**I need to go ahead and say that the comments (tweets, e-mails, and Facebook messages) you all have been leaving have been WONDERFUL!!! Keep them coming! Even if you see something that someone has already covered, let me know. When lots of moms say the same thing it makes me really take note. Thanks again! I feel much better already!**
Ok, so, as you ALL know, I'm pregnant. What you might not know is that I turned 20 weeks this past Saturday. Yep, that's right, I'm halfway there. I can't believe how fast it has gone and I've heard the next 20 weeks will go even faster. This is where panic sets in. I have bought nothing and I mean nothing for this child. Part of that is because buying things means spending money which is something we're trying not to do. The other part of it is that I don't know what to buy. I need your help! I know there are lots more people who read my blog than leave comments. That's what blog counters are good for. And I'm sure it's safe to assume that a lot of you readers are either a mom, grandma, aunt, cousin, caregiver, etc who know a lot more about babies than I do. Seeing as how this is my first child I'm a little clueless about things. I'm going to list a lot of things I need advice on and I REALLY hope you will ALL leave me a comment with advice on at least one or more of them. Please?!?!?!?!?!?!? Let me just tell you this list is random and if I've left something off you think I need to consider please let me know. So, here it goes:
- Car Seat
- Stroller
- High Chair
- Cribs
- Rockers/Gliders
- Baby monitor
- Walker
- Bouncy seat
- Pack-n-play
- Play mats
- "how-to" books
- baby books-for memories
- swaddle blankets
- pacifiers
- bottles
- thermometers
- diaper bags
- Certain clothing items you can't live without
- ETC, ETC, ETC
Keep in mind our budget is small so although I want to hear your advice I probably won't buy an $800 stroller/car seat travel system. Although the one I did find that I love was just that. Nice. I have champagne taste on a water budget. :)
Thanks in advance for your help! If you have LOTS of great advice, which I hope you do, you can e-mail me instead of leaving a comment. My e-mail is linked on my sidebar and in profile.
75 comments:
Well.....get a video monitor. We never had one, but I wished we had. GET ONE!!!!!!!!!!!
Get two or three good velcro swaddle blankets! It really helps them sleep at night!
And...Pampers are the best in my opinion!!!! LOVE THEM! But...Luvs are great too. They are made by Pampers.
Take the basics from Babywise. It works!!! It will keep you from going crazy!
a crib maybe? ha
seriously though..a video monitor, a good pump if your going in that direction(rent one), my breast friend nursing pillow, a forehead swip thermometer(life saver when they are sleeping and you need to take their temp)
Car Seat - We love our Chicco Travel System.
Stroller - Came with the carseat/travel system. Chicco. LOVE.
High Chair - Once again...Chicco. Having a highchair on wheels is awesome. We can push her all around the house if need be. And a lot of the time, it's necessary! LOL I also like that I can just pull the cover off and throw it in the wash.
Cribs - I honestly don't think this matters much. Just make sure the bars aren't so far apart that the baby can escape. Can you tell I'm a first time Mom? I really shouldn't be giving advice.
Rockers/Gliders - Something comfortable. We went with cute. Our isn't the most comfortable and doesn't glide. Cute doesn't really matter at 2am with a screaming baby to rock. They have some comfy ones at Kid's Furniture & Pickles & Ice Cream.
Baby monitor - We use Sony Baby Call System. Works great!
Walker - We didn't use a walker.
Bouncy seat - This is a must when they are small...you can sit them in it while showering, cooking, cleaning. I think ours is Fisher-Price Rainforest or something like that. I almost went with a more modern one without any toys for her to play with - don't do that. She loved the toys, once she got a little older.
Pack-n-play - We didn't really use the bassinet that came with ours, but I'm sure those come in handy if she's going to sleep in it by your bed from day one. If she's not going to - I don't think it really matters the brand. My S-I-L always bought the least expensive at Walmart.
Play mats - I think these are all the same. We got the Fisher-Price Rainforest one with lots of toys for her to look at/play with.
Swaddle blankets - I think we used the hippo brand from Babies R Us. These are a MUST, no matter the brand. Swaddle her from day one. She may act like she doesn't like it at first, but they sleep so much better if their hands aren't moving around - startling themselves awake. Amelia was swaddled until at least 6 mo.
Pacifiers - We used the Super Soothie that they gave her in the NICU. You can buy them at Babies R Us and Target.
Bottles - Playtex Nurser w/drop-ins. They have less parts to wash than any other bottle and the drop-in liners make it so much easier. We had problems with gas at first, but found out it was because we were shaking her bottle before giving it to her. So we started stirring them and the girl hasn't had to have a drop of mylicon, since she was just weeks old!
Thermometers - They just use a basic digital thermometer in the NICU. They told us to take it rectally until she was like 4-6mo. And then start taking it under her arm. Of course, you will need to designate a thermometer for each. LOL
Diaper bags - I love my JJ Cole diaper bag. Comes in all colors and has lots of pockets!
Hi Hillary! Love following your blog. I had my first baby in August and felt exactly like you do as far as what we needed. I was clueless and thought it was very overwhelming when we went to register. We have the Graco Snug Ride travel system. My husband and I each have a base in our car and this is great because he takes her to daycare and I pick her up. It is easy to just pop it in. We have a Graco digital monitor but haven't used it yet as she is still sleeping in her pack n play in our room. We have a Graco pack n play and she sleeps well in it. We had the one with the napper that she slept in for about the first month. She seems to love the MAM pacifiers - these were the only ones she would take in the very beginning. I am nursing and using the Medela pump so I have just used the Medela bottles that came with it. She has done fine on these though we do have some Avent and Dr. Brown's we have yet to use. We have a "Swaddle Me" swaddler that I put her in every night. I love the bouncy seat - it allows me to get things done and also put her where she can see me. She seems to enjoy being able to watch me and this keeps her content for awhile at least :) We also have a Graco swing that she also loves and is about the only way she will take naps for me at home. Sorry this is so long and hope some of it helps. I know every baby and mom is different but these are just some things that have worked for us. Praying for you!
This is just my two cents - take it or leave it. ha!
The only thing is every baby is different so you never know but.....
1. We didn't have a rocker/glider. I nursed H in the living room in front of the tv 99% of the time. Everyone fought me on not having one but I didn't really feel the need. Still don't.
2. Bouncy seat- this was our lifesaver. harper SLEPT in hers for the first 2 months. And it was the one safe place i could sit her during the day. We had one from WM that cost like $30 and it was the best!
3. Pack & Play - unless you plan to keep her by your bed or take her to people's houses a lot - you can get by without one. Or get the cheapest one at WM. H slept in hers in our room for the first 6 months but I won't keep Hollis there that long.
4. Play mat - we had one - Harper hated it. It's cute and I'll give it to you. It's like brand new.
5. You will want a good high chair b/c you'll use it for years. But to save space - those kind that strap in the chairs and are less expensive are JUST as good!
6. You for SURE want a digital thermometer.
7. We have just a regular monitor and I think it works fine. I can hear her breathing over it.
8. A good sound machine. That's something we didn't get until H was 18 months old and it would have saved us a lot of grief. They have them at Target for $30 or so.
9. If you plan to nurse - or even if you don't - a good Boppy will be your friend! harper took naps on hers also. I loved it. Took mine everywhere.
The best thing we did was get a space saver high chair. It just sits in a chair at the table and it reclines and can sit straight up and then becomes a booster. We just did not have room for a high chair.
VIDEO MONITOR
Pack n play doesn't matter. They all seem to be the same. Westin has probably used is maybe 5 times.
A good pump.
Don't forget a swing! Total lifesaver.
I have the same glider as Katie has in Zach and Colson's nursery (different fabric) and the BEST deal is at Cost Plus in LR. I think it was $280. Basically less than half at other stores. The brand is Best Chairs and the style is Patoka. However, you and Josh are pretty tall so you might need a little bigger chair. They have a catalog with every chair and tons of fabrics. You can get any of them in a rocker or a glider.
I'm a die hard Huggies diaper fan. That is something you will just have to find what works best. Sometimes when babies get older you might have to switch brands to avoid leaks.
Here are my few mommy tips:
Car Seat and Stroller System we don't have one. We bought the car seat Chicco brand and we got the Graco SnugRider and I haven't been disappointed at all. I am with Laurie and you MUST get a video monitor we have one and I LOVE IT! You can wait until Sadie is 4 months or older to get a high chair. Grayson is just starting to use his and he is 6 months old. We love the Jumperoo at our house, but again Grayson just started using this at about 5 months. We have the Baby Einstein Jumperoo. Grayson loved the Play Mat and he started using this at around 2 months before than he would just lay underneath of it and do nothing. We love swaddle blankets and we still swaddle Grayson. I agree with Laurie get the velcro swaddle blankets. As for Paci's I would wait and see what Sadie likes you will get one at the hospital. She may not like to ones you purchase. Grayson will only use the ones from the hospital. As for bottles I would wait too on bottles because Sadie might only like certain ones. Grayson was not picky at all, but my sisters babies were and she went through so many different bottles before she found ones that they liked. We use the Tommee Tippee brand because the nipple of the bootle is more like a breast nipple (or so they say). I hope this helps! One last comment don't feel like you have to have everything at the beginning I felt this way and there are still things we are not using. Plus wait until after your baby shower you might get a lot of these things that are on your list. Have a great day!
Aden and Anis (sp?) swaddeling blankets. We hated the Swaddle Me and other ones with velcro, just prefered these large, breathable blankets to wrap her up in.
Nuk pacifiers worked the best for us.
Boppy for nursing, plus a good pump if you're going to be going back to work.
