Lately, though, I have started thinking more seriously about the "things" I'm going to need as I start off this new venture. Right now I'm a little overwhelmed by the overabundance of choices and then just not knowing of some of the more less obvious but by no means less necessary items. What will I want? What will I buy and end up hating and wish I hadn't spent my money on it? It's a little nerve-wracking.
But that's the beauty of being 32 and having my first baby is that it means that most everyone I know has already gone through this and vetted it out. Thank you women for having babies earlier and having years of experience to now pass on to me. So, if you would be so kind as to share with me some of your opinions as well as favorite things, I would appreciate it.
Any opinions or absolute favorites on the following?
- Diaper Bags - Do I need one or can I just get a large purse? How often do you really use one, and how often do you just stick a couple diapers, some wipes and a change of clothes in whatever bag you are already carrying?
- Receiving Blankets and summer babies - is flannel still fine, or is it going to be too hot? I bought some jersey fabric and some muslin just in case. What's best?
- Bottles - a friend of mine asked for glass bottles with changeable tops so you can have a nipple top, a sippy top, or a normal water bottle top as the baby grows. They sure look cool, but are they worth the expense? How many bottles (given I plan on nursing) will I likely need?
- Toys - What toys does a 0 - 1 year old really use?
- Favorite stroller/Baby carrier - Also, is this something that really should be bought new, or is used okay?
- Bassinets - Are they worth it, or can I just put Wee Babe in a laundry basket for the first couple of months before he's moved into a crib?
- Wrap versus Sling versus something like a Baby Bjorn - What are your thoughts?
- Changing Table - Everyone seems to have one, but I'm not sure I've ever seen someone change their baby on them. How much use have you gotten out of yours?
- Miscellaneous - I know I'm forgetting all sorts of other life changing baby things, so if you have any other favorites, PLEASE let me know.
By the way, as many comments on this post would be very greatly beneficial. I like getting as many opinions as I can. So, even if you've randomly stumbled across this blog (like someone in Brazil - I don't know who you are) and you don't know me but you still have an opinion - PLEASE comment too. I would sooo very appreciate it.
Okay, that's it. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful, super fantastic day!
13 comments:
First of all, I was coveting your hair again today. You're so cute.
I'm a big fan of having a diaper bag. It's still amazing to me how much stuff you have to have for babies. It's no fun digging through a giant purse for a pacifier.
Flannel should still be fine.
You shouldn't even have to start thinking about toys yet. In the first few months all he'll likely need are some bright things to look at and start reaching for. A couple super simple board picture books are great. I was given a "baby gym" with my first baby. He lies on a brightly colored mat underneath an arch with bright animals hanging from it. It is AWESOME.
Bassinets are nice because you can put the baby right by your bed, and often soothe him back to sleep at night without having to get up.
I use my changing table ALL THE TIME. Being able to dress/medicate/change etc. a baby without having to bend over is fabulous, ESPECIALLY soon after delivery when you're really sore, but all the other times, too :o).
My favorite other stuff:
*cloth diapers used as burp cloths
There are lots of ways to make burp cloths cute, but it's nice to have some cloth diapers too, since they're so thick and absorbent.
*Kiddopotamus swaddling blankets
These are like 12-15 bucks. I know I can't live without them. Have at least two so you don't have to go without when you do laundry.
*Homemade crib sheets
So much cuter, cheaper, and nicer than store bought ones, and they're SUPER easy to make.
*Around 4-5 months, the most awesome thing ever is one of those, uh, jumpy things. I can't think of what they're called. Basically the baby sits in a harness with attached toys all around and jumps and jumps and jumps for his whole life. My babies and I have so enjoyed them being able to be in a upright, standing position without me having to hold them.
I'll stop there. Don't want to overload ya. You're going to be a great mama! Even if you forget something or buy something you end up hating, there are always more things to try after you know your baby. So don't sweat it!
