Baby Must Haves

K

kristi

Cathlete
Lately I have noticed that there are a lot of first time soon-to-be mommies on this forum. I think it would be a good idea for us veteran mothers to help them out with ideas on what we think every new mother must have for the new baby.

Aside from the normal purchases of clothes, crib, playpen, & diapers, I know of 2 must haves I give as baby shower gifts.

The first one being a Boppy pillow. It is basically a curved pillow, but it is so versatile. Instead of holding your baby all day in your arms you can instead prop the baby up in the Boppy pillow and it will be secure there and feel like it is being held. It is also good for tummy time. When the baby gets a little older and starts to lift his/her head up, you can place them belly down on the pillow and put fun toys or rattles in front of them so they can play. It is also good to use when they are starting to sit up. The pillow can be wrapped around them to support them as they are sitting and playing. I used mine for almost the first year of DS's life.

My next must have, if not breast feeding, is Dr. Brown's bottles. These bottles are kind of expensive. You can normally purchase a 3 pack for $12 or so at Babies R Us or even some WalMarts carry them. The reason they are so "special" is the way they keep air out of the bottle. It lessens the chance of the baby swallowing air which can lead to earaches. They are also supposed to help with colic. DS had colic as a baby and these bottles lessened his episodes to one 1 hour period a day. Also, in the year that DS drank from these bottles he NEVER had an earache. The only down side to these bottles are the individual parts that need to be washed. It gets old after a while, but it was so worth it to me.

If anyone else has any must haves they would like to share, please do so. I figure us Moms need to stick together and tell each other when we find something helpful.
 
well i can tell you i loved the diaper genie (helped with those smelly diapers).
since i didn't breast feed the first time ( i want to this time) i also loved my bottle warmer. that way i didn't have to run up and down the stairs in the middle of the night to warm a bottle.
changing station...gotta have a changing pad. don't want to get anything else dirty.

i am sure there are other things but i just can't think of them now...
 
Nice idea Kristi:) I have two daughters 12 and almost 4. I sincerely believe you DON'T need half the stuff that's out there. But...there are obviously some essentials.

I breastfed DD#2 and used the Boppy Pillow Kristi mentioned to help with feeding. Also, a friend got us the fish aquarium to put in the baby crib. It was a life saver. She would just stare at those fish going round and round, and typically was sound asleep in 15 minutes. It plays different sounds.

The swing was real important to me because I would put the girls in it while I worked out. They would typically swing and smile at me. DD#2 was born in the winter and the wipe warmer was nice but probably not essential...couse DD probably appreciated it more than I did :D

The little bouncy seat that vibrates is nice if (hopefully not) they get colicky. Course car rides can help with that too.

Keep in mind they just really need some loving arms to hold them and some dear kisses. Some people get caught up in all the stuff and it does take up tons of room - quickly, and a lot of it isn't really essential. For example, someone got us the pack-n-play crib. It was used three times total for the two girls. What a waste of money for us. For a couple that travels a lot, this would probably have been more useful to them and essential.

Anyway..have fun shopping. Babies are awesome.

Sam
 
Sam and Sunnydelite, wonderful suggestions!

I found I used my pack 'n play a lot because the baby's room was and still is upstairs. I did not want to make 20 trips a day up and down the stairs to put the baby to bed so I set it up downstairs. It was really nice to have. Actually when this baby comes along I plan to use it again. I'm always worried that since I will be sleep deprieved I would lose my footing and fall down the stairs with the baby. No need tempting fate.

I agree about the swing and bouncy seat. I would put DS in the bouncy seat on the counter while I made dinner and the swing when I exercised.

Keep the ideas coming. Since it has been almost 2 years since I have used this stuff I need a refresher. All I can say is after baby #2 is finished with the baby stuff I am going to have one huge yard sale.
 
What an AWESOME post!! That is amazing you posted it because I have started to look and it is overwhelming...I bought some books, but there is so much they tell you need to buy - it is rediculous!! SO, THANK YOU!!

Do you know of yours or someone you know favorite baby jogger? What is the best brand? Also, did you get a preggy belt to fit around your belly when you got bigger. (I am thinking I will want one)

Anyway, thanks for your thoughtful post!

Jenni
 
I just started my baby registry last night.

