[GEEKLOVE]

its been 7 years since i have had to go shopping for a newborn!
what are some of the true essentials that you need for a baby?

i want to register and dont know where to begin or what i really need.
with my daughters birth i remember getting alot of stuff we just didnt need.
i would love to just get the stuff we are absolutely going to use but am at a loss.

if you have a link to a good list or want to post your ideas here please do so!!! thanks ladies!

 

[piratemere]

Receiving blankets

onsies/sleepers (no "outfits until 3-6 m or 6-9 m, because they don't wear them anyway because they are sleeping or swaddled all the time.)

I had a Moses basket that I loved during the day; when DS was sleeping and I didn't need to be carrying him I could just pick him up in that and bring it into whichever room in the house I was in - I only used it until about 2-3 months.

Maybe some good organic soaps/lotions and stuff for baths

A good carseat/stroller

And, if you are registring or requesting, I would suggest some good quality, wooden or wool teething toys, rattles, etc.

I think I'd find interesting what people found to be in the category of "didn't need." For my baby shower I got bottle feeding stuff, tons of plastic teething toys, some really expensive floor mats for tummy time that I never used, lots of cheep stuffed animals and three of those mini blankets with bears sewn into the middle, if you know what I mean. I also got tons of 0-3 darling outfits that I barely even put on DS - I should have exchanged them for bigger sizes and just stuck to onsies/sleepers/shortall etc.

 

[kjs]

my essentials list:
car seat
lots of receiving blankets for swaddling
cloth diapers for spit ups
bulb syringe for nose or throat
baby lotion , baby soap
q-tips for cord care
nursing stool
nursing pillow
baby nail clipper?
baby monitor!
moses basket or bassinet
onesies and pants and socks

 

[threadbey]

I would add a sling or wrap (completely essential for the first few weeks and more) and (gasp!) a good stroller. I know some people hate strollers, but I wouldn't have gotten out nearly so much nor been nearly so happy without one.

Also, I turned out to be a big leaker, so wool breast pads and cotton breast pads (I used them together) were fabulous and necessary. Of course, no one gave them to me, I bought them myself.

I also loved my "My Breast Friend" which I didn't find until more than half way through our nursing relationship, but it was much much better than the Boppy for me.

But yeah, pretty much diapers, blankets, sleepers, something to carry the baby in. That's the essentials, I guess. I'm mostly focused on things for ME this time: nursing wear, bras, pads, huge insulated drink container, food...

 

[completebeginnings]

I only dress my babies in those infant sleep dresses until about 6 weeks so plenty of those
onsies
I second The breast Friends recomendation
I love my cosleeper that attached to my bed
only a few outfits in the 0-3 size
a good baby carrier
recieving blankets (I used these as burp rags too and would go through several per day)
a good quality pelican bib that catches the food
a baby food mill
I did like a swing and once I had a bunch of littles I used a bouncy chair to keep my baby from getting trampled while on the ground
a jogging stroller you you can actually get out and walk

I never liked:
the majority of clothes I was given
pacifiers
bottle stuff
most of the baby toys
exersauscer or other baby stuff
a big stroller

good luck!
We were done so I got rid of most of my stuff too. But now I know just what I want.

 

[Norasmomma]

It's funny my DD HATED those infant sleep dresses, I mean hate, hate, hated them. We will have footie jammies and onsies and little pants.

Things we will be getting:

clothes(jammies mostly)
Moby wrap
ring sling of some kind
I like to pump so Dh can feed the baby once Bf-ing is established, so bottles, I have my manual pump
Supplies for pumping/freezing milk
We are looking for a small changing table for our room
Diapers-I admit we use sposies, with my DD doing the CD thing would be nearly impossible, unless I had a million diapers. I'm investing in cases from Costco starting now, thinking about hitting the 12 month window for EC, did it with DD worked awesome
Bouncy chair-have
car seat(infant, then convertible)-have

 

[boobs4milk]

dipes
sling
nursing bra/pads
onsies
footed jammies
woolies
socks
hats

That's bare-bones what we'll be using. I already have a ring sling and two home-made tie/wrap slings. We'll be using sposies at first and have decided to wait till baby is here and we can see what kind of body he/she has before ordering a bunch of CD's. I'm making woolies and hats but I am not to confident on little socks so I'll probably buy those.

