A few baby gear questions. This is the fun stuff! « Back to Group Discussions

[mamagnome]

Hi again,

I am expecting my third child.  This one is...umm...shall we say....a surprise.  We already sold/gave away all our baby stuff.  Which is fine, because I have truly learned how few "things" babies actually need.  There are a couple things I'm looking forward to replacing and/or updating though, so for any of you who already have children, I'd love some advice!

Firstly, cloth diapers.  I cloth diapered my first two kids.  Best investment ever.  We used Fuzzy Bunz and Haute Pockets.  They were awesome.  I was looking at Rumparoos recently though.  They seem to be along the same lines, but slightly improved upon.  Any thoughts?

Also, a baby carrier.  I used a HotSling mostly for my second child, which was great.  I'm not a fan of the Baby Bjorn, which I used for my first.  I've been looking at wraps and Ergo carriers.  Something really flexible that's easy to wear baby on the front or back.  I'd really, really love to hear which ones worked for you.

Lastly, a baby hammock.  Specifically, the one they sell at Nova Naturals.  It just seemed like it would be so much more comfy than a flat co-sleeper or something similar while he/she was very little.  My first two hated sleeping on flat surfaces and ended up sleeping mostly on me.  I'd like to be able to get through this one with a little less co-sleeping if possible.  (Although nothing beats a cozy, snuggly, little bundle curled up on you at night!)

Thanks in advance!

[here we are]

Please let this be the fun stuff, its starting to feel very hard for me. Also interested in the hammock idea, i hope it can be right next to your bed for easy acess like a cosleeper.
I am going crazy right now reading about diapers, i spend so much time going in circles, i feel very stressed. I hope i feel better soon. Everytime someone writes something i get so happy thinking "that'll work ", then i hear someone else not like it , chunky legs, small legs, wide hips , narrow, poop dripping out , rise not right, wicking onto clothes, not washing well but fitting, I dont know! I hope its just new mom anxiety.for me. I know i want natural.material so everytime someone mentions something i look it up . Greenmountain diaper website seemed simple enough. I guess i need to find out about return policy, some places had a 90 day, not sure if that means you try it and can still return? It seems overwhelming to me that there are so many fits out there. Even on GMD, they have fitted ones,newborn size, then one size i think in one kind, then another fitted thats cheaper is in four sizes, the Workhorse... Why? More expensive=better? And they say all cotton is best, but i was interested in hemp too maybe. Maybe i will not need the xtra absorbancy at first? I know i am not much help, just wanted to join in on the converswtion cause i really am feeling pressured by all this. I dislike the idea of not fitting and needing to resell while at home with a brand new baby. I think i may go with prefolds but not until the newborn stage is done. And covers i want wool, hoping this isnt going to be an issue. If people.do recommend, please say what yours are made of , if you know right off the bat and its not inconvienent, because it takes me so long to look each one up and then i get distracted by the new website and all its choices and reviews. I am turning into a wreck, i just want everything done so i dont have to think about it anymore. Someone simplify this, whats the leak proof fool? proof method? Its so hard when "its different for everyone".

[talldarkeyes]

Here we are, there are diaper companies that offer "try it out" packs with many different options. I suggest getting one of those and saving up to buy diapers after your baby is born so you will know exactly what kind of baby you have. I don't cloth diaper during the first two months. With my dd I used an Eco friendly brand and with my foster ds I used the regular brand diapers gifted to us. By two months old I seemed to be able to have a better handle on things so cloth diapering was easier to incorporate into my life. Research now (but don't get stressed out about it!), start saving (I would suggest $300-500 depending on how you want to go) and then worry about it after the baby is here.

[mamagnome]

Here We Are,

I agree about waiting a month or two to cloth diaper if you're new to it and it's your first baby.  I really can speak highly of the two brands I used, though, Haute Pockets and Fuzzy Bunz.  Each set lasted through two kids for me.  If I had known about this baby, I would've saved them!  I would also recommend getting a couple of each brand you're interested in and trying them out as every baby's fit is different.  Trust me.  This might seem overwhelming, but really, this is small potatoes.  Don't let it stress you out.  After two kids, I'm over that feeling (I once had it too) of needing to get everthing in place.  This is small stuff.  And it's just "stuff".  As long as you're ready to love that baby, you really are all set.  :) 

You might try reading two of my favorite books (I wish I had read them before my first one), Simplicity Parenting and Beyond the Rainbow Bridge.  They're easy to read, inspiring, and will help to put things into focus.

