Hi, this is Emily, coming to you live from Blissdom at the Opryland Hotel. Jenny, our friends and I are having a great time! It’s so nice to be in the company of other nerds bloggers. Anyway, today’s post was written by my sister, Anna, who is expecting her first baby. She is, of course, looking for advice, so I suggested she do what Jenny and I always do when we have a question, and turn to our brilliant readers. So take a look, and let Anna know what baby items she will just have to have and what will likely end up at the bottom of the closet.
It took my husband and me awhile to decide to start a family. Many of our friends have children and it seems they are much more willing to share battle stories with us than stories about the wonders of being a parent. It wasn’t all that long ago that our friend described her evenings taking care of the children, including things like homework and baths and putting the kids to bed. Notably missing from her description were the things that we typically do in the evenings: veg on the couch and watch TV, eat in the living room, spend a considerable amount of time on Facebook, go somewhere at the spur of the moment and, my favorite, nap. Here was our conversation after we got home:
Hubby: “You know when Mandy was talking about their normal evening ? It sounded horrible.”
Me: “I know. Shudder. Why do people even have kids?”
Fast forward a few months and we decided to that we too wanted a little life-sucker… I mean blessing of our own. In the words of Liz Lemon from 30 Rock “Is it so wrong that I just want to one of these to grow up and resent me?”
It’s been a few months since we found out we were excepting. (I bought the pregnancy test with CVS ECBs, Woot-woot). As we check the weeks off the calendar, our baby becomes more and more real. Our excitement grows along with my belly. And so do the questions. I’ve started to do the very first thing that comes to me when facing uncertainty: research. I’m pretty sure that researching is a genetic trait that runs in our inbred family. Before making a decision, I simply must gather as much information as humanly possible.
Which leads me to my question for you: What is a definite must on our registry and what should we leave off? With so many options and verities of baby stuff, I have no idea what I should get for the baby and what we should do without. Was there anything that you found collecting dust and just taking up space? What were the things that you really needed for your baby, the things that you couldn’t live without?
For us, the Boppy is a MUST! And Mustela Infant Foam Shampoo (gets rid of cradle cap fast!) Things we never used…the bottle warmers. 🙂
We had a Diaper Champ, and I now always advise parents against them (or the diaper genie). They work fine when the babies are really little and go through a ton of diapers really quickly, but once they’re a few months old and don’t use so many diapers, it takes a lot longer to fill up a bag, so the diapers sit in there longer and start to really smell. We stopped using it around 6 months and just used old grocery sacks to throw the diapers away.
Hi Anna. Congratulations. I’ve only done this once so far, and every baby can be different, but here is my take:
Must haves for me: Bobby, nursing bras and tanks, a good breast pump (or two), good car seats (I love the ratings in Baby Bargains) – Baby Bargains, Baby 411, stroller, bigger blankets and/or swaddling wraps and some way to keep the baby close to me at night. A sleep nest worked best for me, but a bassinet or pack-n-play could be used too. Bumbo seat stroller and exersaucer. Books to read to baby. Totally Todler Stain remover. A case of bottled water to leave right beside my main nursing station – the rocker/glider.
Stuff that collected dust for us – swings, small receiving blankets which are too small to swaddle, clothes that were outgrown before she ever wore them, pacifiers, mobiles, aquarium toys and the like, baby einstein DVD’s, tummy time mats… oh and for US the crib. 😉
my best advice with baby gear (other than car seat) – try before you buy. Had I borrowed a swing first, I would have learned that after a week, she hated it. Instead, I bought both a big swing and a travel swing. Hopefully if I have another kid they will get some use, but whatever. If a friend or sister can loan you stuff to try, even if you want to buy your own, you can see what your kid likes and spend the cash on just that.
two things that i could not life without were my $20 bouncy chair (we got rid of the $120 swing after 2 weeks, that thing stunk) and the receiving blankets that i “borrowed” from the hospital. I LOVE those blankets for swaddling!
i could totally live without the corny diaper bag, wipes warmer, diaper genie (smelly) and the 40 blankets we received. do yourself a HUGE favor and try to take as many blankets back to the store as you can! no one needs more then 6 or 7 nice blankets! i can’t believe how many i have that just sit in a pile in my kids closet.
