I know there are other ‘expecting’ Dopers out there too so hopefully we can find out some good info.
Like most people, money is a bit tight. Baby is due in a couple of months (Nov 20) - we have most of the basics - tshirts, sleepers, etc etc …
But I’m wondering which items are an absolute LIFESAVER, and which ones are a complete waste of money?
Any advice?
At the big box stores you can but multi-packs of one-sies. The kid doesn’t always need to be in an ‘outfit’. Diapers offer only limited protection, and offer absolutely no protection to the various colorful oral discharges. Changing a babies clothing ten times in a day is fairly normal, being all caught up with a baby’s laundry only happens in fiction.
If some well-intentioned environmentalist gives you cloth diapers, they make great spit-up rags.
We tried all the big name diapers, and finally settled on the Wal-mart store brand. Make sure to get the velcro kind of closures, the sticky tape sucks. You only have one chance to put the diaper on right.
The diaper genie is nice and all, but the refills are expensive, so just go with a generic that uses tall kitchen garbage bags. You’re a parent. You will either get used to the smell (and feel, and possibly taste) of poop, or you will be giving the kid up for adoption.
Thanks … we only have Costco here and I haven’t seen any baby clothes there unfortunately.
(I’m not in a big city by any means).
Good tip on the diapers - thanks - I wouldn’t have thought of that!
Babyfood mill.
No, really.
I know that here on the dope we discuss food allergies a lot, and nutrition, and other great food based topics. If you have the time and inclination, you can control what your sprout eats very closely. I do agree that labeling is great, and has come a long way from when I grew up in the 60s, but there is absolutely no reason you cant feed your sprouts your own diet [of course following the no honey type dietary info about stuff you shouldnt feed the sprout.]
True, prepared baby food is a great convenience, and probably not that much more expensive than making your own, but it is great if you want to get the kids eating what you eat instead of the american standard blah foods. ALthough I have to admit, a lot of the baby fruit combos are great and can also be used in making goodies like danish =) [was using up some extra jars of baby desserts after a friend left some behind]
I never found a changing table useful. They take up lots of space and aren’t portable. The babe was changed on whatever surface I had available (after suitable scrubbing of course.)
If you’re breastfeeding I absolutely recommend the boppy pillow. The pillow positioned my daughter correctly and allowed her to latch on easily. Until I used it I found it nearly impossible to get the hang of nursing.
hmmmm … well, I am hoping to be the “babyfood mill” for at least the first 6 months … 
…
If you do make your own baby food, make a bunch at a time and freeze it in extra ice cube trays. When they’re frozen, pop them out and stick them in baggies in the freezer. Then when it’s meal time, you just defrost a cube or two. I did that with fruits and it was really easy. “Real” mashed banana looks and tastes much better than that jarred crap. You can use regular applesauce for babies, too, just buy the ‘no sugar added’ type. That jarred stuff is so smooth and off-tasting - they need a little texture.
Ditto on the Onesies. You can’t have too many of those.
As for other stuff - I loved having lots of the baby washcloths. It was so easy to grab one for little spitups and, as NurseCarmen called them other ‘oral discharges.’ 
They have baby prints on them, so you know they’re just for him or her (rather than using regular washcloths) and are softer.
I still have some now (my baby is nine) and use them for dustcloths.
Musts: One of those vibrating bouncy chairs, baby monitor(s), burp cloths (you will use tons!), onesies, and a few really nice receiving blankets (for swaddling). If you plan breast feed, I would highly recommend RENTING a breast pump. Local drugstores rent them out. I paid $10/month to rent one (there will be a deposit, but you will get it back once you return the pump). I only had the pump for 4 mos. Once your milk comes in, you can use a manual pump (the hospital you have your baby at will most likely give you one).
Waste: The Diaper Genie. I know many people LOVE their Diaper Genie, but I found it a pain. The refills are expensive and no one will want to empty it once 30 poopy diapers are in there. Better idea (thanks to my sis!)…buy those Ruffies scented plastic bags (Wal-Mart and Target carry them). Wrap the stinky diapers in there and you can throw them in your garbage and not be bothered by smell.
Don’t buy “newborn” sized diapers or clothes. Chances are your baby will be too big for them from the get-go.
I can already see that people’s mileage may vary on this one. I wouldn’t consider not using a Diaper Genie. I have no idea what a house would smell like without one and don’t want to know. Likewise, I consider a diaper changing table essential. Some baby poops, even newborns, can be incredibly messy. I wouldn’t want to have couches and bedspreads with poop on them. Plus, they are just plain convienent.
We found a baby bjorn pretty useful for carrying and soothing a newborn. On the negative side, I had a baby backpack and only used it once because it was so uncomfortable and my daughter didn’t like it. A jogging stroller sounds cool but we rarely used ours and it was bulky to fit in a car.
