Costly items for baby?

[Anonymous]

Ladies
I am in my 30th week and thinkg to start shopping for baby stuff at about 35-36 weeks, but already started choosing stuff on line, so that when time comes, i alreayd have clear list of specific items/brands to buy.
I divide all stuff into 2 categories - costly (over $40 per itm) and misc stuff ( something under $40, like clothes, bottles and misc stuff).

I have a few questions on "costly" stuff. What I MUST have prior the delivery?
- Car seat
- Car Seat stroller (i do not plan to buy full stroller, seems it should be more convinient to just put a car seat into frame, instead of haing separate stroller n a car)
- crib
- matrass and bedding stuff- should matrass be organic, or a good matrass would be also ok? what is appropriate price range? how to select one?
- Baby carrier (something like bjorn) - is there a less expensive brand which would be also ok? what to look for when selecting a carrier?
- Do i need a sling in addition to bjorn-type- carrier or not?
- baby bath

am I missing anything from the "large" items list?

[Anonymous]

The only thing I think you MUST have prior to delivery is the car seat so you can leave the hospital and somewhere for baby to sleep. That could be a bassinet, crib, or PacknPlay. I agree with getting the stroller frame (a la SnapnGo) rather than the full travel system. I had the travel system with my first son and thought it was a waste since we moved to a smaller umbrella stroller once he was old enough. With my second I just borrowed a SnapNGo and it was great! I used the Baby Bargains book for a lot of my purchases. I bought a regular mattress and it was not that expensive - maybe about $80. I also have found the Baby Bjorn and sling something that you might want to wait on. I used neither with my first son and it was fine. With my second, I borrowed a Baby Bjorn for awhile, but baby got heavy in it fast and I just gave it back to my friend (my son is almost 7 months). Baby baths are pretty cheap, too. I just had a simple plastic one that probably went for about $20. The other thing I might think about getting eventually is a PackNPlay if you plan to travel. We got the cheapest model and it was about $60. For me, the big items were costly, but it was all the little things that I needed that really seemed to cost a lot. Bottles, clothes, etc. are not cheap! Still, a lot of stuff is personal preference, so if you can hold off for awhile on buying things until after baby comes, I would do that. Good luck and congratulations!

[Anonymous]

OP here. thank you
Actually I thought Bjorn will help me go outside with the baby and having hands free. I do not feel comfortable and safe carrying baby in a car seat. especially if I decide to go shopping. How early can a baby be in a baby bjorn? Can a carry a baby in that before baby starts hlding its head or not?

i know that the small stuf f(like bottles, etc) are costly because you need a lot of those small things, but i was kind of thinking of per item cost )

[Anonymous]

One very useful thing I would recommend is the "Baby Bargains" book. It is like the Consumer Reports for babies and it tells you recommendations of products they like and what some people said were useless. They have recommendations for different budget levels too. Some of it depends on if you are suburban or urban (car based or walking a lot) or have a lot of space in your house or a little.

What I would have on hand for before the baby:

An infant car seat (Graco snugride is good) with a base for each car you have, and a Snap n Go carrier for this carseat. This carseat is good for about the first 20lbs of baby, or for at least the first few months.
Once they are older (about 6 months) and can sit up, get some type of Britax convertible car seat ($250 or so) and a chicco or maclaren volo stroller for like $100. Do not skimp on the Britax carseat, it is awesome and we hate our other off-brand one we got as a gift.

I would get a crib, and you can get a basic BBRUS crib and decorate it however you want with just a plain fitted sheet and bedskirt. They have cool baby linens online now. (Cribs shouldn't have any of that stuff they display with it anyway like bumpers, etc. because of SIDS possibilities.) I didn't think an organic mattress was worth it, but to each his own.

I got a basic Jenny Lind/Delta Luv crib and changing table (optional) from BBRUS and it was about $200 total. The mattress was about $100, also from BBRUS. It looks great with Dwell baby bedding.

A baby bath is like $12, go ahead and get one.

Have you considered a breast pump? The Medela Pump in Style is great. Especially if you are planning to go back to work and continue pumping. this is a good thing to have on hand. It is $200 or so but well worth it. You could buy one but DON'T open it until you need it because they won't take it back if you do open it. You could also rent one from the hospital. Also, the my brest friend pillow (i swear this is what it is called) is better than the boppy because it is flat and makes proper bfeeding easier. (boppy is better for propping up the baby though!)

Don't know much about carriers/slings and never really liked one in particular, but my husband liked the bjorn a lot (we got a used one though).

Lastly, you may not need an expensive dutalier glider/rocker. I prefered bfeeding lying down in bed and then putting the baby back in the crib. (We also had a spare bed in the baby's room for the first 6 months!)

