4 Our Health

Question:

So, I've just started my 2nd trimester and am getting close to the point where I feel well enough most of the day to wonder about what exactly we need for this little bean! Especially with Christmas coming and family wondering what to get us.
Many of the traditional baby registries (Babies R Us, etc.) seem to offer way more "high tech" stuff than we really need or want. Since many of you have already had babes, I thought you'd be experts on what a first-time, attachment parent actually needs. What are the items you can't live without and what do you find totally unnecessary?
We plan to cloth diaper, so I'm reading that forum and researching websites on here, etc. We also plan to co-sleep, maybe in the bed at first, or maybe with a co-sleeper. This diminishes the need for all those nursery decorations and baby bedding. I plan to get some slings, but the mainstream stores don't offer too many options there. And, since we plan to wear the baby as much as possible, is a stroller and entire travel system really necessary? Or will a basic car seat do just fine?
If I sound naive about some of this, well, I am! None of my close friends practice AP, so although I know it's the way we want to raise our kids, I'm not totally sure on how that practically affects the amount of baby gear one actually needs. Make sense?
Thanks for helping out this newbie :D

Answer:

This will be our third and after dd#2 got rid of all our baby stuff, we thought we were done.
We do not want to spend any unnessesary money on things we don't need. We too plan to cd, but I'm plurging for the Wonderoos pocket dipes for dryness and convienience (still way cheaper in the long run). These are the things we feel we need...
1. Travel system - I know you want baby with you, but sometimes when you're out and about it's just nice to have a stroller. It's also a great place to put "stuff" like diaper bags, coats and such while strolling around. You need an infant car seat, so I think it's nice to have it able to attach to the stroller then if babe is sleeping you don't have to disturb him/her. I went with two seperate systems before and wish I had gone with the travel system.
2. Something for babe to sleep in when you are not there. Basinett or cradle for napping, I have also seen a sling type thing that straps to the matress and holds baby in place. I can't remember the name of it, but it keeps baby from rolling off the bed or getting stuck between the matress of the crib. You could also invest in a co-sleeping playpen. I never put the girls in the playpen to "play", only for naps and to sleep in while at someone elses house.
3. High chair or seat. I ditched my high chair with our second when I found those great seats that attach to a regular chair. I loved it, it was cheaper and did'nt take up so much space and we could take it with us on the go because it folded up.
4. Bouncer seat. I loved our bouncer seat for both the girls. Sometimes you need your body free from baby (making dinner ect.) and the bouncer seats are great because they help sooth baby and elevate so he/she can see everything. We also used the bouncer seat as an early high chair. Their necks were strong enough but they kept slipping down in the high chair, the bouncer seat gave them stability.
Those are the four things I would recomend getting for sure. You don't need a swing, or even an exersaucer. You don't need a door haning bouncer thing. You don't need a change table (we always use the floor with a mat or the crib mattress).
Hope I helped? When I think back at all the "stuff" we had with our first, most of it we never used. Not this time. Just stick with the basics for a little convience and a lot of safety.
Cindy

Answer:

I guess you mean besides baby clothes? Because if you don't specify anything else, that's what you'll get for Christmas (which isn't a bad thing :-)
In terms of gear, I am assuming that you will be BF also. I highly recommend getting a decent breast pump. You just never know when you'll need one, and it's better to have it just in case. Especially if someone else can buy it for you, LOL. Personally, I tried the cheapo Medela hand pump, and it sucks. I found a great deal on ebay for a pump in style, so I got that instead. Others may have suggestions for mid-range, lower priced pumps that are still user friendly.
Since you plan on slinging, I'd definitely wait on getting a stroller of any kind. After the baby is here and you've been carrying him/her for a while, you'll be better able to decide if you want to go the backpack route if/when he gets too big/heavy for a sling, or if you think a jogging stroller would be a good thing for you (can't use 'em with newborns, though), etc.
A monitor of some kind might be handy. The baby may be sleeping, for instance, and you put him down on the living room floor on a blanket to go cook dinner - you might want a monitor in the kitchen to hear when he wakes up.
Then there is the bathing tub and such. And of course, the developmental toys, which are always fun to buy.

