Best Infant Gear?

[Anonymous]

Bottle systems and pacifiers - stay clear of anything made in Asia. You have no idea what materials were used in the manufacturing process. Buy European or American made.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Bottle systems and pacifiers - stay clear of anything made in Asia. You have no idea what materials were used in the manufacturing process. Buy European or American made.

You're in for a rough life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just in case you don't understand why nobody should drink warm tap water - a majority of homes' water heaters are contaminated with various types of dangerous bacteria. Even at a temperature hotter than most homeowners keep their heaters, it would not be high enough to kill the bacteria. When you take warm water from the faucet, it contains this bacteria from your water heater. It's fine if you're going to boil it and make pasta or something but it's not fine to drink it

This is looney tunes. Ignore.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2094925/

"However, Canadian studies have shown, even when the thermostat is set at 60°C, a high percentage -- approximately 40% -- of electric water heaters remain contaminated because of the lower temperature, about 30°C to 40°C at the bottom of the tank."

Not relevant to infant feeding, as neither of the microbes studied here infects people via ingestion. You are living a hard life if you are shaping your day to day around studies like this one.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks everyone. We plan to use this stuff for a second and possible third child. We live in a house and would like to have a pack and play to keep on the main floor to change and set baby down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just in case you don't understand why nobody should drink warm tap water - a majority of homes' water heaters are contaminated with various types of dangerous bacteria. Even at a temperature hotter than most homeowners keep their heaters, it would not be high enough to kill the bacteria. When you take warm water from the faucet, it contains this bacteria from your water heater. It's fine if you're going to boil it and make pasta or something but it's not fine to drink it

This is looney tunes. Ignore.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2094925/

"However, Canadian studies have shown, even when the thermostat is set at 60°C, a high percentage -- approximately 40% -- of electric water heaters remain contaminated because of the lower temperature, about 30°C to 40°C at the bottom of the tank."

Not relevant to infant feeding, as neither of the microbes studied here infects people via ingestion. You are living a hard life if you are shaping your day to day around studies like this one.

It literally says in the paper that contaminated water heaters were linked to the infections through drinking water distribution systems.

[Anonymous]

- Stroller system - Thoughts on Britax? Sorry, no experience w/ Britax. We have the city mini and I hate it. Moves well but so little storage space.
- Bassinet - Thoughts on Halo or The Snoo? I'm a major snoo believer. People will call you snooty and say things like $1200 for 3 months is outrageous (see above). It's bullshit. We bought it new for $750 during a sale, used it for six months, and resold for $650. Baby slept 8 hour stretches by 7 weeks, 12 hour stretches by 12 weeks, transitioned to the crib at 6 months without any issue, and has never had a regression (11 months now). God knows it's not because of anything I did, so I 100% credit the snoo (and a good amount of luck, obviously). I had bad PPA and the baby being kept on her back helped me sleep at night. Also, a lot of people will give you shit for not "doing your job as a mother" with middle of the night wakes up but I literally never ignored her cries once, it just made her a good sleeper. Obviously YMMV but this thing was great for us.
- High Chair - Thoughts on 4Moms? Didn't have 4moms but I highly recommend the $20 Ikea one. So easy to clean.
- Changing Pad - Keekaroo or something more simple? We just used a pad on a dresser.
- Portable Bassinet - Pack and Play? Yes, pack n play. We used one as a place to store baby when necessary, e.g. when I had to pee or put a bottle together or was cooking or something. Others use swings/bouncers for this but I was afraid of our dog having access to the baby.
- Swing/bouncer - Fisher Price SnugaPuppy swing and bouncer? We had a mamaroo (useless and overpriced) and Baby Bjorn bouncer. Baby liked the bouncer but we didn't use it much.
- Bottles - Como Tomo and Tommee Tippee? Highly dependent on baby. We liked Dr. Brown's but no real reason.
- Baby Brezza - If we need to supplement or formula feed? I supplemented and mostly formula fed but this never felt necessary. Get a Dr. Brown's pitcher and pre-mix. Ready to feed was great for the beginning.
- Best Breast Pump - Medela Pump n Style? I like the Spectra.
- Crib sheets - Burt’s Bees organic cotton sheets? Uh I have no idea what we use.
- Monitor - Best one? Also no idea, I think we have a pretty standard video one. The wifi ones freak me out after hacking stories, though.
- Sound Machine - Hatch Baby? Eh I think they're all fine.
- Diapers - Pampers Pure or Costco? We use both. Both are fine. Pampers swaddlers have a terrible scent that gives me asthma, but pure are fine.
- Wipes - Water wipes? I like Pampers pure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just in case you don't understand why nobody should drink warm tap water - a majority of homes' water heaters are contaminated with various types of dangerous bacteria. Even at a temperature hotter than most homeowners keep their heaters, it would not be high enough to kill the bacteria. When you take warm water from the faucet, it contains this bacteria from your water heater. It's fine if you're going to boil it and make pasta or something but it's not fine to drink it

