We are looking at baby stuff and want to hear the voices of experience. Is there an item, device, piece of equipment or specific brand of item that was so indispensable that you couldn't or wouldn't want to raise baby without it?
- Sling - absolutely a lifesaver during the first few months. I had a Peanut Shell ( www.goo-ga.com) but another popular one are Hot slings (www.hotslings.com)
Pickle only took a pacifier for a little while when she was an infant. we encouraged it because the didn't have an adequate sucking reflex when she was born so she needed to build it up. Anyway - i recommend buying a few different brands of pacifiers, as inconvenient as it is - they won't take all of them. Picky babies. Pickle would only take a soothie, must to the display of my mom who wanted to buy her all the cutesy Mam ones.
- Diapers obviously. Pampers Swaddlers are the way to go IMHO. Amazon.com has good prices on the big boxes.
- Wipes - Huggies all the way. The pampers wipes are greasy feeling to me and really thin. Huggies are thick and clean feeling.
- Playmat for "tummy time" and for laying on the floor
That's all I've got for now. I don't want to earn the "Longest Comment in the History of Blogger" award.
What we didn't need--a Boppy. Some people swear by it but we never found any use for it. I wholeheartedly second Erinbee's recommendation for a sling. There are tons of different varieties but SOMETHING so that you can wear your baby. Our girl liked the Bjorn once she could face outward but we also had a ring sling that daddy could instantly calm her in when she was little. Ours never would take a pacifier either, even though we tried about 4 different kinds. For diapers, we loved the Pampers Swaddlers, but I was too cheap to buy them on a regular basis. We've always used the Target brand diapers--work just as well and half the price. Also, the Target wipes are exactly like the Pampers Sensitive wipes and that's what I still buy. Personally, I hated the Huggies wipes!
I've probably got Erinbee beat for a long comment, but really, a sling and a loving mommy and daddy is all Baby Girl H will need!!!!
Disposable changing pads... they are usually bigger than the ones that come with diaper bags... plus that way you don't take any germs home with you...
Infant basket style carrier, but get an extra base for it so that you can mount one in each car... that way if you get caught in the rain, you won't be struggling trying to thread the seatbelt through the tiny little slots while getting soaked in a down pour...
Baby Einstein DVDs and a swing... this will help when you just need 5 minutes of time to yourself to sip your coffee or take a squat or whatever... which reminds me of the next suggestion...
Pillows... for you and Amanda... use them now... enjoy sleep while you can, the first several months will be very exciting and new... and a little sleep deprived
I liked the baby sling. Karen didn't seem to dig it as much as I did, but I was a fan. The Baby Bjorn was good too (we borrowed one -- they're uncheap).
Read Dr. Sears Father's First Steps. Nothing ground breaking, but it was affirming. Fatherhood comes with it's own doubts, no matter how well suited and prepared you might be, and this was just right (and a quick read).
I'll echo Karen and say, try all the cheap stuff (diapers, wipes, etc). Your l'enfant might not even notice the difference (ours didn't). And if they react or don't like it, go up-brand.
Re: carriers and bases -- we got a used carrier with three bases! Only two got used -- K's car and her mom's car (not mine - ha ha). You'll probably end up using one base between Amanda and you (seriously, after the strollers and crap are in one trunk, you aren't going to want to swap very often), and as many others as there are local grandparents...
One thing nobody else mentioned was a camera/video-camera... we don't shoot very much video, and we already regret it. I shoot most pictures (and video) on my cell phone; almost enough to justify bumping it up to a better model. When you're at the park, you likely have your cell phone on you, and I shoot a bunch of 30 second clips. When I bust out the full-DV camera, it ends up being 30 minutes that very few people are going to want to watch ever again... So each person's mileage will vary here, but have an idea what you want to capture, and figure out a way to get those pictures/video onto standard DVDs that you can share with grandparents (great-grandparents?)
I totally agree about the Boppy - but it doesn't matter what I say, Amanda is getting one at a shower. I occasionally use mine as an extra pillow while watching tv - but never used it with the baby really.
I actually came back on to recommend a good diaper bag. Skiphop makes a great diaper bag- that's really functional and man friendly. The best thing is that the shoulder strap snaps off and each side strap will go around a stroller handle. Very, very handy. But good even without that... unless you have your heart set on a giant Vera Bradley bag, Bryan.
