Can I ask for some advice on baby must haves?

Roxie5739 · February 2013

I am hoping you don't mind me popping over here to ask this but I am just starting out on building a list of what we need for the LO in a few months. I am taking the simple approach to it all, the absolute basics and go from there.

What I am looking for is IRL examples of what are good products and what are not:

1. Stroller / Travel System - we walk the dog twice a day so I am thinking I need something more than a snap and go but looking at consumer reports it is tough to decide on the best solution. Also want light weight and medium fold down size. What do you use and what have you heard bad stories about?

2. What are the few basic items that you use all the time now that LO is home? What did you get that you have not used or feel was overkill / waste?

3. Trick 'n' Traps for FTM's buying list for the FTM that wants to start out with the basics and not a gadget person.

TIA ladies and congrats on graduating to SAIF!!!!

amandaleigh1 · February 2013

1. Stroller / Travel System - we walk the dog twice a day so I am thinking I need something more than a snap and go but looking at consumer reports it is tough to decide on the best solution. Also want light weight and medium fold down size. What do you use and what have you heard bad stories about?

I am really glad I got a stroller that I could use when DS was a newborn that did not require the carseat: DS has reflux and sitting in the infant carseat when he was little put a lot of pressure on his tummy. He did like riding in the bassinet that came with my Uppababy vista. When he was super little though, I wore him in our becco gemeni carrier. I still use the carrier, but I use it less now that he is 20lbs.

To me the folded size is not the most important factor. My UBV is kind of big folded, but it stands up on its wheels and I can lean it against the wall in the small entry way to our apartment, so it is actually better for me than a stroller that folds smaller that doesn't stand up.

Stoller choice though is quite personal. If you are a runner and have more room, you might want a BOB. if you need to fold it and carry it around a lot, you might want a city mini. There a lot of good strollers out there, but there is not really a one size fits all.

In general, I would stay away form a "travel system". those strollers are never really that nice and most people regret going with them.

2. What are the few basic items that you use all the time now that LO is home? What did you get that you have not used or feel was overkill / waste?

Clothes drive me crazy. I never can figure out how many of a given size I need. I had way too many in the 3 month size. people gave me a lot in this size at my shower.

Otherwise I have used everything and appreciated having them even if their window of use was rather short. I ended up getting a swing and using it about 3 months. I really wish there was a swing rental program... Now I have replaced the swing with a jumperoo. It probably won't be in use more than a few months more, but it is very much needed and used now.

Things I continue to use that I can't do without are our graco sound machine, nice thick blankets for playing on the floor.

I am glad I never got a baby monitor. Our room is right next door to DS's. I can hear him just enough and fine with our doors open. If I heard every little sound, I would not get any sleep.

3. Trick 'n' Traps for FTM's buying list for the FTM that wants to start out with the basics and not a gadget person.

When DS first came home, the things most needed for me was a good chair to feed and rock in (for me this is a cheap ikea poang chair), miracle swaddle blankets, and simple easy to put on onesies.

Good luck and we are looking forward to seeing you on SAIF soon!

IBackBevo · February 2013

Roxie5739:
1. Stroller / Travel System -
I have Britax stroller and car seat. I like the stroller okay. Not a huge fan of the carseat. DH HATES the Britax carseat. They are supposed to be good products, though.
2. What are the few basic items that you use all the time now that LO is home? What did you get that you have not used or feel was overkill / waste?
Three best products (IMO):
1. Rock n PLay (LO sleeps in it everynight; easy to travel with; helps if LO has GERD/acid reflux...can't say enough good about this product!!!) Only word of advice, put a couple of recieving blankets or slight padded burp cloths under the head area so LO doesn't get flat head.
2. Fisher Price Rainforest jumperoo
3. A bathtub that tells the temperature and weighs the baby
I also like my Snug a Bunny swing and also having a smaller (cheaper) portable swing that breaks down that we can travel with.
A waste: Tons of onesie's and tons of blankets. Ihave more blankets than I could ever possibly use. Alot of LO's onesies never got worn before they were out grown.
3. Trick 'n' Traps for FTM's buying list for the FTM that wants to start out with the basics and not a gadget person.
Hmmm...I don't know. I wouldn't spend alot on an expensive monitor. We just got a cheapie from Wal-mart and it works fine. We have a huge house and it works all over the house. I don't know if it would work outside as I have never tried to use it.
We are probably in the minority on this, but LO rarely uses his pack n play. The rock n play is better and more portable, IMO. LO also is probably the only baby alive that doesn't like the Moby wrap. Every other Mother I know raves on about it, but LO doesn't like being tied down to me. He tries to escape and just fusses.
Oh, and I love LUV's diapers. Those things hold in anything. LO sleeps about 10-12 hours a night in one and we very rarely have it leak. And these aren't even overnight diapers. I did not like the generics at all. Don't go cheap on diapers. Pampers and Huggies were ok.

