Baby Gear: The good, the bad, and the "don't bother"

[*Amy*]

This is probably more a question for those with kids already, but I'm wondering what kind of baby gear is indespensible for the first few months. I registered for one of those baby bather things (like a baby seat for the bathtub/sink) and my friend said, "you'll never use that." Actually DH and I just registered for anything that looked useful that we'll probably never need while at the same time I'm sure we missed some important things as well.

So what did you find essential, what did you hate, and what did you never even take out of the box?

[wtchyhlr]

:

[Al Dente]

We used the baby tub about 3 times. Until we realized he wouldn't break if we bathed with him :LOL.

Swing-he hates it, we use it for 5 min. when we have to go to the bathroom ot something urgent. I could've done without it, but someone bought it for us.

Bouncer-dh uses this way too much. so now we keep it at gramma's house in case she's watching him and has to use the restroom.

We never bought a play yard, play pen, or any of that stuff so I can't comment.

Someone bought us a little car for him which has lights and sounds. I hate it and he is still way too small for it. It's one of those where he moves it himself with his feet, yeah maybe in 5 months or so people! He's not even 4 mos old geez. I would sell it on ebay but the shipping would be tons because it is just so big.

We were also given a johnny jump up, which he just sits in and gums the top of the fabric, he's still too small.

Hmm..I have a brand new diaper stacker that I never use...bottles, sippy cups, etc that I will never use and should probably throw away after reading the plastic thread...

We have never used the cosleeper (Arms Reach) for sleeping in. It holds extra diapers for nighttime changes and the cats seem to love it.

Essential:
Boppy. This has saved my life. I take it everywhere, ds sleeps on it (on my lap, relax :LOL),and nurses on it exclusively during the day. It was a lifesaver in the hospital even with my c-section. I've heard the mybreastfriend pillow is better though.

Slings. My favorite are at hotslings. com. You can't beat her prices and the pouch slings work very well. It took awhile before ds liked being in them, though.

Snuggle nest. It's basically a piece of fabric with two rolls attached with velcro, one on each side. You can keep adjusting it as they get bigger. It was helpful because I am a fluffy girl and was always worried about rolling over on ds. Plus my arm would go numb from holding him in the crook all night. So I put the snuggle next between myself and the cosleeper, and ds sleeps all night. I took the velcro'd headpiece off though, and he never slept long on it until I did that.


That's all I can think of!

[mehndi mama]

As far as getting stuff ahead of time - most of it is useless unless you *know* your baby will benefit from it. I have, instead, a list of alternatives to try first, before deciding that you want a more expensive "special for baby" version.

Things like:
crib -> sleep in your own bed. Get a bedrail if you're nervous about falls.
baby bathtub -> bathe with the baby. Your legs make an excellent baby-holder in the tub.
infant carseat/carrier -> convertible carseat. Carry in-arms or in a sling - it weighs a whole lot less and is easier on the back.

ummmm.....I'm sooo out of the loop as far as baby gear goes these days! I used to have the whole rundown! :LOL

Anyway, my only essentials were a sling and some good diapers, and a nice stash of secondhand clothes

[Lisashepp]

Priceless:

My breasts
My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow
Lansinoh (lanolon cream for sore nipples)
Lansinoh disposable nursing pads (I leaked a TON)
Bouncy seat (0-4 months), so I could go to the bathroom & shower
Ultrasaucer (4-12 months), so I could go to the bathroom & shower
Britax Marathon Carseat, can be used rear facing 5-33 pounds and forward facing in a 5 point harness from 22-65 pounds.
Cloth diapers & a few packs of size 1 diapers--dd was 9.5 pounds at birth (in the early months we used disposables when we went out, and overnight)
infant gowns (makes changing diapers SO much easier)
Infant carseat was nice because dd was a december baby and it was nice to keep her warm while taking her from the car to wherever, but she outgrew it at 3.5 months, and I don't think we will use one with this baby because we probably wont even go anywhere until mid to late February & by then it shouldn't be bitter here.
Sling! Maya Wrap, or www.taylormadetreasures.com similar to the maya but different prints and cheaper


Useless:
crib (it held only laundry)
bassinette (we only used it downstairs to change diapers, and not for anything else)
swing-- dd hated it
frilly little girls clothes-- she never wore them, they were too uncomfortable and difficult to change
baby bathtub
baby towels
dreft (use All Free & clear instead it is cheaper and gentler)
pack-n-play
bottles
free formula samples (blech!)


