Baby Supplies Review

chailife34

Now that we have had time to practice with all of the baby gear we acquired, let's hear how you like or dislike, want or never use certain items. What can you not live without? What do you wish never existed? What does every parent need in their "toolbox"?

Yiggle09

Now that I'm actually breastfeeding I think the boppy is useless. I use it to hold my phone and use my arms to hold dd. It slips forward it's not thick enough the arms don't go far enough around my body and I'm thin. I loved it for ds to position him to feed with bottle as I pumped and he would lay on it when he could hold his own bottle and feed as I got stuff ready in morning then it held him as he learned to sit up etc. I thought it was a staple now it's just a phone holder lol

mcvgal

I am pretty short. When I sit in the recliner, my knees don't reach the edge of the seat. Therefore I love my boppy. I place it behind my back so that I can't sit more upright. It's not the intended use, but it has the perfect firm quality and allows my knees to reach the edge. 

I don't really need the diaper stacker.

ShadeofGreen816

The Mybreastfriend pillow is so far my #1 item. By far. 1000x better than the boppy. I'm becoming more and more impressed/dependent on the DockATot too. I have too many baby containers at the moment and she hates all of them. However I'm hoping that will change with time. She's not even 5 Weeks yet. Also love the baby bum diaper cream spatulas. So not a must have but super nice to avoid cream under your fingernails!

mrsrep123

Can not live without:
*Boppy Lounger- it's my second pair of arms; I have a total of 3- one downstairs, one in the nursery and one in our bedroom
*Pack n Play- one upstairs in the nursery (crib in our room) and one downstairs; multi-use to change diapers, nap or quiet time, tummy time
*Lillebaby carrier- distributes weight evenly so no sore shoulders or back
*Wubbanub- keeps pacifier in place and easy to find
*4Moms Infant Tub- built in temperature sensor and keeps water flowing so baby doesn't sit in "dirty" water
*White noise sleep app- was still using it with our toddler

Like: Baby Bjorn bouncer- super portable and simple (No electronics)

Dislike: Graco Glider Lite Gliding Swing- head and neck positioning not the best, swing speed temperamental 

mrsrep123

@Yiggle09 @ShadeofGreen816 for BFing, i agree that the boppy is useless and the my brestfriend pillow is awesome. 

Kateriee

I also love the boppy lounger. I'm thinking of buying another one. I love how she can sit next to me and we can play. Yeah, I let her nap in it when I'm with her. The pack and play is also getting tons of use. I'm really glad we got a changing table for the nursery. She enjoys getting her diaper changed and we get some bonding time in. I wish I could return the swing, DD doesn't like it one bit.

mrsrep123

@Kateriee where did you get the swing? I posted somewhere that I was able to return mine to Target, assembled and all.

mamatowildones

Can't do without our pack n play, wubanub, ergo(probably my most priceless possession), halo sleepsacks, and the bassinet we got for our room(can't remember the name)... it was $99 at target and perfect for us. 

My boppy pillow serves one purpose and that's to help the older brothers hold Alexander. 

Never used our bouncy chair. It made me too nervous with the dog even though she's never done anything I can't risk it. The swing won't come out of storage because it's too big and we just don't have room for that. 

redheeler

I can't honestly say there is anything I couldn't live without this time around. I attribute that to having a really easy going baby, but the swing is nice to have for day naps, I have a baby beanbag that gets thrown around the house, like if I need to shower and H isn't home it gets put in the bathroom with me, or outside the door while I use the toilet. But I could put down a rug or use a cheap bouncer too.

the carrier has been great, I regret not getting a better one with DS1 because I hated wearing him. It's a babybjorn original. It's not the best I could've bought (but I got it second hand for $15 so not complaining) it does the job and doesn't hurt my back or shoulders unless I wear it for hours on end, so I love that, but again another one would've still done the job and he likes the pram too so that still works.

psherman42wwsa

I also love the boppy lounger and lille baby carrier.I use my mambo breastfeeding pillow all the time (similar to boppy). So far ds2 doesn't love the swing, he likes the mamaroo better. I love my double stroller, city mini gt. The only thing I couldn't live without is my nipple shield.

starphish18

Loves:
Cradle - My dad built it and it sits bedside, so I can rock her a bit from bed if she's fussy.
K'tan
Mam pacifiers
Pack N Play - It's our downstairs sleep surface.
Muslin swaddle blankets & Velcro swaddles
Ubbi diaper pail
Copper Pearl covers - For the car seat and nursing.

Likes:
Rock N Play & Snuggabunny Bouncer - I have one upstairs and one downstairs, and they're nice to plop the baby in when I need to do stuff. That being said, I think just about any rocking/jiggling devices would be fine.
Arm & Hammer disposable diaper bags - I use these all the time for dirty diapers when we're out of the house.
Drool bandanas - Super cute and helpful to catch spit up when she's in the car seat.