And for Amanda - thenest.com has baby and parenting message boards and those women have product info out the wahzoo. I learned a lot about slings and baby carrying in general there.
I have a barely used (Pickle loathed it) Bjorn that you guys can have if you want one.
That's where my offers of free baby gear end. I always felt awkward when people would offer because I'm a snob and wanted to pick out my own stuff. But let me know when you guys make a list of anything you would consider getting used - if I have it, you can have it.
I'm NOT going to comment again on this post god damnit.
You will end up with a Boppy, don't worry, I too think that for some reason everyone gets one... it will make a great neck pillow for you or Amanda...
Chris is right about the camera/video... choose your level of need/want and go from there, but always have some sort of recording device within arms reach
Oh, the basket style carriers... get one that is compatible with your stroller (ours came as a complete set)... it will save you the worry of accidently waking the baby while trying to transfer from the car to the stroller for a trip to the mall or wherever...
a baby monitor with two receivers... one so you can listen in from the living room, and another so you can listen in from your bedroom... but you'll probably have plenty of time for this, both of our kids slept in a basinette in our room for close to six months...
-One important accessory not to be overlooked is a good mobile. We had a good one for Felix and an even better one for Ella. It doesn't have to be one that plays dozens of tunes just something that is both soothing and stimulating. It gives them something to focus on when going to sleep and provides something familiar when they wake up. There's nothing like the first time you hear your child wake up from their nap and they're chattering away at their "friends." Ella used to get so excited with hers.
-Another thing is a good stroller. Go out and get one of the SUV models, no they're not neccesary and they won't fit in your car so good, but they will offer your child comfort and a smooth ride. Ours even had shocks, it was the monstertruck version! Not to mention they are bigger so you'll be doing yourself a favor by not owning a compact model that you have to be all hunched over to operate. A big man like you needs comfort as well, besides you don't want to look like a sissy-man with a tiny stroller. Most fancy rides also are equiped with a joystick steering feature that is loads of fun. Ours I think came from Target. It had large wheels and was the whole carseat combo thing. The regular seat also folded down so Ella could nap and it had a nice storage space underneath. We had it I think when you guys were down and we went downtown.
-A good breast pump and lots of bottles. With Tara traveling from time to time I needed all the extra milk I could get. B, you don't want to be one-on-one with your baby and not have what she wants and needs. Your tits are still going to be bigger than Amandas are when they're full of milk, there's going to be a lot of confusion there. Stock your freezer with plenty of milk.
-Another thing that we found invaluable wasn't even a baby item...a radio. I know you guys aren't really music people, but get her used to hearing music. It's that soothing and stimulating thing again. Wether it's just having a classical or jazz station turned on lightly or rockin' out to whatever it is you might do that to, start enriching your childs mind early.
-Definitely a good playmat for tummy time. There are all differnt types that change into things like tents and tunnels and fun stuff like that. Some babys hate tummy time because it's such hard work for them. Felix was a monster at tummy time, it didn't help that half his weight was in that bowlingball sized head of his. Ella was ready to go with it though, I think it helped because we had a cool playmat for her though.
-Oh and the Boppy is a piece of shit. It's worthless. It probably makes for a better sex pillow than anything else. So there, if you get one put it to use on making number two.
A bouncy seat. All the boys loved it. You can put it anywhere. The seat would put them to sleep 9 times out of 10. They can just rock back and forth while you cook, clean, or whatever it is you do. Just strap them in and do your thing.
-I don't know if you can bouncy seats anymore. I think they must've popped free from the doorsills and whacked a few kids in the head. They were fun though, Felix had one and it was fun as heck to watch and I remember cracking up watching G35's sprout in his.
-Double echo on the diaper bag. My mother-in-law got ours for us and it was one of the most effed up looking things. I can't even describe it's black and white dumbness. I used a shoulder bag of Felix's. Something that came with a luggage set of his. Kinda like the pouch thingy Chewbacca wore only more of a crayola colored man/purse...it was still better than the M-I-L's poopy bag. Good call S-bux.
16 comments:
Jack Daniels
A infant sized Caps outfit and Jack Daniels.
