Must haves vs. Don't needs

JoReavesMommy

because by their 2nd child each mom is an expert

"Old Moms" what are things that made your life easier with previous babies and things that were a waste of space and money ?

Things I had no need for:
- wipe warmer ( dried the wipes in a few days)
- diaper pail (it's more of a hassle than a help in my experience)
- bottle warmer ( a bowl of hot water is quicker and cheaper)

Lifesavers:
- boppy pillow
- baby rear view mirror
- bath towels with the headpiece attached

never2late4happilyeverafter

I tried a moby wrap with my 1st... Disaster! I couldn't get the hang of it & DS hated it. So, this time, I'm making sure to get the tried & true carrier.

Also, the dishwasher holder for bottle parts was a waste if time. Like I ever ran the dishwasher enough times to warrant throwing bottles in the dishwasher!

I'm hoping to find a great use for the Boppy. DS had major food allergies & oral issues resulting in early intervention with a speech therapist & I had to stop BF. This time, DH & I agreed formula; we just can't bear having another 6-12 months like we did with our 1st. (BTW... 2.4 years later I'm still beating myself up so, please... No breast is best comments).

Jame414

I hate the bumbo seat. Pointless. Gave away.

I had a carrier and it didn't work for us. Gave it away and never used another.

I have graco smart seat car seats. Huge. Mistake.

Love my graco pack n play with bassinet and changer. I used it a lot last time but plan to use it more this time as baby will be in my bedroom for a while. We don't have a third bedroom on the same floor of our house to make a nursery.

Large and small diaper bags. Make sure large one has a shoulder strap. It's painful if it doesn't. Small ones are great for quick trips.

Best thing ever was the swing that goes side to side. Doesnt get it use it very long...but worth it.

I had a beaba cook. I never used it. I worked full time + ot and didnt have time to bother. Prefixed jars were easier and didn't take me away from what little time I had with baby.

Boppy saved my arms and was great!

Omg I almost forgot...the changing pad liner that goes on top of the changing pad cover. Boppy makes one - come in pkg of 3. Is a must have. It will save from having to have a million pad covers (need 2) and won't have to wash those as often. It there is a blow out, Just wash the white liner and put down another.

amh0411712

never2late4happilyeverafter said:

I'm hoping to find a great use for the Boppy. DS had major food allergies & oral issues resulting in early intervention with a speech therapist & I had to stop BF. This time, DH & I agreed formula; we just can't bear having another 6-12 months like we did with our 1st. (BTW... 2.4 years later I'm still beating myself up so, please... No breast is best comments).

We FF our boys in the boppy when they weren't Itty bitty anymore, really helped free up hands.

And I also want to give you a massive hug, I too have a big guilt trip over the breast vs formula. I pumped every 2-3 hours for 10 weeks to only make an Oz or 2, for 2 babies. It was hell. So I get it, Fearless Formula Feeder on FB has helped some, but I totally get where your coming from.

amh0411712

Must haves:
Boppy
Ergo
A good Quality stroller
Bottle Warmer was super nice, in the end after I burned through 2 I did resort to the bowl of water.
Changing Table
I loved our Diaper pail for the first 6 months.
A good crib soother (I have a Fisher price mobile that turns into a projector and it's pure awesomesauce)
Summer Infant swaddle sacks.
A good activity mat
The spit up mat liner crib thing
ETA Nose Frida is a MUST
And we were big Sophie fans too.

Do without
The Summer infant activity seat, it was nice for like, a month.
Rock N Play
Moby Wrap
My BreastFriend pillow
Cheapo stroller

JLW0504

I have a pretty decent stoller, I loved the boppy, I didn't waste my time with bottle warmers/wipe warmers. the best purchase though, my mom gifted a cd player, that has been a life saver. we have played a classical cd everynight at bedtime since we got it( Eleanor was about 2 mos at the time). She responds really well to music and it soothes her at night, we have the moses basket that my grandmother came home from the hospital in. It's been passed down to each of my family members. we've all come home in it one way or another. Eleanor slept in it for about 4 months. we ended up putting it in the crib to help with  the transition.

sla626

I loved my rock and play, my son slept in it next to our bed and it was a life saver!

