I want to start the nursery and buying things but i keep being told by Friends not to buy anything because you will get tons at showers, but it seems scary to wait until your that close to buy it all?
So I'm calling all fellow Mothers to PLEASE HELP ME!!! help me to know what is important to buy and what you could live without, because i do know there are things out there that you don't really need need! but i want to get all the brands and things you all have loved! I searched online to find a baby needs list and i couldn't really find a good one (so if anyone has one let me know). Also i have been looking at all the breast pumps and i am LOST to know what electronic pump/brand is best!? what do you guys like?
what brands you like, what i need to have already, what i don't need or you have and didn't ever use.. anything you can think of would be nice!!
13 comments:
Don't even walk into Babies R Us or you will loose your mind. It's so overwhelming. But honestly just wait until after showers. I know that's so hard to do..but you will get a ton. It helps out a lot.
Breast pumps. I love Madela. They are the best...they don't hurt, really good quality. My sister in law has had hers for over 10 years. They come in a travel bag. They are pricey...but honestly so worth it. Especially if you plan on pumping.
You will need some sort of swing. It was a life saver for us. Swaddling blankets, lots of binkies cause I lose at least one a day. Bottle brush cleaner things, and a baby tub. Everything else is just an added bonus. If i think of anything else I will let ya know!
oh and a good diaper bag
i like the medela as well, totally worth it! i think everyone needs a big comfy rocking/reclining lazy-boy chair. the gliders are cute, and not as big but believe me you won't want to sleep in it. there are so many nights i sleep in my chair when i can't get a baby to calm down. diaper genies don't work. don't buy anything until after your showers! you will get TONS!! i wish i had a BOB stroller if you plan on running. but i can't afford it. i hate the chicco travel system..cute but to bulky.
You're right, there is so much to think about and purchase for your first baby. I don't think it's a bad idea to buy the bigger items, such as a crib, dresser, stroller, that sort of thing, now. Maybe you'll have family give you some of that, but most likely you'll pick it out. :) And I actually LOVE our diaper genie, it works perfectly and Ty's bedroom or my house never stinks. It is one of my favorite things, so I highly recommend it! Swings are great, but also a bouncer, just a simple seat for the baby. Some vibrate. They are a lifesaver when you need to set baby down to take a shower or get something done, and you can use it right away when they're little. Have fun! I loved baby shopping. :)
Hey Heather! I am so excited for you guys!!! Babies are so fun...
As for my list here is what I loved and needed:
Infant Motrin and Tylenol (use this before you go to the Dr for shots) I went through more of these than I thought was ever possible. The are a MUST!
We only bought Huggies. I don't really know why...we just did. I know lots of people buy wipes from COSTCO and Target always had the cheapest on everything...from diapers to wipes to formula...I don't know if that is still the case...it's been a while since I was in need of diapers!
Avent bottles. Loved them.
Swing of course, I agree with the Madela pump...pricy but worth every penny.
I agree with waiting until after your baby showers. You will get so much stuff. Register at Target and Babies R Us. Hopefully your gifts will be from those lists...
Also...stuff I didn't need:
Diaper Genie - I thought is was worthless.
Changing table - unless you change your baby there every time
Binkies - I stopped giving it to all my kids after 6 months old. No addiction and no stress taking it away later.
Store bought baby food - obviously this is later on, but seriously...make your own. WAY cheaper!
Good luck and I hope that helped!
So... Breast pump- if you are going to be pumping you must SPEND money on one I love my Medela and, i found out after i bought mine that some insurances will help pay.. so look into that, and i wouldnt buy one and open it until after you have baby- because so girls don't get milk in, but dont stress.. I wouldnt buy little stuff like clothes, bottles, lotions, etc. you will get that at showers. I started buyind diapers like half way threw pregnancy- you can always take them back if you get to many.. I would start buying crib, dresser, bedding. That's the pricey stuff if your buying new! Oh, you can never have enough recieving blankets (the bigger ones) and burp tags! lol
I'll think of more and let ya know:)
Don't over buy really! YOu GET TONZ from showers :)
Heath, I don't have a lot more to add to what everyone else said. We got the big items (crib, stoller, car seat) before the showers but then got tons of great stuff at the showers. I even got double of stuff so I could return some things to get what I didn't already have. I LOVE my medela pump and it's totally worth the money! Good luck trying to get everything ready! It's so fun when it's all put together but can be a little overwhelming. I'm going crazy right now because we are moving the two kids into one room to give the baby her own room and I just can't move fast enough(even though I have plenty of time still)
My top favorite things.. get a hands free pump if possible.. I loved my bouncers and the babies even slept in them for the first little while. I got a boppy.. I liked it but you could easily just use pillows, You need lansinoh breast pad and the gel ones. Huggies sensitive wipes are the best, my babies have never had a rash. I never got baby monitors..I promise if he cries you will hear it. Im so excited for you!!