Sara - you look beeeeuutiful!!! Haha - ok so here are 5 babies worth of opinions on baby stuff. :) The more kids I have - the lazier I have gotten.
1. Diaper Bag - They can be nice for the first few months - after that I never bothered. Now I'm lucky if I remember diapers....
2. Toys - LOL - they won't care about much before 3-4 months - my kids have all loved our jumper too - they can spend hours in it. They have all loved those toys where you push a button or move a knob and something pops open.
3. If you are planning on nursing exclusively, bottles are probably pretty low priority. I have also found that some babies can be picky about bottle nipples - you may want to test out cheaper ones first. Also - my oldest couldn't figure out how to use a sippie cup - so we never bothered with them - they have just all gone to regular plastic kid sized cups around 10 months.
4. Stroller/ Baby Carrier. Umm - our baby carrier/car seat was a Jones hand me down, and we have always just used the $15 umbrella strollers. Mostly because I'm cheap and didn't want to deal with a HUGE stroller....
5. Bassinets - they can be really nice - with our second we just got a pack and play with a bassinet attachment - which was nice because we still use it for travel and stuff. However - that being said, We haven't used it as a bassinet since - our last 3 kids have been happier sleeping in a bouncer, next to our bed, their car seat next to our bed or the swing.
6. LOL - I have a couple slings, and a baby bjorn type thing - I rarely use any of them - they can be nice once in awhile, and with my first I would strap her in and go for walks, but I rarely use them now - lol - I could never really get comfortable with the slings for some reason - and I forget to use them mostly.
7. Changing Tables are wonderful - place to store stuff and not having to bend over and sit on the floor to change is a good thing - at least when they are small - don't use it as much once they get heavy. :)
8. Boppy - I LOVE my boppy - that is one baby item I don't know if I could live without. Plus a couple covers so you can change it when they spit up on it. I use it for nursing, and for helping the older kids hold the baby and for supervised "sitting"
LOL - i'll be back if i think of more!
You need a diaper bag. Sorry.
Charlotte would take a bottle. We used the Playtex drop ins so we didn't have to worry about BPA. Judah wouldn't take a bottle at all. So buying any bottle was a waste of money
You don't need a lot of toys. Really.
You need an Ergo baby carrier. They are the best things on the planet. I can even carry Charlotte (who is almost 40 pounds) for a long while without too much pain in my back or hips.
We used a moses basket for out kids when they were really little. But I think a laundry basket would work, too. The laundry baskets are just static-y so they might zap the baby.
We have a baby Bjorn and an Ergo The baby Bjorn is really nice when they are little. But the Ergo is much better when they start getting any weight on them.
We used the changing table a lot, but I don't think it is necessary. By like 6 months my babies were really wiggly so I changed them on the floor mostly. Now I change Judah on the bathroom counter because he is old enough not to jump off. Plus, he fell off once, so I think he remembers subconsciously that hurtling himself off is not a good idea.
My only advice is to try and get them to take a pacifier. It is much better for their teeth than a thumb. And if they take one it makes your life AMAZINGLY easier. We only let our kids have them when they are sleeping. That makes it easier to break and it doesn't interfere with their speech. I never had any problems with the kids not nursing because of the pacifier. But the kids were picky. Charlotte would only take the Avent orthodontic ones and Judah with only take a Soothie.
Great question. I wish I would've thought to ask this of my blogging friends when I was pregnant for the first time! Okay, so here's my take on all this stuff:
Diaper bag: have one. Used it for Claire for maybe 6-9 months. Haven't used it with Henry yet. I have a big purse and throw diapers, wipes, change of clothes, etc in my purse. But as he is growing exponentially, that may change. So the verdict is still out on that one...