I'd skip the glider and go for a nice comfy arm chair instead. I lived in our glider ($20 Craigslist) nursing my daughter and it was not comfy!
Gerber bottles from Target. I fretted about which bottles to get (Dr. Brown's and other expensive varieties) and ended up loving the $3 Gerber bottles at Target just fine.
Didn't love/use our video monitor much at first, but now that our daughter is 10 months old we love it to see what she's up to in her crib, ha!
Our travel system is Luna by Chicco. It was pretty expensive (IMO) but worth it.
Bouncy seat, we had a hand-me-down that worked just fine.
This list got long very quickly! :) Have fun deciding, really, enjoy it and don't feel like you have to stress about it all!
Invest in a couple of good swaddling blankets...I had a Miracle Blanket with my 2nd baby, and it was nice, but they are pricey. But, swaddling seemed to help so much with our fussy girl. There are other cheaper brands that are just as good, I'm sure.
I had a full size high chair with my first baby and hated it...took up SO much room, so we got rid of it. With 2nd baby, we got a space saver high chair, that sits in a kitchen chair and I love it. Cheaper and just as good...it reclines and everything. That is something you are going to use every day, several times a day, so get one you like.
I have used my boppy TONS with both babies...even after I quit breast feeding both times, we continued to use it all the time.
On swings and bouncy seats, you won't really know till she gets here whether she will love or hate them. My first loved the swing, hated the bouncy, and my second one was opposite. Borrow that kind of stuff if you can.
Don't waste money on a bumbo...we had one with first baby, but never used it with 2nd one. They're over-priced, and aren't useful for very long.
We used a Graco Snug-ride carseat/stroller combo, and it has lasted through two baby girls. Can't say enough good about them.
If you are planning to breast feed, invest in a good pump, even if you have to rent it. You can rent them pretty cheap from medical supply places, and it's just a must in my opinion to be succesful with that.
Good luck...I'm sure you'll be showered with lots of things, so don't worry too much, and borrow what you can!
Hi!! Just wanted to add my opinions. So excited for you and Josh.
if you are breast feeding, you can actually borrow a pump if you know anyone that is not using theirs. You can by the tubing and accessories for about $30. Its cheaper than a new pump. I have several friends who have done this.
If you like a certain paci, you can ask the hospital workers to give her only the one you bring. Sometimes its harder to get babies to swap after leaving the hospital.
Swaddle blankets, a Boppi, a bouncy seat- all gifts from Heaven
I bought a car seat/stroller combo from WM when my godson was born. It was great. And not expensive.
I like the drop in bottles from Playtex.
I like Pampers or Huggies for diapers. They seem to absorb more.
A digital thermometer
And I wouldn't buy to much before your showers. You will be surprised what people bring.
And lots of love!!!!
My first time mom self would have said you needed all those things but this is the 2nd time mom in me giving you advice! :)
Stroller/carseat: It really doesn't matter what brand/style as long as you get a gender neutral fabric so you can use it again.We have a Graco. The real thing you want in my opinion is a Padalily (Google it) to pad your arm while carrying the seat because it gets so heavy. People don't mention that part.
Highchair: Get something you can stand to use everyday and clean every day. Sometimes I wish I had a smaller one because those big ones hold a lot of food in little crevices.:) I have a Graco.
Cribs: It really doesn't matter. I would say though not to get one with the drop sides because those seem to be recalled often. I bought one at Target and one at Walmart.
Rocker/Glider: If you have a place that you can go to every time you nurse then you don't need one. I am big on routines since they help babies sleep, so I always nurse in my glider as part of our routine but as long as you have some where comfy then you will be just fine! I have a Best glider that I have used in both nurseries.
Monitor: We have the Sony BabyCall Monitor from Target and BRU. It's $40 and I can hear both children loud and clear. My advice would be to register for a video one and if no one buys it for you then just get a cheaper one.
Walker: Didn't have one. If you want one ask for it for Sadie's Christmas next year. Christmas is a great time to get those things you don't want to buy. We got Brody's exersaucer as a Christmas gift from my parents on his 1st Christmas. :) It saved us $100!
Bouncy Seat: We have a $30 WM one that works great. Brody hated it, Jillian loves it. Don't invest in an expensive one.
Pack N play: Unless you want it for the house you don't need it. Most hotels and condos will let you borrow/rent a portable crib when you travel. Our p-n-p just takes up valuable closet space.
Playmats: Get an inexpensive one at target or better yet, put a thick quilt on the floor and call it a play mat! That's really all you need! Brody loved playing on a quilt with bright toys.
How to Books: Babywise or I will just email you and you can save your money! Ha!
Swaddle Blankets: yes-Target
Pacifiers: Both of mine prefered Avent pacifiers as newborns. Register for a few different ones and then you can let Sadie pick her favorite.
Bottles: I prefer Dr Browns. They have 57 parts to them but I like them. They sell them at TJ Maxx for way cheaper than they do at Target.
Thermometer: Digital head ones are good. I also have one that goes in their little bottoms and I honestly prefer that one because it's most accurate.
One more thing I would recommend is a Itzbeen timer. You can find them at Target for $25. It keeps me sane!
You are going to be a GREAT mom, Hillary!! Sadie is a blessed little girl.
Lots of things to share but most have been covered! My must-haves: (three babes later)
Swaddle blankets-flannel
Noise maker (we used floor fans)
For a girl I think Luvs diapers are fine-my boy peed through them though...advice for future boy!
Sleepers (footed PJ's)-can get them at walmart, Costco, Target, babies r us
Bottles-used Avent and Dr Browns. Dr Browns are life saver for colic or reflux babies
Bottle brushes-you'll use them ten times a day for first year if you use bottles!
A good Medela pump if you're going to nurse. Worth every penny. I used gift card $$ to buy mine and it's lasted through three babies. Still going strong.
Bouncy seat-doesn't matter if it's cheap or expensive!
A stroller you like and feels easy to push. We used an umbrella stroller 99% of the time because I didn't research my stroller...and hated it (the combo one)
Pack n play or cradle to keep baby close for first few months
I think that's it!
Just a few suggestions (you have a great list!):
Pampers Swaddlers are the BEST! (And just wait to you buy some and see how teeny tiny and cute they are!)
My children (all 4 of them) LOVED the swing. It was also great to have on hand for my son who had reflux; it was the perfect place to put him to keep him upright after he ate (other than my arms, of course!).
The video monitor is a must. We bought ours used at a baby consignment store and saved a ton. And two years later, we STILL use it to keep an eye (or four) on our mischievous toddlers. :)
Don't forget that people will give you lots of wonderful things and that every baby knows what they like best. I wouldn't buy too many pacifiers or bottles, etc. until you know which one Sadie prefers. And most importantly - relax! This is the fun part! :)
Girl...I love talking about baby stuff!!
We didn't buy a high chair with either kid. We used a seat that hooks to our dining room chairs...it saved so much space! And they are way cheaper.
We got our crib at a resale shop. It worked for both kids and was perfect for half the price of a new one.
I loved having a rocking chair. Layla loved to be rocked, Hayden didn't. I got a regular old wooden rocking chair at an antique store and put a pillow pad on it and LOVED it! I still use it today, but it only cost me $40.
I used a regular baby moniter. I loved it b/c if I used a video moniter I'd never sleep. HA! I'd stare at it all night.
We loved the bouncy seat we got, it was a rainforest theme...the bouncy seat was the BEST baby purchase for our family. It vibrated and our kids loved it! I also started feeding them solids sitting in it. It was a true live saver for us.
We only used our pack n play when we traveled and never used the basinette part.
Layla loved her barnyard playmat, Hayden hated it. He was much to active, she laid around and listened to the music and loved it.
I think the book I liked best was What to expect the 1st year. Also I signed up for Baby Center's weekly email update that is age appropriate. I loved it! It was always spot on and still is. I still get it for both kids. The best book ever "heathly sleep habits happy child" THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! It made our kids amazing sleepers. I have given it to ALL my friends as baby shower gifts.
I used any kind of blanket to swaddle Layla. They taught us at the hospital how to swaddle. Hayden didn't like to be swaddled, but Layla LOVED it! The nurses are the best teachers of swaddling in my opinion!! They can teach you how to do it so well with any blanket.
We used Avent bottles.
We loved onsies and footed suits. That is all my kids wore for the
1st 6 months of life. Except for church clothes. Just rmember they grow SOOOO fast!
Diapers and such depend on the baby. Pampers fit Hayden better and Huggies fit Layla better...it is so crazy how different all kids and families are.
I am so excited for you...sorry about the book I just wrote!
Hi Hillary.
We are just a few weeks behind you and this part is extremely overwhelming...and we have the added blessing of expecting twins. While I have not used it much YET my best friend immediately sent me baby bargains once we found out we were expecting. I think they have used it over and over with their three kids to find great deals.
Also for diapers and food check out amazon mom...best price we have found for diapers in our research.
Here's my list. ; ) Love and miss you!
Love my... chicco high chair.
A & D diaper cream
Avent or Medela bottles
Storytime Series (Best chairs is the brand) swivel rocker
Bouncy seat - YES!!! This is a lifesaver. I'm with Kelly. Get one that has flashing lights and things for Sadie to look at and grab. I carry this thing all over the house with me with Colson in it. Up to Zach's room, when I take a shower, on the kitchen table while I'm cooking. it's awesome!
Play mat - YES! Colson loves his. He talks to all the animals above and bats at it.
Swing - another yes
Swaddle blanket - the hospital ones are great! I also love aden and anais blankets.
Don't need a walker. ; )
1 very large margarita to keep you sane-period. everything else will be great!
