If you gals are anything like me, the second you saw that positive pregnancy test, you started thinking about what you’d need. Maybe there was something you loved in your previous pregnancy and you’d like to share. My son is 8 now, so we have gotten rid of, or given away everything from his early years. Any recommendations would be great. We’re talking bottles, car seats, breast pumps, baby carriers, formula, diapers, shoes... all of it! And if you got something you didn’t like, let us know so we don’t make the same mistake!
Should we do a spotlight series? Each week we can feature a different item type? I know other BMBs have done them.
me: 35 / so: 34 | ttc #1 since 9/2018
DX: MFI IVF Cycle #1 February 2020 4 embryos frozen, 1 fresh transfer = CP FET #1 Natural Cycle March 2020 CXL'd due to Covid-19 FET #1 Natural Cycle June 2020 - CP #2 FET #2 Natural Cycle July 2020 - BFP!!!!!! Beta #1 = 273
I knew we wanted a second so we saved a ton of stuff from when DS was a baby.
Here's what we loved and will use again: *Avent bottles, wide neck - just need to buy new nipples *Baby Einstein jumperoo *Lillebaby carrier *Pampers swaddler diapers and sensitive wipes *Spectra S1 *Similac Pro-Advance formula - we had a Dr. Brown formula mixing pitcher which was amazing *Aden & Anais burpy bips - burp cloth and bib in one! *Baby Bjorn bouncer *Graco Simple Sway Swing *Halo Bassinest - we sold ours so need to get it off fb marketplace *Dockatot - we sold ours so need to get it off fb marketplace *Boppy Lounger *My Brest Friend *woombie swaddle - our son slept so well in this *Sound machine! We have a Skip Hop Owl one and still use it daily
Things I won't use this time: *Uppababy Cruz/Mesa - We loved the car seat but we're in the minority that didn't like the stroller. So we'll be going with a Chicco Keyfit 30 this time with a Chicco Caddy Frame stroller for the baby stage. We have a City Mini GT that we love that we'll use when baby is bigger.
Considering buying for baby 2: *BOB Jogging Stroller *ring sling - I have a feeling I'll be babywearing more this time around *Guava Lotus Travel Crib - we liked our pnp but this one is bigger and easier to carry around.
Together 2007 | Married 2011 | Me: 36 | DH: 38 Adopted Furbaby: 2014 TTC#1 : 1/2016 | IUI #2 - BFP 12/24/16 -- born 9/8/17 TTC#2: 11/2019 | Dx DOR (AMH 0.3), AMA IUI #2 - BFP 7/1/20 -- EDD 3/14/21
It has bicycle tire type tires. We used it every day, whether running to the store, hiking, parks. It made going up or down curbs no problem. We took it to Sequoia National Park. To get to the worlds biggest tree, there’s about 75,000 steps. Stair steps that were pretty shallow, but still steps. The stroller had no problem. (There was a ramp for wheelchairs, but it was a busy day and we didn’t want to take a spot.) I never jogged with it though. So I have no idea how it would work for that, if that’s what you’re looking for. The front wheel can spin around (at least on the 2011 model) and I don’t know if that would make a difference when moving faster speeds and hitting a bump like a rock or something. Anyway, great stroller. Can’t recommend it enough. The seat back is also adjustable, to lay pretty far back. My son spent a few hours napping in it one afternoon at Disneyland.
TL;DR Stroller- city mini GT carriers- boba wrap, ring sling, mai tie Breastfeeding stuff- haaka + snacky tray
I am obsessed with my strollerr. I have the City mini GT and i love it so much i will not be getting a double and will instead be getting a standing board for my 2yr old and bringing the carrier for the baby just incase. For carriers i loved my boba wrap when he was little , my ring sling and my mai tie when he was a bit bigger. Anyone planning to breastfeed i HIGHLY reccomend the haaka pump ( or something similar but a knock off from amazon) it was an absolute game changer for mez especially at the start when i was a big leaky mess. I had a little dollar store basket in each room that had a water bottle and some easy to eat one handedly snacks (granola bars, apples) that was a life saver for me, will definitely do that again.
I will be following along... DD is 10 so I don't even what's good anymore. I do still have a ring sling, but otherwise we're starting from scratch. So far I know I want a stroller frame for the car seat lol
@mvt2003 I like the idea of the spotlight series. May make it easier for people to search back later.
i have to think about this! I hardly remember what we used for my daughter lol except for the pack n play as a bassinet until we were ready for her to go in her own room. Definitely doing that again.
TTC history in spoiler
Me: 31 Him: 37 Married: Oct 2015 Baby G born June 2017 TTC#2: July 2018 BFP #2: 2/6/19 MC 3/14/19 BFP#3 from IUI #2: 6/30/20 EDD 3/9/21
@manillabar Here's the May 2020 BMB spreadsheet - I feel like breaking it down into individual product types makes it easier to compare apples to apples.
