Moms... I need you again!!!! What do I need for baby?

[ksumn1]

I think a sling or baby carrier (I believe I had a Graco convertible rear or forward facing one) that we used until DD was about 1. She was a little small for her age. You could actually cuddle and get some work done. If you're breasfeeding a Boppy is a must have. At my shower, I recieved a breastfeeding kit from DMom. It contained a Bobby, Nursing bras and tops, nipple cream, nursing pads,bags of frozen peas, a fabric covered low heat heating pad, a new pillow, a huge gallon sized cup and a gift certificate to the local grocery store for my snacks during feeding time. I thought it was great and very inventive, but also very personal. Maybe you could drop hints to Mom or sis or a very close friend that nursing bras and supplies are needed.
I actually recieved 2 strollers as baby gifts and it was great. One big one I kept in the car for outings and the small umbrella stroller I kept for home, or as a loaner when DD spent time with Grandma. Congratulations!!!!

 

[mrsheppo]

DD loves her Rainforest Jumperoo. Best money I spent, she keeps entertained for the longest time. Also a pack and play is great. She didn't like a crib, but she sleeps in the pack and play at night. I bought it at KMart for $25 on clearance.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Well my two most needed items are really small and I almost always give them as shower gifts. They are a pack of cloth diapers and some of the baby gowns. Cloth diapers are perfect for burp cloths, wipping faces, catching spit up, ever covering cool legs if you forget a blanket before you sit down to feed. The gowns are so wonderful in those first few months when you get up to feed and diaper change so often.
Now with DS I would have paid a milion dollars for my baby swing but our DB NEVER even used the very nice one I bought and hit the 20 lb weight limit by 4 mo old. DS also really loved his bouncy/ jump thing (Johnny Jump-up??)

A great diaper bag is important. I also love to give gift cards to a local grocery store. I now keep our DB about 1/2 the time and had really forgotten how expensive formular and wipes and diapers are!!!!

 

[DVCisME]

Just saw that you are in Phillie, I am in southern NJ and can give you a swing and a baby carrier. And ina bout a month I could give a jumperoo and an exersaucer. I totally understand wanting NEW though.

 

[kdibattista]

Just saw that you are in Phillie, I am in southern NJ and can give you a swing and a baby carrier. And ina bout a month I could give a jumperoo and an exersaucer. I totally understand wanting NEW though.

PM'd you... that is so incredibly sweet

 

[Oceana]

it all depends on what kind of parenting style you embrace. I used a convertable car seat and never touched an infant seat much less lugged one around. we dont use a high chair we never used a crib or a stroller (except our trip to disney when kids were 18 months and 3 years)

we coslept, fed babies sitting in our laps, baby wore when out, cloth diapered, etc... I didnt need a swing cause I would strap my baby on and go... I didnt need a vibrating seat cause of the same I didnt need a exersaucer cause we got down on the floor together.... its all about what you want to do and what kinds of things you want to do with baby

I used cloth diapers and never used diaper rash cream

My mom says... all you need for a baby is a few rags and a chip box

I would suggest a good carrier... not a bjorn never a bejorn... a moby or maya or ergo

julie

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

I see you are just up I-95 from me too. We shopped/registered at BRU. My top 10 were:

1.Bassinet with wheels so you can move it from room to room we had the eddie baur one and loved it.
2.Those little nightgowns. We had a boy and still used them. They were way easier than unsnapping those little outfits. They just lifted right up.
3.Boppy pillow for nursing (if you are nursing)
4.Fisher price ocean wonders bouncer.
5. Fisher price ocean wonders swing.
6. Peg preggo Plinko 3 stroller. Great product and my favorite for disney.
7. peg preggo pappa prima highchair. It is leather and wipes off great. The top tray can be removed for easy cleaning.
8. Bumbo seat. We loved this. Gave us a break and he loved sitting up. He could use it as soon as he was able to hold his head up and we also used it for feeing early on.
9. Medulla breast pump. It was wonderful and worked great.
10. Pack and play. We used this for a changing station instead of our changing table which we never used. I would recommend this instead.

Good luck and have fun!!!

 

[belle&beast]

My DD loved her exersaucer and my DS had reflux and slept in a swing for months (not moving while he slept) because he needed to be upright after he ate. They both loved vibrating chairs and we used our boppy pillow for nursing and for learning to sit. I think those are the things we used the most. Oh- and a rocker or glider. Mine was used all the time during feeding or just cuddle time.

 

[northriver]

I didn't get a ton of baby gear, we did buy a bouncy seat but frankly I prefer them without the bells and whistles, so I just put my baby in ours and bounced it with my foot, never used the toy bar or installed batteries. We liked our Bumbo alot but DD only used it for a couple months before she learned to flip out of it - watch them closely in there! Some babies do not like the Bumbo at all.

The thing I liked best and could not have lived without was the Bjorn carrier! We did not have an infant carseat - actually ours would not install securely in my car so I used a convertable carseat and then just carried her everywhere in the Bjorn. I had both hands free to shop and didn't have to lug the heavy seat around or worry about the seat falling out of a shopping cart, etc.

I never like my big heavy stroller either, moved DD to a Maclaren Volo at 9 months and am still using it - that was the best money I spent, and actually I have 2 Volo's now, one for each car. Also I am still using the convertable carseat - ours is a Britax Roundabout - I love this carseat.