Good luck, and let us know which ones you decide to try!

Warmly,

Mama Gnome

[dayiscoming2006]

I have tried the one size fuzzibunz and they always leaked pee around the legs no matter what I did. So, I sold them. If your starting new in the cloth diapers again. Maybe go with what you know or get a sampler of things you think you'd like and buy more of what you like after baby's here. Sell the ones you didn't like if any.

I like my ergo, but I think I would have liked the beco carrier better because they make it so it will hold a smaller baby easier. I had to swaddle my newbie for the first few months if I wanted to use the ergo. I'm thinking of selling my ergo and buying a beco. Does anyone have a beco? 

[InLove2009]

i really like the looks and the idea of the moby wrap. Anyone have any experience with it?

Also, we are not planning on cosleeping, for different reasons, but I was wondering if a bassinet would be a good investment? Or would the crib do just fine? Bassinets are pricy, so if they are really not necessary, I don't want to get it... Thoughts?

[g&a]

Funnily enough, I still have the diapers I bought for kid #2.  Couldn't get rid of them because they're all mismatched and mostly flats which are not really common or popular.  I will probably use the flats again - they really are best for fit, and not as complicated to deal with as people make them out to be.  I think I'll get some new covers, though,  PUL ones, I ended not loving the wool which was a huge shock.  I also have some GMD prefolds (someone was asking about those) - I have NB and small ones so I'll use those again too. 

Carriers: Baby Bjorns are awful.  I have a Calyx (similar to Beco) which I loved for bigger babies and a ring sling for newborns.  I would like to get a nicer ring sling this time around.  I tried wraps and found they took a long time to put on compared to the SSC or ring slings, but I know a lot of people love them. 

We won't be getting a crib - just matresses on the floor that can be put onto a bed when they are older.  so, um, not needing much at all really.  Except baby clothes (gave everything away when we moved) - but people always give you those as gifts, and they're easy to find on consignment.  We will be needing a bunk bed for the older kids as they will start sharing a room, as well as another dresser.  Those are the big purchases.  I don't want a dedicated changetable - thinking we might just change them on the bed, not sure yet.

[here we are]

G&a, why did u end up not liking wool??

[here we are]

So you, mean using disposables the first couple months? Is it similar in price? It makes sense to need one less thing to do. If i try diapers during that time to seewhat fits, what size would i be trying? Like skipping newborn size and going for the next one size type ? Would i buy the bigger size and kind of wait until it fitsto try meanwhile have disposables on hand? I wonder if disposables can be hard to fit too, they better not be . And i hear more about blowouts in them..?Is it just finding the right one? Now i want to plan this into my budget.

[dayiscoming2006]

Disposables=blowouts and more clothes, bedding, etc to wash in my experience. I have used them in the beginning with a newbie, but cloth diapers are much better at containment. I would thing prefolds would be a good type of cloth diaper for the newborn stage if you decide to use cloth then because they are a much less expensive investment. As far as what diaper you would get, that is all up to you. One size diapers tend to fit from 10+ lbs though there are a couple that claim to fit from 8 lbs. My last baby was 9 lbs 3 oz, so, not much point in having newborn diapers for me personally, but I do believe that is above average. But, one size diapers didn't fit right away still, at least, not the ones I had.

[wrenmoon]

