What do I need for this Baby? Good and Bad Gear Advice Needed

In My Humble Opinion
21

We used the brand name diapers and they worked. Pampers and Huggies –whichever one we had a coupon for.

Whilst experimenting with the various generic brands the one to avoid was the super cheap-o Diaper YZX or something. (I can’t for the life of me remember the exact name but it came in a white plastic wrap, had three letters in the name and was about a third cheaper than the brand name diapers.) These leaked something awful and I don’t even want to talk about blow outs. Didn’t even finish the package before reverting back to upper end name brand.

22

We were a Pampers Swaddler family. Nothing else worked. But I had friends who swore by Target brand diapers.

I also found that the baby nightgowns were a lot more convenient for changing in the middle of the night than pajamas. But really? I was such a slacker parent. My kids were NOT those teeny bundles you see in little Levis and polo shirts during the day and pajamas only at night. Snap-up onesies were round-the-clock wear most of the time in our house, at least until they were bigger.

23

Get some soy-based formula powder to keep on hand, just in case. Celtling had a bottle every night before bed (breastmilk digests quickly, so they wake up sooner) and still drinks it from a sippy-cup since she can’t have milk. The last thing youwant is to get into the place where you suden;y have to give a bottle instead of breast milk, then find out your shild can’t handle the cow-based stuff.

The chair lorene listed is the bomb. Celtling still sits in it to watch movies or Sesame Street. You may need to remove the dangly things at first, some newborns respond badly to noise or overstimulation of any kind. I got some quiet toys to velcro on and she loved those.

The swing is a must. Pay attention to the weight limits, the one I got went up to 35 lbs, and she still tries to use it. Don’t worry about the batteries/wall plug question, mine is still using the same D batteries we started with two years ago.

Cloth diapers. the disposables have a way of running out unexpectedly, and it’s always when there’s diarrhea, and it’s the middle of the night and . . . just get a couple dozen, you’ll use them all the time. You just can’t believe the number of cotton cloths you’ll go through in a day. Babies ooze various stuff from all sides, all the time.

Desinex Zinc diaper cream, or the Target equivalent. If sensitive skin runs in your family get the Target, it’s unscented. Most creams are about 12% Zinc oxide, Desinex is 40%.

Clotrimazole cream from the foot care aisle. Most babies pick up a yeast based diaper rash before they even leave the hospital. Use this stuff as your diaper cream for two days and it’s gone. Walmart’s own brand is the cheapest, and the biggest tube.

Clothes: Get six months, 12 months, and 18 months. Babies don’t need tailored clothing, and buying all the sizes is a huge expense. Get two packages of white tube socks all alike, you won’t have time for matching them up. (Walmart ones stay on well - get the six month ones to start.)

I got the Diaper Dekor and wouldn’t go any other way. You can refill it with white kitchen bags (I use the odor fighting ones) and it has a foot pedal. I really don’t know how anyone ever hold a baby safely while putting a diaper into a diaper genie.

Glider chair and ottoman. But don’t pay $1,000 for them. Get these: StokCraft_$139

Wearable blankets if you keep your house very cold, then get the fleece, otherwise stick with cotton. Babies don’t sleep well if they’re too hot, and it encourages diaper rash. Get the largest sized cotton ones, no need for this to be fitted.

Tracey Hoggs book: Secrets-Baby-Whisperer-Connect-Communicate perfect if you’re new to babies. Middle of the road, non-political, sensible and kind baby care advice.

24

Has anyone used one of those convertible cribsthat turns into a toddler bed, then a bigger bed?

They seem like they could be a good deal, but I’m curious if they hold up, and I know you need to buy other hardware to convert them to the larger sizes (though that would still be cheaper than buying a whole new bed).

ETA: the one I linked to is just an example of the type of crib I’m talking about, it’s a bit more expensive than most of the ones I’ve seen, though, so don’t use the price of that one as a baseline

25

Check your local laws on car seat requirements. Before we could leave the hospital with our daughter, someone had to go out to the car to see that we had a properly installed seat before they released her to us.

26

We have Graco travel stuff (car seat, stroller, pack n play). It all works well, but it’s really heavy. My mom bought a Baby Bjorn pack n play, and I can lift it with one hand. The Graco takes 2 hands.

We use the Air-Vent bottles (Playtex I think), and they work great.

We’ve only used our bottle warmer once. It’s easier to just hold the bottle in hot water running from the faucet for a few minutes (our baby will tolerate cold breast milk but not cold formula).

27

One thing that was invaluable to us:

A few stacks of the $5.99 washcloths from Target. Had three stacks at the changing table, one in the living room, and we used them all the time. They’re small, cheap and perfect for wiping.

Babies need a lot of wiping, as do their caregivers. :wink:

28

Don’t have the baby yet (due any day now), but I would repeat Baracus’s advice NOT to buy anything right now if you think you are going to have a baby shower. Definitely not clothes, at any rate – we have so many cute little pink things that we may have to recycle some as gifts. And I have organized a couple of baby showers (for other people, I mean!) where we bought a large “group gift” like a high chair or a car seat for the parents – this was great because they got something they really needed, and people could just contribute instead of having to go out and find their own gift.