Kanne0729

For the newborn stage some of the things that were essential to us were:

Swaddles

Infant Swing

Onesies/Sleepers with zippers

Diaper Caddy, so that we could easily carry everything into whichever room we were in.

 PNP/RNP sleeper

Burp cloths

Sound Machine - we used an air purifier and it worked just as well.

The things that we had that were quite useless to us:

Wipe Warmer

Bouncer Seat - they all hated it and much preferred the infant swing/mamaRoo

Changing Table -  We never used that thing. Ever.

Sleepers with buttons - It was bad enough having to change a screaming newborns diaper in the middle of the night and then add in having to button all of the buttons on a sleeper from feet up, made it hell, especially when you misplaced one and had to start all over. Zippers all the way.

Bumper pads

Pee-pee teepee (if you have a boy of course) Save your money and just throw a wipe over it or keep the diaper covering it.

Things I am on the fence about, that I used and loved, but I wouldn't consider them absolutely necessary to have:

Diaper Genie - I love this thing, it really did keep the smell in and held a ton of diapers. It is in no way something that you need though, putting the diaper diaper in a plastic bag and then taking it out to the outside garbage will work just as well.

Bottle Warmer - I really did enjoy this, but you can always just stick the bottle in a hot cup of water to heat it up.

Baby Monitor - We had one, but never used it because they were never far away and I could always hear them when they cried. It actually made me more nervous when I had it on, I could never relax or get any sleep.

Of course, everyone is different though and some of the items that I could not live without, others may have hated and others that I found useless, others may have loved and couldn't have done it without them.

peachmuffins

Hmmmm i'll see if i can remember 3 years ago with my mom brain. Every baby is different, and the things my son loved my be opposite of new baby... 

Must haves: 

1. Bouncy seat (my son loved his)
   
2. Any sort of music dvd like the baby einstein or praise baby, i know it doesn't seem like a must have but it was really soothing to my baby
   
3. the bottles that don't require rings to prevent leaks (really annoying to fumble around early in the morning for a bottle ring)
4. tons of burp cloths 
5. rocking chair or glider
6. breast pump
7. 4+ fitted crib sheets
8. pack n play

Stuff I didn't use

1. boppy pillow, i know a lot of people love this... i never used it. 
2. the big electronic swings 
3. diaper pail
4. my son absolutely hated being swaddled so... all the swaddles i bought lol
5. crib mobile
6. super fancy color baby video monitor thing which i never ever used. 

Also this time around I might get a co-sleeper thing of some sort. Not sure though. 

amh0411712

I love my baby monitor, it's nice to be able to sit on the patio and get fresh air without having to worry about not hearing the baby cry. Our room also isn't right next to babys so there is that. We had a radio type one and switched to the video and will switch to a dual video one (my boys still need one).

Important to know, we are all different and all babies are different. Things like swings and bouncers vary by baby, other things vary by personal preference.

Laurakat81

We really had no need for the wipe warmer either. Our friends who gifted it to us swore by it but we never got around to using it. I hated those thin bath towels you get at Target. They're cute but I was always left soaked if I wrapped her in it after her bath. Although I now use them to wrap my hair after I shower since they're so lightweight! Also, the fancy Pack n Plays. We splurged on one with all the accessories, music, changing table, napper, I don't even know what else. Total waste of money. The napper is not approved for sleeping so while I'd planned on using it as our bassinet by the bed when she was a newborn the napper was useless. We had a changing table in her room or I just changed her wherever we were....and you can't just easily pop these parts on and off. We only needed the basic PNP and we now only use it for vacations.