Must have…swaddling blanket ( I loved the ones from the happiest baby on the block). Their video and book is great if you have a “difficult” baby.
A good nursing bra/ tank is important for you comfort.
Totally toddler stain remover is great.
A sleep positioner was very helpful.
A milk band or braclet to keep track of when you nursed last.
Don’t need…wipe warmer, bottle warmer, diaper genie.
yes those little Life suckers can be soooo wonderful!! Congrats. I have three kids, twin 5 year olds and a 19 month old. I totally agree on the blankets! I had to have nursing tanks, and Lansinoh products only(purple box) for nursing, they are the best! Boppy, and I liked the smaller “travel swing” cause they are cheaper, and somewhere else to put the baby when not being held. Also I couldn’t live without my sling!!! Such a great investment. I wore my 8 month old while moving…she just slept snuggly on me while I could help direct traffic to the moving van!! Good luck!! Being a mama is the best!!
Congratulations!
Must haves and baby essentials really vary from person to person. One person’s favorite thing is another person’s least. My personal must-haves are a boppy, SwaddleMe, a pouch sling (mine’s from Slinglings) and this Homedics Lullaby Sound Machine- http://www.amazon.com/Homedics-SS-3000-Soundspa-Lullaby-White/dp/B000QTSW64/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1265397959&sr=8-4 BEST. THING. EVER.
A lot of people hate diaper genies, but I love mine and have never had a bit of problem with it! On the other hand, I found a wipes warmer to be a complete waste of space and money. I agree with the previous poster- you will get ten thousand blankets- only keep a few.
Don’t buy too much “equipment”- your kid may hate swings or bounces or exersaucers. I would hit up craigslist or second hand stores for that unless you know it’s something your kid likes.
I am a HUGE fan of swaddling until the baby can’t break out(about 4 months for our boys) so “the miracle blanket” was the best thing ever!! Much easier then using receiving blankets like we did with our first.
I agree that there is no need for 40 blankets. Just a couple will do. Oh and sleep sacks are the best for when you are done swaddling.
Also, sleepers with zippers or gowns make changing diapers so much easier.
Oh and wait to buy anything until after your shower(s) because chances are you will get pretty much all you will need!
Congratulations!
Wonderful:Boppy, lots (i mean like 1-2 dozen) sets of breast pump equipment, a vibrating bouncy seat, a small stroller (I almost never use the big one that the car seat clips into), swaddling blankets, a sling (or in my case a piece of cloth i bought for 25cts and tie in a knot)
Wish I hadn’t bought: baby bathtub(you have a sink for the first week and after that they’ll love taking a bath with you), a million blankets, hats (but then my kid lives in NC not OH), weird crazy baby bjorn thing
And by the way: I still watch TV, veg on the couch, check facebook, read blogs and play video games, you will survive
Yay! Congratulations!
First, I’ll say that we eat out a lot, put our daughter down to sleep early (6:30), watch TV, and do whatever we want all evening. Getting her on a sleep schedule, and then scheduling my life around her sleep was sometimes a pain, BUT the benefits are fantastic. She’s now a GREAT sleeper.
Baby stuff… this is such a relative list. Of course, you get can get by with very little, but there are some products that just make life w/ an infant nicer, if you have the money for them.
Things like swings, bouncy seats, etc. all depend on the kid. Some kids don’t love them so much, and for some people, they are lifesavers. I personally love the Fisher-Price Papasan Cradle Swing. When my daugther was a little older she LOVED the Fisher-Price Juperoo bouncer. You can probably find both of those on Craigslist.