This is looney tunes. Ignore.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2094925/

"However, Canadian studies have shown, even when the thermostat is set at 60°C, a high percentage -- approximately 40% -- of electric water heaters remain contaminated because of the lower temperature, about 30°C to 40°C at the bottom of the tank."

Not relevant to infant feeding, as neither of the microbes studied here infects people via ingestion. You are living a hard life if you are shaping your day to day around studies like this one.

It literally says in the paper that contaminated water heaters were linked to the infections through drinking water distribution systems.

No, it doesn’t.

Legionnaires is inhaled, not drunk. The danger is in the shower, not the glass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Bottle systems and pacifiers - stay clear of anything made in Asia. You have no idea what materials were used in the manufacturing process. Buy European or American made.

You are astoundingly racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:- Stroller system - Thoughts on Britax? Not a fan of stroller systems. I’ve never seen the appeal in attaching a car seat to a heavy stroller (unless it’s a double and you already have a toddler to push around. We got a Nuna Mixx (lays flat and can be used from birth without a car seat) for our long term stroller and just picked up a secondhand Keyfit caddy for the rare occasion (mostly travel) that we want to push around the car seat since it’s very light and easy. But I typically either just carry the car seat on quick errands or take the baby out and put in a wrap/sling or the regular stroller.
- Bassinet - Thoughts on Halo or The Snoo? If you’re rich the Snoo seems interesting but we don’t have $1200 to throw away on something we’d use for 3 months. Halo is just fine.
- High Chair - Thoughts on 4Moms? We did a booster seat that straps to a chair to save space.
- Changing Pad - Keekaroo or something more simple? Keekaroo is totally unnecessary. Get a basic one. Use disposable puppy pads during the “pee on the table” phase—it’s relatively short.
- Portable Bassinet - Pack and Play? Pack N Plays weigh so much! They are the old school from before the market got better. Much lighter, simpler options out there. We went with the Lotus Guava.
- Swing/bouncer - Fisher Price SnugaPuppy swing and bouncer? Skipped this entirely
- Bottles - Como Tomo and Tommee Tippee? Dr. Brown’s
- Baby Brezza - If we need to supplement or formula feed? Used Dr. Brown’s bottle warmer since we knew it would fit. Tip: Make formula with warm tap water so you don’t have to heat it.
- Best Breast Pump - Medela Pump n Style? Medela used to be the best but Spectra is newer and better.
- Crib sheets - Burt’s Bees organic cotton sheets? Never paid attention to brand. I just got a few cotton at PBK and Target.
- Monitor - Best one? We have Infant Optics. It’s fine but I don’t necessarily think it’s the best out there.
- Sound Machine - Hatch Baby? We have Wyatt the Whale.
- Diapers - Pampers Pure or Costco? Doesn’t matter. Don’t stock up before your baby arrives because different brands fit different bodies. We’ve used 4-5 different brands between two kids and both are still in diapers so I’m not ruling out another switch as they grow.
- Wipes - Water wipes? Don’t get water wipes. If they get warm at all they will grow mildew and bacteria. (This can happen before you buy them if they sit in a warm warehouse or truck during shipment.) If you all only want water on your kids bum then just buy a bunch of cheap cloths and use actual water. We use Pampers Sensitive wipes

