XP: how important are these baby items?
3litttlebirds
member
Trying to figure out a list of things I need for the baby, so that I can maintain some sort of budget here. Hoping to get the input of STMs! Thoughts? Thanks!
*baby washcloths/towels- can a baby not use the regular washcloths/towels that you already have? I know the baby ones are probably softer, but are they necessary?
*booties/socks- do they even stay put on a baby? I imagine them falling off all the time. would footed onesies just be better?
*mittens- seeing as baby will be born in the winter, I don't want his little hands to get cold....but same with the socks, won't they keep falling off? I don't see us being in and out of the cold a lot, just to and from the car quickly.
*dresser top changing pad- I nixed the idea of a changing table and thought I'd go with the changing pad on top of the dresser, but then wondered how often I'd even use that. So I was thinking maybe the washable/disposable changing sheets to throw over a chair/bed may be better for me to be able to change him anywhere.
*crib soother toy/mobile- I know lots of babies like these, but is it something I need right away or can I wait a few months until we move baby in his own room (and out of our bedroom)
*bumbo seat- how much use do you actually get out of these? seems kind of expensive for something you wouldn't use too long.
Re: XP: how important are these baby items?
From my experience:
- baby washcloths/towels - Definitely not needed.
- booties/socks - My December baby kicked them off constantly. We did much better with footed sleepers.
- mittens - Don't need. Some of the long sleeve onesies have cuffs that will fold over hands and that's what we used when we needed them.
- dresser top changing pad - Love ours. It's where we primarily change diapers. Sure we do it elsewhere around the house, but it's nice to have all the stuff in one place for heavier duty jobs.
- crib soother toy/mobile - Couldn't have lived without ours once he was in the crib - but absolutely not necessary while the baby is in your room.
- bumbo seat - Total waste for us. He hated it.
*baby washcloths/towels- You an use regular ones. I do like having a couple of hooded towels. They're a good size for baby.
*booties/socks- Socks are nice if you get some that stay on. Carter's brand worked for us. The problem with footie anything is they're a PITA for diaper changes
*mittens- babies use their hands to self-soothe. LO had marks on his thumbs when he was born from sucking on the in the womb. I think it's cruel to cover them up. Just my opinion.
*dresser top changing pad- I think these are a must. I guess you could live without one... but it's nice to have something waterproof to lay baby on. You'll get peed on and pooped on mid-diaper change. More than once
*crib soother toy/mobile- LO couldn't have cared less. i think it depends on the baby.
*bumbo seat- get one at a consignment store or borrow one. They're nice to have but just for a short time. We used our with the tray as a high chair for a while. We also liked putting suction toys on the tray.
*baby washcloths/towels- I think Baby could use regular towels, but make sure you have a towel/towels/wash clothes dedicated to baby. I know with DD we washed all her stuff separately with dye free scent free detergent.
*booties/socks- DD was a winter baby and so will DS be. I ALWAYS put socks on under the footed sleepers. Their little toes get so cold so quick it was nice to have the extra layer. I also would put tights on under outfits on cold days when I knew we were going to be out and about
*mittens- Mittens aren't so much for warmth, but to keep baby from scratching their face. With that said I preferred onesies with built in fold down mittens, but had a pair or two for times when she had a onesie on that didn't have fold down sleeves
*dresser top changing pad- You are going to want something soft to hold baby, although if you are really pinching pennies a receiving blanket on the couch or bed would work.
*crib soother toy/mobile- This can totally wait
*bumbo seat- Wouldn't consider having a child without owning one. This thing was literally my life saver.
baby washcloths/towels: we used these a lot. But, we didn't have "adult" washcloths handy. I like the baby towels because they have the head cover, and they weren't too big. When DD was little I felt like an adult towel would swallow her.
booties/socks: You will want them, because not every outfit has feet. But I do prefer footie PJs and such to non-footies when its cold out. But, young infants aren't good at regulating body temperature, so they can get too hot or too cold easier than an adult. You will need them, and yes, they will probably fall off.
mittens: they're not really used to keep hands warm but more to prevent baby from scratching his/her face! It's VERY hard to trim newborn nails, and they are oh so sharp!
dresser top changing pad: we used ours a TON. The one that came with the PNP was too short (DH & I are tall) and hurt my back. Plus, it was located right next to all our diapers/wipes/creams etc so I wouldn't have to make special trips to get changing supplies when it was time to change a diaper. Also, DD was in our room for the 1st 3-4 months so we had the changing station set up in our bedroom, and then moved it later.
crib soother toy/mobile: we didn't get one for DD until she was about 6 months. And then it was a gift from her grandparents. She liked it ok, but, I can't say it did anything to help her sleep in her crib or fall asleep on her own.
bumbo seat: we had the bebepod. And we used it a TON...for about 2 months. But, we're using it for #2 also, and I'd say I totally got our $ worth for the amount of use it did get even for such a short time.
*booties/socks- Footed Sleepers are easier. Have a few pairs of socks, but not much for newborn.
*mittens- Unnecessary. I had one pair because my son scratched himself, but he hated them.
*dresser top changing pad: We had one and rarely used it. I typically put a changing pad on the floor or bed.
*crib soother toy/mobile- Not necessary but I think a little nice to have. My son liked his mobile.
*bumbo seat: Not necessary, but they can be nice to have. We didn't use ours a ton though.
*baby washcloths/towels- They are softer and smaller towels may be easier to handle with a small baby. We used baby towels/washcloths and regular ones.
*booties/socks- DD was born in the summer so she didn't wear socks often, except at night when she kicked them off. We just now found some she would keep on but they were expensive. With this LO being a winter baby, I'm going to get some socks as well as some footed pajamas/outfits
*mittens- Probably unnecessary. You could just put socks on his hands! lol You can buy long sleeve onuses with cuffs on the end to fold over the hands to keep from scratching their face and to keep them warm.
*dresser top changing pad- We went with the pad rather than the whole table. We actually used our bed more often with a water proof cover that can be put in a bassinet.
*crib soother toy/mobile-We used a sleep sheep. DD didn't use the mobile much at all and wasn't even interested in it until she was older and wanted to pull it down so we had to put it away in the closet. You could just download some soothing sounds on an iPod or cd.
*bumbo seat- We got ours on ebay. You don't need it right away and I'd recommend just borrowing one if you feel that you really need it. We didn't use ours much at all.
Make a pregnancy ticker
*baby washcloths/towels- Not necessary but convenient. A pack of washcloths and 2 or 3 towels is plenty.
*booties/socks- Necessary - especially for a winter baby. Even in footed pajamas, you will want socks underneath. You would be cold in the winter without socks on under your shoes, right?
*mittens- Mittens are more to prevent scratching than to keep hands warm - though they are nice for winter babies. Babies don't really have any control over their arms and will scratch the crap out of themselves. I've never had any problem keeping them on. Just the sleeves down over them. Again, I say necessary, but you only need a few pairs.
*dresser top changing pad- Not at all necessary. We've never had any sort of changing table. Why trek up the stairs to change a dirty diaper in some designated place when I can just do it on the living room floor?
*crib soother toy/mobile- Also not necessary. DD never had anything hanging on or over her crib until she was old enough to have something that required manipulation.
*bumbo seat- I really like mine and have gotten a lot of use out of it, but also not necessary. I suggest checking local consignment shops and craigslist and pick one up if you find it for cheap.
First, thumbs up for thinking it through
~ baby wash clothes/towels - probably can use regular ones, but baby ones are softer and usually have hoods, which are nice to keep baby's bold and/or wet head warm
~ booties/socks - we used socks. DS was jaundice and was naken by the window for a while, but I kept his socks on to keep baby feet warm. Booties did not work for us. socks can also be used as mittens
~mitttens - we used thin ones for a bit, especially in hospital before DS's nails were clipped. Don't know about warm ones.
~dresser top changing pad - we used ours a lot (also did not get changing table). It was easy to have a set changing station so you always had everything you need at hand and it has straps for a little security ones they start trying to escape. we did not buy special covers for it, just used folded receiving blankets. Plastic makes cleaning up big messes easy
~ crib soother toy/mobile - we had sea horse and a mobile. I think sea horse was nice until he started rolling over it and waking himself up. Mobiles are way over-rated in my opinion. We used ours a handful of times.
