let's talk about STUFF!

[mosesface]

i know we've got quite a ways to go, but since this is my first, i'm already thinking about the stuff -- diapers, slings, co-sleeper, toys, diaper bag......

i've just barely started compiling a list of products/items i know i will want, like a co-sleeper in "natural", and i'm pretty sure i want the full sized one so i can use it like a pack n' play later on. i also know we will be CDing, and i'm pretty sure i want to use prefolds and covers, but mostly just because that's all i'm familiar with.

but then there are things like slings, cribs, strollers, clothes...and i have NO idea, although i've started a bookmark folder when i stumble across something that looks good/interesting to me.

maybe we could have a thread where we share our "wish lists" as they develop and help eachother figure out what we really need, what works what doesn't, etc?? anyone interested?

[newcastlemama]

I really liked the co-sleeper with ds. You can get porta cribs with bassinets and a changining area that you can attach (Go check it out online at Babies R Us. I don't think I am describing it very well). It is very verstitle and I think cheaper than a co-sleeper.

I have a front carrier from ds but I think I would like to try a pouch sling with this baby. As well and get some better nursing bras. Motherhood is offerning better one now it seems.

For a diaper bag, I got a blue backpack one with ds and it works out very well. I don't like purses and it was easy to have that on my back and the baby in the front. It was also nice for dh since it was more unisex than the other style.

I think prefolds and cover are great for cloth diapering. More affordable and easy to wash.

Another great product is The Breast Friend nursing pillow. My midwife loaned it to me for the first few weeks and it really helped with positioning.

For clothes I don't like complicated stuff where it is difficult to change their diaper. I really like the white undershirts. In the summer, thatis all ds would wear with his diaper. I love the sleeper sack style jamies. They are easy to get into to change the diaper at night. I may get some warm fuzzy one's for the next baby since we moved to a colder climate and just have a woodstove for heat.

So my wish list--
pouch sling
better nursing bras
warmer jammies for baby


I just love baby stuff
Jen

[Dea]

Oh this is a great thread.
This will be my first baby so I have nothing, and get to buy everything.

We will be co-sleeping so I want a king sized bed, right now we have a queen and it's full of arms and legs and pets.

I also want an amby baby hammock for when I'm not in the bed with the baby, and I like that it's so portable and with the jumper attachment can be useful later into babyhood
http://www.ambybaby.com/

I want a Quinny Buzz stroller because it's unique and I love the colours.
http://www.quinny.com/buzz/#

I'm torn on the car seat I want, the company that is associated with Quinny (or owned by them, not sure) makes an infant car seat which fits into the stroller, however it's only useful to 20 pounds. I'm also a little nervous about car seats that snap into a base. So I'm more inclined to get the larger seat that is infant to 4 years that is firmly attached to the car. However the apparent disadvantage to that is that if the baby falls asleep while in the carseat you will have to disrupt the baby, but I feel that since we will be doing a lot of baby wearing the disruption can be minimalized.
http://www.scandinucci.com/store/ind...dex&cPath=2_10
http://www.scandinucci.com/store/ind...d3471e2386adcf

We want to babywear as much as we can, and so far Dh and I are most intrested in a Moby, however I am sure that I will make a couple ring ones also.

We're going to cloth diaper, however I am on the fence as to prefolds or fitteds. A good friend is using fittededs and she loves them. I like that there aren't a lot of grooves and spots in them to collect a lot of stains and according to her they are really easy to clean and dry.
http://www.mother-ease.com/database/...Cat=3&SecCat=1

As for clothes for the babe, I think we're going to stick with really simple newborn onsies and PJs for the first little while. I am sure that we will get lots of clothes as gifts so I'm not planning on getting a lot.

I found my favourite diaper bag in Chinatown in San Francisco. It's silk brocade, it has lots of compartments, a diaper changing pad and can be a messenger bag or a backpack. And it's so pretty!

Regarding nursery furniture we love the Ellis line that you can get at Target or Burlington Coat factory. We're not going to get a crib, but just a change table and the dresser. I really love the cherry finish. Perhaps if the baby isn't into co-sleeping we will consider a crib, but at this point I think it's a waste of money.

Hmm that is all that I have thought of so far.... But I think I've spent sufficient money so far!

