Baby Items: What you should buy and what to stay away from

bbrahmbhatt

STM and STM+ what items would you absolutely recommend and what would you warn FTMs to stay away from?

kelseyyh

I loved the Boppy Infant Lounger to set my son down in as a newborn. It looks like a little baby couch. (They should be supervised in this as it is not a “safe sleep” thing. Remember for safe sleep it needs to be a bassinet, crib, play pen, or firm, regular bed with guard rails. I do believe in co-sleeping with the safe 7 ❤️.)

You really don’t need to worry about all the baby “containers”. It’s great to have those options - but the best place for their development is being on the floor. We did have a jolly jumper & exersaucer, but those truly are bonuses and not essentials. 

You likely don’t need much of the stuff out there for feeding your baby. I used our magic bullet a bit to puree apple, prunes, lentils & chickpeas, but we veered more toward BLW. We just gave him strips and pieces of what we were eating. For the first few weeks of eating, I preferred doing a bit of purees though. Totally your call if you want items specifically for baby feeding, but often appliances you already own do the trick - or you just give babe what you are eating.

juliebird6

Does anyone have experience with the Snoo? I'm considering renting one this time around.

bbrahmbhatt

@juliebird6 I'd love to get some input on the Snoo too, as we are thinking of getting/renting one. 

kvh22

@juliebird6 @bbrahmbhatt I've heard some babies love it and some don't so it's kind of hit or miss. I've heard such amazing things about it and then every once in a while a person will be like "ugh my baby hated it."

theblondebump

Ah yes, I also was wondering about the Snoo! 

what strollers do moms like? I'm thinking the uppababy vista v2, but would love to hear others opinions! I have two herniated discs in my lower spine so I'm especially interested in hearing about lightweight options and easy to fold/handle. 

This is somewhat off topic, but I'd also love to hear what pregnancy pillows everyone likes (links super appreciated!).

kvh22

@theblondebump My response on the stroller got long so I'm putting it in a spoiler to not clog up the thread

I kind of wish that I'd gotten something that converted to a double the first time but the travel system I got was pretty inexpensive when you consider the cost of purchasing the car seat on it's own, I didn't lose much. I will say anything that can become a double is harder to put together. I could do my single with one hand in and out of the car so I almost think it was still worth it - hard to know for sure. I, personally, have the baby jogger city select lux which I love for a bit less money than the vista. SIL wanted the vista so me, my mom, and my sister bought it for her shower. Building the full thing with accessories for multiple kids is $$$ and you usually can't use the BBB coupons on them. I was able to get the city select on sale plus extra 20% off. Depending on the age difference you plan, I also know people who got a regular single (so much easier, especially as you're adjusting to life with a baby as a FTM) and then got something like the VEER wagon when kid #2 came along. My kids are close so this wouldn't have been a great solution for us. We have a little foldable radio flyer wagon, a push bike, a jogging stroller, the single with the travel system, and the double stroller (baby jogger city select), plus inexpensive single and double travel strollers but I know others who exclusively use one stroller. For me, the Vista didn't make sense for the money given that we use a variety of different things and the $500 difference when it was fully built vs the baby jogger fully built almost paid for ALL of my other strollers/wagon/bike I put my girls in. But if it's what you want, then it's an AMAZING stroller. The only bad thing I've heard it about it is that it's complicated to assemble like all doubles are (have to take out the pieces to fold up and put in your car/storage). If it was significantly simpler, it would have been worth the extra money to me.I have the baby jogger and I honestly can't tell the difference when someone is walking towards me if it's the vista or the city select. Also, if you plan to get the uppababy infant car seat, I imagine it would fit right off the bat. We had to get an adapter for our infant car seat to go into the city select. Although I honestly used the bassinet attachment more than the car seat but my second baby was less likely to pass out in the car seat than my first (who was immediately lulled to sleep in the car).