Congratulations!
We have a very small apartment, so my main concern was not getting a lot of “Stuff”, especially big bulky stuff. We don’t even have a bedroom for her - she sleeps in our room, and has two closets in the office.
Lemme look at babiesrus suggestion lists and I’ll tell you what I think. The things I use/have are bolded:
What doesn’t that cover? A portable swing for baby. Or a bouncy seat, but no need for both. A breast pump, if mom will be pumping. Breast milk storage bags. A gentle soap/shampoo (I like California Baby). Bath towels - although they can use regular towels, no need for special baby towels. Laundry detergent and another laundry basket or **hamper **- though most babies don’t need Dreft. Our hospital uses Tide, even for premie clothes and blankets. A Maya Wrap or other sling; can’t praise slings enough. **Burpcloths **- I like cloth diapers for this.
We tried three models of baby bathtubs with WhyBaby, and she hates all of 'em. Hates the bathtub, too. I very carefully, with dad’s help, simply take her under the shower head with me. Most kids love baths, however, and a tub is nice to have. Not essential, though.
**Stroller **- I didn’t get a big bulky stroller, 'cause I don’t want to carry one down three flights of stairs. OTOH, I don’t want the lightest umbrella stroller, 'cause I want places to put my stuff. The Capri Stroller fit the bill perfectly. It’s light, but lets me stash two or three plastic grocery bags worth of stuff under it. It even has little mesh sippered storage bags on the sides of the awning that double as water bottle holders.
Car Seat - I got a 3-in-1 so it’s the only car seat we’ll ever need. Since I have the Maya Wrap and the lightweight stroller, I don’t need a baby carrier type car seat - she’s either on me or being pushed by me. Those carriers will dislocate a shoulder so quickly - they’re heavy!
We never used the diaper genie and our house smelled fine. We just used plastic garbage cans with lids on them and it controlled the odor.
You can also do a cheapwomand diaper genie of just saving your plastic shopping bags and wrapping the stinko ones up in that before tossing.
Most diapers ( diareahea ones don’t count) will seal themselves up nicely so that they are essentially smell proof for a good week or under a heated area.
I would strongly recommend getting a good baby RX cabinet for that first cold and whatnot.
Other than that, what you will need the most is sleep.
Behold the wonder that is, The Megasaucer!
I second, third, fourth, and fifth the nasal aspirator (known fondly in this house as the “snot sucker”). But do NOT GO CHEAP here. A good quality aspirator is a MUST. Cheapos don’t work well, and fall apart with even minimal use. (I once needed one when my first child was sick and I got one from the doctor’s office. They added the cost to my visit fee–$8. It was worth every penny because it did a MUCH better job than the $2 one. That one didn’t suck much snot–it just sucked, period.)
I also have to second not buying newborn size diapers. In fact, I learned not to bother buying any till the baby was born–I’ll tell you why. My first child wore newborn size only in the hospital–I had to get size one right away, and give all my newborn size away. So the next time, I bought size ones, figuring that if they were too big, I could always use them later. HAH!! The kid weighed just over 12 pounds. And I don’t care what they say about weight on the bag, size one was TOO SMALL for him and I had to get size TWO as soon as we got out of the hospital. The third time, I just said, “Screw it,” and I got what I needed after she was born!
Brush–wait and see if the baby has hair. If Baby does, a brush is good not only for styling. It’ll be useful when washing her hair–especially if there’s any cradle cap.
Onesies–comfy and convenient, and they don’t ride up constantly!
One-piece sleepers. No need to worry if Baby sleeps uncovered! These come in both lightweight and heavy-duty fabrics, so they can be good for any temperature.
If you can afford one, I recommend a battery-operated swing–one with no overhead bar. No loud rewinding, and no struggling to get them in and out without hitting their heads (or yours!). And it gives you a little respite now and then.
And speaking of respite, a pacifier can be a big help, because I had one (baby, not pacifier!) that wanted to nurse constantly. The binky really was a sanity saver. Unfortunately, they don’t come with remote locators!
Congratulations! Hope you have a healthy and happy baby!
I found a food mill to be great once your baby is old enough to start in on regular food. I bought a bunch of the little “glad” containers (about the size of a baby food jar!) and froze my blended food in that. It was Waaaaaaaaayyyyy cheaper than store-bought baby food and I could make cool stuff like avocado (which she loved) that the stores didn’t have. Carrots, peas, bananas…you name it - plus you can make your own combinations too.
My daughter didn’t care for the bouncy seat or the swing at all. That was some hefty money wasted. It’s hard to tell before you know your baby’s temperament though.
