What baby gear could you not live without?
Everytime I go round someone’s house, or I look in a catalogue I see something and I’m like wow, that would have made my life easier when my daughter was a baby. Now that I am pregnant with no.2 I want to learn about any other baby products that is not overly expensive but might make my life easier.
So what baby products, baby gear from feeding, to bathtime, walks, teething………..anything……..do you really love and you couldn’t do without?
My boppy was a big one. Breastfeeding definitely wasn’t easy for the two of us…the boppy saved us!
And my sasha wrap. I can wear my daughter easily,comfortably, and safely. I love it.
My breasts are essential.
Also, I have a Graco MetroLite stroller that I love.
My Mei Tei style baby carrier.
That’s it, that’s all I need, and I have two.
Sling, nursing bra, receiving blanket (works as a light blanket, bath towel, makeshift cloth diaper if out for the day and don’t have enough diapers, burp cloth, etc), baby socks (to use as socks or mittens when nails are too long) baby glider.
My mei tai carrier that I made. I make a new one each month just because I want a new design, lol. But it’s so wonderful to carry my daughter next to me.
A swing, don’t know what i would have done without one. Thats about the only thing i can think of.
My boppy and sling
boppy
swing that went in both directions – side to side and back and forth
other than that everything else was just extra
Baby carrier!
my sons glider its how i got him to sleep so well as a newborn
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2265136
im in love with this thing but now hes six months and getting way to big for it but still loves sleeping in it
and a swing
video baby monitors (they are pricey)
but the glider is a night time life saver
I couldn’t be without the baby carrier. I have a baby bjorn one that works great. It’s easy to clean so if she spits up or spills anything it will just wipe off. It’s also really strong so no matter how much she wiggles around, I know she’s safe.
I use it mostly for when I’m cleaning. It can be so hard having to watch what she’s doing and cleaning at the same time so by putting her round my neck I can keep her out of trouble and get on with the chores.
http://www.bambinodirect.co.uk/details2.asp?ProductID=971&name=baby-bjorn-baby-carrier-original-spirit.html
That’s what I have. It’s a little more expensive, but it’s so worth it. The first on I had used to fray awfully and stains got stuck on. With this one, it’s sturdy and easy-to-clean.
Good luck, and congrats!
i had a baby carrier, it walk like a front backpack. i loved it because i was already used to carrying his weight on my stomach, and i was a hard-core pedestrian. i also had a baby-size vibrating rocker. it was either playskool or fisher price. i would put him in that if he was gassy, and rock him right to sleep. he used to take his naps right next to wherever i was. the other miracle product if you’re using disposable diapers, is the little plastic bags that you put the dirties in and the odor is gone. dont waste your monet on a diaper genie or anything. they’re at dollar stores everywhere. they’re called diaper disposal bags, they should be 100 for a dollar. the ones i get have a sheep on the box… good luck!
Here are some things that made my life easier when my Daughter was a baby:
Baby Glider- Its like a seat she sat in that glides back and forth…She loved it, it would put her to sleep almost everytime.
Activity Center- It was kind of like a walker, but it went in circles so she could play with all the toys on the activity center…She could play in this thing for hours….
Playpen- This thing was a lifesaver when I really needed to clean and needed both my hands! Loved it!
Here are the links for the Glider and Actvity Center:
http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?e=product&pid=35538&st=2002
http://www.brightstarts.com/BSSub14x53x1x6798.aspx
Funny, never got into the boppy. Thought it was because I was BFing. Had that and my Brest Friend. Used it for about 2 weeks.
The good ones: My nursing stool. My breast pump!. Baby Bjorn. Used it around the house, and baby LOVED the ride.
Now (10 mo baby boy) I use the exersaucer daily.
A sling!!
I love my pack-n-play. I used it as a bassinet in my bedroom when my daughter was a new-born, then we moved it to our family room, so she could lay down while taking a cat-nap. Now we keep it folded up and ready to go. We take it whenever we go to someone’s house, she naps well in it! My daughter is going to be 2 next month, and this is the one item that i have used continuously since she was born. It will be a sad day when she outgrows it (or learns how to climb out!).
i`m only 12 but my mom has like 5 hundred kids so i think a feeding chair, a bum-boo and a little ting it is mesh net with a little handle on it you can put things like taco meat in it even if they dont have teeth it is so cool these things will help you out a lot my mom got most of these things at resale shops (exept the feeder thing) and all together it was like a little less than a hundred dollars i hope this helps
diapers
Apart from all the flash stuff everyone is mentioning I would like to give Props to baby wipes – ingenius!
