June 2017 Moms

Baby Gear You Actually Used

124

Re: Baby Gear You Actually Used

  • @MKRLTX, I hated regular receiving blankets. I found them to be super stiff and not that useful, and they didn't wash well. The muslin ones (particular A&A) really live up to all the hype. They're pliable so they make great swaddles, and light so they make great nursing covers, plus a myriad of other uses.
  • MKRLTX said:
    Muslin "swaddle" blankets vs receiving blankets. Do I need both? I know everyone says the muslin ones are great, but should I also have some of the other type? Just going over my registry to streamline what we really need. 
    Muslin is way better! I hardly used the regular receiving blankets at all. 
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  • ^wss
    Almost 2.5 yrs in with DD and we still use her A&A muslin swaddles everyday. These have become her security blanket and the only thing she will sleep with. These were the only swaddles we used with her

    We plan on adding more to the rotation when this LO gets here, especially since it will be summer and they're so breathable (I highly doubt DD will be willing to share her "Kikis" with the baby! )



  • We never had receiving blankets for dd and did fine without them. Loved our A & A blankets, had a target pack and 1 regular. Regular ones are a little bigger. I'm getting little unicorn swaddles this time because I like their prints better. 
    If we do home birth they say I need receiving blankets. I think they use them to clean the baby off and dry him. 
  • MKRLTX said:
    Muslin "swaddle" blankets vs receiving blankets. Do I need both? I know everyone says the muslin ones are great, but should I also have some of the other type? Just going over my registry to streamline what we really need. 
    I only used the muslin blankets.
  • alm52386alm52386 member
    edited March 2017
    My friend (whom I babysit for) mostly uses a&a swaddle blankets but she has a few receiving blankets from the hospital. For her first we used them for swaddling sometimes and for this one we just use it as a changing place on the bed. Plus a variety of heavier blankets! So I would say probably don't register for any but take the hospital ones just because you can!

    ETA: I'm debating on whether I want a sound machine and a mobile. Her bed is just a pack n play but I know a mobile can be attached to it because my friend did it. As for the sound machine, I love the idea BUT my friend's 2 year old is totally dependent on it. One night the power strip stopped working and so the sound machine turned off and she woke up at the slightest noise all upset. Would it be better to not have a sound machine and just get her used to sleeping with a variety of noises? We also sleep with a fan on so that has a little bit of white noise. I feel like these girls are so particular about where/how they sleep and I want my baby to be able to sleep anywhere! 
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  • @alm52386 IMO a sound machine is a must! I had such a hard time getting DD to go to sleep until I introduced a sound machine. It's just one more thing that signals it's time to relax and go to sleep. I use this one. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0091E31KM/ref=mp_s_a_1_6_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1488919822&sr=8-6&keywords=baby+sound+machine

    It can be plugged into the wall or be used with batteries. Which comes in handy during power outages or road trips. 
  • @alm52386- DD didn't have a sound machine the first year of her life and we were so happy she could fall asleep anywhere and sleep through anything. Then around 1 we had to re-sleep train her because she needed to fall asleep on her own (so she wouldn't wake up all night looking for us), at that point a sound and light machine came in handy to signal that it was sleep time. Ours is battery operated so no worries of it losing power, so long as you have extra batteries, and it's small so we can take it with us on trips. Can she sleep without it, yes. Is it helpful to signal that it's bedtime or time to go back to sleep in the middle of the night, absolutely. I think I'll try this next baby without one but she may need it to drown our her older sister! 
  • @doodleoodle That's the one I'm registered for that my friend has! Well, the one that is all silver. Not sure what the difference is between the silver one and the green one. Or maybe just the color is different. I registered for a lot of the same stuff that she has because I know I like it and I know how to use it since I've been babysitting for them for over 2 years! She also has a travel sound machine that can clip to the car seat. I might get one of those too. 

    This one: https://www.amazon.com/myBaby-SoundSpa-Sound-Machine-Green/dp/B01N9EZFJI/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1488920131&sr=8-1&keywords=on-the-go+sound+machine

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  • I just thought of something we used a ton in the newborn days, cheap cloth diapers/burp cloths as changing table liners. The white ones that come in a big bulk pack at Walmart or BRU. You put them on the diaper end of the changing pad and if there's a blowout you only need to wash or trash that cloth versus the whole changing pad cover. We learned this the hard way when our pretty, perfectly matching, changing pad cover got a huge, permanent poop stain our first day home. Those things became a life saver.
  • ladylolly89ladylolly89 member
    edited March 2017
    alm52386 said:
    My friend (whom I babysit for) mostly uses a&a swaddle blankets but she has a few receiving blankets from the hospital. For her first we used them for swaddling sometimes and for this one we just use it as a changing place on the bed. Plus a variety of heavier blankets! So I would say probably don't register for any but take the hospital ones just because you can!