I opted for the pack n play (the one that comes with the bassinett and the changing pad) but opted out of the other things like the bouncee seat and the swing. If I find I want one of them in the future I will just go buy for myself but I do not have the room in my little house for all of it at this point so I had to choose. To me, the pack and play seemed the better choice-JMO-ofcourse.

I feel that it really comes down to personal preference depending on each situation, the parents personality and tendencies and even the personality of each baby. Different people have such drastically different ways of doing things when it comes to parenting...

We just have to make the best decision we can prior to the baby being born and then if something else is needed down the line, it can always be purchased after the baby has arrived.

The food for thought is great though because an idea that you never thought of could come up that you really want to try.

So keep the suggestions coming!!!!:)

Have a great work out!

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img][/url]

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?WENDYMIN
 
Oh jeepers! It's been so long, I have to refresh my memory. I completely agree that the Boppy pillow is an essential item, for so many uses. I primarily used it to help me nurse. It was so important for nursing (especially as the baby got bigger and heavier), that I bought an inflatable one and kept it in the diaper bag for nursing at the mall, etc.

The swing was only marginally of use to us. Don't know why. DH seemed to like it for only a short period of time.

The bouncy chair is really, really useful. I would highly recommend that.

My pack 'n go playpen got a lot of use once DD was trying to pull herself up to standing. Our kitchen doesn't have anything that she could safely pull herself up on (the chairs tip too easily), so I would put the play pen up in the kitchen, put her in it, and she would pull herself up the sides. She spent quite a lot of time just guiding herself around and around the inside of the playpen, while I did whatever needed to be done in the kitchen.

The Jolly Jumper was terrific fun, for both us and the baby. She loved that thing. DH and I would roll a ball at her feet while she was jumping around, and she loved kicking it back at us. "Ball" was her first word!

While not really "essential", those round activity things that have a seat in the middle always seem to amuse kids. If your bathroom is big enough, it's an ideal way to keep the baby amused and contained while you're having a shower.

If you plan to nurse, get a nightgown that has nursing flaps. Very convenient.

I chose to use the Avent breast pump and bottles. I liked them alot. Of course, Avent also heavily promotes how their bottles don't let extra air in, which prevents extra tummy troubles for the baby. I liked the fact that their nipples come in three different "speeds", to accommdate the gulping ability of the baby. My daughter never had a problem going back and forth between breast and bottle.

If your child is a "soother" child, get the soothers that clip to her shirt. You will never have to spend endless minutes in the middle of the night looking for the dang soother so you can go back to bed. And it will really help your child to find her own soother, as well, making trips down the hallway in the middle of the night due to soother-loss much less frequent.

A glider chair is almost an essential item. At a minimum, you need a very comfortable chair, with good back support.

My DD had a fixation with her belly button (still does, a bit). She rubs her belly button to soothe herself. This meant that as a baby, all of her clothes had to allow for belly-button access. No zipped-up sleepers; buttons only! If I put her in a sleeper with a zipper, she would cry in the middle of the night because she couldn't rub her belly button and soothe herself back to sleep. So, button-up sleepers were an essential item for us. Your own baby will probably have his/her own quirks that you have to work around :)

Oh! I just remembered! I really, really, really loved having an infant car seat that clipped into a base in the back seat, and could also clip into her stroller (3 in 1 systems). When the baby falls asleep in the car, you can really easily carry her into the house without waking her up again, or clip her into her stroller. That was really handy!

This time around I want a Baby Bjorn carrier. The first time, someone gave me a very cheap carrier. I really liked walking around with DD strapped to my belly, but the problem with this carrier was that it was impossible to get her out of it without waking her up. The Baby Bjorn allows for much easier baby-removal.

Okay, that's my list and opinions. I do remember being quite overwhelmed by all the decisions we had to make the first around, without any real sense of what was "necessary", and what was just marketing hype. I'm glad that this time around I've got experience, and can better assess whether a product is genuinely needed, and what criteria is important for me.

Cheers!
Sandra
 
Jenni, about 2 years ago DH bought me an InStep 5K Baby Jogger for my birthday. It was one of the best presents I have ever received. DH bought mine at Target for about $90. I have put a lot of miles on mine since I first bought it. I'm sure there are other brands that are better and have more bells and whistles, but I've really enjoyed mine and definitely have gotten my money's worth out of it. I would not have been able to afford a more expensive baby jogger.

