Primer

Primer

This page has resources to help your family get baby supplies like food, clothing, furniture, strollers, toys, and more. These resources are organized by the type of supplies you are looking for, then by statewide resources and county-specific resources. This way, you can find what you are looking for close to home. In each section, we first highlight free and low-cost ways to obtain baby supplies. Then, we provide a list of retail stores where you can purchase many of the supplies you and your baby need.

Baby Feeding Guide

Every child is different and working closely with your doctor to ensure the health of you and your children is vitally important. The following are general guidelines that many doctors and nutritionists use to gauge the progress of a child’s feeding habits. These do not substitute for regular check-ups and discussions with your healthcare professionals, and you should only offer breast milk or baby formula when feeding.

• 1 – 3 months
  • Breastfeed 7 – 9 times per 24 hours OR  bottle feed every 2 – 4 hours
• 4 – 7 months
  • Breastfeed 6 – 8 times per 24 hours OR  bottle feed every 4 – 5 hours
  • After consulting your doctor and developing a feeding plan, you can begin introducing solid foods during this ‘transition’ phase. When first trying new foods, continue feeding them the same food for 3 – 5 days so you know if any foods may be causing an allergic reaction. If you notice hives, trouble breathing, or any other adverse reactions, seek medical help immediately by calling 911.
• 8 – 12 months
  • Breastfeed 4 – 6 times per 24 hours OR  bottle feed every 4 – 5 hours
  • At this point, your child may begin to drop nursing in favor of solid foods or even more traditional table foods like fruits, vegetables, and cereals depending on tooth development.

Again, these are general guidelines. Consulting with your doctor regularly to determine a feeding plan that works for you and your children is always a priority.

Baby Clothing Guide

Unfortunately, many brands of baby clothes use slightly different sizing charts to measure a child’s weight and height. Always consult a brand’s sizing chart before making a purchase, but the following are general guidelines for clothing sizes.

After growing out of these sizes, children’s clothes use the sizes “2T – 6T” which stands for “toddler.” For these clothes, the number before the T refers to the general age of the child. So a 2-year-old would typically fit into size 2T clothing and a 5-year-old would fit into size 5T clothing, etc.

Definitions

• Prenatal (Antepartum): a term meaning “before-birth”
• Postnatal (Postpartum): a term meaning “after-birth”