Not only for baby but for anything that needs a wipe!
I have wasted thousands of dollars on stuff for my girls I’ll listed as many things as I can think of that makes life a lot easier with bub
1) a baby sling or carrier is great for the first 3 to 4 months then you don’t have to worry about carrying the baby and pushing the pram through the shops which I found out was always the case when I put my daughter in the pram ,so definitely can’t live with a baby carrier plus it saves room in the car for the shopping.
2)buy a smaller pram rather than the big bulky one as the bigger prams a really heavy and take up a lot of room in the car not to mention a nightmare going through shopping isles,oh and don’t get a pram with inflatable wheels you’ll regret it!!!
3)car bottle warmers a waste of money, your better off taking a bag with boiled hot water bottles in them and have a few cooled bottles in there so it will warm up with just perfectly with the hot bottles .
4) if you formula feed your baby they have this great little container which has3 to 4 sections in them so you can put just the right amount of formula in them ,it ensure your baby for a fresh feed every time or even a Tupperware container with a necessary amount of formula will work just as well .
5) you can get these little scented plastic bags that work wonders on dirty nappies and if you can’t find them just get a bin with a lid and have a ambi pure scent spray that sprays a little bit of scent every so often which kills the smell
6)bouncers a okay but they don’t really last more than 9 months and the swings a pretty small too,probably best sticking to a high chair that reclines
7)clothing :well I know it’s cute to dress bub up in the latest fashions but grow suits makes life a lot easier for the first 9 months probably better off getting a few good outfits for special occasions rather than dressing bub up in a million clothes that roll up or fall down all the time.
8)socks and shoes;buy the same color and make socks as loosing them is inevitable and shoes well personally I think it’s silly people putting shoes on a baby they pretty much lay down most of the time,you would sleep in your shoes plus it’s better for baby’s feet to grow without restrictions,plus shoes a expensive and there never gonna walk in them when there babies .
9) toys:some people go over the top with toys push away the soft fluffy toys and get toys that a educational and stimulating for bub it’s okay a few fluffy toys but know when too much is enough regardless how cute they are.
10)bedding:avoid bumpers there dangerous it cuts off the air flow plus it’s not advised by the SIDS counsel and NO toys in the bubs bed either ,also a cot is better than a bassinette or cradle as bub grows out then within 4 months
11)nipple protectors (for you )I found that it doesn’t make much differences just another thing to wash up
12)car seats that pull out a okay but the baby grows out of them pretty fast so try to go for one that last up to 2 to 3 years
13) I don’t know if you heard of these there called snug as bug there like a baby wrap don’t use them the baby swims in them there huge and too much of the wrap can cover the baby’s face
14)if you get cloth nappies and aren’t planning to use them there great to use as a chuck towel or even putting under the highchair avoids getting food every where.
15) you can’t live out a night light the ones that plug into wall it’s just enough to check on bub
16)teething: Gummy dummy and bonjella great for easing the pain of teething .
17) avoid putting baby powder on bubs bottom it causes nappy rash and chafing ,if bub gets nappy rash you can’t live without this stuff it’s gold it’s called Sudocrem Nappy Rash Cream it’s amazing stuff
18)don’t buy a nail set doctors don’t advise cutting baby’s nails you can gently peel them after a bath
19)back to clothing I forgot to mention don’t buy too many 000 clothing bub will grow out of them fast than they can wear it get a few 00 clothing bub will fit in them in no time
20)buy only cloth type nappy covers the plastic ones a uncomfortable and a pain to wash
21) mattress protectors have at least 2 mattress protectors that way if ones in the wash you a spare one oh and make sure it’s the fitted mattress protector the rope ones a dangerous and annoying to use
I hope this has helped if you need any more advise I’m happy to help
take care