do i really need all of this??

orlandolovin · February 2010

okay, so DH has asked me to start a list of all the items i intend to register for and their prices so that we know what kind of budget we're looking at.

so i've been looking (more seriously now) at everything and am wondering if i'll really need a swing AND a bouncy seat AND an exersaucer AND AND AND...can't i just get a seat that plays music, has adjustable toys and vibrates instead of buying a crapload of different things at $75-$150 a pop? what are you ladies doing?

amiserip · February 2010

I think you need the swing and bouncy seat, unless the swing is easily moved from room to room. I'm planning on using the bouncy seat to have in the bathroom with me when I take showers, but don't know if it's a must. I would prefer a swing over the seat though. I wouldn't get the exersaucer.

Qmommy · February 2010

I'm registering for all that stuff... but if I don't get it... then I wont buy it all. I'll get the swing but leave out the jumperoo and such. I'll be more selective if I have to purchase it on my own.

Brookie-Cookie · February 2010

Do you have any friends with babies? We shared a swing and an exersaucer between 3 of us. It was great. Also all those items don't have to be new and I wouldn't buy them all up front either.

You'll probably get a bouncy seat at your shower though because you can use them early on, they are a fair price, useful and fun.

I really preferred the bouncy seat to the swing though if that matters.

jayandjuliecruz · February 2010

Well, you can wait if you want to see what the baby will need. I will tell you i could not live without my swing for both of my kids. The bouncy seat was great when they were little too. And you can wait on the exersaucer, but you will want it, trust me. Check Craigslist. I just got an almost brand new exersaucer for $20. Of course i will sanitize the heck out if it, but it was a great deal. You will see bouncers and swings on there too. One piece of advice on the swing.. get one that goes back and forth AND side to side.. they are a little more pricey but SO worth it. If you can find one that plugs in that is even better. Good luck!

Oh, and are you having a shower? Surely people will buy you some of this stuff so it doesn't all have to come out of your pocket. And, at the end of the pregnancy whatever isn't purchased will be given a 10% discount to you from BRU.

CaitlinJ22 · February 2010

its good to have a swing and bouncer. To me the bouncer was my savior. I got one with lights and sound and ds stayed in it for maybe 15 minutes at a pop and loved it.

The other stuff like an exersaucer and jumperoo are great, at least one is necessary IMO. There comes a point that baby gets board every 10 minutes and cant sit by themselves yet, so you need places to put them to get stuff done.

But you dont need it all now. Get a bouncer or swing or both, but dont worry about the other stuff yet. I would register for them in case someone whats to get it for you...but dont stress over it now.

stpetegirl · February 2010

Need is hard to define, babies get by everyday without any of that stuff. I would recommend getting a swing and the small vibrator. You won't need an exersaucer for awhile and you can get one cheap on CL, just be sure to clean and sanitize. You will need a high chair, but you could probably get by with one of the small ones that straps to a dining room chair which would last longer. You only need a pack n play if you plan to spend the night other places, I never used mine at home. What else are you thinking of?

niccole_e · February 2010

You don't need anything, but I will say I did get all of that for my shower and my son used it all at different stages and they were all great for me to get a few minutes to myself and entertain him. I had gotten the fisher price rainforest bouncer, swing and jumperoo. The bouncer was a godsend for his colick, the swing for when he was 3 months + to get him to nap/sleep (the only way) and the jumperoo so I could take a shower.

We have a 2 story house so the jumperoo was upstairs and the exersaucer was downstairs.

not all babies are the same though so what worked for mine might not for others.

la79al · February 2010

We got a swing at our shower. I bought a bouncy seat (and DD practically lived in it. I got the infant to toddler bouncer/rocker so technically I could pull it out of the attic again and DD could use it now). I got an exersaucer at a yard sale for $3. I borrowed my cousins jumparoo. Shop yardsales, consignment sales, thrift shops. Once you realize how little they actually use most of the stuff, you'll be glad you shopped around and put a little extra effort into cleaning up/disenfecting.