If we have a girl, we are all set with clothes from Natalie. If we have a boy, he will look so awesome in pink

 

[piratemere]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boobs4milk If we have a girl, we are all set with clothes from Natalie. If we have a boy, he will look so awesome in pink

I totally understand this. I've been looking at pink shirts and hair bows - that way if we have a girl I can just use Eli's pants and "girlify" the outfit a little.

I'd definitely add to my list a Moby type wrap. I LOVE mine!

 

[Friendlee]

What are "woolies"?

 

[boobs4milk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Friendlee What are "woolies"?

Long pants made from wool or wool blends. I use mostly fishermans wool for this, but I've also made some from other yarns that aren't necessarily for diaper covering, just clothing.

 

[mysticmomma]

I'm making some baby legs for under gowns in the cooler months.

 

[jenak]

An interesting subject... of the essentials that others listed, I've never used a food mill (though I made DD's babyfood), never used a q-tip or lotion on her either, and only very rarely used the baby monitor that I thought was so necessary last time (what was I thinking? My house is tiny!). So everything is subjective!

My essentials list:
car seat
a place to sleep
diapers
side-snap t-shirts for the first month
a sling/wrap
stroller

 

[threadbey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jenak An interesting subject... of the essentials that others listed, I've never used a food mill (though I made DD's babyfood), never used a q-tip or lotion on her either, and only very rarely used the baby monitor that I thought was so necessary last time (what was I thinking? My house is tiny!). So everything is subjective! My essentials list: car seat a place to sleep diapers side-snap t-shirts for the first month a sling/wrap stroller

So true on the subjective part! I hated the side snap t-shirts.

I never had a food mill, but I did have and use (for smoothies almost every day) an "immersion blender" I got mine for $25, I think. It's like a mini blender on a stick and the messy part is just one piece that goes directly in the dishwasher.

 

[Norasmomma]

Yeah I was all gun-ho to have a baby monitor and ours just sucked, plus I live in an old farmhouse, so I can hear everything.

I also never had a food mill, I have an awesome mini-Cusinart and that thing works super. I also just give the baby regular applesauce as a first food, it's already mashed up about as small as can be. I'm just not that anal about food stuff

:. I do love those mesh bags for feeding and for teething, DD loved her's. That kid wanted real food from 4 months on, she literally ripped a sandwich out of my hand and tried to eat it, my crazy girl.

 

[paradoxia13]

-Diapers
-a good sling/wrap/carrier or 2 (for when the first one is in the wash covered in spitup!

)
-boppy or other such pillow(balancing baby on the boppy nursing was the only way I managed to eat those first weeks)

I think more than anything my boppy and my slings were the most used items in the beginning.

 

[kjs]

i forgot a baby carrier!!! absolutely essential...(that and breast milk)especially with my daughter who was colicky....she preferred the baby bjorn-hated the sling, my son loved the sling-hated the bjorn..see if you can borrow one of each and then decide which one you and baby like the best. also, i do agree about the monitor as i live in a little house too, but it was nice if i wanted to go and sit in the yard alone without running in every five seconds...maybe i am a nervous mother?

 

[mamatolevi]

My list:

• a carseat,
• a place to sleep (which the carseat can do in a pinch),
• some type of baby carrier (sling, mei tai, wrap, etc.),
• diapers (cloth or disposable),
• california baby rash cream,
• california baby tea tree oil and lavender wash or the super sensitive wash,
• some cloth diapers (cheap on e-bay) for burp cloths,
• since we're having winter/fall babies, something to keep the little legs and feet warm - I recommend knit longies, but target carries some great inexpensive knit pants you can pair with
• hats,
• socks,
• robeez
• meals in the freezer
• soothies and lanolin, if breastfeeding
• spanx higher power - or other support garment to hold your belly firm. This is good for either vag birth or cesarean. trust me, you'll feel better with it on and look better in your pants, too.

I'd say ask for massage gift certificates. I got two or three massages the last month I was pregnant with #3 and they were a huge help in getting me rested for labor and feeling more comfortable in general. Getting a massage after I had the baby was difficult though, b/c I had to have her with me and I didn't want her to disrupt anyone else's spa experience if she woke and cried. pedicure gc are good for post partum as you can hold the baby and nurse her as needed.

I hated the boppy; a regular pillow worked best for me.