Do you know anyone (at work, church, community, whatever) with kids who are a little older? We got a HUGE amount of stuff from relatives who are done having kids and didn’t want to keep around kid stuff anymore. People are usually really happy to let go of their baby stuff, because it takes up way too much space.

Also, thrift stores are your friend. There’s a lot of baby stuff that can be kind of nice and convenient to have, but crazy to buy new.

I think after the showers (I had two, and my sister bought me a car seat) and hand-me-downs, the only thing we actually bought new was breastfeeding stuff and more diapers. (And even then I got lanolin at the shower!)

lorene, my friends also swear by the baby nightgowns. Drain Bead, I am soo taking notes on that nighttime technique!

29

I wouldn’t bother. Remember, once the kid is old enough for his “big boy/girl bed”, they are likely to have ideas of their own on the issue - ours wanted nothing more to do with the crib, even converted, and said so. He associated it with being a “baby”, and many toddlers/young children don’t want stuff associated with baby-dom.

30

I can only tell you what has worked for both my kids. Yours will inevitably be different, but…

A bouncinette. I was given a crib, a co-sleeper, a bouncy seat and a swing for my kids to sleep in during their first days. I tried each one and none of them worked. But the bouncinette was home to my first for his first four months and the second (who is 10 weeks old Friday) since the first week. She’s so freaking tall, though, that her feet have already reached the end.

I also love the First Years Deluxe Fold & Go Diaper Kit. I use it in place of a diaper bag and, if I happen to need a bottle for expressed breast milk, I just toss the bottle in my purse. I have a large purse, so the Diaper Kit fits, too. I can fit extra wipes, a bag for old diapers, two extra diapers and a change of clothing in that thing, plus I don’t need an extra bag.

I strongly recommend a sling or baby carrier, too, though definitely try it on first. I have three and use one. Thankfully two of the three were gifts and the one I bought was not expensive. The one I use the most is a regular cloth sling, then the Baby Bjorn (which my daughter hates, but is more comfortable) and I’ve never used the Boppy sling I have. I used the cloth sling until my son was 18 months - it was a great replacement for a stroller while we were traveling in India.

When you get to high chairs and solids, or even before, if family meals are important to you, I strongly recommend a Space Saver high chair. That way they won’t be separate from the table and you don’t have to skirt a separate high chair. We have a pub-height table, so we also didn’t have to lean down to feed our son. Although our daughter has yet to start solids, she already sits at the dinner table with us in the evening (we rolled up two blankets and put one on either side of her head for support).

Things I’m glad I have but would consider optional include a changing table (you can stock it with everything), a running stroller (very smooth ride and I work out a lot, but you can’t use it until your baby can support his or her head well) and a baby bathtub (makes baths much less awkward). We rarely used our travel system stroller or umbrella stroller, but the travel system is useful when they’re really little. As soon as our son learned to walk, we had him do that and kept the sling in my purse and just popped him in that when he got tired.

I kind of wish I hadn’t gotten a diaper champ. We had a tendency to get very lazy about putting out the diaper trash, so we just use plastic grocery bags now and take them to the trash every morning. Our house doesn’t smell at all now (it helps that she’s breastfed exclusively, too - formula poops are much smellier, at least in my experience), though when we had the diaper champ it smelled like shit. Literally. But your mileage may vary, of course. If you’re not lazy like we are, it probably won’t make a difference.

Other than that, I would strongly recommend if you’re breastfeeding to learn the side-lying nursing position. Definitely master the other holds, but side-lying allows you to lay down while feeding your baby in the middle of the night. Your lactation consultant should be able to help you with that.

Also, keep an eye on your posture when you’re nursing and do core exercises if you can. Women have a tendency to hunch their shoulders when they breastfeed (unless they’re laying down), so that, combined with walking and carrying your baby, can do a number on your back.

I would wait to get a breast pump (if you need one sooner rather than later, they’ll let you use one at the hospital and will let you know on your way out where you can rent one) and most of the other big-ticket items until you start needing them, as suggested earlier. Also, I’d wait to get toys and, when you do, try them out on your baby at the store before you buy. I got my little girl a few toys and she cries whenever I show them to her. Some kids just don’t like 'em, I guess.

Another thing (or things) I’d wait to buy include stuff like special outfits. My son and daughter lived (or still live) in onesies and footed pajamas the first months of their lives. I was big on them wearing something they could sleep in at any time.

31

They’re invaluable in the middle of the night, or any other time when you’re completely sleep-deprived (heh…all the time). Nothing worse than stumbling through a change, snapping the onesie almost all the way up, and then realizing that you’ve misaligned the goddamned snaps.

