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Babies: 3 - 6 Months
Advice from the "Elders"???
Hi everyone, I'm somewhat new to TheBump Community & just recently new to being pregnant. My husband & I are starting to figure our finances for this next year and with all the expenses for the baby. Any advice on what we'll HAVE to have & what we really shouldn't even bother with? Appreciate any advice you might share! Yea we're pregnant : D
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Re: Advice from the "Elders"???
If you knew how lonely my life has been And how long I've been so alone And if you knew how I wanted someone to come along And change my life the way you've done
Make a pregnancy ticker
If you knew how lonely my life has been And how long I've been so alone And if you knew how I wanted someone to come along And change my life the way you've done
Make a pregnancy ticker
Here's my list of stuff for the first 6 months (up until LO starts on solids, in which case there's a lot more stuff I could add to the list!)
Things we couldn't live without:
- Pacimal
- Pack n' Play (we had DD in our room for 3 months)
- Rock n' Play
- Moby wrap and/or Ergo (or some other kind of carrier)
- Video Monitor (we have the Summer Infant one) - it's nice to be able to check on DD without going into her room if we hear a noise. Sometimes she's just moving around in her sleep and going in to check on her would wake her up
- Aden + Anais muslin blankets - these were the only blankets we could get a good tight swaddle with! They're light enough for use in the summer, too.
- Car Seat (duh!) - we love the Chicco KeyFit 35 and the Chicco Cortina stroller
- Breast pump (if you plan to BF) and a hands-free pumping bra. I hated pumping until I got the hands free bra (mine's a Simple Wishes one from Amazon.com). Now I can pump and bump at the same time!
Things that are nice to have:
- Play mat (we have the Lamaze outer space one, and it's kept DD entertained for 6 months!)
- Jumparoo
- Swing (DD has always liked the swing, but it hasn't been a necessity for us)
- Homedics Sound Spa Lullaby - DD liked watching the projections while listening to white noise. Warning: They break ALL. THE. TIME. I've heard several complaints from other moms about how their projector stopped working, then all of a sudden ours broke too. The sound still works, which is the most important part, but I wish the projector still turned!
Waste of money:
- Wipe warmer
- Snap n' Go - we thought it'd be nice to be able to bring a lightweight stroller in the car rather than lugging the heavier stroller, but I haven't used this since DD was 1 week old. Our Chicco Cortina stroller easily fits in my trunk, and it's never too heavy to lift on my own. I never liked the idea that the Chicco Keyfit car seat didn't snap into it, so I'd rather play it safe and bring the bigger stroller.
Us too. I also couldn't live without swaddleme blankets, sound sleeper machine, seahorse... I'll try and keep thinking for you! Those are all sleep essentials for us.
We also never use our PNP. We only used it for two weeks when she began sleeping in our room, but we moved her to her own room quickly.
Must Have: A supportive and knowledgeable husband.
I drilled MH with as much baby knowledge as I could soak up, took him with me to several prenatal appointments so he could get to know my MW and ask any questions he may have, and I always reminded him that yes, things are going to change but it'll be for the better, we both just have to keep our minds open for the change.
ok, ok...a material must have? My Ergo. I had a cheaper carrier that I used when she was tiny, but after she hit 8lbs it started killing my back. The Ergo is soooo worth the money.
Our must have items:
-Boucy seat. (lo loves it and it was the only way I could take a shower when I was home by myself during my maternity leave)
-RockNPlay. (this is the ONLY thing dd will sleep in! Yes, still. We had a packnplay which has been useless so far)
-Swing. (we have the My Little Lamb swing. That thing saved us! DD loved it right off the bat)
-Aiden&Aiden blankets. (exactly like a pp said...great for swaddling and light enough for summer time)
-Breast pump. (I planned to bf, and when it didn't work out I was SO glad I had the brest pump ready. I EP'ed for 9 weeks)
That's all I can think of right now!
We LOVE LOVE LOVE our snap and go and use it all the time. Our other stroller is a jogging stroller and not good for malls or stores or restaurants.
Also could not do it without the Boppy and not just for BF.
We had 2 weeks where we couldn't live without the swing. Before and since, it was not a must have, but for those two weeks it was priceless.
LO is not all about the Bumbo. The tummy time mats are easily replaced by a blanket we already have.
Love saving money using cloth diapers.