I HIGHLY recommend the book “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child” – it’s fantastic. Also, the “Dunstan Baby Language” DVDs, and the “Happiest Baby on the Block” DVDs. The DVDs are great because it’s just easier when you are sleep deprived. Really, those were great resources to have with an infant.
I loved my “My Breast Friend” nursing pillow. I actually got two – one for upstairs and one for downstairs. We have LOVED having a video monitor – we got the “Summer Infant Day & Night Handheld Color Video Monitor”. Finally, it’s an optional thing, but we’ve gotten more use out of our Booster Seat (Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat). It’s only $25 and has been well worth it. It stays in the car and we take it out to eat with us, to other people’s houses, etc. She does so much better with her own seat and her own tray, and I know that it’s clean. It makes it so she does really well eating out.
I wouldn’t bother with wipes warmers, small blankets / receiving blankets, bottle sanitizers, bottle warmers, etc.
Good luck!
One word – Nanny!
UP
hey anna! you know my thoughts and opinions already. 🙂 but i like this polling the audience thing! you are a smart one. I also enjoy reading what people’s favorite things are. if only you could predict whether your child with love or loathe a swing! BUT if you buy used or borrow, you don’t feel too badly either way. 😉
Oh, I could go on forever… But here’s the few that came to mind first (for the first few months of life mainly):
1) Boppy pillow
2) Simple bottles (I breastfed exclusively for 4mos, and then did some formula/some breastmilk for another 7mos. But when the time comes, those Dr. Brown bottles [for example] will kill you. There’s a million parts. Unless your baby has reflux or needs special bottles, avoid these like the plague! AVENT BPA-FREE are what I recomend to all my patients).
3) very soft burp cloths
4) lots of onesies and onesie-sleepers (you know – the kind with feet. And those with zippers are best – especially when you’re changing diapers every 2 hours! AVOID ALL CLOTHES WITH BUTTONS/ZIPPERS ON THE BACK until baby can sit up on their own! Tell the grandmas!)
5) Aquaphor ointment – solves all skin ailments immediately – baby acne, chapped skin, diaper rashes, even soothes eczema (again, I recommend to all my patients)
6) Vibrating bouncer seat. Amen.
7) AVOID “What to Expect when You’re Expecting”. Horrible book. It’s basically a laundry list of all the things that could possibly go wrong and keep you up all night worrying. I have NO IDEA how it became a staple. Instead I advise women to get the “Pregnancy Book” and “Baby Book” of the Sears parenting Library (From Dr. Sears and his wife – awesome, amazing people). Can’t say enough good things about this series!
8) People to bring you food 🙂
Best wishes!!!!
Congratulations on your pregnancy. It sounds like you know what you’re getting into. And research is a great thing because it gives you an arsenal of things to try — since each baby and parent are different, you can try a little bit of this and a little bit of that until you stumble on what works for you and your family. Good for you!
Now onto the recommendations …
I second getting a sling — fabulous for errands ‘n’ such. I had both pouch and ring slings and loved them both.
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is the Ultimate Crib Sheet. It’s a waterproof vinyl-like material on the one side to protect the mattress and is soft cotton on the side your baby sleeps on. Its elastic straps snap around the slats of the crib so it stays on top of your pretty sheet (which you still can see from the sides of the crib). It makes changing the bed super easy for those middle-of-the-night leaks or spit-ups. (Stripping mattresses is no fun — especially if you have crib bumpers.) Get two so you always have a clean one on hand.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3763008
Best of luck to you and your husband.
Get a bouncy chair!! My son wouldn’t sleep in his cradle so for the first three months or so, the bouncy chair was our lifesaver. As for a boppy, I bought one but we never used it. We also have a Diaper Genie II Elite, and it’s been great, however the plastic bag refills are expensive. I cringe at the thought of buying plastic bags when they come free so plentifully at the grocery store!