Hey Heath! I would start buying the big stuff now (crib, carseat, etc.) it is way easier to put together and deal with and such before you have a big belly :)
The cheapest way to buy diapers (I prefer Huggies supremes) is from Amazon.com's subscribe and save program. It is 30% off, and cheaper than Walmart ever was even with a $2.50 off coupon. Let me know if have Q's because I LOVE the program.
I love love loved my carseat that attached right into my stroller. It was great. Also, get the carseat that goes until like 30 pounds and inches. It was great to be able to tote him around longer than 6 months.
I wish I would have bought a Medela pump, I've heard they are worth it and I will be buying one for the next kid!
Good luck! I am so excited for you! Can't wait to spoil this little guy!
I agree with Danielle, on the pump! Spend the money and get the Medella.. It's worth keeping your milk! (not only that, it's cheaper than buying formula for a year!)..
Love the Avent bottles.. or Dr. Brown's... (to me, they were worth the little extra!)
I love huggies brand diapers.. ya there are cheaper ones..but I love Huggies! (I used Luvs on my first and they were great for him.. my others were allergic!)
A MUST HAVE is Huggies wipes... the others just don't hold a string to them!
Choose wisely on your stroller.. If you want to go walking/running.. get one with durable wheels.. otherwise you will end up burning the cheaper ones.
Binkies: aAHHHH! every kid is different... and you will likely try a couple of different ones before you find one your little guy likes.. 2/3 of my kids liked the MAM.... the other was a Nuk. (or he may not take one very well at all..)
I L..O..V..E.. my Cradle Swing.. (swings both ways.. got it at Target.... Nature's choice or something.. it was the more expensive one!.. not the rain forest one..)
You will definitely want a bouncer too.. I got one that had a "thingy ma-jiggy" on it too so they can play with it, and it VIBRATES... love that part of it! So soothing!
I wouldn't worry so much about enough clothes, wash cloths, burp rags, lotion, soap, until after the shower.. these are things you will get the most of.
Lotion/Soap... I love the AVEENO baby soap and lotion. My last one was allergic to the Johnson's (though I love their smell!)..
Good luck with everything!
~chelsie~
Hey Heather,
I agree with a lot of what has already been said, however I do have a little more to offer. I didn't end up buying a new crib I was able to get one from my cousin that got it from a yard sale. My aunt bought me a swing and my ward friends bought me a highchair. If you are going to get a swing from Babies R Us I would recommend that you DO NOT get the Graco brand. The motor only lasts about 6 months and then you have to order a new one. Which works cause its still under warranty but if you want to use it past a year then you should buy the extended warranty or better yet don't get that brand. Both me and my sister got that brand and we both had the same problem. She had to buy a new one for her new baby and it seems to work very well. I will Have to find out what brand it is and let you know. The Madela breast pump is the way to go. Amber has one and that was what I used so I don't know how expensive it is but I do know that if you buy the Madela bra pads that they are like ten bucks a box. And you go through those like crazy! I would say that if you are inviting close neighbors and friends to your showers that you will probably be able to get a lot of the bigger stuff. I did buy the Chicco travel system, and I have no problem with it. If you do get the Chicco system I would be sure to get an extra base to put in your other car so you won't have to change it around all the time. It isn't that big of a deal but it does make it nice not to have to go through the hassle of changing it around all the time. My mom bought me a changing table but I never used it. Its just so much easier to just change her on my bed. I don't have a diaper genie I don't think they are worth having. You have to continue to buy the inserts and its just easier for me to use a grocery bag and then take it out when it's full. You won't even have to worry about it being stinky for the first six or so months anyway. I would also make sure that you get a Pack 'n Play. You won't need a bassinet if you have a Pack'n Play. They come in handy if you need to travel out of state or what ever and don't have anywhere for him to sleep and don't want him in bed with you. The bottles I used were Avent and also that was the type of binki I used. Bailee didn't take a binki or bottle until she was nine months old.