Things I loved:
Snuza
Boppy
My manual breast pump (if you're pretty much EBF anyway, no need to buy an expensive one, I pumped maybe a bottle or two a week, it worked just fine!)
A baby monitor (we just used an inexpensive radio style and it was fine. Our rooms are right next door so we only needed it if we were outside but it's still great to use). I occasionally really wish we had a video monitor just so I could know what crazy stuff she's doing when I hear her giggling in her bed!
Ergo
Sleep sacks (we still use them)

There's probably more but that's what I remember the most.

MayBeSomeDay16

Must have's:

• zippered sleepers ( i learned the hard way buttons do not make sense!)
• noise machine for crib

Don't/Didn't Need:

• Large stroller, i was dead set that i must have a nice stroller so i received the Graco click connect system for the carseat that fits in the stroller frame. I did not use it one single time since my DD was born in November. (Clearly i wasn't going to take my newborn out for a walk in the dead of winter in Michigan.  I ended up buying a $25 Jeep umbrella stroller in May and still use that one now.

Lcleall

Loved:
- Jolly jumper (surprised to not see this mentioned yet)
- Zippered sleepers
- A stroller that can recline to a flat position (perfect for naps when out)
- boba carrier (very similar to the Ergo)
- activity mat
- cheap prefolds to lay down on the change pad so blowouts only required changing the prefold "mat" and not the entire cover
- wet bag for the diaper bag (we used cloth, but it was a great way to stash wet clothes if we had leaks)
- large muslin receiving blankets. They are incredibly versatile (swaddle, car seat canopy, stroller canopy, impromptu blanket for playing on floors that weren't the cleanest...)
- non-wifi baby monitor, ours is video, but we should have gone with just sound. We didn't go with Wifi because it's easy to bring with us to friends and relatives houses and to take camping so baby can sleep in the trailer and we can enjoy the fire.

Could have done without:
- Wipes warmer. We still use it, but was not a need
- the zippered/Velcro swaddles, our DD wanted to be wrapped up to fall asleep, but when sleeping wanted one arm free, so a blanket gave her enough give to wiggle her arms free when she wanted.
- fancy infant tub. Once our daughter could sit, we took baths with her.
- exer-saucer, we used it for all of a month...

smiley143143

Wow super helpful for a first timer!

GracedGuest

Love:
Ergo carrier
Moby wrap
Rock n Play (the only thing DD would sleep in)
Sound Machine
Boppy
Backpack Diaper Bag

Didn't Need:
Bumbo (my DD wasn't even above average for weight and her little legs still quickly got stuck all the time. We used it maybe 5 times.)
Slings
So many bottles (she was EBF so we didn't use them much, and even when I did pump a bottle for her, she didn't like the kind of bottles that we had a ton of. I think get a couple bottles of different brands and see what your baby will take so you know what to stock up on if you need them.)
So many pacifiers (she wouldn't take any! Now we treat them all as toys)
So. Many. Toys.
So many 0-3 month clothes

smiley143143

Ok quick question where does newborn sleep in the beginning? I hear some say pack and plays, some rock and swing (think it's called that) bassinets.? Opinions

Bootsie81

Things I personally couldn't have done without:

A bottle warmer.  I exclusively pumped so I was constantly warming bottles of cold milk.

An angel care monitor.  I had major anxiety when we brought my son home from the NICU.  The angel care helped sooo much.

Jumperoo.  Obvs for older babies but both my kids loved it.

A bouncy/vibrator infant seat.  Portable so it made showering/cooking/everything else possible.

Swing.  Both my kids napped in the swing during the day for the first 3-4 months.

A humidifier.  So helpful when the kids were stuffy.

ETA: Loved the Medela microwave sterilizer bags.  My son was a preemie so we sterilized everything for several months.  So much easier than boiling everything.  And worked well for nebulizer parts.

Stuff I never/barely used:

A carrier.  I just used our double stroller a lot since my son was only 19 months when my daughter was born.

A wipe warmer.  Our pedi actually strongly suggested we didn't use them because they can cause bacteria to grow on the wipes.

