Must haves: PNP My breast friend Vibrating chair Swing Swaddle me swaddles ( the ones with velcro) Kimono style onesies for newborn ( the ones the you can completely open up, lay the baby on and close on the side). Putting A wiggly newborn in onesies that go over her head was horrible!!! Playtex drop in bottles. So much easier then washing the bottle each time Graco travel system- i LOVED the stroller. Dd is 19 months and I still use ot and never felt a need for any secondary stroller
Didnt need: Wipe warmer Bottle warmer Rnp/bassinet Wash cloths Bedding set - cant use like 3 quarters of t like bumpers, quilt, pillow. Waste of money
Ok quick question where does newborn sleep in the beginning? I hear some say pack and plays, some rock and swing (think it's called that) bassinets.? Opinions
In my opinion it's safer for baby to sleep in a bassinet. I had one with wheels and even a shade so I could take it outside (it's great g or baby to nap in the fresh air obviously not in winter) I would put the bassinet next to my bed at night so I could easily just sit up in bed breastfeed burp nappy change then bk to sleep... be organised and have everything handy that you need and u won't havta get out of bed. I would upload a pic but can't on my ph. I hope this helps.
We had a PNP for the first 7 months and then a friend gave us a crib. Never used to PNP other than for nap time. For the most part DS slept propped up on the boppy in our bed due to bad reflux and breastfeeding. He also loved his swing and liked to sleep in that if he wasn't feeling well. We just had a $40 portable that lasted until he was 6 months. Loved our bouncy seat. Great for when I needed to shower or cook. I could strap him in and put him on my huge island so he could watch and interact. Loved the jumper once he hit 6 months, it was his favorite toy. We didn't use a carrier with until he hit about 6 months, before that I just used the infant seat (which I hated). Skipping the infant seat this time and getting a convertible seat and a carrier right away. Skip the "toys" for newborns and the wipe/bottle warmer. Useless IMO. We loved the sleep sacks and onesie outfits and that's all he wore.
must haves: Swing Bouncy seat Prefold cloth diapers for burp cloths Aden and anais blankets Sleep sacks with swaddle Nose frida Dohm sound machine Bottle warmer (formula fed both my kids and neither of them liked room temp or cold formula) The boppy is nice for when they are beginning to sit up on their own but still a little tipsy
Didn't like: Hated the bumbo, and I thin OTs hate it too because you aren't supposed to force them to sit up if they aren't ready Tried the moby, ring sling, and ergo and neither of my kids tolerated them
While boppy pillows are great, if you are planning on breastfeeding, I really recommend the breast friend pillow, it hooks around ur body lets the baby lay flat on their side and cushions their head to the perfect position to nurse. Just my opinion
biggest waste of money * crib *swing (fisher price cradle and swing) *newborn outfits (had a fat baby she was busting out of newborn stuff at 4 days old) *diaper pail * baby monitor (she never left my sight plus I could hardly hear it over the shower so we co bathe, it might be needed for a 2nd time mom tho)
Things I needed/used *bounce seat * car seat mirror for baby *MAM pacifier (6m+ ones only) *co sleeper attached to the bed (she never slept in it but it held all out nightly needed stuff) *rocking chair *boppy *Mei tei carrier (how I was able to do thing around the house with two hands) *baby night gowns *receiving blankets and burp cloths galore! *breast pump *nipple cream *shirts/bras/pjs with easy boob access
A lot of mine are repeats of what has been said but...
Couldn't live without: -I lived in nursing tank tops and a bath robe around the house for at least the first month, Target has great ones. -A baby carrier. They are not all created equally. I hated the Moby wrap but loved the Baby K'tan for around the house. Ergo baby is awesome for when you are out and about. -Halo sleep sacks! -A comfortable rocker for nursing in at night. You will live in that chair for a few months so it needs to be comfy. -I highly recommend getting a jogging stroller over a bulky travel system. I think the jogging strollers are so much easier to maneuver. -Crockpot!
Could live without: -We have sooo many baby toys, you really only need a couple. My kids would rather play with anything but baby toys when they were little. -A play mat. Waste of space and they outgrow it so quickly. I preferred just laying a blanket down to put baby on. -Bottle warmer, wipes warmer, baby food processor. (I just use our regular food processor or the magic bullet) -Newborn size clothes. I had tall babies, my first only wore newborn size for for a week.
