Essential things for a baby?

[LadyShea]

So of all the baby toy things "activity center, swings, etc" which do you all feel is the biggest waste of money?

DS got a lot of use out of both his activity center and swings, but not as a newborn. The activity center was his fave place to be from 4 months until about 7 months. The swing got use from 3 months or so until he was mobile.

Our biggest waste of money was a large stroller/travel system. We rarely used the stroller.

 

[CharityLynn]

I think somone else may have mentioned it but there was just a big crib recall. The person above gave a link to the website that lists recalls. So if you buy used make sure you take a look and don't buy one that has been recalled.

I don't have anything else to add as far as a list of necessary things I think everyone has given you the gist of it.

Congratulations!

 

[Zeebs]

You will find some stuff invaluable that others hated and vice versus. We are expecting our second ANY DAY NOW (you listening baby get out) this is what we are working with this time.

1. last time we made a change table put it in the corner, yes it was nice on your back but since getting rid of it for Cullen we have decided not to replace it for this child and just will use the change mat on the floor, with a new baby you spend quite a bit of time down there anyway.

2. never bothered with a baby bath, 1. we don't have the room to store it in the bathroom and 2. we already have a bath so we didn't see the need to double up with a big adult sized bath and a small baby bath. We did have a bath support though.

3. We did like the play gym again they don't get a lot of use out of it when very little but it is somewhere nice for them to lay and they start to take a bit of interest from quite early on.

4. the Swing, we have one, we panicked with Cullen when he wouldn't settle and brought just about everything under the sun so we have one for the new bub but we only really used it with Cullen for 10 mins at a time before he would get sick of it. So I would suggest if you can borrow one to see how baby would like it as some do and some don't.

5. We swaddled Cullen and I didn't buy special swaddling blankets I made my own from cut in half crib sheets.

6. We had a friend give us our cot (crib) and we brought a new matress for it and it suited us fine. It does turn into a toddler bed however, because new baby is due and will need it we have just moved Cullen into a single bed which we had in our spare room so I guess the only child that will get advantage from it will be the last one.

7. Clothing wise, while it is all very cute they never look so comfortable as they do when they are in a sleep suit. For the first couple of months that is all Cullen wore even when we were out, plus people will give you clothes so try and not buy too much cute stuff stick with practical sleep suits. Plus it is a bit of a hassle when you have to change their nappies so often to try and take jeans etc off much easier to unbutton a few poppers.

To be honest they don't really need much at all it is just convenience for us adults.

I hope some of this is helpful, congratulations on your upcoming arrival.

Kirsten

 

[ceiligh1]

Every baby is different so every list of essentials is different too.
Our most used/couldn’t have survived without items
1. Pack and play-baby slept in for first month and a half until he went to the convertible crib. Then we started using it for travel.
2. Convertible crib. (note we converted it to a toddler bed by taking off the front side. But we do not plan to use it as a twin bed as my son like to chew on the rails )
3. Infant car seat/then at 5 month or so when he got to heavy we had to get a car seat that could face backward as well as forward.
4. Swaddling blankets. We had a big baby and he was only happy when swaddled. So those little receiving blankets didn’t work. We received one special swaddle blanket from the hospital (the kind that has the instructions on the tag) and then bought some flannel from the fabric store and used the real one as a model to make our own.
5. Stroller that worked with the infant car seat.
6. Bottles-we had to supplement so my son would not have lived without this for long-as before not everyone needs these.

Things we never used:
1 baby swing. My son hated it would cry like crazy, thankfully just handed down from a relative.
2. baby bathtub- just used the kitchen sink and when he outgrew that then he was able to sit up in our bathtub with just a little water.
3. Baby bjorn- loved the idea but he out grew the weight limit fairly early. I would have liked to have had a baby sling instead.

Perks/extras:
1. Bouncy seat. used it as a highchair when he started eating until he could sit on his own. Great for rocking him to sleep and giving your arms a rest. Plus our son had GERD and could only sleep on an incline.
2. Our son loved to jump. We would hold him and he would jump on his own so we finally bought a jumperoo from fisher price He had a ball.

Do different:
I would not buy a highchair instead I would just buy a chair with a tray that attaches to regular dinner chair. Less room taken by baby stuff.

Spend less on a crib. We will not really be using the convertible feature we paid so much for as my son used it as his teething ring.

Instead of buying a pump I would have just kept on renting it from the hospital, it would have cost us less.

Never register for baby blankets- we got a ton!
Next time I will wait until we have the baby before I go on a buying spree

Good luck to you

 

[5/4Disney]

I've had three children so far, so I will keep this short and sweet!