Boppy.  The only time I used it was to prop the babies up during tummy time once in awhile and to help them stay up with they were first learning to sit.

Rock n Play.  We just never had one.  My son slept in his crib from the start.  My daughter slept in a pack n play for a few months but then slept in her crib.

hooded towels.  The ones we had were not absorbent and were just annoying to use. 

babywood15

Alright-- I can't even remember what the DO's and DON"T are b/c I felt it was all such a fog. Let me give a quick rundown of what I remember!

We set up the room, crib, changing table, rocking chair, lamp,  had every bouncer and bassinet and toy ready to use, diaper genie set up, clothes washed and ready (and they had to be super cute and matchy!...ugh).....breast pads, nursing tops and bras.

Here's how it actually went....

Change baby on the floor and store diapers and wipes in the entertainment center and ottoman......so much for the changing table...Poppy diapers were dropped on the step or taken out right away. So much for the diaper genie...

Used my 20 year old Lazy Boy that my dad used b/c it was in front of the TV in the living room. Put a crappy table next to it and stored HUGE water bottles, nail clippers, magazines, burp rags, nose cleaner, remote, charge......b/c that will be your prime living space during the new born phase.  Feeding every 2/3 hours and you just make that place your temporary home for the next couple months. It's nice to have everything there. ......so much for that rocker that I re purposed in the nursery.

When she did want to sleep...it wasn't in her crib or bassinet.  Had to run out and buy a Rock n Play......LIFESAVER!!!!! The incline helped with the acid reflux and she was right next to us.

I nursed every 2/3 hours. No need for nursing bras or tops. I wore spaghetti strap tank tops and just pulled it down whenever. When she was done I threw on a robe.  When I was in public.....well...I would wear the tank top adn zip up.  My boobs were so full that a bra wasn't' needed. If I leaked...I leaked....it actually got me out of a speeding ticket.....no need to pads.....

All those cute clothes......ugh.....I finally resorted to whatever was clean and didn't care if she got dirty. Between the spit up and poop...impossible to keep clean. I remember LOVING the pajamas that tied at the bottom (or synched...) b/c you didn't have to take their arms out of get their upper bodies cold. You just lifted up the bottom and changed em.

So-- I would suggest the following--but I would also suggest to do whatever b/c that is the fun for the first time mom! The anticipation and excitement. But then a couple months down the road you're like "why did I buy this?!"

Rock N Play
Top of the Line breast pump if you are going to EBF
BOPPY!
Frozen meals to throw in the oven or crock pot
Nipple gel for cracked nipples
Tucks and giant pads and crappy underwear to wear for awhile after delivery
A designated spot where you'll feed and rock baby. I had mine in front of the TV. and I made sure to have everything I needed so I didn't have to get up and walk around while I was feeding or she was sleeping. I can't stress this enough.
Shout...like the stain remover.....a couple bottles.....
TV shows recorded or series you're anticipating to watch.... Wow...I watched a lot of TV. but she ate a lot and what else was I supposed to do...stare at a wall?....
A carrier...one that is easy to put on...it's nice to walk around and get stuff done while they still want to be super close
Swaddle blankets!
A bath seat...cushioned and inclined...
Mittens for when their first born and their nails can hurt them. I was one of the moms that said "those are ugly and my kid won't ever wear them"...I ate my words

I'm sure there's more...and to each their own, but this is just my opinon  

LSRoo

Must Haves:

-Boppy
-Rock n play - he slept sooo good in that! It was so hard transitioning to the crib though.
-Miracle Blanket!!
-Aden and anais swaddles
-Ergo
-A good monitor
-I loved my swing! It took him about 8 weeks to like it but once he did he would nap in it for 3-4 stretches.
-Colic calm/gas drops
-Sleep sheep and tranquil turtle
-loved my wipe warmer and bottle warmer. I pumped a lot and it came in handy to heat BM

Did not use:

-Bumbo seat- my kid was born 10lbs and was too chubby for it from the start.
-Jumperoo- he hated that thing
-Fancy tub- a cheap plastic tub is just fine.

