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South Florida Babies
useless baby items..
I was up in the Coral Springs area doing some work so I went to Buybuy baby to physically look at things that I've been doing some online research such as strollers, cribs etc. Some things I feel like I know I want others I'm still confused about. While stopping to take a phone call, I saw "peepee teepee" little teepee's that you place over a little boys peepee so they don't tinkle on you when changing! I thought it was cute but absurd and useless. What other items made for babies do you consider useless and us new mom's should stay away from? I'd love your opinions.
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Re: useless baby items..
Different strokes for different folks, right? I'm sure you'll get quite a few different answers here.
Personally - I didn't see any need for a wipe warmer or a bottle warmer. I know some who have used both and like it. As for the Diaper Genie, I didn't like the idea of having to buy special bags for it - so I used the Diaper Champ since you were able to use regular kitchen bags. Some don't feel the need for them, but I appreciated not having to go out to the garage in the middle of the night
I never got wipe warmers. I do have a bottle warmer (because I use the already prepared formula). I also got the Diaper Champ so I could use regular kitchen bags.
One thing that I never used was the infant carrier (this one:https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2663262) because ds looks SUPER uncomfortable in it.I'm going today though to get the front carrier so I can walk around the house with free hands!
It's all about preferance I guess though. You might use things that I wouldn't
Wipe warmers!! I never bought one because I thought it was pointless. 1) you have to becareful because if they dry out, you can start a fire (dh, the firefighter, was always concerned about this) and 2) i didn't want abby getitng used to a warm bum all the time, that if i didn't have warm wipes on the road, it wouldn't be a problem.
A tummy time mat. We got both the activity gym and the special tummy time mat, and we never used the tummy time mat. We used the boppy or just the regular activity gym.
Don't buy a huge box of bottles before the baby is born. We did, and Abb HATED the bottles we bought. We went through 4 different kinds before we found one she loved (btw, this isn't always the case.)
Oh, and we used our bottle warmer for the first month and that was it. It was nice to put it on our nightstand (it had a cooler that kept bottles for up to 8 hours) and just pop them in the warmer when she was in the bassinet. Now, I just microwave the water in 10 sec. intervals.
oh- and, just a littel bit of advice: register for things you'll need 6-8 months after the baby is born!! I didn't register for snack bowls, spoons, formula dispensers, etc... because I thought "man, 6 months is soooo old, it's so far away!" lol I wish I had registered for "older" baby toys and supplies!
I'm glad you said this b/c I was thinking the same thing. Why register for older baby stuff...I'll just buy them. Thnx for the advice.
We actually got a wipes warmer and it saved us. Lynda got such a bad diaper rash one time that we could only use warm wash cloths on her bottom and no to wipes. Well, the warmed held a bunch of nice washcloths for us and we didn't have to run to the sink to try and wet and warm them for her.
Never got a bumbo - never saw a need for it. We just put the boppy behind her to help her with sitting.
I'm sure we can all think of useless things...
When it comes to slings and carriers some people can go through a bunch of them before they find what works. If I were you think of what you are looking for in a sling/carrier and we can try and recommend the best one for you.
we use a wipe warmer.....spencer has sensitive skin and any time we use one that is anything more than warm, he is very unhappy. i didn't buy it though, it was a hand-me-down.
the tee-pee thing...waste of money, put a wipe over the penis when changing a boy....always worked for us. don't waste your money on buying pacifiers before hand....we bought quite a few 'cute' ones. to this day, he will only use the soothies (the ones the hospitals use).
we registered for items that we would use well beyond 12 months (i.e. potty, etc). for the first few months, there always seemed to be somethung that would make my life easier....the good thing is that someone always had one that I could try it out with!
Photo courtesy of www.yaporiginals.com
It's Beshert
Photo courtesy of www.yaporiginals.com
It's Beshert
Abby LOVED her baby papasan vibrating chair... for 2 weeks. Then she hated it. She hated her swing fo the first 3 months, now she loves it. And at 2 months, I bought a bouncy chair and she loves it to this day.
Honestly, I would register for everything lol... vibrating chair, bouncy chair, jumperoo, swing, exersaucer... keep the box, try it out, if they like them, keep it. If they hate it, return it to bru. Abby wound up hating the vibration feature and I wish we had kept the box, I would've returned the fisher price papsan chair right away. We gave it to SIL and her DD HATED the vibrations, too.