[mosesface]

yay! i'm so glad there are other people thinking through this! and i'm so glad we're sharing because, um, i totally forgot about a car seat. :

[BinahYeteirah]

bs"d

I'm sure you would have remembered eventually.

I don't really need much stuff, as this is my third. I would like some newborn and small fitteds, but I don't really need them. I have tons of prefolds and I can sew my own fitteds (I have maybe 5 from my last baby), but I still love the cute fluff. I'm not sure if I will actually get any, though, because I don't really have the extra cash for something I don't actually need.

I also need to figure out my carseat situation. We have regular 4-door sedan (Ford Falcon) and we need to fit 3 carseats in the back. I guess that means I will have to put my 5 yo dd in a booster seat. If we weren't planning an international move a couple months after the baby is born, I would just plan for us to buy a minivan so we would have plenty of room, but it doesn't make much sense to upgrade our vehicle for only a couple months' use. Which brings me to the second part of this problem; once I move I will have to get all new carseats! Only "Australian Standard" seats are legal here (although I see people using seats from overseas all the time), so when I figured that out, I went out and bought two new matching seats here to the tune of about $150 each two years ago. But I don't think I can use them in the US (I bet they have similar laws), plus a lot of the new American car seats I see coming out actually look safer to me than the Australian Standard ones. So once we move, I'll probably have to run out and get 3 new seats! : Maybe I can borrow an Australian seat to last me for a few months until we move, then I can find out whether I can use the Australian seats in the US, then I will only have to buy the American seats (however many I end up needing). :

[nausicaamom]

Thankfully, I have some friends who are passing some of their infant stuff onto me so I don't have to worry about an infant seat, pack n play or a cradle swing.

We'll be transitioning Michael into a twin bed this fall and breaking down the crib until the Bean is a few months old - I'm hoping to use the bassinet in the pack n play in our room set up in a corner with a comfy chair as a nursing nook. We can't co-sleep as our bed isn't big enough, my husband is intensely uncomfortable with it, and he's a heavy sleeper w/a c-pap machine so it's definitely unsafe. That said, depending on how things go, I may get a futon and keep it in Michael's room or our back room so I can sleep with the bean part of the night. Once Michael became mobile he wanted nothing to do with co-sleeping and I really missed the closeness.

We are now running into a car seat dilemma. Michael is almost 40lbs and only three years old, so he's almost outgrown our convertible but isn't ready for a booster. We'll be getting a Radian 65 for him in the next few months and after tax return time, we'll be picking one up for the bean as well.

For a stroller I'm planning on getting the Phil & Ted double. Michael still needs a stroller from time to time and I know there will be times where I'll need to have both of them in a stroller. I love the ease of use of the three-wheel models and it will get a good amount of work. I have a Maclaren that I got for Michael and it still has a good amount of life left in it so we have the light-weight stroller covered. I plan on doing as much baby wearing as I can with the Bean, but I have some nasty back/pelvic issues and I don't have a car so strollers are a necessity for us.

I came a bit late to baby wearing with Michael - at least comfortable ones (started w/a Bjorn). I'm planning on making myself a ring sling, a few pouches and some Mei tais. I found this wrap that I absolutely love, so that will be my extravagance. I have two moby wraps and a Sutemi Gear from Michael which I'm sure will be seeing some use as well.

I just got some fantastic fabric to start my new diaper stash for the Bean. I'm planning on making pocket fitteds using this pattern from another MDC mama. I have a good stash of infant and premium prefolds, but I definitely want something a bit easier this time. I plan on using a combination of wool and prowraps as well. For Michael I only had pull-on pants and we didn't have a dryer so as he got older, CD'ing got harder and harder for me. we'll be investing the in the other sizes of Prowraps right away so I don't run into the problem of needing the next size but not being able to afford it and having to settle on the Gerber vinyl pants because that's the only thing I can find locally - the dryer's getting fixed too. I hope to keep disposables to an absolute minimum this time 'round for the obvious environmental and health reasons, but mostly because I can't stand diaper trash.