That is all I can think of right now

[lasofia]

Looooong answer

so much seems to depend on the baby. Mine, for example, didn't play with any baby toys except fabric rings until he was almost a year old. He was only interested in grown up things, real world things, like cups and tools. But I know others whose babies loved toys.

needed right away:
boppy - worked better for me than mybreastfriend (which is flat, and ds kept sliding away from me). Some moms don't need any kind of special pillow, but it helped me soooo much. Laniosh for nipples.

diapers - We used a service the first month and that helped a lot. A pedal-operated trash can as the pail. Cut up old baby blankets and pajamas for wipes.

breast pump and a couple bottles - I have a chronic illness. My mom slept at my house and fed the baby at night every once in awhile, so I could sleep. Plus my son was a voracious nurser and for months wanted to nurse A LOT every hour, hour and a half, and the bottles let me, for example, see LOTR when he was 3 or 4 months old.

baby hammock - he mostly slept with us but it was nice to have somewhere to put him sometimes that cradled him and bounced a little. And felt safe to us. And helped his reflux.

Weleda calundela cream - most babies' skin dries out the first week. We slathered him in cream, and used it as diaper cream.

Bulb syringe - only used a couple times (last resort) but for suctioning out mucus so he could breathe so we could all sleep, it was great.

burp clothes - ds spit up a LOT. we used dyed cloth diapers.

sling

some baby blankets. really liked the hooded towel. Used Burt's Bees soap and shampoo (I like that the shampoo comes in a bar, and they both last well).

clothes (esp shirts), socks, hats.

firm bristle brush for brushing his head - cradle cap - we used a natural bristle nail brush.

Eventually we needed/wanted -

shoes

books - by 3 or 4 months old he LOVED reading books. It calmed him.

crib/playpen - again because of my illness. I couldn't carry him all the time - too much weight for me - and he was an early crawler/cruiser/walker. There were weeks (months) when he couldn't be left alone at ALL and a play pen came in handy for 5 minutes at a time.

cradle shaped changing pad we put on top of a small dresser.

toys - esp. stacking cups.

food grinder/blender and ice cube trays for making baby food.

high chair, wooden/metal/plastic cups and bowls and spoons. His favorite spoons are wooden. His best "plates" are two stainless steel WWII army mess trays. Too heavy to tip, and with lots of dividers. Bibs. Lots of bibs.

Burt's Bee's face cream - expensive but one little pot lasted as long as we needed it. He teethed early and long, and w/out the cream, he got a painful looking rash on chin and cheeks.

CD player in his room - he likes music, a lot
We were lent a johnny jump up, bouncy seat, swing, and excer-saucer (lots of big THINGS in the house). He liked the jumper ok, bouncer briefly, hated the swing, and loved the excersaucer. He liked to be upright, "working" like the rest of us.

sorry, I got long winded! I wanted so much to find a list when I was preggers.

[*Amy*]

You guys rock!!

[wtchyhlr]

ITA with Amy. I get sensory overload in the baby section of Target, and Baby'R'us scares the shit out of me.
thanks....

[woolfairy]

Things I liked and didn't

Necessity:
Good sit-up pillow, preferably with a small built in reading light. Priceless for middle of the night nursings. Something like this http://shopping.discovery.com/stores...tnumber=685594

or this

http://www.relaxtheback.com/global/p...&group_ID=1769

cordless headset phone

DH made me a homemade "Boppy" that was bigger and rested on the arms of our armchair nicely. Loved it!

Cosleeper. Never used it as a cosleeper, but I loved it for holding nighttime diaper change stuff, water bottles, breastpump, snacks, etc. for the recovery period. I liked to have DS sleeping between me and it. It made me feel more secure about him not falling.

sling. 1st time we had a New Native. I wasn't thrilled with the pounch style, although DH loved it. This time I want a didymos or an ellaroo. And a Maya.

Diaper service for the 1st month, good cloth diapers for after that. I liked the service for the 1st month to (a) deal with meconium, (b) do the wash while I was recovering (c) be one less thing to worry about getting the hang of right away.

bouncy seat for while I was cooking. I had huge counters at the time and would put DS on the counter near me while I cooked. I don't know what I'll do this next time.

Changing table with drawers for clothes and diaper storage. I really liked this and intend to get a more sturdy one this next time. Maybe a dresser one! *gasp*

2nd the Weleda calendula cream and also recommend Miracle Salve from www.Kerrysherbals.com

Gummy oil also from www.Kerrysherbals.com OMG that stuff is so much more effective than gumomile! 1 bottle took DS from 1st teeth through 2nd year molars.

loved hooded towels. And baby gowns. hated onsies, but I know few people who agree with me on that.

ETA: Later on I adored the Stokke KinderZeat. Love it love it love it. Will get one for the next baby when s/he can use it properly. Will attempt to get the highchair top from overseas if possible.

We got the tub that converts to a step stool. We didn't use the tub tons, just mostly the 1st couple months, but the step stool is still in active use.

Didn't use:
playpen. It was given to us and we have never used it.

Johnny Jumper, exersaucer, et al. These aren't great for hip development and so we never used them at all.

