I want to know what your favorite baby items were. Do you love your moby wrap? Do you even use that baby bouncer thing? Was your expensive stroller a waste of money? Give me the deets (and the brands)--I am totally clueless. What are your favorite things?!
14 comments:
The wrap I hear is worth it from absolutely everyone I've ever talked to. I would've died to have one. The bouncer is a necessity and the stroller is a maybe. The expensive ones that pop the baby carrier in and out are SUPER nice and will save you the horror of having to wake your infant every time you move you baby. However, they can be bulky and I've known some moms who have just chosen to go with a more compact (and cheaper) version from day one and deal with waking their kid. Since I needed a double stroller, the point was moot.
Honestly, my BIGGEST point of advice is to save your money. You'll want to start buying everything ahead of time but the truth is, your baby shower should cover a lot of it. But be careful and make sure to google the things people give you that aren't new. They could end up being recalled.
Oh, and make sure you get a bouncer that vibrates. It knocks them right out!
ooh yes, I love these!
Wraps: definitely a life-saver. Baby K'tan is the brand I have and it's great. Instead of one giant long piece of fabric you have to figure out how to tie, this one has an innovative solution that I won't try to describe here. google them if you're interested and you can watch a little instructional video or something :)
Strollers: GRACO SNUGRIDE gives you the best of both worlds. It's a lightweight stroller frame that the carseat pops into. That way you don't have the bulk of a huge travel system, but you don't have to wake your baby up when you are out and about. It's really been fabulous, and pretty affordable. I got the stroller frame on KSL for about $40 I think. Definitely look into it.
Bouncer: never had one but Harper didn't really go for my mother-in-laws. Same deal with swings. I got two of them and had one upstairs and downstairs. She tolerated them okay, but not for very long. Harper is a pretty hands-on baby! maybe your little one will love swinging/bouncing. If so, lucky you! If you don't get one for your shower I'd borrow one for a while to see if she even likes it.
Bumbos are nice (especially for when solid food time comes)
I only used my boppy (actually the walmart version) for the first little while, then it was just easier to nurse without it. Nice at first though when you are getting used to nursing.
Diaper Genie is nice, especially the Diaper Genie 2 with the foot pedal!
I don't know what your feeding plans are, but I have a manual breast pump that is really handy. I pump and freeze breastmilk regularly so that I can leave a bottle with grandma from time to time, or even take a bottle if we're all going out to dinner or something. Lucky for me, Harper has taken a bottle really well right from the get go.
Getting a bit more graphic here: you'll definitely want Lansinoh nipple cream - right away! Take it with you to the hospital - those first few days are the hardest. Also ask your nurses for some little nipple shield/cup thingys to help with friction for the first couple days as well.
Well, I think I over-answered that! Best of luck!!!
Funny, I disagree on the Moby. I've heard people who love it and people who don't. I wouldn't ever buy it because it's like putting on another shirt. I'm always warm and have enough layers anyway that another layer plus baby would be too hot. We have a Bjorn and I like it, but a simple sling would be nice. Anyway, I think a travel system is awesome! Definitely worth the money. And better than getting the snap n go system because they grow out of the car seat and you'll have to get a stroller eventually. I don't think it's really bulky at all either. Bouncy chair-must. I like the Target woodland creatures one because it's more of a chair and less of a slant. Aden & Anais swaddleplus muslin wraps are also a must. They are the best swaddlers I've found. I use the boppy every time I nurse, so that's great. Also, a nursing cover is a must! It helps tons to have the strap go around your neck to hold it on. And we inherited a swing from some friends and it's been a life saver. They are pretty expensive though, so maybe you'll get lucky and inherit one too. Good luck!
I used my boppy every time to nurse and it was great. It fit perfect on my rocking chair I got from Target. If you don't already have one, I found them to have the best bargain for a quality chair. I also love the bumbo - it's such a help when they're not quite able to sit up on their own yet. We fed Ella in it for a long time. Instead of a high chair we got a strap on booster seat that you just put on a chair, saves a lot of space.
Bouncy seat was a MUST for all four of my kids. I owned two. Bouncy meaning one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002OOWAHG/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00006408R&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1P3J25HS2XVNR9JXG4P9
Also one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Slumbersack-Longsleeve-Microfleece/dp/B0033UVJS6/ref=sr_1_17?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1300937056&sr=1-17
A mother with 10 kids gave me one with my first and it was the BEST thing to put a child to sleep in. I would give them a bath, put them in a onesie and this. Their little legs stay so warm!
Also a nice baby bathtub is great.
Your baby can be as expensive as you want it to be. Don't let it. I bought all my strollers on KSL used and have almost loved all of them (I'm struggling with my double jogger at the moment, but it gets the job done). I would not get a travel system. They are huge and expensive. I bought a carseat (Evenflo and hated it) and a stroller base to hook the car seat into and loved it because it was so light-weight and compact. I can fit 2 or 3 of my strollers in my car, but if you get a travel system, that's all that fits. When Rex grew out of his infant seat, I got an up-scale umbrella-type stroller (the Graco CitiLite City Sport). It's 8 pounds and super compact. As for car seats, go to Babies-R-Us and try them out in your car before you buy anything. Different car seats fit differently in different cars so you want to make sure yours fits in your car. I hear Chiccos and BabyTrends are nice, but I'm pretty sure we're getting a Graco SnugRide 35 for baby #2. They have the highest rating out of any car seat, even the Chiccos. Ok, and now I'm done. Other than that, I didn't get any baby gear for Rex and survived. Like I said, babies can be really expensive if you let them be. Also i'm doing clothe diapers for the next baby--save $800 on the first baby and more on any subsequent babies.
this is a random blog I follow, she is also pregnant and asks a bunch of questions to her readers and gets some pretty good feedback. just thought i'd share the info since I don't have any to provide :)
http://kariandnathan.blogspot.com/search/label/%7Bm%7Dommy-in-the-%7Bm%7Daking%20%7Bm%7Donday
I have to second the Lansinoh cream! I've heard from one source that using it a couple of times a day for a few weeks before the baby arrived helped reduce soreness for her. Because it WILL quite probably be painful after a short while.
We got a good deal on a Graco carseat and bought a graco stroller it could clip into. We loved it while she was still little and needed to be well-strapped in for even the small walks (for about 3 months). It's very good to be able to get out of the house for a while. Test drive some strollers at Baby's R Us, find what you like, then keep an eye out for deals on craigslist and ksl. That goes for most baby gear, too.
I second Heather's comment. Andrew hated his swing so I gave it away and used a bouncy for the rest, which they loved.
Never had a boppy, just used a pillow.
I didn't know about the bumbo until my last baby and he was too fat to fit in it.
Definately recommend some sort of wrap or baby bjorn.
Carseats...my first was a graco. Worked great. Later we used peg perego and britax which are both good too but expensive. Strollers...LOVE MACLAREN. I bought it when we lived in NYC and was walking everywhere. It is a compact and light umbrella stroller. Also easy to open and close with one hand. Expensive but worth the money. You can find them on ebay new for less money. It lasted 6 years. I've also had the travel system but didn't really need it.
Ask around for people who are done having kids and ready to get rid of their stuff...crib,rocker,etc. (have your mom ask around too) And definately use craig's list or KSL. Oh, and don't get a diaper genie. Over time the container ends up smelling anyway.
The Ipad 2 I heard really helps things out. best baby thing ever.
I love my "Chico" brand stroller and baby carrier combo! I used it with both my kids and it still looks good. It has an easy open and close option and the baby seat has a car attachment that you buckle in and then snap the car seat in and out! It is awesome, I wish I could still use it! I agree a bouncer is a must, swing not necessary! Most important things, burp cloths, bibs, little blankets and a nursing wrap! So excited for you!!
The ipad2 was definitely my must-have baby item -- Raimo's funny :) My boppy was perhaps the only must for me -- it really helped with nursing at first. I could never get other pillows quite right. We also used a swing every night because A would only sleep in that, but eventually, she had to learn to sleep without it, so it's a double-edged sword. One thing that I can attest to is that every baby is different. A is not a "container" baby and hated pretty much all holders -- bjorn, stroller, bouncy seat, car seat, exersaucer, you name it. The bumbo is the only thing she would deal with. I would just recommend not spending too much on some of those accessories until you get a sense of your baby -- I think they try to stick it to you on purpose sometimes :)
Oh man! There is a lot to say about baby items...
strollers: I got the BOO revolution. I use it for jogging and it's SO nice to maneuver wherever you take it. Whatever you get the first time, buy on craigslist or ksl because your first one is always temporary if you plan on having more than one kid.
slings: yes! love them. I was given the baby bjorn at a baby shower and it works great. I also like the Moby wraps too.
I loved the Bumbo and used it until she could not longer use it anymore as a highchair and then I got a highchair that hooks/suspends from the end of a table or a bar. seriously, the best purchase i have ever made. they don't take up space and they don't take up a chair at the table and the baby still gets to sit with the family at the dinner table. you also can take it with you to restaurants and family trips because it's pretty small and compacts.it's also cheaper than most highchairs. win, win, win!
http://www.inglesina.com/us/collection/table-chairs/fast
i never used a bouncer or a swing. except i did buy a bouncer that hooks onto the frame of the door off of craigslist. that way i could take it off and store when she wasn't using it. I also never had a rocking chair. i just walked around with her or swing in my arms. they are nice though if you have the money and space. as for the boppy. i actually had and it and then got the Breast Friend. The name says it all:) It's SO much for sturdy and you don't have to bend over and hurt your back when breastfeeding. It just has a lot more support and better all around. It has a little pocket too to hold stuff.
I hope that helps. you are going to do great and everyone has their own way of doing things, really. What someone else like you may not like at all. You will figure it out though!
I meant to say BOB revolution, not BOO revolution. haha
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