NOT Dr. Browns! They leak and have a million parts. Just no.
Do get a stroller caddy- snap and go. Just get it used.
Love having a swing. Again get used bc your baby may not like it.
DO NOT give baby warm tap water. It’s unsafe. Google it.
Agree on diapers advice. First see what works.
Agree on the lotus (strongly)

PP here. My baby was a preemie in the NICU. They explicitly told us at discharge that tap water was totally fine for our 5lb infant. Google is rarely your friend. Get your advice directly from experts not late night searches to confirm your confirmation bias or a clickbait Scary Mommy post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:- Stroller system - Thoughts on Britax? Not a fan of stroller systems. I’ve never seen the appeal in attaching a car seat to a heavy stroller (unless it’s a double and you already have a toddler to push around. We got a Nuna Mixx (lays flat and can be used from birth without a car seat) for our long term stroller and just picked up a secondhand Keyfit caddy for the rare occasion (mostly travel) that we want to push around the car seat since it’s very light and easy. But I typically either just carry the car seat on quick errands or take the baby out and put in a wrap/sling or the regular stroller.
- Bassinet - Thoughts on Halo or The Snoo? If you’re rich the Snoo seems interesting but we don’t have $1200 to throw away on something we’d use for 3 months. Halo is just fine.
- High Chair - Thoughts on 4Moms? We did a booster seat that straps to a chair to save space.
- Changing Pad - Keekaroo or something more simple? Keekaroo is totally unnecessary. Get a basic one. Use disposable puppy pads during the “pee on the table” phase—it’s relatively short.
- Portable Bassinet - Pack and Play? Pack N Plays weigh so much! They are the old school from before the market got better. Much lighter, simpler options out there. We went with the Lotus Guava.
- Swing/bouncer - Fisher Price SnugaPuppy swing and bouncer? Skipped this entirely
- Bottles - Como Tomo and Tommee Tippee? Dr. Brown’s
- Baby Brezza - If we need to supplement or formula feed? Used Dr. Brown’s bottle warmer since we knew it would fit. Tip: Make formula with warm tap water so you don’t have to heat it.
- Best Breast Pump - Medela Pump n Style? Medela used to be the best but Spectra is newer and better.
- Crib sheets - Burt’s Bees organic cotton sheets? Never paid attention to brand. I just got a few cotton at PBK and Target.
- Monitor - Best one? We have Infant Optics. It’s fine but I don’t necessarily think it’s the best out there.
- Sound Machine - Hatch Baby? We have Wyatt the Whale.
- Diapers - Pampers Pure or Costco? Doesn’t matter. Don’t stock up before your baby arrives because different brands fit different bodies. We’ve used 4-5 different brands between two kids and both are still in diapers so I’m not ruling out another switch as they grow.
- Wipes - Water wipes? Don’t get water wipes. If they get warm at all they will grow mildew and bacteria. (This can happen before you buy them if they sit in a warm warehouse or truck during shipment.) If you all only want water on your kids bum then just buy a bunch of cheap cloths and use actual water. We use Pampers Sensitive wipes

NOT Dr. Browns! They leak and have a million parts. Just no.
Do get a stroller caddy- snap and go. Just get it used.
Love having a swing. Again get used bc your baby may not like it.
DO NOT give baby warm tap water. It’s unsafe. Google it.
Agree on diapers advice. First see what works.
Agree on the lotus (strongly)

PP here. My baby was a preemie in the NICU. They explicitly told us at discharge that tap water was totally fine for our 5lb infant. Google is rarely your friend. Get your advice directly from experts not late night searches to confirm your confirmation bias or a clickbait Scary Mommy post.

The issue is warm tap water. There are literally thousands of reputable articles that suggest this is a bad idea. If you do it, you should let the water run for a while.

