What is the minimum amount of baby gear you would need for the first 6 months I live in a tiny place!?
I’m having a baby boy in August and was wanting to know what is the least amount of baby gear I can get by with. My friends are throwing a shower and I’m not sure what to ask for because my space is so small. (350 sq. ft small!) Would it be worth buying a high end stroller that doubles as a bassinet? (peg perego space model) Give me your ideas! Thanks so much!
The absolute minimum amount of gear would be clothes and diapers… cloth if you want to go really minimalist.
Your baby can breastfeed, sleep in your bed, and you can carry her by foot everywhere.
:-p
That said, if you drive you’ll need a car seat and when your baby gets bigger you will probably want a sling or a baby wrap of some sort since your arms can get tired carrying the baby.
I have an arm’s reach co-sleeper and they make a mini sized one:
http://www.armsreach.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=cPath=3_6
I also like my fisher price papasan swing. One of those would come in handy and you can get mini ones as well.
I’d have a hard time asking my friends to get me a high end stroller- unless they were millionaires of course.
that sounds like a good idea!! youll also need a high chair – maybe one that could fold away? or lower down to be pushed under the table? i dont know much about babys but thought id put my 2 cents in
good luck!
I’d say get a travel system stroller/car seat set that way you have everything you need through toddler age.
As for a highchair, they make some that fold down to a very slim size, but I think folding and unfolding it every time would be a pain. They make the kind that strap into a normal dining room chair and they’re smaller. Also, if you don’t want to get a highchair right away you can just feed the baby in the car seat until he’s too big for it.
If he’s not going to sleep in your bed, I would opt for a pack n play sleep system. They’re much smaller (and cheaper) than cribs and can double as a play pen and travel bed. Some even have a built in fold away changing table. Very handy.
As far as a changing table goes, you could just use the top of a dresser you already have in your home.
That’s really all you NEED. If you want a swing, choose a table top travel swing so its small enough to put into the closet when you’re not using it. If you’re interested in a place to store the baby’s clothes separate from your own dresser, get one of those hanging sweater shelves that hang in your closet. The slots are definitely big enough for baby’s clothes and blankets and they run fairly cheap at target. Good luck!
would a crib fit if not just get a pack n play it’s larger than a bassinet but then you can use the playpen as a temp. crib after the bassinet part has been outgrown.
Car seat a must. If you don’t really need stroller or a travel system just get a light weight stroller. In the 1st few months while they aren’t too heavy a baby carrier works great.
Instead of getting a larger swing just get a small portable one like the Boppy portable swing.
I would look into a Pack and Play like this one
http://www.target.com/Graco-Newborn-Napper-Play-Melbourne/dp/B001F6ZT2M/qid=1243460810/ref=br_1_1/176-1201651-3127200?ie=UTF8&node=1041924&frombrowse=1&rh=&page=1
It has a changing table, a napper, bassinet and play yard function all in one. Plus it’s very lightweight and portable. It folds up into almost nothing which is great for small spaces and moving around.
As for other baby gear I’d say invest in a cloth sling or carrier like the Ergo for carrying around the infant and when s/he gets a little bigger get a good umbrella stroller since they fold up so well. The whole stroller/carseat systems are nice but they take up space since most of those strollers are monsters. Really you can just leave the seat in the car and use a sling when they’re up to 6 months. I had the stroller/carseat deal and I ended up hauling my son in a sling till he was 5-6 months since it was easier for me to navigate the market/shopping etc. I didn’t really use the stroller much outside of my daily walks around my neighborhood.
buy some clothes diapers a car seat (hospitals wont let u leave without one) and a bed . never sleep in the same bed as your child as you can suffacate it. im going through the same thing. having a baby boy in august with a small space but you need certain things
Clothes & Diapers, & wipes, rash ointment or cream and bottles if you plan to bottle feed. Maybe a pack n play if you dont want to sleep with baby a car seat unless you plan to ride the bus or walk home if you are close enough… a stroller
My son is 2 months old and hates hates hates the bassinet and bouncer. Screams his heas off. Only thing he likes is the swing. U shouls ask for a swing car seat and stroller
for the first six months you won’t need a baby stroller. use a baby sling, or something that attaches to the front of you when you and the baby’s dad go on walks. or get a stroller/car seat combo thing. those work great. we had those for both our boys.
use a pack n play as a crib. you can fold it up and put it out of the way when not in use. just tell your friends you need diapers (of course the correct size) wipes, lots of wipes, one piece jumpers, and of course gift cards. in case you don’t want to breast feed. there is allways something you might need.
good luck and congrats
I used this checklist, it was very helpful.
http://www.momskey.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51:what-to-buy-the-essentials&catid=37:preparing-for-baby&Itemid=98
have to haves: Something to sleep in I have the GRA-CO play area and it came with a bassinet pad to fit on top for when they’re first born.Plus if needed it can be folded up and thrown under a bed or in a closet. Don’t waist your money on a changing table a couch can do the same thing. And just clear your top drawer in your dresser for his/her clothes.
They won’t need a highchair until 4-6 months but when the time comes there are the kind that strap to your dining room chairs definite space saver. And in my opinion besides toys and maybe a walker that’s about all is needed
There’s a lot of “standard” stuff we are going to skip because we are full time RVers and have even more limited space than you
One is the stroller. I’m going to get a good sling or wrap (maybe both, lol) for the first few months, then probably an Ergo or Babyhawk carrier later and just wear the baby so we don’t have to try and find a place for a stroller. We can always get an el cheapo umbrella stroller later for that inbetween stage when they’re too big to carry for long but can’t walk very long either, you can definitely get away without one for the first six months though.
You also do not need a changing table. Just get one of those roll up changing pads and do it on the floor, or one of the stiff ones with a safety belt on it that you can use on a countertop.
You can also use a pack & play instead of a crib…or cosleep.
Minimal essentials are really a carseat, baby clothes, blankets, infant carrier, diapers and wipes, high chair, and maybe a few age-appropriate toys. I would opt for the small collapsible kind of high chair that hooks onto the table, takes up a lot less space and you can bring it to restaurants. If you are breastfeeding you can get away without bottles altogether, although you may want a pump & bottle set if you’re ever going to leave him with dad or a sitter.
Pretty much everything else is fluff. It’s nice to have a rocking chair but you can live without it. I would also highly recommend a nursing pillow like the Boppy or My Brest Friend and a play gym (soft mat you can put on the floor that has stuff hanging from above to play with) but again, you can live without them. Totally understand space being at a minimum, and you’d be surprised how much you can go without…people in other countries don’t buy 3/4 of the stuff we do and still manage.