I will tell you the things we could have done without/what worked for us:
1. We use Huggies. The Pampers always leaked when I nursed.
2. A boppy pillow. Went. Everywhere. Seriously!
3. Bouncy seat- our son hated this for the first 4 months, then liked it before he grew out of it in 2. I would try to borrow from a friend before buying!
4. Stroller/Car Seat- We have the Chicco brand (expensive at $300). I love it, as it is super easy to install/get in and out BUT it topped out at 22 lbs, which our son reached at 8 months- ha! We also only used the stroller when he was little, as the car seat fit in. I found a jogging stroller on Craig's list that we use 99% of the time.
5. Swing. We bought a huge Graco expensive swing. Blame it on first time parents- but it was the only thing our son would sleep in for the first 3 months. We ended up buying a fischer price space saver swing that was AWESOME. I think they run $40-50 and are beyond worth it.
6. High Chair- we didn't use this until he was 8 months old, we used the bouncy seat until he outgrew it. I have the Fischer price space saver seat (straps to a chair) and it was $50, but I got it for $40 with a coupon!
7. Bottles- Only buy a few to begin and make sure the baby likes them. We bought a bunch, washed them, then my son only used the Medela bottles (I nursed until he was 7 mo), which we had to invest in. If you get to stay home, you won't need very many. I work fulltime and needed about 5 total per day.
8. Crib/Bedding- Spring for a nice mattress, but the crib itself get from WM. I would not worry about bedding, get a crib sheet and waterproof matress pad. I didn't even use bumpers until my son turned 9 mo, I was so afraid of him suffocating!
9. Monitors- we have a Sony. Works fine, but picks up interference from cell phones. I think cheap is fine as long as you can hear well.
10. The Homedics sound machine is a life saver! We have used every night and our son loves it. Small, travels well and is about $20!
11. Breast pump is a must if you are working. If you are at home, you get by without one if you want to supplement formula.
Good luck- try to space out your big purchases. You won't need everything when your sweet bundle arrives!
I will tell you the things we could have done without/what worked for us:
1. We use Huggies. The Pampers always leaked when I nursed.
2. A boppy pillow. Went. Everywhere. Seriously!
3. Bouncy seat- our son hated this for the first 4 months, then liked it before he grew out of it in 2. I would try to borrow from a friend before buying!
4. Stroller/Car Seat- We have the Chicco brand (expensive at $300). I love it, as it is super easy to install/get in and out BUT it topped out at 22 lbs, which our son reached at 8 months- ha! We also only used the stroller when he was little, as the car seat fit in. I found a jogging stroller on Craig's list that we use 99% of the time.
5. Swing. We bought a huge Graco expensive swing. Blame it on first time parents- but it was the only thing our son would sleep in for the first 3 months. We ended up buying a fischer price space saver swing that was AWESOME. I think they run $40-50 and are beyond worth it.
6. High Chair- we didn't use this until he was 8 months old, we used the bouncy seat until he outgrew it. I have the Fischer price space saver seat (straps to a chair) and it was $50, but I got it for $40 with a coupon!
7. Bottles- Only buy a few to begin and make sure the baby likes them. We bought a bunch, washed them, then my son only used the Medela bottles (I nursed until he was 7 mo), which we had to invest in. If you get to stay home, you won't need very many. I work fulltime and needed about 5 total per day.
8. Crib/Bedding- Spring for a nice mattress, but the crib itself get from WM. I would not worry about bedding, get a crib sheet and waterproof matress pad. I didn't even use bumpers until my son turned 9 mo, I was so afraid of him suffocating!
9. Monitors- we have a Sony. Works fine, but picks up interference from cell phones. I think cheap is fine as long as you can hear well.
10. The Homedics sound machine is a life saver! We have used every night and our son loves it. Small, travels well and is about $20!
11. Breast pump is a must if you are working. If you are at home, you get by without one if you want to supplement formula.
Good luck- try to space out your big purchases. You won't need everything when your sweet bundle arrives!
I will tell you the things we could have done without/what worked for us:
1. We use Huggies. The Pampers always leaked when I nursed.
2. A boppy pillow. Went. Everywhere. Seriously!
3. Bouncy seat- our son hated this for the first 4 months, then liked it before he grew out of it in 2. I would try to borrow from a friend before buying!
4. Stroller/Car Seat- We have the Chicco brand (expensive at $300). I love it, as it is super easy to install/get in and out BUT it topped out at 22 lbs, which our son reached at 8 months- ha! We also only used the stroller when he was little, as the car seat fit in. I found a jogging stroller on Craig's list that we use 99% of the time.
5. Swing. We bought a huge Graco expensive swing. Blame it on first time parents- but it was the only thing our son would sleep in for the first 3 months. We ended up buying a fischer price space saver swing that was AWESOME. I think they run $40-50 and are beyond worth it.
6. High Chair- we didn't use this until he was 8 months old, we used the bouncy seat until he outgrew it. I have the Fischer price space saver seat (straps to a chair) and it was $50, but I got it for $40 with a coupon!
7. Bottles- Only buy a few to begin and make sure the baby likes them. We bought a bunch, washed them, then my son only used the Medela bottles (I nursed until he was 7 mo), which we had to invest in. If you get to stay home, you won't need very many. I work fulltime and needed about 5 total per day.
8. Crib/Bedding- Spring for a nice mattress, but the crib itself get from WM. I would not worry about bedding, get a crib sheet and waterproof matress pad. I didn't even use bumpers until my son turned 9 mo, I was so afraid of him suffocating!
9. Monitors- we have a Sony. Works fine, but picks up interference from cell phones. I think cheap is fine as long as you can hear well.
10. The Homedics sound machine is a life saver! We have used every night and our son loves it. Small, travels well and is about $20!
11. Breast pump is a must if you are working. If you are at home, you get by without one if you want to supplement formula.
Good luck- try to space out your big purchases. You won't need everything when your sweet bundle arrives!
I read your blog thru Kelly's.. I agree Pampers are the best.. Get a bumbo for when she can start to sit up.. I also love the Chicco stroller/carseat.. was great!! We also have the same highchair and our daughter loves it.. The soothie pacifier that they gave at the hospital is what our daughter used too! We've tried the orthodontic ones, but she loves the soothie brand. They also have a great teething pacifier!
I've never commented, but read regularly. :)
I personally am not a fan of the glider. I always fed our babies in the living room in an easy chair that we already had.
I would recommend getting a Pack n Play that comes with the bassinet/diaper changing station and use that as your changing table (if you're wanting to save money here.) We do not have a changing table and just keep our pack n play set up in the nursery. If we go on a trip, then we can fold it up and take it, but otherwise it sits in the nursery. The bottom of it doubles as storage space too.
I love the digital ear thermometer. Our pedi's office uses them once the baby is over a year old, so I feel like they're trustworthy and they're so much easier than under the arm or tongue.
I also highly recommend getting a Floppy Seat and Tiny Diner. I'm a germ freak, so the Floppy Seat works great in shopping carts and restaurant high chairs. It covers the whole seat to keep the baby from touching anything, plus it gives them extra padding to sit on. The Tiny Diner is a reusable, rubber placement with suction cups on it for when you're eating out. Really handy!
Check out resale shops and Craigslist for a lot of your baby gear. I have found brand new or almost new baby gear for half off at both places. Good luck!
Definately the pacifier (we used the Soothie one at the beginning and then the Gerber ones) and defiantely one of the swaddling velcro blankets. I actually found some cool zip-up ones at Woombie.com that I liked much better.
Also, I didn't see swing on the list and my babies always liked that better than the bouncy seat. I would suggest borrowing from a friend at the beginning if you can to see what Sadie likes.
And I second Lauri on BabyWise. It saved my life!
Hi! I've never left you a comment but I thought I had something to offer for this one! One of the best things we did was buy a swing that has plugs in so we don't have to buy batteries! It's Graco. Also, we bought everything gender-neutral (it's hard not to buy everything pink though!!).
Our hospital gave us a Halo sleep sack and that is the only thing my daughter sleeps in. There are cheaper ones but they are round neck and I prefer Halo's v-neck.
We had the book "Baby Bargains" which researches products and grades them. We looked up EVERYTHING in that book!
We have the Chicco Key Fit 30 carseat/stroller. They can use it until they weigh 30 pounds instead of 22 like others. Graco has one that they can stay in until 35lbs.
Something that was important to us was her mattress. We got the firmest Colgate. Nobody we asked even knew what they had. It might not be important to you but it was to us!
I have never used our diaper Genie...I just empty the trash everyday.
If you're not breastfeeding I think you can get away without a Boppy. I know everybody loves them but I rarely use ours and could do without it (and certainly can do without the extra covers...you will do lots of laundry anyway). My husband actually uses it more than I do to feed her.
I would not buy a lot of any one thing until you know if you/she will like it. I bought 12 of the newborn gowns and only used 2 of them in the hospital, never after I got home. This applies to bottles, pacifiers, diapers, wipes, bathwash (again, I have 3 bottles of Aveeno and it didn't work for her). Also, only buy one package of newborn diapers. A friend or family member can run out to get you more if you need them. My daughter wore size 1 in the hospital and never wore the newborns (she was 8 lbs, 8 oz).
I would suggest making purchases now and space it all out. You won't need the high chair or exersaucer for several months (my 4-month old is getting those for Christmas!). Also, we never bought anything at Babies R Us or Buy Buy Baby without a 20% off coupon.
Good luck! It looks like you are getting a lot of advice! Remember every baby is different and likes different things!
Hi :) I have been reading for a while but I don't think I have commented... Here is my 2 cents on baby stuff...
I am with everyone on the video monitor. Totally get one! We didn't have one the first time but we will definitely be getting one this time around.