Answer:

:D Hi Jacqueline, diapers and boobs is all you really need!!!
But, Here's what I would have asked for right from the start.
Sling...maybe 2, my fav is heart to heart for the support, one with lighter colour fabric and one with dark.
Carseat with base for the car so you get a proper easy fit every time. We were given one with the full stroller deal. We don't use it very often because we live in the mountains and are often trucking around in deep snow and off the beaten path. I would say yes to some sort of stroller, they are useful when you go somewhere and want a place to put a diaper bag and water bottles and your stuff. Thats the thing about the sling...no storage. You can buy a metal stroller frame that the car seat clips into to make a quick stroller.
We were given a Chariot (a double seated bike trailer/stroller with removeable jogging wheel) It's like a Burley if you have seen one of those. THIS IS MY FAVORITE AND MOST USED PIECE. Hands down, it is freedom with room for 2 kids, even a couple standing on the side and has trunk space for groceries. Plus you can ride and get some excersise. If you live in a big city and do lots of going into shops, the double width might be a bit wide. You can put a car seat inside it too. They also come in single size. Mine is 4 years old and going strong. I use it every day. It alows me time outside without worrying little people will get tired and can't walk.
If you want to be thrifty, you could buy an old flannel shirt from the thrift store and tear it into squares to use as cloth wipes to go along with you dipes. I didn't even sew mine and they lasted through 2 bums 2 years a piece!
A thermos is good, you can fill it with warm water each morning and keep your clean wipes in there for warm wipes each time.
nail clippers and a "snot sucker" as we so grossly call it around here are good. If babe gets a booger, you can squeeze a few drops of breast milk in the nostril and suck it out ( a blocked nose makes nursing frustrating)
sleepers that have zippers are a big time saver and can be helpful for quick changes if baby isn't enjoying change time.
Bravado nursing bras are my personal favorite, a dozen burp blankets are good for stuffing in your bra or shirt on the breast you arn't nursing from, if you have leaky boobs like I did. It just saves wetting your shirt or bra. You might want some bigger size receiving blankets too for sleeping on (again if you have leaky boobs and you are nursing in bed...saves changing sheets)
a tube of lansinoh for sore nipples and a good breastfeeding book I like Jack Newmans guide to breastfeeding.
We had a lambswool that we found great for putting in the middle of us in bed...nice and soft little spot for babe when you arn't snuggling...also good for nursing babe to sleep on in your lap and then it makes the transfer into bed easier...already on warm wool, not startled by cool sheets. You can get them made just with sheared wool on a flannel back if you don't like the lambskin idea.
Without a novel, those are some ideas off the top of my head, I know you will get more!
And I don't think you are naive to ask...just SMART to plan ahead!!!

Answer:

We did a lot of the stuff you're doing - cloth diaper, sling, cosleep.
I found that we didn't need a stroller until dd was 6 or 7 months old, but I made the mistake of buying a cheap one that I hated until it fell apart. I replaced it carefully! My criteria were: lightweight, adjustable handle (dh is very tall), affordable, easy to fold, sturdy-feeling. We got a Graco Citilight, and I love it.
Slings - I used the OSBH in cooler weather and the New Native in warmer. Dd didn't like the New Native when she was tiny - well, about 3-6 months - she wanted to see but wasn't big enough to sit without some support. But we used the NN constantly once she was big enough for it.
I wouldn't get a travel system because I find them too cumbersome. But it depends on how often you'll go from the car to the stroller.
Oooh - a decent diaper bag! I've been through several and will probably buy a new one for this baby. Washable, reasonably stylish, not too girly for dh to carry (he's picky!), and sturdy - if you find it, let me know!:)
Hats. For you and baby. Nursing tops - I just like 'em.
That's all that strikes me...

Answer:

You are getting great advice!!
You will probably want something waterproof for your bed if you cosleep. We use some stuff with a name like flannel-backed rubber - got it from the fabric store & it works well. I am sure there are fancy waterproof things out there. Get 2 so you are not waiting for it to dry.
Also, I love baby gowns and socks for diaper access and general comfort for the newborn. Wrangling someone into those sleepers is just too much work at first...

Answer:

This will be # 2 for us, and we don't have much left from DS, since he's 3.5 now. The things we loved were:
Britax Roundabout carseat - for this baby, we're getting a new cover for our old seat. A side note about this seat is that most all the babies I know who've used this from birth had a much happier time of driving than babes in infant seats. It's cushy and the straps are great, once you use Britax seats anything else will seem cheap to you. We did have, and will get again, a super inexpensive carrier-seat to use in the grandparent's car or as a spot for babe to sit in restaurants ( I kinda liked eating with 2 hands sometimes, lol!). Ben was a big kid and grew out of that carrier by 4 mo, so it was good that we didn't invest in an expensive one. He just grew out of the Roundabout this summer, just after turning 3 at 40lbs and 40" tall (most kids won't get that big until they're 4)
rear view mirror - this is a big mirror that holds in place really well so you can see baby and baby can even see you. Made driving with a tiny one so much less stressful.
Baby carriers - I couldn't have done without my I got it when DS was about 6 mo old and plan ot use it a lot sooner with this baby. I also loved having a sling but didn't particularly love the one I had so I will make my own this time, using a few features from different slings. I also want a from Kangaroo Korner and a to replace the BabyBjorn carrier I wish I'd never heard of (they are really bad for baby's spines)
We're also getting a for the first few months to make sure everyone has some personal space and to keep the bed a little organized. DS slept in a crib for the first year or so before we discovered the joy of the family bed, so we've never slept much with a newborn and want to get used to it gradually.
We never used a baby bathtub more than twice, we'd just take the baby in the shower with us, but got a SnugTub for when he was about a year or so, and he adored his little tub.
Ben hated being alone at all, so the bouncy seat was only used a few times for me to run and pee or dump laundry in the washer (I'll use the Sutemi for housework this time). He also could sit up pretty early so we couldn't use it past 3 or 4 months. We did use our as sort of a seat for him when the bouncy had been retired and he liked it much better, I think it was more comfortable than the recline of the bouncy. We also have had lots of use out of the BabeeTenda in general, just put it away because his legs are too long for it. That did end up being a really good investment, we much prefer it over any other high chair we've seen.
Our expensive Combi stroller only got used a few times a month, mostly for clothing shopping (If I had to try things on) or long trips to the mall or a theme park. I hated it by a year, it was too wobbly and was hard to steer when Ben leaned forward, which he did all the time. You have to judge your own lifestyle to see if you really need one. Most places (malls, theme parks, zoos) have ones for rent and if you won't use them much other times, it might just work to rent one when you're there.
A baby dresser is good, we got one that could be used as a changing table but is just a nice dresser without the pad on it.
Geez, I could go on and on about baby stuff. I think I covered most everything that was important to us, better stop while I'm ahead :)

Answer:

Thank you all so much for all the time and thought you put into your suggestions! It's super. I'm going to print it out and digest it to help us in our decision making. I know that trial and error is part of this, too. Having your sage advice is certainly a good place to start, though.
Have a wonderful weekend!

Answer:

We are about to have our second and the things I felt made our lives a whole lot easier were:
-- of course clothes and diapers
-- I pumped exclusively but even if I didn't I would want a good pump so I could get out to a movie with girlfriends once in awhile, a work out at the Y, or whatever, and have dh take care of baby
-- A cosleeper, because we have a waterbed. Also it's a safe place to set baby for naps without worrying about her getting smothered in pillows or rolling off the bed
-- a bouncy seat or infant carseat to put baby in while you take a shower or fold laundry, or go to the doctors. Just a safe place to set baby down but still keeping her in sight. I trashed our old infant seat because it was recalled. Will buy one at Goodwill soon for the sole purpose of using around the house, not as an actualy carseat.
-- a stroller for when baby is too big for sling, if you want. I used our stroller a lot, dd loved riding it in long after she outgrew the sling (I'm too small and have too bad of a back to sling past a certain weight). I would suggest one that is lightweight, yet durable, and folds small. I have a Peg Perego Pliko and although it was a bit of $$ I got it at a reduced price by shopping around and LOVE it! It's still in great shape after dd using it and ready for another go-round.
-- a convertible carseat. Goes from 5 to 40+ pounds. I found I didn't really need an infant carseat with dd (used it for like 3 mos). I trained her early to get used to being transferred from her carseat to the sling or stroller when we were out and about. To this day she will easily transfer, like if we arrive home and she's asleep, I can just carry her to her bed and she'll stay asleep. Great thing to teach a baby how to do!
-- if you are going to cosleep for any length of time you might find it less worriesome to put your mattress on the floor rather than a bedrail. We did that with dd, before we had our waterbed we had a futon on the floor. We never had to worry about her falling off, and when she started crawling she would actually sometimes crawl to our bed and fall asleep on her own!
-- a swing. I would not say this is an abosolute necessity. I swore I would not use one but found it helpful and plan to use one again. Esp. trying to take care of two kids at the same time. I won't abuse it, but my dd loved her swing for periods of time. It allowed me to grab a quick meal, take a shower (would drag it to our bathroom doorway, and hang laundry.
Darshani

Answer:

We are temporarily living in an apt, while our new house is being built and all of our stuff is in storage. This is what we have ready (and my EDD is TODAY!!)
- boobs (and a 2 pumps for later, one manual, one electric)
- cloth diapers, wipes, wipes solution
- changing pad on dresser
- 4 (!) slings
- 1 boppy
- clothes
- carseat
- cosleeper
- monitor

We do own a stroller, a bouncy seat, an exersaucer...but they're all in storage. I don't think we'll need them at first.
I never got a high chair, I think they're kinda ugly :) We just used a bouncy seat at first and then a little booster chair that attaches to a regular chair.
HTH!!! And good luck!!

