baby stuff

[fan]

Hi All,

Hubby and I are expecting our first baby late May. There's a lot of info out there about what we must buy, what is useful, etc.

I'm wondering what we REALLY need. What did you find was useless/very helpful? I especially want to know what we DON'T need.

Particularly interested in Strollers/interlocking car seats.

We don't really think we need much, but two first time grandparent sets think differently... I was just planning on getting some diapers, wipes, a bassinet, a set of drawers to change the baby on, and some sleepers. We can always buy after baby is born.

We're not having a baby shower because culturally it's not in our culture.

Thanks!

 

[quartz]

Congrats! Even tho you aren’t having a shower, people tend to give or pass on baby stuff as soon as they know you are expecting. Despite your best efforts, be prepared to have WAY MORE STUFF than you thought possible.
Best thing I had was a swing - on an A-frame with a wind up motor. My first baby was fussy, and the only way I could eat my dinner without interruption was to stick him in the swing.
Also, you can never have too many books. I read to my babies constantly, right from the start.

 

[Lanie]

We really loved having a swing for our little guy when he was a baby. It saved my sanity a lot!

 

[TheGirlCanSkate]

Some sort of sling. I had two different ones, one worked better as she got older. A good backpack or diaper bag with a washable changing mat, a good electric breast pump and bottles and disposable bags. Even if you don't plan to bottle feed, it is nice to have if you end up sick and the meds need you to pump and dump. More bottles, a bottle cleaner etc if you plan on bottle feeding, skip the bassinet and just get a crib if you aren't co sleeping. Bassinets are pretty but you can't use them more than a few months. A couple of those pajama sleepers that help them sleep as newborns, a stroller a mom can manage to open with one hand and easily get in cars, busses etc on her own. Changing table or cushion for a dresser. Baby washcloths, super soft towel. A medical kit with cotton balls, rash ointment, nail clippers, a nasal aspirator, infant fever reliever that the doc recommends that will not expire for at least a year...

 

[made_in_canada]

I’m due with my second mid-May . I’m a minimalist when it comes to baby gear. I did invest in a good stroller (a BOB that I love) but we walk everyday so that was important. As far as strollers go, really evaluate your lifestyle. My stroller would be useless if I was using transit a lot or if I had a small car. I also strongly suggest buying the stroller that meets your needs and just getting adapters for whatever car seat you have and avoiding “travel systems”. Now that we’re going to have two under two I recently bought a city select that I also really like and it’s much more versatile. I found both of those strollers hardly used second hand.

A lot of the baby gear depends on lifestyle and your particular kid. My first hated the swing. A good carrier was a life saver for us. I also swear by hakaa silicone breast pumps if you’re breastfeeding. I had no need for any other kind of pump and it was like $15.

In general, I was willing to invest in things that got used for a long time (stroller, carrier, car seat, etc...) and didn’t spend much either by borrowing or getting second hand anything that was only useful for a small amount of time or that I wasn’t sure if my kid would like.

 

[maatTheViking]

Things I was told was VERY useful, but we could have done without:
- a swing (kids didn't like it, I'd much rather have them on the floor/preferred holding thing anyway)
- a pack n play
- baby nail clippers (just use normal nail clippers?)

Things I found really useful
- baby wrap (single long piece of fabric. Great for newborns)
- ergo carriers w/ baby insert. (a lot easier than the wrap, but even with the baby insert not really useful until month 3/4)
- baby bathtub. Just a small plastic one they can sit half up in
- A type of system that your baby bucket car seat clicks into. We had a 3rd party thingy that was easy to fit in our car, and a life saver because both kids slept so well in the car. It was easy just to click out of the car, and into the stroller thing and go along. DO NOT get a baby bucket carseat that doesn't click in. being able to just let them sleep in it is great.
- a changing table
- diapers.
- simple diaper trashcan with lid. You don't need a fancy electronic one IMHO - as long as it has a lid.

Things that you don't really need right away
- a room for the baby. Just put the changing table and the crib in your bedroom. The first 6 months you want to keep that baby close. But decorating is fun
- an actual stroller (where the kid sits up)
- baby toys (but useful very soon. But you dont need it ready)

Things you need, depending:
- baby bottles
- a good breast pump
- lanolin for my nipples
- milk leak inserts for your bra
- min. 2 good nursing bras

we also had a pram where the baby could like flat. I didn't like doing long walks with the babies when they were strapped int the bucket seat, but it all depends. I think you can get a lot better prams in the US now (prams are still so bad here compared to Denmark).

 

[paskatefan]

Congrats, fan & made_in_canada!

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

I found having a diaper genie (or similar) to put the used diapers in extremely useful, as it cuts down on the smell. I also found having a vibrating chair thing for the baby to sit in much more useful than a swing - and the vibrating chair can give you a few minutes to go to the bathroom in peace or similar, and my daughter did well in it, where she really didn't do well in the swing.

 

[fan]

you're all awesome. thank you.

any particular stroller recos? (what's a BOB?)

 

[made_in_canada]

you're all awesome. thank you.

any particular stroller recos? (what's a BOB?)

A BOB is a jogging stroller. Not light or compact but has fantastic suspension and can handle trails and snow.

What do you think you’ll use a stroller for mostly? Also, if you’re tall, I’ve found that a lot of cheaper strollers are not height adjustable and can be super irritating to push.

 

[fan]

A BOB is a jogging stroller. Not light or compact but has fantastic suspension and can handle trails and snow.

What do you think you’ll use a stroller for mostly? Also, if you’re tall, I’ve found that a lot of cheaper strollers are not height adjustable and can be super irritating to push.