Editing to add that if you can get to a buy buy baby to try them out, I highly recommend that. I had made a list of a few and was SOLD on the one that was my top after trying them out and playing around with them. Again, I saw no difference between the vista and city select but the vista is 1.4lbs lighter (but at 25-35lbs, not sure that makes a big difference). I do see looking at this comparison that the vista can fold with seats attached but it doesn't fold small so I think that would actually end up being really heavy and you'd want to remove them before putting into your car - but could be nice for saving space if you're just keeping it in your entry or garage.

kvh22

@theblondebump and I have the Snoogle. You can use a BBB coupon on it which is the cheapest I see anywhere but here's the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Leachco-Snoogle-Original-Maternity-Pregnancy/dp/B0000635WI

kadeephd

I like Baby Joggers for strollers too and will probably stick with that brand.  Personally I see no reason to buy a new stroller if you live in a relatively densely populated area.  People often sell them for way less than they cost new.  We got the City Mini GT stroller we used for my son for free.  I have a City Select with a second seat in the laundry room that I picked up for $50.

For STM+, how long did you find a double stroller useful for?  My son will be 2 years 4 months when this new baby arrives.  As I said, I actually already have a baby jogger city select double, but I'm wondering if a single stroller, or single with a buggy board, might make more sense most of the time? My first kid already doesn't love riding in the stroller.

My list of 10 essentials for the newborn stage:

1.  haaka (if you plan to breastfeed)
2.  a couple different types of bottles, even if you plan to breastfeed and don't think you'll use them.  You'll likely get some formula samples in the mail and it's a good idea to hang on to those too.
3.  gas drops
4.  a lot of burp cloths
5.  diapers, wipes, diaper cream
6.  onesies and sleepers
7.  swaddles
8.  stroller/carseat
9.  some type of carrier
10. pacifiers
11. bassinet or crib

I think those were the only things we really used the first few months.  I wanted to make it an even 10 but I forgot somewhere to sleep so it's 11.

rexnie

We never bought wipe warmers, bottle warmers, baby food appliances (to make purée or formula), crib bedding (besides a mattress cover and sheet) or a dedicated changing table and never missed them. 

I bought some beautiful swaddles but quickly switched to all Velcro or zipped swaddles because they’re 400% easier to used MOTN, so that was a waste for us. Pacifiers and bottles (and I tried many) were a waste for us, because my son never accepted them - but at least a relatively cheap waste! 

I will likely rent the snoo this time.  I’ll pay almost anything for extra sleep. I bought a halo bassinet that was great after my cesection recovery but resold so I didn’t have to store it indefinitely.

for furniture, we went cheap and bought a $120 basic white crib from target and a hemnes ikea dresser (perfect height to change baby). Would definitely do that again! 

We splurged on a bob stroller and it’s been our favorite purchase. My son still loves going for stroller walks at 2y/o and my husband takes him jogging a few times a week, which gives me quiet time. I’ll get a double bob when the baby is old enough - maybe second hand but since it is used for running in our house, I may just buy new since I honestly don’t know how to check the suspension/frame etc on a 5-7+ year old stroller to make sure it’s still structurally sound for high impact / hilly runs.  But I’d love it if someone had a good resource there! We did get a free inline double stroller from a neighbor recently, but it seems super hard to turn so I’m not sure will keep it. 

My favorite baby pj’s are from an Australian company called Bonds. They are super soft and light, fire resistant material, double zipper (so easy for MOTN changes), and have fold over footies AND mittens that can be tucked away easily. I haven’t found anything like this in the US so did a few bulk orders that made international shipping worth  it. 

Dohm noise machine is also a favorite after 2 years. We take it with us for travel. At least when we used to travel. 

ETA oh and I wouldn’t have been able to survive the early days without babywearing. I couldn’t carry my son in his car seat for weeks due to lifting restrictions, and my husband had to resume traveling less than two weeks after birth so I was on my own between visitors. I remember taking him to appointments alone in his ergo when he was just a couple weeks old! I got a ring sling when he was 3 mo and that became my favorite babywearing item. 

bblair24

I lived basically attached to my Boppy nursing pillow. With DD1 we had to use a nipple shield for nursing. 