The velcro swaddle blankets are, hands down, the BEST baby product ever! She will pretend to hate it at first but will fall into blissful sleep within seconds.
Read Baby Wise but adapt it to work for you. I used it and my baby slept through the night at 3 months.
Some kind of white noise machine. We have one that makes different soothing noises but the actual "white noise" setting seems to be her favorite. Use it from the beginning and she will sleep through anything.
Don't spend a lot on swings, bouncy seats, Bumbo seats, and exersaucers. Look at garage sales, consignment stores, or Craigslist. They all come apart and you can wash the parts easily and they are good as new!
I used a glider chair. It was a life saver at night and was always part of our routine (Baby Wise).
Wait until she is a little older to get stuff like the high chair. You wont need it right away. Once you do get one, try the kind that strap on the chair. It is small and easy to clean.
No doubt, you will be a wonderful mom! :)
Hey!!
- A bouncy seat is a must. My baby loved it!
- Get a boppy, they're aweseme, too. River would just chill in his for the longest time.
- Luvs diapers are great!
- We didn't really use the pack-and-play too much. River slept in our room for the first few nights and I put him in the bassinet part of the PAP, but besides that, have not used it much. I'd get a cheaper one if you really wanted one.
- We got the car seat/stroller system...I thought it was great. I don't remember the brand name, tho... maybe Graco.
- Dr. Brown bottles are great. They have a lot of parts to them, but we liked them.
- I don't have a video monitor, but I think it would be cool to have!
- We got a bottle warmer and wipe warmer as shower gifts, but never used them. I actually took the wipe warmer back. Too much to deal with!! I did use the bottle warmer a few times, but I would suggest just making the bottles as needed (if you use formula, that is). That's what I did. It was easier than having to wait on the bottles to warm. They have little containers with 3 slots in them for you to put the right amount of formula in each slot to just poor in the bottle (for when you're not at home) and just already have the water in the bottles. Very handy. I never warmed River's formula...just room temp.
- Have burp cloths handy at all times!!! ;o)
- River didn't really care for his swing much.
- I would wait on the highchair and exersaucer or walker till she is old enough to use them since your on a budget. Maybe they could be Christmas gifts for next year???
Every baby is different! Good luck!
Here is what I think. Take it or leave it!!!
The most important thing we have....VIDEO MONITOR! A MUST HAVE! A bobby pillow. So useful! Really! We LOVED the bouncy seat. Cilla slept in that thing more than anything else the first few months of her life. We also loved our jumperoo! She spent so much time in that and she was confined (enjoy that while it lasts!) I will say, EVERY kid is different! You can have the best and newest things on the market and your kid will HATE it! They all take to different pacis, bottles, formula, lotions, soaps, diapers......it is trial and error. I will say that the best diaper cream I have found is A&D and our favorite diapers are Pampers. You will want a good high chair- whether regular or space saver. I like the regular so I can roll Cilla into the kitchen. She still uses it. Pack-n-play...unless you are traveling lots is not necessary. Thermometer- honestly, I hate all of them and have not had good luck with any! The paci ones are useless! Ear kind is my favorite, just not always the most accurate! DO NOT get a diaper bin. Your house will stink when she starts solids! One other think we could not live without is Cilla's sound machine. We have literally had to go buy one when we were traveling because we forgot her's. It helps them sleep and helps life to go on after they go to bed.
As for the "How to" books...I have not picked one up since I was pregnant. I read Babywise, and we followed basic principles of it, but Cilla was still an awful sleeper. However, once she started sleeping through the night at almost 10 months old, she was a champ sleeper. But, Babywise can be super rigid and it may not fit into your lifestyle. Books will wear you out! I recommend to start reading "Bringing Up Girls" by James Dobson. And I hope you don't need this but also "Raising a Strong Willed Child" is great! I also really like "Don't make Me Count to Three". But, again, that all depends on the discipline methods you guys want to use. I honestly think reading that stuff is far more valuble than reading "What to expect" books. You can google search anything you have questions about.
I recommend going to Rhea Lana this spring before she gets here! Great buys! Don't stress out. Life will be fine with or without all the "stuff" all you really need is a car seat and probably a stroller. She will not know the difference.
Definitely Pampers diapers - PLUS THE WIPES :) - cost a little more but are a LOT better. Order them on diapers.com - free shipping, always coupon codes online, they deliver them right to your doorstep - how could you beat it?
Chicco car seat - again, a little more money, but so comfy and worth it.
DON'T BUY A WHOLE TRAVEL SYSTEM - get a nice car seat and then get the frame thing-y to click the nice car seat into. This is how you can save money - then, when sweet Sadie is 6 months or so, purchase a Maclaren - light as air, so durable, and a very smooth ride (she can't ride in this until she can support herself a bit more).
YOU MUST HAVE A BOPPY PILLOW with extra covers for when she spits on it :).
An activity gym, specifically a Gymini one. Try to find a gently used one on Craigs List or Ebay or from a friend - you can wash it!
DO NOT purchase the "big" stuff - high chair, jumperoo, etc. - until you have room to store it - then, save up gift cards your sweet family and friends are sure to give you, collect bunches of coupons to use, and buy her those things when she needs them.
If you pump, go Medela, and don't mess around with other bottles because they won't fit on the pump.
BEST OF LUCK. You are so adorable! Can't wait to meet Sadie. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE her name :)
Definitely Pampers diapers - PLUS THE WIPES :) - cost a little more but are a LOT better. Order them on diapers.com - free shipping, always coupon codes online, they deliver them right to your doorstep - how could you beat it?
Chicco car seat - again, a little more money, but so comfy and worth it.
DON'T BUY A WHOLE TRAVEL SYSTEM - get a nice car seat and then get the frame thing-y to click the nice car seat into. This is how you can save money - then, when sweet Sadie is 6 months or so, purchase a Maclaren - light as air, so durable, and a very smooth ride (she can't ride in this until she can support herself a bit more).
YOU MUST HAVE A BOPPY PILLOW with extra covers for when she spits on it :).
An activity gym, specifically a Gymini one. Try to find a gently used one on Craigs List or Ebay or from a friend - you can wash it!
DO NOT purchase the "big" stuff - high chair, jumperoo, etc. - until you have room to store it - then, save up gift cards your sweet family and friends are sure to give you, collect bunches of coupons to use, and buy her those things when she needs them.
If you pump, go Medela, and don't mess around with other bottles because they won't fit on the pump.
BEST OF LUCK. You are so adorable! Can't wait to meet Sadie. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE her name :)
-Jenny in MD :)
Car Seat/Stroller - I like the Chicco. They are easier to use and I have a friend who is a carseat tech and she says they are the safest infant seats.
High Chair - the space saver ones are awesome.
Cribs - eh... I dunno
Baby monitor - the video ones are really cool, but the sound ones work just as well.
Walker - I don't know anyone who has one, most people have exersaucers
Bouncy seat OR swing - register for both, but don't feel like you need to have both. If you don't get them from your registry see if you can try out a friends to see which one Sadie likes best. I know SO many people who have over done it on baby gear just to find out their child only likes one thing. If you end up with a swing, get a smaller one so you can use it like the bouncy seat and take it from room to room.
Pack-n-play - with Kelly on this one too.
Play mats - blankets work great.
"how-to" books - babywise babies are my favorites
baby books-for memories - not a clue. I saw a cute one at Anthropologie, but I don't know how much it was
pacifiers - soothie or avent are the most widely used.
bottles - I like the bornfree bottles at Babies R Us. They leak the least! They have a gas chamber thing like Dr. Browns, but everyone I know says DB leak really bad. Born Free... not at all!
thermometers - the forehead swipe things are cool.
diaper bags - look on Etsy. There is also a girl locally who sells. kchenaultdesigns.com. I have some friends who have hers and they are great quality. Don't spend 100 something dollars on something meant to hold diapers and bottles. The people that I know that do regret it. Also, Lands End canvas totes are GREAT!
Certain clothing items you can't live without - again, all I know are onesies and sleepers. Don't buy any. I see so many bought at baby showers. its crazy. Oh, and your dad and his Razorback habit... it could get messy ;)
The only other thing I can thing of is a boppy or something like that. Bumbo seats are pretty cool, too. But not super necessary. Wait for Rhea Lana to come out. I have a friend who bought her bumbo, boppy and bouncy seat for about 30 total...
Car Seat/Stroller - I like the Chicco. They are easier to use and I have a friend who is a carseat tech and she says they are the safest infant seats.
High Chair - the space saver ones are awesome.
Cribs - eh... I dunno
Baby monitor - the video ones are really cool, but the sound ones work just as well.
Walker - I don't know anyone who has one, most people have exersaucers
Bouncy seat OR swing - register for both, but don't feel like you need to have both. If you don't get them from your registry see if you can try out a friends to see which one Sadie likes best. I know SO many people who have over done it on baby gear just to find out their child only likes one thing. If you end up with a swing, get a smaller one so you can use it like the bouncy seat and take it from room to room.
Pack-n-play - with Kelly on this one too.
Play mats - blankets work great.
"how-to" books - babywise babies are my favorites
baby books-for memories - not a clue. I saw a cute one at Anthropologie, but I don't know how much it was
pacifiers - soothie or avent are the most widely used.
bottles - I like the bornfree bottles at Babies R Us. They leak the least! They have a gas chamber thing like Dr. Browns, but everyone I know says DB leak really bad. Born Free... not at all!
thermometers - the forehead swipe things are cool.
diaper bags - look on Etsy. There is also a girl locally who sells. kchenaultdesigns.com. I have some friends who have hers and they are great quality. Don't spend 100 something dollars on something meant to hold diapers and bottles. The people that I know that do regret it. Also, Lands End canvas totes are GREAT!