[Anonymous]

I can’t give you all the answers but here’s what I did:

- Stroller system - Thoughts on Britax? I got a City Mini with a pram attachment for walks around the neighborhood (we live near a lot of restaurants and coffee shops I take this too) and a Keyfit Caddie to leave in the car. Works fine. I wouldn’t want to have to strap the baby into the car seat every time I want to put her in a stroller and I prefer her lying flat.
- Bassinet - Thoughts on Halo or The Snoo? Halo is great for c section recovery. Love that the side pushes down. I told myself
I could order the Snoo in the middle of the night if I got desperate but the Halo is fine.
- High Chair - Thoughts on 4Moms? Got the Fisher Price one that clips into a chair. I Like the space saving aspect.
- Changing Pad - Keekaroo or something more simple? You can get substantially cheaper keekaroos used. I like mine but on the non-standard IKEA changing table I got for free, I just put down a blanket with a portable changing pad over it and that’s fine too.
- Portable Bassinet - Pack and Play? Shrug. Doesn’t seem to matter which one.
- Swing/bouncer - Fisher Price SnugaPuppy swing and bouncer? I got a hand-me-down fisher price bouncer and a used basic mamaroo swing (only one motion option). Neither are spectacular but both work as a safe place to put the baby down for a few minutes. I wanted the Baby Bjorn bouncer but couldn’t justify full price.
- Bottles - Como Tomo and Tommee Tippee? Do not stock up in advance. Get all the free samples from registry welcome packs and stuff and then see what works. We’re using mam bottles which worked for my baby. The Dr. Browns ones we’re cumbersome and seemed to make her fussy so I assume she was swallowing air.
- Baby Brezza - If we need to supplement or formula feed? Don’t buy in advance. It may never come up. But I would have wanted this and breastfeeding not worked.
- Best Breast Pump - Medela Pump n Style? Spectra seems better to me but some women like the Medela parts better and use an adapter with their Spectra (I got Medela parts free at the hospital so you may not need to buy them). But the spectra parts are fine for me so I haven’t bothered with an adapter. Eventually you’ll have to make sure you have the right flange size.
- Crib sheets - Burt’s Bees organic cotton sheets? Yes, I like these and they have good sales.
- Monitor - Best one? The one Baby Gear Lab recommends has a generic name but works well and is reasonably priced.
- Sound Machine - Hatch Baby? Love this.
- Diapers - Pampers Pure or Costco? Don’t think it matters.
- Wipes - Water wipes? I just use Pampers Sensitive.

Someone above said they just change the baby on the floor or bed. I would not do that - it kills my back. I also want somewhere to store diapers and shit. A dresser is fine if it’s the right height. Otherwise, people are always getting rid of used ones for cheap.

[Anonymous]

You’ve got plenty of recs so far! My favorite piece of baby gear was the Lotus travel crib. Used it up to age 3 with each of 2 kids and it was still good as new. You can get the bassinet attachment and skip Halo or Snoo, and then use it as your play yard/ travel crib.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just in case you don't understand why nobody should drink warm tap water - a majority of homes' water heaters are contaminated with various types of dangerous bacteria. Even at a temperature hotter than most homeowners keep their heaters, it would not be high enough to kill the bacteria. When you take warm water from the faucet, it contains this bacteria from your water heater. It's fine if you're going to boil it and make pasta or something but it's not fine to drink it

This is looney tunes. Ignore.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2094925/

"However, Canadian studies have shown, even when the thermostat is set at 60°C, a high percentage -- approximately 40% -- of electric water heaters remain contaminated because of the lower temperature, about 30°C to 40°C at the bottom of the tank."

Not relevant to infant feeding, as neither of the microbes studied here infects people via ingestion. You are living a hard life if you are shaping your day to day around studies like this one.

It literally says in the paper that contaminated water heaters were linked to the infections through drinking water distribution systems.

No, it doesn’t.

Legionnaires is inhaled, not drunk. The danger is in the shower, not the glass.

It's sad that I have to copy and paste from the second and fourth paragraphs:

"Like other authors (3,4), including the World Health Organization (WHO) who published a recent monograph on the Legionella problem in drinking water (3), we believe that there is evidence for the transmission of legionellosis through the drinking water distribution systems in private homes."

