My Top Five:
Rocker/Glider
I am personally a rocker. I love to be sitting in a living room and rocking. Always have. I knew I wanted to rock all my babies. Before LilE was born we took a night, went to Babies R Us and tried out ALL the chairs before selecting the perfect one for us. It is a Shermag Glider. It is over sized which is perfect for breastfeeding. It is nice and roomy and I have never felt crowded. LilE and I still sit cuddle in it together everyday! And the ottoman is great for propping up your feet while feeding/relaxing.
Carrier
Hands free is the best way to go! I loved my BabyBjorn! We love being outdoors and hands free. Plus carriers keep the baby close to you, which is where they desire to be. This was a great option for us. Plus, the Bjorn we have has a lumbar support which helps with Daddy's not so great back. Next time I would love to try out a sling/wrap of some sort.Pump
Twenty-four hours after delivery the nurses had me open up the Medela Pump in Style to help my milk come in. I was producing milk before I left the hospital on day 2! It was great! (I think I missed my calling as a wet nurse.) I loved having the ability to pump and allow Daddy, family, and baby sitters to feed my child. It allows for others to bond with her. Having a pump helped speed up the process while I worked one day a week instead of using a hand pump. I also produced so much milk that my child was a definite spitter! The pediatrician had me pump before I nursed her to allow her to receive the hind milk.
Bouncy Seat
We got a pretty fancy bouncy seat. We started off with simple pieces to it--the vibration. As she got older we added the music and then the overhead mobile. It was great having a place where she could sit (and not be on the floor) and play while we ate dinner, showered, etc. A swing could also go here, but my girl and the swing produced a large mess when they got together. I didn't like doing that much laundry.
Positioner
Newborns can roll. Never knew it before children, but they don't just lay there stiff! When she would sleep in her crib, we would swaddle her up and place her in the positioner, then wrap another receiving blanket tight around her, tucked under the positioner. It kept her snug and warm.
My Wish List:
What I will register for next time
Pack-n-Play
We have a small house, why would I need a pack-n-play? Playtime, late night at friends' houses, over nights at the lake, friends spending the night. What was I thinking?
Video Monitor
We have the regular monitor and still use it. How many times have I walked in after an hour of silence and found my precious still awake. Yikes! And now that she is 2 1/2 I would love to see what she is doing in there as she laughs and giggles for 45 minutes before falling asleep every night. I bet it is quite a show!
Umbrella Stroller
We have the big mamma stroller that came with the car carrier, but now that she is older I would love to have something more compact. I hear the Maclaren is the best. Any advice on what is the best one for your money?
Bag
I had over the shoulder bags. I constantly felt like I was in a battle with the bag and losing. I have seen several people with this Columbia bag and they love it. I have contemplated buying one to have next time before it goes off the market.Remember- leave a comment about your must-haves for baby to enter our give-away for a $15 Toys/Babies R Us gift card!
I have never found a diaper bag I love. I like the Columbia one though. I'll have to check it out, someday!
ReplyDeleteThere are two things we can't do without in our house.
ReplyDelete1 - The Soothie pacifier. We were given a handful of different styles and he refuses them all except for the Soothie.
2 - The 10 second digital rectal thermometer. I took his temperature multiple times in the first few weeks of his life. It was great to have a dependable thermometer to put my mind at ease. And the 10 second kind made it tolerable for both of us.
It's funny what some people find essential and others find useless. The only things on your list I've found necessary are the bouncy seat and pack n' play. With each child I'm finding that more and more of the baby stuff really just isn't needed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Memarie... my list would be very differnt than yours!! Being different is what makes the world go around! :O)
ReplyDeleteI've had 2 kids, the youngest is now 4. The easiest way for me to describe my "must haves" are the things that I used for both kids.
ReplyDelete1) Stroller/pram. I had a stroller that the arm switched from pushing behind the stroller to the front. This way I could keep baby out of the sun and he/she could see me if needed. It collapsed easily. I even made my hubby take all the strollers down at toys r us until I found the one that was easy for me to use.
2) Trash can. No diaper pails. No special bags. I kept a trash can outside the house for the poopies and a little can in the room that I changed each night for the wet diapers.
3) Monitor, plain and simple.
4) Dishwasher. I made my hubby buy one and put it in the house. It gets hot enough to sterilize the bottles and gets them clean too.
5) A microwave worked just fine to heat bottles. Just shake them well before you give to baby.
6) Bouncy Seat.
7) Pack n Play.