The best burp cloths are diaper inserts! 

For the new new babes, I love the gown sleepers that have elastic at the bottom. No snaps to fumble with for diaper changes! And then zipper sleepers are my favorite after that. 

You will need more onesies than you think you do. You can easily go through several in a day. 

I also recommend buying one each of a variety of bottles. Some babies are super picky and will only drink from one kind! 

With DD2 we bought this padded cushion that wrapped around the handle of her car seat and velcro-ed shut. It made it SO much easier to carry the seat around. 

Another thing to note is that you are not supposed to add extra cushions/headrests/shoulder strap pads to the car seat, like to the part that the baby actually sits in. That lowers the safety of the car seat. They make these adorable and cushy and cozy seat additions but they’re not recommended, so I would steer clear of those! The only reason I bought the handle cushion is because she didn’t sit on the handle 😜

We were gifted both a bottle warmer and a wipes warmer at our showers but never really used either. 

kelseyyh

@theblondebump For strollers, I think you just really need to consider where you live & what you’re using it for. We live somewhere where lots of streets have no sidewalks, and we decided to get a stroller with air filled tires so that we didn’t have to worry about riding on gravel or grass. It works in the winter on plowed areas as well. If I ran, that would be a bonus 😉. I was super into uppababy, but at least with DS, I didn’t think any options were practical for us. I like having a travel system as well. I have one from Graco that came with the car seat. Graco definitely has mixed reviews, my sister was super unsure about my purchase lol, but she likes my stroller! 

Also interested in what @kadeephd is asking about double strollers. We do have a bike trailer stroller that seats two & can be pushed normally. We were thinking to buy the infant sling attachment to push them around together in. Wondering if we should have something besides that, or if by 2 years & 4 months my son might be over it lol.

kvh22

@kadeephd @kelseyyh that's 7 months older than DD1 was when DD2 was born. She was a stroller kiddo for sure but I'd say by 2.5 she *could* walk short distances. If you can baby wear sometime so your first can still use the stroller if they want/need, then idk that you need a double.

They also make much cheaper ones called sit n stands. You could potentially get a good deal on a used one 

@theblondebump I think the advice to consider where you love is a good one. We live downtown in our town and can walk to parks, restaurants, coffee shops (literally 6 within half a mile) so we walk all the time with the stroller.

Can I throw out there that DD2 spit up 5 times total. She was a unicorn. We have many new unused burp clothes b/c I was like "we need more!" after DD1 lol.

kelseyyh

@kvh22 My niece is 3.5 and still chills in the stroller, but is also starting some daringly long walks lol. It must depend on the kiddo! 

I was thinking I might try to baby wear the newborn more this go round. I was gifted a Boba wrap. I like a buckle carrier (I have infantino), but I think wraps & ring slings are probably better in the newborn stage. I feel like a FTM with baby wearing lol. We still wear our 20 month old on hikes and stuff. Anyone have carrier / wrap tips and tricks or a type they swear by?

kvh22

@kelseyyh Umm ring slings are amazing. I never used one with DD1 and DD2 lived in it. I could BF her in it while walking and pushing the empty stroller. The FTMs in my new mom's group I was walking with were blown away. I wasn't daring enough to try it with my first.

And DD1 still loves the stroller sometimes. She'll be 3yrs 8mos when this baby is born so we have the glider board, too.

theblondebump

That makes sense @kvh22 @kelseyhh Thanks for thoughtful responses! We just moved out of NYC in April after 9 years there. Now we live in PA but we still have a lot of friends and family in NYC so will be back often. Our own neighborhood is all sidewalks and we walk every day and there's a path right near our house to a park and playground that we plan on utilizing a lot when baby gets here! There's also a cute downtown area in our town that we visit a lot and walk around. Besides the normal out and about normal errands and visiting etc. one does with a baby. 