- Swing
- Sling - absolutely a lifesaver during the first few months. I had a Peanut Shell ( www.goo-ga.com) but another popular one are Hot slings (www.hotslings.com)
Pickle only took a pacifier for a little while when she was an infant. we encouraged it because the didn't have an adequate sucking reflex when she was born so she needed to build it up. Anyway - i recommend buying a few different brands of pacifiers, as inconvenient as it is - they won't take all of them. Picky babies. Pickle would only take a soothie, must to the display of my mom who wanted to buy her all the cutesy Mam ones.
- Diapers obviously. Pampers Swaddlers are the way to go IMHO. Amazon.com has good prices on the big boxes.
- Wipes - Huggies all the way. The pampers wipes are greasy feeling to me and really thin. Huggies are thick and clean feeling.
- Playmat for "tummy time" and for laying on the floor
That's all I've got for now. I don't want to earn the "Longest Comment in the History of Blogger" award.
What we didn't need--a Boppy. Some people swear by it but we never found any use for it. I wholeheartedly second Erinbee's recommendation for a sling. There are tons of different varieties but SOMETHING so that you can wear your baby. Our girl liked the Bjorn once she could face outward but we also had a ring sling that daddy could instantly calm her in when she was little. Ours never would take a pacifier either, even though we tried about 4 different kinds. For diapers, we loved the Pampers Swaddlers, but I was too cheap to buy them on a regular basis. We've always used the Target brand diapers--work just as well and half the price. Also, the Target wipes are exactly like the Pampers Sensitive wipes and that's what I still buy. Personally, I hated the Huggies wipes!
I've probably got Erinbee beat for a long comment, but really, a sling and a loving mommy and daddy is all Baby Girl H will need!!!!
Disposable changing pads... they are usually bigger than the ones that come with diaper bags... plus that way you don't take any germs home with you...
Infant basket style carrier, but get an extra base for it so that you can mount one in each car... that way if you get caught in the rain, you won't be struggling trying to thread the seatbelt through the tiny little slots while getting soaked in a down pour...
Baby Einstein DVDs and a swing... this will help when you just need 5 minutes of time to yourself to sip your coffee or take a squat or whatever... which reminds me of the next suggestion...
Pillows... for you and Amanda... use them now... enjoy sleep while you can, the first several months will be very exciting and new... and a little sleep deprived
I liked the baby sling. Karen didn't seem to dig it as much as I did, but I was a fan. The Baby Bjorn was good too (we borrowed one -- they're uncheap).
Read Dr. Sears Father's First Steps. Nothing ground breaking, but it was affirming. Fatherhood comes with it's own doubts, no matter how well suited and prepared you might be, and this was just right (and a quick read).
I'll echo Karen and say, try all the cheap stuff (diapers, wipes, etc). Your l'enfant might not even notice the difference (ours didn't). And if they react or don't like it, go up-brand.
Re: carriers and bases -- we got a used carrier with three bases! Only two got used -- K's car and her mom's car (not mine - ha ha). You'll probably end up using one base between Amanda and you (seriously, after the strollers and crap are in one trunk, you aren't going to want to swap very often), and as many others as there are local grandparents...
One thing nobody else mentioned was a camera/video-camera... we don't shoot very much video, and we already regret it. I shoot most pictures (and video) on my cell phone; almost enough to justify bumping it up to a better model. When you're at the park, you likely have your cell phone on you, and I shoot a bunch of 30 second clips. When I bust out the full-DV camera, it ends up being 30 minutes that very few people are going to want to watch ever again... So each person's mileage will vary here, but have an idea what you want to capture, and figure out a way to get those pictures/video onto standard DVDs that you can share with grandparents (great-grandparents?)
[and I win the long-thread]
I had the world's longest response -- did it get lost in the ether? Damn you OpenID!!!
I totally agree about the Boppy - but it doesn't matter what I say, Amanda is getting one at a shower. I occasionally use mine as an extra pillow while watching tv - but never used it with the baby really.
I actually came back on to recommend a good diaper bag. Skiphop makes a great diaper bag- that's really functional and man friendly. The best thing is that the shoulder strap snaps off and each side strap will go around a stroller handle. Very, very handy. But good even without that... unless you have your heart set on a giant Vera Bradley bag, Bryan.
And for Amanda - thenest.com has baby and parenting message boards and those women have product info out the wahzoo. I learned a lot about slings and baby carrying in general there.