Certain clothing items you can't live without - again, all I know are onesies and sleepers. Don't buy any. I see so many bought at baby showers. its crazy. Oh, and your dad and his Razorback habit... it could get messy ;)
The only other thing I can thing of is a boppy or something like that. Bumbo seats are pretty cool, too. But not super necessary. Wait for Rhea Lana to come out. I have a friend who bought her bumbo, boppy and bouncy seat for about 30 total...
I think your greatest investment will be flying Aunt Jenna and Aunt Caroline out to be Sadie's personal nannies. Think about it. :-)
I would say that whatever you register for as far as bouncers, swings, etc., whatever you don't get at your shower, look for on craigslist or at children's resale shops. There are tons of good toys out there that you can get in gently used condition that still look brand new, but you pay way less for. We are expecting twins in May, and that's what we are going to do. Kind of like you guys, it sounds like, we are trying to not go crazy buying expensive stuff and have been able to get a lot of stuff for cheap in those places, including the nursery furniture.
Well, I have nothing to add except a thank you for letting me read all of these wonderful comments and get ideas! If you get any valuable e-mails, phone calls or texts that you think I need to know about, send them my way! : )
I love talking about baby things! Our daughter is 9 weeks old, so I don't have a whole lot of experience...but here's what I know so far:
We don't have a video monitor, just a regular one by Graco and it works fine. We can hear everything, even her breathing!
I love the nightgowns and bags that zip up the front for sleeping. They are a lifesaver for the middle of the night diaper changes. The bags are best now since they are warmer during cold weather. Anything with feet will just drive you crazy in the beginning!
Stroller - I did not want a heavy, bulky travel system so we went with the Jeep version of a stroller frame. It only weighs 9 lbs and I LOVE it!!!! One of the best decisions I made!! It's universal so it will fit almost any infant car seat. We were nervous that it only had a strap to hold the car seat in but it is very sturdy and I've taken her everywhere in it with no problems. They are WAY cheaper than a system so we have that and then got a nice umbrella stroller for when she's sitting up. They are super light as well.
Pump - I had a difficult time with my milk production in the beginning and was going to use a manual pump...thankfully, I came to my senses and we got the Medela swing. It's a single pump, but if you're not going to use it all the time it's great and so worth the money!
Swing - we didn't think we'd really need a swing, but PTL we found a great one on Craigslist and it's been a lifesaver! Our baby spends a lot of time in hers and takes some naps there as well. We have the fisher price My Little Lamb cradle swing and I highly recommend it.
Diapers- the Pampers with the wetness indicator (without Dry Max!) are PERFECT when she's a newborn. The yellow line turns green when the diaper is wet. It's such a huge help when you're sleep deprived and haven't figured out certain cries yet!! I stopped using them at around 5 weeks, but by then I could distinguish her cries when she was wet. Since then, we've tried Huggies and they've worked well for us too. It's all trial and error with diapers. I definitely love Pampers the best, but because of price I'm open to trying all brands :)
I would read the Babywise book just to get an idea of what you want to do. We don't follow it strictly, but it's come in very handy over the past few weeks.
Nursing pillow - I have the My Brest Friend and a boppy. The MBF is definitely the better of the two. It's more stable when you're first starting. They are fairly expensive, but I found the MBF at a children's consignment store for cheap...just washed the cover and it's like new.
There are SO many great items that you can buy second hand if you don't mind washing it all. I know some people only want new for their first baby, but it really didn't matter that much to me on certain items.
If you're looking for a diaper pail, I'd definitely recommend the Diaper Dekor. It's much easier to work than a diaper genie.
High chair - we have the spacesaver that you place on a chair. I didn't want to deal with a bulky highchair, plus I wanted an easy one that we could tote to the grandparent's house.
If you have an iPhone, the best app I've found for keeping track of diapers, feedings, sleep, etx is Baby Hub. It keeps me sane :)
Congratulations on your sweetie pie! You'll be a great mom!
•Car Seat - Chicco Travel System
•Stroller - Chicco Travel System
•High Chair - any will do (you won't need this for a while)
•Cribs - invest in a comfortable that could be used until college!
•Rockers/Gliders - our recliner works well for us!
•Baby monitor - ABSOLUTELY the best thing we bought - video monitor AND Angel Care Movement monitor (my husband calls it the "Command Center"!) I can sleep better at night knowing an alarm will go off if there's no movement/breathing for 20 seconds.
•Walker - don't get one, not safe. get a jumperoo instead or a johnny jump up that fits in a doorway
•Bouncy seat - mine always hated this so it was a waste of money for us
•Pack-n-play - get a cheap one, no need for all the bells and whistles
•Play mats - nice to have, we had the Rain Forest one but no need to get expensive one - they don't use it long
•"how-to" books - don't spend the money, you can find anything you need to know on the internet
•baby books-for memories - that's why you blog, right?
•swaddle blankets - cheap walmart ones worked well for us
•pacifiers - Nuks for us and nothing else
•bottles - Dr. Brown's - lots of pieces but no gas!
•thermometers - rectal thermometer that is specially shaped that you can't stick in too far
•diaper bags - back pack one so your hubby won't mind carrying it
•Certain clothing items you can't live without - hands down- Zippered sleepers, you DON'T won't to fool with all those buttons at 3am!
•ETC, ETC, ETC - good camera and video camera if you don't already have
i meant "convertible" crib not comfortable!! although comfortable would be great too!
and also almost forgot my lifesaver - A SWING. mine slept in that for months! it was the only way i could get any rest.
last post, i promise - if you plan on nursing - medela pump in style advanced. great pump, expensive but worth it.
Hi Hillary...
I have never commented before, but I love your sweet blog. Plus, who doesn't love to talk about baby stuff? :) Our daughter is only 4 months so I am no expert, but there are definitely things that we couldn't have lived without. Mostly like everybody says, every baby seems to be different so it is hard to figure out what to buy. We did that with bottles (tried 3- Playtex, Avent, and Dr. Browns and finally settled on Dr. Browns because our girl is a FUSS BUCKET and it seems like the Avent always leaked on us). We liked the Avent pacis, too, after trying about 64 other different kinds. We do not leave home without about 4 of them in our possession.
It would be good to have a bunch of bottle brushes (just the cheap $1.95 ones that Target sells because you are washing bottles 8 jillion times a day and they wear out).
We have both the Boppy and My Breast Friend pillow and for us it was definitely easier on the My Breast Friend. It is a lot more sturdy and stable. MC always slumped down through the center of the Boppy, but we use the Boppy for lounging around a lot anyway.
We love our Chicco travel system. It is the one item we spent money on (but didn't pay retail because of coupons, etc. at BRU) and if I never used it another day, I would do it all over again. We bought the 30 pound one and it has the highest safety rating. But besides that, it is a BREEZE to get in and out of the base and into the stroller. I have snapped her in and gotten into the driver's seat before some moms even get their carseats put in. Honestly. It is a little heavy, but the padalily will help with that. Plus you can use it longer than a regular seat so that saves money in the long run.
Also it would be good to have some baby nail files after you come home from the hospital since newborns nails are so paper thin. (You can even bring them to the hospital.) This really helped until we started using the nail clippers.
WM sells these fun little blue bags by Sassy that are great to throw in the diaper big or leave on the changing table for dirty diapers. We just take out the little blue bag every day and didn't need a diaper disposal. They are like $2 for a bag of 50 and have handles you can tie. We take them everywhere with us - for diapers, clothes that get wet, etc.
Congrats on your sweet girl! Sorry this is so long, but hope it helps.
Hi! I think this is my first time leaving a comment. We didn't spend a lot of money on expensive baby paraphenelia.
Diapers: We loved Huggies, but that is what worked for us. My friend loved Walmart's brand of diapers, but she had girls. We tried them, but for some reason certain diapers don't work well for boys if you know what I mean.
I breastfed but never really utilized a breast pump until my second son was born. I breastfed my first son for 4 months straight and he didn't have a bottle until then. But that depends if you'll be staying at home with the baby or not. By doing that...you won't need any bottles...but looking back I don't recommend that because you'll never get a break, and you'll be totally tied down to the baby. That's not good and can cause depression like it did for me. We had a cheap baby monitor and that worked for us...like someone said..you could hear them breathing.
Like many I did not purchase bumper pads. I was told by a doctor that it can be a contributing factor to SIDS and I didn't want to take that chance just to make the baby's bed look pretty. I guess having bumpers can restrict the air flow which is needed to flow though the crib bars. With both boys we had no problems with having no bumpers...they never hit their heads on the railings.
Kelley was right...every baby is different...what one might love another may hate. Try things like swings out first, before you make a purchase. For our first we loved the Fisher Price Rainforest Cradle Swing! It plays music and goes from either front to back or side to side. Our first son LOVED this...but our second son..not so much! But I like the swings that can go in either direction because some babies prefer one direction or the other.
For convenience since I breastfed every two hours I used a safe Infant Co Sleeper that fit in between my husband and I. That was the only way to get any sleep for me. I was worried about the baby and I wanted him to be right there with me. With this co sleeper it was a little bassinet it was made of netting so the baby wouldn't smother if it rolled against it...plus it was sturdy so a person wouldn't roll on it either. It gave me piece of mind at least with my first that the baby was fine and right there safe beside me. Plus it folded up for travel. With the second I didn't use it much.
We never purchased a son machine thankfully. While they are a lifesaver to many, I never wanted my children to depend on something to put them to sleep. I hear a lot of my friends saying "oh we have to be really quiet because the baby will wake up...or the baby can't sleep without..."
we wanted our children to develop good sleep habits and be able to sleep deep and on their own. Fireworks could go off in their bedroom and they will remain sleeping...we never tip toed around them when they were babies.
