Could all the 2nd (or more) time moms post a list of all the must haves, nice to have, and not necessary items. Maybe it will help the FTMs to narrow down their to do lists.
My few tips are to not buy a lot of diff bottles at first cause you never know what the baby will prefer. My DD was stuck on one type of nipple. Same with diapers, brands and sizes. Some babies are allergic to some types of diapers. It's a waste to buy a lot of cute little clothes because they grow out of them so quick, although its hard not to! Also in the first few months little onesies are the best clothes for them. Especially if they spit up a lot and mess them up. For products I loved my Bumbo, swaddler blankets, Chico Keyfit 30 infant carseat and Baby Trend jogger stroller. We didn't use the matching stroller with the carseat as much. In my opinion the Diaper Genie's are a waste, the dirty diapers don't stink that bad after you wrap them up. And I'm not sure what it is called but the little vibrating bouncy seats are awesome for the first few months. That's all I can think of right now. HTH!
I'm in a hurry this is all I can think of right now:
Breast pads by the second trimester you can leak colostrum as early as 15 weeks some even earlier, disposable pads are about 10$ for a 40 pack, resuable are about 20$ for a two pack.
Nipple cream, can be bought later I bought my sister in law some for her shower.
Vaseline, a couple receiveing blankets, towels with hoods for baby after a bath, a bassinet, a wipe warmer, sometimes those wipes are cold for baby, Desitin on hand in case, a thermometer, infant Tylenol, a Boppy for breastfeeding or bottle (if you bottle feed buy glass bottles) feeding, tons of burp cloths, plenty of onesies...
You don't need, a bumper for the crip they are being tested for possibly being associated with SIDS. Just buy a fitted sheet and dress baby in a full piece sleep gown for comfort and warmth, no blankets in crib or anything else for that matter except baby of course.
I'm sure there is more but I think the most important thing for now is the breast pads because you never know when you may start to leak and you want to be prepared, colostrum can stain your bra and shirt...
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This is going to be totes different for everyone but our must haves are:
Snap n' Go and infant seat/carrier for the car
Fisher Price Rock n' Play (DD wouldn't sleep flat as a newborn and would only sleep in the RnP and still naps in it.
Boppy (Essential for me after my c-section and we use it every day to feed her in the rocker in her room)
Never used the bottle warmer. That was a waste.
We got a video monitor and I love it and could never see using the audio, but we did get an audio, too, just in case, which we've never used.
My daughter rarely cared for the swing, but that's a very personal thing with babies. Some love 'em, some could care less.
I planned on boobie feeding, but after 3.5 weeks (and miserable colic) we found out my daughter was allergic to milk protein, so I had to stop and once we found the right formula for her, the colic immediately went away in a week, but it took 8 weeks to find that formula. So I planned on buying an expensive pump, but I'm glad I didn't because it would have been a total waste.
If you're using disposable diapers, I can't speak highly enough about Pampers Swaddlers. We've never had a pee leak and she sometimes sleeps 13 hours straight and wakes with a lead-heavy diaper full of pee and not a leak to be had.
Another little thing no one told me about was these little pads that velcro onto the car seat straps so your LO will have pillows on either side of her head when she falls asleep in the carrier. They look so comfy! Ours look like bunnies.
A lot of people don't use a bottle steralizer, but I love my microwave steam steralizer. I still use it because I feel like it makes the bottles so fresh and nice and it takes 2 minutes.
I also make my own baby food and kind of love the Baby Brezza. We have a Baby Bullet, too that we got as a gift. I use that for stuff that doesn't need to be cooked and the Brezza for stuff that needs cooking. You can just cook the food another way and use a food processor, though. i just don't have one.
Oh- and I got a bracelet like this one for breast feeding and I'm telling you... saved my life! (https://www.milkbands.com/index.php) You think now that you'll be able to remember what side you last fed on and for how long? I beg to differ... it all becomes one big blur and this thing kept me on track!