Yes, must haves
good carseat/stroller
Ring Sling (baby loves to be held and close to mom great for nursing) son is 3 and still rides in it. We've used it at WDW many times
Bouncy chair
Diapers (whatever you like, we use cloth)
Somewhere to sleep (believe me they don't care, they just want to be close to you)

No's
bath tup (the house your purchasing doesn't it have one) just buy the $7 bath tub sponge
diaper genie
tons of clothes, (they don't care what they have on either)

So many people get wrapped up in what stores are trying to sell and don't really think about what the basics are. Think back, what did our parents have for us. The number one point is to make sure the baby is warm, dresses, fed, and has a dry diaper. Most importantly it just want that unconditional love you give it.

 

[tinker&belle]

I will let you know the things that are working for our family, up to this point, my daughter is less than 12 weeks old, so this is mostly about the beginning.

We had a bassinett, she didn't like not being able to see us. We put her in her crib but she didn't feel secure in that large space. We put her in the pack and play which was good but she would wake up each time she was set down. So we bought an arm's reach co-sleeper( We got it at Walmart.com for less than 130), which I hated at the time since we had the pack and play already, but at that time if it was 1000 I would have bought it because I finally was able to get some sleep. I highly recommend the arm's reach co-sleeper because it has given us more opportunity to sleep during breastfeeding.

As far as saving money, breast feeding is a great option. Not only does it save over 1000 in the first year, it has great health benefits for mother and baby. If a woman works a pump does cost some money, but a good electric pump is MUCH cheaper than buying expensive formula, plus after the routine is established getting up (or reaching over in the case of the co-sleeper) and offering the breast is much more relaxed and easier for everyone to go back to sleep. (I know certain families need formula for different reasons, like I said, this is just what we do in our family) Also, what I have found to be essential for breastfeeding is a Boppy pillow and the "one step" system by playtex (I think I bought 5 sets, but how many you buy depends on how much you freeze and how often you get to do dishes.)

Also, a swing if very helpful, and we got something from target that makes her mattress vibrate because that was the only way she would sleep out of our arms for the first 6 weeks or so.

Best of luck with your new baby!

 

[blana]

I'll go along with what most everybody else has said. I used the Baby Bargains book as well as some of the pp. I really recommend checking it out from the library before you go shopping too much. As for what baby needs: a place to sleep, a way to get home, diapers, blankets, and a few outfits. I think DS wore the same 5 outfits after he got home because all he fit in were the few newborn things we were given. And, magically, we survived with him only fitting about 5 outfits. As for diapers, Babies R Us supreme brand & the BJ's house brand work great. White Cloud at Walmart, and the similar kind at Target started working fine for day after DS got up to about 3 months old. We changed DS on the floor until he was at least 3 months old, so I'd recommend one of the little fold up changing things that you can then carry with you. Oh, and our sling was a life saver. Look around your area for consignment shops or sales. There's a huge one near me that is held twice a year, and I heading out there everytime.

Things you don't really need. Wipes warmer, diaper champ or genie (although I do love ours), convertible crib (especially if you're having more kids later, why worry about one that converts? You can easily get a twin bed later.) changing table, tub (can use the sink when they're tiny, and once they're sitting up good, the big tub is SO fun! ). THere's probably other things, too, but I can't think right now.

 

[KiKi Mouse]

There's a lot of stuff I wouldn't buy ahead of time.

I learned with my first one that you can buy all kinds of stuff but it doesn't mean baby will want it too.
We didn't use a crib, stroller, swing, plus other things because DD#1 hated them.

I would suggest borrowing, checking out used baby supply stores, garage sales for some stuff. There is so much stuff that you only use for such a short time frame that it is a waste to buy it all.

 

[Bethy Lou]

set your selves a realistic budget. do you know people with babies that could lend or give you things?? If you pay the shipping I will glady give you baby clothes..

Isabell

Do not tempt! Where do you live?

Some of these really made me laugh and all of them were helpful. I just know I would go out there thinking I would need to buy everything under the sun but it is good to remember about showers. When we got married our co-workers at both of our schools threw us wedding showers and they were very sweet and generous so I am sure baby shopping would be much more fun!

Sir Ron and I have a ways to go before the baby will meet us, but I am already very excited and incredibly impatient (and I am still in the first trimester!)

 

[jcc0621]

We got the Jenny Lind convertible Crib (in oak finish) at Babies R Us for DS. It was not very expensive (about $125) compared to some of the other cribs we saw. It was sturdy and we were very happy with it. It converted to a twin bed by taking the head board part and attaching it to a frame. We really like it because it matches the other furnitue in his room and we didn't have to buy new dressers. The one dresser was actually the dressing table and we took the top off when he became too big for it and now it is a regualr 3 drawer dresser. We only had to go buy a twin mattress, box spring, and frame (which was free with purchase ) HTH.

 

[Erin1700]

I agree abou tthe tub...dont buy one, just get the yellow sponge you can lay the baby on and then when they can sit up, sit them on it in the tub!
The Excersaucers are great, but you wont need it for a bit.