pb_bride · February 2013

I thought I typed a reply but I guess TB ate it!

Bear in mind that my LO is only 3 months, so my experience w/baby gear is limited to the past 3 months.

1. Stroller / Travel System - we walk the dog twice a day so I am thinking I need something more than a snap and go but looking at consumer reports it is tough to decide on the best solution. Also want light weight and medium fold down size. What do you use and what have you heard bad stories about?

We use a Graco snugride car seat and a graco snap n go. I LOVE it. The Snap n go is easy to handle & fold, and is more durable than I had expected. I use it almost daily (before we had 2 feet of snow last wk) for walks on a bike path. When DS grows out of the car seat, I think we'll get a City Mini. Not a fan of stroller system b/c of the size, weight and bulkiness.

2. What are the few basic items that you use all the time now that LO is home? What did you get that you have not used or feel was overkill / waste?

Use all the time: My brest friend nursing pillow, Fisher price rainforest activity gym, Fisher price kick n play crib piano, swing, PnP (where DS naps during the day), audio monitor (we didn't want to pay $$$ for a video one, and the audio one works fine), infant bath tub, wash cloths, bibs, burp cloths (needs a ton of it), swaddlemes & Halo swaddle sleepsack, changing pad, unbreakable mirror (for tummy time), books.

We had a Rock N Play which we used for the first month, and we weaned DS off it. We lent it to our friends who is using it for their infant daughter.

Overkill/waste - we received so many blankets I don't know what to do with all of them!

3. Trick 'n' Traps for FTM's buying list for the FTM that wants to start out with the basics and not a gadget person.

Since I didn't have a baby shower, we pretty much bought all the things ourselves. So I only got the basics. I think for the other extra stuff, you can always wait until your LO is here before you decide if it's really necessary. I can tell you that one of the things I LOVED most (didn't buy beforehand but received as gifts) was Aden and Anais's snap bibs. They are by far the softest bibs, and it comes with 3 snaps so they can grow with your LO. All the other bibs I received were either too rough on LO's skin, or he grew out of them quickly.

Ruthie04 · February 2013

Things are a bit different for me since double strollers are a bit tricky, but I wouldn't get a travel system. A SNG is great for the stroller and much less expensive than a brand name. I'd go ahead and get a regular stroller for the sitting up phase forward.

As far as basic items: (1) Rock n Plays- awesome for the newborn phase and we still use them for naps. It's so nice to be able to rock them back to sleep after they finish one of the short newborn sleep cycles. (2) Graco Sound Machine- the ONLY way we get sleep. (3) Our babies hate the swing, but love the bouncy chairs. (4) Play mat. They LOVE theirs. (5) Miracle blankets- the only swaddle they couldn't break (6) PnPs for sleep in our room (7) If you are planning on BFing, ask your OB to write a script for all purpose nipple ointment. I strongly believe it is the only reason I haven't had a bought of one of the common breastfeeding ailments. (8) Aden + Anais burp cloths and blankets- the burp cloths are huge, which we need since we have a serious refluxer. The blankets are great to keep around. (9) Boppy changing pad liner these are white terry like mats that you can keep on the changing pad. Really helps so you don't have to constantly change the whole cover every time baby makes a mess! (10) I am definitely in the minority here...I HATE onesies and really anything that goes over the head or has to be pulled over the body. Sure they are cute, but we had to undress the boys for every feeding as newborns because they couldn't stay awake otherwise. Now, DS2 spits up after every feeding. I have to unbutton his top or change it after. I prefer sleep and plays since I can easily take them off and unsnap them for feedings. (10) Amazon Mom/ Prime membership- we get all of our diapers/ wipes/ lots of clothes/ toys from Amazon. The free shipping is awesome.

