Pennsylvania Babies
sdb0424
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Baby product must haves...
sdb0424
member
Okay, so we're getting ready to do the baby registry thing, and I was just wondering, what baby products/equipment can't you live without? Also, what could you have done without?
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Re: Baby product must haves...
1. A really good swaddle blanket...and several of them! We used both the SwaddleMe's and the Miracle Blanket.
2. Pack N Play- We kept ours downstairs and used it for naps when she was a newborn and for a changing table (the one attached) until she hit the weight limit. The changing table part was wonderful because it held all of her supplies. For us, it was easier than running upstairs.
3. Vibrating bouncer- this is how I managed to get a shower daily! She loved the sound of the shower/hairdryer. As long as I kept the dryer running, I could usually manage to do my make up
4. A jungle playmat- She used to love to play on this. I attribute much of her play on this mat to learning new skills. She learned to grab toys and roll over while playing on her mat.
5. Baby bath tub- we had one that fit ontop of our kitchen sink. It was great to not have to lean down to bathe her in the tub.
6. A good travel system- others will tell you that you don't need one, but I am obsessed with my Chicco travel system. The car seat is fabulous/comfortable and the stroller folds easily and rides smoothly.
7. Micro steam bags- great for sanitizing quickly. Especially helpful for pacifiers and pump parts.
8. Lots of crib sheets!
9. Now that she's older, she loves her Jumperoo! She is starting to grow out of it, but has had sooo much fun the last few months!
Did not use:
1. Our swing. I will say that I had a baby that wasn't colicky and slept pretty well. I know some babies will only nap in their swing and for that reason they are essential. For me, I just felt like I was neglecting her when she was in her swing....but that's my issue, not hers!
Keep in mind, all babies are different! You may not know what you need...until you need it! Don't stress yourself out too much about the "essentials".
Good luck!
For us the swing was a must have and both Gunnar and I were sad to see it go.
PNP was also great to have and we still use it when we travel (which isn't often) but still great.
Tons of blankets. My mom made me 15-20 receiving blankets twice the size of what you buy in the store and we still use them.
Baby Crack Machine (i.e. white noise machine) we couldn't live without it and we still use it 19 months later.
I will agree with the travel system - wonderful, we have the Chicco also and it was great, along with an additional base if you have 2 vehicles.
Glider Rocker ...LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT.
We could have gone without the jumparoo, but due to my son being small and also having a surgery we were not able to use it that much.
Many bottles and sippy cups as they will use so many. I would also say a good diaper bag, you will get freebies at the hospital, but they just are never large enough.
We didn't have the diaper Genie, but I have heard that and a wipe warmer are the biggest YOU DO NOT NEED.
Like PP said, every baby is different. The biggest thing you will need is tons of diapers, wipes and blankets for the first few months, the cute clothes are nice but a lot of time they spend most of their time in sleepers. Lots of love and everthing else you can worry about later
I agree with the PP's that every baby is different and you'll find what will work for you as you go! But here are some of the things I loved when DD was a newborn -
SwaddleMes - LOVED them! Easy to use and she couldn't wiggle out of them.
Gerber Thermal Blankets - I don't know why, but I liked these so much better than regular receiving blankets. They just seem thicker or something!
Cloth Diapers - We used them as burp cloths, used them to put under her head when she was laying down in case she spit up, heck I even used one to bandage a cut on my foot when we were in Disney cause it was the only thing we had! LOL I think we got a 12 pack of Gerber ones from Wal-Mart and they lasted us through her first 7 - 8 months (we actually still have them, just didn't need them anymore).
Travel System - I very much agree with the others on this. We had the Graco MetroLite stoller w/ Graco Snugride newborn carseat. We still use the stroller and since it's the MetroLite it's not nearly as heavy as the bigger travel system strollers (like the Graco Quattro Tour).
Play Mat/Gym - DD loved her play gym thing and I really wished we had gotten one for her sooner than we did. That thing kept her entertained forever!
Lots of basics - diapers (however, I wouldn't recommend stocking up on a ton of newborn size since most babies will grow out of them really fast!), wipes, washcloths, blankets, crib and/or Pack and Play sheets, Onesies, sleepers/gowns, newborn hats
We probably could have done without the Boppy, but I know for a lot of breastfeeding moms it's a lifesaver. I also have an odd child who never wanted a pacifier, so I wasted a lot of money buying different ones seeing if there were any she liked and she just never took to them. Could have done without the swing. She liked it every now and then, but if we hadn't gotten it as a gift I would have been annoyed that we bought it!