Answer:

I think a lot of what you will need depends on your baby. Many things that worked for other people did not work for us because dd was pretty high needs, hated to be put down, and cried if she sat still.
Swing - swore I'd never own one; gave in after one month and boy was it a lifesaver for a fussy baby.
Stroller - dd hated it for the first 10-12 months; we always used a sling or the Baby Trekker (a front/back pack kind of carrier). I loved the Baby Trekker, but you might check out the . Same idea as the Trekker, but much more compact. After 12 months, we did use strollers more. We found a good jogging stroller (a must if you live in an area with rough sidewalks or if you have a dog!) and a cheapo umbrella stroller were all we needed.
Carseat - the infant seat was useless for us, as dd *always* woke up the second we tried to take that heavy, cumbersome thing out the of the car. That's definitely not the case with all babies though. Anyhow, we would've been better off just buying one carseat - the Britax Roundabout. That's what we'll do with Baby #2.
Bouncy seat - DD generally didn't like it for more than 5 minutes, but sometimes you really need those 5 minutes to get lunch ready or go to the bathroom. Same goes for the exersaucer.
Diapers - I won't even go into this area, but I will say that all we use for wipe solution is plain water. It works fine, and dd loves to wipe her babies' bottoms, etc., which wouldn't work so well with an actual solution.
Boppy - don't bother if you're tall. I'm tall (5'11") and the Boppy did not put the baby at the right height at all.

Answer:

Here's our favorite stuff:
--Britax Roundabout carseat
--sling (need a better one this time--any recs?), then Kelty front carrier, then REI backpack/ Kelty jogging stroller/ Burley bike trailer (we do without a car a lot, so whatever we use to get ds around in can't be wimpy at all)
--prefold cloth diapers (I go to weebees.com, but there are many choices)
--stretch socks instead of booties (booties get lost)
--lots of hats (very fair, redheaded child)
--no lotions, no goop, nothing scented... occasionally a little almond oil, and some unscented diaper cream
--a bouncy seat for when we're eating
I think everything else is very much subject to personal opinion--even the kind of clothes you want.

Answer:

A Boppy Pillow is something I really enjoyed using. I also had a take a long swing by fisher price that I got as a gift with my third child. I really loved it and so did my baby. I also had a moses basket -- not really a necessity but I loved having it and using it during the day. With my third baby I did get a double stroller and have used it. Not all the time but enough to really appreciate it with two small children. A sling for sure too!
Kim

Answer:

I forgot something. I had a "my breast friend" pillow and a boppy, and the mbf was *SO* much better. I'm tall, too (and have very small breasts), and yeah, either one would have been too low at the beginning. But I just put a regular pillow underneath, and it raised it to the proper level. As ds got bigger, I was able to do away with the 2nd pillow. It was *so* much easier to use the mbf (by the way, it has a velcro strap, so it stays put) than to mess with a stack of pillows and/or strain my back.
Save receipts, esp. on the big stuff (like swings), because if your baby hates it, you can just return it.

Answer:

Can't resist sharing my top 10 list!
1. sling (I used the Mayawrap)
2. travel system (allowed dd to continue sleeping when she fell asleep in the car - she slept very little at home the first 4 mon)
3. portable diaper changing "mat" (great for out in public -some changing places were pretty gross)
4. bouncy seat, exersaucer: used as little "stations" for short stays while I showered, washed the floor, etc
5. good breast pump (the electric Medela model is worth the price)
6. good AP parenting books (nursing allows you some reading time)
7. high chair (eating a meal with both hands again is great!)
8. camera
9. easy to use diaper bag (I ended up using a bag I already had - the diaper bag I got drove me nuts)
10. if affordable, a cell phone is great.
good luck - babies are such blessings!! edited to say: as previously posted, EVERYTHING depends on your baby - she/he will determine what things are helpful! ex: we got a swing out of desperation to console our HN baby (which was helpful); also, the boppy didn't help me at all (5'4 and immed. post baby #170.)

Answer:

we do love giving advice !!
My number one is sling and I give it as gifts - whatever kind of parenting you choose. Get someone to help you and use it from the beginning. There are lots of different holds.
The carseat/travel system thing - I didn't use. I always had ds in the sling. We bought a lightweight stroller for longer walks as he got older. He still doesn't like strollers and now we use a backpack for him and the sling for dd. Depends on if you can 1) afford two carseats within 6 months 2) you have a baby that is not only less than 20 lbs but also less than 26 in. (they have height restricitions also but most people choose to ignore).
I used the boppy and OSBH sling - I am short so they work great for me. A friend got her sling on ebay for a lot less.
Try going to LLL meeting or seeing if your town has an AP group - anything like that...you can meet the women and find out if there are any local resources.