[flapjack]

Dea, if you look closely at the Motherease One Size when it's on a baby and then compare it to an angel-folded prefold (some people call it the newspaper fold), it's almost exactly the same nappy: the folds and grooves fall in the same places and so poo containment is the same (and the weak spot for leaks is out of the back.) So, in effect you're paying the six quid difference just for the convenience of having poppers rather than using a nippa. (or whatever the difference is between prefolds and a MEOS in cost over there.) I'm not saying it's not worth it, but I am saying that a lot of MEOS users are the ones who end up using just prefolds with subsequent children.
My favourite nappies are basically origami-folded terry squares, btw - with a bit of elastic for good measure (totsbots) and they just started doing coloured organic versions. I think for us to have a full stash for two children, I'm going to need another 8-10, but I just traded for a Baby Beehind for Skye so I'm going to have a play and see how that works for us. And no, it's not really worth paying out an extra five pounds for a few inches of elastic and a bit of stitching but I do it anyway DH isn't big on folding nappies, either. I'm also planning on getting a bigger stash of covers for the new one- I had Bummi's with Skye, and they always wicked at the legs. I've only found two brands which are as waterproof as I think they should be: modern baby (UK based) and Motherease. We're also going to use more wool and fleece this time, mostly for the aforementioned wicking issue. Oh, and we're doing prefolds for the newborn phase- basically once they stop fastening around the babe then we'll move up to the totsbots.

We're getting a basic umbrella-fold double stroller for the rare occasions that we need one and using Skye's travel system with a buggy board. I need a new baby carrier, because by the time babe is ready to turn forward facing it's going to be far too hot for my wilkinet: which I love to little squishy pieces, and the only possible reason for me not to use it is because it's two layers of needlecord and a lot of padding. It will be on in the early days, believe me It's WAHM made, as well. This is one of the only two things I kept from the boys after my childbearing days were done - the other was an organic black lambskin.

Other things? A cute little crib thing for baby to nap in, rather than on me, and to start the night off in. A baby door bouncer- again, didn't keep it from the boys, borrowed one with Skye and she loved it from about 3 months onwards. And at some point, we're going to have to make the decision about whether to encourage Skye out of her cot or whether to get two cots.

[justmama]

wish list for the baby


radian 65(as well as one for my toddler)- because otherwise all 3 kiddos won't fit in the back of my matrix

bouncy seat- the vibrating kind. ours for our toddler was a godsend but we gave it away unfortunately.

clothing- a must I guess!

a few avent bottles(daycare)

honestly, I think that's all we need. Of course just the radians alone are close to $500. But we already have a mei tai and a ring sling that I made so I can sling the baby and put the toddler in an umbrella stroller. And I have a ton of prefolds from our toddler and I'm in the process of buying a few more good covers and knitting some longies and warm stuff and sewing a few fitteds. I'm also making my mama cloth for postpartum to supplement what I already have so that's under control. And I plan on co-sleeping(hopefully not with all 3!) so the babe doesn't really need a bed yet though we do have a hand-me-down crib in my MIL's garage for later on if I need it. And my toddler is potty learning now so I won't need a diaper bag big enough for 2 in diapers. My Fleurville Alpha 7 will be big enough for the baby's stuff. My major problem comes in with fitting all 3 in the back of my toyota matrix. I checked on their website and with just 47" of hip room, that leaves us very very few options. My oldest is in a turbo booster right now(she'll be 6 months from turning 8 and legally being allowed out of a car seat when baby comes) so I have to replace our convertible for the toddler with a radian and get a radian for the baby in order to fit them all. I can't afford a new car so $500 for new car seats seems cheap compared to buying a gas-guzzling van for $30K or a used one for $15K or more. But with two radians and a turbobooster, we come within a hair's breadth of not fitting but hopefully we can swing it. Now for a bigger apartment to fit all my kiddos! We also have a wooden highchair that pulls up to the table(no front tray just a gorgeous wooden chair) that's being used by the toddler that the baby will likely use after we start solids(probably not until a year). I also already have a breastpump but no bottles. Also my mother bought me a beautiful rocker/glider and ottoman in a nice neutral beige color when I was pregnant with the toddler that I plan on using. It was invaluable for rocking the toddler to sleep.