I also want to add, that it is not necessary, but I love love love the baby nightgowns!! We used them for my DD (almost 7) and are using them now for DS(9 months). The come in boy or girl colors, and they make night time changes so easy!

 

[bumbershoot]

What would you recommend as "essentials" to have with a newborn? We are in the process of closing on our new house and money is not flowing freely with out teacher salaries. haha

So, what would you recommend?

In regards to a crib, I think we will go to a consignment shop. But, Bethy keeps talking about these convertible cribs. Are they any good? Or should we just get a crib and buy another bed when the baby is older!

Thanks!

I have only read your post.

For us, necessities were low. We have a family bed, so no crib. Not even a pack n play. We used cloth diapers, so that was our biggest upfront expense, but once you figure out what works for the baby and you at each size, you can be done with the purchases (unless you become a diaper "hyena" and continue the search for the cutest, best, and sometimes, most expensive, diaper ever). We didn't buy any stroller until DS was 2 and I couldn't take power walks while "wearing" him, at which point I bought a monster-jogging stroller (we have since bought a Baby Trend lightweight specifically for Disneyland trips). I bought a sling (Hotsling), and if I was at a tiny budget that would have been all, but it was a priority so I have quite a collection now.

So...cloth dipes, a baby sling made by WAHMs or a WAHM-started company, oh, and some clothes. And that's it!

Oh wait, the one "babygear" purchase we made (other than our carseats) was a Fisher Price Baby Papasan, for those times when my arms got tired or it seemed he wanted to be more than an inch away from me. I didn't use it much, but the times I did use it he seemed to enjoy it, and I liked the rest from holding him.

And the one thing I would get for a future baby would be a video monitor for the bed, so I don't have to open the door to check on baby (I napped with DS until he was 4 months, at which point I, a non-napper, could not nap anymore) napping. I didn't think a monitor had any appeal, until I kept waking him up by opening the door (DH could open the door and NOT wake him...we figured he could sense that it was me, the milk-bearer, and he wanted that so he would wake), at which time I wished we had budgeted for a video monitor.

But I'm not sure that's an essential.


Bottom line, for me, the key is starting off light. Don't gob yourself and your house up with swings and bouncy chairs and all those things (all of which have the potential to be recalled) until you feel the baby might need it. Some babies need bouncy chairs; it would have bugged the crud out of my guy. Some babies end up liking the movement of swings; DS didn't need it b/c he had two strong and willing parents to "be" a swing. And so on. Start off light, buy as needed. Ask for gift cards at your shower, instead of bulky, space-consuming, *things*.

And when buying clothes, buy clothes in different sizes, b/c you'll get Newborn sizes, which baby will be in for approximately 2 weeks, and then you have to go out shopping again.

 

[Juliet25]

We cosleep so didn't need a crib, but the Pack n Play got a lot of use as a changing table, and for naps. We didn't even buy a regular changing table, just used the PnP. After he was about a year old we started changing him on the bed or his little nap mat on the floor.

I ended up with way too many clothes! For the first month at least I kept him in those gowns with elastic on the bottom and cuffs you can use to cover his/her hands if you want, and then for two months after that he was inn nothing but sleep and plays. Our "outgrown" box has many cute outfits that were never worn or worn once. So must haves are gowns for newborns, in my opinion.

A good car seat is obviously a must. You can buy a convertible that will take him/her from infancy through toddlerhood, or buy a travel system with a stroller then get a new carseat after the first year or so. We rarely used a stroller, and preferred a sling/carrier. So that may or may not be a must have for you.

Congrats!

ITA with everything you said. Baby #2 is due in April and I'm stocking up on infant gowns and one-piece rompers for that first year. So many cute outfits were never worn, and both eBay and consignment shops are flooded with this size. [OP, consignment shops are great places for baby clothes. My Once Upon A Child has a very nice $1 clearance rack.]

We're not even bothering with a crib this time. We'll use a pack n' play and co-sleep when the baby's a bit older. Then, we'll transition into a toddler bed and my 4 YO will go into a twin bed.

I'm putting my $ towards two items: a high quality breastpump and a Britax Marathon car seat that will the new one can grow with.

 

[Bethy Lou]

Does anyone know what breast pumps are the best? That is definitely something I want to invest in but I am incredibly clueless about that!

 

[KiKi Mouse]

I used to sell Avent and Medela products.