JoReavesMommy

@smiley143143 I was BF so he would start the night in his crib .. But waking up for feedings he would end up in the bed w/ me.. I would fall asleep while he was feeding so he just stayed with me .. If you're a heavy sleeper I wouldn't recommend this but it worked for us

Knottie09108762

This is soooo helpful! As I am a first time mommy I needed to read these. Thanks ladies

lulamagoo

Must haves
-If you cd, a wipe warmer is awesome for reusable wipes.
-Aden and anais sleep sacks (we still use at 3 years old)
-joggingstroller and regular stroller
-Mei tai carrier for infancy, ergo for when they get a little bigger
-video monitor

Don't needs
-bumbo seat is pretty worthless. Better to prop them up on boppy and have three use their core to help stabilize
-swing, my child loathed the swing

vomitrosa

smiley143143 said:

Ok quick question where does newborn sleep in the beginning? I hear some say pack and plays, some rock and swing (think it's called that) bassinets.? Opinions

It depends on your preference, I had a beautiful crib with all the accessories set up for my daughter...and the first few months she slept in our bed due to breast feeding and first time mom stresses. Eventually her crib came into play but it was an interesting transition initially.

amh0411712

smiley143143 said:

Ok quick question where does newborn sleep in the beginning? I hear some say pack and plays, some rock and swing (think it's called that) bassinets.? Opinions

Personally I'm a crib from the start mom. Or a PNP.

Also @Lcleall the Johnny jump up was how we showered from 5 months to like 16 months around here. Lifesaver was an understatement

MoRay05

Need:
Rock n play, sound machine, multi purpose waterproof pads, video monitor (life saver when you are on separate floors), Aden and anais swaddle blankets, zip up pjs and sleep sacks, Medela microwave bags, swing, playmat, diaper genie (we tried using a regular trash can with lid.... You might all well enough your trash every time you change a diaper bc your entire house will smell of poop)

Don't need:
Wipe warmer, bumbo, skip the newborn diapers and start with size 1, fancy crib bedding (we had a bed skirt, sheet and mesh bumper in fear of sids)

cattledog1979

I loved sleep saks. I also had a cover that went over the car seat carrier instead of a winter coat. This was a huge time saver for outings.

dalzien

I couldn't live without my electric breast pump. Even though DD was exclusively breastfed I had a serious oversupply problem and ended up being a breastmilk donor for the local bank. One breast could pump over 2 x 250mL bottles after a feeding. It was really hard during the weaning process.

We also swear by a Tula. We do a lot of hiking and spend a lot of time at places like the zoo, science centre, and the museum. It was so much easier to put DD in the carrier then to worry about a bulky stroller. DD ended up hating the stroller and we haven't used it since she was 6 months.

Jolly Jumper with the music mat and her exersaucer. She loved both of them. She would spend hours in the jolly jumper laughing away. We loved our transition exersaucer and she still uses it to this day (she just turned 2).

CloudB Turtle and Sleep Sheep. We used the turtle instead of a nightlight as it displays stars on the ceiling, and the Sleep Sheep has various noise functions including white noise. So helpful.

What we thought was useless was

Boppy... it hurt my back more than anything trying to feed her on this. I was constantly slouched over as I am quite tall. Once I got the hang of certain pillows stacked and a foot stool for support I tossed the thing.

Bumbo. We got it as a hand me down and never used it.

Stroller. Again, she hated it and we just ended up carrying her in our Tula or in a wrap.

Rocker/Swing. She never took to them.

kateliznelsen

I love my diaper genie! With babies in Feb, Oct and now Nov, there's no way my lazy butt is going out to the trash 14 times a day in frigid temps! LOL (But seriously, I've had the same one for 8+ years now, so if multiple children is in your future, it's a wise move IMO.)