WANTS!
wool blanket for nakey time/coverless time

organic cotton pj's

a beautiful wahm-made silky wrap carrier

a few wooden teething toys for later on

a few nursing tanks for under long-sleeve shirts for nursing in public because with two older children, one being a toddler who runs off, I'll keep some extra coverage and help I'm sure!

infant-sized amber teething necklace(my toddler hasn't taken hers off in months)

more babylegs

[weeirishlass]

This is our second baby, but we moved x-country when dd was 15 months and thought, "oh, we won't get pg for awhile, we can just get rid of all the baby stuff and buy more in a couple years". Ha! I got my BFP when dd was 17 months! We moved our crib and tons of girl clothes. We will use the crib, adn I've seperated out what can be boy clothes, but if it is a boy, we'll need a lot. We did find the changing table to match our crib at a yard sale, so we've got that. And my mom has a beautiful nursing rocker, so we've got that. I make slings and mei tais, so that's covered, and my mum knits, so blankets and sweaters are covered. I'd love to get a really nice glider, but that'll only happen if we find one on craigslist. With dd, we got all new things. With this baby, it's craigslist or yard sales all the way!
What we have:
changing table and crib
slings
pack n' play
vibrating chair doo-dad
bumbo :
high chairs
strollers
car seat, if I can get it back from my friend in CA
nursing bras, since I'm still in 'em

So, my craigslist list:
a co-sleeper. We used a bassinet w/ dd and it was very akward.
a swing, even though I rarely used it w/ dd, she did love it
cloth diapers. and I'm lost on this one. We used sposies w/ dd and I am overwhelmed by the cloth choices!
winter stuff. dd was born in SoCal where a light sweater would suffice, but now that we're in Philly, we'll have to bundle this new one up. Thank god for fleece slings!

[mommy2abigail]

We have stuff from dd, so my list is pretty short. I have slings, wraps and mei tais that I've made, but I may splurge on a Beco. I will try to make one first, but who knows if it will turn out! I have tons of prefolds, 4 dozen preemie, 8 dozen infant, 2 dozen regular and 2 dozen premium) and am making fitteds (so far I have about 50 in various sizes) and have 20 B.G. OS pocket diapers. So I'm set on diapers! I also crochet all our wool, so we will have plenty of longies, soakers. We also have the stroller we love, the Bugaboo. We co-sleep and have the crib side-carred, so dont need a co-sleeper or anything. We gave away all the baby 'gadgets' (swing, bouncy seat, jumper thingy, exersaucer) because dd never used them. Now I think I may want a swing, just so that I can put the baby down and cuddle a little with dd. I dont know though. I may borrow one and not spend the money on one. So my essential baby stuff list is:
New Marathon for baby, OR new decathelon for dd and give marathon to babe.
Some organic gender neutral clothing for the first few weeks (we wont be finding out the gender)
A changing table/dresser combo. We didn't have one for dd, but now we will need the storage space!
Beco, maybe!
And if we can afford it, I would LOVE a lazy boy recliner/rocker deal. Our friends have one and it is SO comfy, plus it looks nice, not like the typical recliners. I would love one to sit and nurse and nap in!

[nolonger]

I've already got everything I NEED for the beginning: car seat, breast pump, bicycle trailer, clothing, four dozen infant prefolds, wool wraps, excessive quantity and variety of babywearing devices, adequate but not excessive quantity of 0-3 months clothing, enough 3-6 months clothing for an emergency trip to the consignment store to trade 0-3 month sizes, and a simple but adequate birthing supply kit.

People are starting to give me the pink lace and ruffles, but I can always trade the things I won't use for my "wants".

I have a sixteen year age gap between my two youngest, so of course I didn't save anything. My biggest wish was to avoid the clutter I remember and to be able to dress the baby in things that I chose instead of feeling obligated to other people and "not wanting to hurt their feelings" so that my baby grew up in stiff, scratchy polyester advertisements for Walt Disney movies in a house full of unwanted and unused cribs, playpens, strollers, and high chairs.

With Phoebe, I remember walking out of a high-end children's store crying because I knew there was no way I was going to be able to afford the cute little $30 denim jackets that would only fit for a few months. With Christopher, I remember people knocking on my door, leaving garbage bags full of boy clothes, and running away.

[5kids4me]

I got NOTHING I didnt think I'd have another baby so I got what 3 newborn duiapers and 2 fleece covers!!! YIKES!

[ellymay]

Gosh I have so much baby stuff I really don't need anything other than a double stroller

[Teenytoona]

There is SO much to figure out!

We don't really have anything as my dsd is 5.