Congratulations, and welcome to the Motherhood, Anna! I have a 6-month-old boy, and right after he was born, I was convinced our lives would never be normal again. PPD, Getting the hang of breastfeeding, sleeping schedules, trying to remember to feed myself, and keeping the poopy laundry to a minimum all conspired to keep me off Facebook and away from the TV for a week or two. It can be an uncertain time, for sure. I think it’s nature’s way of making sure your baby is your number-one focus during those early weeks. Your little family will solidify, though, as will your routine. Don’t worry!
Here’s the baby gear we couldn’t live without:
1. Boppy: I only nursed for about a month, but we still use it when he naps with us in the front room.
2. Onesies: My son’s everyday uniform is the onesie, with pants if it’s cold. Long sleeves, short sleeves, white, colored…Just make sure to get the ones that have the boat-style neck or snaps on the shoulder–no back snaps to deal with.
3. The hospital nasal aspirator (nose sucker): They will give you one right after the baby is born. It will probably be blue. Take it with you. You can buy these at any store that sells baby stuff, but none that we have bought have worked nearly as well as the hospital one.
4. Evenflo or Parents Choice bottles: The cheap ones! I tried Dr. Brown and Born Free ($$$), but my son was just as happy with the 3-for-$3 ones from Walmart. They’re much easier to clean, too.
5. Dishwasher Basket: If you bottlefeed at all, you will need this. I don’t like to handwash my own dishes, let alone a million narrow bottles and accessories. Trust me on this one.
6. Hotsling: I’m not really a “babywearer,” but the sling is super-convenient and stylish. You can use it from birth until two or three years in different configurations, and if your baby has colic, it’s a really good way to get him/her calmed down and resting. It’s also helpful for quick trips to the grocery store that don’t warrant the stroller.
Good luck! You will be great!
Anna, this is so neat. But I know my new grandbaby has the best already. Love!!!
If you are planning on breastfeeding a Medela pump n style breast pump. It can be costly, but worth every penny in my opinion. I wasn’t away from my babies a lot when they were little, but just to stock up the freezer for emergencies or a night way it was the best thing ever.
Congrats! We just had baby #2. My suggestions…
1. Happiest Baby on the Block DVD was a life-saver for us (DVD ‘cuz who wants to try to read something while your sleep-deprived)
2. Blankets for swaddling…typical receiving blankets are too small
3. We use our swing all the time…sometimes the only way to get our little guys to sleep
4. Amen to the Aquaphor–the children’s hospital I trained in used Aquaphor and Maalox in 1:1 mix for diaper rash all the time–use liberally
5. Pump’n Style pump by Medela–took our 1st baby 8 weeks to get a handle on nursing so used this from the get-go,
6. Hands free pumping bra thingy–so you can eat, surf the web, etc while pumping
7. Gel pads for first few weeks of nursing–soothing pads you can store in fridge–got mine from hospital but can get them online–they can be worn up to a week–unlike the Medela brand type
8. Lily-Padz: silicone-type nursing pads with tachy surface that sticks to you and acts to compress the nipple to prevent leaking; more comfortable and discreet than pads that simply soak up leaked milk; tachy surface is renewed with washing with soap and water=each pair lasts up to 2 months; I have 2 pairs at one time so that one can be left to air dry while I wear the other pair; still get some leakage at times but small amount is trapped against skin–just have to watch when I go to remove them
9. Not an essential but consider cloth diapers but maybe when baby is older; we are trying some out on older son to try to save money in long term–disposables $100/mo for 2 kiddos; one-size fits all so should be good for next 2-3 years; bulky for newborn and need lots of diapers/day at first; still, if its a consideration may want to register for them since the start up cost is significant
Best wishes!
Congrats!!
It’s cool to see how many other moms liked “Happiest Baby on the Block”. It is a must-see before your baby is born. I bought it for two of my friends who never ended up watching it until their baby was screaming and couldn’t calm down. To go along with the DVD, get a swaddling blanket with velco (more than 1). My daughter is 2 1/2 now and I LOVE her Britax car seat. They are expensive, but worth every penny. Good luck!!
If you are nursing the boppy pillow is a life saver ~ MUST HAVE!