Somewhere in between:
-If you are able to hold off on a swing I would. I could not have survived the first 6 mo. Of DD1's life without that swing. She was colicky and it was one of only places she didn't scream. DD2 didn't care for the swing and we rarely used it with her. They are expensive and take up a lot of space so if you can try out a friends first I would really recommend doing so.
Boppy (even if you're not going to breastfeed). It was awesome for when my nieces or nephews wanted to hold the baby.
Swing. I borrowed one for a bit because I wasn't smart enough to have one for day 1. It was a lifesaver.
Carrier. I loved my ktan and ergo.
Swaddle blankets (A&A or lulujo) or a zip up Swaddle like the woombie. Receiving blankets just weren't big enough for a proper Swaddle.
Pointless: diaper pail was annoying. It jammed all the time and was full like every day. We switched to cloth anyways so now it just sits in a closet. I also didn't care for the car seat canopy. It was also annoying and never stayed on.
Our moby wrap was a life saver (I went back to school the week after I had baby 3 and wore him to class that entire semester. Plus I had a toddler and preschooler so I wore him around the house all the time. I guess you just have to master it for it to be useful. I practiced while pregnant ) Boppy pillow Pack and play as this is where he slept after he was to big for his glider next to my bed. Born free bottle - when we stopped bfing those were great because the wide mouth meant formula powder ended up in bottle and not around the rim. White noise machine (you can get the application free on your phone but are you really going to leave your phone on for baby all night?)
Don't need- Carrier carseat- we used a convertible to avoid purchasing a new seat every few months (moby wrap made this possible as I could wear him everywhere instead of needing a carrier seat and all it's extra weight - not practical after you have a c section)
I can't remember the must haves with babies 1 and 2
Must haves: My woven wrap and Tula Changing table Pack and play Diaper genie (I know others find it useless but we love ours and Id rather it not go in my kitchen trash can) Boppy Jogging stroller Angelcare bath support Video monitor Sleep sacks/swaddles Gripe water
Waste of money: Wipe warmer (returned it) Big baby swing- just took up too much space and my first LO preferred the vibrating lounger Click connect stroller- hardly ever used it should have just gotten a car seat adapter for the jogging stroller from the beginning. Jumperoo Burp clothes- I had sooo many and barely needed them a couple would do
Loved: Boppy Sleep sheep Rock N Play Earth Angel Nipple Cream Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets - used them for everything (swaddles, burp cloths, blankets, etc) Born Free Glass Bottles Ubbi Diaper Pail (pricey but so much better than diaper genie)
Hated: Bumbo - should have listened to everyone about this. Flower bathtub thing - was great for the first few weeks but not good for that transition between that and full bathtub
-swing -humidifier - receiving blankets - boppy - soother (for the first month or so and then I encourage my baby to find her thumb - crocheted blanket ( very breathable). Baby did not like being wrapped so we used the cranked instead and didn't have t worry as she got I bigger about her pulling it over her face - bouncy seat - durable diaper bag - sun tent for outside ( but baby was born in summer... and couldn't wear sunscreen so the tent was rated spf 50 and allowed me to take her out and enjoy the sun)
Things I didn't need
- wipe warmer - diaper jeanie - covers for the change pad (ways aged her right on the plastic.. Only changed her there in the middle of the night anyways. - bottle warmer - lullaby cd's ( we don't even own a cf player...) - baby monitor - tons of blankets ( we must hav had over 20 blankets and in the end only used 3-4 and the rest are still packed away in a box)
Side-snap long sleeve shirts with mittens- dressed DD in these and diaper with a stomach-high, arm-out swaddle for weeks (at home) Swaddle blankets- see above Como Tomo teether Medela hydrogel pads- for those first few days, saved my life Ergo baby
Didn't need:
Trip-trap high chair- sold mine and got a cheaper booster to fit on the dining room chair Crib- we bed share Baby shoes- haha Baby food maker- I mashed, semi-BLW and mama-birded
A boppy. I loved mine. I didn't use it for breast feeding as my little one was tiny and it never really worked for us that way. It worked great though when others were bottle feeding her and she loved it for help sitting up and tummy time.