8) Diaper Duck. This little thing holds trash bags convniently for on the go smelly diapers. And after diaper stage they make nice trash bags for bigger kids. I recently went looking for mine and found them all in my hubby's car. :P
I will caution you on using the microwave to heat bottles--obviously the hot spots, which is why you said to shake well. But the microwave will also break down enzymes in the breast milk! As for formula, it is up for debate about the nutrients.
ReplyDeleteI've got most of the things on your list--including the video monitor thanks to my in-laws. I hear it's great! I haven't gotten a diaper bag yet and am thinking about just carrying a backpack until I find something I like...especially since we don't know if it's a girl or boy yet!
ReplyDeleteI really need a baby sling - with two other little ones around the house, there's just not enough hands!
ReplyDeleteWe love the Snack Trap from Babies r Us. Once our daughter started eating Cheerios, I can pass this back to her and not worry about cereal all over the car. Suzanne Lair
ReplyDeleteI have two must haves. My first baby is 11 months old and I still use both of these on a daily basis.
ReplyDelete1) Dimmer switch in the nursery. They can be found at Lowe's or the like for under 20$. No bright lamp, or not enough light in the right spot from the cracked door etc. Easy to install. My husband did it in about 5 minutes...and he's no electrician! =)
2) Nursing tanks. Can be found many places but are least expensive at Target etc. I sleep in one every single night. It was great when I was up and down when he was itty bitty and now that we only nurse twice a day, I still wear it to sleep in and don't change out of it until he's had his breakfast the next morning.
My all time favorite that I could not have lived without is my swing. My daughter loved it and it was a life saver. I had one that your could change the swing motion - side to side (my favorite) or back and forth. It also had a musical mobile which she loved.
ReplyDeleteMy two must-have, will die without items are:
ReplyDeleteNursing Tanks (love love love them - have some for sleeping and some for during the day)
and
Moby Baby Wrap. I use this EVERYWHERE...out and about, around the house, shopping, at church.
www.mobywrap.com
Baby sling for hands free baby carrying!
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit of a larger item, but I absolutely couldn't have lived without exersaucers when I had my twins. They lived in them from about 4-10 months old. :)
ReplyDeleteA good, light weight blanket (or several)
That's all that comes to mind for me.
The one thing I could not have survived early motherhood without is the swing. My daughter used to sleep all night in that thing. Maybe I shouldn't admit to that, but I chose sleep! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteJaneen
sccrkid85@yahoo.com
I would have to say the one thing i could not live without is the exercauser. My daughter loves hers she is in it quite frequently so i can actually get things done around the house.
ReplyDeletemellowyellow5619@yahoo.com
The pump and boppy are must-haves for any new baby!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for offering this contest!
grnmtngirl
mariettaseller(at)yahoo(dot)com
What I thought were must haves my son did not seem to agree with. I of course registered for a bouncy seat, a handsfree carrier, and a swing. He did not like any of those three things! He loved his floor playmat and his exersaucer the most! If they could only tell you what your baby will want before you buy it!
ReplyDeleteAll six of ours have been different in what they liked and didn't like. I am sure the new one will be the same way.
ReplyDeleteA few things that were lifesavers with all of them were:
a bouncy seat,
a cradle beside my bed, and
a great nursing night shirt.
The one thing I really want this time is a glider. Makes breastfeeding so much nicer! :)
My must-haves were the Bumbo seat (he LOVED it!) and the Boppy pillow. We got our money's worth out of those two and more!
ReplyDeletei just bought the chicco umbrella stroller for my 6 mo old it has a 5 point harness and reclines a bit she is a good sitter so she is quite comfy in it. with my son we had a bigger stroller and it was a pain in the butt! i also LOVE my hottsling
ReplyDeleteWe definitely used the bouncy seat a lot. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway. Our baby-must-have is Ergo Baby Carrier. The best carrier in our view.
ReplyDeleteI've also subscribed to you! =)
anncsu.biz @ gmail dot com
My must haves when I had my son were the stroller, the pack-n-play, the bouncy seat, the Boppy pillow, and the Baby Bjorn.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the opportunity to win!
Jen
jenbrookern@hotmail.com
My must have was a good breastpump - it is hard to continue breastfeeding as a working mom, but a good pump helps a lot. I also love relaxing in my glider.
ReplyDeletekelly_renee(at)hotmail(dot)com
1) assortment of child proofing items
ReplyDelete2) boppy pillow
3) reclining bouncy seat
4) bumbo seat
5) safe and secure sleep positioner
Having four very mobile children, most of the standard must-haves were really a waste of money for us, since the kids were done with them within a couple of months. My must-have baby items are: dad (I couldn't survive without the help!), a good, sturdy baby gate, and a sit-n-stand stroller.