Bottles: Are you going to pump at all? Also, we have supplemented with formula (no, we don't buy it, but you can get free samples from the pediatrician's office and if you sign up on the Enfamil website.) It's nice to have in case of a bind, if you are not home to nurse (and you WILL need a break every now and again!) With Claire we needed to supplement at first because my milk didn't come in for nearly a week, and with Henry, he cluster feeds every hour at night which was exhausting, so Adam will sometimes give him a bottle to give me a break. Get Matt involved! But if you are going to buy/get second hand/rent a pump, you will obviously need some bottles. I have 3 small ones (that came with my hand-me-down pump from my sister in law. It's great to have regardless if you are putting breast milk or formula if you are out to dinner at a restaurant or whatever and can't comfortably nurse. I refuse to nurse in a bathroom for example. Gross. Doesn't hurt to have just one on hand.
Toys: It's nice to have a few toys that attach to the car seat to give them something to look at, reach for, etc, but you won't need to have them for the first few months. But never fear, people will probably get you some as shower gifts. ;)
Bassinets: We don't own one ourselves, but a girl from church lent us one for Henry which is awesome for our small space. With Claire, for the first few months we just used our pack-and-play, which had a newborn function that raised the bottom up so you didn't have to bend down as far, so she could be in our room while she still got up to nurse in the middle of the night. But our current living conditions are too small to fit the pack-and-play, hence borrowing the bassinet. Whatever you use, it's sooooo worth it to have baby in your room with you so you don't have to go too far when you are a walking zombie. So if you dont' want to purchase, ask around if you can borrow one!
On that note, we love having a pack and play. We've brought it to friends' homes when we've wanted to hang out later than 7 pm, we've brought ours on road trips so we can have a safe place for baby to sleep at a hotel, we've used it when we've left Claire at someone else's house while they were babysitting so she could have a place to nap, etc. It's great.
I have a Baby Bjorn and love it. But that was another thing I got as a hand me down from my sister in law. Never tried a sling or any other carrier, so I can't help there. All I know is that once they get to a certain weight, I'm not going to want to carry that on my shoulders so the child ends up in the stroller. So if you're tougher than me and plan on carrying your munchkin long after they've hit the 25 lb mark, then trying some off the other brands of carriers might be worth your while.
Changing table: Never had one. (never had room for one anyway) Our pack-and-play had a changing attachment for when the baby is small, so we used that for Claire. But now we just do it on the bed or the floor. As long as you've got something under their butt, it doesn't really matter in my opinion. But we got a diaper caddy so that we could have the diapers, wipes, and any ointments, etc on hand in an easy-to-carry basket. Love the caddy.
Ha ha...my comment was actually too long for blogger to post it. Sorry for the novel. Here is the rest of my thoughts:
It's nice to have a seat of some kind to put the kiddo in. We got a swing (again, a hand-me-down from a co-worker) which Claire loved, but a bouncer seat or some other contraption is great. When they are too little to sit in a high chair, it's great to be able to put them down so you can cook, eat, shower or whatever but have the baby close by.
So our essentials: Bjorn (or carrier of some kind), diaper caddy (especially if you are going without a changing table like we did), pack-and-play, and some kind of "seat" for you to put the child in when you want to get things done. A lot of the other stuff is just preference.
Also, I saw Christy said that a pacifier was a must-have. The jury is still out on this one for me. Claire wouldn't take a pacifier. So she sucked her fingers. The good thing about that? They have it on hand (no pun intended). They don't need you to find it for them, put it in their mouth for them, etc. Self soothing = better sleep for mommy. Henry does take a pacifier. But if it falls out, I am the one who has to replace it.
Good luck navigating the barage of "must-haves" that stores and magazines tell you you should have. It's overwhelming. But your child will turn out just fine even if they (or you!) don't have all the "stuff". You are smart to ask!
Hello, Gorgeous!
You know that I have five babies, and you know the kind of girl I am, so do what you will with my votes, and here they are:
1. PURSE! A darling purse. It's about the only thing cute left on me. The inner zip pockets work great for my use.
2. C, none of the above. Nothing beats seersucker for a summer babe. Baby should wear what you're wearing, i.e., if you have a jacket, baby will need a jacket--not a snowsuit. (Email me your address, please.)