A good swing, the kind that can go side to side and forward worked great so she could see different angles. My DD had acid reflux and needed to sit semi-upright for at least 30 minutes after meals and when she was asleep - which totaled about 99.99% of her life for the first few weeks. I set the swing up next to the bed and that's where she slept. She continued to love the swing as she got older. As I said, she was tiny so she didn't outgrow the swing until she was walking.
A carrier. It doesn't need to be expensive and there are many meetup groups devoted to baby wearing that will let you borrow different types to see what you like. I had the least expensive version Walmart sold because that was what was within my budget, more expensive ones have nicer features. The carrier literally saved my sanity when she was tiny. It allowed me to feel close to my child while I got things done around the house and let me get out of the house and in and around my neighborhood with her.
Sanitizer or Dishwasher box. The sanitizer is great if you don't have a dishwasher. If you've got a dishwasher the little box that keeps all the nipples and other small parts from flying around is awesome.
Wait to Buy (in bulk) Bottles Diapers - You never know what your baby will end up liking. Swaddlers - My little one HATED swaddling. Pacifiers - My daughter wouldn't take one. I wish she had. You can throw away pacifiers, but you can't get rid of a thumb.
Useless Bottle warmer - My LO never bucked at a cool/room temp bottle so I didn't even bother Wipe warmer - tried it and ended up with a burnt wipe on the bottom and decided it was unsafe Expensive bedding.
Sorry if this is repeat, I scrolled though and didn't notice this mentioned. A must-have (which I didn't have the first time around) for me is a good thermometer. I bought the cheapo basic kind and struggled with it for years. Our pedi recommended the under-arm method for temps and it was such a pain trying to keep it in place on a very unhappy, feverish baby. It took forever for the final reading. Finally bought one of the instant read (I went for the in the ear model, but have seen them for forehead too) and spend about $40 on it. Love it, so fast and my (now) toddler hardly notices. I can't believe I used the crap one for years. Talk to ped and do research (some are not recommended for use with infants), but I think having a good one on hand from day one is a must.
any advise on what you would recommend buying used verses must buy new? Thanks!
I would buy things like the crib (frame, not the mattress) and dresser used. Anything that can be 100% washed such as clothes, blankets, wraps, etc. Wipe clean items like a diaper bag or stroller. Maybe a recliner or glider if there were no stains, it was from a pet free/smoke free home, and you steam cleaned it before baby got home. I would probably take a car seat from a friend that I knew had not been in a wreck (even a little fender bender.) Other items I'd borrow from friends would be soft structured carriers and bottles.
any advise on what you would recommend buying used verses must buy new? Thanks!
A friend of mine who had bought a very expensive breast pump gave me hers when I was BF. I know there are many who would argue on that (warranties expiring...health concerns etc.) I knew this friend very well and purchased my own replacements for parts that would be touching breast and milk. So I basically used her motor. It saved me a ton of money. LLLI has information on borrowing pumps (they are not in favor, good to get as much information as possible) on their website. Worked for us.
any advise on what you would recommend buying used verses must buy new? Thanks!
A friend of mine who had bought a very expensive breast pump gave me hers when I was BF. I know there are many who would argue on that (warranties expiring...health concerns etc.) I knew this friend very well and purchased my own replacements for parts that would be touching breast and milk. So I basically used her motor. It saved me a ton of money. LLLI has information on borrowing pumps (they are not in favor, good to get as much information as possible) on their website. Worked for us.
I would check and see what your insurance will pay for first. My understanding is insurance is now required to pay for a breast pump. I've also heard that unless it's a closed system (hospital grade) the motor can actually get milk in it as well. It definitely works for some people. I also borrowed a pump from a mother I knew with my first. I'm hoping insurance will pay for the one I'd like with this little one.
Ok quick question where does newborn sleep in the beginning? I hear some say pack and plays, some rock and swing (think it's called that) bassinets.? Opinions
My daughter would only sleep in her swing until she was about 2 months old. It had a night light and nature sounds which she really enjoyed. I would say don't skip the swing, and the ones with music are well worth the extra money. After that she either slept in bed by me or sometimes in her pack n play if I was weary of moving her and waking her up.
