Nurseries and Baby Gear

Top Must-Have Essential Baby Buys?

What would you say the top essential baby items are for right away (baby first comes home)?

I'm a FTM and beginning to look at purchasing items and giving parents ideas for Christmas. Yet I am so overwhelmed with how many baby things are out there! I mean Baby R' Us' necessity list is hundreds of items long...

Obviously, crib/basinette, sheets, diapers and diapering accessories, car seat, clothes, bottles and feeding items.. But I would like some opinions on what you found absolutely crucial and what you could skip on (or buy at a later age).
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Re: Top Must-Have Essential Baby Buys?

  • Baby carrier - I like a stretchy wrap like a Moby

    Swaddle - a large swaddle blanket like Aden and anais or swaddle design. I also really liked the Velcro swaddle blankets like the miracle blanket.
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  • Throw out those "must have" lists at baby stores.  Most of that stuff is not necessary and almost all the car seat accessories are not safe.

    A good wrap or carrier is always good.  For the NB I liked my Baby K'Tan- like a Moby wrap but easier to use.  I then liked my Beco Gemini front facing, side carrying, parent facing or back carrying carrier.

    I would hold off on buying all the swaddles until you know if your child actually likes it.  Some don't.

    A baby bouncer or swing is always good to have in the beginning for when you need to get stuff done, you have somewhere to put the baby.
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    Emily 8.8.08
    Madeline 1.2.11
    William 8.5.12
  • All NBs really need is something to eat, Somewhere to sleep, clothes, and diapers. The rest is "luxuries".

    My favorites for "luxueries" are:
    Rock n play
    Lots of cheap footed sleep and play outfits
    Cloth diapers for burp cloths
    Bobby or BF'ing pillow
    Halo swaddlers
    Noise Machine
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    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker

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  • Thanks! I really appreciate the feedback!
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • I had a k'tan and baby liked it but it killed my back (I have a back injury though). There were tons of times where she just wanted to be held and I wouldn't get anything done unless I put her in that. We have the rockaroo swing and she slept in that for the first couple weeks until she transitioned to the crib. Now she naps in it because she's super active & it keeps her cozy. She couldn't sit up in her bouncer for a few months but I would put her in it so I could shower. I second the A&A blankets...we use them for everything. Get tons of burp cloths...a&a ones are cute but if you have a heavy spitter, they don't hold crap (same for bibs). We use the gerber cloth diaper things that come in packs of 10. I found the born free bibs are the most absorbent but they are kind of small. The fisher price whale tub is also great. It held her up the best as a newborn. Skip the fisher price playmat w/the bird mobile. It breaks. Go for baby Einstein or skip hop.

    We also used a woombie to help her sleep but it only worked for about a month and we started using it when she was 2.5 months old. My SIL swears by it and my niece was sleeping 10 hours by 2 months (no lie). I think that a lot of things (especially with sleep) is trial and error. You can buy all the recommended things and your baby might not like them.
    BabyFetus Ticker
  • laurenlalaplaurenlalap member
    edited November 2014
    My must haves in the early weeks were:
    1. double breast pump
    2. aden and anais blankets
    3. ZIPPER oneises - NOT buttons
    4. Luna swing
    5. Steam bags 
    6. Wubanubs
    7. Baby bjorn babysitter chair
    8. Ocean scenes crib music thing.. can't remember the name
    9. Sophie the giraffe
    10. Pack n play 
    11. Snuza
    12. Angelcare video and sensor monitor
    13. bummis cloth wipes 
    14. our very comfortable glider with gliding ottoman 
    15. car seat adapter for the stroller so we didn't have to take sleeping LO out of the car seat when transferring to the stroller
    16. tummy time mat 
    17. ergo carrier
    18. dekor diaper disposal (the diaper genie was absolutely terrible)
    19. tummy tub
    DS#1: born Dec 29, 2013 
    TTC#2 since Sept 2014 - unexplained secondary IF
    BFP #2: 11.7.14  M/C: 11.27.14 @ 6w3days
    BFP #3: 04.19.2015 M/C 04.27.15 @ 4w3days
    BFP #4: 10.05.2015 C/P @ 3w4days
    Oct 11, 2015: Cycle 13. Starting Femara (2.5mg). HSG this cycle (all clear) - BFN
    Nov 12, 2015: Cyle 14. Femara 5mg + IUI - BFN
    Dec 10, 2015: Cycle 15. Femara 5mg + IUI #2 - BFP #5! C/P 4w4d
    Jan 10, 2016: Cycle 16. Femara 5mg + IUI #3 - BFN.
    Feb 10, 2016: Cycle 17.  No IUI or meds. Taking a break - Natural BFP Mar 5, 2016!!!! EDD Nov 16, 2016
    Moving to IVF March 2016
    Beta at 10dpo: 21, Beta at 12dpo: 98, Beta at 14dpo: 264, Beta at 16dpo: 745
    U/S 6w6d: single beautiful heartbeat of 121bpm - It's a boy!!!!
    Nov 3, 2016: Our family became complete. Welcome DS #2.
  • My favorite baby items are:
    Boppy
    Hands free pumping bra
    Tummy time mat (we have the FP Rainforest one)
    Footed pajamas with zippers not snaps
    Halo sleep sacks
    A&A blankets
    Summer infant rubber bib that catches food once LO starts finger foods
    Car mirror to see LO while driving
    Infant tylenol for fevers and pain relief from shots
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • Saline nose drops, ergo swaddle, monitor, lots of burp cloths, hands free pumping bra

