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

[Anonymous]

I would add:

(1) Footie PJs from Baby Gap size up to seven pounds. My baby was 7 pounds extactly and they fit until he was over 8 pounds. They cover the hands (keeps the claws away from the face and much better than tiny mitts that do not stay on) and feet and are one piece. Great for summer (indoor airconditioning) and the winter, because our baby kicked out of every swaddle blanket. We ended up buying 7 pairs and he pretty much still lives in one-piece footy PJs and he's six months old now.

(2) Tide sensitive detergent (pre-wash some outfits).

(3) Soft and comfy bathrobe that you will feel comfortable wearing in front of family and guests.

(4) Car seat of course

(5) Sign up for lamaze classes now if you plan on taking. We took the one day at Sibley and thought it was very helpful.

My baby came at 37 weeks, so my changing table actually arrived at my house the day we came home from the hospital! It's never too early to start getting ready.

[Anonymous]

Probably duplicating other posters' suggestions, but:

* we love the Playtex Vent-air wide-mouth bottles
* have been very happy with Pampers Swaddlers diapers
* baby likes the "Sensitive" wipes by Huggies and Pampers - others were too harsh early on
* pack-and-play w/ changing table for the living room
* boppy pillow with soft plushy slipcover - use it daily!
* eddie bauer diaper bag is my favorite so far, though changing mat could be bigger
* mirror for the back seat so you can see the baby in the rear-facing seat
* 5-7 BIG burp cloths or you can use thin receiving blankets
* 3-4 receiving blankets in a thin fabric for swaddling (at least 30x30)
* 3-4 receiving blankets in a soft, plushy fabric for cuddling
* hooded towels - we like Carter's
* for winter babies, 2-3 "sleeping bags" by carters - they wear them over their footed sleepers instead of loose blankets in the crib
* for winter babies, some sort of bundler suit to wear over their clothes when outside
* we have a microwave bottle sterilizer that is probably unnecessary but i like it
* graco snugride carseat - it's nice to be able to have one carseat and two bases for two cars
* maclaren umbrella stroller - holds kids up to 55 lbs, weighs about 12 pounds and is durable and easy to maneuver
* diaper champ - uses kitchen-size trash bags (or large babies-r-us bags)
* glider w/ ottoman - bought it used off craig's list
* Sony 900 mhz baby monitor - cheap and it works well.
* steal the aspirator (snot-sucker) from the hospital - works better than the small ones that come in the sets
* advil for pelvic floor pain for weeks after the birth ;-(

[Anonymous]

OP here. I can't thank you all enough! My baby bargains book arrived today and it looks like it's going to be very helpful. I also got the happiest baby baby on the block and my husband, not to be left out, got a new father's guide to the first year (nobody recommended it, but he was with me at the bookstore). Also, a friend of mine delivered her baby today and had a natural childbirth and she said it wasn't that bad! She and baby are both healthy. Between hearing that and reading another poster say nursing didn't hurt and she was also a nipple wimp, today has been a great day for baby news.

Now for the questions: Quite a few of you mentioned target nursing tanks, but I wonder if anyone can recommend a specific brand. I only found one nursing tank at Target (I think Gilligan O'Malley was the brand) and didn't pick it up b/c it seemed a bit scratchy and also like it might be short. (I have a long torso). I almost picked it up anyway, because of the high endorsements on here (figured it might soften up in the wash or something) but wanted to double check the brand first. I did pick up the nursing bra at Target and it is so comfy that I may never wear a regular bra again.

Again, thanks everybody!

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone - I love this thread and it has been so useful. I'm 23 weeks today, live overseas, moving back to US and trying to register for a baby shower without ever seeing this stuff! The baby shower will happen as soon I return so no time to try things out. One quick question regarding Pack-n-Plays....what model? I didn't know there were SO many types. Is it necessary to get one with all the bells and whistles or will a simple one suffice? I kind of like the ones with a canopy as I think this would be good for outside but the ones with a canopy all seem to come with other stuff like a vibrating mattress (seriously?!?!). Thanks for your advice.

[Anonymous]

for the pack n play - the very low-end model, the one retailing for $60, has gotten really bad reviews. I wouldn't recommend it. I'd suggest the ones that are in the $100ish range. try for one that has the changing table attachment - it is SO convenient. we use it as a satellite changing station in the living room. the bassinet attachment (for up to 15 lbs) is good too, if baby needs a place to nap away from the crib. the sound attachment is pretty cool, and the mobile is cute but unnecessary. the ones that are $190 probably have unnecessary stuff on them.