Never once used the bottle warmer and didn't bother with a wipes warmer.

Boppy and I have a special relationship. Also got a snoogle pillow for my last pregnancy and it was awesome! Has multiple uses before and after the baby comes!

Breast pump was great with #1 who took bottles, but #2 refused all 17 varieties I tried/borrowed/bought, so it was pretty useless the second time. (I haven't had a life for the last 18 mos, but whatever.) Most insurance pays for them now, so if yours does get it and even if you end up not using it at least it was free!

Bumbo was great with #1, she sat in that sucker forever, but #2 was too chubby by 4 months, so there went that.

Never really used our swing with either baby. Bouncer was also pretty useless for us.

A good stroller with a basket on the bottom has been essential for us both times. I'm on my second Graco travel system (car seat from first expired, so we took the stroller, still in great shape, to our vacation home, AND MIL wanted to get a whole new one, so fine by me,) but now that #3 is coming and I am being more active, I am getting a double jogger.

Convertible crib (with matching changing table ad dresser.) DD1 still has her nursery furniture and it is in great shape. We obviously converted the bed a couple times, but I don't foresee us having to buy her new furniture, ever. Just a new mattress every few years and you're set until they leave for college.

Burp cloths, the thick ones that are basically old-fashioned cloth diapers. I had a hard time finding them with #2 but I'm sure they have to be available somewhere. (Good thing I'm a packrat and saved almost everything for 6+ years!)

VERY large beverage containers, for when baby goes through growth spurts and you are stuck to the couch breastfeeding 24/7. Gotta stay hydrated!

DD1 LOVED the Hotslings carrier, DD2, not so much. I think it's hit or miss on carriers, wraps and slings. Some babies love it, others don't.

wedding crazed

Mine mimic many others already stated, but could have lived without wipes warmer, bottle sterilizer, and dishwasher bottle thingy. Things I couldn't live without were the Ergo, BOB stroller (I am a runner so a good jogger is necessary), and swaddle me things. This is my 4th pregnancy and 2 of my newborns loved being swaddled and they saved a lot of time. I would not buy bottles or many pacifiers before baby comes as only one of mine took a pacifier. And my 2nd never took a bottle at all and my 3rd needed a whole different kind of bottle than we had due to weight issues. And I wished I took this advice with my first, but don't take off tags for newborn and 0-3 months clothes. They get out of that size fast and if you have a 9.8 lb. baby they won't fit them.

lizerspitz

NovemberBaby2 said:

• I did not use it one single time since my DD was born in November. (Clearly i wasn't going to take my newborn out for a walk in the dead of winter in Michigan.  I ended up buying a $25 Jeep umbrella stroller in May and still use that one now.

Such a helpful tip.  We are having seasonal babies!  Be prepared for winter wear right away, at least in the northern states and Canada.

lizerspitz

smiley143143 said:

Ok quick question where does newborn sleep in the beginning? I hear some say pack and plays, some rock and swing (think it's called that) bassinets.? Opinions

My friend recommended to me a car seat for the first month.

Cardiganmom2

Liked:
Rock n play
Bumbo
Swing (swings both ways)
Sound machine/projector
Swaddlemes
Triple paste
Bundle me thing that goes over top of car seat
Mirror for car
Drying rack for bottles ($10 from bru)
Diaper pail (we have a 2 story and I still use it for my 2 year old)
Diaper bag with a long strap
Formula separator
Lots of burp cloths (cloth diapers)
Nipple shield (depends on the person)
Nipple cream
Nursing tanks
White noise portable machine for car seat

Didn't care for or never got:
Bottle warmer
Wipe warmer
Vibrating seat
Cheap lightweight stroller (wish I splurged)
Miracle blanket
Carrier (daughter hated it)
Playtex drop ins (too much of a hassle)
Breathable bumpers (used for like 2 weeks until my daughter figured out how to climb them)


**boppy was never enough support when I nursed but I still used it to lay her in when she was very little (she liked being snug) and then for tummy time and then for support for sitting up

Elysag

ecwyoder said:

smiley143143 said:

Ok quick question where does newborn sleep in the beginning? I hear some say pack and plays, some rock and swing (think it's called that) bassinets.? Opinions

My friend recommended to me a car seat for the first month.