She only took a binki for about two or three months and then decided that she didn't want it anymore. Diapers and formula I got at Costco. I used Huggies diapers and The Costco brand of formula. I actually prefer Enfamil but it is the most expensive. They also have travel size packs that were great for church or if you are out shopping or somewhere in public and you don't want to go nurse or take your big tub of formula. I would just buy those at the grocery store and I would get coupons in the mail for formula which was great cause it is expensive stuff. So if you start to get coupons for formula, even though you aren't going to use it right away I would buy it and get stocked up. They come like checks written to you. I would guess that when you register somewhere it signs you up automatically to receive special bonuses. The bouncy chair is also a great idea and you will want a boppy for nursing! They are fantastic! If you register at Babies R Us they will give you a booklet that has a list of different items you will need and different catagories. You can go through that list and decied what to register for. I would say register for everything. Cause if after all your baby showers you didn't get something that you really need then you can go and get it for a discounted price but only if it is on your registry. I would also be sure to get a good baby monitor! My house is so small that all you could hear was static and then when she woke up you could hear her too, but you aren't supposed to be able to hear static. Actually when we would take her and put her down at say my Mother-In-Laws it would work just fine cause it wasn't such a small home to go through. I think you will be a great mother and I am so excited for you! If you need any other advice you can call me or send me an email. landerson2005@hotmail.com. Love you tons and good luck with everything! Love Lacey
P.S. The brand of highchair that I got is Evenflo.
She only took a binki for about two or three months and then decided that she didn't want it anymore. Diapers and formula I got at Costco. I used Huggies diapers and The Costco brand of formula. I actually prefer Enfamil but it is the most expensive. They also have travel size packs that were great for church or if you are out shopping or somewhere in public and you don't want to go nurse or take your big tub of formula. I would just buy those at the grocery store and I would get coupons in the mail for formula which was great cause it is expensive stuff. So if you start to get coupons for formula, even though you aren't going to use it right away I would buy it and get stocked up. They come like checks written to you. I would guess that when you register somewhere it signs you up automatically to receive special bonuses. The bouncy chair is also a great idea and you will want a boppy for nursing! They are fantastic! If you register at Babies R Us they will give you a booklet that has a list of different items you will need and different catagories. You can go through that list and decied what to register for. I would say register for everything. Cause if after all your baby showers you didn't get something that you really need then you can go and get it for a discounted price but only if it is on your registry. I would also be sure to get a good baby monitor! My house is so small that all you could hear was static and then when she woke up you could hear her too, but you aren't supposed to be able to hear static. Actually when we would take her and put her down at say my Mother-In-Laws it would work just fine cause it wasn't such a small home to go through. I think you will be a great mother and I am so excited for you! If you need any other advice you can call me or send me an email. landerson2005@hotmail.com. Love you tons and good luck with everything! Love Lacey
P.S. The brand of highchair that I got is Evenflo.
I got our crib used and have loved it. For a changing table, I just put a changing pad on top of a dresser (which was actually mine growing up- I just changed the hardware).
In my old house where the baby's room was upstairs and I was downstairs all of the time, I just had a baby changing spot by my linen closet right off the family room. I kept the diapers/wipes and a foldable changing pad in there and it worked great!
You don't really need crib bedding beyond sheets, but having a bumper/dust ruffle is really cute!
A lot of people put the baby in the crib from day 1 because the baby keeps them awake with all of their sounds.
If you're going to have them in your room, I recommend getting an arm's reach co-sleeper over a pack n play with bassinet. It hurts your arms to reach into the pack n play. The cosleeper still gives your baby a place of their own not in your bed, but the side closest to your bed drops down so that it's surface becomes an extension of your bed and thus, doesn't hurt your arms reaching in to get the baby and put the baby out. You just have to slide the baby over.
When you're done using it in your room, it can be used as a pack n play.
We got a combo bouncy seat/swing and love it.
something like this: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2845527
or this:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fisher-Price-Smart-Stages-3-in-1-Rocker-Swing-My-Little-Eye-Collection/12960799?sourceid=1500000000000003260330&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=12960799
or you could get a graco carseat and this:
http://www.amazon.com/Graco-SnugGlider-Swing-SnugRide-Infant/dp/B000M4K4BY
For bouncing, you can sit on an exercise ball.
Stroller wise, I would recommend getting a light weight stroller that is a step up from an umbrella stroller (so it reclines and has a canopy). You can get these for under $100. I have always been really glad that I don't have a big travel system. The car seat didn't hook on, but that wasn't ever that big of a deal.
If you want to do the baby wearing thing, I love my Baby K'Tan. It is awesome. I also liked having a mei tai and since that has long straps, Jon could wear it too (which was nice when Kaitlyn was only happy in the mei tai). Once Kaitlyn could sit, I've preferred just a basic pocket sling (which are SUPER easy to make. Don't pay more than $20 for one).
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