That's the thing...you'll get and buy a ton of stuff with the first and by the second you realize that you don't need all these bells and whistles! lol Women have been having babies forever and they didn't use any of these things! lol
Anyway that's just my opinion...what works for some doesn't work for everyone!
Just relax, you'll be fine! :)
Hi! I think this is my first time leaving a comment. We didn't spend a lot of money on expensive baby paraphenelia.
Diapers: We loved Huggies, but that is what worked for us. My friend loved Walmart's brand of diapers, but she had girls. We tried them, but for some reason certain diapers don't work well for boys if you know what I mean.
I breastfed but never really utilized a breast pump until my second son was born. I breastfed my first son for 4 months straight and he didn't have a bottle until then. But that depends if you'll be staying at home with the baby or not. By doing that...you won't need any bottles...but looking back I don't recommend that because you'll never get a break, and you'll be totally tied down to the baby. That's not good and can cause depression like it did for me. We had a cheap baby monitor and that worked for us...like someone said..you could hear them breathing.
Like many I did not purchase bumper pads. I was told by a doctor that it can be a contributing factor to SIDS and I didn't want to take that chance just to make the baby's bed look pretty. I guess having bumpers can restrict the air flow which is needed to flow though the crib bars. With both boys we had no problems with having no bumpers...they never hit their heads on the railings.
Kelley was right...every baby is different...what one might love another may hate. Try things like swings out first, before you make a purchase. For our first we loved the Fisher Price Rainforest Cradle Swing! It plays music and goes from either front to back or side to side. Our first son LOVED this...but our second son..not so much! But I like the swings that can go in either direction because some babies prefer one direction or the other.
For convenience since I breastfed every two hours I used a safe Infant Co Sleeper that fit in between my husband and I. That was the only way to get any sleep for me. I was worried about the baby and I wanted him to be right there with me. With this co sleeper it was a little bassinet it was made of netting so the baby wouldn't smother if it rolled against it...plus it was sturdy so a person wouldn't roll on it either. It gave me piece of mind at least with my first that the baby was fine and right there safe beside me. Plus it folded up for travel. With the second I didn't use it much.
We never purchased a son machine thankfully. While they are a lifesaver to many, I never wanted my children to depend on something to put them to sleep. I hear a lot of my friends saying "oh we have to be really quiet because the baby will wake up...or the baby can't sleep without..."
we wanted our children to develop good sleep habits and be able to sleep deep and on their own. Fireworks could go off in their bedroom and they will remain sleeping...we never tip toed around them when they were babies.
That's the thing...you'll get and buy a ton of stuff with the first and by the second you realize that you don't need all these bells and whistles! lol Women have been having babies forever and they didn't use any of these things! lol
Anyway that's just my opinion...what works for some doesn't work for everyone!
Just relax, you'll be fine! :)
Hi! I think this is my first time leaving a comment. We didn't spend a lot of money on expensive baby paraphenelia.
Diapers: We loved Huggies, but that is what worked for us. My friend loved Walmart's brand of diapers, but she had girls. We tried them, but for some reason certain diapers don't work well for boys if you know what I mean.
I breastfed but never really utilized a breast pump until my second son was born. I breastfed my first son for 4 months straight and he didn't have a bottle until then. But that depends if you'll be staying at home with the baby or not. By doing that...you won't need any bottles...but looking back I don't recommend that because you'll never get a break, and you'll be totally tied down to the baby. That's not good and can cause depression like it did for me. We had a cheap baby monitor and that worked for us...like someone said..you could hear them breathing.
Like many I did not purchase bumper pads. I was told by a doctor that it can be a contributing factor to SIDS and I didn't want to take that chance just to make the baby's bed look pretty. I guess having bumpers can restrict the air flow which is needed to flow though the crib bars. With both boys we had no problems with having no bumpers...they never hit their heads on the railings.
Kelley was right...every baby is different...what one might love another may hate. Try things like swings out first, before you make a purchase. For our first we loved the Fisher Price Rainforest Cradle Swing! It plays music and goes from either front to back or side to side. Our first son LOVED this...but our second son..not so much! But I like the swings that can go in either direction because some babies prefer one direction or the other.
For convenience since I breastfed every two hours I used a safe Infant Co Sleeper that fit in between my husband and I. That was the only way to get any sleep for me. I was worried about the baby and I wanted him to be right there with me. With this co sleeper it was a little bassinet it was made of netting so the baby wouldn't smother if it rolled against it...plus it was sturdy so a person wouldn't roll on it either. It gave me piece of mind at least with my first that the baby was fine and right there safe beside me. Plus it folded up for travel. With the second I didn't use it much.
We never purchased a son machine thankfully. While they are a lifesaver to many, I never wanted my children to depend on something to put them to sleep. I hear a lot of my friends saying "oh we have to be really quiet because the baby will wake up...or the baby can't sleep without..."
we wanted our children to develop good sleep habits and be able to sleep deep and on their own. Fireworks could go off in their bedroom and they will remain sleeping...we never tip toed around them when they were babies.
That's the thing...you'll get and buy a ton of stuff with the first and by the second you realize that you don't need all these bells and whistles! lol Women have been having babies forever and they didn't use any of these things! lol
Anyway that's just my opinion...what works for some doesn't work for everyone!
Just relax, you'll be fine! :)
Hi Hillary - I have never commented on your blog but found yours through Kelly's Korner. I love reading your blog! I have a 15-month-old son so most of this baby stuff is still fresh in my mind. :)
•Car Seat/Stroller - we have a Baby Trend brand travel system and it works just fine. It is not "top of the line" but still a good buy. The carseat/base is great - love it! The stroller is good but not the best. It's a little hard to open/close (only problem really). I would go to Babies R Us and try them all out yourself to see what you like! I've heard Chicco is great but it is expensive (IMO). Graco is another popular brand and more affordable than Chicco.
•High Chair - Fisher Price Space Saver high chair is awesome!! snaps right into a regular chair and takes up no extra space (we have a small kitchen) I would also recommend getting a booster seat (Fisher Price makes a great one) for travel. You can wait til ~4-6 months to buy these, though.
•Cribs - brand we have is called Pali and we like it. It is espresso colored so it does scratch and show marks and scratches pretty easily, though.
•Rockers/Gliders - I ordered a glider/ottoman from WM website for around $180 and I like it. brand is Storkcrat.
•Baby monitor - we have the Summer Infant day/night handheld color video monitor and it is the best baby purchase we made! lovei t!!
•Walker - don't have one.
•Bouncy seat - a MUST! we have the Fisher Price Rainforest one and it is awesome! I have a lot of friends who buy for looks so things don't stand out in your house....and then regret it b/c the baby could care less about looking at white/tan colored teddy bears who don't "sing". They'd rather see flashing lights and colorful things so consider that when you're looking for these kinds of items....in my opinion!
•Pack-n-play - again, this is just my opinion but the really fancy ones with the newborn sleeper and vibrating pad and music, etc are a bit overboard (to me anyway). We bought the Graco one that has the basinet and changing station and even then we did not use those features much...especially if you have a small house or apartment - you can just change the baby in the nursery. The ones with the basinet feature are handy if you want the baby to sleep with you in your room, though. We use our pack-n-play a lot when we travel or to put our son down at friend's houses if we're staying late.
•Play mats - any of the colorful ones will be great. we have Fisher Price Rainforest one and love it!
•"how-to" books - I like Babywise...but read it and take the high points from it..."eat, play, sleep" worked great for us and getting our little one on a schedule. Also, I like Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child - great info on sleep training (I did not read this until 4 mos and that worked fine)
•swaddle blankets - our son didn't like to be swaddled so I don't have an opinion here.
•pacifiers - whatever Sadie likes! mine liked the Avent ones.
•bottles - again, whatever Sadie likes! we used Playtex Ventaire ones. you can register for a few different kinds to try them out.
•thermometers - a digital one
•diaper bags - oh man, there are so many...you'll just have to shop around. Mine is a Carter's brand I got at BRU and I'm still using it 15 months later. It's held up great!
Hope that helps!
Hi! I think this is my first time leaving a comment. We didn't spend a lot of money on expensive baby paraphenelia.
Diapers: We loved Huggies, but that is what worked for us. My friend loved Walmart's brand of diapers, but she had girls. We tried them, but for some reason certain diapers don't work well for boys if you know what I mean.
I breastfed but never really utilized a breast pump until my second son was born. I breastfed my first son for 4 months straight and he didn't have a bottle until then. But that depends if you'll be staying at home with the baby or not. By doing that...you won't need any bottles...but looking back I don't recommend that because you'll never get a break, and you'll be totally tied down to the baby. That's not good and can cause depression like it did for me. We had a cheap baby monitor and that worked for us...like someone said..you could hear them breathing.
Like many I did not purchase bumper pads. I was told by a doctor that it can be a contributing factor to SIDS and I didn't want to take that chance just to make the baby's bed look pretty. I guess having bumpers can restrict the air flow which is needed to flow though the crib bars. With both boys we had no problems with having no bumpers...they never hit their heads on the railings.
Kelley was right...every baby is different...what one might love another may hate. Try things like swings out first, before you make a purchase. For our first we loved the Fisher Price Rainforest Cradle Swing! It plays music and goes from either front to back or side to side. Our first son LOVED this...but our second son..not so much! But I like the swings that can go in either direction because some babies prefer one direction or the other.
For convenience since I breastfed every two hours I used a safe Infant Co Sleeper that fit in between my husband and I. That was the only way to get any sleep for me. I was worried about the baby and I wanted him to be right there with me. With this co sleeper it was a little bassinet it was made of netting so the baby wouldn't smother if it rolled against it...plus it was sturdy so a person wouldn't roll on it either. It gave me piece of mind at least with my first that the baby was fine and right there safe beside me. Plus it folded up for travel. With the second I didn't use it much.