~bumbo - was a complete waste for us (probably the biggest waste since we bought it ourselves and the little tray to go with it). DS did not want to use it at home at all. He did fine at daycare, but at home he decided it was fun to climb in and out when he was actually too big to sit in it. On the other hand, our godbaby loved hers.
*baby washcloths/towels- we still prefer to use the baby wash cloths with DS and he is 2 1/2. They dry quicker and are just easier to use than a regular sized washcloth. They baby towels are nice with the hoods because you want their head to stay as warm as possible at all times.
*booties/socks- the two packs of newborn socks that we received were a TOTAL waste of money because DS was so big at birth that the socks didn't fit. But yes, socks are neccessary especially in the winter months. The mittens come in handy to keep the baby from scratching their face. Yes, sometimes the mittens come off, but not as much as you would think.
*mittens- seeing as baby will be born in the winter, I don't want his little hands to get cold....but same with the socks, won't they keep falling off? I don't see us being in and out of the cold a lot, just to and from the car quickly.
*dresser top changing pad- we still use ours with DS and it beats bending over all the time for a diaper change on a chair. Also, pee does not always stay within the limits of a waterproof sheet.
*crib soother toy/mobile- DS loved his for a couple months. we put it on around 3 months.
*bumbo seat- waste of money for us. DS hated it. Luckily we only borrowed it from SIL. Also, I hate how so many people think they are safe to prop their kids in them on a counter, or table. If you do get one, please don't use it anywhere but on the floor.
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*baby washcloths/towels- I like the baby washcloths and towels when they are newborns, because their skin is more sensitive and the 'baby' ones are softer. But when they are older, they become unnecessary.
*booties/socks- You could just always put them in footed onsies, but I had some on hand for when they wore non-footed onsies. As long as they aren't cheap and haven't gotten stretched out and if they are the right size for the baby, they stay on.
*mittens- I always pretty much swaddled my winter baby when we were going outside. I dressed her warmly, puedo-swaddled her in a blanket, and then put a had on her. Her hands were tucked up with the rest of her body. My two summer babies were nearly 6 months when it got cold out, and I would spend money on mittens for them, because they didn't like being bundled into a blanket at that point.
*dresser top changing pad- I always changed diapers either on the bed, the couch, or the floor. In fact, using the changing table that came on my playpen was a hassle because it was uncomfortable to bend over (and I'm short!)
*crib soother toy/mobile- Definitely not necessary.
*bumbo seat- I bought one when #2 was a baby. We used it at home and we used it as a highchair when we traveled and she was just starting to eat solids. We used it in the same way with #3, and will use it with #4. It's been a good investment for us.
*baby washcloths/towels- Yes, the baby ones are softer. I feel like the baby washcloths are also easier to use when they're smaller because regular washcloths can actually be kind of bulky. This is a personal preference though. Even if you do use them you won't need a ton. One multi-pack will be plenty and they're super inexpensive so I'd probably just get some.
*booties/socks- Socks totally fall off. DS only wore one piece sleepers with footies at first. Once it started warming up a little he did wear things like baby legs and I put socks on with those sometimes. I would probably get some, but again, not a lot.
*mittens- We never used mittens. Some people like to have these because they're afraid their LO will scratch themselves. I'd probably just opt to use socks rather than buying something separate.
*dresser top changing pad- IME our changing table has gotten a TON of use. We still use it. I know some people don't and just change their kids elsewhere or even just wherever they are. I never wanted to do that for several different reasons, so while I think that having a pad on a dresser is totally fine, I think you're going to want to have a designated spot, but again, everyone is different on this. I'd get it.
*crib soother toy/mobile- We had a mobile, but it was a huge waste because DS slept in our room for the first 7 months then moved to his crib. Shortly after that he was able to pull himself up to standing and the mobile had to come down. Total waste. Someone also got us a crib soother thing (the kind that hangs on the side) and he never cared for it. We did have the little seahorse that glows and he liked that and we have a white noise machine. Based on my experience I'd recommend one or both of those two things rather than a mobile or crib soother thing.
*bumbo seat- I wouldn't put my kid in a Bumbo so yes, I think it's a waste of money. You will want somewhere to place them, but this could be a Boppy, bouncer, Rock N Play, swing, etc. I would definitely not get a Bumbo. I don't know why these are popular.
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