Saraevh · February 2013

1. Stroller / Travel System - we walk the dog twice a day so I am thinking I need something more than a snap and go but looking at consumer reports it is tough to decide on the best solution. Also want light weight and medium fold down size. What do you use and what have you heard bad stories about?

I did the whole travel system thing with my DD and when DS was born I chucked it and bought and awesome stroller (that also converts into a double). I bought the Phil&Ted's Explorer and am madly in love with that stroller. We have a beastly Golden Retriever and I found that trying to walk her with a bulky ol' travel system was just a big PITA. The Phil&Teds is a jogger (you can keep the wheel straight or have it swivel) and you don't even need to put a car seat in it because you can put the seat all the way back into a 'newborn napper.' It's so easy to maneuver, folds up like a dream, ah ... I have nothing but good things to say about it. It's totally worth the extra cash.

2. What are the few basic items that you use all the time now that LO is home? What did you get that you have not used or feel was overkill / waste?

Halo Sleepsacks, Pack n' Play (with the bassinet piece!), ZIPPER sleep and play pajamas (I have boycotted anything that has more than 3 snaps on it), neither of my kids were big into the swing but yours might be, one of those little playmats that has the toys that hang down, don't cheap out on bottles (I love Dr. Brown's), don't cheap out on diapers (I am on team Pampers), both of my kids were/are ob-sessed with the Jumperoo, I could not live (seriously, would not survive) without my Ergo carrier (they also have a newborn insert you can buy for it - we bought a Bjorn carrier for when they were infants, but looking back we could have gotten by with just the Ergo had we bought the insert), both of mine liked the Bumbo seat, get a good breast pump (I liked the Medela Pump In-Style), I liked the Puj tub because it wasn't a huge, bulky plastic thing that took up a bunch of space (was made out of some sort of foam that fit perfectly in our sink, it was thin and would open flat so you could just hang it up), I have been very thankful for our video monitor. I used to bring it outside while I would do yardwork and stuff while the baby napped and I could watch/hear him/her, I'd put it in the laundry room, in the kitchen, etc when I wasn't upstairs ... we used ours a lot. Hm ..... I think that's it?

As far as things that are a waste go - I took back the wipe warmer, I took back the bottle warmer, we got a bunch of clothes that LO's never wore because we got a crap load in 0-3 month sizes or I just thought it was ugly , teeny shoes (while they are cute, they are totally unnecessary).

3. Trick 'n' Traps for FTM's buying list for the FTM that wants to start out with the basics and not a gadget person.

Kinda mentioned it above - the wipe warmer, bottle warmer, shoes, I got a TON of swaddle blankets/receiving blankets, but with the sleep sacks I didn't use any of them.

Congrats and we'll see you soon!

KatieKT · February 2013

We chose the Baby Jogger City Mini stroller. We also bought the car seat adapter so that he could ride in it when he was tiny. I love the stroller so much and am so glad we chose it. It's a less expensive but high end looking stroller and I can't imagine a lighter or easier to handle stroller when you have a baby in one arm, are opening the trunk to put it away, a dog on leash, etc. I've taken him everywhere in it and we have found the huge shade on it to protect him from wind, rain, and sun, very well. It folds up small with one quick pull. It's just a great stroller! The only negative is that it doesn't have a ton of storage but that is what helps it to fold up small so I haven't minded. This would be my number one must have.

