September 2011 Moms
TeamJAS
member
A question for BTDT Moms?
TeamJAS
member
How important were these things right from the start (if you had them)?
Diaper champ or something similar
A swing that swings back/forth and side/side
A baby tub
A nursing pillow
A changing pad
An extra car seat base
A diaper bag
An infant/todler 1st aid kit
My shower was this weekend and I received mostly clothes. I did get some gift cards so I want to put them to good use. Thank you in advance.
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Re: A question for BTDT Moms?
Bath tub wasnt used until all three of my LO's cord fell off so wasnt that important to have when they came home. I had fancy changing table with pad with first LO it never was used ,i just used receving blanket and layed it under her when ever or where ever i changed her mostly on floors beds and sofa. nursing pillow was nice i didnt have one and sent a family member out . never used diaper champ just cheap plastic bags tied each diaper in them and tossed them in reg trash never issue.hope that helps a bit
diaper champ is a waste of money, i had one for DD and never used it we just always took her diapers to the regular trash and typically the trash goes out each day to the bigger can outside so never used it!
swing was my best friend and in the beginning thats how i got a nap when i really needed it so that would be what i would spend the money on. You don't need anything crazy expensive though just a basic swing will do the trick.
Baby tub, used as soon as her cord fell off and it was very easy however you can just buy a seat or sling that fits right in your tub that baby just lays on and that works just as good.
Nursing pillow i used in the hospital right after i gave birth!
Changing pad i didn't have one til later and just laid her on a towel and that worked just fine.
We never had an extra base for the carseat, we always take my car when we have the kids and if not its easy to move so i will move it if need to.
Diaper bag will be packed and go to the birth center with me and did the first time too. If you plan to go anywhere you will need a diaper bag.
first aid kit, you might want to buy nail clippers and thermoter but thats all you really need in the beginning.
Hope this helps.
Diaper champ or something similar
We never had one, and still don't. Dirty diapers go in the bathroom garbage and it gets emptied every 1-1.5 days, so never smells too bad. We use scented garbage bags.
A swing that swings back/forth and side/side
This was huge for us, since it was the only place he'd sleep at first, but it's so different depending on the baby.
A baby tub
We didn't give him a bath til his cord stump fell off, so about 6 days I think? Then we only did a bath every week or so and just did warm washcloths in between.
A nursing pillow
I used this a lot, right from the begining in the hospital. Once I got the hang of things, I could use a few pillows just as easily, but I did like having the Boppy at first (I know others swear by my breast friend, i never tried that one).
A changing pad
Not a necessity, you can definitely just change the baby on a bed/couch/etc. but if you have a change table it's probably worth just buying one to have on there. I found I didn't do more than about 50% of diaper changes in his bedroom, the others were around the house on other surfaces and it was just fine.
An extra car seat base
We only have one car so this wasn't necessary for us. But you can research the way of installing the car seat with the seatbelt if you are just switching cars occasionally.
A diaper bag
I still don't have a diaper bag, and don't plan on it. I just throw what I need in my purse. Diapers, wipes, a snack, sippy cup, and I'm good to go.
An infant/todler 1st aid kit
You may want this off the bat, or at least a thermometer. You'd want to know if LO was running a fever. Trying to think of what else comes in a kit that you'd need.. don't need the nail clippers, I think it's easier to just bite their nails.
Diaper champ or something similar: THIS IS MORE OF A CONVENIENCE ITEM. YOU COULD PROBABLY DO W/O FOR A FEW WEEKS. JUST HAVE SOME OLD SHOPPING BAGS TO PUT DIRTY DIAPERS IN.
A swing that swings back/forth and side/side: YEAH, YOU'LL WANT A SWING
A baby tub: YOU COULD JUST LAY BABY ON THE FLOOR FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF TIMES BECAUSE YOU REALLY ONLY WASH WITH A CLOTH. YOU REALLY ONLY NEED THE TUB WHEN THEY START MOVING AROUND AND AFTER THE UMB CORD FALLS OFF.
A nursing pillow: I'D SAY NO TO THIS ONE TO START OFF WITH. YOU CAN ALWAYS PROP YOUR ARMS UP WITH A BEDROOM PILLOW
A changing pad: YOU CAN USE A BATHROOM TOWEL INSTEAD
An extra car seat base: ONLY NEEDED REALLY WHEN THE BABY GOES TO DAYCARE AND MORE THAN ONE PERSON IS PICKING UP/DROPPING OFF
A diaper bag: IF YOU HAVE A HUGE PURSE LIKE ME, JUST THROW YOUR BABY ITEMS IN THERE. YOU REALLY DON'T NEED ANOTHER BAG TO CARRY AROUND. : )
An infant/todler 1st aid kit: WE DON'T HAVE ONE AND DIDN'T HAVE ONE WHEN DS WAS BORN AND PROBABLY WON'T GET ONE WITH THIS BABY.
- We never had anything special for diaper disposal.
- We have gotten lots of use out of the swing so far as both boys liked to sleep in it. But I agree, that's no guarantee every baby will enjoy it.
- As soon as the cord fell off, we used the baby tub.
- LOVE my Boppy for nursing.