I have a barely used (Pickle loathed it) Bjorn that you guys can have if you want one.
That's where my offers of free baby gear end. I always felt awkward when people would offer because I'm a snob and wanted to pick out my own stuff. But let me know when you guys make a list of anything you would consider getting used - if I have it, you can have it.
I'm NOT going to comment again on this post god damnit.
You will end up with a Boppy, don't worry, I too think that for some reason everyone gets one... it will make a great neck pillow for you or Amanda...
Chris is right about the camera/video... choose your level of need/want and go from there, but always have some sort of recording device within arms reach
Oh, the basket style carriers... get one that is compatible with your stroller (ours came as a complete set)... it will save you the worry of accidently waking the baby while trying to transfer from the car to the stroller for a trip to the mall or wherever...
a baby monitor with two receivers... one so you can listen in from the living room, and another so you can listen in from your bedroom... but you'll probably have plenty of time for this, both of our kids slept in a basinette in our room for close to six months...
-One important accessory not to be overlooked is a good mobile. We had a good one for Felix and an even better one for Ella. It doesn't have to be one that plays dozens of tunes just something that is both soothing and stimulating. It gives them something to focus on when going to sleep and provides something familiar when they wake up. There's nothing like the first time you hear your child wake up from their nap and they're chattering away at their "friends." Ella used to get so excited with hers.
-Another thing is a good stroller. Go out and get one of the SUV models, no they're not neccesary and they won't fit in your car so good, but they will offer your child comfort and a smooth ride. Ours even had shocks, it was the monstertruck version! Not to mention they are bigger so you'll be doing yourself a favor by not owning a compact model that you have to be all hunched over to operate. A big man like you needs comfort as well, besides you don't want to look like a sissy-man with a tiny stroller. Most fancy rides also are equiped with a joystick steering feature that is loads of fun. Ours I think came from Target. It had large wheels and was the whole carseat combo thing. The regular seat also folded down so Ella could nap and it had a nice storage space underneath. We had it I think when you guys were down and we went downtown.
-A good breast pump and lots of bottles. With Tara traveling from time to time I needed all the extra milk I could get. B, you don't want to be one-on-one with your baby and not have what she wants and needs. Your tits are still going to be bigger than Amandas are when they're full of milk, there's going to be a lot of confusion there. Stock your freezer with plenty of milk.
-Another thing that we found invaluable wasn't even a baby item...a radio. I know you guys aren't really music people, but get her used to hearing music. It's that soothing and stimulating thing again. Wether it's just having a classical or jazz station turned on lightly or rockin' out to whatever it is you might do that to, start enriching your childs mind early.
-Definitely a good playmat for tummy time. There are all differnt types that change into things like tents and tunnels and fun stuff like that. Some babys hate tummy time because it's such hard work for them. Felix was a monster at tummy time, it didn't help that half his weight was in that bowlingball sized head of his.
Ella was ready to go with it though, I think it helped because we had a cool playmat for her though.
-Oh and the Boppy is a piece of shit. It's worthless. It probably makes for a better sex pillow than anything else. So there, if you get one put it to use on making number two.
A bouncy seat. All the boys loved it. You can put it anywhere. The seat would put them to sleep 9 times out of 10. They can just rock back and forth while you cook, clean, or whatever it is you do. Just strap them in and do your thing.
just want to echo some of the others
-- a good diaper bag; something that isn't too froo-froo, so it doesn't look stupid when Daddy carries it
-- and the radio; word up.
and throw in some Jack Daniels/Jim Beam for good measure...
Star Wars DVDs. They're never too young.
Of course I don't actually have a kid. But trust me anyway.
-I don't know if you can bouncy seats anymore. I think they must've popped free from the doorsills and whacked a few kids in the head. They were fun though, Felix had one and it was fun as heck to watch and I remember cracking up watching G35's sprout in his.
-Double echo on the diaper bag. My mother-in-law got ours for us and it was one of the most effed up looking things. I can't even describe it's black and white dumbness. I used a shoulder bag of Felix's. Something that came with a luggage set of his. Kinda like the pouch thingy Chewbacca wore only more of a crayola colored man/purse...it was still better than the M-I-L's poopy bag. Good call S-bux.
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