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Item you may need if you don't already have (window shades or blinds to make room dark during the day...we had two and they were around $300 each), but maybe you can get them cheaper at Home Depot but that really helped baby to sleep so $ well spent.

[Anonymous]

Have you started searching out hand me downs, items gently used from craigslist, consignment sales, etc.? I started early in my pregnancy, but still not too late for you to get these items before baby at reduced cots. almost all the clothing I have is hand me downs and in good shape since that 0-3 month clothing stage goes so quiclkly. I got my slings at consignment sales last fall. My stroller I watched craigslist for months until the one I couldn't afford new finally showed up used. I also got my co-sleeper from Arm's reach off craigslist for half the price.

Just another way to get items that you don't want to pay full price for now.

[Anonymous]

Hi there,

I'd love to help you out. I'm in the process of starting a baby planning/concierge business and I'm a DCUM and the mom of three children under the age of 4! I've bought my share of baby gear and my goal is to help expecting moms relax, not stress and let me help you navigate the endless sea of baby gear/products. If you would like to talk and go over what you need, please contact me. My company will be called Nursery Know It All and hopefully my website will be up by next month.

You've already been given great advice but I'd love to help you out!

Best,
Kimberly Shore Levin
Nursery Know It All
[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

If you can borrow a Bjorn and/or sling, I would do that first. I hated both. I never really had my hands free because I always had this fear that something would snap and the baby would fall out. Ridiculous, I know--and I'm not the paranoid type about most things. But any time I used the Bjorn, I couldn't help but have at least one hand under the baby.

We have a travel system. People either love them or hate them. I fall into the love category. I happen to have big babies, so they both grew out of their infant carseat well before they could sit up well enough to ride in an umbrella stroller. Plus, if I was going to be out and about during naptime, the bigger stroller was nice because I could recline it for them to sleep.

Oh--one thing you might consider is a Miracle Blanket. I'm not sure it quite falls into the pricey category, but it is pricey for a blanket. My daughter LOVED this.

[Anonymous]

OP here
thank you all for greatthoughts.
I am not particularly looking to reduce costs and buy used items or not-so-reputable brand items, but I just do not want to buy stuff which is not needed the furst few days I am back home. We have a condo and not much space, so if i am buying a sleeping place for a baby, that would be only crib (some buy crib, and a bassinet and a cradle, etc).
Luckily i have some items given to me by my relatives who already had babies and had extra stuff they hardly or never used (mostly 0-3 months clothes). My parents are eager to spend some money too )))) i am trying just to decide the right stuff, not to crowd the condo and not to buy not so good or useless stuff.

What is better, my own pump or rented? Electric or manual?

[Anonymous]

OP - At 35-36 weeks, do you think you're giving yourself enough time to get all your stuff together? Your timeline seems kind of tight to me. I know when we bought our crib, it really stunk (from the varnish on the wood, I think) when we took the pieces out of the box. I was glad we got it early to give it a chance to air out. Also, if you are particular about your choice in cribs and it isn't in stock, I've been told it can take several weeks for delivery. I am at 38 weeks now (first baby so I'm no expert), but it has taken us several weeks to pick things out, install car set, set up crib, wash baby clothes, etc. and we just bought the basics. I'm glad to be done at this point because I'm really getting tired and moving very slowly....

[Anonymous]

An electric double pump is far more efficient. The best two pumps out there (to buy) are the Medela Pump In Style Advanced and the Ameda Purely Yours. Hospital ones are even better, but if you plan on using more than three months (or for a subsequent child), it makes sense to buy one.

The Baby Bargains book is still useful, even if you have $$$ to spend, because they review high end brands and list which products people find unnecessary (and therefore take up space).

My neighbor's daughter lives in NYC in a small apt and just had her first baby. She bought a Bugaboo Chameleon, and used it for both a stroller and a bassinet - and then didn't buy a crib.

Anything you need for feeding ,diapering, and geting the baby to sleep (and traveling safely!) is important in the beginning. Also anything you need for post-partum and maternity leave, such as nursing gowns or whatever strikes your fancy.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I'm PP, but wanted to add to 20:10 poster - I was told last pregnancy and this one to have everything ready by 36 weeks - car seat installed, you name it. Babies come early!

I went to Buy Buy Baby to order a glider this time at 28 weeks. Good thing, since they told me it would take 8-12 weeks to come in!

[Anonymous]

I would recomend on going to the library for the baby bargains book- it;s a good guide- also- don't go overboard on buying new when some things you don't ahve to.. baby bjorn for example.. but if you can- hold off one some of those carrying ones until you know what your baby likes- we bought a few that had a 30 or so return policy and ended up returning them since our child had reflux and hated the pouch ones (screamed nonstop)- hth

[Anonymous]

Get the Baby Bargains book -- that is everything you need to know. Don't listen to all the store registry advice because they are just looking to sell everything under the sun to first time parents.