SparkleK · February 2010

I'm also due in Aug (aka at the tail end of garage sale season). I will be hitting garage sales to find gently used stuff. No way am I paying $100+ each for all that crap, especially since we're only having one kid.

koat · February 2010

My children loved both the bouncy seat and the swing, we have both of those. We won't be getting an exersaucer or anything like that unless it's gifted to us.

A PNP isn't needed if you have a crib (unless, like PP said, you travel to other people's houses). We'll be getting a small one to stick in the back of the car.

We're getting a booster seat/high chair jobby that attaches to a dining room chair. It can be used longer than a high chair, takes up less room and travels.

Things that are geared towards older infants, I wouldn't get right now. Register for them if you like, but if you don't get them, there's always stuff second hand on CL and other sites like that.

jolibebe · February 2010

We are getting a swing, bouncer and play mat. The bouncer definitely from suggestions of needing it to keep in the bathroom when you shower. We are waiting on the exersaucer until later when we need it.

katie1209 · February 2010

I registered for a bouncer, a swing and a jumperoo. A bouncer (the infant seat thing) should be helpful when the baby is brand new, the swing for a little while later, and then the jumperoo even later. I would say register for all of it because if you are having a shower, you'll most likely get all three. I have a friend that just had her shower and she registered for like 2 bouncers, an exersaucer, a jumperoo and the jumpy thing that attaches to the doorframe. That is just excessive. Besides, who wants all that crap all over their house!?

FooBride · February 2010

How big is your house? The things I had for DD and used everyday, multiply times a day, in the beginning were the swing, the bouncy (b/c it was portable) and the playmat/gym. She rotated around those constantly in different parts of the house. I had a second playmat for the downstairs playroom b/c moving all the little toys that go with it became annoying.

Some people keep a pack n play open in their house, I did not, I would always have her nap and changed in her room. I would say you'll want one if you ever travel.

I bought DD a jumperoo (instead of an exersaucer) at 4mos b/c that was when she was ready to use it developmentally. I bought the highchair just before we started feeding her solids at 6mos.

aldyn · February 2010

We never got a swing and I never missed it. They're just so huge and they eat batteries. I was never in a situation with DD where I though, "I wish I had a swing I could put her in"

We never had a bumpo (sp?) seat, again, never felt like I needed it.

I got a boppy from a friend, but I never used it for nursing. It just didn't fit right - maybe I have a long torso or something

I did have a bouncy seat - that was great for a few months.

We got a bouncer used off Craigslist - she'd be OK in that for MAX 10 minutes, most of the time after 5 minutes she'd want a change of scenery.

We never got an activity center.

Aliliv · February 2010

There's little in the way of actual need, but.....

The swing, FP infant to toddler rocker, play gym, and jumperoo (hate the exersaucer) were/are very useful and use a lot.

There is a lot of stuff on the market that is pushed as a "need" by manufacturers, but be careful because a lot of the stuff is specifically recommended against for use.

jolibebe · February 2010

aldyn:

We never got a swing and I never missed it. They're just so huge and they eat batteries...."

The battery thing is why we are getting the Graco Sweetpeace...you can plug it in.

WiscoMom67 · February 2010

I got a bouncer and swing in one... The seat has a "stand" of sorts on it, and you can lift it off the swing frame and set it on the floor. It was the model in the link, but we got it for just under $100 because it was bought online and returned to the store (it's an online only item) - but was never used. (You could always wait for a BRU coupon/sale.) This is my first child, so I haven't used it yet, but we've tried everything out and it looks good!

https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2845527

orlandolovin · February 2010

Brookie-Cookie:
Do you have any friends with babies? We shared a swing and an exersaucer between 3 of us. It was great. Also all those items don't have to be new and I wouldn't buy them all up front either.

You'll probably get a bouncy seat at your shower though because you can use them early on, they are a fair price, useful and fun.