I am getting one of those bassinet/playpen/changing table deals from my sister, will that work as a co-sleeper? DP is considering making a co-sleeper ( he loves doing that). I'm not sure if/when we will transition to a crib, we will see how it goes. My sis has some other things, like a baby seat, and some other little do-dahs, but we still have a long ways to go.

I'd like a medela breast pump, as I will be going back to work after my leave. My sister suggested the double one, as I will be doing some pumping at work, so it will go by faster, and she said whenever she started in on one the other would start flowing too, so she claims it's a two birds with one stone deal.

I made out on a few little cute clothing items at a garage sale - little sweaters and osh-kosh overalls (not practical but terribly cute!!) for a quarter a piece, I'm hoping to come by more of those! My mom's already buying a few things here or there. She's done knitting booties and blanket for my bro and sil (they're due on Feb 11, me on the 10th), so I imagine she will knit a blanket for my munchkin.

I may be getting a stroller, high chair, baby tub, car seat (snap in to a base kind) and some other assorted things from my sis, her final baby is 1yr 4 mos, so by the time I need some of these things I should be set.

But other off-the-beaten-path type things I need/want are a Maya sling, cloth diapers and covers, probably some AIO's when it comes to daycare time. I'd really like a dresser that I can convert the top into a changing table, and an old school rocking chair, not those squeaky new fangled gliders, buut hopefully a cozy rocking chair!

Oh and I will need to invest in nursing clothing, I'm going to have a time with that, but hey, whatcha gonna do?

[flapjack]

Yeah, I was thinking that I want some nursing clothes too. It was so much easier in the days when grunge was still in fashion and you could just poke baby underneath a giant band t-shirt [nostalgic head-shake smiley/]

[aslmere]

I need:
Diapers (I have some good friends who just had a baby and I will get some newborn stash)

Right now I have none.
I want lots of prefolds and a few nanipoos (they fit my skinny babes perfectly)
I will try and knit as many soakers/longies as I can though my knitting mojo is STILL missing
I do want a few of the wool jersey covers and a few waterproof ones. I no longer remember what my favorite PUL cover was!
Wipes/washcloths

Clothes

If the baby is a girl I will need everything. I have a few keepsake outfits and lots of blankets. I do have some really big stuff 3t,4t,5t, but I think I will just pass what I can part with on to girls that can use it now.
If the baby is a boy I will have quite a bit. But will probably need some newborn and 0-3 months. I will have to look when it comes to 3-6 months. Finn was still wearing 6-9 months and so I am definately set there and 12 months too. Though after about the 18 months size Conor started getting really hard on clothes and I didn't keep a ton.
But we should know Friday either way!

Carseat

I have a Boulevard that I can use for the baby, but I do need a bucket for the first few months. My babies are tiny and it is too hard to get proper positioning in a convertible until they are a few months old. I want a Safeseat this time. I *think* I still have my positioning roll that they gave me when #1 left the NICU. If not I will have to make one.

Nursing stuff

I need some new nursing bras. Sometime soon I am going to try on one of the new full figure bravado ones and see if that will work for me.
Maybe a few nursing t shirts. I got a few of the two layer kind last time and I really liked them.
More Lanolin
I also need some storage bags and bottles and probably some motillium for when/if I will need to exclusively pump. I won't buy feeding bottles or nipples until the time comes because every baby has had different preferences and there is the slight chance it might not come to that (yeah right!).
I *might* need new tubing for my medela PIS. It is 4 years old now.

diaper bag

I WANT:

A Mei Tai carrier

I have a Maya that I can use and a New Native Pouch so I don't NEED one. I borrowed one when Finn was about 6 months old and I loved it so I really want one this time.

A papasan swing.

They look cool, and swing both ways. This baby may not like swinging so I am probably not going to try and find the money for this. BUT if a more mainstream family member wants to buy it for me I am not going to refuse. And if baby doesn't like it that is what craigslist if for!

Things I have:
A minicrib for next to the bed
A pack and play with bassinet attachement
Three! breastpumps: A PIS, a Whisperwear and an Avent Isis
(though that one is a manual single and I won't use is much)
A convertible carseat for when the baby is a few months old
A sling and a pouch
A double stroller
A bouncy seat
A boppy


Whew! This was actually a very helpful list to make!

[Dea]

Oh I forgot the highchair that I love
http://www.stokkeusa.com/tripptrapp.htm

I like that you use it at the table with you, so that your baby is actually with you not off far away. And they are designed to last a child so long and the colours are fun. I'm sure we'll get the crazy bright ones.