"The clinical and epidemiological significance of this finding is much debated. However, in a case-control study of sporadic cases of community-acquired legionellosis, Straus et al (6) concluded that the residential drinking water supply was responsible for a substantial proportion of sporadic cases of Legionnaires’ disease. These findings are supported by Stout et al (7) in a study of 20 Pittsburgh patients with culture-confirmed Legionnaires’ disease. A link with residential drinking water contamination was established for eight (40%) patients. This included three private homes (one single dwelling, two multidwellings), two senior-citizen homes, two out-patient hospital clinics, and one industrial plant. The authors concluded that drinking water distribution systems were a significant source of transmission of Legionnaires’ disease (7)."

[Anonymous]

- Stroller system - We love our Uppababy ones - started w/Cruz (used Mesa carseat as our infant seat instead of getting the bassinet), and recently sold that and got a G-Luxe. In retrospect I would have gotten the Cruz secondhand bc I was itching to get a lighter weight stroller after DS's first bday
- Bassinet - Some will say Halo or Snoo, etc. was magical, some (most?) will say it doesn't matter. We had a Fisher Price bassinet that DS hated, and ended up using the Pack n Play w/bassinet insert next to our bed, and it was great
- High Chair - Thoughts on 4Moms? - went for the Stoke Tripp Trapp and love it
- Changing Pad - Keekaroo or something more simple? - IMHO, insane to spend that much on a changing pad. Go for a simple pad and buy a few covers so you can change/wash as needed.
- Portable Bassinet - Pack and Play? - yes, see above. Love it now for travel
- Swing/bouncer - Fisher Price SnugaPuppy swing and bouncer? - no opinion as DS hated his
- Bottles - Como Tomo and Tommee Tippee? - don't buy a bunch now bc you don't know what your baby will prefer. Go to Buy Buy Baby and get one of a few options and then buy a set of what your baby actually ends up liking
- Baby Brezza - If we need to supplement or formula feed? - not necessary
- Best Breast Pump - Medela Pump n Style? - Spectra S1 hands down
- Crib sheets - Burt’s Bees organic cotton sheets? - whatever you find that you like the design of and are all cotton, no need for organic (in my opinion)
- Monitor - Best one? - we have the Lollipop monitor and it's ok for a small space but would have gotten one with a standalone screen if I could go back in time
- Sound Machine - Hatch Baby? - Marpac is great, they're probably all fine though
- Diapers - Pampers Pure or Costco? - Pampers Pure for the first few months, switch to cheaper brand (costco, Target, etc.) after that if no diaper rash issues
- Wipes - Water wipes? - they get moldy bc of lack of chemicals. I just get the target brand sensitive ones

Have fun shopping!

[Anonymous]

Stroller system - Thoughts on Britax?
My friend has a Doona which is awesome. Otherwise, just get the snap and go frame for your car seat for now.- Bassinet - Thoughts on Halo or The Snoo? I got the Arms Reach and liked it. I was nervous about some reviews of the Halo that said the sleeping surface wasn’t level or I probably would have gone with it instead.
- High Chair - Thoughts on 4Moms? We got a Graco from a friend. This one doesm’t matter much.
- Changing Pad - Keekaroo or something more simple? Just get the standard one.
- Portable Bassinet - Pack and Play? Depends on use. We have a pack n play for occasional baby containment but wouldn’t call it easily portable.
- Swing/bouncer - Fisher Price SnugaPuppy swing and bouncer? Our baby loved this swing. Bouncers all seem pretty similar.
- Bottles - Como Tomo and Tommee Tippee? Depends on what your baby likes, so get a few different kinds. We use Lansinoh Momma bottles and love them. They’re cheap, easy to clean, and accepted well by our breastfed baby.
- Baby Brezza - If we need to supplement or formula feed? Wait on this.
- Best Breast Pump - Medela Pump n Style? Spectra is great!
- Crib sheets - Burt’s Bees organic cotton sheets? Anything will work.
- Monitor - Best one? We have Infant Optics. I wouldn’t venture to say it’s the best, but we haven’t had any complaints.
- Sound Machine - Hatch Baby? Lectrofan has great sound.
- Diapers - Pampers Pure or Costco? Will depend on baby, so only get small quantities of the smaller sizes to start.
- Wipes -Water wipes? We use Amazon.