ReplyDeleteI love having a rocker/glider. I still rock my 2.5 yo before bed.
ReplyDeleteI loved having a bouncy seat and swing. Some kids like one more than the other, so I don't know if you can say one or the other is a must have. It depends on how much room you have, too.
We started out with just a pack-n-play (no crib). We had a small apartment and our son was in our room with us for a few months. It has been very useful for traveling even recently.
My five fav things for baby were:
ReplyDelete1. a hands free sling--used it all the time. even wore it to the store to go grocery shopping. it was easier to wear that than trying to balance the car seat in the cart.
2. swing. both my girls LOVED the swing.
3. changing table. maybe sounds funny, but i love my changing table. i have a fairly simple one, but with baskets all underneath, it just keeps everything so nice and neat.
4. baby hangars. makes things so much easier than trying to stretch their little clothes to fit around a regular size hanger.
5. exersaucer. my girls both started sitting in one of these very early. i used blankets to prop them up and they both seemed to really enjoy it.
last but not least, don't forget to check garage sales for things before buying new. you can really save $$$ on a lot of your big price items. a little scrubbing and they can be looking brand new!
Thanks for the awesome give away!!!
The pack-n-play and the swing were my two must haves. I have vowed not to ever give away the pack-n-play and even bought one at a garage sale for my mom to keep at her house. There have been so many times when a friend needs me to watch her kids and runs late or I pick them up because of emergency room visits with siblings, and not a problem I have a place for baby to sleep. When mine were little I kept it in the car, just in case!
ReplyDeleteI had two boys and the top two things for me was a simple monitor (no video, only sound) and a simple bouncy seat with vibration. I swear by these two things. You can improvise/make do on so many other things, but you HAVE to have both of these.
ReplyDeleteI love our Skip Hop diaper bag & our Maclaren stroller. I also loved my boppy.
ReplyDeleteAny toy that is black, white, and red since it is best for babies developmentally than the cute stuff.
ReplyDeleteAMEN to the rocker; I slept in mine many a night with our colicky daughter! Also, "when I grow up" I want to be a baby rocker. You know, volunteer at the hospital to just sit and rock the babies. Ahhh, Heaven. Blessings, Whitney
ReplyDeleteSwings and bouncy seats tend to be short-lived for our babies, since both were near 10 pounds at birth...ouch!
ReplyDeleteIf you get a swing, find one that plugs into the wall. The battery-operated kind are constantly running low (even with smaller babies!)
I L-O-V-E-D my nursing drape and my Moby wrap. I would recommend the woven wrap, not the stretchy kind. It distributes the weight over BOTH shoulders AND around your waist very evenly.
I had an Arm's Reach Mini...those don't last long. A Pack-n-Play will take you all the way through the first year and a half, at least. AND most of them come with the diaper change table attachment and a smaller infant bed attachment.
About Diaper Bags: I'm addicted to these! I love having a variety of bags. The key is to find a nice, small bag for your wallet, keys, phone, or whatever you carry, so you can hop it from one bag to another. I also LOVE my Dipe-n-Wipe. It holds 3 diapers and a travel wipe container. That hops from bag to bag easily, too. I also found that I packed MUCH less stuff in the bag with my second baby!
I wish someone had compiled a list or that I had thought to poll people before I registered! We got a lot of stuff that we've used but haven't found necessary. I like my boppy for example but don't use it often. What I have found to be necessary is my wrap. I have a few kinds of carriers/slings but I just got a Sleepy Wrap and love it!!! Also, I never thought I would use one but now am forever grateful for pacifiers. Instead of having to nurse her constantly, my baby girl is soothed to sleep by her "friend" as we call it.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I added your blog to my reader, so many great tips! I found you via Rocks in my Dryer. :)
ReplyDeleteMust-Haves (there are a few):
ReplyDeleteBoppy Pillow
TONS of baby washcloths
Cool Mist Humidifier
A few swaddling blankets for a newborn
A comfy baby bath tub
Thermometer
My must-haves:
ReplyDeleteBoppy pillow
Bumbo
Pack-n-Play
Lots of large size receiving blankets
Tons of burp cloths (we use cloth diapers - you can use them for just about anything)
Bouncy/Swing -ours was a combo. The seat would go in and out of the swing frame so you didn't have two separate things. It was great.
What I Wish I Had:
Video Monitor
A better rocker. We have a glider and it's comfy for nursing, but for those overnight/sick/need to sleep and rock at the same time, it was NOT comfortable.
My must have was cloth diapers for everything.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest must have is gas drops! Every one of my babies has needed them at some point, and they work miracles!
ReplyDelete