Would get next time:

Better stroller, one that is fully functional, but folds up like an umbrella stroller. Haven't decided yet which one. We didn't use our other one until DS was about 6 months and we drove it into the ground!

[BoobyJuice]

My biggest advice would be that all babies are different and all parents are different. What one person finds invaluable you might fun useless. I have two children - they like completely different things.

The basics:

• washable bra pads
• Boppy, mybreastfriend pillow or similar
• sling or pouch
• cloth dipes (even if you aren't planning on cd'ing, get some prefolds - the flat ones - they make great burp clothes, quickies changing pads, breast milk soppers, etc)
• something to carry diapers, doesn't have to be a "diaper bag"

Things to think about:

• where will you put the baby down? (to shower, etc) - bassinet, padded blanket, bouncy seat - for the first few months you really just need somewhere to set them occassionally besides the bare floor
• where will the baby nap? - I didn't like leaving my newborns on the big bed alone during the day (althought they slept with us at night) so I used a basinett in the living room, some people use a crib or a cosleeper, others a sling
• how will you move the baby while out of the house? I loved my sling but my first woke up everytime we tried to get him out of the carseat - and woke grumpy! I didn't like the big strollers or stroller systems so I got a snap n' go - it's a stroller frame the car seat snaps into. That way I didn't have to take him out of the carseat if he was sleeping. If he was awake I always had a sling in the car to use.

Everything besides diapers and milk are just likes and dislikes. Different people like onsies, footed sleepers or sack style gowns. Some like hooded towels, baby towels, grown up towels. Some babies like toys, rattles, mirrors or nothing, spoons and bowls. I would really get the bare minimum and pick up stuff as you think you need it, otherwise you end up with tons - and I mean tons - of stuff you dont need and never use!

[beachrock]

I remember looking through the One Step Ahead catalog when I was pregnant the first time and being completely flabbergasted, thinking "Do I NEED all this stuff?". Then after ds was born, I realized the answer was NO.
Things we have (or were given) that we never or hardly used:
Pack & Play
baby tub
baby shoes
jeans, overalls, etc for a newborn (we just used sleepers and infant gowns)
crib

Our essentials:
nursing pillow
sling
guard rail for the bed for co-sleeping
nursing bras (many!)
washable breast pads (I prefer these to the disposables, which I found scratchy)

Now that I'm expecting no. 2 I may get the swing out of the basement, which we used occasionally - since I'm home by myself, I may need that or the bouncy seat a bit more this time.

[Free Thinker]

As has been mentioned before, we all have different tastes, and our babies will have preferences too The things I think are indespensible are:

Boppy Pillow ~ I used this everyday, all day long
good bras (at least 4)
breast pads
sling ~ try different ones, I like my unpadded ring sling best for nb, but when DD was about 5-6 months I liked my hiphugger better

for bathtime, I found a neat mesh bouncy seat thing at bru.com, but they no longer sell it I would put it at the end of the tub, and let DD sit there while I washed my hair. It worked wonderfully!!! I'm glad I kept it! I liked having baby towels at first b/c baby's skin is so tender, but after a few months I just used regular towels/washclothes. My favorite soap is the wal-mart, Parent's Choice lavender Horrible, Iknow, but BBs bar didn't work w/ DDs long hair.

For sleep, make sure you have a good place for baby to nap. I used a bassinet last time, but got rid of it b/c I only used it a few weeks, then used the crib (oh, no!). This time I am planning to use DDs playpen thingy that goes to a bassinet? I think I might put a sheepskin in there or something? I am also thinking of getting a snuggle nest, just not sure yet?

I never used any bottles, but DD took a sippy at about 3 months. (Yes, breastmilk in a sippy, not a bottle ) She HATED bottles, and I still have several brand new, never even sterilized ones. I really liked the avent system, and got the sippys, with some bottle nipples to use, when I tried that. If she would have taken a bottle, great, but since she didn't, I still go to use them for sippys!

One thing I found absolutely necessary was those flannel waterproof crib pads! I cut them in half and slept on them, then later used them to change DD on. The lap pad ones are too small, but the crib sized ones cut in half are perfect! You can put them straight on the bed, and it's not uncomfortable. The sheets stay clean, and I would usually get up and change the pad once or twice a night. I leaked like crazy the first few months!

I'm sure there is more, but I'm running out of time!

[*Amy*]

I'd really like to get a moses basket; it looks so comfy and convenient for naps and such.

I think I'm getting a sling this weekend, too!

[mehndi mama]

Ah, that reminds me of another on my essential list - a big stack of recieving blankets & prefold diapers. I lay out a pad of 3 blankets right below my pillow. That way I can leak & the baby can dribble all night, and my sheets still don't get it. I keep a pile of prefolds between the pillows on the bed, so I always have a mop-up rag handy, even when it's so dark I can't see anything. Nothing more fun than getting glurped on in the middle of the night with nothing on hand to clean up with!