3. I don't do bottles. My babies drink from a straw sippy cup by 6 months.
4. You have all the favorite toys already: paper, remotes, cell phones, lip gloss tubes, wax paper. I do LOVE a play gym, though...
5. Umbrella stroller wins every time. (I don't jog with my babies, so my opinion might change.)
6. Babies 4 and 5 never used a crib, because it took me Babies 1, 2, & 3 to figure out what works. PACK N' PLAY is the best option out there. Research it, and thank me later. Save your money to buy a queen bed for your one-year-old, where you can snuggle for nap time, lie down to read books, and spend teething nights.
7. I don't use wraps. My babies like to lay on their bellies beside me, or sit in a BUMBO chair next to me. (Bumbo can eliminate a high chairs, too.)
8. I've never used a changing table. Why? Because every place I've lived in or visited has a floor that can easily be covered by a blanket.
Coincidentally, I posted something yesterday that may interest you: www.ahappyvoice.blogspot.com
Love,
Nat
You look so cute!
1. I liked having a diaper bag at the beginning. I would not spend a ton on one. I started using a large purse when my babies were older but I still use the diaper bag for big outings or church.
2. I never used a changing table. I just kept a basket in the living room and the bedroom with the essentials.
3. I would not spend the money on a bassinet. Pack and Plays can be used in this function and for travel later. You will not regret this purchase.
4. The strollers that you can click in the infant seat is very nice when they are young but I never used them later. If I were to do it again I would get one that was a frame for the car seat used. I love the jeep umbrella stroller. I think they are like $40 for when they are older.
5. I had a baby bjorn. I liked it much better than the cheaper versions. I found it on craigslist. I would buy it used because I did not use it a ton but it was nice to have.
6. I liked the Avent bottles, but if you are nursing you only need like two.
7. Things that I thought were worth the money. A really good pump is very helpful with nursing. Don't waste money on a cheap one, they do not work. Rent one from the hospital or I liked the Medela swing for occasional use. You will use it when the baby is sick and if you have any problems nursing. I also REALLY love my Britax carseat. My kids always look comfortable and they can be in it forever.
LOL - i thought of one more thing that I have had with my last 3 babies, but didn't have with my first 2 - a hooter hider - If you are planning on nursing, it's a MUST - but don't worry about trying to find one - I will make you one and get your address from Melissa and send it to you. :) Now what's your due date so I can make sure to send it in time....
Diaper bags: Our hospital gave us a free one on our way out...which I used for awhile, but then switched over to my college backpack. Which I LOVED. I never bothered even trying anything else.
Receiving blankets: One layer of flannel is nice. Double layer ones are kind of too hot. I never tried the muslin ones. Flannel is nice because it kinda grips itself and makes the 'burrito' more snug and last longer.
Bottles: I nursed exclusively, but I ABSOLUTELY needed bottles. I had lots of problems nursing during the first month (cracking, bleeding, mastitis, you name it). So I had to pump and feed with a bottle quite often to allow time for myself to heal. Choose a pump, and then buy a few of the bottles that match up with the pump. That makes it easy to just pump then put the nipple on the bottle and feed. I liked the Avent bottles that went with my pump. They also have sippy tops you can get later that are compatible.
Toys: You don't need anything for about the first 4 months. You ARE the toy. :)
Bassinets and Changing tables: We never had $$ or space for lots of furniture, so we got a Pack N Play that has a bassinet insert and diaper changing insert. LOVED it. We still use the changing insert with our two year old, and store diapers and stuff in the bassinet. And if you go anywhere, you can fold everything up and take it with you. It's lovely! You could go broke buying baby furniture, that's for sure. I'm all about practicality, not so much matchy matchy style.