    ETA: I'm debating on whether I want a sound machine and a mobile. Her bed is just a pack n play but I know a mobile can be attached to it because my friend did it. As for the sound machine, I love the idea BUT my friend's 2 year old is totally dependent on it. One night the power strip stopped working and so the sound machine turned off and she woke up at the slightest noise all upset. Would it be better to not have a sound machine and just get her used to sleeping with a variety of noises? We also sleep with a fan on so that has a little bit of white noise. I feel like these girls are so particular about where/how they sleep and I want my baby to be able to sleep anywhere! 
    We did not use a sound machine of any kind, because my brother and his wife used one for their daughter and at two she still can't sleep without it. 
    My DS' room is next to our laundry room and he will sleep through the sounds of the washing machine and dryer, and we don't really have to try to be quiet while he sleeps, either. We also live on a very busy, loud street and the traffic noise doesn't bother him. He's sleep trained and will fall asleep in spite of noise. I definitely recommend at least trying without the sound machine!  

    IMO a mobile is unnecessary and distracting. Naptime/bedtime should not be stimulating. If you do go for one, maybe try to get one that you can move, or alternate positions for baby so that he/she has to turn their head to look at it and isn't always facing the same direction. 

    I second @mamaelle27 about using CD as changing table liners! We use XL prefolds and it works so well! 

    EDIT - I typed all of that in a hurry and just now went back and reread. I didn't mean to sound all judgy and braggy about my son's sleep! Just an example that it is possible for a baby to sleep through all kinds of normal house noises. :smile:
  • We had a sound machine with my first and she didn't care either way so we gave it away. My nephews are totally dependent on it and are 8 and 4 so I'm glad my girl is not now. They must sleep at home (always have) where as dd sleeps wherever, at least she did as a baby, now she just skips if we're out and about. 

    I would put the mobile over your changing area instead of crib. Dds was over her rocker. Dss will be over his pack n play, but that's only because all his stuff is going to be in a corner of our room.   I make their mobiles and hang from the ceiling. 

  • We used the homedics sound spa and it was great. I think we just randomly stopped one day and there was no issue. He is still a pretty good sleeper and can sleep through everything!

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  • @krex I can't sleep without my sound machine either! This baby will be getting used to one by default from being in our bedroom for the first few months, no way around it!
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  • We use a sound machine. I honestly think that a lot of the differences in kids' ability to sleep anywhere or not is just innate, not something they learned. We tried EVERYTHING with dd, and she only sleeps if it is fairly dark, she is on a flat surface (no strolle ror carseat!), and she has some kind of white noise playing. But under those circumstances, she sleeps 13 hours every night and a 2.5-3 hour nap every day. My cousin did the exact same stuff we did with her son early on, and he sleeps anywhere: I've seen the kid go to sleep within ten seconds of being set down in a stoller at a wedding reception. It's just how he is wired. I think it's worth trying without the noise machine, so you don't end up using it if you don't have to, but it's not all just up to how you parent. Some kids just sleep easier than others.
  • +1 for muslins. We still use them and DD is 2, but I use them to dry her curly hair instead of regular towels and I just prefer them over regular receiving blankets. 

    +1 for sound machines also. We had one that hooked to your iPhone/iPod and we just playing soothing sounds. She didn't have any issues 'weaning' from it.
  • +1 for muslins. We still use them and DD is 2, but I use them to dry her curly hair instead of regular towels and I just prefer them over regular receiving blankets. 

    +1 for sound machines also. We had one that hooked to your iPhone/iPod and we just playing soothing sounds. She didn't have any issues 'weaning' from it.
    Ooh! That's a really good idea! I have to go dig out our old A&A blankets for my curly headed child now!! 
  • Honestly, you are probably going to end up getting regular recieving blankets as a baby gift from someone whether you register for them or not, and you can always take some home from the hospital, so I wouldn't bother putting them on a registry even if you think you might like them better than the muslin ones. Register for A+A muslin ones though - they are awesome!
  • I sure hope my kid inherits DH's sleeping ability instead of mine! He can sleep anywhere, anytime, unlike me. Just like @wifeinraleigh28, baby will be used to white noise simply from sharing a room with me because I can't sleep any other way (though the pregnancy tiredness has actually helped a fair bit recently). 
  • Another +1 for sound machines. We had a sleep sheep for DD and it worked wonders. Only problem was that DH got so hooked on it from when she was in our room, that he started using an app afterwards lol 

     

     

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  • Ahutch428 said:
    Another +1 for sound machines. We had a sleep sheep for DD and it worked wonders. Only problem was that DH got so hooked on it from when she was in our room, that he started using an app afterwards lol 
    We have the Sleep Sheep, too, but it would wake DS when it stopped playing. So now we use it to signal it's time to wind down and get ready for bed, and then we switch to all-night white noise on the iPad when it's time to sleep.