Walmart had the best prices I saw on pack-n-plays - some models were $90. they offer free shipping if you pick it up at a store. Babies R Us probably has the best in-stock selection. if you buy from Target, try to get a free shipping deal.

would also recommend the actual Graco pack-n-play vs. generic brands - my sister got a generic one and it's not as good.

would recommend pack-n-play sheets to take the chill off the plastic mat in the playard. Babies-R-Us, Target, and the graco website should carry them - they're about $9 apiece.

[Anonymous]

One specific thought for your July baby - some thin (muslin or linen) receiving blankets for swadling/ sun shielding when it is hot. Aden + Anais makes adorable ones but they are spendy and my crafty sister ended up buying muslin and hemming it. If you can find large enough tea towels they will also do the trick. Not sure why the baby industrial complex insists on selling flannel and fleece in DC summers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous 13:54, thanks! I had to force myself to refrain from buying about 1 billion of those cute aden & anais blankets! I'd never heard of that brand before. In the meantime, both my stepmom and MIL do beautiful sewing work (one of these days I'm going to get them to show me the ropes...) That would be a perfect thing to ask them to make for me and it would be a sweet and personal thing for baby to have. How nice that your sister made some for your baby, too.

[Anonymous]

Another first time mom to be here... My husband and I went to register last week and were overwhelmed by all the decisions. One of the things we were unsure of is - is a changing pad cover necessary? We saw lots of cute ones, but the changing pad we registered for is covered in vinyl. So couldn't we just wipe it down? I am not at all trying to be cheap with this, we were just curious. Please let me know if these are needed. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

hi, this is OP again. So does anyone recommend the bugaboo stroller system? I've heard it's the best from friends (we live on hill -- uneven pavement, like to take lots of walks). If so, should I get the frog or the bee? What in the heck is the difference, besides about 200 dollars? (holy cow, btw)

Second, baby will most likely sleep in our room for the first few months for ease of breastfeeding, but prefer him / her to have own space. Do you recommend bassinet or co-sleeper? Slooooowly compiling a registry list. Even if I forego the shower, it will help me figure out what I need to buy.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP-I should get you and my sister together! She also lives on the Hill and is expecting a girl near the end of April so I posted a very similar question to your's regarding stroller use in Cap Hill area.
Check out the thread--I think it's titled Advice on Strollers in Capitol Hill area. Several people mentioned the Bugaboo, Bob and Quinny. Good luck on your selections and your new addition to the family!

[Anonymous]

If you're serious, have your sister contact me. I'm [e-mail]. I have another friend who is due in early February, too, who lives on the Hill. She would be even closer to your sister's due date (I'm not due until late July -- just trying to distract myself from overplanning my birth which is hopefully 5 months away by overplanning things I don't even need to think about buying for another 4 months). Ha ha.

As a side note: I keep wondering what on earth could make a stroller worth 800 bucks and I am by no means an exceptionally cheap person (ok, maybe I am a *little* bit cheap). I told my husband how much they were expecting him to experience the same sticker shock, but no, he was fully aware. He was even familiar with the bugaboo brand. Does he have a secret other child that I know nothing about? An expecting parents forum of his own, perhaps? NO! He's just been reading a lot of UsWeekly in my OB's waiting room and apparently the bugaboo is THE celebrity stroller these days. LOL.

[Anonymous]

Seriously, skip the bugaboo and start a college fund for the poor kid. They are nice stroller, but in no way necessary for ANYTHING anyone has to do.

I have a co-sleeper, though never attached it to the bed. We loved to keep it in our room until the baby was ready to move to crib...it is a nice little thing! And I kept the pac-n-play downstairs. I think a bassinet is pretty, but the co-sleeper stores nicely for second child and I had a first baby who had such bad reflux that she had to SLEEP in her carseat at night. The carseat fit right into the co-sleeper without a problem so we did not need to keep her on the chilly floor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another first time mom to be here... My husband and I went to register last week and were overwhelmed by all the decisions. One of the things we were unsure of is - is a changing pad cover necessary? We saw lots of cute ones, but the changing pad we registered for is covered in vinyl. So couldn't we just wipe it down? I am not at all trying to be cheap with this, we were just curious. Please let me know if these are needed. Thanks!

Yes, you'll want a couple of covers--they're warmer and softer for baby, but it's also much faster to just whip off the cover and put the baby back down when you have a big mess than it would be to clean the pad. Sometimes the poop gets everywhere!

[Anonymous]

I agree, PP, the baby will SQUEAL when you put it down on that cold vinyl!

[Anonymous]

We had a cover and we found that we had to wash it all the time. It was sooooo much easier just to use the vinyl pad. We never put the baby down naked on it - but if a little of their skin touches during a diaper change, its not such a big deal.