Which items were most useful to have on hand before bringing home your first baby?

[Anonymous]

Hello all. First things first, I'm getting WAY ahead of myself. I'm only 13 weeks, so I won't be starting to compile my shower registry for a few months. That said, in order to distract myself from my near-constant birth options research and deliberation, I've decided to start thinking about more lighthearted issues, like buying things for baby. Imagine my consternation when I realized that this topic was itself fraught with stress and one million little decisions.

I initially got the idea to post this after reading the thread on baby megastores. I will most likely be registering for a shower, and even if we do not have a shower, my husband and I will need to buy things for the baby ourselves. We have absolutely no idea what we might need, other than some sort of breast pump device, diapers, a carseat, a baby holding contraption of some sort, and of course a bassinet for those rare moments when baby actually nods off to sleep. I'm being somewhat facetious here, but the truth is, I'm seriously wondering what in the world I'm going to need. I went onto the babyRus website and nearly had a stroke from the vast selection of products I never knew existed but now am vaguely convinced my baby cannot thrive without.

So please help an overwhelmed first time mother out by giving me your list of "can't live without" items for a new baby. I'm looking for both those concise, minimalist 5 item lists as well as the broader lists from overbuyers (I'm in that category).

Any and all advice appreciated. Also, any and all descriptions of why this item was useful, or which brand you prefer, is a serious bonus.

Thanks.

PS. I've also just ordered the baby bargain book.

[Anonymous]

I think you have all the basics covered, with the exception of a baby carrier (bjorn ,etc). However, my silly most favorite thing we had that saved me a thousand times was a fisher price mirror that lit up and played music. It kept DD from screaming in the car, and has a remote that you can turn on from the front seat. I think it's called the sound and lights mirror or something like that.

happy shopping!

[Anonymous]

HELP! but I did have twins.

[Anonymous]

You sound sweet!

You do not nearly as much stuff as you think. Are you due in June?

A good pac n play is a must. They make ALL kinds now and it is great to have on your first floor (if you want).

The Aquarium Bouncer by Fisher Price is the BEST. EVER.

Hold off on a swing. Some babies don't like it. Try one out at a friends house and see before. Then try to borrow one or buy used even.

The wipes from Costco are the best. Seriously.

DO NOT GET A STROLLER SYSTEM unless you are trying to waste money. You want a good carseat, they are all fine and a great snap and go. Serously.

Then spend some $$ on either a jogger or a citi stroller. Something that reclines, has a swivel front wheel. I do not know if you are suburbs or city, but I am city and you must have a swivel front wheel.

Get a great monitor, but not one where you see the kid. You will already lose your mind listening, you do not need to stare at the screen too.

DO NOT GET a ton of clothes on the 0-3 month range and if you do, get a receipt and keep the tags on. Your kid could grow out of it three days after they are home. Sucks.

The Ultimate Crib Sheet has saved my life over and over and over.

Get a super soft changing pad cover. The babies love it.

Get a BASIC tub. No bells, no whistles. It is water + baby. No fanciness.

Buy one of three types of binkies and see what works. But, we are binkie family. Do not rule them out now...you could have a sucker on your hand and trust me, you want a binkie rather than your NIPPLE.

Aquaphor and Desitan (sp?). You will use them forever.

Pampers Swaddlers. The best. Have a bunch in the littlest size.

No powders.

Lansinoh for your boobs. A good lactation consultation for you (Pat Shelley at the Breastfeeding Center on K Street) and she does FREE classes. After birth they will measure you for a BFing bra and everything.

Some bottles. Do not buy too many, in case your sweet one hates them. Seriously, one or two in the beginning. Look into what they are saying about the plastics...

One of those baskets for washing stuff in dishwasher.

LOTS of swaddling blankets and onsies. You will be cutting the onsies off, poop explosions and whatnot. And they spit on the blankets all the time.

Carters sleepers.

About 30 cloth diapers for catching the spit up, your squirting breast milk, etc.

Little hats, about 5 or 6, in case of chill or cone head or flat breech head (they all pop out!!)

I skipped the little mittens, but some people like them.

A great little gym for the floor.

A cute little bathing suit for the baby looks good all summer.

A good summer hat and SPF shirt.

Good luck! I know I am forgetting stuff, but that is a good start.

[Anonymous]

Get some gumdrop pacifiers in case your baby likes them. Some people get all worked up and say your child will be using them in second grade if you ever start, but my baby loved them and self weened after a few months. She only occasionally uses one to go to sleep now (at seven months). She was a great baby and never cried (seriously), but I found that the pacifier would keep her off my boob when she just wanted to suck and wasn't really hungry. It was a lifesaver.

