Essential things for a baby?

I second the advice previously given. I LOVE my Avent Isis Manual pump and this is what I have at home to use if I need relief and baby is sleeping or if I am going to be out for the evening. It doesn;t need batteries, is relatively quiet, small and handy to have around.

I use the medela pump in style at work. Being able to do both sides at once is essential for me to save time during the work day. It works great and I usually just leave it at work. It was helpful for me to buy adapters so that I can pump directly into avent bottles and the avent via containers. It was maybe $200-$250 and has lasted through 12 months of pumping with my first daughter and is now in its 6th month with DD #2. It has quite a few different options/accessories you can get to go along with it such as different sized breast shields, car adapter, battery pack, etc.
 
I have 3 children so i have a little bit of experience...lol
*We do co-sleep, and cloth diaper..so i can't really help with the diapers and cribs.
*I would definitely recommend getting a ring sling http://www.sleepingbaby.net/ or Pouch http://www.goo-ga.com// for when the baby is newborn and then moving to something a bit different when baby gets older like my favorite a Mei Tei http://www.babyhawk.com/ ..dont be afraid of the price, you can find a ton of these gently used on http://thebabywearer.com/ for GREAT prices.
*A good carseat ( get a convertible that can be used for newborns up, if you want to save money)
**Baby nightgowns...these are the best, especially for the middle of the night changings!!!
*Medela pump....
*We honeslty never used a changing table...or a diaper genie ( i really think these things are a HUGE waist of money)
*A small swing or bouncy seat may be good, but i really dont think you need both of these...one or the other is more than enough.
*Never used a baby tub..always had the Yellow sponge thing that you lay in the bath or sink...that was perfect! And it was useful for when my kids were just starting to sit up good...i would sit them on that in the tub, then they wouldn't slip around.
*I wouldn't even bother with a convertible crib...a regular one will be fine until you can get them into a twin bed...
*Oh and comfortable one piece outfits for the baby...

Congrats and good luck...if you have any questions feel free to ask!!!!
 
I'm going to disagree with some of the PP.

Baby bath: We have one that fits in the kitchen sink. We used it for DS (now 10) and are using it now with DD, which allows us to bathe baby while DS showers. It has a bottom drain plug, so there is no hassle to filling/draining it. We use the sponge inside of it, to keep baby from slipping. I don't like bathing a child in a full-size tub until they can sit up, it is REALLY hard on my back to do that. Now IMO what you don't need for baths are hooded towels and special washcloths; the ones you have will do fine, just wash them in unscented detergent. A baby bath is usually under $10 used; worth the convenience in my book.

Travel system: One word for these: EVIL! Where to start with this: usually the carseat is decent, but the stroller is a heavy, bulky steel piece of cr@p with no suspension whatsoever. Putting a child into an infant carseat in lieu of a stroller for long periods of time is hard on their backs and contributes to flattening of the back of the head, too. Little known truth: ANY stroller that has a napper bar can be used to carry an infant carseat, so if you need it in an airport, etc, then you can do it, but you really don't need a specially-matched set. Buy your stroller for the long term and invest, but pay attention to the model year and go for closeouts. A Peg Pliko is a really good long-term use stroller; Macs are wonderful, too, but not as comfy for new infants, and they don't have the aforementioned napper bar. (Which won't matter as much to you if you use a sling.) If you really feel you must have a travel system, the only one I know of that will also give you a really decent stroller for long-term use is a Chicco C10. Buy your stroller, carseats and high chair new, but buy them online, better selection and you don't have to pay tax.

Most babies outgrow the infant carseat by 8 months if not before, so don't over-invest in that one. (Infant seats are very convenient to have, but you don't HAVE to have one. If you get one, buy a safe seat, but the most expensive on the market is a waste of money given the short time you will use it.) Save your investment in this case for your toddler seats. Oh, and buy an infant carseat that can be used without the base; buying a second base is also a waste of money. We use a Baby Trend FlexLoc that was $70 from WalMart online.

As far as carriers go, a sling is the most cost-effective. Carriers like Baby Bjorns, etc. are nice for little ones, but useless after about 8 months. A sling can be used as a hip carrier well into toddlerhood, especially at WDW. BTW, my DH simply cannot deal with using a sling; he can't get the hang of it for love or money, though he could use a front carrier.

I would buy your crib used; just be aware of the safety rules and recalls, including the possibiility of lead-containing paint. I don't think a convertible is necessary. A regular crib is fine as a toddler bed if you take off the sides and brace the legs underneath. (We used shower-curtain rods to brace ours, and it is now a crib again for DD.) You can buy chew guards to put on the rails when they are teething. You can get a bouncer and swing used, too; both are short-term use items if you want them.

One thing I find indispensable as a nursing mom who co-sleeps part of the night: a good swing-down bed rail for OUR bed. When I put baby on my right side to nurse, it protects against the possibility that she could fall out if I fall asleep. (She's fine between us on the other side.) Once she is independently sleeping in a twin bed the rail goes on it. Moving the bed against the wall would be cheaper, but won't work in our room because of the location of the door and closet, and besides, you usually can't get it close enough to the wall to be safe with an infant.

Check to see if you have a Once Upon a Child or Children's Orchard in your area. I buy almost all my kids' clothing at OUAC. Also, about gowns and swaddling blankets -- some kids love them but some hate them. Mine did. DD kept trapping her legs in the bottom of the gown and screaming to get loose, and both of them simply HATED being swaddled. I wouldn't take the tags off these until you know your child's temperament.
 
Thanks for all the advice. It is all very helpful.
 

Honestly, my 13 month old still sleeps in her pack n play. She has a beautiful new crib and slept in it a total of 5X. I'm about to convert it into her big girl bed. If I would have known this, I would have never purchased a crib for her.

You should get a pack n play for the baby and then decide on a crib later on. Plus the PNP is portable in case you need it for other things. Just my op.

My son slept in his pack-n-play till he was about 14 to 15 months and then went into a toddler bed. He hated being in his crib. So we took it down. Such a waste of money. I loved his pack-n-play. He slept in it in our room till he was sleeping throught the night. Then I moved it to his room. Plus when we traveled we just took it, and no matter where he was, it was always his bed.
 
hmmm,it's been a few years,but i'll try to recall-
will you nurse?(hope so,good for budget and health);) if you do, get a couple of good bras,well worth the expense-
a baby sling, nice for nursing,or general holding of a fussy newborn when busy
instead of a baby bath, I liked a small, wire frame with soft mesh 'holder' it just sort of sits in the tub,but keeps baby up on a gentle incline,like a v shape,and just hang it to dry in the tub when not in use- after that I liked a simple bath ring
we had cribs, but the babies always preferred a warm spot next to Mom,and I preferred not getting up to nurse them in the middle of the night,so we were all on the same page there.....:rotfl2: they just sort of moved from the'big bed' to a toddler set up when they grew.....
a nice car seat, check rating,and get a decent one,it doesn't have to be $$$ to be safe and work well.
a stroller that fits your lifestyle- I personally chose something small and flexible(combi is great) that I used from newborn through 4 years old- some prefer large,but I don't like bulk and fuss
That's about all you need, warm clothes(hand me downs are nice) soft blankets, cloth diapers for spit up messes..... a membership to a bulk club is nice for diaper prices
 


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