RE: What would you think of this? Clicky

Mrs.DeliaMarieP

Last night I posted a poll, and I wanted to update

Thank you all for sharing.  I did make the spreadsheet (it's basically just a list of reviews), finished it this morning, and if any of you would like it, please PM me your email and I will email it to you

I did not include links, but I think you all can find the items.

I do plan to ask my sister if she wants it, but it felt good to write it all down because I spent so much time researching these items, and now I can share my thoughts with you all, too!

Here is the poll for those that didn't see it:

https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/36652190/ShowThread.aspx#36652190

LittleApple

I would like to see what items you liked and didn't like.  I am a baby gear junkie.

carrann82 at gmail dot com

heyitsme

I think your idea is good-natured. I definitely thought of doing something similar for my SIL. In the end I bought her a copy of Baby Bargains and put a nice note with it telling her if she had questions about ANYTHING to please ask me. And she did!

PunkyBooster

Hey, I'd love it. The easier my life is, the better for me.

julers28 at gmail dot com

hotmama82

I think it's really nice to have it, and offer it, but I would offer it as, "I put this together when I was pregnant if you want to see it", not I made this for you.

Personally I wasn't overwhelmed at all during pregnancy, so I didn't mind doing research.

TCsbride

I put this together for my newly pregnant friend. I also had several other pages of info like....what to pack in the hospital bag, coming home survival kit, csection care, newborn baby care, baby book ideas, etc.

What You Need

-crib/dresser ? buy a good one so it?ll last through several babies?.wouldn?t worry about a convertible one unless you plan on only having one kid or plan on buying a few crib for each baby

-changing pad with two or three covers ? we slid ours under the crib, not only saves from buying an extra piece of useless furniture, but don?t have to worry about baby rolling off which is VERY easy for them to do once they are about 6 mo old

-mobile ? not a MUST have, but I really like the musical one we have, with lots of black and white, keeps them occupied when trying to go down for a nap or when they wake up, gives you a few more minutes of sleep before they start crying

-rocking chair ? HIGHLY suggest, great for night waking and breastfeeding

-bottles ? tried many different kinds ? the cheap Evenflo ones (Laura can get you a ton for free are perfectly fine) ? suggest getting the 8 oz from the start as 4 oz ones don?t last very long ? but get a few ?good ones? in case your baby has reflux/gas issues ? both Dr. Browns (I prefer the skinny ones over the wide ones) and Born Free are my favorite and last the longest ? and as long as you wash them in a dish washer, no need for microwave sterilizer

-get at least one bottle brush and a dishwasher ?cage? (munchkin ones are perfectly fine) for washing bottles ? a drying rack for them is nice, as they take forever, but defiantly not a must ? we just lay them on a towel on the counter sideways and they dry just the same

-car seat ? not sure which ones are the ?best? now, but don?t buy this used

-cool mist humidifier ? a must for runny noses ? try to find one that does not use filters

-baby bath is personally not worth it in my opinion ? it was MUCH easier for us to put the baby on my lap on top of a towel in the big bath tub ? they get SO slick and squirmy that this makes me feel the most safe ? if you want to get a bath though, pick up a used mesh sling type

-don?t waste your money on a diaper trash can ? no matter what, they smell ? it?s just as easy to put it in a plastic grocery bag ? keep a trash can either in your garage or outside a patio door and toss the garbage bag in there ? for pee diapers just toss in regular trash

-medela breast pump ? don?t waste your money on anything else and don?t buy used ? if you are worried how breastfeeding will go, you could rent on for the first month or so from the hospital (I think it?s $25/wk) and then buy it if you are still doing good, but worse case scenario, the resale on them, even used, it?s pretty high

-boppy ? this isn?t a MUST have, but it?s nice for sitting the baby up in and breastfeeding ? a pillow works perfectly fine though ? I personally bought mine used, Lysoled it and bought two new covers for it so you can rotate them when the other is dirty

-highchair ? a high chair is a high chair and you?ll probably need a new one for each kid b/c they get so gross ? just get whatever one you can find cheapest ? can probably wait till after baby is born to get this since they won?t use it until 4 mo at the easrliest

-babygate with a dood that swings open if you have stairs, regular gate for areas you just want to keep them from getting in ? also something to buy later as you won?t need until about 6 months

-bedding ? if you are decorating the nursery, I suggest a set, such as Pottery Barn that you can just buy individual pieces ? you technically shouldn?t use a bumper (because of SIDS) and they quilt is worthless ? cheapest option is just to get the crib skirt and then get a neutral colored sheet to match it ? need at least two sets of sheets, suggest three though

-swaddlers ? personally wouldn?t waste my money on all the swaddle me blankets and such ? receiving blankets (bigger ones) work perfectly fine, get lots of them though, we use them for everything