    Off BC, NTNP since June 2011

    Started acupuncture/herbs July 2012 

    First BFP 9-8-2012,EDD 5-15-2013, heartbeat of 175 at 8w2d, mmc discovered on 10-26-12 (11w6d) Cytotec on 10/26/12

    8/23/13 DX with non-IR PCOS

    Second BFP 9.12.13, EDD 5.29.14, heartbeat of 114 at 6w1d, mmc discovered on 10-18-13, D&C on 10/23/13 (baby girl/Trisomy 10) 

    Third BFP (surprise at Beta draw after d&c) on 1/10/14 (15dpo), EDD 9.20.14 Please be our RAINBOW!

     Lilypie First Birthday tickers

  • snap bibs
    Miracle Blanket - DD always got her arms out and slapped herself awake with the other swaddles
    burp cloths
    Dr. Brown's formula mixing pitcher (if you end up FF)
    pacifiers
    bouncy chair
    infant optics video monitor
    white noise machine
    car seat adapter for stroller
    A&A swaddles (the ones that look like thin blankets)
    Rock n Play
    Pack n Play

    A monitor is probably not essential in a small place. We're in a large 2-story so it can be hard to hear DD from certain areas.
  • We absolutely loved Magnificent Baby magnetic sleep gowns. Life saver for the easiest diaper changes. Will definitely use again she our second is born this April. For burp cloths, get a ton of cloth diapers. Work better than anything. Perfect size. Absorbent. Cheap. And you'll go through a ton of them. Having done this once before, I can honestly say you simply don't need much. You could drive yourself bonkers with things we are led to believe are essential. Make sure you have a variety of bottles. If you plan to BF, make sure you have formula on hand in case you need to supplement at any point. If you plan on pumping, get your supplies and a pump ready to go. The hands free bra is a lifesaver. Plenty of muslin and lightweight flannel swaddle blankets. A few hats. Small washcloths for sponge baths. A nightlight for middle of the night feedings. Sound machine. Cornstarch to keep baby's neck and rolls nice and dry. That ought to do it.
    Baby girl Lila born 2013.
    Baby boy Henry born 2015.
    Expecting our capstone baby (boy) early March 2018.
  • I agree with LittleApple about the swaddles! If you do buy, only get one to start. We bought a ton of them and our daughter hated them. It just didn't work for us and wasn't necessary. She did just fine in a sleep gown and her blankets.
    Baby girl Lila born 2013.
    Baby boy Henry born 2015.
    Expecting our capstone baby (boy) early March 2018.
  • My must haves were a boppy, receiving blankets, onsies and sleepers, and a swing. 
    Mr + Mrs: 09/06/2009 
    Daddy + Mommy: #1: 07/02/2011 EDD#2: 05/22/2015
    baby development
  • For us the swing was the biggest must have! It calmed DD right away. Swaddles. Pack n play instead of a bassinet, breast pump (along with breast shields to catch excess milk, mother's love nipple cream, and ice packs designed for the boobs!), a noise machine (ours is also a projector which DD loved right away!), depending on where you live...a humidifier, a rocking recliner, and lots and lots if snacks with a giant water bottle for momma.
    imageimageimageimage
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  • @jdanczyk, I forgot about the swing! It was a requirements for us. We had one in our family room and then a smaller one upstairs that we used when we took a shower. Favorite swing was the F-P Cradle and Swing (we had the Snuggabunny). Not every baby loves to swing, but I hope you have one that does. It's a lifesaver.
    Baby girl Lila born 2013.
    Baby boy Henry born 2015.
    Expecting our capstone baby (boy) early March 2018.
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