DX: MFI IVF Cycle #1 February 2020 4 embryos frozen, 1 fresh transfer = CP FET #1 Natural Cycle March 2020 CXL'd due to Covid-19 FET #1 Natural Cycle June 2020 - CP #2 FET #2 Natural Cycle July 2020 - BFP!!!!!! Beta #1 = 273
One thing I do not recommend is One A Day Prenatal gummy vitamins. They are super gross. When I was pregnant with my first, I used vita fusion prenatal gummies and they were pretty good. If these 1 a day ones weren’t so expensive (like $36 for 1 bottle) I’d throw them out and get the vita fusion ones again. Seriously, super gross.
TL;DR Stroller- city mini GT carriers- boba wrap, ring sling, mai tie Breastfeeding stuff- haaka + snacky tray
I am obsessed with my strollerr. I have the City mini GT and i love it so much i will not be getting a double and will instead be getting a standing board for my 2yr old and bringing the carrier for the baby just incase.
Same! We have the City Mini GT as well and I plan to get the standing board for my DD instead of getting a double. I absolutely love this stroller!
@mvt2003 I agree with your recommendation to break it up! That's what we did on my last BMB and it worked really well. I would go back and look at the threads as time went on to put together my registry which was really helpful.
@juliebeannn As mentioned about I have the City Mini GT but I also used the Chicco Keyfit 30 carseat and just bought an adapter for the stroller! I love being able to just click the car seat in and out of the stroller without having to take the baby out. The only downfall to the adapter is that the strolled won't fold and "lock" with the adapter on but that never really bothered me much. It still folds enough to easily pop in the trunk.
I need something to replace our rock and play! I used that thing constantly so I definitely need something similar that isn't recalled.
@bcashaw@jenotontx We got our City Mini GT off marketplace after we sold the UB Cruz and LOVED the City Mini GT so much. It just steers so much better and man, our has gotten a TON of use. We still walk 3-4x a week and our son is almost 3! We won't be getting a double either bc DS will be 3.5 when the baby's born. I've heard mixed reviews about the standing board bc of how far the handle bar sticks out on the GT. I've read that if the kid is too tall, their head would go right into the handle bar. So I've read that it's best for shorter children. It probably won't work with my son.
Together 2007 | Married 2011 | Me: 36 | DH: 38 Adopted Furbaby: 2014 TTC#1 : 1/2016 | IUI #2 - BFP 12/24/16 -- born 9/8/17 TTC#2: 11/2019 | Dx DOR (AMH 0.3), AMA IUI #2 - BFP 7/1/20 -- EDD 3/14/21
I’ll chime in that while I liked our Citi Mini GT for our first, I’ve basically replaced it with the Colugo Compact. Our house entry has a small staircase and I found the GT to be too heavy and unwieldy to lug in and out, and it was too tricky to unfold while holding the baby. The Colugo unfolds/folds with one hand and is super small and light, and it stands up when folded which is pretty nice tbh. It handles less well than the GT (though it’s fine on most sidewalks) and feels less ‘solid’, but I’d recommend it if you have to take it up and down stairs regularly or have storage constraints. No experience with the infant kit, though.
Loved the rechargeable Spectra pump Kindred Bravely handsfree pump bra Hatch sound machine/light Fisher Price Sit Me Up was a lifesaver once they can hold up their head solo We have britax car seats and stroller which we love
Bottles - MAM and Dr. Brown Pump - I was an exclusive pumper and Spectra was way better than Medela in my opinion Diapers - Target brand Wipes - Pampers sensitive Spit up cloths - muslin ones from amazon Stroller - City Select by Baby Jogger (I’m obsessed) Infant car seat - Chicco hands down Pacifiers - MAM Snuggle Me organic co-sleeper pillow Ergo carrier Boba wrap for when they’re tiny Infinity nursing wrap
Things I did not like: Baby Trend double jogging stroller, Graco infant seat (straps were so hard to adjust and it seems to be a common issue), Graco Modes Duo stroller
Re: Gear Recommendations
IVF Cycle #1 February 2020 4 embryos frozen, 1 fresh transfer = CP
FET #1 Natural Cycle March 2020 CXL'd due to Covid-19
FET #1 Natural Cycle June 2020 - CP #2
FET #2 Natural Cycle July 2020 - BFP!!!!!! Beta #1 = 273
June Signature Challenge - Favorite TV Quotes
Here's what we loved and will use again:
*Avent bottles, wide neck - just need to buy new nipples
*Baby Einstein jumperoo
*Lillebaby carrier
*Pampers swaddler diapers and sensitive wipes
*Spectra S1
*Similac Pro-Advance formula - we had a Dr. Brown formula mixing pitcher which was amazing
*Aden & Anais burpy bips - burp cloth and bib in one!
*Baby Bjorn bouncer
*Graco Simple Sway Swing
*Halo Bassinest - we sold ours so need to get it off fb marketplace
*Dockatot - we sold ours so need to get it off fb marketplace
*Boppy Lounger
*My Brest Friend
*woombie swaddle - our son slept so well in this
*Sound machine! We have a Skip Hop Owl one and still use it daily
Things I won't use this time:
*Uppababy Cruz/Mesa - We loved the car seat but we're in the minority that didn't like the stroller. So we'll be going with a Chicco Keyfit 30 this time with a Chicco Caddy Frame stroller for the baby stage. We have a City Mini GT that we love that we'll use when baby is bigger.