[Anonymous]

Two things that no one has mentioned yet about this topic that immediately come to mind:

A good glider/rocking chair if you are planning to nurse. You will spend a lot of time here, so the more comfortable the better (especially after giving birth).

Not specifically baby related, but one of the best things for us was having a freezer full of already made meals that we could defrost and bake so we didn't need to worry about cooking. It's so helpful to have these ready to go. You can ask friends to prepare some ahead of time so that you don't have to do it when you're 9 months pregnant. We also ate on paper plates with plastic utensils. We usually stear away from this stuff but it was great not to have any clean up in the kitchen because you will be doing plenty of that in the baby room!

[Anonymous]

I know that everyone doesn't agree with me on this, but I was so glad I had my breast pump on day 4! I was so engorged that my baby couldn't latch. My Pump In Style saved my life!

[Anonymous]

A word on mobiles: Most of these are useless, with cutesy themes designed to appeal to the overly hormonal mother-to-be and her anxious partner. Look at them from beneath, the way a baby would -- chances are that whatever completes your nursery's "look" from your line of sight is going to have zero interest for the crib's actual resident.

Tiny Love, on the other hand, makes a couple of rockin' mobiles that babies go nuts for. My son's was nothing more than some abstract shapes, but it reliably gave me 20 extra minutes in the crib.

[Anonymous]

I second the Pampers Swaddlers recommendation. In fact, the higher-end Pampers (cruisers vs. baby dry when the baby is bigger) always worked better for us, maybe because of our baby's shape (big belly).

Also seconding the Snap & Go instead of a travel system.

Swaddling blanket. We LOVED the Miracle Blanket. We didn't start swaddling until about 6 weeks because we were clueless. But once we did...we didn't stop until our baby was about 4 months! The Miracle Blanket is easy to use and gets the baby really tightly wrapped.

We used the little mittens, but also liked the long-sleeved shirts with the foldover sleeves so the baby won't scratch himself with his long fingernails that you'll be too freaked out to cut for awhile!

Our favorite monitor is the Sony Baby call. Our least favorite is the Fisher Price Lights and Sound (broke after 2 months).

[Anonymous]

For the months 0-3, you don't need much, but, especially if you are planning on breastfeeding, some things are essential. Here are my recommendations:

1.1 X Mybrestfriend nursing pillow (many women find this the most convenient and comfortable for early nursing before db has neck and torso control)

Lanolin cream and a pair of those soothing pads you put in the freezer, plus a bunch of comfortable nursing shirts (I used men's fruit of the loom V-neck tee shirts at home) that you will be fine throwing away because the lanolin stains badly - and/or a couple of good nursing bras (don't buy more than one or two before your milk comes in because the size will change)

A few "swaddling blankets" (the ones dubbed as this are often too small for actual swaddling but are useful for rolling up and placing under different body parts when nursing to increase comfort)

A glider or other VERY comfortable chair with arms low enough to allow for comfortable nursing and still provide support - plus invest in one of those nursing stools - they really do position your legs better than anything else

A bassinet that rocks or a Moses basket or something similar (we had the Mini-Co-Sleeper but were not particularly happy with it - it does roll from room to room but it doesn't rock and is too low to use with many of today's beds and mattresses - and we were unable to locate the things you can purchase that raise it up)

Another recommendation for the Fisher Price Aquarium bouncy seat here.

6-12 side-fastening shirts with the long sleeves that have the mitten fold-over cuffs (db's fingernails are very sharp when young, hard to trim and they often slash their little faces with their nails - plus the side-fastening shirts are much easier to put on during the first few weeks when db has less flexibility in their arms and it feels like you're going to break their arms trying to get on the shirts and onesies that you pull over their heads - this is especially true for first babies - just imagine trying to maneuver the wings on a chicken carcass through regular arm holes and you'll get a sense of how it can feel like you're going to break db - which you won't, but early parenthood is not rational)

Infant socks that will stay on - I don't have a brand here, but search around because these are important and so many fall right off

Now, here are the [i]really important items[/i], which you should have in place long before you go into labor:

A copy of Karp's Happiest Baby on the Block - book and/or DVD (but I highly recommend getting the book even if you get the DVD - and reading it before db comes - both parents should read this and be fully ready to implement all the steps)

A "miracle blanket" (you can google and order online) and one or two other swaddling blankets, like one of the thin muslim wraps they sell or (this is more bulky but worked well for us because it is large and has some stretch to it) one of the cable knit blankets from elegantbaby.com - try them all and see which ones work best for you and db, then you can get duplicates of whatever works for you.