We used our swing and bouncer so that we could put him down when he first came home. He did sleep in the swing a bit so it was worth it. I still use the summer infant sleek and secure video monitor so that was a value for us. I also love his Stokke Tripp Trapp chair that we started him in at about 4 months so that he could feel like a part of meals at the table. He loves it now at 20 months and will sit in it for years so it was a great gift to get. The jumperoo was awesome.

I also used the Miracle Blanket every night to help him sleep and then when he could roll we got an Aden and Anais Sleep Sack that he still sleeps in. So overkill for us was all of the thin swaddle blankets that people gave us.

An item that stands out for me that we didn't need was the itzbeen timer (hello iphone app from similac that I still use). It's meant to time sleep, times between feedings, etc. The thing is that it doesn't store any of it for you. I found it worthless.

We also received and bought way too many clothing items and blankets etc. Keep tags on things and then you can return or exchange things the baby never wore! I wish I had because my son never fit into newborn size and I could've exchanged them all.

Congratulations!

sbrowns08 · February 2013

I'll make this quick since others have great advice. Our must haves:

Swaddle blankets (swaddlemes, miracle blanket and A and As are all good)

Graco Sound Machine

Something that vibrates for newborn naps

Zip up sleepers

A really good carrier

Congrats and GL!

ccam · February 2013

1) We did not do a travel system. I read that they were bulky and too heavy. We bought the Chicco Keyfit carseat and used the snap n go - this was great to have in the car and easily transfer a sleeping newborn to the stroller without waking him up. We also got the City Mini, which I love!! We did not put him in it until he was a few months old (I'm not even sure of how early you could use it) but it is awesome. It's super light and can fold up with one hand, which is the best part.

2&3) I didn't read through other comments, but I'm sure some of these are repeats.

We loved the RNP - DS napped in that and occasionally even slept in it when he was first born.

A&A blankets are a must - I received so many receiving blankets that I will never use! A&A are the best. After he started breaking out of those, the miracle blanket was awesome.

I wish I got some sort of bassinet instead of using the PNP. DS was clearly not comfortable in it and was so big that the whole PNP bassinet would sway and wake him up every time he moved.

DH thought I was nuts registering for it, but the video monitor is a necessity for us, especially since DS is on a different floor than us in our house.

Some people swear by the swing, but I can count on both hands how many times he sat in it for an extended amount of time. If you can borrow one before investing in it, that would be the way to go.

The moby wrap and ergo, now that he is bigger, allow me to do things besides holding him all day!! It's the only way he will shop with me now.

Cool mist humidifier!!

Little things that we couldn't live without - saline spray, aveeno eczema cream, aquaphor, nose sucker bulb thing (the hospital one is the best), hand sanitizer.

ETA: We invested in a good glider for the nursery... this thing paid for itself in a week that DS was sick. And it will last us through any more kids we have.

yodasmistress · February 2013

If I knew then what I know now, I would have bought the bouncy seat, Mclaren stroller which we did buy a woven wrap and ring sling in addition to the Moby and Ergo and that's pretty much it. We didn't use the crib, packnplay or even the co sleeper. And he rarely tolerated the swing.

ELF4321 · February 2013

I'm way too lazy to read the lengthy replies above, so if all of this was mentioned, I apologize for repeating. We absolutely could not have gotten through the first few months without:

a white noise machine

lots of swaddle blankets (b/c she would inevitably have a diaper leak/blowout or spitup on them all the time)

about twice as many bibs and burp cloths as you think you'll need

bouncer - she didn't care for the swing much after the fist two months, but loved her bouncer. It turned out to be really useful too because I could move it to whatever room I was in, like the kitchen if I needed to wash dishes or make dinner.

Roxie5739 · February 2013

Thanks Ladies - all great advice. I now need to go through each of these in detail and cross check to what I have on my list and add/delete as needed.

laura1 · February 2013

A lot of these things will depend on your baby. My must haves for #1 were very different from #2 and #3!

1) We used a snap and go at first, then upgraded to a Bumbleride Flyer with DS. It is a lightweight stroller that has a reversible handle which we loved. We used it all the time. When we had #2, we got an Indie twin which we loved even more! The indie handles so well on all kinds of terrain and can be a jogger. If I were to go back in time, I would get an Indie or Bob Revolution for my stroller, so I could use it to jog with or just out for a walk.