I like that the uppababy stroller just has all the easy pieces that fit into one another - the car seat, the bassinet etc. But I was curious if other moms had a favorite for easy folding/travel and one that's lightweight. A friend of mine just got the Nuna and seems to really like it. Trying them out at Buy Buy Baby is a good idea. I'll have to do that! 

kelseyyh

@theblondebump Oh I forgot it has that bassinet feature! Soo cute lol. Totally try them all out! 

theblondebump

kvh22 said:

@theblondebump and I have the Snoogle. You can use a BBB coupon on it which is the cheapest I see anywhere but here's the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Leachco-Snoogle-Original-Maternity-Pregnancy/dp/B0000635WI

Thanks for the suggestion @kvh22 ! Just placed my order and it's supposed to arrive Sunday woohoo. I tried ordering on Buy Buy Baby but it said the item wasn't couple eligible so I figured at least Amazon is usually quicker. Thanks again

rexnie

@kvh22 yes to nursing while babywearing! We had to wait at least 3ish mo for that, since my son had oral ties and needed a nipple shield and help latching for a long time even after revisions. But once we were in our groove, it changed everything! I found it easy to nurse in my ring sling and in my soft structured ergo - just had to loosen everything a bit to bring him lower. 

@theblondebump how are you adjusting to the move? We moved out of NYC the month before my son was born and have been living in suburban / coastal CA for the past two years! Are you near family? 

kelseyyh

I will need the how-to guide on nursing while baby wearing 😂. I remember DS getting so ticked when I’d put him that close to my chest without knowing how to coordinate that. 

theblondebump

@rexnie It's been an easy transition because of COVID, haha. Most of our friends who live in the city are all staying at their parents' homes in other states right now because they are working 100% remotely and there's nothing to do in the city and they need more space. So it's been easy to say goodbye to NYC when we wouldn't be able to hang with friends or do most of the things that make NYC so wonderful anyway. After spending many years in a tiny 2 bedroom apartment, it's really nice to have a house with a yard and actually have space!! The best part (for me) is that we moved 15 minutes from my mom. We figured we'd be having kids soon enough and wanted to be close to her and that has been really great. I'm sure you know the feeling of getting out of the city and being able to breathe!! 

MandersX

I'm just looking through this thread going Lalalalalalala and pretending I don't have to think about this stuff yet. We have, just over the last few months, finally purged the house of all baby stuff as we were told we would need IVF for another baby. I am not ready to deal with rebuying things!! I fully intend to scour FB marketplace and take whatever my friends want to pass down to me. Luckily we still have our Bob and DS never uses it anymore. I also held on to my Tula for sentimental reasons but that isn't for a newborn. I kept my K'tan but I'll need a smaller size this time around. 

runsoncoffee

For those asking about the snoo I know @pelorunningmama used one for a period of time!

@kelseyyh @kadeephd we have the city select lux for our double stroller and although a bit pricey, has been worth every penny! I love how sturdy/all terrain it is, I can use a bassinet for the baby days, have two seats, or just use it as a single stroller. Can also get a carseat attachment and I plan to get the glider board for my older two to stand on. Even my 4 year old likes to ride in the stroller sometimes. I can squish all three in if I have to, but the glider board will make it way easier!

Some of my fav/essential items: dohm portable sound machine, dock a tot, ring sling/other carrier (I love slings for early days and my happy baby carrier for bigger babies/toddlers), haakaa for those breastfeeding, backpack style diaper bag (love my fawn design but there are tons of options out there!), pacifiers (my babies have liked MAM and Ryan and Rose flat), oh and almost forgot my biggest one is stretchy swaddle blankets (Copper Pearl is my fav with LouLou&Co a close second). Also LouLou knotted gowns! 

theblondebump

Also re: the Snoo, I know it's not the most important thing, but I wish there were different color options. I hate the brown/wood look - it completely clashes with our bedroom and our nursery, haha. 

eahayes

@juliebird6 @theblondebump I have a few friends who got the snoo and it was love it or hate it also. One had a baby who hated being on her back and swaddled, and another one was like it was fine but I still had to get up and feed and change the baby during the night. 