The telephone number of a well-recommended Lactation Consultant who will be able to make a house call sometime during your first week home from the hospital. Calling to set up this appointment before you even leave the hospital is a good idea. Breastfeeding comes easily to some mother/baby pairs, but is a learned skill for most others - and we all deserve the support of another woman who is knowlegable in this area. It's a HUGE emotional thing to realize that you are fully responsible for ALL of the hydration and nutrition that your new db receives, so, even if things seems to be going well, it is a wonderful thing to have confirmation.

You're basically going to want to set up a "nursing station" for you and db - because nursing is truly a 24/7 job for the first 3 months. So make sure you have a comfortable place to sit that is free from noise and distractions (but has a tv or radio available if you want), a nursing stool, a small table that will hold a lamp, a bottle or large cup of water and a book. Make it nice because you'll be spending a lot of time there. Hard to overemphasize this.

Also, don't forget your own care. No one really prepares you for how sore your vaginal and anal areas will be following birth - and it usually lasts about 6 weeks. So, you'll likely want to have a big bottle of Colace at home (stool softener only - NO stimulants), Tylenol, bring home the spritz bottle they give you at the hospital for cleaning your bottom (chances are you will use it), Balneol is an expensive but good and OTC perineal cleanser (witch hazel products can dry up your membranes and make things worse). Also, the spray on pain relievers can be useful for soothing bad hemmaroids as well). In terms of bleeding or temporary urinary incontinence, I found Depends to be the most comfortable things to wear for the first few weeks - much more comfortable and worry-free than underwear with huge pads. But others will differ on this.

And, lots and lots of frozen or easy-cook foods, lots of bottled water, if that's what you drink, and as many healthy foods that you can eat with one hand while nursing (grapes, Cheez-its, Smartfood popcorn, shelled edamame, etc.) will all be helpful.

If friends or family offer to help, take them up on it but their tasks should be housework and the feeding and care of YOU not your baby. Give yourself the time, space, and permission to totally wallow in your love for your baby and to focus only on your new family and getting as much sleep as possible. Let everything else slide or be covered by others.

Congrats to you - and best of luck!!!!!

[Anonymous]

9:03 again.

ITTTA with the Pampers Swaddlers recommendation - was so sad when db finally grew out of them.

Also, some of the emery boards they sell just for use on db are good (I wouldn't try to clip until after the first 6 weeks), plus a good, ergonomic nasal aspirator, a few of those forehead thermometer strips and/or a good ear thermometer (the Braun ones are good - expensive but reliable and it beats having to take their temp anally).

[Anonymous]

When leaving the hospital, ask for extra of the icepack/pad combos. It sounds uncomfortable, but is a lifesaver when the stitched area swells a day or two after leaving the hospital.

[Anonymous]

Steal everything from the hospital possible.

I second an excellent glider and do not forget some kind of footstool (I got one that glides also AMAZING)

We had a Tiny Love Mobile with first, but not with second (we had a crib tent up). DD LOVED it. Mirrors that secure to the crib side can be cute as they get older, they love to look at themselves.

[Anonymous]

A boppy or some other kind of nursing pillow is a must, in my opinion. It's much easier to nurse with, especially in the beginning, and especially if you end up with a c-section (hopefully not!) - it really cushions the incision. In fact, I would consider bringing one to the hospital (not necessarily to L&D, but keep in your trunk for later). I did that and was very glad to have it (I did have a c-section).

Line up some help and/or don't hesitate to take people up on their offers to help out. Freezing food ahead of time is a good idea too.

[Anonymous]

A place for the baby to sleep: I recommend a pack n play for your room as opposed to a bassinet. You can't use a bassinet after 15 lbs or so -- but the pack n play you can use until your kid becomes a climbing toddler (And get at least 3 sheets.)

Tons of burp cloths (cloth diapers are softer than the stuff marketed as burp cloths -- and they wash better). Keep a basket with burp cloths (and perhaps bibs if your little one is prone to spitting up/drooling) on every floor of your house.

Also keep diapers, etc. on every floor of your house (pampers swaddlers are best for newborns -- and then cruisers when the baby is a little bigger).

Keep Purell on the changing table and in your bathrooms -- it's impossible to really wash your hands after diaper changes, etc. while holding a newborn. (Switch to paper towels instead of a regular hand towel in your bathrooms to cut down on spreading germs.)

Buy a bouncy seat that is shaped like a pappasan chair (as opposed to one having a straight back -- newborns can't sit up in one with a straight back -- but they'll sleep like a champ in something more cocoon-like).

The graco snugride seems to be a good carseat for a newborn -- and the snap n go is great (lightweight and easy to use).

Buy a few diswasher baskets for small pieces -- a couple that hold nipples and one or two that are just a big basket (for larger pieces).

Clothing: I kept my newborns dressed comfortably -- which meant one piece sleepers (with buttons, not zippers) or body suits with wiggle pants. Carters clothing is soft and washes well.