Another must have – “On Becoming Baby Wise” book. I used the schedule recommended in this book from day one and my kids were sleeping through the night by 6wks, 8wks & 6wks.
Wished I never bought – Diaper genie – it’s a waste of money. It never worked right for us & I just ended up using target bags, much easier to work with & they are essentially free.
– Wipes warmer – I never understood why this was necessary.
I know there are many more things that are waste of $ but those are the two that come to mind. Granted it has been several years since I have needed this stuff so I am sure there are plenty of other unnecessary things out there.
I’m hesitant to even write this, because I know it’s going to be a little controversial… but having said that, I just wanted to point out one thing about newborns and sleep. Although some babies will sleep “through the night” (usually meaning 6-7hrs sleep) by 6-10 weeks, this shouldn’t necessarily be the goal. It will depend largely on the child of course, and on how they’re being fed. For example, if you decide to breastfeed exclusively at the beginning at least, then a 6wk old isn’t really capable of sleeping that long – their stomach will empty and their blood sugar will plummet way before the night is over… I only wanted to say this not to criticize others, but to make sure that you had realistic expectations and are not disappointed or frustrated with the process [well, you will be frustrated! We all are. But I think you know what I mean 🙂 ] Again, best wishes and sorry for being a nay-sayer!
I know a lot of people on here are saying the swing collected dust for them, but if I didn’t have a swing, I would have died! But, here’s the catch. My daughter would not swing back and forth. She only liked the side to side motion! I’m a napper, too, and this allowed me to get a little more sleep. When my daughter had a cold and had to sleep upright, she was perfectly happy to sleep in her swing. Depends on the baby because lots of babies don’t like them, but I don’t know if I would have survived without it! Dust collector: bouncy seat.
Wipe Warmer, Diaper Genie, Changing table = Waste
Boppy pillow, Side-to-side swing, remote controlled crib mobile, matress protector for YOUR bed = Heaven
If you are like me, this will probably fall on deaf ears but buying the matching crib set was also a waste…The cute blanket/quilt that comes with the set is not recommended for baies when they are tiny and by the time they are big enough to use it, it’s too small! Some people take the blanket and hang it above the crib like a picture…I planned to do this but never did.
If had to do that over, I would have bought several different fitted crib sheets with cool designs that match the wall color in the nursery and a solid color bumper…you are gonna have to wash the bedding so much that if you just have one matching set, it will be faded and falling apart in no time. I kid you not, there were times when I had to wash the bedding 3 times a day for leaky diapers or projectile spit up (see matress protector for your bed).
Congrats! My little guy is 20 weeks now, and I’m still learning what’s essential. There are some things that he hated a few weeks ago that he’s starting to like now. So, just remember your baby may change his or her mind about some of these gadgets 🙂
Items that were essential from the beginning:
Bobby pillow
Moby wrap
breast pads (get the thick ones)
Washcloths and cloth diapers for messes
My little guy grew out of the swaddling phase within the first month, so I loved using the swaddling blankets, but didn’t get as much use out of them.
Now that he’s a bit older, he loves the swing and bouncey seats. I’m glad I didn’t get rid of them. He loves the Lamaze color block toys.
Good luck!!
First of all – CONGRATS!
Second – these “essential” items are so, so different for each child.
For example – I could not have lived without my diaper genie – even though some think it’s a waste – I have NEVER smelled nasty diapers in our house.
I also could not live without my boppy. My child was nearly a year and a half before he stopped napping in his. He LOVED his boppy.
I definitely could have lived without the bottle warmer and the baby tub.
Also – in our case – too many diapers up front were bad for us since our son could only use one brand – we had a bunch of other brands that were unused. (Given to charity though!)
Good luck and remember – there are no right or wrong answers as to what is essential for EVERY child!
congrats!
must have = 2 or 3 Ultimate crib sheets, Itzbeen timer, wall mobile for changing table, water proof lap pads
don’t need = Bumbo, special tummy time mat