[wyntyrose]

The strangest thing I found to be a lifesaver was a wipe warmer, my 2nd was a winter baby and our house was always cold. Newborns and cold wettness just don't jive. I loved it and still use it.

A good breast pump

The least used
the pac n play ended it up giving it away

[lasofia]

I forgot to add: once ds started cruising, arnica gel was amazingly helpful. I'd never used it before, but bought some at my midwife's urging.

on the subject of each baby liking different things - I'd hold off on getting a swing, a bouncer, that kind of bulky expensive thing, until you meet the baby and see what s/he likes.

[sadkitty]

As a mostly solomama first time around I found these things indispensible:

* A bouncy seat-so I could pee, shower and cook
* A convertible 5-40# car seat (way to poor to get a bucket)
* A sling a sling a MARVELOUS thing! (I still have my 8 y.o. nojo in great shape, but I really want a maya wrap. am i greedy?)
* My mom's hand me down nursing bras (I have twin bros that are 3 years older than dd)
* Homade cloth wipes (large and small which also doubled as breast pads)
* A wipes warmer which i filled with water, a bit of lavender oil and a bit of tea tree oil to keep nasties away that i dipped my wipes into
* A huge collection of scrounged cloth diapers from yard sales, clearance sales, thrift stores and wraps handed down from mama!

It was nice not to get a bunch of crap from my shower. Having poor, childless friends was great. We got a diaper pail, used babybackpack, and some cool retro thrift score baby clothes.

This time, I'm scared. My sistera think i like Winnie the Pooh for some reason and DH wants to register for baby stuff. Which is kind of cute as its his first, but we really just need more diaper stuff as I kept everything of dd's.

[mum5]

I really loved the Boppy, good nursing bras, cream for your nipples!!
A backpack with compartments that serves as a diaper bag. My one is black and goes with everything, and horrified my grandmother in law, who thought it was so ugly, and told everyone so at my shower!! Thanks!
We also purchased a glider with an ottoman that we use every day, at least twice a day. I just wish that I had it when dd was a tiny baby, but will get to try it out again soon! If you are going to get one, make sure that it has padded arm rests. WE love, love , love ours.

[mehndi mama]

I do the black backpack thing, too - what does your grandma think is a *nice* diaper bag? A puffy plastic shoulder bag with bunnies on it? :Puke

[wednesday]

We have but did not end up using (or using much):

- a crib -- he sleeps with us, the crib is now disassembled and in a closet
- baby bathtub (too awkward--easier to lay baby on your thighs and bathe with him, cradling his head on your knees and his feet up by your tummy)
- a stroller -- he yells after 5 minutes and we would always have to transfer him to a sling
- a Baby Bjorn -- it got too uncomfortable to use once he hit 12 pounds or so...for what it cost I coulda had an Ergo that would still be comfortable even now at 20 lbs. (sigh)

We had a swing, bouncer, doorway-jumper, and exersaucer that were all hand-me-downs and were helpful for brief periods of time. I think we don't have the kind of baby that would hang out for hours on end in a container device. He would usually let us know within 15-20 minutes that he wanted out. So it was a nice break for grabbing lunch or taking a shower.

We never had a pack-n-play, haven't missed it.

ITA with PP about the useless clothes for newborns. When you are changing 12+ times per day messing with little jeans gets really annoying. I preferred gowns or just swaddling him in a blanket with nothing but a diaper on. Also I never bothered with little socks or booties because they would just come off. We got so many as gifts that were never worn, it's a shame.

If you register for clothes, try registering for larger sizes, like 9-12 months or so if you can. You won't believe how fast your baby will outgrow the smaller stuff and funny, no one comes around giving you gifts when your babe is 9 months old and you're down to like 3 outfits that fit him.

FWIW I actually liked having the infant carrier that snapped out of the car, rather than starting out with a convertible, for two reasons. First, although most convertible seats are rated for 5 pounds on up, in fact safety studies have found they are not as protective for itsy bitsy newborns as the "buckets" are. They're just too big. Second, my baby was born in chilly weather and I liked being able to strap him into an already-warm infant carrier and tuck a blanket around him and then take him out to the car and snap him into the base, rather than have to transfer him into a chilly carseat that was already in the car. It's something to think about. I had an infant carrier on loan from a friend so it didn't cost me anything extra and I really do think they're more convenient and safer at that stage.

I never bought or registered for a diaper bag. I just bought a folding vinyl changing pad that's very lightly padded and can tuck into whatever bag I want to carry on a given day. Sometimes I carry a messenger bag, sometimes a backpack, etc...I don't carry the same purse every day, why would I want to be tied down to one diaper bag? The changing pad I got was .99 at Baby Depot.