Oh, I also love Halo Sleep Sacks. I dress my daughter in a footed pj and a sleeveless sleep sack every night and in the summer, I dressed her in a long sleeved onesie and a sleep sack. They seem so cozy.
Some of my most favorite baby items have been: - Britax Marathon carseat- both of my kids have been in theirs from day 1 and still are at 3 and 4.5 years old.
-Pikkolo baby carrier, especially for DD2 when I really needed free hands. She didn't walk until 15 months and spent a lot of time in that. We didn't buy or need a stroller until DD1 was 4 months.
-Soothies for sore nips the first couple of weeks
-Jersey knit crib sheets- they are soft and stretchy and easy to put on. Never have bought a bedding set as most of the set is unnecessary.
The two things I use/d every day were the boppy and the diaper genie (deluxe one with the foot pedal). The other thing I used from pretty early on until my daughter was standing up is a sleep sack. (Loose blankets are dangerous.) For burp cloths, I recommend using a plain cloth diaper-- the thin, decorative ones are cute and completely useless at absorbing spit-up. Invest in a good healthcare kit and baby basic meds. Most pediatricians will not accept a temp that is not taken rectally (other methods are inaccurate), so you will likely need a rectal thermometer. Also, infant tylenol, gas drops (mylicon), etc. Chances are, you will need them in the middle of the night.
i have never used a bottle sterilizer or wipe warmer.
also, when you register, remember to think ahead to items like highchairs, feeding supplies (bowls/spoons, etc.) Obviously, your newborn will not need that, but you will be surprised at how fast they grow and change.
all the pp's covered so much good stuff, I am just going to give you my thoughts on a few things:
Angel Sensor Monitor with the sensor pad that goes under the baby's matress and sounds an alarm if baby stops breathing.....priceless....better than any video monitor out ther!
Must have: The basics, sheets, blankets, burp cloths, bibs,clothes, ect. I also feel the Fridge to Go by playtex is a must have because I used it for breast milk storage early on, then baby food to keep it fresh when we were out & now on trips out to the park or zoo for juice boxes or snacks. I LOVE IT & I think it's under $20.00.
Nice to have: If your pressed on space but don't want a bottle sterilizer, the medela steam bags. Each one gets 20 uses and they take up minimal space. I used the dishwasher until I accidentally washed my bottles/nipples w/ a spaghetti plate DH didn't rinse & everything turned orange. Then I purchased these & there was no looking back :-), binky holders (Though a zip lock bag works just as good), tummy time mat (but you can use a blanket & toys)
Not necessary: bottle warmer, sterilizer that takes up a lot of space, glider, nursing foot rest, baby food maker (a good recipe book & food processor will do the job)
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snot sucker bouncer chair (1 for newborn & 1 for when they are older) hooded towels--don't waste money on newborn size, the bigger ones you'll use for much longer and newborns still fit in them! teethers lots of desitin receiving blankets lots of burp towels moby wrap--must have!! way better than all of the other wraps/carriers
Tara
"Understanding this first, that no prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation. For prophecy came not by the will of man at any time: but the holy men of God spoke, inspired by the Holy Ghost." Peter 2:1:20
If there is one thing that pops into my head.. It's those PJ's that have ZIPPERS! Nothing worse that changing baby in middle of night and trying to get the snaps correct... Gerber makes them in 3 packs and so does Circo...
I didn't make it through all the posts, but i agree w/ a lot of what I read...
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I agree with most everything. Things I couldn't live without...
- MyBreastFriend nursing pillow (the Boppie didn't work for me, but I wore this ugly nursing pillow for what seemed like 2 weeks straight)
- Snap & Go
- Moby (when newborn) and Ergo (for all other times)
- Outfits without snaps - we were so tired our first few days and new to infant dressing, that we couldn't handle snaps (DH snapped DD's leg the first day home and didn't touch anything with snaps for a week because he felt so bad). My stepmom found these great little onsie PJs that just came down over the baby's body and had a little elastic on the end to keep their feet in
I didn't like the bassinet because I still had to sit up to nurse (and sitting up/sitting on my bottom was hard the first week and initially I could only nurse side laying). So this pregnancy, I want to get one of those co-sleeper beds next to mine so I can slide the baby over, nurse, slide the baby back, and go to sleep.