I wouldn't buy a breastpump until you know what your needs are. I.E. Buying one while you are pregnant isn't always a good plan.
Reason being is that different pumps are for different uses. Some pumps are made for complete separation from baby. Such as a double electric pump that you rent. You may need to rent one if your baby is in the hospital after it is born.
A double electric pump that you can buy (I have one) is efficient and is meant for being separated from baby for more than the occasional time. I have one because I had to pump to increase my milk supply. These are marketed for moms returning to work. Mine was made by Medela.
A single pump is more for the occasional separation from baby. Such as going out for the evening. I had an Avent manual pump that worked really well. It was easier for me to take with me and pump outside of the home if I was away from my DD.
Always remember that you should be pumping when the baby would normally be eating. You need to keep up your milk supply and missing feedings will cause your milk to decrease.
Buying a pump depends on:
age of baby--double electric rental pumps are used for complete separation as well as establishing a milk supply.
length of separation--are you wanting to pump so you can go out occasionally? Is baby in the hospital? Are you wanting to pump because you are returning to work?

 

[blana]

Does anyone know what breast pumps are the best? That is definitely something I want to invest in but I am incredibly clueless about that!

I agree with pp that it really depends on what you're needing it for, but assuming that you're a work-out-of-the-home mom, I had a Medela Pump in Style, that worked well for me. I made it to DS's 1st birthday before I started weaning him, while working from the time he was 12 weeks old. I have friends who swear by the Ameda Purely Yours, though. I don't think you can really go wrong with either. If you're a SAHM, the Avent Isis manual will probably do fine for you. (And there is one lady at work who used just the Isis for all three kids, while working.)

 

[tinker&belle]

I agree with pp that it really depends on what you're needing it for, but assuming that you're a work-out-of-the-home mom, I had a Medela Pump in Style, that worked well for me. I made it to DS's 1st birthday before I started weaning him, while working from the time he was 12 weeks old. I have friends who swear by the Ameda Purely Yours, though. I don't think you can really go wrong with either. If you're a SAHM, the Avent Isis manual will probably do fine for you. (And there is one lady at work who used just the Isis for all three kids, while working.)

Mine is the Medela pump in style too. I really like it. One thing that will make going back to work easier is to pump several weeks before you go back to work which will help build your milk supply, plus it will build up your freezer so that when your child goes through a growth spurt, you can dip into the freezer.

 

[Bethy Lou]

I used to sell Avent and Medela products.

I wouldn't buy a breastpump until you know what your needs are. I.E. Buying one while you are pregnant isn't always a good plan.
Reason being is that different pumps are for different uses. Some pumps are made for complete separation from baby. Such as a double electric pump that you rent. You may need to rent one if your baby is in the hospital after it is born.
A double electric pump that you can buy (I have one) is efficient and is meant for being separated from baby for more than the occasional time. I have one because I had to pump to increase my milk supply. These are marketed for moms returning to work. Mine was made by Medela.
A single pump is more for the occasional separation from baby. Such as going out for the evening. I had an Avent manual pump that worked really well. It was easier for me to take with me and pump outside of the home if I was away from my DD.
Always remember that you should be pumping when the baby would normally be eating. You need to keep up your milk supply and missing feedings will cause your milk to decrease.
Buying a pump depends on:
age of baby--double electric rental pumps are used for complete separation as well as establishing a milk supply.
length of separation--are you wanting to pump so you can go out occasionally? Is baby in the hospital? Are you wanting to pump because you are returning to work?

Well I definitely would not buy one yet just wondering if there were bad ones out there or companies that have been proven to be better. I am a teacher and the baby will be born during my summer break. I was just curious.

 

[Disneylush]

Both of my children were colic so the swing was a must of us. (we burned out 4 motors!) We also live in the city so another must was sound machines in both kids rooms. I also agree that the baby sleep sacks are a must, esp. at night time for changings.

We LOVE (and use) craigslist for just about everything.

When you do your baby registry make sure to include diapers, wipes, laundry soap, all the basics.

Wasted $$$ was on baby tub, pack and play,

Nice things to have were the Jonny Jump Up, Exersauser, bouncer seat, walker, and changing table.

Our crib does not covert because we knew there was going to be more then one child.

 

[Terapin]

I have three kids and went from buying tons of stuff for my first, to very little for my third (the stuff from the first was given away before we got pregnant). I think that what you need before the baby is born is pretty minimal:

-some diapers (we use cloth - it's easy and cheap)
-some blankets for swaddling
-a few basic clothes
-a car seat
-a sling (I can't recommend this enough)

The rest you will figure out as you go along. We co-sleep, so no crib was needed early on. We breastfeed, and didn't get a pump until I needed one. We bought clothes 3-6 month sized and rolled up the cuffs and hems for maximum usage. We bought a convertible car seat that can be used from 5-48 lbs, both rear- and front-facing.

Although I can see the attraction of the Diaper Genie, I am opposed to the things. You are wrapping hugely wasteful plastic and paper in yet more plastic for the purposes of smell control. Take them outside and help slow-down the death of the planet! Or use cloth and leave a smaller footprint.

There are entire stores of gizmos and gadgets for babies. They really just need warmth, food and diapers! Keep it simple, and enjoy your money for Disney!