I took the taking cara babies class and it was great- highly recommend (or just following her on insta).. same with feeding littles when they are old enough for solids.

My biggest surprise was how many muslin blanket/swaddles you need (for burp cloths). I also lived with him in the Ergo but wouldn't mind trying a ring sling one day!

Lexibizzel

@MandersX I am in the same situation. It felt so nice to donate most of my baby stuff earlier this year. I guess the jokes on me. But really the only thing I regret is letting go of my newborn (cloth) diapers. I kept my carriers, most of the strollers, and my nice swaddle blankets. I also plan to go to FB marketplace down the road, and have a minimalist baby experience anyway.

On the topic of double strollers, I'm glad I went with a sit and stand type. It is still useful for my 5 and 3 year old at Disney, the zoo, any long day type outing. Even if both kids aren't in it much, it holds a lot of stuff.

goldpolkadot

@theblondebump we have a 2015 Uppababy Vista (ahhhh was brand new & just released with baby #1 and now it sounds so old!!!) & I will sing Uppas praises forever. It’s still in fantastic condition (I reco getting handlebar covers for any stroller you get and it will help keep your handlebars looking like new). Uppa is just SMART - everything clicks in so easily to everything. We have the Mesa car seat and it was just the easiest thing evvvver to install. We never did buy a second seat and instead got a piggy back (standing ride on) for #2 and I will say that I don’t love the uppa as a tandem double. It’s a little bulky and hard to navigate. When I had #2 I definitely wished I’d gotten the fancy babyjogger because it handles SO well as a double tandem BUT I really do still love my uppa. The bassinet is awesome and is perfect in the beginning and we’ve even used it as a travel bed because it packs up pretty flat. If you have any other Uppa questions, let me know!!!

I will say that we did just currently invest in the new double Bob and it’s freaking amazing!!! 

Like other ladies have mentioned, I’d think most about how you’re going to use the stroller. We’re in the suburbs and I found it extremely easy to pop the Uppa in my trunk. I don’t find it easy to pack my double bob in the trunk 🤣🤣🤣

When we were flying a lot we also got a travel Uppa & again, the company is just awesome. Once we left that stroller with my inlaws and my FIL broke it (🙄) and they legit sent us a brand new one. 

theblondebump

@goldpolkadot so helpful!! thank you!!! I saw that the carseat even has a light that shows when its clicked in properly. It all sounds really easy to operate - a major plus to me haha. I never heard of Bob but probably because I am NOT a jogger lol. 

goldpolkadot

Some of my favs:

-Dohm sound machine. We have 1 in each kid room & 2 at my inlaws & also the mini travel one, which I now use 🤣

-4moms Breeze. The best play yard ever. Takes literally 10 seconds to pop up. Didn’t realize how amazing it was until we got a second one (NOT 4moms) and holy cow Batman, playyards (esp the old ones) can be a BEAR to put together. 

-CopperPearl swaddles. We used A&A with our first two babies and then I was introduced to CP. Peace out A&A! We never looked back. Got two and seriously exclusively used them over and over. 

-nursing pillow. Got myself a cute cover from PB with #2 and it was worth it because I used that pillow allllll the time (And wahhhhh because I sold my pillow AND wonderful cover. Sigh sigh)

-covered goods nursing cover. Got mine #1 and it is still in PERFECT condition now and I used it for a year with each baby. 

-oxo wipes holder. I didn’t get smart with this until #3 but for the $20 or whatever it is (you can always find them on FB marketplace cheap), it’s cute, holds the wipes down and keeps them from drying out. We now have them in the nursery + each kiddo bathroom 🤣

-doorway jumper, baby Einstein jumper, skip hop activity table. 

-burts bees. LOVE their burp cloths, changing pad covers and sheets. Literally the only brand we own for those things. 