We never purchased a son machine thankfully. While they are a lifesaver to many, I never wanted my children to depend on something to put them to sleep. I hear a lot of my friends saying "oh we have to be really quiet because the baby will wake up...or the baby can't sleep without..."
we wanted our children to develop good sleep habits and be able to sleep deep and on their own. Fireworks could go off in their bedroom and they will remain sleeping...we never tip toed around them when they were babies.
That's the thing...you'll get and buy a ton of stuff with the first and by the second you realize that you don't need all these bells and whistles! lol Women have been having babies forever and they didn't use any of these things! lol
Anyway that's just my opinion...what works for some doesn't work for everyone!
Just relax, you'll be fine! :)
Okay so I just had my first child in April and I wanted EVERYTHING for her. And I got most of it. But the thing is, you don't NEED all of it. Based on what I used and didn't use, here's what I recommend
1. Carseat/Stoller- We have the Chicco Travel System and it's amazing. I could not love it more.
2. High chair- We have actually used her Bumbo to feed her in until just now. We just bought a high chair (a Graco that will transition to a booster) when she figured out how to get out of the Bumbo.
3. We didn't do a glider. I rocked/nursed her in the living room 99% of the time. We didn't have the room for a glider and we've survived without.
4. Monitor- We have a Graco plain monitor. And it's fabulous. Unless your house is so huge that you can't get to the baby quickly, I say you don't need a video monitor. I can hear every noise the babe makes on that thing.
5. Pack-n-play: I can count on one hand how many times we've used this. We had BG in our room in a cradle and then straight to her crib. We've only used this to travel.
6. I would get an activity gym. They're pretty expensive and BG loved hers. As far as a mat? I just throw down a quilt and she goes to town.
7. BabyWise. A must. I will mail you my copy if you want. It saved my sanity. I started doing that method and BG has been sleeping through the night since she was 6 weeks. I owe that book my life!
8. Summer Swaddle blankets. They are pretty inexpensive and they work like a charm.
9. We got a bouncy seat on clearance at Target. It's a must. I also loved our Graco swing. BG slept in that thing most of the first month of her life.
10. Dr. Browns Bottles. Yes, they're a bit more expensive but they cut down on gas and we're still using the same ones we've had since our shower.
11. We bought a ton of Nuk pacis and then BG decided she only wanted her Wubanub. I wouldn't buy a ton of these until you figure out which ones Sadie prefers.
12. Clothing. You need onsies and sleepers. I can't tell you how many adorable outfits BG never wore simply because she didn't leave the house a lot when she was tiny. And she spit up a lot. Buy them in bulk at Target, Burlington, Walmart. You don't need expensive ones.
Good luck Mama! Let me know if I can help anymore. I just hope this helped you out a bit!
My son Maverick just turned One, and here are a few things that made our life a lot easier.
Congratulations! Take care and God bless! :)
--When he moved into his crib, I was too afraid to put thick bumpers in the crib for fear of suffocation. But he kept waking up during the night with his legs stuck between the bars...so I was thinking it would be great to have some sort of mesh/breathable material to use. There is a brand called "Breathable Baby" that has awesome bumpers that I love!
--Kiddopotamus swaddling blankets were amaaaaazing!
--A small fan or white noise maker
--I live in the midwest, and a cool mist humidifier has always been super helpful for runny noses/congestion.
--We really love our Angelcare monitor. It has a sensor that goes under the mattress that detects even the slightest breathing.
Honestly? Most of it is just stuff that's cute & maybe handy, but not necessary. All you *need* are clothes, diapers, blankets & a car seat! :)
As much as you can borrow or get as a hand-me-down of the equipment & toys, do it. They use all of that for such a short time! Invest in a good quality car seat & light-weight stroller. Many that come as a travel system are functional, but not light-weight or easy to fold. Even if the car seat & stroller don't "match," it's worth it to have a more versatile stroller. Totally agree about space saver high chair that buckles to your chairs - I wish I had gone that direction with the boys. A pack n' play is only necessary if you will be traveling a lot. If you plan to breastfeed, the Avent Isis is an awesome manual pump. Only about $45 & worth every penny. I used it with my last 2 & wished so much I'd had one with the 2 older boys!
Basically, don't buy anything until you see what you'll get at your showers; even then, don't just assume something is necessary. If you don't get something, wait & see if you think you will use it before you buy it. And again, borrow if you can! Just remember that all Sadie will know in the beginning is that you meet her basic needs - food, diaper, snuggle - she won't care about the rest :)
I don't think I have anything to add that hasn't been covered, but I recently learned about the best deal on diapers! It is through Amazon - you go to www.amazon.com/mom and sign up for their amazon mom membership (totally free) and sign up for auto delivery on diapers and you get them for 30% off the amazon price (amazon price is about the same as Wal-Mart/Target), no tax and free shipping! I live in the Dallas area and recieved my order the next day. You can choose how often you want to receive them, and go in any time and change your delivery time if you need them sooner or need to push the date out further. You can also get wipes and all the other baby goodies on there as well. I signed up for it and received one delivery and then cancelled it because my daugher just turned 2 and we are potty training, so we just don't need them anymore - but it would have saved us SO MUCH money on diapers if they had started this two years ago. Ok, I'll stop now because I sound like an infomercial - ha! Seriously though, SUCH a good deal :)
Oh, and I should have mentioned...the 30% off price does not show up until you login as a member, and sign up for the delivery. It shows the Amazon price, so it looks like they are about the price of Wal-Mart, and then once you add to cart, it shows the 30% off. :)
With our first child we were so poor and we decided that I should stay home full time and be a full time Mommy, well...that was really hard to do. My family couldn't help out with all the major purchases so we did the best we could, which was to go on craigslist and find the most gently used items that we could find for the best price. It took a little bit of time, but we ended up with major name brand baby items and spent so little on them. My friends who were well off would ask me where I found my $500.00 stroller and I would tell them with a big smile on my face, I found it on craigslist for $50.00. I was careful to clean everything up really well and to wash all my used items in baby soap before I put them on my new daughter. It not only saved us a fortune but also enabled me to stay home full time. I have used this method for everything that I have bought in my home. We have beautiful Ethan Allen furniture throughout our entire home, and it was all purchased used on craigslist, no one would ever know, and I love that I have saved thousands and thousands of dollars. It is worth a shot, but I totally understand it you are not a used furniture/equipment type of girl, I have lots of friends like that too and I totally understand in my heart of hearts I wish I could walk into a store and buy everything new, but then I think I am honoring God by being a good steward of the money He has given us and that makes me feel proud.
Also...I agree with Laurie....Babywise is amazing and totally works.
Blessings to you and your new family !!
Elizabeth from California
I highly recommend buying the book "Baby Bargains" by Denise and Alan Fields...they break down everything (and I mean everything) for you in a very easy way to reference and understand. It is totally worth it and super fun to read. It also does comparisons and rates each product as far as safety and easibility (is that a word>) goes! Best buy ever for us!
Good Luck!
You really just need some sleepers, blankets, pacis, bottles and a whole lot of love! :)
The Ham Family must-haves:
1. Sleep sacks. Babies don't need to sleep with blankets on them & toddlers kick them off at night. Sleep sacks are fleece (or cotton) sleeveless "blankets" that zip up the front & keep the kid warm all night. We LOVED ours; they're easy to make too, and there are patterns all over out there!
2. We had a Graco travel system (stroller & infant car seat). We loved it! I agree that it'd be nice to have a $700 stroller system, but it's just not realistic, in my mind.
3. Britax Marathon car seats (after they turn 1) are the way to go. A bit pricey, but the safest car seat on the market. Plus, it'll be something that your child will be using for 4 years. (Austin is 5 & we just moved him out of his to a booster seat!)
4. A good breast pump! Since I stayed home with both kids, I just used a manual one, but if I would have gone back to work, I would've gotten an electric one. I've heard the Avent ones are AMAZING!
one more thing....
5. Lansinoh Nursing Pads. Yes, your boobs will leak milk when you start nursing. It's gross, but it's a fact of life. These Lansinoh pads are AMAZING; soft, absorbent & discreet. I went through BOXES with each kid... LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THEM!!!
Good luck, girl! I'm so excited for you!!!
Try to hold out until your baby showers...I got all the big stuff from just two showers. The only thing I didn't get was the exersaucer and playmat - and I had plenty of credit from other things to get those.
Car Seat - we had a graco snugride and it was great.
Stroller - so i have one of those pretty pricey ones...
High Chair - i got a chicco one as a shower gift, but decided i really wanted a wooden one. i found one for 39.95 at the antique store and stripped and refinished it. my mom has the spacesaver one that goes in a chair and it works great!
Cribs - any kind you like. jenny lind makes a classic crib for around $200 (and while it looks great white, i've seen it painted various colors too!)
Rockers/Gliders - we have a best chair in the nursery and it is super comfy. we paid around $300 for it. i nursed my son all over the house. but it was great for middle of the night feedings once he started sleeping in his room. he loves to rock still (and he is 17 months), so we rock for about 15 min before bed now. LOVE IT!
Baby monitor - we have the angel monitor and it's worked great for us. we only have it set on the sound now, but we used the motion sensor for the first 10 or 11 months. i probably would've gotten a video monitor, but this was a gift.