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Re: 2nd (+) moms - let's help the FTM
Must haves
Crib/bassinet/something for baby to sleep in
Sheets to go in crib/bassinet (2-4 should be plenty)
Car seat ? I have a Graco snugride and loved it
Stroller or some sort of carrier (Ergo/Moby)
Towels/wash cloths
Onesies - I highly recommend not getting Gerber - they are ill fitting and shrink like crazy
Clothes ? don?t buy a bunch until after your shower
Diapers
Wipes
Baby body wash ? FYI there is a big uproar on J&J- I?d do some research before you choose a brand
Baby bath tub
Bottles
Breast pump of you?re nursing
Lanolin cream (for nursing moms)
Drooler bibs
Burp cloth ? you?ll go through a few a day
Nice to have
Wipe warmer ? DD hated cold wipes
Pack n play
Bouncer ? great for a safe place to entertain baby while you cook/shower/etc
Swing ? DD loved hers and it was a great investment
Play mat ? great for tummy time
Don?t need
Fancy baby shoes ?sure they are cute, but baby?s feet don?t need shoes in the beginning
Bottle sterilizers ? the dishwasher or hot boiling water will disinfect just as well
My few tips are to not buy a lot of diff bottles at first cause you never know what the baby will prefer. My DD was stuck on one type of nipple. Same with diapers, brands and sizes. Some babies are allergic to some types of diapers. It's a waste to buy a lot of cute little clothes because they grow out of them so quick, although its hard not to! Also in the first few months little onesies are the best clothes for them. Especially if they spit up a lot and mess them up. For products I loved my Bumbo, swaddler blankets, Chico Keyfit 30 infant carseat and Baby Trend jogger stroller. We didn't use the matching stroller with the carseat as much. In my opinion the Diaper Genie's are a waste, the dirty diapers don't stink that bad after you wrap them up. And I'm not sure what it is called but the little vibrating bouncy seats are awesome for the first few months. That's all I can think of right now. HTH!
I'm in a hurry this is all I can think of right now:
Breast pads by the second trimester you can leak colostrum as early as 15 weeks some even earlier, disposable pads are about 10$ for a 40 pack, resuable are about 20$ for a two pack.
Nipple cream, can be bought later I bought my sister in law some for her shower.
Vaseline, a couple receiveing blankets, towels with hoods for baby after a bath, a bassinet, a wipe warmer, sometimes those wipes are cold for baby, Desitin on hand in case, a thermometer, infant Tylenol, a Boppy for breastfeeding or bottle (if you bottle feed buy glass bottles) feeding, tons of burp cloths, plenty of onesies...
You don't need, a bumper for the crip they are being tested for possibly being associated with SIDS. Just buy a fitted sheet and dress baby in a full piece sleep gown for comfort and warmth, no blankets in crib or anything else for that matter except baby of course.
I'm sure there is more but I think the most important thing for now is the breast pads because you never know when you may start to leak and you want to be prepared, colostrum can stain your bra and shirt...
This is going to be totes different for everyone but our must haves are:
Snap n' Go and infant seat/carrier for the car
Fisher Price Rock n' Play (DD wouldn't sleep flat as a newborn and would only sleep in the RnP and still naps in it.
Boppy (Essential for me after my c-section and we use it every day to feed her in the rocker in her room)
Never used the bottle warmer. That was a waste.
We got a video monitor and I love it and could never see using the audio, but we did get an audio, too, just in case, which we've never used.
My daughter rarely cared for the swing, but that's a very personal thing with babies. Some love 'em, some could care less.
I planned on boobie feeding, but after 3.5 weeks (and miserable colic) we found out my daughter was allergic to milk protein, so I had to stop and once we found the right formula for her, the colic immediately went away in a week, but it took 8 weeks to find that formula. So I planned on buying an expensive pump, but I'm glad I didn't because it would have been a total waste.