-ergo. I also really love my Lillebaby ring sling (aaahhhh another casualty of my purge this summer!!), and I liked the ktan when babies were tiny

theblondebump

@goldpolkadot so happy to hear that about burts bees! We're not finding out the sex of the baby and so we need a gender neutral design for the nursery. My husband and I met on Bumble (the dating app) so I thought it would be cute to have a yellow nursery with some bee things here and there and I loved a bunch of the crib sheets and other items from burts bees but wasn't sure of the quality. Thanks for sharing! 

I have a friend who said her baby screams his head off if she uses anything cold on him so she considers a wipe warmer a must have. (another friend said she never uses it) Anyone have a wipe warmer they like?

goldpolkadot

@theblondebump yes! Great quality!! We’re still using the 2 pink stripe ones with DD2 that we used with DD1 and they’re going strong. I’d say I’m noticing that they’re starting to get thin maybe, but still super soft and no rips anywhere. DD1 was in her crib until 3.5 and baby has been in it for a year so it’s been over 4 years of using them!!! And then DS is in a toddler bed & still using his 2 sets of blue stripe and he’s almost 3.5 and they’re in great shape too. The burp cloths are still in perfect shape too. We got grey because I was in a neutral mood with #1 so we’ve used them with all 3 kids. Side note: yellow and bees sounds adorable!!

We never used a wipes warmer 😬 

bblair24

@theblondebump we were given a wipes warmer and we didn’t like it. 😬 I think we went through one pack of wipes in it and then stopped using it. It dried out the wipes! 

pelorunningmama

Ok so finally reading here. I’ve been avoiding this thread since we got rid of all baby stuff and I didn’t to stress myself out. I can likely write a novel but will try to be concise.

uppababy Mesa car seat: easiest baby seat ever to install. We will likely rebuy this seat despite it being so expensive.

uppababy vista stroller: nice to have but I ended up using my ring sling way more. We sold this. It glides beautifully and is very easy to use but I won’t splurge on this again.

snoo: dd3 hated it. I sold ours on marketplace (fb) for what I bought it for. Wouldn’t be opposed to trying again if I can find a deal because every baby is so different. It is also beautiful.

bob strollers: I have a single and a double. If you are looking for a stroller to run with, look no further. One of the few things I’m good at is running, so if you listen to nothing else I say, listen to this. They are a dream to workout with. I will not sell or get rid of mine until we are well beyond baby years. Mine have literally thousands of miles on them and still work great!

baby carriers: find one that works for you. I love ring slings (Sakura bloom and Wildbird are my fave). I know lots of people are also obsessed with happy baby carriers.

diaper bags: I always ended up just using my giant purse so diaper bags are a pass for me.

Dock a tot: we love ours. Don’t want to get into controversial debates over this but I’m very very glad I still have one.

nursing pillows. I preferred my breast friend to the boppy, but everyone is different

sound machine: absolute must. Get extras because you will need one in your bedroom after baby moves out.

bottles, pacis, etc: good to have a variety because these tiny little things are picky!!

I also recommend having a ton of burp cloths, white onesies, little bandana bibs, etc. My last two were “happy spitters” and breast milk was everywhere

nursing tanks: the old target ones are the best. I’m going to try the new brand to compare at some point

nursing bras: soma. 100% the best. I’ve been nursing since basically 2013, I have done my research!

thats all I’ve got for now!!

kelseyyh

@pelorunningmama Thanks so much ❤️. I really want to up my baby carrying game this time around, so I appreciate you saying some brands for those. I have an infantino that DS goes in still & I believe a Boba wrap (just gifted that). Also a hiking carrier. I also preferred my breast friend to the boppy nursing pillow - however I found I always piled my bed pillows instead after awhile. 

juliebird6

My must haves:

-gas drops

-aquaphor (we use this instead of desitin)

-nose frida

-windi

-dock a tot and rock n play (I know about the RnP but I fully intend to continue using mine. that thing got me through 2 babies and you’ll have to steal it while I’m sleeping to get it out of here)

-sit me up chair! So helpful.