Here is my rundown of supplies...
Diapers:
I got a Diaper service as a gift for the first two months with both my babies, if your budget is limited for a big investment I would wait and buy medium diapers and covers. Your babe will be in mediums for a lot longer than smalls. You can use a medium diaper for a small baby, its just ridiculously big on them. I used fuzzi bunz mediums for my first and some bum genius (they snap down in front to be smaller) for my second (they were in diapers at the same time). Both are pocket diapers and you can use cheaper flat pre folds inside. Or dish towels if you had to. I only had trouble with fuzzi bunz when the inserts were brand new pre folds that didn't absorb anything and just ran out the sides. But both my kids were huge, 24lbs at 6 months, and they could wear mediums a lot earlier. I vote for trying some out and waiting to see what shape your baby is. Is diaper swappers still around?
Carrier:
Moby wrap was great until my little one got big enought to throw herself back and it started to feel a little unsafe cause it was so stretchy. For youngers it works wonderfully and I think they make one with a woven panel in front which would work better for older babies.
Then they both lived in the Ergo. For years.
Slings hurt my back after awhile because I wore it on the same side all the time.
Bed:
My husband made a simple co sleeper for the first few months (until crawling) i made a mattress out of thrift store blankets stacked, cut and tacked together with a pillowcase-like cover, and after crawling we turned our queen bed sideways and added a shelf with a piece of foam at the foot to extend it and it became the family bed. My little one was between me and the wall and the mattress went to the floor. We didn't have to buy another mattress or sheets etc and then as the children moved into their own beds/room we turned our bed back into a queen size. We had a crib that we used for naps until my boy learned how to climb out and then it was just a pain in the you know what, and I was glad we only spent $80 at a used baby store for it. It became storage for toys.
Clothes:
Clearance sections of target and old navy or pretty good for clothes the next few sizes up, if you want new clothes. I always had way too much and wished for much less. If there is a birth circle or la leche league near you, hook up with moms with kids ahead of yours and you will be set. I was constantly giving clothes away as fast as they came in. I was so happy to find someone to give stuff to.
The only money we really spent was on good shoes. Consignment stores worked for shoes until they hit about 4 and then I think most kids at that age start really trashing them so there aren't many good used condition to be found. Then you can turned to eBay, The great source for gently used children's shoes, winter coats and boots, cold weather bibs and snow pants. We also sell things again on eBay at the end of the season, depending on how used up they are.
My house has three sizes going, grown out of/giveaway, wearing now, and upcoming sizes.
Carseat:
We borrowed a bucket seat for the first few months, and invested in a bigger seat that went from 9-40 lbs. My kids both spent very little time in the car in their first two months so the bucket seat wasn't very important. I would borrow one from someone or get a bigger one right off.
We almost never used a stroller, cause we live in the country but I did buy a used jogging stroller for gravel road walks. That thing lasted for four years.
The supplies on my list this time (cause we gave it all away too) carseat, carrier (woven front moby and ergo) prefold diapers and covers (probably bum genius for the small/medium sizes), a simple co sleeper (on the man's list) and some clothes but not many cause its hot as hades in July and we live in a yurt with no AC.
I might make diapers this time too, I make knitted wool covers and made fleece covers for my daughter but she was too heavy a wetter and they couldn't handle it. Making fitted diapers, that's a subject for later on!

[talldarkeyes]

Originally Posted by dayiscoming2006 

Disposables=blowouts and more clothes, bedding, etc to wash in my experience. I have used them in the beginning with a newbie, but cloth diapers are much better at containment. I would thing prefolds would be a good type of cloth diaper for the newborn stage if you decide to use cloth then because they are a much less expensive investment. As far as what diaper you would get, that is all up to you. One size diapers tend to fit from 10+ lbs though there are a couple that claim to fit from 8 lbs. My last baby was 9 lbs 3 oz, so, not much point in having newborn diapers for me personally, but I do believe that is above average. But, one size diapers didn't fit right away still, at least, not the ones I had.

I did not have any problems with blowouts with the disposables. I did occasionally with cloth but maybe that is because I only used disposables for a few months and then at night because I could never get cloth to work at night. I have used fuzzi buns which I did not like, g-diapers, bum genius 3.0, happy heinies, and thirsties which ended up being my favorite.

[talldarkeyes]

Originally Posted by InLove2009 

i really like the looks and the idea of the moby wrap. Anyone have any experience with it?
Also, we are not planning on cosleeping, for different reasons, but I was wondering if a bassinet would be a good investment? Or would the crib do just fine? Bassinets are pricy, so if they are really not necessary, I don't want to get it... Thoughts?

I have a moby but didn't use it much after the first few months. It got too stretched out as the baby grew heavier. I used a ring sling and a pouch sling as well as a mei tai but this time I am thinking of investing in a beco type carrier.