    If you would have told pregnant me that we'd use TWO sound machines, I would have rolled my eyes so hard. Add this to the long list of Never, Not Me's that went out the window once the baby arrived and had his own opinions!
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    We used a sound machine for DS1 once DS2 was born because he kept waking up with the baby.  He can definitely sleep without it now but he still sleeps better with it on (especially with DS2's recent sleep regression).
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  • Halo bassinet. Do I go for the super fancy model with the lights, vibration, nursing timer and music. Or just get the basic model? I'm leaning towards the basic model because none of my kids liked the vibration, I use my phone to track nursing so the only feature id really use is a light. And I can just buy a bedside lamp for less then the difference. But anyone have the super fancy model and love it?

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  • @awoodruff27 what app do you use for tracking nursing?
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  • rmarble23 said:
    @awoodruff27 what app do you use for tracking nursing?
    I honestly don't remember what I used last time. But I just hit which side, start, then stop. And it kept track for me. I'll look and see if I can remember what it was called. 

    Mom to Madison- 5 and Lillian 2....and now surprise baby #3!
  • @awoodruff27,I'm curious to see the response to the halo question. I really want one too, yet it's so expensive. Sometimes they pop up on the fb yardsale site. I used a pack and play last time, but the halo keeps them closer to you which I like. 
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  • Interested in the Halo responses too. I have the lesser one on my registry, I'm just not sure how often we'd use the premium features. I also read a lot of reviews on Amazon before choosing the standard one and a lot of them reviews stated the vibration never worked or stopped working fairly quickly. 

    My friend just had a baby and has the premium model and said her kid hates the lullabies and vibration, and she doesn't think it will last beyond 4-5 months. I suppose that's standard for most bassinets anyway.

  • I would only get the premium Halo for the vibration feature. The nightlight, feeding timer etc. seem completely unnecessary. While the vibration feature would be nice for naps or just to comfort the baby while I take a quick shower, I don't think I'd use it at night because the crib she will be transitioning to doesn't vibrate. She will have a baby bouncer that vibrates for those situations so I'll probably just get the basic model if I go with the Halo. 

    I stayed up way too late last night reading reviews for the Halo and the Arms Reach. Every time i feel like I've made a decision I change my mind a few days later. There's a decent chance that I end up having a RCS and I just can't decide which bassinet would be better for that scenario. 
  • I got the basic version of the halo bassinet on a local Facebook buy-sell group for this babe. The only feature that was tempting on the premium one for me was the vibration, because dd literally never could be even put down sleep in her bed until we figured out she loved vibration, and then she started going to sleep on her own with it on and going back to sleep at night as soon as we restarted it. It was magical, like having a snooze button on a baby. She was in a basic mini pack n play though, so we were using a separate attachable vibrator thing. That actually worked really well because we could have two of them and just switch them out when the battery died instead of having it turn off while we changed batteries, which would wake her up. I hope this baby isn't a vibration junkie, but even if it is I'd rather use my old system than have it built in with no way to change the batteries instantly. The other features of the premium halo seem pointless to me, so after thinking the vibration thing through I got the regular one.
  • I actually got a rnp at Target for $36 for now. I want the Halo so bad, but the price is killing me. Haha. I told my mom if she wanted to gift us something, that would be appreciated. And I would just return the rnp. SO we will see. I have been stalking my yard sale pages and I haven't seen one yet. 

    Mom to Madison- 5 and Lillian 2....and now surprise baby #3!
  • another +1 for sound machines. DD's has been on for a solid 2 years straight. We never shut it off. I need backround noise to sleep too. I have the fan on full throttle every night.
  • We used the Halo when it first came out so there was only one option.  It did have the vibration and it helped get my son back to sleep after night feedings.  I'm looking into cheaper bassinets that have that feature as we sold our Halo.  I found a Fischer Price bassinet that I'm going to get bc it's similar in size and has the vibration.
    That said...if it wouldn't have had the vibration when it first came out I still would've gotten it bc I liked how it looked at functioned.  I'm cheaper now (two years later) haha, so that's why I'm looking at alternatives.
  • ^ this is what I'm most likely getting and my husband is going to attach some caster wheels so it's mobile and so we can make it rock back and forth.  It already vibrates.
  • I'm also planning to go with the Halo.  I spoke with a friend who's been using the premium version with her son born July 2016 and she said she never uses the premium features and if she had to buy again she'd get the basic version.  Just one experience, but I'm going to take a shot on the basic version myself.
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  • I think I have just about every sleeping option possible covered. We were given a pack n play, a bassinet, and a bouncer already, plus I got a free Baby Box (they're a really interesting concept if you're not familiar with it!), we'll eventually have a crib, and I've registered for the Rock n Play. And yet with all of these options I still haven't figured out a foolproof one to keep cats out while I'm sleeping. 
  • danij0danij0 member
    edited March 2017
    @CapricaAndrea I just signed up for my free Baby Box yesterday. Ohio just got on board and I'm really excited about it.. though I really think the cats will like the box the best! I'm also wondering how to avoid cats cuddling baby while I'm sleeping. Might just have to be something I figure out when the time comes.
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  • @CapricaAndrea. Would this be a good option to keep the cats out? 

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AWMP862/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk?th=1

    I think there are pack and plays with tents over them as well. 
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