Considering buying for baby 2:
*BOB Jogging Stroller
*ring sling - I have a feeling I'll be babywearing more this time around
*Guava Lotus Travel Crib - we liked our pnp but this one is bigger and easier to carry around.
Adopted Furbaby: 2014
TTC#1 : 1/2016 | IUI #2 - BFP 12/24/16 -- born 9/8/17
TTC#2: 11/2019 | Dx DOR (AMH 0.3), AMA
IUI #2 - BFP 7/1/20 -- EDD 3/14/21
It has bicycle tire type tires. We used it every day, whether running to the store, hiking, parks. It made going up or down curbs no problem. We took it to Sequoia National Park. To get to the worlds biggest tree, there’s about 75,000 steps. Stair steps that were pretty shallow, but still steps. The stroller had no problem. (There was a ramp for wheelchairs, but it was a busy day and we didn’t want to take a spot.) I never jogged with it though. So I have no idea how it would work for that, if that’s what you’re looking for. The front wheel can spin around (at least on the 2011 model) and I don’t know if that would make a difference when moving faster speeds and hitting a bump like a rock or something. Anyway, great stroller. Can’t recommend it enough. The seat back is also adjustable, to lay pretty far back. My son spent a few hours napping in it one afternoon at Disneyland.
Stroller- city mini GT
carriers- boba wrap, ring sling, mai tie
Breastfeeding stuff- haaka + snacky tray
I am obsessed with my strollerr. I have the City mini GT and i love it so much i will not be getting a double and will instead be getting a standing board for my 2yr old and bringing the carrier for the baby just incase.
For carriers i loved my boba wrap when he was little , my ring sling and my mai tie when he was a bit bigger.
Anyone planning to breastfeed i HIGHLY reccomend the haaka pump ( or something similar but a knock off from amazon) it was an absolute game changer for mez especially at the start when i was a big leaky mess.
I had a little dollar store basket in each room that had a water bottle and some easy to eat one handedly snacks (granola bars, apples) that was a life saver for me, will definitely do that again.
i have to think about this! I hardly remember what we used for my daughter lol except for the pack n play as a bassinet until we were ready for her to go in her own room. Definitely doing that again.
Married: Oct 2015
Baby G born June 2017
TTC#2: July 2018
BFP #2: 2/6/19 MC 3/14/19
BFP#3 from IUI #2: 6/30/20 EDD 3/9/21
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XX4aUSPsDbdyEEK5HIzMzwH2ztOVOnNCehSgMAc5w6U/edit#gid=0
IVF Cycle #1 February 2020 4 embryos frozen, 1 fresh transfer = CP
FET #1 Natural Cycle March 2020 CXL'd due to Covid-19
FET #1 Natural Cycle June 2020 - CP #2
FET #2 Natural Cycle July 2020 - BFP!!!!!! Beta #1 = 273
June Signature Challenge - Favorite TV Quotes
@mvt2003 I agree with your recommendation to break it up! That's what we did on my last BMB and it worked really well. I would go back and look at the threads as time went on to put together my registry which was really helpful.
@juliebeannn As mentioned about I have the City Mini GT but I also used the Chicco Keyfit 30 carseat and just bought an adapter for the stroller! I love being able to just click the car seat in and out of the stroller without having to take the baby out. The only downfall to the adapter is that the strolled won't fold and "lock" with the adapter on but that never really bothered me much. It still folds enough to easily pop in the trunk.
I need something to replace our rock and play! I used that thing constantly so I definitely need something similar that isn't recalled.
Adopted Furbaby: 2014
TTC#1 : 1/2016 | IUI #2 - BFP 12/24/16 -- born 9/8/17
TTC#2: 11/2019 | Dx DOR (AMH 0.3), AMA
IUI #2 - BFP 7/1/20 -- EDD 3/14/21
Kindred Bravely handsfree pump bra
Hatch sound machine/light
Fisher Price Sit Me Up was a lifesaver once they can hold up their head solo
We have britax car seats and stroller which we love
Pump - I was an exclusive pumper and Spectra was way better than Medela in my opinion
Diapers - Target brand
Wipes - Pampers sensitive
Spit up cloths - muslin ones from amazon
Stroller - City Select by Baby Jogger (I’m obsessed)
Infant car seat - Chicco hands down
Pacifiers - MAM
Snuggle Me organic co-sleeper pillow
Ergo carrier
Boba wrap for when they’re tiny
Infinity nursing wrap
Baby Trend double jogging stroller, Graco infant seat (straps were so hard to adjust and it seems to be a common issue), Graco Modes Duo stroller
Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair - grows with your baby and becomes an excellent toddler chair for when kids start to climb.
Baby Björn Bouncer - amazing for when I had to take a shower and had to put the baby somewhere.