[ashleybrook]

i love my ergo-- started using it with the newborn insert and still using it daily :) honestly the best buy we made. our little guy was pretty heavy pretty quick and it's the only thing that i used that didn't hurt my shoulders/back. tried a sling-ouch, tried a moby--to complicated. and i am considering getting another ergo or getting a mai tai. 

as for cloth diapers--i also got a few of a couple of different kinds to try out last time--and then once i decided what worked i got more when the little guy was about a month or two...can't really remember. he also changed in those first couple of months so i'm glad i tried out a couple of different ones and didn't buy a lot of what i thought before hand. i can see how each baby might need a different diaper.

our purchases will include a dresser for our little guy's room...his clothes are currently in our room and they'll be moved and replaced with the new babes clothes. we'll also get 2 more car seats, one for each car. and then another carrier...and i think that's about it. if it's a boy, i kept a bunch of clothes. and if it's a girl, my sister had a girl a year ago and she kept a bunch of clothes to share. :) plus our newbie was hardly dressed last time and that was winter, so i doubt the new one coming in july will be dressed much either :) 

i loved that book simplicity parenting..and will have to look for the other recommendation! i agree, don't get too worked up about all this stuff, babies really don't need anything buy you. get your breasts ready and your heart ready...and the rest falls into place :) ...that being said--i'm working on things like getting postpartum help. i need someone to help with cooking and cleaning as my husband and i were too overwhelmed last time. it was just him and i, plus a business that runs non-stop, plus a newborn. now add in a toddler and a newborn= need to be prepared to still eat well :) we need more help and that's where my energies are already going. 

[dayiscoming2006]

Originally Posted by talldarkeyes 


I did not have any problems with blowouts with the disposables. I did occasionally with cloth but maybe that is because I only used disposables for a few months and then at night because I could never get cloth to work at night. I have used fuzzi buns which I did not like, g-diapers, bum genius 3.0, happy heinies, and thirsties which ended up being my favorite.

I got blowouts with the disposables, but cloth paired with a thirsties cover, rarely gave me any problems. I love thirsties covers. :) I've also used a thirsties cover over disposables at night. Maybe my kids are super poopers? LOL

[g&a]

I have to agree with wrenmom - we buy new shoes too.  It's hard to find good ones that fit right, and if the kids don't want to wear them you will be buying more new shoes anyways.

here we are: wool is not completely waterproof.  I found that it would leak through and leave a wet spot if she was sitting and peed.  (compression leak, I think they call it)  I could be doing it wrong, but that didn't go over well.  And I love natural fibers and hate plastic so this was a huge surprise.

[mamagnome]

Wrenmom-thanks for the feedback on the Ergo.  I'm thinking about using one of those and a Moby for when he/she is little.  And can I just say that you're my hero, living in a yurt?!!  I've always wanted to do that.  Alas, cold New England weather (and a slightly less adventerous husband) put the kabosh on that plan. :)

With regards to car seats, I've never used one of those bucket/carrier types before, we always went right to a big one that faced rear and can be turned around later.  It worked out fine, and will probably be the way we go again.  I never liked the idea of carrying a baby around in one of those; they're heavy, awkward, and I'd rather just carry my baby anyway.  Can anyone think of a good reason to have one?

I'm really leaning towards the baby hammock for sleeping and hanging around the house.  Looks simple, more natural, and super comfy.  I can put it next to the bed and move it around the house as needed since it comes with a stand.  For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, here's the link.  http://www.novanatural.com/baby-hammock.html

I'm surprising myself with how little I want to buy.  I hate clutter though, so maybe that's why.  BTW, if you have an IKEA near you (or you can go online), it's worth checking out their baby stuff.  Very reasonably priced.

[g&a]

Originally Posted by mamagnome 

With regards to car seats, I've never used one of those bucket/carrier types before, we always went right to a big one that faced rear and can be turned around later.  It worked out fine, and will probably be the way we go again.  I never liked the idea of carrying a baby around in one of those; they're heavy, awkward, and I'd rather just carry my baby anyway.  Can anyone think of a good reason to have one?

We found a bucket carseat handy for our winter baby,  You can bundle them all up in the house and then not have to redo it all when you get into the car.  She was tiny (preemie) so we always wanted to keep her warm.  We didn't carry her around in it, though, those things are killer. 

[here we are]

I am so interested in the hammock. I dont feel like theres enough info on the site. Other ones i looked at all emphasized not using it after baby can roll, like a cosleeper. I want to see info about safety and using the harness, like using it during sleep? Wish i had more energy to write lately, i am not good with solo research and decisions.

[mamagnome]

Here we are-

I feel the same way about the lack of info.  Maybe I'll e-mail Nova Naturals and see what they have to say about it.  I figured since it takes a while for a baby to be able to roll over, and since I tend to have big babies, it's a good solution for the first few months, then he/she will be popped into a crib for sleep and we'll just use the hammock during the day in the sitting position.