I really preferred the bouncy seat to the swing though if that matters.

several of my aunts just finished having kids and i know there will be a few things passed to me, but no one has mentioned specifics yet, so i'm trying to have all of my bases covered.

jennygirlmt · February 2010

I registered for a swing/bouncy seat by Fisher Price. It is both and in the end turns into a toddler seat. I figured it's versatility made it worth it, esp if baby hates swinging.

I wasn't going to get a -saucer or jumperoo or anything but just decided to add the jumperoo. I don't think my nephew is working his legs quite enough since my brother doesn't have any of these things. But that's all I'm getting.

canamama · February 2010

An exersaucer was a hit with both of my kiddos and it was a good place for them to hang out while I took a shower or put dishes away or something.

orlandolovin · February 2010

koat:
My children loved both the bouncy seat and the swing, we have both of those. We won't be getting an exersaucer or anything like that unless it's gifted to us.

A PNP isn't needed if you have a crib (unless, like PP said, you travel to other people's houses). We'll be getting a small one to stick in the back of the car.

We're getting a booster seat/high chair jobby that attaches to a dining room chair. It can be used longer than a high chair, takes up less room and travels.

Things that are geared towards older infants, I wouldn't get right now. Register for them if you like, but if you don't get them, there's always stuff second hand on CL and other sites like that.

i'll definitely start looking for CL/garage sale items and won't register for stuff like the exersaucer that won't be used until later. i was thinking of doing the booster seat that attaches to a chair instead of a high chair, but i didn't know if that's something recommended for everyday use or just travel. and i will need a PNP because my family lives only a few hours away and we'll be there all the time on weekends.

Thanks! everyone has been so helpful!

Amoret · February 2010

Loved having a swing and bouncer. Never had an exercaucer, jumperoo, or anything with lights/sounds/hanging toys etc. and DS is perfectly fine. I did end up getting him a walker when he was about 7 or 8 mos. old because he refused to crawl and desperately wanted to walk.

MrserinJ · February 2010

Key items for me with DS were bouncy seat, swing, playpen, receiving blankets and sleepers. I really had no use for the bassinet (used the playpen), cutsey outfits for newborns (they puuke on them right away). I also didn't use the bathtub, it was too cold and DS hated it. But we got the little thing that sits in the big tub and they can kind of lay against it. There is a lot of fancy stuff now, and I'm sure some of it is helpful but by the time you figure out how to use it, it just would have been easier to not have it! LOL Good luck

karatechrissy · February 2010

Qmommy:
I'm registering for all that stuff... but if I don't get it... then I wont buy it all. I'll get the swing but leave out the jumperoo and such. I'll be more selective if I have to purchase it on my own.

This.

broncoalum97 · February 2010

DD loved her swing, she took naps in that then in her crib/PNP for awhile.

They also make a FP travel swing that you could use instead and also use it if you travel (which for us works great since we're in Detroit, in-laws are in Chicago & SIL is in Pittsburgh) it was small enough to travel. & I used it to put my the bathroom when I showered.

I love my PNP, even at almost 2 yrs old DD sleeps in it when we travel & we like it better then hotel ones since some even charge for theirs! We also used it on our main floor since I was to avoid going up & down the stairs after giving birth.

Never got a jumperoo or bouncy thing...but we got the Exersaucer....the best deal is the 3-in-1 instead of just the regular one.....it starts out as a floor mat (so that way you don't have to get a playmat), then turns into the thing they stand in, and then when they walk, they can play around it....DD at 2 still plays w/it sometimes, so for 2 yrs it has gotten it's moneys worth out of it...

Don't feel bad to register for these things: my swing & stroller were bought by groups of people, so have some higher priced items so if a group wants to go in on something they can get these things...

Also we skipped the high chair & bought the booster seat, so it took up less space, and i then bought another one to keep exclusively in the car whenever we go places, it's been a huge help instead of always taking ours off the chair each time....works great when you go to houses that don't have kids...

GL!

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