-pack n? play ? for us, this is a must ? we bought one that had a changing table and a bassinet ? we used the bassinet for the first couple weeks in our room, then we moved it out to the family room for changing diapers, and now we use it for tossing Brooke in there real quick if Luke runs outside or we need to run down to the basement real quick ? and it?s great for trips ? we have one at our house and another at grandmas and one at Todd?s (grandparents ones we bought on CL and at garage sales, just clean with Lysol wipes) ? buy two sets of bassinet sheets for the bassinet and two sets of sheets for the playyard part ? so you have one when the other is being washed ? they will get dirty ? spit up, slobber, etc ? also a ?lap? pad that is waterproof is good for the changing table part

-JJCole Bundle Me ? not a must have, but it is nice in the winter to keep from putting a big baggy coat on a newborn ? there is also ?covers? that go over the car seat which a lot of people like, but I haven?t seen them new for years

-diaper bag ? suggest a decent sized one ? we have the skip hop duo deluxe in just black and it really fits our needs ? gender neutral, fits 2 diapers for each kid, bottle on one side, bottle of water on the other, stick a few wipes in a ziplock baggie and a few toys and change of clothes and you?re set ? also goes from long strap to wear over your shoulder to two short straps to hang from the stroller

-baby activity mat ? I?d suggest just a cheap one, with lots of black and white ? with NO noise ? trust me, you?ll want as many toys as possible without noise and batteries! ? this is something that is perfectly fine to buy used too

-exercauser ? can start using about 4 months ? we have a baby Einstein one that I love, but kids love the simple one at my parent?s house just as much

-jumparoo ? you don?t NEED both, but it?s nice to have one in different parts of the house ? great thing to buy used and save some money

-carriers ? I honestly REALLY like wearing my babies ? they sleep a ton in it and I can get so much done ? a lot of moms can figure out how to breastfeed hands free with them too, but I?ve never been that talented ? I highly suggest the Moby Wrap for the newborn stage and something like the Ergo/Beco Butterfly II for 15 lbs and up

-Lansinoh and Gerber breastmilk storage bags are the best ? I saw a video on YouTube that suggested storing them in a gift bag ? cut a slit at the bottom and lay fresh bags on the top ? that way you can use up the ?older first? by pulling one through the bottom

-strollers are really a personal preference ? so you just need to get out there and test them and see what is going to work best ? I see a lot of suggestions for using the Graco snap and go for the first 6 mo or so and then switching to a umbrella stroller ? personally I wish I would have gotten our Phil and Ted?s stroller from the start since it easily converts to a double stroller but it?s pricey ? some people just use carriers and don?t get a stroller at all ? some love to run and swear by a jogging stroller ? so it?s up to you but I would not suggest a ?travel system? ? the strollers are made very cheaply and usually you?ll keep the car seat for a second child but not the stroller which will be about ready for the trash

 

princesscm99

Wow TCsbride - thanks for all that information too. 

Not having any kids yet I realize that I don't have as much credibility on this as you, but I'm going to have to completely disagree on the diaper trash can thing.  A good friend of mine has twins that I watch a lot, and she just tossed their diapers in a can.  The smell overwhelmed me so much, that I finally bought a diaper genie for her.  Made all the difference in the world to me.

TCsbride

princesscm99:

Wow TCsbride - thanks for all that information too. 

Not having any kids yet I realize that I don't have as much credibility on this as you, but I'm going to have to completely disagree on the diaper trash can thing.  A good friend of mine has twins that I watch a lot, and she just tossed their diapers in a can.  The smell overwhelmed me so much, that I finally bought a diaper genie for her.  Made all the difference in the world to me.

We cloth diaper, so I actually don't have this problem at all, BUT, I babysat a lot before having kids. Although the room may not smell like poopy diapers, it still smells, and IMO, not pleasent. It's like a covered up poop smell. When I go to any of my friends house with kids, I want to vomit when I smell the Diaper Genie fragrant. I have always had a very sensitive sense of smell though.

Regardless, we live in a fairly average house (2,000 sq ft of living space on the main floor) and it's still SO much easier to toss a poopy sposie in a trash bag and walk it to a trash can outside.

And same thing I said to her.....these are just MY findings after two kids....take it for what she wants because every mom is different.

LittleApple

I like your list TCSBride!  Very informative and true.

Mrs.DeliaMarieP

TCSBride, thanks for the info, there are a couple of things on there I forgot to add to my list

ValVail67

I think your idea is very considerate and helpful. I mean, if for some reason she actually did think you were taking away from her experience then she could just toss the list. Easy as that.

As for the Diaper Geanie thing. I agree with it not really being worth the money. They really don't completely get rid of the poop smell, & they jam up all the time. When I had DS I had registered for a Diaper Geanie, & my aunt felt the same way about it not being worth the money. So she bought me a medium- sized trash can with a lid that snapped shut, and scented trash- liners to go in it. My aunt's a little nutty, but she's really smart & did a ton for me when I had DS, so I happily used her gift & it worked perfectly! We kept the trashcan closed and in the spare bathroom, and nowhere in our house ever smelled like poop. The trash can was like $5 from the dollar store, and one bag of liners lasted us ages. Needless to say, we're not even thinking about a Diaper Geanie this time around!