-IKEA high chair, the cheapie $20 one. Amazing. Love that thing. 

-bottle warmer was clutch for us, but if you are nursing, might not matter to you 

-I actually am a HUGE Thule fan and absolutely love our Thule jogger. We have the single and also the double that converts to a bike trailer. Extremely easy to use. Thought I wanted a Bob like everyone else but I tested them out at BBB and found the Thule much easier to use. Very few bells or whistles that you have to remember if you haven’t used it in a while. 

-Robeez shoes. Amazing for just learning how to walk and so many cute ones.

-tub of oxyclean or similar. You’re probably going to have at least one thing soaking in there every day.

-car seat cover. I have a couple milk snob ones that I absolutely love. 

-nipple cream. Tons. It will seem like too much and it’s not. You need it.

Don’t waste your time:

-anything that can’t go in the washing machine. FIRM NO. I did not realize how big of a deal this would be but I had to get rid of our pottery barn play mat because there was no way to wash it! How DUMB is that.

-muslin blankets. 

-mobile for the crib. By the time my kids slept in the crib, they were big enough to grab the mobile so I only was able to use it extremely briefly. Not worth the money. If you want one for decor purposes, get one that hangs from
the ceiling or something so you don’t have to put it away as soon as the baby starts sleeping in their own room. 

bbrahmbhatt

Does anyone have a breast pump that they loved?

@pelorunningmama we have been looking at the Mesa vs the Chicco Nextfit. Anyone have any thoughts on that carseat?

Also, for the dock-a-tot, is that mainly used for co-sleeping?

thedomesticgeek

I feel like I'm in for a rude awakening. First off, we decided to get rid of everything because we weren't having more kids. Second, our baby experience was so different. She was a NICU baby for the first two weeks, so she didn't want to sleep in our room and wanted to sleep in her own crib. She needed white noise and one of those light up crib music boxes, and a Velcro swaddler to get to sleep. When she came home she was on oxygen for 5 months so we basically stayed in the two rooms where her main tanks were (the living room and her nursery.) I also never breast fed due to her health issues and not being able to breast feed right away and losing supply. So I feel like I know nothing about what a normal baby is going to need. 

I'm curious about the best baby wearing and if one of those bedside bassinets would be worth it. I want to go simplistic with a lot of things, try not to overdo the brightly colored plastic crap this time around and have more of a Montessori approach to toys and things. 

pelorunningmama

@bbrahmbhatt I have had medela and spectra and much preferred the spectra. I got so much more output with it in a shorter amount of time. I think I had the S2.

kvh22

@bbrahmbhatt spectra 100%. I got the S1 (paid $99 to upgrade to the battery) and it was so worth it. I could pump while playing on the floor with the baby or move about while getting ready for work. I got the S9 this time but I knew that I had an oversupply so the slight reduction in suction was a compromise I was willing to make (plus my S1 still worked) to be able to just throw the pump in my pocket while walking around. This time I'd like to try the willow or elvie but will do the freemie of those aren't covered fully or partially.

rexnie

Another vote for spectra. I have the s2. My output on it was always comparable to hospital grade pumps which are like $2k. 

mamabee1113

@thedomesticgeek I'm a big baby wearer! I still wear DS who is almost 2 (and big for his age). For the itty bitty stage I like wraps and ring slings. DS is an absolute velcro baby in every sense. I couldn't lay him down for nap until he was around 16mo and it would regularly take me 1hr+ to lay him down for bed until he was a little over a year.
The Infantino Mei Dai was my absolute favorite until he was about 4 months and got too heavy. Then I went to soft structured carriers-- Lillebaby is my choice but there are big followings for several brands. We only just stopped slinging because he's just too heavy, but I just wore him around the grocery store in our ssc and we were both happy as can be. Carriers have saved my sanity on manyyyyy occasions.