Just for fun, (FTMs weigh in too!) — what’s one thing you would de-influence from the baby gear lists out there and why? Do you have a favorite alternative or just skip altogether?
FTMs anything in particular are you curious about??
Not posting for debate as two people may have perfectly valid reasons/situations that lead them to opposite choices, but I know it was so helpful for me to hear personal perspectives/situations/priorities esp when I was a FTM sorting through the lists of “must-haves”!
me . late 30's | h . early 40's | < 3 . 2013
*siggy warning*
ttc#1 . jul 2015
mmc . mar 2016
dx PCOS (non-IR) / subclinical hypothyroidism . summer 2016
tx metformin, levothyroxine, LP progesterone, femara + trigger + ti . fall/winter 2016
BFP . jan 2017
DD . oct 2017
ntnp #2 . summer 2018
mmc x2 . sep 2018 & may 2019
RE workup, dx MTHFR mutation, ultimately unexplained . summer 2019
surprise BFP . aug 2019
DS . may 2020
dx Hashimoto's 2023
ttc #3 . feb 2023
mmc . apr 2023
mmc x3 . mar/jul/aug 2024
dx elevated nk cells
tx ovasitol, levothyroxine, baby aspirin, LP progesterone, lovenox, prednisone, femara + ti . jan 2025
BFP . mar 2025
Re: de-influencing baby gear
prevously helloblueeyes
Me:32 DH:33 Married:04/2012 DD:07/2014
BFP 8/14/2018 #2 due 4/18/2019
Mine is the dedicated bedside bassinets/moses baskets, maybe not marketed as an absolute necessity but it’s funny how you start to feel like you need things when you see them over and over (just me?? 😆)…
Some of them are so pretty but babies outgrow them so quickly (and a Moses basket I bought for my son ended up molding in storage after all of 8 weeks of use we got out of it so we couldn’t even resell it). A travel pack n play with the infant insert worked great for the months we had our first and then our second in our room, and then after they moved to their cribs it just converted to a containment zone for my showers. It’s stored perfectly in their closet so it’ll be ready for this baby. Obv for co-sleeping disregard!
Confession I am kiiinda contradicting myself and getting the bassinet to go on our stroller frame for this go around, since we pretty much have all of the other gear already 😝
On a serious note, I’d also add de-influencing any of the car-seat add-ons made by other companies that invariably pop up (piddle pads that go under baby, the cute car seat strap covers, infant inserts not by the manufacturer, etc.)—due to safety. Car Seats for the Littles has a good article on non-approved products for car seats with easy alternatives.
*siggy warning*
mmc . mar 2016
dx PCOS (non-IR) / subclinical hypothyroidism . summer 2016
tx metformin, levothyroxine, LP progesterone, femara + trigger + ti . fall/winter 2016
BFP . jan 2017
DD . oct 2017
ntnp #2 . summer 2018
mmc x2 . sep 2018 & may 2019
RE workup, dx MTHFR mutation, ultimately unexplained . summer 2019
surprise BFP . aug 2019
DS . may 2020
dx Hashimoto's 2023
ttc #3 . feb 2023
mmc . apr 2023
mmc x3 . mar/jul/aug 2024
dx elevated nk cells
tx ovasitol, levothyroxine, baby aspirin, LP progesterone, lovenox, prednisone, femara + ti . jan 2025
BFP . mar 2025
prevously helloblueeyes
Me:32 DH:33 Married:04/2012 DD:07/2014
BFP 8/14/2018 #2 due 4/18/2019
I also despise double strollers. I feel like any place I would truly need one, are also the most inconvenient to use. Dr offices, crowded amusement parks and museums. They are just so bulky and awkward to have to move around seats, tables, and loads of people. I use a baby carrier for the littlest, an umbrella stroller for thr next littlest, and then everyone else holds hands or holds onto the stroller. Backpack for our stuff. So much easier.
I've never used a changing table, wipe warmers, pee pee tee pee, diaper genie, or rocking chair/glider.
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Agree about the diaper genie. Maybe mine was defective but it never concealed the poop smell so what’s the point?
@virginiaham About the car seat add ons - I was thinking about the zipper cover for the infant seat bc it’s gonna be winter and the car is sometimes freezing, and because we go for walks. Is that super dangerous too? I haven’t done the research tbh. But I know baby isn’t supposed to wear a jacket or snowsuit in the car so I thought this was a nice option as it’s freeeeezing here.
I only use it a ton because our town is very walkable and we walk everywhere. We walk to the bank/library etc. I wouldn’t drive to the library then unload my bulky stroller to bring inside. I would use a carrier or umbrella stroller like @nopegoat said! I agree that it’s too bulky for the aisles of a grocery store or even an airport (even though you may do a ton of walking there)
Def agree on a double stroller in a walkable area. We lived near downtown in another city when my kids were 3 and infant and we used the double stroller to go everywhere, it was honestly our primary vehicle (also this was during COVID and it was soooo good to get longer times outside of the house). It def doesn’t make sense where we are now when we have to drive everywhere we go so I sold it.
I’m really torn on a rocker for this one; we’ve never had one. Aside from rocking baby I would love to get one that is wide enough for a kid to sit next to me for read alouds, but we have a puppy and I’m terrified of crushing a paw or tail. Maybe I’ll just bring one of our front porch rocking chairs inside to try it out first to see if it’ll turn into a must-have.
*siggy warning*
mmc . mar 2016
dx PCOS (non-IR) / subclinical hypothyroidism . summer 2016
tx metformin, levothyroxine, LP progesterone, femara + trigger + ti . fall/winter 2016
BFP . jan 2017
DD . oct 2017
ntnp #2 . summer 2018
mmc x2 . sep 2018 & may 2019
RE workup, dx MTHFR mutation, ultimately unexplained . summer 2019
surprise BFP . aug 2019
DS . may 2020
dx Hashimoto's 2023
ttc #3 . feb 2023
mmc . apr 2023
mmc x3 . mar/jul/aug 2024
dx elevated nk cells
tx ovasitol, levothyroxine, baby aspirin, LP progesterone, lovenox, prednisone, femara + ti . jan 2025
BFP . mar 2025
I swear the nursery is more for us trying to pass time during pregnancy than actually for the babies more often than not.
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ETA: I do love my changing table as I have a really hard time bending over. I have 5 herniated discs, so it becomes exhausting, especially when baby gets older and it's like wrestling an alligator to change a diaper. The swing worked for like 5 minutes because I have a velcro baby/toddler. And toys--his favorite thing to play with when he was little was a wooden spoon and a plastic Tupperware container. It makes toy rotation a lot easier 😆