Kendall loved her swing and the bouncy was a life saver for when I needed to jump in the shower. I opted for this FP 2-in-1: https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2845527
i must also add that an activity mat, or something to that nature is a must as well. we have this one, and it keeps Spencer busy and occupied for quite sometime: https://www.tinylove.com/toy.aspx?toyId=145&state=toyTypeId=1@elementId=0@ageId=0.
Toys:
he loves the lamaze toys since he was about 4 months old. Stretch & Mortimer goes EVERYWHERE with us: https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2574126 and https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2574128.
For a long time, it was very hard to do tummy time with him. he hated it. so i would use the bumbo to help with his neck muscles. to keep him there, we used the bumbo tray has well and put this on it: https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3502331. the toys with the suction cups stick to any surface and occupy well at restaurants and in the highchair.
rings are a must! the brighter the colors, the better: https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2792403. these also have texture to them.
Anything with noise, lights that they can hold and tangle their little fingers in work well. Babies love mirrors, they don't realize it's a reflection until closer to 11-12 months, until then, they think it's a playmate.
This is all stuff I learned in a mommy class i took. I highly recommend it,and it's free at NSU for kids 6 weeks to 3 months.
Photo courtesy of www.yaporiginals.com
It's Beshert
I too wish I had registered for more "older baby" items because once the first three months passed and we were out of the newborn stage I felt like I was spending a ridiculous amount of money buying all new gear every month.
Definitely register for bowls, spoons, a few different kinds of sippy cups, a package or two of disposable bibs, either a rubber placemat or a box of disposble ones and a portable booster seat.
Register for various toys for different ages and teething rings of all different shapes and colors, bath toys, and several crib toys for different ages.
Register for a lightweight umbrella stroller you can use when your baby gets older.
Register for baby proofing items and gates.
Register for a potty.
The items I got the most use out of were the swing, the playmat, the pnp, and my plastic portable booster seat.
Also, stock up on Infant Tylenol, Motrin, Gripe Water, Mylicon and Teething supplies beforehand so you have them in the house when you need them.
Definitely have the meds on hand prior to the baby getting sick lol How many times have I had to run out to CVS at 2 am b/c I didn't have pedialyte/tylenol/humidifier/mylicon!!
Also, register for a travel high chair and a shopping cart cover!!
In addition to toys like rings and mirrors, thigns that make sounds are great! Different types of rattles- with bells inside or beads- are great when they're little for auditory development, then as they get older, it will help them develop their eye development and then it can be used for tactile development.
A sound machine is a must, too!! something with white noise, music and lights is a great combo. We have the Homemedics soundspa... it is a life saver!!
Oh, and as for useless items: I found the diaper genie to be a waste of money. It smelled regardless. We bought the $15 diaper pail at BRU and it takes any bags, so it's a lot cheaper to use. You can also buy these deodorizing discs that ccan be placed in the pail to help it smell better.
And definitely stock up on tons of burp cloths and wash cloths. You'll definitely use up a ton of them the first few months!
The only thing I could add that hasn't been mentioned, is the Itzbeen Timer.. especially if you are breastfeeding. I could not live without mine and still use it. Especially in the early days when days blend into nights and you have no clue when anything happened. It also keeps track of what side to feed on next, etc. When you have a babysitter or hand baby off to dad, they can check when the next diaper needs to be changed, next feeding etc. I can't say enough about this gadget. I will be giving it as a baby shower gift to everyone I know in the future!
https://www.itzbeen.com/
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I saw that machine way after I had Abby. Even if you don't buy it, I would definitely recommend recording, at least for the first month, when you're feeding and how much you're feeding, plus how many poopie/wet diapers you have. The Bump has a really great sheet that helps you record it all. I used theirs AND their scheduling sheet (you can black out when the baby sleeps to figure out what their "schedule" is.) I think you can find it on the bump home page!
That itzbeen gadget looks great!
I thought of something I use every day: playpen. When I'm in the kitchen or doing stuff downstairs (we live in a townhouse), this thing saves me the trouble of running up and down the stairs to check on him, etc.My mom also got one for when we go over (so he's not in the car seat the whole time).
Also-
1- read reviews or ask people about their monitors. Mine echos and has static and sound seems to bounce off of it so I hear myself talking more than I hear the baby, I definitely need a new one.
2- although it's hard because it's so cute- try not to buy baby clothes! Most people will give you a lot of newborn clothes in your shower so if anything, just wait until after the shower.