Also Flapjack thanks for the info on the prefolds. I have been leaning towards them just because they appear to be so much easier to clean. However I have NO IDEA how to fold and use. I expect I'll figure it out though.

[mosesface]

can anyone explain the car seat thing to me?

i mean, is there ONE car seat you can get that works from day one or do you need an "interim" car seat for when the baby is teeny?
also, what the difference between the kind that have detachable bases and the kind that are semi-permanently attached to the car? dh and i were wondering last night if we need to kind with the base and two bases (one for each car) or two car seats.

[eilonwy]

This is my fourth. I'd like a new sling, because the one i use most is kind of worn. I need a new infant seat, because the one we brought my son home in has finally expired.

THE CAR SEAT "THING"

There are several different kinds of carseats.

1) Car beds-- These are for preemies and other babies with medical issues that prevent them from being transported in an upright position. They're usually good for babies who weigh 3 to 10 pounds, and if you need one... well, you'll know about it because the NICU folks won't let you take the baby home until you bring it in to show them.

2) Infant seats-- Often referred to as "baby buckets," these are carseats which also function as carriers (please note that they are usually only carriers up to 10 pounds). There are two varieties-- the more common variety is generally good for babies 5-20 pounds, and 18-26 inches. These days you can also find infant seats which go up to 30 pounds and 30 inches, because there are bigger babies around. The first type is usually useful for parents of small-to-average sized infants; the second kind is good if you're expecting a moosebaby. (I.e. a child who will likely weigh 20 pounds at 4 months.) Not only does such a seat account for the immaturity of your larger baby, but it allows you to do nifty things like take a sleeping baby from the car to the house without unstrapping (and thus waking) him/her.

3) Combination carseats-- These carseats are generally for toddlers, ages 12-48 months. They can be used rear facing (on average from 15 to 30 pounds, 12-36 months) or forward facing (20 to 40 pounds, 12-48 months). You WILL need one of these eventually, unless you get one that is rated for 5-80 pounds (ah, they do exist! ). Most parents find that such seats are very inconvinient for younger babies, but if you give birth to a ten pounder and expect her to keep growing at a ridiculous rate, it may not seem worthwhile to you to invest in an infant seat.

4) Forward-facing carseats-- These are designed for older toddlers-younger children (3-7 years). They have straps like a regular carseat, and provide more support for a child than a booster seat.

5) Booster seats-- These are for older children only (ages 5+ usually) and function *exclusively* to place a car's seatbelt correctly to restrain your child. That is their ONLY purpose; they do not provide any additional protection in the event of an accident.

If I had time, I'd find links to pictures of each... but maybe someone else will.

[eilonwy]

Originally Posted by mosesface

can anyone explain the car seat thing to me?

i mean, is there ONE car seat you can get that works from day one or do you need an "interim" car seat for when the baby is teeny?
also, what the difference between the kind that have detachable bases and the kind that are semi-permanently attached to the car? dh and i were wondering last night if we need to kind with the base and two bases (one for each car) or two car seats.

There are carseats which work from day one; these will all be of the 'permanently attached to your car' variety, and most parents find that their babies are swallowed up by them and end up getting an infant carrier carseat anyway.

The ones with the detachable bases are infant carrier seats (see #2 above). Do you need them? Not necessarily, but they will make your life MUCH easier with a teeny-tiny. You'll use it for at least six months (my kids are tiny so I tend to use mine longer; my girls, for example were both able to climb out of their infant seats before they outgrew them ), and be able to do things like put your sleeping baby on top of a grocery cart, carry him inside when it's raining without getting wet or waking him... etc. For at least three months, it will make more sense to remove the carseat from your car than it does to pull the baby out, even if it's just to put him in the sling... especially if it's your first baby.

Now, with #2 it was summertime and I had a toddler who NEEDED his hand held at all times-- with her, I usually pulled her out and put her in the sling as a result. She was a sound sleeper-- if she was out, moving her around a bit made no difference. (She's still like this!) #1 and #3 were both carried in the infant seat more often-- 1 because he was the only baby and it was much more convinient and 3 because it was spring and it rained often... and she would FLIP OUT if she was unbuckled and awakened. :