Carrying devices: With our first baby, I got a cheap Snugli front pack at Target. I hated it. It never fit me well, made my back ache, and wasn't very adjustable. For kid #2 I purchased a basic Bjorn for $16 on Ebay and OH MY GOSH it was the greatest thing ever. So super comfortable. I used it up until kid #2 was about 17 lbs, and it was still awesomely comfy. Whatever you buy used--make sure it comes from a pet free and smoke free home so it doesn't have stankiness.
Misc: I would have died without our baby swing. Both kids loved it, and it was a nice safe place I could stick them while I took really fast showers. You don't need a big huge one, a 'travel' size one will suffice. Then you can bring it in the bathroom with you for those showers.
Books: Sleep is a very important thing. For your sanity, and for the health of your baby. There's not a heck of a lot you can do until the baby is about 4 months old (in the way of sleep schedules and stuff). But once you hit 4 months, you can start some sleep training. There are tons of books out there, but my favorite is 'Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child'. I WISH I had read it with kid #1. I had such a hard time, and felt at my wits end for about a year. Anyways. Get the book and read it, and keep it as a reference for as the baby grows. The author is a doctor and a sleep researcher. I really loved the book and it helped me so much.
Good luck with everything! :)
Oh, I wish I had more time to write a lengthy comment...!
I just stuff everything I need in the sides of my baby carrier...like diapers, etc.
You don't need a bassinet. My last baby just switched from a bouncy seat to a flat surface.
I loved my bjorn baby carrier.
Don't need a changing table.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, my dual sided Medela Breast pump. This has literally saved my sanity and why I have 5 children now. I wish I had it for child #1 as it would have saved LOTS of tears from her and from me.
AND, last but not least, I think your Brazilian visitors are my cousins:)
Love always,
Emily Mc.
Plus, read the book, "Baby Wise"...lots and lots of people hate that book, but all of my kids have gotten to sleep through the night after just a few weeks...which also keeps you sane. I love that book, but modify it, so it works for you.
Hi Sara! Ive been following your blog for a while and figured Id pop in and say hello! (Its Candy from highschool/dance team!). First off CONGRATS on the new addition, and you look fab. by the way! I think when it comes to baby needs, every family is very different. One family may swear by a changing table, where I never owned one becuase I couldnt fathom having to go to the "designated table" every time a diaper duty called. Instead I had cute little baskets throughout the house with a few essentials in them so whatever room I was in I could just grab what I needed and got it taken care of. I had a diaper bag for all of about a week. I got tired of it sliding over me when I would bend to pick something up, resulting in smacking myself or baby with the big ol' thing. I quickly learned that backpacks made AMAZING diaper bags. We had a pack and play that had a bassinet attachment area, which worked great for travel as well. Dont worry too much about toys for the first 6 months atleast. Maybe start off with a floor mat, with play toys that hang over them...gets their attention well and teaches them to reach for toys without toys littering your house just yet. And the best burp cloth is a cloth diaper! Im sure with your sewing talents, you could even sew a cute material on to one side to make it very chic. ;) I look foward to following your blog and seeing that wee little one when he/she arrives! Candy (Robbins) Waibel.
Hey Sara! Looking great!
Here are my two cents on your questions.
I used a large purse/bag that was cuter, more stylish than some cutesy diaper bag. Oh and always stash extra diapers and wipes in the car! I used a large flannel blanket for swaddling at night no need for special more costly blankets. My kids never used bottles I nursed exclusively, but that is personal preference. Unless you are going to be running a little umbrella stroller is pretty perfect. We bought a huge combo stroller/seat the first time and will never again, stroller was to big and unwieldy. I just saw an article that the bjorn and carriers like it are not the best for babies' hips, but I used one with all four of mine and they seem fine. I just used the top of a dresser as a changing table, then the bed or floor as well.
Totally get the Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child book, I lived by it and all mine are wonderful sleepers!
Most of all trust your instincts, you are going to be great!
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