Please suggest items to get from India for Pregnancy for 1st time Mom

kmanasa · Dec 10, 2007

Need suggestions please...

Hi everyone,
I am new to Indusladies. Its a wonderful and helpful website.
I am in my final month of pregnancy and my parents are coming to USA to help us at the time of delivery and to see their grand child... We don't know if it is boy or girl yet.
My mum keeps asking what is to brought from India. As this is my first child and my mum's first grand child , so both of us know very little.
Can you suggest items that are either not availble in the USA(traditional things maybe!) or items that are expensive here and can be bought in India or anything like that. One thing I thought about is some neutral baby clothes. Pl suggest if u can think of anything.
Thank you.

sanravi_1970 · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Parents are visiting, HYD to USA.

Hi

It wud be really exciting to meet ur mom right esp wen u r pregnant. Even i m expecting anytime now and i told my mom to bring some medicines useful for me and baby after delivery, baby stuffs like clothes(not much) as baby grows faster, other accessories like powder box, sponge etc etc, flask,paaladai, nighties, black bangles for baby, anyother grocery if u need, thats it.

Traveller · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Parents are visiting, HYD to USA.

i don't have experience on this since i went home for delivery (and carried many things from here bonk) things that I can think of: nightie (with front opening for feeding easily), rubber sheet (if you are thinking of not using diapers this is extremely useful to put on bed), light-weight rajai for winter (i like the ones we get back home), towel with hood (you get them at very good price in india)... this can be used to wrap the baby and later for bath also. I am not sure about clothes though. If you will use diapers then you will wear bodies. And depending on the traditions... castor oil, almond oil (for baby massage), legiyam for you etc., these are things i can think of now all the best dear!

cathy · Dec 12, 2007

Re: Parents are visiting, HYD to USA.

Hi,

Even i dont have prior experience on this.But i spoke to my neighbour who brought her mom for delivery and got some ideas.

1)Nighties
She adviced not to buy feeding nighties.Since it has a Zip sometimes it may hurt ur breast. if you zip/unzip without care a small part of the skin may get into that and the pain would be terrible.She told to buy the nighties that has long zips / front open nighties so that you can use them even for future use.

2)If you plan to do PUNYAJANAM(the 11th day ceremony for naming a baby),plan for the things you need/you cant buy in your place.

3)Also i heard(even my doctor told) indian clothes sometimes have dangerous DYE on them which may afftect the kids skin.Since kids are highly immuned here,sometimes they may get some rashes/burns on the skin.So take extra care before you make the baby wear any dress.

4)If it is a girl,ask your mom to stitch silk full skirt and tops for her so that you can make her wear and take cute photos.If you plan to go to india with your mom after 6 months ,then you can go and stitch.If you dont plan to go,then plan to keep some new traditional dresses with you always..

5)((If its a girl))Bangles,some cute hair clips,Anklets.

I'll also try to talk to my other friends and post the rest soon.

-Cathy

Traveller · Dec 12, 2007

Re: Parents are visiting, HYD to USA.

Hi, Even I second Cathy about the nighties based on personal experience (sorry the 'enter' key on my laptop is on strike so i've to type as a single para). The zip is very small and very irritating. And these days I have come not to trust nighties with zip. They get stuck in 2 use. So never buy the so called nursing nighties... total waste of money. Buy nighties with buttons (not just 1 button but that you can open until your waist) so you can stitch if the buttons come off. And not with hooks also. My boy got hurt once You can always wear a towel over if someone is in the room. Other thing I thought of is kajal for the baby if it's the practice in your family. I've saved this and black bangles from my first baby for the second one expected next summer

Traveller · Dec 12, 2007

Re: Parents are visiting, HYD to USA.

oh girl the most imp thing that helped me, i forgot the diaper rash cream from himalayas. It's so good and cheaper than foreign products. If you plan to ask your parents to get soap etc., then I highly recommend himalaya products (esp their baby oil is very good for dry skin)

kmanasa · Dec 12, 2007

Re: Parents are visiting, HYD to USA.

Thank you Sanravi, Cathy and Traveller for the suggestions.

I will surely add these items too.
Nighties is a good idea. I'll ask for the buttoned front open ones.

I am not sure about the baby medicnies though, are they good in India, my doctor did not approve me taking ayurvedic constipation medicine while pregnancy, I don't think they'll approve using those baby medication here.

Black bangles, anklets, kajal... all these are making me wish it will be a girl. The long skirt idea is grt, even if it's a boy I'll get him wear it once for pictures... That sounds fun.

Himalaya rash cream,I'll surely add. Baby clothes,I'm not sure any more.

Other things I thought: stretch mark creams for me, new gold ring for the naming ceremony, that traditional toy( the one resembling the special bell in the Polar express movie) and some indian lullaby CDs/casettes.

Thanks again everyone.

ptamil2007 · Dec 12, 2007

Re: Parents are visiting, HYD to USA.

Hi kmanasa,

Its really a wonderful thread you have started.
I hadnt thought of these, and my mom would be coming here by mid Jan. Its good to tell her in advance so that she can buy things.

travller, sanravi, cathy,
Thanks for posting the list of items, please do post more items as you remember.

Traveller · Dec 12, 2007

Re: Parents are visiting, HYD to USA.

Hi Kmanasa, I don't remember seeing stretch mark creams... or may be I didn't look out for them. What I did for my first pregnancy was to apply normal almond oil (or also jojoba oil or olive oil) everyday (from 4th month) after shower on tummy, thighs, bums and breasts. no hard massage or anything just like how you'd apply moisturising cream. Towards the end of pregnancy as the skin in these dangerous spots get dry and sometimes even itchy apply them as often (ie whenever you feel like itching). And I continued applying them upto 6 months after delivery. I must tell you I have microscopic stretch marks... but it might be also because I really didn't have a big tummy.. my boy was small. I think this particular cream is better to be bought where you live. And yes if you prefer to use besan or moong dal powder for bathing the baby instead of soap then add that to your list... it's better not to use store-bought besan for this purpose. Back home we give channa or moong in the flour mill and that's fresher without any unknown additives.

Happysoul1234 · Mar 13, 2008

Hello IL Friends,

My husband is going to India and I would love to get suggestions on items he can bring back from India for my pregnancy and delivery. So far I have thought of the following

1. Nursing gowns
2. Nursing Bras
3. Horlicks Lite
4. Recipe books for infant feeding
5. Bhajan tapes for pregnancy

Please let me know of any other items to add to my list that will be useful.

Thank You!