With my first pregnancy I did not use a belt, but I was not using any Cathe workouts at the time. This time around I might have to if I continue to jog during my pregnancy. I'll have to see how it does.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! So far I'm on the right track. I already ordered a glider and have a boppy pillow. My MIL is actually making different covers for the boppy! I registered a couple of weeks ago and put a bouncy seat, a pack and play, a diper genie and the avent breast pump on the list. I am going back to the store this weekend to add some more things with my husband. I just love picking out all this great baby stuff!

imani
 
Good ones Sandra...I forgot all about the infant car seat that clips into the base and the "exer-saucer". 2nd DD was colicky, and after a trip in the car, we got wise and would keep her in the car seat by just clicking it out of the base and we let her sleep in it quite a few times until the colick quit at about 4 months. It was a pure BLESSING to keep her asleep! The "exer-saucer" was loaned to me by my sister. She seemed to enjoy being a little independent when able to sit up and play in it.;-)

I'm sure in the almost 4 years since DD arrived there are more useful and helpful things out there. Have Fun!

Sam
 
Imani,

On the breast pump-I have a question for you...did you go for a manual pump or the powered one? (sorry, i don't know if it's electric, battery operated or what lol)

I ask because I am interested in a pump myself but the powered ones are so expensive I wonder if it's worth it. I don't plan on having to use it constantly...I just want it as a back up in case I need to pump on occasion for any reason...

Thanks in advance!:)

Have a great work out!

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img][/url]

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?WENDYMIN
 
The first thing that popped into my mind when I read the subject line was our son's Kick 'N Play bouncy seat. We use it all the time, and take it when we visit others. If I need to grab a quick shower, I can put him in the seat with the lights/sounds baby-activated and he's amused. He loves to kick and has finally gotten big enough (4 months old) to reach the toys.

The other thing that popped into my head was baby gas drops. Probably something that all moms know about, but I was totally clueless. We received a couple of boxes as shower gifts, but noone told us when to use them. After I finally got the nerve (desperate for something to make Cale stop crying like he was in pain) to try them, there was a huge and immediate improvement.

Another thing(s) that I wished I would have known about are the little mittens that cover newborn hands. Cale's fingernails were so long when he was born, and he kept scratching his face. The nurses would comment about them, but they had no clippers or files. I was way too nervous back then to try to nibble them off. My husband ended up going to Walgreens and found the mittens. One pair was a huge help. Cale's face in his hospital pictures is so scratched up. :(

Hope some of this helps. I've probably been rambling. (Sign of a sleep-deprived new mom????) :7

~Tana
 
Varies by baby

There are some great suggestions here! I'm only going to put in what I thought were definite must-haves, and/or that haven't been mentioned yet. Of my 5 kids, there are only a few things that were must-haves across the board:

Baby backpack: You have to wait until the baby cab support his/her head fairly well ( around 4 months or so ). All of my kids except the last one LIVED in the backpack. I even cooked dinner and vaccuumed with them in it, because they were so happy to be with me, both hands were free, and I didn't have to worry that they would get hurt.

Alternative-- Baby Bjorn: The last baby didn't go for the backpack because I used a Baby Bjorn with her from the beginning, and she became very attached to it. My SIL told me about it, and I wish I had known about it from the beginning! Baby can face inward or outward. It's simple to get into and out of by yourself, and as Sandra said, you don't wake the babe when he/she falls asleep in it. Plus you can use it beginning with newborns.

Flannel-lined crib mattress protectors: I used these as changing pads and mattress protectors. They are GREAT! They fold up really small, so they're very portable. I never did the changing table thing. I just changed diapers on the floor, the couch, wherever I happened to be. Plus since they're thin, if you get a smear or a drip in the middle of a change, it's easy to flip an end over it,without the baby standing on his/her head. ;)

Pack and Play: For me this was essential. Babies slept in it next to my bed the 1st few months. We also travel to see relatives at least 2 or 3 times a year and stay a week or more. A familar sleeping place helped all of us sleep better. :D

Swing is a maybe: Some of my kids loved it, some hated it. One used it until he outgrew it. Another kid started pitching fits over being put in as soon as she became a bit mobile. Hard call. My advice is to borrow one if you can. Otherwise try to find a cheap one at a garage sale.

Baby monitor: Get one that has more than one receiver if you have a decent-sized house. Suddenly realizing that you forgot to bring the monitor downstairs with you ( and baby doesn't usually sleep for 3 hours :) ) brings a rush of adrenaline and enormous guilt pangs when baby is screaming. :(

For a pump I highly recommend the Medela Pump in Style. I tried a couple of other brands, and they didn't work for me at all. I know Medela is pricey, but if you have to do any significant amount of pumping, it's worth every penny.

