycotton said:

The whole baby powder/overian an er thing is related to talcem powder. Today, baby powder is actually made with corn starch. I personally buy corn starch, it's cheaper and the exact same except for a sweet baby colored container.

I still don't understand how they can come to that conclusion. In the commercial they are like "this woman used talcum powder for 30 years and now she has cancer". Well, what if she also drank coca cola for 30 years and used ponds cold cream for 30 years? How can you determine which, IF ANY, caused it?