This time around I'm getting newborn & 0-3 month clothes, a pack n play w the bassinet feature, a swing, a cheapo bathtub for infants ( worked better than the huge clunky plastic expensive ones), a double stroller and avent bottles ( love that all avent tops and bottoms are interchangeable ). I'll also get some swaddle blankets and 2-3 winter outfits bc we ll be visiting NY from FL. Hopefully nothing else since we already have so much crap from his big brother who's not yet 2
Re: Must haves vs. Don't needs
PNP
My breast friend
Vibrating chair
Swing
Swaddle me swaddles ( the ones with velcro)
Kimono style onesies for newborn ( the ones the you can completely open up, lay the baby on and close on the side). Putting A wiggly newborn in onesies that go over her head was horrible!!!
Playtex drop in bottles. So much easier then washing the bottle each time
Graco travel system- i LOVED the stroller. Dd is 19 months and I still use ot and never felt a need for any secondary stroller
Didnt need:
Wipe warmer
Bottle warmer
Rnp/bassinet
Wash cloths
Bedding set - cant use like 3 quarters of t like bumpers, quilt, pillow. Waste of money
Swing and pack n play came in handy
Didn't use the changing table at all
Useless IMO. We loved the sleep sacks and onesie outfits and that's all he wore.
Swing
Bouncy seat
Prefold cloth diapers for burp cloths
Aden and anais blankets
Sleep sacks with swaddle
Nose frida
Dohm sound machine
Bottle warmer (formula fed both my kids and neither of them liked room temp or cold formula)
The boppy is nice for when they are beginning to sit up on their own but still a little tipsy
Didn't like:
Hated the bumbo, and I thin OTs hate it too because you aren't supposed to force them to sit up if they aren't ready
Tried the moby, ring sling, and ergo and neither of my kids tolerated them
* crib
*swing (fisher price cradle and swing)
*newborn outfits (had a fat baby she was busting out of newborn stuff at 4 days old)
*diaper pail
* baby monitor (she never left my sight plus I could hardly hear it over the shower so we co bathe, it might be needed for a 2nd time mom tho)
Things I needed/used
*bounce seat
* car seat mirror for baby
*MAM pacifier (6m+ ones only)
*co sleeper attached to the bed (she never slept in it but it held all out nightly needed stuff)
*rocking chair
*boppy
*Mei tei carrier (how I was able to do thing around the house with two hands)
*baby night gowns
*receiving blankets and burp cloths galore!
*breast pump
*nipple cream
*shirts/bras/pjs with easy boob access
Couldn't live without:
-I lived in nursing tank tops and a bath robe around the house for at least the first month, Target has great ones.
-A baby carrier. They are not all created equally. I hated the Moby wrap but loved the Baby K'tan for around the house. Ergo baby is awesome for when you are out and about.
-Halo sleep sacks!
-A comfortable rocker for nursing in at night. You will live in that chair for a few months so it needs to be comfy.
-I highly recommend getting a jogging stroller over a bulky travel system. I think the jogging strollers are so much easier to maneuver.
-Crockpot!
Could live without:
-We have sooo many baby toys, you really only need a couple. My kids would rather play with anything but baby toys when they were little.
-A play mat. Waste of space and they outgrow it so quickly. I preferred just laying a blanket down to put baby on.
-Bottle warmer, wipes warmer, baby food processor. (I just use our regular food processor or the magic bullet)
-Newborn size clothes. I had tall babies, my first only wore newborn size for for a week.
Somewhere in between:
-If you are able to hold off on a swing I would. I could not have survived the first 6 mo. Of DD1's life without that swing. She was colicky and it was one of only places she didn't scream. DD2 didn't care for the swing and we rarely used it with her. They are expensive and take up a lot of space so if you can try out a friends first I would really recommend doing so.
Swing. I borrowed one for a bit because I wasn't smart enough to have one for day 1. It was a lifesaver.
Carrier. I loved my ktan and ergo.
Swaddle blankets (A&A or lulujo) or a zip up Swaddle like the woombie. Receiving blankets just weren't big enough for a proper Swaddle.
Pointless: diaper pail was annoying. It jammed all the time and was full like every day. We switched to cloth anyways so now it just sits in a closet.
I also didn't care for the car seat canopy. It was also annoying and never stayed on.
Boppy pillow
Pack and play as this is where he slept after he was to big for his glider next to my bed.
Born free bottle - when we stopped bfing those were great because the wide mouth meant formula powder ended up in bottle and not around the rim.
White noise machine (you can get the application free on your phone but are you really going to leave your phone on for baby all night?)