My biggest money saving recomendation is not to be afraid to buy the things you only use the first few months used or borrow from a friend. The swing, bouncy chair, bumbo, ect really are only used the first 3-4 months.
And also figure out your parenting style before you invest in some big ticket items. It will help you decide on what to splurge on. I am all about wearing my LO in the Ergo and having a good stroller for walking outside, so we splurged on those things. We only had LO sleep in her bassinet for 6 weeks, so we borrowed that.
Must haves:
Swing
Jumperoo
Swaddle-me blankets (we had 3 and used them every day until DS rolled)
Soothie pacis (the hospital gave us one)
LOTS of bibs/burp cloths
Breast pump
Waste:
Boppy (I EBF but don't really use this at all, at first he was too tiny and then it was just annoying carrying it around the house)
must haves for us: swing, bumbo,wrap/carrier, swaddle me blankets, breast pump, jumperoo.
The bumbo is a maybe for some people so we borrowed one first to try it and LO liked it. She can sit in the kitchen while I cook. The breast pump is a MUST HAVE if you plan on BF at all. We were going to EBF but it didnt work out and I have been able to EP ever since. LO had to be swaddled in order to sleep for the first 3 months so get something for that...swaddle mes worked for us, we didnt try the A&A blankets but they sound awesome!
A supportive husband is a necessity too like PP said.
And honestly we got a lot secondhand. I went to garage sales, Once upon a child, and looked for sales online. I bought the breast pump new, our crib, her carseat and stroller...but the rest of it came from shower gifts or I got at a sale. You'd be surprised how much you can find that is barely used or used at all. We have so many things that we don't use now. We use the PnP for a changing table and that's it..she doesn't like the FP seahorse I bought, and we have about 30 different bottles in our cupboard. we had to go thru 5 diff. brands to find one she liked. And a lot of her clothes still have the tags on them. 
There is very little that you "need" except a car seat. You never know what your LO will like. If there is a consignment shop in your town I would shop there. I have a tiny place, so I have really tried to limit what I buy. That being said:
Ergo Baby (I hated the moby)
Bouncer seat
play gym
a small crib that I roll around the house (stokke, it's expensive, but I love it)
Stroller, we never use it, but I like the looks of a snap n go thing.
musts:
halo sleepsack with swaddle
LOTS of bibs & burp cloths (the best burpcloths are the home made ones- bigger and more absorbant)
whale of a tub- we still use it. DS loves bath time and we put it on the counter (a real back saver)
Big blankets- great for tummy time, wrapping up if baby is cold, covering car seat, etc. (mine are 2 pieces of flannel sewn together by friends)
playmat- DS still loves his
High chair- ours has wheels and I just wheel him around the kitchen/1st floor. He loves to see whats going on and I also cook alot so it's nice having him in the kitchen
lots of sleepers
We use cloth diapers to save money
I BF for health reasons 1st then for convienence and lastly for cost
Breast pump, breast pads, storage bottles
Rock & play- we used this for a few weeks before he went to the crib but it was great for visiting family/friends and babysitters.
Honestly every baby is different ... my DD hated her bouncer, loves her play mat (which I bought from a consignment store for $15)
There are lots of baby items that are nice to have; bouncer, pack and play etc.
It all depends on how you decide to parent once LO arrives. My style really changed to fit her needs, so there were a few things I thought were really necessary that turned out not to be.
You will need the basics though:
A crib or bassinet - you will want to put your LO somewhere safe once in a while!
Diapers (buy 2 small packs of 2 smaller and then smaller sizes)
Wipes
A baby bath tub or sling for the big tub
Baby wash, lotion, and bum creams
10 Onesies (try to find some with long sleeves and short), 3 Pj's and 2 comfy pants, one sweater and 3 pairs of socks and 1 hat and one adorable little outfit you cannot resist (if your LO is due in the colder months - you will want a snowsuit for them) This little bit will get you by for about 3 weeks until you know want you like and what you want.
Car seat as PP
Carrier of some sort, or stroller
A breast pump (manual is good enough if you're not planning to be a pumper - you really just need it to relieve the pressure for the first few weeks) and 3 good supportive comfy nursing bras if you choose to EBF
Bottles
formula if you decide to FF
Monitor if LO rooms away from your room
Blankets!!! lots of receiving blankets ... great for swaddling, spit ups, cuddles, burp cloths, games, feeding times ...
Have fun .. enjoy your pregnancy ... it goes so fast!
ok for play:
playmat
swing
jumparoo(when they are older)
don't need it but like our bumbo
sleep:
first think about where your lo will sleep at night and during the day. We got a pack n play and never used it...because we have a one floor condo. If our rooms where upstairs then we would have!!
rock and play sleeper
swaddle blankets(halo)
travel crib
feeding(we are bf but i pump):
medla pump
breast pads
sleep bras
cover
boppie
my breast friend
dr. brown bottles
lots of extra pump parts and containers to pump in
pump freezer bags
car plug for pump
waste of our money:
sheet protectors!!!!!!!!!!!
lounger
shoes other than robeez
blankets
also love our snap and go
monitor
beco
Swaddlemes, swing and bouncy seat for sleeping (LO has acid reflux so we never really used the PNP but now that he is getting over it, we'll try again), bumbo, electric breastpump, bebe au lait nursing cover.
I have to say that most of our must haves are not necessarily things YOU must have. My DS#1 LOVED the bouncy, and the swing was just ok. DS#2 was the opposite. Or you may get a kid who HATES both.
Get a car seat. Get something to carry the baby (baby carrier or stroller) and something for the baby to sleep in.
Anything else is just gravy :-)
Cam 6.6.10 - Autism, Global Developmental Delay, Mixed Receptive/Expressive Communication Disorder
this. we just used blankets for swaddling - no bouncer or swing. a cheap play mat, no special diaper bag, no wipes warmer.
Every baby certainly is different. My only suggestion on top of the many great ones above this.. is that if you plan on having more children choose gender neutral things like bouncers and bumbo's, strollers and car seats.. These things will certainly last and are worth the initial investment. But here is my list of must have's above car seat, crib etc:
swing (yes it's only for a short time, but you will be able to shower)
Dr. Brown's bottles.. I love them
camera, yes you will want a good camera
changing table (any will do, we got a cheap one with our first and for the new baby we just spray painted it and it looks so much better!)
deluxe fold and go diapering kit.. I love it because I don't use a diaper bag, just a big purse
honestly there are things YOU will need after having the baby that no one will want to tell you:
big underwear
pads.. lots of pads,
baggy sweats
advil or equivalent pain reliever
sports bras that will be nice and tight if you don't bf to help dry up milk and relieve pressure
that's all I can think of.. hope it's helpful! and don't go crazy getting everything like diapers and formula ahead of time. wait and see what is best.. the stores won't close, i promise.
Figure out what is important enough for you to spend extra money on it and what isn't.
Look at Craigslist or in stores for used crib sets. We ended up getting a set used as a floor sample at a baby furniture store for half of what it was worth, and we had friends that found a beautiful, new-looking set for their baby on Craigslist.
Be willing to take whatever clothing people will give you. We took whatever people offered, and I sorted through it at home and determined what I wanted to use and what I didn't. Most of it looked new, and as you will find out, babies grow out of stuff SO quickly that chances are much of the clothing was only worn once before being passed on to my LO! I know this will be the case with many of the new items we received. Anyway, I have saved so much money because I have only bought a total of three outfits for LO, and the rest were given to us! When she's old enough to care about hand-me-downs I'll buy new clothes, but at this point she could care less and there are many other things I'd rather spend the money on! Also, people will buy you clothing whether you register for it or not, so I really wouldn't worry too much about buying a lot yourself.
Leave the tags on things until you use them. For example, we received SO many blankets and onesies and various things that we then realized we didn't need, and we were able to return them or exchange them for things we did need. Many baby stores will take the item or exchange it without a receipt if they have the same product in stock and it's new with tags.
eBay is fabulous for maternity clothes. I bought a few Pea in the Pod items that were only worn a couple times and looked new for great prices (like an $85 silk shirt for $10!).
Must haves for us have been: Tiny Loves Playmat ( I would never get anything done if it wasn't for that thing), swing, pnp, changing table (wasn't going to get one but decided to at the last minute and so happy we did!), JJ Cole Bundleme (I know some people aren't fans, but we love ours), sunshade for the car, halo sleepsacks, Angel Care Monitor
Could definitely live without: Bouncer (used maybe 6 times), Boppy (never used it), Bumbo DS likes it ok, but I don't like to put him in it, a lot of people talk about putting their babies in it while they cook or clean, but I REALLY don't think it's safe to put him in it if your not with in arms reach. It seems like he can fall out of it really easily...