I'm sure I have more for both of these lists that I'm not remembering right now...if I think of anything, I'll update
I agree with most of the previous posters, but here my personal few that we actually had to go out and buy more of...
We went through lots of washcloths in the beginning and probably still use 2-4/day.
I also have 8 waterproof basinette mattress pads that I use on the changing pad, and will throw in the diaper bag to use a changing pad, as well.
We also had to try 3 or 4 different types of bottles to we found ones with a slow enough slow nipple for DD, so I wouldn't necessarily register for a bunch of one type of bottle and nipples, but maybe for a few different kinds so you have them to try them out.
Cool mist humidifier.
Sleep sacks (we like Halo) for when your LO outgrows the swaddle but isn't old enough for a blanket.
I love bumpkin bibs - they have a pocket to catch food, don't stain or mildew, and aren't vinyl.
I have a microwave sterilizer, and I used it every day when I was pumping.
Bottle rack and bottle brushes.
We have a Diaper Champ - it uses regular kitchen bags, so it's easier and more convenient than a Diaper Genie.
If you can borrow a swing, bouncy seat, jumperoo, exersaucer, etc. I would recommend going that route, because there is no guarantee that your LO will like it.
We have a ton of blankets that we never used. DD was way too big to swaddle her in recieving blankets, unless they were the 30X40 blankets. And she didn't spit up alot, so we didn't really have a use for them as burp cloths. I wouldn't register for bibs that dont' have some sort of waterproof layer - you'll get enough cloth only bibs with outfits, and they really only work for keeping teething drool off clothing.
Things that were a waste for me:
1. receiving blankets (I used them a lot at first, but once DD got bigger I could no longer swaddle them around her). I ended up buying larger blankets-see below.
2. boppy-I ended up with supply issues and never really breastfed. I pumped for a while and the bottle fed it to her. Never used the boppy to feed her. Sometimes while feeding her on the couch I could have used it, but just grapped the nearest throw pillow and that worked fine.
3. Travel bottle warmer-never used once
4. Moby wrap- too much work invovled (bought a sling instead)
5. fridge to go tote-again never used it
6. nursing bra's-never worn once (I did wear my sleep bra's 24/7 though until my milk dried up completely)
7. Nursing tanks
8. hand mittens-they always fell off. Instead get the onesies with the cuffs built in to them.
What I couldn't have done without:
1. snugglenest- a godsend especially after having a c-section
2. sling
3. swing
4. bouncy chair- came in handy during showers
5. changing pad-never would have been able to bend over to change her after my c-section
6. hospital grade breast pump
7. mother's milk tea and outmeal-to increase my milk supply
8. a sound machine
9. aden and anais swaddle blankets (these are huge and will last a while before she would ever grow out of being able to be swaddled in it). Like a PP said, I also really like the gerber thermal blankets. They are larger than the traditional receiving blankets.
sorry for my horrible typing...
LOVE:
-Another vote for Aden and Anais swaddling blakets - we didn't even swaddle a ton, but they were so much better than the small receiving blankets. We still use them almost daily for both kids as normal blankets - love to fold them and play with them.
-Grabbing a pillow instead of our Boppy. We loved the Boppy, too, and I especially did with Amelia, but it got cumbersome to lug to all of the different places where I fed them when they were tiny, so I just grab whatever pillows are around.
-Our Sleepy Wrap and our Beco (but this is definitely one of the things that people seem to really love or really think doesn't work well for them)
-Cloth diapers. We love them tons and tons, but even if you have zero desire to cloth diaper, I agree with the above post that they're also our favorite for burp cloths and cleaning up messes.
-Footie pjs/sleepers that zip instad of snapping. So much easier than snaps with a crying and/or wiggling baby in the middle of the night!
-If we had to do it again, we would 150% just get an infant seat with a snap-n-go/stroller frame, then a lightweight compact stroller for once the baby gets bigger in lieu of a travel system.
A list of must-haves is so so so hard, though. I think the biggest thing with baby stuff it to remember that it really is "stuff" so don't overwhelm yourself with it. You can always get things as you need them, so don't feel like you need everything before your baby is born, especially if you're limited on storage space. Just choose what feels right to you and for your family:)
Didn't get much use here:
-ditto on the little receiving blankets
-most bottles and pacifiers we tried
-swings and bouncy seats, though they were convenient for things like taking a shower and having the baby right there. Definitely another thing that's very dependent on what your baby likes!A few new ideas.
Must haves for us:
Didn't use: