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November 2011 Moms
Andrea Cohoon
member
Love/Hate baby gear?
Andrea Cohoon
member
I know our board was filled with suggestions and questions throughout the summer and early fall about "must haves" and "unnecessary" baby gear. I'm very interested in knowing what you now view as a must have and what you consider a waste.
For me: Must have: FP Rock-n-Play and the FP Seahorse. Waste: Boppy -- doesn't work for breastfeeding and little one screams when it gets near him.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Love/Hate baby gear?
Must have: sleep sheep (DS won't sleep without it), bouncer, 500 onesies (i thought i had WAY too many but DS goes through probably 5 of them each day), boppy (works great for BFing for me...maybe since i'm really large chested)
waste: i actually think i have used everything that i got so far.
Love: Boppy, swaddlers, moby, breast pump, gerber cloth diapers (for burp cloths)
Waste: swing (but maybe he'll like it later), bassinet
So far (7 weeks in)...
Must have: bouncy seat, lots of bottles, tons of clothes, receiving blankets, burp cloths, rock n play, snap n go frame to turn car seat into stroller, pacifiers, mei tai carrier.
Have not used: baby bath tub (I just take him into the shower and he loves it), crib (expect to use when he's older obviously)...that's about all I can think of. I returned most of the gifts I got that didn't seem useful. We don't have any extra money so I wanted to make sure everything we had was going to be put to use.
Another category--things I thought I wouldn't want, but do: bottle warmer, real changing table, and a wipe warmer because LO screams when I use cold wipes on him and it makes me sad!
Must haves: MyBrest Friend nursing pillow..my arms would fall off without this! Swing, swaddle me blankets, Snap n' Go, Baby K'Tan, Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper and the video monitor (LOVE it because our LO cries out in his sleep and squirms a lot so I can see if he's really awake or just moving around).
Waste: Bouncer (my LO doesn't like it at all)
This. I use mine as a cushion to sit on when nursing in bed. I bruised my tailbone during delivery and it is the perfect remedy to my pain.
Love: Chicco Pack n' Play - the option for it to vibrate is a life saver. Otherwise - swing, Medela PISA, SwaddleMe's
Waste - boppy (though DH likes it for the laptop), bottle warmer
It's very interesting with DD 2. She seems to hate everything that was a must with DD 1.
Things DD 1 loved but DD 2 doesn't use: bouncer, pacifier, and boppy.
Both of my girls have loved the swing and swaddle me blankets. I also am an exclusive pumper and love my Madela PISA.
Love: Swing, Fleece sleepers w/ snaps, Lots of bibs (DD is a messy eater), Boppy (when I was BFing not so much now but FI likes to use it when he feeds her.)
Waste: Bouncer (she hates it.), Swaddle Blankets (she hates being swaddled), Pacifiers (Currently she wont take one but we're working on it.)
Wish I had: More bottles (we haven't found one's that work really well but when we do I'm going to buy TONS because I hate washing them all the time.) More warm sleepers (since she hates being swaddled) Baby Monitors (Didn't think we needed them because our house is small but she doesn't cry loud enough to hear from room to room.) Some sort of sleep noise thing.
Must-haves: cozy cover for car seat, snugabunny swing, boppy pillow, breast pump, plenty of clothes (to match his plenty of pee leaks), baby monitor (didn't think I would need one for our small apartment), swaddles, pacifiers!!
Not LO's favorites: pack n play (still useful though)
I still want to buy the FP seahorse...maybe for LO's christmas present
Overall, we have been really lucky that everything we bought has been great! LO isn't really picky about things and my husband finally appreciates the money I spent on the things we have for baby.
Must-Have: Bouncy seat, breastflow bottles, pacifiers
Waste: The boppy. Though, it made a great pillow to sit on after giving birth.
Must-haves- Swaddles sacks, sound machine (great for chilling out my LO during diaper changes!), multiple diaper caddies (great having one on each floor of my house so I don't always have to run upstairs to change him), FP Rock N Play, Moby Wrap (so I can give my arms a break and get things done around the house).
Waste- Swing (my LO liked it for maybe a week and now hates it), Pack N Play (I have yet to even use it and Im not even sure why I would...might be more useful later on).
Must haves: Co-sleeper bassinet is a lifesaver, love the sleep gowns, love my boppy, fast flow nipples, pamper sensitive wipes, pack n' play w/ bassinet, baby tub, playtex drop ins bottles
Waste: Diaper genie, short sleeved onesies (too cold), pampers thick wipes (I don't like them), swing (she only kind of likes it right now), thin receiving blankets (she doesn't like being swaddled)
Must Have: Boppy (DD sleeps in it on the couch next to me most of the day and uses it for tummy time), snugabunny swing, Little Lamb bouncer, Travel Lite Crib, Evenflo Comfi and Nuk bottles, Gerber burp rags, baby bath tub, Graco travel system, Sit and Stand Double Stroller and oversized flannel receiving blankets for swaddling (made by a friend).
This is my second and so far everything that DD#1 liked DD#2 likes. The only thing I had with #1 that I consider a waste was the Bumbo, I had to practical use for it. She tolerated it just fine, but I found it pointless.
my read shelf:
Must have: Boppy (not sure how I could nurse without it), an old hand-me-down FP glider that doesn't glide 99% of the time, but it is the only thing DD will sleep in, FP seahorse, newborn clothes, diaper genie, blankets, and changing table.
Waste: bassinet, burp cloths/bibs (DD never spits up), PNP, but may prove useful if I bother setting it up
, and bouncer, but it may work when she is bigger. Now, she slumps forward because it doesn't incline enough.
Want to Try: Moby, FR rock n play, sleep sheep, and FP snugabunny swing.
Like: Rock N Sleeper, Breast Milk storage bags, Boppy, multiple Diaper caddy's, Playtex Drop-Ins, Snuza monitor, and swing
Dislike: Swaddle blankets
Love: fp my little lamb seat, chicco key fit car seat, side snap shirts to wear Under sleep sacks for bed, sleep sacks, boppy, cloth diapers for burp clothes
Hates: angel care monitor, swing( he doesn't like it right now), swaddle blankets, having too many l/s onesies in newborn size
Must-haves: Boppy, cotton receiving blankets for swaddling, wipe warmer and cloth wipes, car seat adapter for City Mini, snap-up and zip-up onesies, baby bathtub, washcloths / burp cloths, vibrating seat, G-Diapers (cloth diaper inserts during the day, biodegradable ones at night)
Waste (so far): heavy fleece onesies and PJs (too hot!), Halo SleepSacks (LO hates them and can break out of them), changing pad covers (we just use old towels most of the time)
Not sure: Ameda Elite hospital-grade pump. Great for home, but I can't imagine transporting this thing back and forth to work in a couple months. It's BIG.
Want to try: Sleep Sheep, some sort of swing
Love: My little lamb swing (most of the time), Giraffe Sound Soother (LO goes completely silent when its turned on), Boppy (is now sleeping on it during the night and used during occasional feedings and play time), Wipe Warmer (LO screams when we use room temp or wipes from the packs! He loves the warm wipes) Moby (Just bought this one because I had the ERGO but LO loves the wrap versus the ergo with the insert)
Waste: PNP with bassinet for right now. I know we might use it when LO gets a little older for play time. Luv U Zoo playmat (LO hates laying down underneath it and doesn't stay content but maybe 2-4 minutes.
Must haves: Snugabunny swing (has saved our life multiple times!), RnP, cloth diapers to use as burp cloths, swaddle blankets, diaper genie, boppy, GAS DROPS!
Wastes: Sleep sacks, soothe and glow sea horse, bottle warmer, nb socks - he just kicks them off, the 90 fleece blankets we got
There's a bunch of stuff we haven't used yet, but I think may still come in handy down the road...
Must Haves: angelcare monitor, bouncer, playtex drop ins (was using avent and hated having to wash the bottles constantly), carter's newborn clothes (LO was a preemie and these clothes fit him best when he was moving out of preemie size),
Wastes: swing, play mat (I'm hoping he may eventually like the playmat.. he is 8 weeks and has zero interest right now), RnP, swaddle blankets
Love:
Hate: