what do i NEED???

[evjolin]

so the sister in laws were really helpful at christmas to get me going as far as thinking about what i need to get for our first baby....just wanted to throw the question out to you for your opinions. what are your newborn must haves? for everything--feeding, sleeping, bathing, etc. i really want to only get what is necessary as we live in a tiny house :-)

also, please be specific with preferred brands of bottles, pumps, etc. i plan on breastfeeding but know i will need a bottle every now and then!

[Belle]

My must haves were:
Swaddling blankets. We made our own because store bought ones are too small.
Baby carrier. My favorite for my first was a ring sling, had an Ergo for my second. This is personal preference on what your favorite baby carrier is.
Convertible car seat. I didn't like the baby bucket we had for our first. It was heavy and she outgrew it quickly. She also hated being in it. So we would end up having to carry both her and the empty car seat. For our second we went straight to the convertible one and it wasn't inconvenient at all. We just put took her out of it and put her directly in the sling and she fell asleep right away.
Diapers We didn't CD, entirely up to you if you CD or use Disposables.
Water bottle for you I always found that as a newly nursing mom I was very thirsty.
Nursing pads I really like the Lansinoh ones for disposable. I also made some cotton ones for myself for Dd2. Either were great. Hated the Gerber ones.

Somethings we had that we could have lived without but were nice.
Changing table I'm a taller mama and liked having a dedicated place to change babies without hurting my back. Our changing table broke when our second baby was around a year old. We've lived without it just fine, but it was convenient.
Bouncy chair/Moses basket Kind of convenient when taking a shower. Could put baby in it and set them down in the bathroom while I showered. Later I learned to take baby in bath/shower with me and got both of our baths done at the same time. We had a cheap one without any bells and whistles.
Baby Monitors Maybe a good idea in a large house. Not so much in a small place. I could hear her just fine being in the next room.

Things that we didn't need at all
Travel system See point above about car seat. Stroller that came with it was big, ungainly, and heavy. We specifically bought one that had the word "lite" in the name. It was not "lite" by any means.
Baby wash cloths We got tons of baby sized wash cloths for my baby shower for my first. They were cheap and too small for me to use. What worked best was regular old wash cloths. Somebody gave me a stack of brand new fluffy ones. They worked great.
Baby bath tub Useless. I bathed my babies on my lap and they didn't scream when I was holding them.
Diaper genie Expensive to use (uses refills that cost $$$), smelly, and wasteful to the extreme. Need I say more?
Swings, Johnny-jump ups, exersaucers, Bounceroos, things with lots of plastic and noise, etc Not neccesary. Neither dd like them.
Baby shampoos, oils, soaps,powders, bath wash All kinds of yucky chemicals in them.
Any clothes with more than 6-7 snaps on the crotch or multiple buttons When you're diapering that often, clothes need to be easy acces. Some of the clothes that we received had 14 snaps on the legs alone. By the time we got all the snaps snapped she needed to be changed again. Buttons are just a bad idea on babies clothing. They're hard to do with one hand.
ETA: Dreft or other baby detergent We used Arm&Hammer detergent anyway that already was without harsh chemicals. Baby detergent was not neccesary.

[doulawoman]

[Friday13th]

All right, I'm trying to sort out in my brain what I really used for DS since we're having number 2 and I know there was a ton of stuff I never used.

A good carseat: convertible or bucket, whichever you prefer and will fit a newborn (Britax convertibles don't but many others do, check out the carseat board if you're looking for reccomendations)

A good carrier or two: I had several but DS was only happy upright so we used the Ergo from birth with his legs frogged up inside, I've since acquired a Beco that I really like and will probably be getting a wrap for newbie

Some place to put the baby while you shower/pee/cook: I registered for a received a portable swing, DS HATED it. We went out a bought a bouncy seat when he was a few days old which he loved. It really varies by kid and I might plan on borrowing one of each to try out and see if you have a swinger or a bouncer.

An Exercise ball: again, my kid was a bouncer and for the longest time the only way he'd go to sleep was while I bounced with him in the Ergo.

Swaddling blankets (big ones): I got a couple nice huge flannel ones from Old Navy and for newbie bought a few used Aden and Anais, the other ones weren't big enough and the velcro ones were too big when he was a newborn

Pump: DS never really took a bottle but during the first few days of engorgement and nursing difficulty I would pump until my breasts were soft and syringe feed him a bit to calm him down before he'd latch on. I had a basic Medela single electric which I liked long-term for pumping a sippy cup's worth of milk so I could leave for a few hours but for early engorgment and sore nipples I actually preferred the cheap-o gerber manual which didn't tug on my nipples the way the Medela did.

Lansinoh or some other breast cream

Things I was eventually happy to have but could have done without having to store from birth:
A highchair
A larger containment device (exersaucer or pack n' play, again for showers, cleaning the litter box and such)
A baby monitor (DS did and does cosleep but once I started nursing him down and leaving him in bed, the monitor was invaluable for getting to him before he really woke up, and being able to keep the door closed)

I think that's about it other than some basic clothes and a truly excessive number of cloth diapers (because I LOVE them)

[moonbabymama]

needs

I think you need far less than you think...
A few bottles, Avent makes economical easy to clean ones.
Cloth diapers- even if you don't use them for diapers they are excellent burp cloths, changing pads, or emergency diapers.
receiving blankets at least 6 great for swaddling, burp cloths, and changing pad cover, and nursing cover.
few special blankets for your baby, and at least three crib sheets. You can nix the fancy crib set, you don't use the comforter, the bumpers are debatable if they are recomended, and you don't really need a diaper stacker.
For breast feeding moms a good lanolin cream

I really used a few items though that were wonderful for me.
1. Gripe water (sold at most pharmacies. homeopathic way to help reduce gas in colicy babies. My daughter was very colicy and it help so much!
2. teething tablets, Childrens stage one tylonal, and a thermometor safe for babies.
3. A bouncy seat- it sat on the counter while I cooked or washed dishes, in the bathroom while I showered, it went to grandmas house, she even slept in it a few times.
4. lotion for the baby, newborns get really dry skin after bathing
5. a good diaper rash cream like A&D
6. an excersize ball a big one... my daughter liked to bounce and I lost baby weight doing it when we watched tv or sat in the living room. So worth the $20

[MamaMonica]

Moved to Life with a Babe.

[noobmom]

If you really want to go minimalist, there's very little you need.

- a carseat - ask in the Safety forum for recs

- a place to sleep - if you co-sleep, that's taken care of! If you use a crib or something similar you'll need 3 sheets/mattress pads.

- diapers/wipes - if you're using disposables, get a pack of newborns and a pack of size 1 in case your baby is bigger. Pampers Swaddlers worked the best for us, other types either leaked or gave DS a rash (including 7th Gen). For wipes we used Huggies. If you have a membership to Costco, I've heard the Kirkland brand stuff is good. This time around I'm trying Earth's Best, although I'll mostly be CDing.

- clothes - 12 to 15 sleepers and onsies, a few hats. This will give you enough so you can stash extras in the car/diaper bag for backup. If you want, you can get a few "outfits" too, but I never put my newborn in anything but a sleeper.

- blankets - I like to have a lot around to use for swaddling, impromptu changing pads, keep the baby warm, etc. I wash them every day, so I would say 6-8.

- a few bottles/nipples - If you look around, you can find the classic glass Evenflo bottles. I don't trust plastic, so that's what I use. For nipples I choose one made of silicone (Gerber Nuk), but honestly I didn't put much thought into it because I'll be BFing. You may want to ask in the BFing forum for the best nipple. I would say this isn't even a necessity, but since you referred to it specifically in your question, I put this in.

- medicine cabinet stuff - diaper cream (I like Weleda calendula cream), rectal thermometer + jelly (for insertion), Baby Tylenol. A gentle soap and lotion without fragrances if you don't already use those types yourself. I never used anything else like gas drops. Oh, and throw in some lanolin for you (nipple cream).

That's pretty much it. Everything else is just gravy.

[laughingfox]

A PP mentioned that Britax convertible carseats don't accomodate newborns and I just wanted to chime in and say that is not true.
It varies by model of course, but many are made for babies as little as 5 pounds.
You can get padded inserts if you want to give it a more snuggly fit for your newborn.

My very basic list is this:
Sling
Carseat
Clothes (seasonally appropriate, includes blankets)
Cloth diapers (IME, if you use cotton ones, diaper rash creams/ointments probably won't be necessary)
Cloth wipes (to use with mild soap)

If you use mild natural body care products, shampoos, laundry detergents, etc, then there's not much need for separate baby ones. I always bathed DD with me or in the kitchen sink.

I'd definitely skip any lanolin-containing nipple creams (olive oil worked fine for me and had less of a yuck factor), and watch out for disposable nursing pads since some of them contain the same polymer salts that are in disposable diapers (I had a really bad experience with some of those- made my nipples taste bad and my daughter screamed and cried when I nursed her. Just heartbreaking.)

Regular towels make great "drop cloths" for changing diapers on the bed, couch, floor, etc. No need to get anything extra for that.

I have no personal experience with bottles, but I've heard that you should never stock up on them before birth, since you won't know what works until you try it, and different babies prefer different types.

[allical1284]

Everyone has pretty much covered it all, but I wanted to add something....
As for a sling/carrier, in the early newborn days, we couldn't live without our Moby wrap! We made our own Fauxby Wrap I wasn't willing to fork over $40+ for a label.
Buy about 5 yards of jersey knit material (you can find it on sale at any fabric store like Joann's, Hancocks, Hobby Lobby, etc...) Cut it in half lengthwise so that you have 2 pieces of fabric that are each 30 inches wide and 5 yards long, and you have 2 Moby wraps!! I was able to make 2 wraps for $5!!

[red and lulu]

We went the minimalist route, too and it works. I feel like all you really NEED are boobs, a carrier... and maybe a physioball. But I have gotten a lot of use out of our baby bjorn chair (no batteries or bells and whistles). DD's favorite carrier has changed (and we were super lucky to have access to a bunch of different types thanks to friends): first it was the ring sling (perfect for bf-ing in public), then the beco and a wrap, and now the ergo.

Obviously you need a carseat; we got a convertible one, and it suits. Clothes (bigger size is better, especially if you're cloth diapering); zip front jammies are boss (childrens place usually has good deals on them). And if you're co-sleeping, a waterproof changing pad to put in a pillow case under baby (and you)-- you'll be leaking and sweating and baby might have some nighttime diaper leaks. I've found a towel alone doesnt do so much in the way of keeping the bed dry.

Also lifesaving: hyland's teething tablets and a mobile, somewhere.

(FWIW i think prefolds are great for everything but newborn diapering-- as a first time mom I was totally overwhelmed. I used chlorine-free sposies for the first week or so and then started using all-in-one pockets. But like with the carrier or bottles, different ones work for different babies and mamas. Give yourself options).

Hope there's something helpful in this rambly mess!

[Italiamom]

My top 4 "needs" in the early months:

- A good sling/carrier. This was hands down the best purchase we made for our kiddo.
- A nice stash of cloth diapers (if you're planning on going with cloth), or a dozen prefolds. They are the best burp rags/leaky breastmilk rags/everything under the sun rags!
- A good pump, and storage bags/containers for freezing milk in. I have a Medela Pump In Style that I love. It was pretty uncomplicated, and came with both a plug in and battery power source, so that I could use either. While I rarely use it at 8 months, I had SOOO much milk in those first few weeks. Pump an extra bag or two each day and it will keep your supply high and help you to build a stash.
- Sleepers with feet. Trying to keep socks on infant feet is a GIANT pain in the butt. Start with 4 in a newborn size (NB) and 4 in an infant size. And check craigslist! Babies grow so quickly that you see things that are barely used or never worn. Perfect for clothes your babe might wear only for a few weeks, or might not wear at all (many babies skip the NB size).

As for bottles, the ones DS seems to like best are the "Born Free" brand. They make glass bottles too, which I like because I haven't melted one (as opposed to an unfortunate accident with a Playtex bottle). Just make sure that whatever you end up with has a slow flow nipple, and avoid the "Nuk" shaped nipples. Despite what their packaging says, they're not great for primarily breastfed babes.

[hartfelt]

I have an eight week old and the things i can't live without so far are my boppy, baby swing, and cloth diapers (fitteds with wool covers). i like footed sleepers, but i find the ones with a zipper are no good b/c you have to unzip all the way to change a diaper and the zipper gets cold. my house is drafty so snaps work better for us. blankets are very handy for swaddling and changing diapers on. if you are going to breastfeed you need some good bras and lots of water. that is what we are using now, and its working well. we cosleep and my baby isn't into slings but thats okay she will like them one day soon! i would get one though, or 5 like me! as long as you have breasts, diapers, a car seat, clothes, blankets and love.... you'll be fine!

[sunshynbaby]

This post helped me form my shopping list/registry way back when:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1041658

[evjolin]

sweet, thanks everybody

[Kelly1101]

All we used the first month or so:

Carseat.
Changing Table (yeah, you can use the bed or floor, but it will kill your back)
Onesies and sleepers
Receiving blankets
Hats
Baby carrier (I used a sling-style for her first few months)
Medical Kit with nail clippers, nose aspirator, thermometer
Baby wash, cornstarch powder, diaper-rash cream
Hooded towels, soft baby washclothes
Rubbing alcohol and swabs, if you're going to swab the cord stump (some do, some don't)
Cotton balls (for washing face and neck)
Diapers (I so strongly recommend cloth. Not only is the saved money crazy, but they usually save you diaper rash, too.)
Nursing Pillow



There are lots of other extra things that are sometimes nice to have, sometimes unnecessary, but the above list is all we really used.

[darcytrue]

cloth diapers not only for diapers but for burp cloths (they're great!)

diaper changing pads for diaper changes (I don't own a changing table)

sleep bags or swaddling type outfits for the first month or so

glider or rocking chair

hooded bath towels

bibs that snap on the side (the ones that snap in back are harder to remove once baby falls asleep)

baby sling or carrier (I have a b'jorn and a hot sling)

bouncey seat so you can have hands free sometimes

[Ruthie's momma]

Congratulations!

*You and your LO will need very little!

Car seat (infant or convertible)-With DD, I had a Graco SafeSeat infant car seat (Graco also has the Snugride 32 and Snugride 35). With my next LO, I plan to go with a convertible car seat.

Basic layette-The amount of clothing you need will depend mostly on your laundry schedule. Go for cotton clothing. It is comfy for baby, easy to care for, and offers a flexible fit. Tees/onesies, gowns, one-pieces (with or without feet), pants, socks and a hat are all you need. Add a couple of swaddling blankets, too.

Diapers-Cloth or disposable (get some cotton prefolds to use as burp cloths, either way).

*You and your LO may need a couple of additonal items.

Bottles-DD and I used the Evenflo Classic Glass Bottle.

Convertible crib with basic bedding-If the LO will not be cosleeping in your bed, you will need a safe place for baby to sleep.

Sling-Perfect for hands free baby care!

*Later on, we added a few additonal items.

Stroller

Sippy cup

High chair/booster seat

Baby Bjorn potty

*We didn't use a Pack n' Play, bouncer, swing, Bumbo, etc. My LO was content to hang out on a blanket while I hopped in the shower or prepared food. A baby bath tub, towels, washcloths and toiletries were not used either. DD was bathed in either the sink or along with me or DH. And, our towels and toiletries are far better quality than most baby versions. We didn't have a changing table. I would just change DD on the bed, couch or floor.

>>>You really can ignore all of those baby gadgets!

[BrittneyMarie]

things we thought we'd need, bought, and haven't really used so far (dd is about 4 months):

crib and basinette (because we said we'd never cosleep )
changing table
swing (okay, dh has put her in it a bit, but i cant get away with it!)
pack and play (it stores our dipes)

things i cant live without:
the moby wrap! shes loved it from the time we got it at 3 weeks.
car seat, obviously
our cloth diaper stash
the boppy, in the first few weeks i dont know how one could survive without it, or the equivalent
honestly, thats about it

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by evjolin

also, please be specific with preferred brands of bottles, pumps, etc. i plan on breastfeeding but know i will need a bottle every now and then!

Are you working or taking classes or have some other activity that absolutely must continue where you won't be able to bring the baby? If not, then worry about getting anything like that later.

Waterproof pads for your bed. CVS makes a nice large machine washable one for about $13. Get at least two so you can switch them out if you have leaks. They can handle it when my 15 month old wets the bed with no diaper at all, so they'll work just fine for any leaking from littler babies.

You're going to get a lot of clothes. If you like green and yellow, tell people you don't know the gender. If you like blue, tell people it'll be a boy, for pink, say it's going to be a girl. Do this regardless of what you know about the baby .

Get a sling. For a newborn, and a inexperienced babywearing mama, a pouch or ringsling is best. Make a pouch out of a used sheet so you're ready to try showering with the baby, some babies don't mind a bit of splashing .

Chew toys.

Get a stack of lightweight books you've been wanting to read, or a e-reader loaded up with a bunch of books you've been wanting to read. Set that up with water (a straw bottle is great), tissues, and some one handed snacks on a tray. And make a clear spot on your end table and put a table convenient to your most comfy chair.

A general baby development book, such as the Sears Baby book, is a good resource to have on hand when you're wondering whether you should care about spots or a snuffle.

One of those kits, Red Cross brand usually, that have fingernail clippers, a brush, thermometer, nose sucker thingy, comb, and some other stuff. Get it now, the clippers are awesome on adult hangnails!

See if your dh can work 7-4 or even 6-3 for a while after he's gone back to work. 4pm to 7pm is often a really hard time in the early days.

Make your house spotless now.

Go around your house holding a glass pitcher nearly full of water and evaluate how readily you can do your routines. (yes, I'm serious)

Repeat with a sack of potatoes tucked into a sling.

Adjust anything that seems at all difficult now, because what's annoying now will be hair-pulling horrible when the baby's there.

carseat get a convertible seat and get it installed in your car, but see if any friends and relatives have a non-expired infant seat available in case you have a tiny little one.

[mamadelbosque]

What do you *NEED*?? Not a lot. Diapers, clothes, and either wash cloths or a huge stash of wipes (we do both - mostly wash cloths at home and wipes when we're out). Some blankets, and a carseat. Thats about it. DS1 never liked the swing, DS2 did, but it was taken down by 4-4.5 months. Never did get a bouncy seat for either one, though I do have a jumper thing for DS2 I picked up at goodwill a while back. Keep meaning to try him in it and see what he thinks.... baby bath tub meh, We still have the one from when Ds1 was little and it got some use with him and we are still using it with DS2, but its definetly not neccasry. I do love my boppy though and a good baby carrier of some sort is nice - though I can tell you right now I haven't used mine nearly as much with DS2 as I did with DS1.

EDIT: Oh and we have used the pack'n play *WAY* more with DS2 than DS1. Mostly cause' its nice to have somewhere to put him down while I run and do X and not worry about DS1 bugging him/tripping over him/stepping on him/rolling a car/ball/truck/whatever into him/etc...