For a bed we had a Co-sleeper. DD fit in there until 9 months when I moved her to her own room to a futon instead of to a crib. I wasn't sure if it would work but let me tell you now at age 2 I don't have to struggle with he transfer from crib to bed - it was seamless at 9 months.

And my final bit of advice - yes new is nice, but serioulsy consider second hand baby gear. When your baby is 1, you'll be having to get rid of all these baby gadgets, some will be barely used. You'll still need diapers and wipes, a really good stroller, a nice highchair or booster chair, tippy cups, baby proofing items etc. You can get most newborn baby gear in nearly new condition (swing, bouncer, bumbo, pack and play etc.) for pennies on the dollar at Consignment stores, garage sales, or eBay. So consider buying some of that used, and then registering for things you'll really need in the future, high chairs and carseats, things that actaully get worn and you probably don't want used.

 

[karenTX]

Even though most of these are things you might not need when the baby is first here, you will most likely need them in general. The things that made our life easier were

1. Boudreaux's Butt Paste!! It's the best!! My dd had a bad reaction to Desitin so we tried this and it is wonderful!!

2. The Floppy Seat!!! Great to going to the grocery store, Target, whereever and not worrying about the baby chewing on the cart or something like that. Plus, it makes the metal "seat" just a little more comfy. And it's machine washable!!

3. The Eddie Bauer or fisher Price High Chair cover. It's basically the same for the same price. Covers almost all highchairs and folds up into a very small pouch. Also washable!

4. Table Toppers! The plastic self-stick placemats for restaurants. We use these a lot, even now when dd is eating "for real" (no more picking up with fingers), it just helps to keep the mess to a minimum.

Sorry if I sound like a crazy germaphobe...don't mean to but I had a Micro-preemie and learned a little too much while she was in the NICU!

Congrats and have fun!!!

 

[studentmom]

-We have a Space Saver High Chair and we really like it. It fits on a regular dining room chair and it reclines 3 ways, so even when the baby is real small you can put him/her at the table with you and your husband at meal times. Later you can use it as a booster seat. We have this one only in green. http://www.target.com/gp/detail.htm...-2422245?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000BXAI08

- a Bumbo
- Bouncer seat
-Cradle Swing. We have a Fisher-Price Aquarium one, but I'm not sure if they are still selling that model. I've heard that the Papasan and Rainforest ones are nice, too.
-The Pac N Plays with the bassinet feature are nice...especially if you want to keep baby in your room for awhile (or in the living room or something). Don't forget the sheets
-Tiny Love Gymini Play Mat. Although it's not a necessiy (sp?), it's so nice to have. Our dd has used it since she was a few weeks old.
-A Bjorn or maybe some type of sling are nice. With my second child we waited too long, so he didn't like it. With this baby, we started puting her in when she was 3 or 4 weeks, so now she still likes it.
-The Graco or Chicco travel systems are real nice to have. We do have a Maclaran Triumph stroller that we really like. DD is just now getting big enough for it. It was my older dd's and it's nice because it's light, it reclines a little, and it goes up to like 55 pounds.
-A Jumperoo


Btw--Congrats!

 

[Jenn Lynn]

If you are BFing I recommend the Lansinoh breast cream and the Lansinoh disposable nursing pads. Having BF two kids the cream was a MUST for me. The nursing pads are amazing! They were not around when I BF DD. The ones I used for her would get big and bulky (I leaked alot.) These wick away the moisture and do not get bulky. Register for them if you are BFing. To me it is the same as registering for bottles or milk storage bags, etc.

 

[northriver]

Even though most of these are things you might not need when the baby is first here, you will most likely need them in general. The things that made our life easier were

1. Boudreaux's Butt Paste!! It's the best!! My dd had a bad reaction to Desitin so we tried this and it is wonderful!!

2. The Floppy Seat!!! Great to going to the grocery store, Target, whereever and not worrying about the baby chewing on the cart or something like that. Plus, it makes the metal "seat" just a little more comfy. And it's machine washable!!

3. The Eddie Bauer or fisher Price High Chair cover. It's basically the same for the same price. Covers almost all highchairs and folds up into a very small pouch. Also washable!

4. Table Toppers! The plastic self-stick placemats for restaurants. We use these a lot, even now when dd is eating "for real" (no more picking up with fingers), it just helps to keep the mess to a minimum.

Sorry if I sound like a crazy germaphobe...don't mean to but I had a Micro-preemie and learned a little too much while she was in the NICU!

Congrats and have fun!!!

Hey I'm a crazy germaphobe too! Nothing to be ashamed of! And since you reminded me:

WetOnes Antibacterial Wipes, travel packs (16 per pk I think). I use so many of these I should buy stock in the company. I don't carry the covers - but I do use these wipes for shopping carts sometimes, and always for resturant tables where the baby sits especially underneath where it never gets cleaned, and the highchair - I'm pretty sure DD has had food poising from resturant high chairs - can you believe some places never wash them?!

Disposable bibs. I won't admit how many of these I use. We eat out alot and I keep a box at grandmas too.

Disposable changing pad covers. When DD was really little I kept a blanket in the diaper bag to change her on that I washed after every use, but now she is older I keep a disposable cover with an extra diaper in my purse, I rarely change her when we are out but I don't leave home without a disposable changing pad cover just in case I have to use a public changing table!