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Photo courtesy of www.yaporiginals.com
It's Beshert
i want one of these soooo badly!! If we had gotten one in the beginning, it would have saved us many a night of checking in on Abby and waking her up by accident lol
and, yes, play pen (or, the "pc" term: pack n play) is fantastic. I can put Abby in it when i have to leave the room and not worry that she's going to roll off the play matt and into tables and stuff. Plus, it was great in the beginning b/c it had the bassinet feature and changing table, and even though our house is tiny, it was nice with a newborn not to have to move her around too much.
the itzbeen and baby monitor sound awesome. I was looking at the playpen which I'd love to have at my parent's house. I've been doing research on the Arms reach co-sleeper. For those of you that breast feed do you think it's a good bassinet to have? It saves time from having to get up from bed to get the baby for a night feeding. I've read good reviews. What are your thoughts?
https://www.armsreach.com/pages/about-us-pv-c10-1.html
i love our sony monitor- it's great and picks up every little sound. however, it does pick up some interference ify ou have an iphone or g1. but i think most monitors are like that.
We have the AngleCare monitor with the motion sensor b/c DS would NOT sleep on his back after he got big enough to break out of the swaddle and it's been wonderful to not have to worry about SIDS. He sets it off occasionally when he's up against the edge of the crib, but usually he even sleeps through that now, so all we have to do is shift him slightly and it's fine again.
Next time around I would consider the Arms Reach co-cleeper (which friends have raved about) since I think that would make BFing easier at night, but on the other hand we moved DS into his crib by 3 weeks old and I have to admit that I slept better not listening to his every move and wondering if he was about to wake up. So I guess I'm still undecided on that one.
peepee teepees are totally useless - we use a washcloth or a wipe. I also agree with pp on never using a wipe warmer or bottle warmer. We also never used any baby shampoos or soaps we just use Dove soap and for laundry we use All Free & Clear.
we moved abby to her crib at 2 months nd it was the best thing we could have done. both of us slept better because i wasn't waking up every half our to peek into her bassinet and i wasn't waking her up every half hour by accident peering into her crib.
oh, and we stopped using the baby clothes detergent. I use Tide free and clear. I figured why use the baby one when half the time I was holding her anyway? So we use the dye and fragrance free one for our clothes and just used it on hers. Same thing, and way less expensive.
One thing I wish I hadn't done was buy a bunch of breastfeeding gear until I knew I was going to breastfeed. Even though I was super gung ho about breastfeeding, it ended up not working out and I ended up with a lot of crap that I either couldn't return or didn't have the energy to return.
I bought the boob compresses, the boob pads, the plastic milk things that you pump the milk into, pump, etc... and then 2 weeks after giving birth, I had a medical problem and had to stop breastfeeding. As it was, we were doing half formula anyway because I had a big baby who required much more milk than mommy could produce. I still have a crap ton of boob pads, still have the once-used but threw away the box boob compresses, and also have the plastic pump bags too, somewhere. It was too hectic to return them.
I am REALLY glad I did not buy a co-sleeper because it would have been a silly purchase considering I wasn't BFing - plus my kid hit 15lb at 2 months anyway, and it would have been a complete waste. So glad I got a PnP with a bassinet instead!
So I would advise to get what you will initially need and not go nuts about it because you have no idea what will happen. Maybe you'll have the baby and will decide you hate BFing a month into it. Maybe your milk won't come in or you just won't make *enough* like me. Save your money on BFing gear, because you never know if you may need to spend it on Formula!! LOL!
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I wish I would have looked at this post earlier. We just went to start our registry yestrday and I felt so overwhelmed. I'm going to go now to make sure I add of your must haves.
Thanks again. This is so helpful for all of us that have no clue what we are getting into.
As far as the co-sleeper consider things like how far away is your bedroom from the baby's. Our rooms are pretty close and even with having a c/s and having a really hard time getting out of bed it was worth it for me to not have her in our room. I never had to go through the transition of moving her into her room. She got used to it right from the start. I slept better knowing I had my space and she had her's. On night's where I couldn't get out of bed comfortably (especially the first week or two when I was really healing) dh would get her, change her diaper, and bring her and the boppy to me. That's what we had to do in the hospital (since I couldn't get out of bed without assistance anyway) - so we just did the same at home until I could walk without a problem.
Keep the questions coming and I'm sure you'll get lots of advice.