Baby Needs for Health Care - Preparing for Baby

It is an absolutely good idea to keep a few things on hand for your baby's general health care. One thing that makes getting all of the these health care items for your baby easier is a health care kit. You will want to get a health care kit before your baby is born, or at least the items that come in one. Make sure you choose one that includes all of the items you want to have. There are two important items that should be included in the health care kit that you choose, or that you purchase separately.

A digital thermometer is something you will want to have on hand in case you need to measure your baby's temperature. When choosing a thermometer for your baby avoid using a mercury thermometer. It is highly recommended that you check your baby's temperature when they are well to get an idea of what his or her normal average temperature is. Make sure the digital thermometer you keep for your baby is quick, accurate and easily accessible. Another item that is a must, and something that the hospital often sends home with new parents is a nasal aspirator. Obviously a parent cannot convince a baby to blow his or her nose and from crying babies can get stuffed up, which makes it hard to eat. A nasal aspirator will allow you to get any snot out of your baby's nose easily.

Some other items that you may or may not find in your health care kit that are also really great to have on hand are a pair of tweezers, a magnifying glass and a medicine dropper and spoon. Often medicine comes with a dropper or spoon, but if it does not you will be glad that you have one. Everything on a baby is so small that it is not always that easy to see what is really there so a magnifying glass and tweezers come in handy. As much as you do not want your baby to feel yucky, it is nice to be prepared. Also useful are teething and colic tablets. Teething tablets will help sooth your baby's sore gums during teething and you will be glad that you have a bottle of colic tablets handy when your baby has an upset tummy or gas. If you have not received some from the hospital or midwife you will want to get alcohol swabs to clean your baby's belly button while the umbilical cord is healing. Q-tips and alcohol would work too but the swabs are more convenient. For further information on this you can checkout Baby's Health.

Digital Thermometer

Just in case you think that your baby has a fever, it is a good idea to always have a thermometer on hand so you could see the seriousness of his or her temperature.

Kinds of Thermometers for Baby

Oral Thermometer

It is common for oral thermometers to be used to take a child's temperatures orally and under the arm. When taken orally they give an accurate reading than under the arm but that is more comfortable.

6 Second Oral Thermometer

Pacifier Thermometer

With many kinds of thermometers one choice you have is one that is designed to resemble a baby pacifier. It allows you to take the baby's temperature easily if the baby will take a pacifier.

Digital Pacifier Thermometer

Digital Ear Thermometer A common choice that parents use to take their baby's temperature is with a digital ear thermometer. It is easier than using an oral thermometer and more accurate than taking the baby's temperature under the arm. These are common at the doctor's office.
	Clear View Ear Scope

Rectal Thermometer Usually to get the most accurate reading of a baby's temperature people will use a rectal thermometer. You will find that at hospitals when a doctor requires an accurate temperature of a baby they will use a thermometer of this kind. Since they are usually uncomfortable a quick one is best.
	8 Second Digital Thermometer

Nasal Aspirator

In order to get to those ity bitty boogies in those really tiny nostrils a good quality aspirator is a must have for parents to have on hand after their baby is born.

Kinds of Aspirators for Baby

Hospital Style Aspirator

This is the kind of aspirator that often is the one used in hospitals. It is also a popular choice for health care kits to carry and for parents to choose. Also, it is used to suck out the fluid in newborn's lungs.

Bulb Syringe Aspirator

Nosefrida Aspirator

With this kind of aspirator rather than inserting the aspirator tip into a baby's nose you place it directly outside of the nostril. Mom or dad control the suction. It is highly recommended by pediatricians. It should be noted that you need to get additional filters.

Nosefrida Baby Nasal Aspirator with 20 Additional Filters

Aspirator With Removable Top Another option that you have when it comes to choosing an aspirator for your baby is one that has a removable top. Their tips are often clear as well.
	Safety 1st Clear Tip Nasal Aspirator

Battery Powered Aspirator A battery powered aspirator is like a tiny vacuum, but gentle and sometimes offers distracting tunes, and more than one kind of tip for custom fit as well as many different settings of suction.
	Graco Nasal Clear Nasal Aspirator

Medicine Dropper and Spoon

Some medicines do not come with droppers or spoons so it is a good idea to have them on hand. There are several options that you have for a medicine dropper and spoon. These baby items can often be found in health care kits but are also sold separately. In addition to giving your baby medicine a medicine dropper and spoon can be good to have on hand if you need to give your baby breast milk during a nursing strike or while they are sick with a stuffed up nose. There are medicine droppers that are designed to resemble a nipple to help your baby take medicine if he or she is not eating out of a spoon yet.

Medicine Set	Medicine Dispenser	Nursing Medicine Dropper

Dreambaby Safety Medicine Set	American Red Cross Soft-Tip Medicine Dispenser	Medicine Nurser By Apex Healthcare

Health Care Kits

Health care kits are great to keep in your diaper bag because then if you are away from home you will have everything you might need for your baby. It is very common that Health Care Kits have grooming items that you will need for your baby as well. You may decide to get the items that are in a health care kit, or you may decide to get a health care kit that is a grooming kit as well. Either way you will find that the baby items that come with a health care kit are important to have on hand. Some parents purchase two, one for the home and one for the diaper bag.

Deluxe Healthcare Kit	Nursery Care Kit	Travel Health Care Kit

The First Years American Red Cross Deluxe Baby Healthcare and Grooming Kit	Dr. Mom Complete Nursery Care Kit, Blue	Safety 1st Baby's 1st Complete Healthcare Kit

Umbilical Cord Care Alcohol Swabs For the first couple of weeks when your baby's belly button is healing you will have to clean it with alcohol swabs. By keeping these with your diaper changing items you will be sure to use them with every diaper change.	Tummy and Gums Care Teething and Colic Tablets Colic tablets can help when your baby has gas or a tummy ache and teething tablets are great to have on hand when your baby has sore gums from teething.
	Teething Tablets Review	Colic Tablets Review


BD Alcohol Swabs Soft 100 Individually Foil Wrapped	Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets	Hyland's Homeopathic Colic Tablets

Other Useful Items to Have on Hand for Your Baby's Health Care

Tweezers

As much as no one wants to think about it, tweezers can come in handy for the most bizarre things with your baby. Some kids are fascinated by putting what ever they can fit into their noses and ears. Extracting such things is easier and safer with tweezers.

The First Years American Red Cross Tweezers & Clipper

Magnifying Glass

A magnifying glass can be good when you need to examine a splinter, make sure that your newborn's umbilical cord is healing properly, or look for a lodged pebble. It can be good for trimming your baby's fingernails and toenails. You can find a health care kits that carry a magnifying glass.

SE Glass Lens 3X Power Magnifier