Walker - didn't have one. we had an exersaucer that he loved, but he wasn't really big enough for it until 5-6 months. we also had a jumper for the doorway, but he never liked it like most kids do :)
Bouncy seat - he loved it...and you can get these pretty inexpensively. i would say it's a necessity because it gives you a safe place to put baby while you shower, etc when they are little bitty
swing - my son didn't really like the swing. it was also a shower gift, but if you don't get one as a gift I would recommend borrowing one if possible to see if she likes it. If she loves it, like some babies, then buy one for her.
Pack-n-play - we have a graco pretty basic one (i think it's around $120 as opposed to the graco ones that are close to $200). we use it only for traveling and we've used it a good bit. mine has only slept in his, but lots of people use them for play areas too.
Play mats - had one of the least expensive ones from babies-r-us and he loved it. it had a mirror and a few toys to grab.
"how-to" books - i took a little from here and little from there. mostly we just did what worked for us and so far, so good :)
baby books-for memories - we have a nice one that i hardly ever remember to write things in :) but it sure is pretty.
swaddle blankets - he hated being swaddled! but i've heard great things about the miracle blanket - search the internet for the best price. and also heard great things about the woombie
pacifiers - had a few varieties and he refused one after about 2 weeks...
bottles - rarely used them, but had the playtex drop-ins because i got a few in the mail. and since they have less parts to clean, i figured they'd do the trick. also you just squeeze the air out of the drop-in if it's a not full bottle.
thermometers - we had a few digital ones on hand
diaper bags - i have a coach one that we got at the outlet. i
Certain clothing items you can't live without - loved gowns for the first few weeks/months for sleeping and daytime. kissy kissy makes great ones.
diapers - we started out with pampers swaddlers, which leaked as fast as i could put them on...seriously. so we switched to huggies supremes and never had that problem. now all are going to leak occasionally when they are little - it's just the nature of the game. But if they are leaking every time you put them on, it's time to try something else. i think it all depends on the babies shape. i had heard good things about target diapers and we started using them when he was 7 months and we've been using them ever since. i just wish we have switched sooner! i think the swaddlers or huggies for when they are little, but then try target out when they are in a good size 2.
wipes - huggies are the best!! they are much thicker than pampers and any generic i've tried. although the equate brand are far superior to targets. we use the sensitive ones.
boppy - i didn't really use mine to nurse, but he slept snuggled up in it for the first few weeks. i know lots of people that love the "my breast friend" pillow for nursing...think i'll try it next go round.
bumbo - highly recommend. look around on craigslist, etc for a used one if possible.
and that's all i can think of...:)
For my third, and last, child, I finally invested in a video monitor and I am SO glad we did. Pampers Sensitives are fabulous, for boys and girls both. Aveeno body products are so good on their skin. Temporal scanning thermometer (forehead) is the best for getting an accurate read (ear thermometers are the pits, and equally expensive). I finally got some sense and, instead of buying a true high chair, I bought the Fisher Price Space Saver chair - it looks nice, and is easy to clean, not a cumbersome size, and is easily portable to throw in the car for a trip.
Also, you should seriously check out Amazon.com - they just started a program called Amazon Mom - and you get a year of Amazon Prime membership for free (which normally costs $80 a year), and you get some great prices with free shipping - you can also get seriously discounted diapers/wipes when you subscribe to receive them directly at your house - I get size 4 Pampers Sensitive diapers for $28.00 - and it's twice the number of diapers that I pay the same price for at Target.
The only thing I can think nobody has menttion is a sling. My baby just turn 1and I still use it.
Hey Hilary! I haven't commented since your big news,so congrats! I'm Lauren from Baylor, hopefully you remember me! :)
Anyway, here's my ten cents on some things...
*DON'T buy a travel system, you won't use it! The stroller I use the most is my umbrella stroller!!
*The velcro swaddler, is a MUST have! Parker slept in it from day one and is the BEST sleeper! They look like a little sleeping burrito!
*a regular monitor is good enough, video not necessary!
*Shermag gliders are good, I love mine, really comfy and not pricey
*Braun ear thermometer, most doctors use these, very acurate and easy!!
*don't need a high chair until later, Graco is good, make sure it's a vinyl seat though, some of theirs are cloth and you don't want that!
*DON'T get Gerber crib sheets, Carter seem to fit much better, I've taken off nails trying to get Gerber sheets on and we have a standard sized crib mattress.
*Pampers diapers hands down
*Baby swing...Parker took naps in it until he outgrew it!
*Bumbo seats are overrated, so are wipe warmers
I think that's about it, good luck!
You'll get LOTS of advice..."You don't need _____", "You definitely need____________". Every baby is different, and you may not be able to tell exactly what your baby will use. My advice...put it all on your registry...you may be surprised what you receive!
As for things that we loved (we did lots of reading reviews and Consumer Reports), and have loved these things for our first son (he's now 11 months)...
Chicco carseat (I've used lots of carseats through the years and this one is GREAT!)
ERGO baby carrier...amazing, baby loves it, doesn't give you back pain
Video monitor...our summer handheld is great
Get a good breast pump...I regret I didn't put that on my registry
Hillary,
I am new follower to your blog. Congratulations on the upcoming arrival of Sadie. Such an exciting time. I have an 18 months old daughter and here are a few of my thoughts.....I splurged on monitors and got 2. I used the AngelCare monitor when she was a newborn and loved it. It has a sensor mat and if there was no breathing an alarm would go off. It worked great for us and I don;t think I would have slept any if it wasn't fot this monitor. I was always paranoid that the baby would stop breathing. Then I switched to a Summer video monitor when she moved into her crib and I LOVE it. They are worth the money. As far as a pack n play goes I wish we woulnd't have gotten the one with all the bells and whistles.....just a plain one would have done it for us, because we had a separate bassinet that she slept in for the first 3 months.
Hey!
Saw your blog on Kelly's Korner! I remember feeling that way with my first (I"m due with # 2 in april and feel like there's a lot I wont use this time).
I don't know if you know this site but www.kidcrawl.com will show you where everything you're looking for is for the cheapest price... include diapers! Also lots of reviews from mom's!
Good luck!
Suzanne
The miracle blanket- swaddling for dummies and it was awesome! Why did I only discover it with #3?!
We liked the Kolcraft snap 'n go. And then we got a nice umbrella stroller (Chicco) that reclined. But it all depends on your lifestyle- we were on public transport going to 20 different countries with our first baby!
Pack 'n play- we got our money's worth with that thing- it lasted for all 3, (and 2 overseas moves!).
We had the black/red/white Tiny Love gymini- all 3 loved it.
A Baby Bjorn- that brand is the best.
Nursing cover up.
We use(d) the Skip Hop or something like that diaper bag- I loved that the strap came off and there were built in clips to attach to the back of our stroller.
Loved the bouncie seat.
We have a First Years reclining seat with tray you put on a chair that all 3 have used- $20. It's been awesome and doesn't take up a lot of room.
And that's about all the gear we really found necessary- we moved so much that there was no point. And we found we really didn't "need" it all. Save your money for diapers, a housekeeper, a sitter, and a date! :) You are the best parents this little one will ever have!
Hillary -
I love reading your blog so I thought I would actually comment for once.
Everyone has had great advice, so I may repeat some, so sorry in advance.
Bottles - we used Advent which seem to be more expensive but they were suppose to prevent gas better than other. I have no idea the truth to that - Bryce still spit up and had gas form time to time. I am not sure if it would have been worse or the same with other bottles.
Swaddle blankets that velcroe - I bought mine at Toys R Us and Bryce was swaddled until he was almost six months old.
A sleep positioner - this is great also if they get a little head cold because it can elevate them some.
A cool mist humidifier
DO NOT invest in the diaper genie. They have a diaper champ at Target that is super cheap and takes regular sized trash bags so you save a bundle not buying the diaper genie refills.
Definetly a bouncy chair, swing, and jumparoo - although she will not need the jumparoo until later. We also have an excersaucer that is now converted into a play area for todlers. We have a walker but he was never a fan.
If you are going to breast feed they do have certain breast feeding kits at stores where you could borrow the pump from a friend and you would save a bunch.
I like my high chair because it has wheels and moves around easily, however, I do see how ncie it would be to have a smaller one that is in a regular chair.
We used Advest brand pacis as well, only because they come in sizes for certain ages. Looking back we have spent too much money on them so I would just recommend any brand.
I did follow Babywise and it did pay off but it is hard at first so stick with it.
We did spend more on our crib and dresser, only because the crib can be converted to a toddler bed and then full size bed so we felt it was worth it. We do have a changing table attched to the dresser right now and that has been used every day since he was born.
We had a Pack n Play given to us and it was nothing fancy and worked just fine for Bryce sleeping in our room for about two months and it has worked for him sleeping when we have traveled and as a place to put him when he was mobile to allow me to go to the bathroom or out of the room for a minute.
Hey! We have had lots of babies in our house the last 5 years. I recommend reading Babywise. I read it before I had Will, and have used the basic principles with all 4 of my babies. At 5, 4, 3 and 1 they are still really good sleepers - it works! I received a graco travel system when I was pregnant with Will, and used it for all 4, and it held up great. I used avent bottles, a medela pump in style pump, mustela nursing pads (a must-have for nursing), and Lansinoh cream. Get a good swing - I have a graco sweet-peace swing and love it. I also really like a bumbo and a bouncy seat - great for taking to grandparent's houses and taking from room to room at home. I have a graco space saver high chair that sits in a regular chair, and I really like it. I also like the boppy pillow and the boppy floor lounger. I used pampers swaddlers diapers and pampers sensitive wipes. The pampers are great for newborns because there is a line on the outside of the diaper that changes color if the diaper is wet. And I loved having layette gowns for when they were newborns - easy middle of the night diaper changes.
Cloth diapers! They save tons of money, are past cute, and they are quit simple! www.doodersdiaperpail.com
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