A dissenting opinion—some kids are apprehensive about changing to a big bed and that can help ease the transition. See, all kids are different! We used one for my older child and then, because she was still in it, got a hand-me-down, non-convertible one for the second. He was actually in the crib wayyyyy too long, because going out and buying a whole new bed was too complex and expensive a proposition for us to manage when we had 2 toddlers running aournd making us nuts.

I’ve got to leave this thread. Now I want a baby.

32

Sure, that’s valid. You are right, all kids are different.

Another factor is that you are probably going to get rid of the convertable eventually to make way for a permanent bed, so the ability to convert isn’t really that much of a savings. We switched immediately to a ‘permanent’ bed, which had the advantage of being large enough to have mom or myself in it as well for cuddles or book-reading at bedtime.

33

This is what we did, too, but for different reasons. Our son thrashed so much in his sleep, he would bash into the sides of his crib and wake up three or four times a night. Finally, at 13 months, we moved him to the full-sized mattress that used to be on our guest bed. We just put it on the floor. His sleep improved drastically and we could lay in bed with him and read before bed.

34

Some of the convertibles convert to full-sized (double) beds - I’m thinking by the time we’d want one though, we might want a new bed anyway at that point though.

Ah well, I have plenty of time to think about it. Like others here, the kid’ll probably be in a bassinet of some sort for awhile before we even need a crib.

35

I know this is my hobbyhorse, but let me discuss breastfeeding for a minute.

It’s great that you are going to a class. My daughter came a bit early, so I missed my class, and my internal comment of “how hard could it be?” got answered! Also, please consider going to a La Leche League meeting while you’re pregnant. People often think you can’t go till you have a baby but they love having pregnant moms and specifically focus on their questions and concerns.

Related: you can get The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding to keep on hand. It’s a great resource.

Finally, I would say keeping formula and bottles in the house is risky. There will probably come a time at 3 a.m. when you feel exhausted and overwhelmed and your judgment is poor, and it seems like a good idea to just use that formula. That one bottle of formula changes the gut flora of the baby, risks messing with their latch, and reduces your milk supply, and perhaps most dangerous, undermines your confidence. Formula feeding instead of breastfeeding introduces a lot of health risks for your baby and for you, so it’s worth investing in protecting the breastfeeding relationship.

Also, formula-fed babies may sleep for longer intervals earlier, but I think the increased incidence of colds, ear infections, stomach upset, and diarrhea probably balance it out to be just as fatiguing!

Swaddling blankets are hugely helpful - get more than you think you need, because the baby will barf on them!

A sling or other cozy baby carrier was essential. It lets the baby feel secure and happy, while your hands are free. I’ve heard that slings, Moby wraps, and Ergos are better on your back than a Bjorn.

I like Dr. Sears’s The Baby Book useful. A good source of ideas and information.

We really liked our cosleeper, and later the Amby Baby bed was useful for a few months.

Other than that, I agree with waiting and seeing what works for you. Of course you need a safe sleeping place and a carseat, some diapers and some clothes. But the convenience items that really help vary from baby to baby. And going out shopping is a good way to get yourself out of your house once you’ve recovered from birth - it’s good for your mental state!

36

I appreciate the detailed breast feeding info, Cinnamon. My midwife has expressed concern that due to flat nipples (who knew?!) I might have problems, so I’m looking into all my options just in case.

I never would have thought a kid might not want to stay in a convertible crib, but that totally makes sense. Some kids want the “big kid” bed and not the baby bed.

I’ve heard a lot of advice on not going overboard trying to dress the baby up, and that makes tons of sense. How are the kimono-style clothes as compared to the nightgowns for bedtime?

I’m on Freecycle and keeping an eye on Craigslist as well for cheap/free items. Thankfully I have 3 sisters-in-law with older kids so I anticipate a good amount of hand me downs. The kid won’t be happy about that but our budget definitely will!

Also I have a feeling I’ll be using that phrase “I never would have thought…” a lot.

37

I promise your kid will not notice or care whether or not their stuff was used previously. :stuck_out_tongue:

38

I am 31 weeks pregnant with my second, and I suggest takeout menus and cash to go with them. And a baby can ruin up to eight outfits a day- I’m currently looking for as many zip up sleepers as possible. You have no idea how hard snaps are to do at 4:30 in the morning.

I also prefer things that fasten up the front, because usually if I was changing the kid, it’s because he was disgusting, and I don’t want to be dragging stuff over his head.

Lots of burp and cleanup cloths.

Tank tops/camisoles with elastic straps are cheaper than nursing shirts, and can be layered under anything that buttons or zips. I nursed for almost two years, and I have a lot of them.

39

The kind you can buy from cloth diaper specialty sites. They’re about $1.50 per cloth, but they’re so much better than any other burp cloth you can use.

This is a pretty good deal.

40

It is absolutely NOT the same thing. Not even close. The My Brest Friend is larger, made of firmer foam, and most importantly, has an adjustable belt that snaps around your waist, so you don’t have to constantly keep adjusting the pillow. You can even walk around the house while nursing with it on.