You might want to look into that further. My understanding is that car seats are not safe for sleeping and there have been some tragic deaths. We had the Uppa Baby Vista and the bassinet that comes with it is approved for infant sleep, so we used that for the first 5 weeks or so and then transitioned to the crib.

On to must haves:

--Boppy and My Breast Friend -- my teeny baby was better on the flat surface of the My Breast Friend for the first couple of months and then we transitioned to the Boppy. When she was very small, she would slide into the curved surface of the Boppy, pinning her between me and the Boppy.
--Bottle Brush
--Cloth wipes -- we cloth diaper but even when we use disposables we try to use cloth wipes with water as that is gentler on her skin
--Coconut oil
--Sleep sacks -- a friend recommended getting her used to these as it will prevent jumping from the crib later on and so far it has worked for us; we like Swaddle Designs, Halo and Baby DeeDee
--Earth Mama Baby Angel nipple balm -- much better for me than lanolin
--Back seat mirror
--Beco carrier
--Comotomo bottles
--Amazon Prime membership

Didn't need
--Miracle blanket -- she hated it
--Nursing clothes -- I never bought anything specifically for nursing; a friend recommended the inexpensive Old Navy cotton camisoles ($5 I think) and I used those under another shirt; I can still wear them now
--Bottle warmer -- I'm not sure how we managed this but my daughter was happy to take bottles of BM warm or cold; that made life much easier; in any event, we never used a bottle warmer and only put the bottle in warm water on the rare occasions we did warm it up
--Dr. Brown's bottles -- too many parts

YummeeCookee

Its funny to see how some ppl's must haves appear on others' dont need lists. My musts: swaddle sacks (avoid velcro, it is too loud when you have a sleeping newborn!), I EBF'ed so nursing tanks were so necessary in the beginning, I even took them to the hospital, also loved my microwave steam sterilizer for when I started pumping.
Things to pass on: baby towels, shoes for babies still too young to walk.

YummeeCookee

Elysag said:

ecwyoder said:

smiley143143 said:

Ok quick question where does newborn sleep in the beginning? I hear some say pack and plays, some rock and swing (think it's called that) bassinets.? Opinions

My friend recommended to me a car seat for the first month.

You might want to look into that further. My understanding is that car seats are not safe for sleeping and there have been some tragic deaths.

I have heard the same thing. And Im pretty sure the mauals that come w the car seat even advise against using them as your infant's primary sleeping space. Plus I cant imaine how uncomfortable that must be for poor baby.

JoReavesMommy

I have to remember to scroll this thread when doing my registry! These reviews are better than Amazon lol!

GracedGuest

@ecwyoder I think the rock n play is a good alternative to the car seat. It's inclined, like the car seat, but safer. Some people have issues with the rnp, but DD slept so well in it. I was SO bummed when she outgrew it.

GracedGuest

^^^ in terms of a permanent sleeping environment obvi

Kanne0729

smiley143143 said:

Ok quick question where does newborn sleep in the beginning? I hear some say pack and plays, some rock and swing (think it's called that) bassinets.? Opinions

It really depends on your preference, but mine always slept in a pnp or rnp in our bedroom for the first couple of months. I do remember my son, which was my first born, sleeping in the swing downstairs for the first couple of nights that we were home while I slept on the couch. I know some people that have immediately put their babies in the crib in their own room because that's what worked best for them. You;ll quickly figure out what works for you and your baby those first couple of nights home.

mza919

just commenting to put this back on the first page, since the registry stuff is coming out i figured new moms like myself would find this invaluable.

htilson

This is all so helpful!