Don't need-
Carrier carseat- we used a convertible to avoid purchasing a new seat every few months (moby wrap made this possible as I could wear him everywhere instead of needing a carrier seat and all it's extra weight - not practical after you have a c section)
I can't remember the must haves with babies 1 and 2
My woven wrap and Tula
Changing table
Pack and play
Diaper genie (I know others find it useless but we love ours and Id rather it not go in my kitchen trash can)
Boppy
Jogging stroller
Angelcare bath support
Video monitor
Sleep sacks/swaddles
Gripe water
Waste of money:
Wipe warmer (returned it)
Big baby swing- just took up too much space and my first LO preferred the vibrating lounger
Click connect stroller- hardly ever used it should have just gotten a car seat adapter for the jogging stroller from the beginning.
Jumperoo
Burp clothes- I had sooo many and barely needed them a couple would do
Dumb and unnecessary: bottle warmer, wipe warmer, bumpers, sippee/binky clips
I'm sure there's more that I loved or didn't need but I can't remember!! However as a first time mom, I had it all and loved every second of it
Boppy
Sleep sheep
Rock N Play
Earth Angel Nipple Cream
Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets - used them for everything (swaddles, burp cloths, blankets, etc)
Born Free Glass Bottles
Ubbi Diaper Pail (pricey but so much better than diaper genie)
Hated:
Bumbo - should have listened to everyone about this.
Flower bathtub thing - was great for the first few weeks but not good for that transition between that and full bathtub
-swing
-humidifier
- receiving blankets
- boppy
- soother (for the first month or so and then I encourage my baby to find her thumb
- crocheted blanket ( very breathable). Baby did not like being wrapped so we used the cranked instead and didn't have t worry as she got I bigger about her pulling it over her face
- bouncy seat
- durable diaper bag
- sun tent for outside ( but baby was born in summer... and couldn't wear sunscreen so the tent was rated spf 50 and allowed me to take her out and enjoy the sun)
Things I didn't need
- wipe warmer
- diaper jeanie
- covers for the change pad (ways aged her right on the plastic.. Only changed her there in the middle of the night anyways.
- bottle warmer
- lullaby cd's ( we don't even own a cf player...)
- baby monitor
- tons of blankets ( we must hav had over 20 blankets and in the end only used 3-4 and the rest are still packed away in a box)
Must haves:
Side-snap long sleeve shirts with mittens- dressed DD in these and diaper with a stomach-high, arm-out swaddle for weeks (at home)
Swaddle blankets- see above
Como Tomo teether
Medela hydrogel pads- for those first few days, saved my life
Ergo baby
Didn't need:
Trip-trap high chair- sold mine and got a cheaper booster to fit on the dining room chair
Crib- we bed share
Baby shoes- haha
Baby food maker- I mashed, semi-BLW and mama-birded
A good swing, the kind that can go side to side and forward worked great so she could see different angles. My DD had acid reflux and needed to sit semi-upright for at least 30 minutes after meals and when she was asleep - which totaled about 99.99% of her life for the first few weeks. I set the swing up next to the bed and that's where she slept. She continued to love the swing as she got older. As I said, she was tiny so she didn't outgrow the swing until she was walking.
A carrier. It doesn't need to be expensive and there are many meetup groups devoted to baby wearing that will let you borrow different types to see what you like. I had the least expensive version Walmart sold because that was what was within my budget, more expensive ones have nicer features. The carrier literally saved my sanity when she was tiny. It allowed me to feel close to my child while I got things done around the house and let me get out of the house and in and around my neighborhood with her.
Sanitizer or Dishwasher box. The sanitizer is great if you don't have a dishwasher. If you've got a dishwasher the little box that keeps all the nipples and other small parts from flying around is awesome.
Wait to Buy (in bulk)
Bottles
Diapers - You never know what your baby will end up liking.
Swaddlers - My little one HATED swaddling.
Pacifiers - My daughter wouldn't take one. I wish she had. You can throw away pacifiers, but you can't get rid of a thumb.
Useless
Bottle warmer - My LO never bucked at a cool/room temp bottle so I didn't even bother
Wipe warmer - tried it and ended up with a burnt wipe on the bottom and decided it was unsafe
Expensive bedding.
DS2: EDD- 09.08.17