I did like the “pack and play” - good for travelling to relatives’ houses for a handy crib - and if you get the kind with the changing table attachment - you’re all set for a place to change the kid! We just left the pack and play set up and used the changing table part until she was about 2.5 years old.
Oh yeah and of course you definitely NEED the car seat. Unless you don’t have a car that is…
And while I did use a diaper genie for almost two years, I got tired of having to clean it out. It gets NASTY - and you don’t only have to get the plastic refills, but you really have to disinfect the actual genie itself. P-U. I would get a small sized trash container and use the plastic grocery bags to tie up the poopy diapers in - then just take the trash out often enough (every 1-2 days) so it won’t smell. That works for us nowadays.
We used a pack-and-play type thing for our kids as their regular crib, after they graduated from the bassinet. The advantage was that they could have their own actual bed pretty much whereever we travelled. We also don’t have much space and it was nice to be able to take it down when we wanted some extra play area.
Ah, yes, the Snot Sucker. I always got by just fine with the one they gave me in the hospital; I don’t ever remember actually buying one.
You do need a Snot Sucker. It’s an essential!
(“Nasal Aspirator?” That must be what fancy rich people buy. 
Us regular folks just use a Snot Sucker.)
Why you young whipper snappers! All we HAD were tape closures, and they came loose all of the time, and we were glad to have 'em!
The Johnny Jump-up (it may go under another name now) was always my absolute FAVORITE must have (other than basic baby supplies of course). I can’t speak for all babies, but my mom says that my sister and I and all of our cousins loved it. My kids loved it too. Nice way to distract babies when you want a few minutes to yourself, but you can still keep an eye on the little one without having to hold or entertain them yourself.
Babyrian is five months old now, and I think a lot of what you need and want depends on where you live. I’m in a 1 bedroom apt, so a diaper genie is essential. But I just came back from a week with the grandparents in their house, and we just chucked dirty diapers in the regular old trash. In any case, a breastfed baby’s poop doesn’t smell much.
As for refills, I always find 'em for about $6 and they last about three weeks, which seems totally worth it to me.
Your stroller will depend on where in BC you live. Lower Mainland and you walk a lot? Then get yourself a nice job with inflatable tires (I have the Valco Runabout Deluxe, which came with a bassinet attachment. Last week Babyrian graduated to the ‘big-girl’ stroller.) If you’re in the interior and drive everywhere, than just get a universal adaptor for your car seat.
I think my diaper changing table is essential, but it’s not a table. I found a second-hand short dresser on craigslist for $30, then bought a high-edged changing pad to bolt on top. Throw a terry-cloth cover on it and you’re all set. Of course, I’m an apartment dweller, so I had to find a place for it-- which ended up being the closet next to my bathroom. With a couple doors gone (stashed behind the couch) there’s plenty of room for the dresser/table, and the clothes bar is perfect for suspending toys from, and for a hanging canvas shoe rack, which provides cubby holes for all the essentials that don’t go in drawers.
For everything else, YMMV. Babyrian goes through 3 bibs a day, but the money spent on pacifiers in different shapes and materials was a total waste. She’s a tiny one, so I’ve never had diapers that are too small for her (we prefer tape to velcro, BTW)-- but she was too small for her baby bjorn for almost a full month (I ended up tying my own slings out of my wife’s sarongs, and we recently bought a nice sling from Hotslings.com).
You’ll also be surprised by what people throw at you just because you have a baby. I’ve got a chest full of clothes that will fit the Hordling until she’s two, another basket full of toys she hasn’t seen.
What else? Oh, I’ve never used a baby monitor, because I’m in an apartment. That, and my kid really doesn’t like sleeping on her own during the day-- she insists on being carried while sleeping, which is causing some problems now that she’s started daycare. She also really loves being swaddled, but after a few weeks was able to kick her way out of a receiving blanket, which woke her up. The solution was the Amazing Miracle Blanket, which wraps her up like a burrito. She’s ever so happy in it
Bouncy chair? A friend gave us one, but all she does is sit in it without it being turned on. I could use her stroller for the same thing.
Babyrian prefers taking a shower with us to being in the bath, so our detachable shower head comes in very handy. Just turn on the water, bring down the hose, sit on the bathmat and grab her-- just remember to put her towel on the floor for when she’s done, so you can rinse off.
I tried using a snot sucker once, but it wasn’t that effective. I quickly found a much more efficient and disgusting solution, and have luckily only had to use it once.
When you are at the hospital, New Mom’s are usually loaded up with freebies from the various makers of Baby Crap Propaganda.
A Snot sucker sometimes is in this kit. If not, swipe one from the nurse. They don’t care, they have 78K in stock at all times.
Also, take as many freebies as you can. As for duplicates, be greedy. Chances are you will have a buttload of diaper coupons that are excellent in savings.