- We used ours from the beginning. but a changing pad probably isn't essential. You could always lay down a towel or something if you wanted.
- We barely used the car seat base. It just took up too much room and our car seat was able to be installed just using a seat belt which we found easier/more space-saving.
- I'd say a bag of some kind is absolutely necessary. I don't really use a diaper bag, though. Just a big floppy bag I got from Old Navy a few years ago.
- The first aid "kit" is really convenient, but probably not necessary if you just wanted to get some of the most essential items separately.
Diaper champ or something similar -- Not necessary at all. Newborn poop doesn't stink if BFing, not sure about FF), so we didn't use our Diaper Genie until he started solids.
A swing that swings back/forth and side/side -- We had a standard swing and used it from day one.
A baby tub -- We used this from day one, even for the first sponge bath before the cord stump fell off. Not necessary, but we still used it.
A nursing pillow -- Absolutely necessary, IMO.
A changing pad -- Some people never use the changing pad, but we used ours for every single changing from day 1.
An extra car seat base -- Not necessary. I didn't take DS anywhere by myself for at least a month, so he only rode in one car. If you need to use a second car for some reason, it's perfectly safe to strap the seat in using the seatbelt without a base.
A diaper bag -- Useful, but not necessarily necessary. Most hospitals will give you a freebie diaper bag (usually sponsored by a formula company)
An infant/todler 1st aid kit -- Completely unnecessary altogether. So many useless products in these overpriced kits. Just get a good rectal thermometer, some infant acetominophen (Tylenol), and some gas drops (Mylicon).
Diaper champ or something similar - We had one from the beginning that we used. It's not really essential though. We only put poopy diapers in it when DS was EBF. Once he started solids we threw all poopy diapers in the kitchen garbage that goes out every day. So if you FF they poopy diapers will stink up any Diaper Champ/Genie from the start.
A swing that swings back/forth and side/side. We had a back/forth swing. DS was never a huge fan of it. I totally could have done without it. Hoping DS2 likes it better thand DS1 did. A bouncy chair was pretty essential for us though.
A baby tub I mostly gave DS sponge baths on his changing table for the first few weeks. Even after his belly button fell off. We put him in the big tub with DH and he hated it. So it was easier for me to just wash him on the changing table. Newborns don't get really dirty in the beginning. And DS had sensitive skin. So that worked better for us.
A nursing pillow Very essential. I didn't bring mine to the hospital and I wished I had. But I used it daily the first 6 months at least.
A changing pad This was a must for us. I did every diaper change on the Changing pad on the changing table/dresser in DS's room. I know some people do them on the couch or the floor. But with having a Section the table was easier for me.
An extra car seat base Not super essential. But it would be worth it to have them both and get them installed properly before baby comes.
A diaper bag It's a must to have one. But it doesn't have to be an actual diaper bag. You can use a regular tote or something too. If you haven't found one you really like yet. DS's first outing was back to the hospital. They make you come back when the baby is a week old to check on Mom and baby. We didn't bring one. DS peed through his outfit and we didn't have a spare. It just hadn't occurred to me to pack one. They had to give us clothes.
An infant/todler 1st aid kit You probably won't need it right away. But I think it's best to have it before the baby comes. You never know.
The swing was a lifesaver when DD wouldn't stop crying. It seemed to be the only thing that soothed her.
We never used a baby tub. We bathed our kids in the bathroom sink and once they got to big just used a wire bath-eze to bath them in the bathtub.
For DD I didn't have a nursing pillow, I just used a pillow from our bed. When DS was born someone gave me one and I wished I'd had it the first time around. It was much more comfortable and easier to hold baby.
We had a changing table so didn't use a changing pad all that often.
Never had an extra car seat base. Most infant car seats can be strapped into a vehicle with a seat belt and no base. You'd have to check your car seat manual to see if you can do it with your car seat.
The diaper bag is a must if you ever plan to leave the house. It's amazing what one LO can need when away from home. Forgot mine a few times when running errands and soon realized the importance of having one.
Never had a 1st aid kit, just bought the items we needed and stocked up the medicine chest.
Im going to rank them in the order that I found to be MOST helpful first:
Infant 1st Aid kit- you cant use most medicines for newborn, but the clippers and nasal bulb are a must for new babies
Nursing Pillow-good support for your arms, just make sure you also have good back support
Diaper Bag-I tried once just packing a tote when i forgot the diaper bag at grandma's and everything was just a mess! I like the compartments of a diaper bag
Baby Tub-the newborn sling in most of them saved my arms, so i didnt have to hold him half out of the tub
Changing Pad-useless, i ended up changing DS on the bed or sofa most of the time
I didnt get:
A Swing- (i am very into AP, so i wore DS most of the time he would have "normally" been in a swing) the tummy time mats are very good to have for entertainment for LO though. Passing on a swing this time too.
Extra car seat base- DS was rarely in his dad's car, so the extra base was just unneccessary (i thought) to get one. Not getting one this time since DH has a sports car and if he thinks a car seat will even fit in that tuna can he is dreaming!
Diaper Genie-just never got one...tied the dipes in a walmart bag and tossed in the outside trash. Alot of work though, definately getting one this time!