Dislike/Useless:
My Brestfriend & Boppy - I don't use either for BFing. I find that I don't need any support over my lap, but I will occasionally plop a normal pillow under my elbow when she's in cradle hold. I might get some use out of the Boppy once she can sit up more, but I'll probably just get rid of the My Brestfriend. I don't see myself ever using it.

I haven't had a chance to use my Lillebaby carrier yet, but I think I'll love that one, too.

mamatowildones

I forgot one! I LOVE my milkalicious nursing car seat  and shopping cart cover 

nda_roxybabe

Loves:

-Nuna Mixx Jett stroller. As you may remember, we went back and forth on this for a long time and whether we'd really use a stroller. H was pretty sure we didn't need one. He now says all the time how much he loves the stroller. The bassinet gets used in our room at night and when we go places for longer period.
-Solly wrap! I just got it a couple weeks ago and I wish I'd had it from the start. I know people love their K'tans, but it was just frustrating me. We love the Solly.
-Milkmaid Goods and KB Cute jersey swaddles. These are perfect for night! The stretch allows me to get a good snug swaddle that stays put. Plus, so soft.
-Pacifiers. He'll take most any, but I think he likes the soothers best.
-Moses Basket Perfect for keeping him contained when we're downstairs
-Diaper Genie We have one on each floor and every diaper goes in. We don't want to walk out to the trash for every diaper. Plus, with it being in the 100's here the outside can would get SO so smelly.
-Ryan and Rose Paci Clips We have 3 so far and will be getting more. Any time we leave the house we clip his paci to him. They're cute and dont look like a lot of the other ones out there.
-Milk Barn PJs They're the softest!

Likes:

-Mamaroo We don't use it a ton bc of the dog, but he seems to like it.
-Changing Pad It's on top of our Hemnes dresser and will get moved to his Hemnes dresser soon. With the dog its vital we have a spot to change him out of reach
-Bath temp gauge I ordered one shaped like a stingray off Amazon. I was nervous about the right temp as I like water scalding
Gerber pre folds Best burp cloths imo

Dislikes:

-Boppy It just, was not right for BF. I find it easier to just hold him and maybe put a bolster pillow under my elbow. It's decent for propping Henry up on though.
-Brestfriend Too bulky for my liking
-Burts Bees Burp Cloths Not absorbent, at all!
-ComoTomo Bottle I had HIGH hopes for these and am just not a fan. They seem so big and bulky for his little face. As he gets older we will try them again.

psherman42wwsa

Moms with multiples.. Have you seen this? I think I need one! 

Buggy Bench Shopping Cart Seat in Ocean Blue for Baby, Toddler, and Twins (Up To 40 Pounds) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015T8Q4PC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_xrLzzbSRAQ3P7

kns1988

Love:
- Halo sleepsacks - we've now transitioned out of them at 11 weeks, but this was a must have.
- Soothie pacifiers - I never thought I'd use pacis, and my kid is obsessed with them.
- Ergo 360 - it's warm, but it's a lifesaver.
- Brica travel bassinet - absolute necessity to have a safe travel sleep surface, and we use it in the living room, too.
- Ubbi diaper pail - keeps smells in, and when it's full it's time for laundry. 
- NUK simply natural bottles

Likes:
- Alva cloth diapers. They're working out pretty well, but they still leak sometimes. They won't fit great until he gains a few more pounds, but he was growing out of the prefolds. 
- PISA pump. Another necessity since I'm an EPer. I like it because it works, but I might have liked another pump more. 
- Graco fast action jogging stroller. It works well in the crazy terrain we have, but it's difficult to get in the trunk of my car.

Dislikes:
- Tranquilo mat. Gift from my MIL, and I feel like she got ripped off. It doesn't soothe the baby, and the first one we had broke after a week. 

mrsrep123

@lrwardrop genius!

Jkp7749

If anybody has a baby with horrible reflux, theres a seat by dex called a day dreamer. It is safe for sleep and holds them at the perfect angle for reflux probs! Has been an absolute miracle for the twins! They already sleep through the night and have for probably a month, whereas their older sister didnt until 2 months ago, and she is 2!

MoshiMoshi7

@mamatowildones or anyone else that uses a wubbanub, do they really help the paci stay in better? DD loves her paci but it wakes her up sometimes when it falls out.

mrsrep123

MoshiMoshi7 said:

@mamatowildones or anyone else that uses a wubbanub, do they really help the paci stay in better? DD loves her paci but it wakes her up sometimes when it falls out.

Yes, some animals are better than others, we found. The frog has worked best for us.

MoshiMoshi7

Thank @mrsrep123, just ordered on Amazon. Anything for a few extra minutes of sleep   

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

Reviving an old thread to point out that the daydreamer is not considered a safe sleep surface. No judgement here, but I didn't want anyone to run with that recommendation. Recent studies indicate that an incline is not necessary and doesn't help reflux. Also, a product similar to the daydreamer was responsible for several infant deaths in the U.K.  

https://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/178523/dangerous_baby_products_still_sold/121467/daydreamer_sleeper/10