2) My DS needed miracle blankets, white noise, bibs and burp clothes. My DD needed her bouncy seat, white noise, baby carrier (bjorn), boppy noggin nest. DD#2 loves her swaddle mes, travel swing, white noise, maya ring sling, and ergo. All 3 used the angelcare monitor, play mat, and boppy. My 2 big ones used an exersaucer, bumbo, and music table when they got bigger.

3) When in doubt, wait until the baby is born. Until #3 was born, I thought we had wasted our money on a swing...now, she loves it and naps there daily. We also waited until DS was standing up to buy a video monitor - we didn't need it until then to see what he was doing in there when we put him down for bed/nap. We have friends that heard a noise in the middle of the night, looked at the video monitor and saw their little girl about to climb out of the crib. The Angelcare monitor is the only thing that lets me sleep at night - otherwise I would be waking up and checking the baby constantly!!

cbubbles2 · February 2013

Roxie5739:

I am hoping you don't mind me popping over here to ask this but I am just starting out on building a list of what we need for the LO in a few months. I am taking the simple approach to it all, the absolute basics and go from there.

What I am looking for is IRL examples of what are good products and what are not:

1. Stroller / Travel System - we walk the dog twice a day so I am thinking I need something more than a snap and go but looking at consumer reports it is tough to decide on the best solution. Also want light weight and medium fold down size. What do you use and what have you heard bad stories about? I really don't think you can get all your needs met in one stroller. I have a Britax B-ready that I love for the mall, or longer periods of time because the basket is huge so I don't have to carry the diaper bag or my purse. I also loved that when he was still in the infant seat that it popped right onto the frame like a snap n go. Cons-it's big and bulky. It's not a jogging stroller so I had to get another stroller for running. Honestly, if I were doing it again I'd probably make my jogging stroller my everyday stroller so I didn't need multiple strollers. (I have 4 now. eek.)

2. What are the few basic items that you use all the time now that LO is home? What did you get that you have not used or feel was overkill / waste? Rock n play was the best baby item we had. LO didn't like the bouncy chair and the bumbo was useful for like a month. It seems most LOs love the swing so I would definitely get one of those. An activity mat is great also. Diaper genie is great. They are little but smelly. I think you also need an exersaucer. That will keep your LO entertained for longer than you'd like to admit you leave your baby playing for.

3. Trick 'n' Traps for FTM's buying list for the FTM that wants to start out with the basics and not a gadget person. A spa bathtub is totally unnecessary. We never used the pump or hose that came with ours. a plain plastic tub will work perfectly. I don't think you need a baby food making machine. A blender or food processor will work fine. I never bought a bottle warmer or wipe warmer either.

TIA ladies and congrats on graduating to SAIF!!!! Can't wait for you to join us!

hunterjumper102 · February 2013

Roxie5739:
I am hoping you don't mind me popping over here to ask this but I am just starting out on building a list of what we need for the LO in a few months. I am taking the simple approach to it all, the absolute basics and go from there.
What I am looking for is IRL examples of what are good products and what are not:
1. Stroller / Travel System - we walk the dog twice a day so I am thinking I need something more than a snap and go but looking at consumer reports it is tough to decide on the best solution. Also want light weight and medium fold down size. What do you use and what have you heard bad stories about? I love, love, love my Britax B-Agile and B-Safe car seat. It works as a travel system but is so much easier to manuever than the other ones out there. It is light weight and super easy to fold. The car seat snaps into the stroller really easy also. We walk our dogs at the park(gravel trail) with it and it does fantastic.
2. What are the few basic items that you use all the time now that LO is home? What did you get that you have not used or feel was overkill / waste? C hates his swing and bouncer. We use the play mat alot. I love my Ergo carrier also!
3. Trick 'n' Traps for FTM's buying list for the FTM that wants to start out with the basics and not a gadget person. Swaddleme's
TIA ladies and congrats on graduating to SAIF!!!!

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