If you're using disposable diapers, I can't speak highly enough about Pampers Swaddlers. We've never had a pee leak and she sometimes sleeps 13 hours straight and wakes with a lead-heavy diaper full of pee and not a leak to be had.
Another little thing no one told me about was these little pads that velcro onto the car seat straps so your LO will have pillows on either side of her head when she falls asleep in the carrier. They look so comfy! Ours look like bunnies.
A lot of people don't use a bottle steralizer, but I love my microwave steam steralizer. I still use it because I feel like it makes the bottles so fresh and nice and it takes 2 minutes.
I also make my own baby food and kind of love the Baby Brezza. We have a Baby Bullet, too that we got as a gift. I use that for stuff that doesn't need to be cooked and the Brezza for stuff that needs cooking. You can just cook the food another way and use a food processor, though. i just don't have one.
July, 2010, DH SA: 3% morph
July, 2010, DH Rx: 50 mg Clomid EOD
BFP: 9/3/10 ~ M/C: 9/7/10
BFP: 10/9/10 ~ My beautiful Grace Dorothy was born on 6/14/11
Beta #1 (12 DPO): 111/24 ~ Beta #2 (16 DPO): 722/23 ~ Beta #3 (20 DPO): 3,338/15.3
BFP: 11/14/11 ~ Spotting/Betas not doubling, but HB of 113 bpm @ 6 wks 1 day!
My Chart
DH's Low Testosterone/ED Blog
Besides the obvious:
The boppy pillow became a part of me!
Oh- and I got a bracelet like this one for breast feeding and I'm telling you... saved my life! (https://www.milkbands.com/index.php) You think now that you'll be able to remember what side you last fed on and for how long? I beg to differ... it all becomes one big blur and this thing kept me on track!
Gerber side snap shirts are amazing for use with sleep sacks and swaddle wraps. They make it easier to change diapers in the middle of the night because you don't have to mess with onesie snaps. (https://www.amazon.com/Unisex-White-Sleeve-Shirt-Months/dp/B0042BA454/ref=sr_1_3?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1326228912&sr=1-3)
Don't need- Tummy time mat, mittens (baby gets them off every stinkin time...look for shirts that have the mitten cuffs,)
July, 2010, DH SA: 3% morph
July, 2010, DH Rx: 50 mg Clomid EOD
BFP: 9/3/10 ~ M/C: 9/7/10
BFP: 10/9/10 ~ My beautiful Grace Dorothy was born on 6/14/11
Beta #1 (12 DPO): 111/24 ~ Beta #2 (16 DPO): 722/23 ~ Beta #3 (20 DPO): 3,338/15.3
BFP: 11/14/11 ~ Spotting/Betas not doubling, but HB of 113 bpm @ 6 wks 1 day!
My Chart
DH's Low Testosterone/ED Blog
Some of my most favorite baby items have been:
- Britax Marathon carseat- both of my kids have been in theirs from day 1 and still are at 3 and 4.5 years old.
-Pikkolo baby carrier, especially for DD2 when I really needed free hands. She didn't walk until 15 months and spent a lot of time in that. We didn't buy or need a stroller until DD1 was 4 months.
-Soothies for sore nips the first couple of weeks
-Jersey knit crib sheets- they are soft and stretchy and easy to put on. Never have bought a bedding set as most of the set is unnecessary.
-Some type of white noise machine.
The two things I use/d every day were the boppy and the diaper genie (deluxe one with the foot pedal). The other thing I used from pretty early on until my daughter was standing up is a sleep sack. (Loose blankets are dangerous.) For burp cloths, I recommend using a plain cloth diaper-- the thin, decorative ones are cute and completely useless at absorbing spit-up. Invest in a good healthcare kit and baby basic meds. Most pediatricians will not accept a temp that is not taken rectally (other methods are inaccurate), so you will likely need a rectal thermometer. Also, infant tylenol, gas drops (mylicon), etc. Chances are, you will need them in the middle of the night.
i have never used a bottle sterilizer or wipe warmer.
