Saturday, May 19, 2012

Stuff for Babies

Things for babies. Walking into a baby shop, while so much fun, is also a little mind boggling. There is so much stuff and trying to decide what is an essential, what would be nice to have, and what is really just a gimmick (that will sit in the bottom of the closet because it seemed like a good idea at the time but really was just a waste of money) kind of makes my eyes roll back in my head. And then I go on a rant about silly companies making all this crap to scam money out of us first time parents by making us feel like our child will be missing out if we don't buy their item - even though we're not entirely sure what it does...

Now we all know that there are some non-negotiable items like the pram, crib, and the car seat. But as far as everything else goes, what are some good items to have and what are a waste of space?

Change table or change pad on top of dresser or chest of drawers?

Carrier or sling?

Designated baby bath station, bath insert or plastic tub that you can put anywhere?

Should I have a bassinet or is it just an added item that will only be used for a short while and then gather dust while taking up space?



What about high chairs? A full size one? One that is a booster style seat, or one tat clips onto the side of a table?

Have you ever seen a weirder looking high chair?!


Monitors: video, or just sound?

Breast pump - manual or electric?

Bottles. how many do you buy if breastfeeding? What size nipple do you get for them? Is a steriliser necessary?
Is a rocker handy to have around?

Are these walker/roller/toy unit things any good?

And this one I have been curious about for a long time. Is the Bumbo actually useful?


I haven't even started looking at all the stuff for mama. Breast pads, nipple creams, pillows for feeding and sleeping. I'm tired just thinking about it. I might go lie down.

What, if any of these things have people used and found useful? What did you find you didn't need? Is there anything not on this list that I shouldn't bother to get? What items can't you live without?

All images source here.

4 comments:

  1. Hi, found you on Kelley's Korner! I'm due with my second baby just a few days before you on Nov. 2! Hope your pregnancy is going well so far! I read through your questions...here's my little bit of advice based on what's worked for me. Breast pump - definitely electric if you plan on pumping a decent amount. I had a manual and it was awful and took forever. Highchair - I like a full size that has wheels on the bottom so I can wheel my daughter around to different rooms if needed. Bassinet - I just used the bassinet that came with the pack-n-play instead of a separate one...saved space and money. And I loved having a rocker/bouncer/swing/jumper for my daughter...gave me a place to put her when I needed to get things done. Hope any of that helps! Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just found your blog through Kelly's Korner...I'm due pretty close to you (with our second baby) October 28. I was definitely overwhelmed when I was trying to register for my first baby a few years ago. I would DEFINITELY go with the electric breast pump! I was planning on going back to work when my daughter was 3 months so I bought the Medela electric double pump...it was around $300 but SOO worth it! I used it for a year and I never had problems with it....and it still works well so I plan to use it this time around too! Hope that helps! :) Congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi! I found you on Kelly's Korner! Congrats on your baby! Buying baby stuff was SO overwhelming for me... too many choices! Definitely get an electric pump. I started out breastfeeding and didn't see the point in spending so much for an electric pump so I got a manual pump. I had some issues with breastfeeding and ended up in a situation where I needed to pump. I last about two days with the manual pump before I broke down and bought a double electric. Best investment ever. I also bought a pumping bra. I'm not sure if you've seen one of those yet. All it is is a bra that holds your pump on and makes the pumping process hands-free. I couldn't have lived without it! My pump is an Avent. All of Avent's bottles/milk storage containers/pumps use compatible parts which was really, really nice. I ended up getting a video monitor. I've really liked it because I can always see what baby is up to. As he has gotten older, he has started to wake up when I go in his room. It is nice to be able to see him but not risk waking him. I got an ergo carrier (not a sling). I would highly recommend one. We had a bassinet, but I wouldn't buy one for full price. My son outgrew in before three months. We had three offered to us by friends that wanted to get rid of theirs (they take up a lot of space). It was nice to have, but we would have been just as fine with a pack n play in our room (that we would get more use out of). I also REALLY loved putting my baby to sleep in SwaddleMe's. My little boy slept so well in them. And definitely check out the book "Happiest Baby on the Block". It is really quick read, but the very best resource I've read about newborns. It is a totally fool-proof method for calming a crying baby. It made my first few months of parenthood oh-so-nice!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great advice - thanks girls!

    ReplyDelete