I'm sure there's lots I'm forgetting. This is such an exciting time!! Enjoy it!!

Erin
 
All of these are such good ideas! I agree with the moms who said you never know just what your baby will like and what they won't! One of mine loved the swing, the other hated it. Same for bouncy seat. Personally I love the bouncy seat, because it's mobile and you can use in all different rooms in the house.

I agree the boppy pillow is a must!

For breast pumps I loved my manual Advent. I will be buying a new one for this baby. I've used both manual and battery operated and found I had the best success with the Advent. I think it has to do with the way the Advent really replicates the way the baby feels at the breast. At least that's what I found. And I went through a lot of pumps with all of the not-so fun joys of nursing (mastitis, clogged ducts, thrush, etc.)

I've also loved my InStep 10K double jogging stroller. It is so smooth and light weight. Also I love my backpack for when the baby gets older.

HTH, Heather
 
BABY MAYBE

Bouncy seat, baby bjorn, boppy

Now here's a baby maybe--a crib and all of its accesories! I NEVER dreamed my child would sleep with me. IN fact, I was against the idea. But my husband wanted her there, I grew to also like it and 20 months later she still sleeps with us. The crib, which is now actually in toddler bed mode, just sits there in her small room taking up space. (No where else to store it either.) Fortunately the crib will eventually convert to her big girl bed or it would've been a total waste.

If you are going to use a bassinet at first, consider holding off on the crib. A baby will fit in the bassinet for at least a month. See what you end up doing.
 
Hello Moms!

I'm not a Mom, but thought I'd take a look at this great thread to get ideas for baby gifts - and hopefully for me in the semi-near future...

Anyway, just a word of warning about the bouncy seats. They are wonderful, but my colicky nephew and a friend's baby girl are both wearing helmets now to reshape their little craniums. It seems that they tend to keep their heads in the same position in the bouncy seat, and if left too long too frequently their still forming craniums begin to adjust to that position.

I should point out that my sister in law used her bouncy seat in lieu of the crib because my poor nephew cried so much. (His name is Ryder, they began to call him Cryder - isn't that terrible?) So he spent a LOT of time in the bouncy seat.

Nevertheless, just thought new Moms should know that this can happen.

Joni
 
I love my jogging stroller. I think it is by Baby Trend, my mom got it for me at Toys R Us, I believe it was around $100. My son will be 4 in April and he still uses it. I also loved my backpack carrier - my son was a very unpleasant baby but he loved being in that. I would put him in that to cook, clean, even when I would go walking - he preferred that over a stroller. We also used the swing alot - he liked the movement.

At my shower I got a portable changing pad - it folded up to store in a diaper bag and had 2 mesh sides, one for diapers and one for wipes. At first I thought what the heck would I used that for but it turned out to be one of my favorite things. It was wonderful if we were at someone's house and I could just pull it out or if we were at the mall or something and I could just lay that on the changing tables in the restrooms.
 
Most of these are already mentioned but I'll add my list as well.
1. snap and go
2.pac and play
3.take along swing
4. excersaucer
5. breast pump-medula electric
6.microwave bottle sterilizer
7. glider rocker
 
MAM pacifiers! An absolute must at our house. We had many because they are so hard to keep track of. My babies all 3 loved sucking on their "paci". The mams have a lot of ventilation holes so they don't get redness around their face.
Also I also vote for the bouncy vibrating seat. We also had another bouncy type seat,(not the exersaucer) that had a really cushioney seat with a big old tray and tons of toys attached to it. They really liked it and I could lay their paci, and or cheerios...whatever on the tray.
Lets see oh, the swing...that is a good one. Better in the first months though, then the later ones.
Cloth diapers for wiping up spitup...also after they get good and soft from lots of washings, my kids liked them for sort of a "blankey" security object.
And lastly but certainly MOST importantly 2 warm, milk-filled breasts for that sweet little baby to nuzzle against and get it's own specialy formulated milk...that always tastes great, is always ready right away, doesn't cause gas and stomach pain, and is never too cold or too hot.:9
As an added bonus moms, your body burns a lot of calories making that milk and it's MUCH easier to lose that baby weight.
:D
 
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