also, when you register, remember to think ahead to items like highchairs, feeding supplies (bowls/spoons, etc.) Obviously, your newborn will not need that, but you will be surprised at how fast they grow and change.
all the pp's covered so much good stuff, I am just going to give you my thoughts on a few things:
Angel Sensor Monitor with the sensor pad that goes under the baby's matress and sounds an alarm if baby stops breathing.....priceless....better than any video monitor out ther!
bobby pillow
double electric breast pump
I really think everyone's list is going to be different, but here is what I've found to be necessary after having three kids:
* diapers and wipes - and lots of them!
* pack and play
* nursing pads
* bassinet
* lots and lots of onesies
As for things that I never used or rarely used:
* boppy (a pillow tucked under your arm works just as well)
* wipe warmer
* Diaper Genie / Champ (I used one for my first one, a little bit with my second, and not at all with my third.)
Diaper Champ (kept the dogs out and no fancy refills)
bumbo
boppy
swing/ bouncy chair
as many cloth diapers as I could get my hands on (those things are a burp rag godsend)
soothies
dual receiver monitor (we live in a split level)
bath seat (instead of tub)
microwave steam bags
podee (attaches to bottle, baby can feed themselves in the stroller/carseat and no bottle propping)
Barely used my bjorn or the cute burp rags
Thanks so much - I was just getting ready to work on my to do/to buy lists.
Must have: The basics, sheets, blankets, burp cloths, bibs,clothes, ect. I also feel the Fridge to Go by playtex is a must have because I used it for breast milk storage early on, then baby food to keep it fresh when we were out & now on trips out to the park or zoo for juice boxes or snacks. I LOVE IT & I think it's under $20.00.
Nice to have: If your pressed on space but don't want a bottle sterilizer, the medela steam bags. Each one gets 20 uses and they take up minimal space. I used the dishwasher until I accidentally washed my bottles/nipples w/ a spaghetti plate DH didn't rinse & everything turned orange. Then I purchased these & there was no looking back :-), binky holders (Though a zip lock bag works just as good), tummy time mat (but you can use a blanket & toys)
Not necessary: bottle warmer, sterilizer that takes up a lot of space, glider, nursing foot rest, baby food maker (a good recipe book & food processor will do the job)
bouncer chair (1 for newborn & 1 for when they are older)
hooded towels--don't waste money on newborn size, the bigger ones you'll use for much longer and newborns still fit in them!
teethers
lots of desitin
receiving blankets
lots of burp towels
moby wrap--must have!! way better than all of the other wraps/carriers
"Understanding this first, that no prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation. For prophecy came not by the will of man at any time: but the holy men of God spoke, inspired by the Holy Ghost." Peter 2:1:20
The Boppy pillow, infant Orajel, and Desitin were things DD couldn't live without.
I never used the wipe warmer or crib bumper that came with the bedding I registered for.
If there is one thing that pops into my head.. It's those PJ's that have ZIPPERS! Nothing worse that changing baby in middle of night and trying to get the snaps correct... Gerber makes them in 3 packs and so does Circo...
I didn't make it through all the posts, but i agree w/ a lot of what I read...
I agree with most everything. Things I couldn't live without...
- MyBreastFriend nursing pillow (the Boppie didn't work for me, but I wore this ugly nursing pillow for what seemed like 2 weeks straight)
- Snap & Go
- Moby (when newborn) and Ergo (for all other times)
- Outfits without snaps - we were so tired our first few days and new to infant dressing, that we couldn't handle snaps (DH snapped DD's leg the first day home and didn't touch anything with snaps for a week because he felt so bad). My stepmom found these great little onsie PJs that just came down over the baby's body and had a little elastic on the end to keep their feet in
I didn't like the bassinet because I still had to sit up to nurse (and sitting up/sitting on my bottom was hard the first week and initially I could only nurse side laying). So this pregnancy, I want to get one of those co-sleeper beds next to mine so I can slide the baby over, nurse, slide the baby back, and go to sleep.