I'm short (150 cm/5"), and I'll be going on walks with the baby. No running. But we have a lot of snow here, so I'll need something that's easy to push over the snow.

I hope to breastfeed, so thanks all for their recommendations on pumps/bottles etc.

 

[made_in_canada]

Definitely find one with good, big wheels then. And good suspension. Mountain Buggy, Bob, Thule, are all good brands to look at. If you have somewhere local you can try them out it’s helpful to fold them up and push them. I have a friend that swore by her Quinny stroller in the snow too but I’m less familiar with that brand. Most strollers that are good for snow are not compact, so we ended up buying an umbrella stroller for shopping/traveling when my first was a little older. But I wouldn’t worry about that initially. I’ve done A LOT of research into strollers, lol. Something I use everyday I’m not willing to fight with. Especially when I feel like a zombie from sleep deprivation.

 

[AxelAnnie]

I'm short (150 cm/5"), and I'll be going on walks with the baby. No running. But we have a lot of snow here, so I'll need something that's easy to push over the snow.

I hope to breastfeed, so thanks all for their recommendations on pumps/bottles etc.

Congrats on the deciding to breast feed. As a former breast feeding consultant, if you possibly can, no dummies or bottles or pumping for the first 6 weeks. Breast only, and anytime they want to feed. This will make sure that you establish the milk supply that your baby wants/needs, and ensure smooth sailing.

Warning: At 6 weeks....just when you think you have it all pulled together, baby has a growth spurt. Your milk supply has to meet a new requirement for baby. Best thing to do, is go with it. Sit, drink water, nurse, and in 18-24 hours it all sorts out.
Sleep when the baby sleeps.......no kidding.
If people come to help......let them!

As far as stuff is concerned................oh man. So much stuff.

I recommend the diaper genie......so worth it.
If you live in a two story home (as does my daughter) you might consider setting up a changing station downstairs as well as upstairs. Saves a ton of time, and is so convenient.
My grand kids loved the plaything on the floor.
When they got a little older, they made good use of the "Baby Jail" As soon as they roll over, you will want a safe place to put them so you can, I don't know....go to the bathroom, comb your hair, eat.

My daughter also learned a pretty neat thing from a woman in Bali. Take a few (you will want 7 or 8 of these) small blankets or baby giraffes. Put them next to your skin for an hour or so. When baby cries, and needs to be held, the blankie will have your scent and be extra comforting. They can also go in the crib.....and act as a really nice lovey. If you have enough, you will be able to wash some while you are using others.

Last tip.....you will get lots of baby clothes in different sizes. The baby grows so quickly, if you don't use them, you will zoom right past them.

Lastly (and then I will stop)...my daughter came up with what I thought was a genius idea. When someone sent a gift, she would take a picture of the baby with the toy, or in the outfit, and send it with her (email) thank you note.

Best luck!

 

[MacMadame]

Depending on where you live, you may need to buy the car seat before the baby is born. You will need it to get the baby home from the hospital. (It's the law where I live.)

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

That's right, I did set up two diaper changing stations, with one on each floor, to make life easier.

When changing the baby, always keep one hand on the baby, especially as you turn away to get another diaper or etc. As my husband learned. Babies, btw, do apparently bounce... But boy, did he panic. And bring her to the hospital to get checked out. And then had to tell me about it when I got home from work.

 

[once_upon]

You might be tempted to buy a car seat that could potentially grow with the baby, but in my experience one that is geared to newborn through xx pounds is best to start with. Particularly if your baby weighs less than 7.5 pounds - sorry dont know kilos. Yes, you'll have to buy another soon after, but it's worth it for safety.

Hospitals here need you to bring the car seat to the hospital and verify you know how to properly restrain the baby and check that you've installed it correctly in your vehicle.

A swing was something that made my life easier, but a vibrating bouncy was the thing that soothed my grandchildren better, and a baby carrier was the thing that made life easier for my youngest granddaughter.

Good for breast-feeding but also keep in mind that if it doesn't work out babies can thrive on formula. My first was a breeze breast-feeding, my middle was a premie and pumping was necessity and a little more difficult, my youngest was a challenge and it became apparent at 6-8 weeks it was not working. They all grew up, the youngest still has digestion issues.

 

[clairecloutier]

We had 2 strollers: A jogging stroller for walks around town and a smaller city selects stroller to keep in the car for use on shopping trips, etc. Having both types of strollers worked well for us. We got the jogging stroller secondhand and it was great. They're very pricey, so it's definitely good to get them secondhand if you can.

We had both baby swings and a vibrating bouncy seat. Our kids *loved* the swings, and we used them daily. They didn't like the bouncy seat, and it got used only once or twice. From what I've heard, seems like many babies strongly prefer one or the other. But you can't predict which it will be.

Definitely agree with others on getting a changing table, diaper genie, and bottles. Also, traditional cloth diapers make great burp cloths. And you'll need sippy cups toward the end of the first year.

Two things good to have when the baby gets a little older: An Exersaucer and a little play tent with toys hanging from it. (Our kids really liked the tent especially, it helped keep them entertained.) Teething toys will also get used.

We used sleep sacks for our kids at night, for the first few months.

 

[puglover]

Maybe not "stuff" but as you plan to breast feed make inquiries ahead of time for a recommended lactation specialist. If you live in Canada, you will probably have access to a Public Health Nurse and they can be very good but just not necessarily available when you most need them. Many first time mothers with newborns have no issues but as you can't predict that, these specially trained experts can make all the difference.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Oh - and I forgot to mention: You are headed on the biggest and best adventure of your life! Truly. Nothing better that first baby.