Baby Gear

alpacamama2

I was thinking that a thread about baby gear might be helpful. I know there were certain things I found super helpful (and also less than helpful) with my first. Happy to pass along that info and I imagine there are others with great experiences to share in this group too!

alpacamama2

I am also wondering if anyone else has looked at double strollers. I'm currently checking out all the options (so many different ones!). I have a singleton BOB stroller that I love but I don't know if I love the double-wide BOB.

I like the idea of those strollers that have a spot for a toddler to stand. My daughter is very active so I feel like she won't want to be strapped in much when she is a little bit older. 

My first will be 21 months when this next baby comes so I am thinking that a double stroller might be good to have. But then I'm also envisioning babywearing a lot. So maybe I won't need a double stroller right off the bat. Aghh I don't know!! Help!

alpacamama2

Some gear I found useful with my first:

- Snuggle Me Organic: great place to "park" your baby. We actually had this overnight delivered in the first week. It was a lifesaver. 

- Tula Explore Baby carrier: I know everyone has different preferences for baby carriers so I definitely encourage people to try out different ones. We love our Tula! My husband and I can both use it. It is easy to adjust and baby seems to like being in it especially now that she can be outward facing. I used a soft wrap carrier more when she was an wee one and had to be facing me (the Konny baby carrier was less complicated for me than those traditional wraps)

- BoB jogging stroller: we originally went with a pretty large Graco stroller that our carseat could snap into. This was useful for the very beginning but the stroller itself was kinda cumbersome. Later we got a jogging stroller (I jogged a little with it but you def don't have to be a runner to get one). It moves so much better and works for "off-roading" (moving thru dirt and grass easily is awesome!). 

Bonus gear for postpartum mama:

- haakaa lady bugs: forget the original haakaa for milk collection. The lady bugs are so much better!
- Mother Love Nipple Cream: I tried at least 5 different nipple creams (breastfeeding was ROUGH for me initially). This one was by far my favorite 


I am sure there is more that I will remember later!

linh18

@alpacamama2 I second the ladybugs! They were such a lifesaver especially in the first month when I'd wake up with way too much milk. I found that I could get quite a few ounces with one on the opposite side during the first few feedings of the day. It helped me to get a little stash of milk for evening feeds/intense cluster feedings. 

alpacamama2

Omg! We JUST got a Slumberpod because of upcoming summer trips. It is AH-MAZING! If you plan on traveling a bunch with your baby, I highly recommend. It makes staying in the same hotel room SO much easier. 

It is basically a tent that fits over a pack n play. It blocks out light and it has slots for a fan and a baby cam inside. Kinda pricey. But, so far, seems very worth the money. 

mimser

@alpacamama2 I'm trying to avoid the double stroller... although mine (uppababy Vista) could convert. We do have a Piggy back board and I'm hoping it will be enough because I plan to mostly babywear the new baby. 

I will look into the ladybugs because the haaka original was nice but I didn't find it so easy and comfortable to use.

We actually also got a Slumberpod last Summer when we left for a month vacation in Greece! We definitely used it when we had to room share with our son. I'll never know if we really needed it though. But it was super practical in at least 2 occasion because we ended up not having enough space in the bedroom to put the travel crib so we would put baby in his travel crib under the slumberpod basically at the front door of our apartment/hotel room 😅

AmMcc12

Just put the ladybug on my registry!

lindz42

I will second the jogging stroller. We got the Chicco Tre jogging stroller and I'm getting sad thinking about how much I will miss it when we need a double. The jogging stroller rides so smoothly. It does so well over curbs and bumps, the wheels never get finicky like our umbrella stroller.

My stepmother just thrifted a double stroller for us, so I'm going to try to not think about it anymore! One of the things I realized is that double stroller weight limits are different. The one we got has a limit of 40 lbs per seat, and I just don't know what to expect with weight for a 3 year old, so I'm just going to see where we are when the time comes?

So my new gear obsession will probably be baby carriers, lol. We had one for ds1, but I didn't use it often because it was hard to put on for me. My friend is giving me her Bjorn, has anyone used one of those?

Some essentials for us have been the pack-n-play with the top carrier and changing area, the Hatch noise machine, the Chicco jogging stroller. 

One piece of advice I would give is to consider gear that has multiple uses or that "grows" with the child. We still use the same high chair as a booster seat and the activity bouncer converted into a play table that we practically can't live without. Babies grow out of things way too fast. 

AmMcc12

My Lillebaby carriers are a must and I’m so glad I kept them for the last 6 years. 

alpacamama2

So I am thinking about getting a Tushbaby to help with carrying my 1.5yo during pregnancy. Anyone have a Tushbaby? Thought?

knottie1c550164f6547569

I just went shopping for a carseat yesterday and was looking at a bargain one from Cosco, but when I was looking at the model and a packaged one at the store, I noticed that it smelled so strongly of chemicals, and I immediately changed my mind. I started to research and decided on a Chicco instead. I don’t have a stroller to match it yet, but I’m glad I ordered a different carseat than I was originally interested in (needed a slim seat to fit three across our back seat). 

  I too am trying a Konny baby wrap for the simplicity of it. I’m hoping to like it and use it more than I used my other carriers that were uncomfortable on the shoulders.