Must-Haves for Baby

Kelly is doing a post about Baby Gear and is inviting other moms to link to her blog to give their opinions too. I thought I would participate. Luckily, we did not register for or purchase a whole lot that we did not need or use.

Must-Haves:

1. Bouncer - we used this a little in the beginning. It seemed like it swallowed him at first because he was so tiny. It vibrates to soothe the baby and also plays music. Once he was a little bigger, he just liked sitting in it and being bounced. As long as we could keep it moving, he was content. I learned how to put makeup on and dry my hair while bouncing it. Now, I use this to feed him his baby food in all the time. It wipes off easily and tilts him at the perfect angle so that he can keep the food in his mouth instead of it all coming back out.

2. Baby Bjorn - I quickly learned that this would be a lifesaver. My baby would not let me put him down once all the grandmas left me. He wanted to be held all the time, except for when he was sleeping. I discovered the only way I could do any housework was to put him in the Baby Bjorn and he would quickly fall asleep. It allows your hands to be free while it safely holds your baby close to your body. It also has a very comfortable fit. I still use it for this now and he's 17 lbs. Sometimes he just doesn't want to sit on the floor alone. I can vacuum or fold clothes with him in it. I highly recommend this brand even though it is a little pricey - about $80. Babies R Us is always giving out coupons though. I bought mine when it was on sale and I had a coupon too.

3. Breast Pump - I would not have made it through those 12 weeks that I breastfed without this. I highly recommend the Medela Pump in Style Advanced Pump. Yes, it is expensive, but you get what you pay for. It is fast and efficient. I used it almost every time after I fed Kross.

4. Mobile or Soother or both - I didn't get him a mobile until later because I couldn't find one that matched with his bedding. I decided on the Fisher Price Rainforest mobile. I should have had this from the beginning because he loved it. He still stares at it and loves the music. He also has a rainforest soother that has a waterfall and monkey and plays music. He also loves to sit and talk to this.


5. Pack N Play - This is great place for baby to sleep when they are newborns. You can keep it right next to your bed so you can check on your baby throughout the night. It is sort of like a bassinett but more useful. Kross slept in this for almost 13 weeks. It is also great to take on trips. The one that we have has a changing table on it too and I loved that because it makes changing baby very convenient. It is currently at my parents house so that we can use it for him to sleep in. The top portion comes out when they're bigger and it can be still be used as a port-a-crib or a playpen.

6. Bumbo - We started using the bumbo at 10 weeks and he still uses it now at 29 weeks. It teaches the baby to sit up and also helps them build their neck muscles. It also allows them to sit and watch you while you are doing something around the house. They have trays that attach to the seat so they can play with toys or have a snack. We have also taken this to a football game so he would have his own seat.

7. Exersaucer - He will play in this for 30 minutes at a time and just talk to his toys. He loves the music and lights. We were able to start putting him in this with a blanket wedged around him at 12 weeks. It's not recommended until 16 weeks. Now, we just plop him in it and he goes to town. This also helps the baby build leg muscles because they can bounce up and down and stand up.

8. Playtex Drop-ins - After doing alot of research, I chose the drop-ins. I didn't want to have to sterilize bottles all the time, and I had heard really good things about them too. Kross liked the latex nipples better than the silicon, but the silicon nipples are easier to find. These bottles have worked great for us...at home and on the go.


Didn't Need:

1. Swing - The thing that we've probably used the least, but I thought we'd use the most is the swing. We got this fancy swing that plays music, vibrates, reclines, and has a mobile. He used it maybe for the first 8 weeks. After that, he hated it. On a good day, he may sit in it for 15 minutes. Sometimes I think the mobile makes him claustrophobic, so I don't put that over his head. And sometimes he just hates it.

We do use a wipe warmer and it's nice...not really necessary, but nice.

2. Diaper genie - We elected not to buy a diaper genie or diaper champ. I heard they never work well and if we have a stinky diaper it goes straight to the trashcan in the garage.

3. Bottle warmers aren't necessary. You can use a plastic tub full of hot water and that works great. They will also tell you not to warm your bottles, but to make them room temperature. This way your baby will not expect warm milk all the time.

4. Bathtubs. Bath sponges work great and they are $5 - $6. We used a little bathtub that was given to us and it worked great for a while, but Kross outgrew it quickly. Then, I bought a bath sponge to sit in the tub and it works better than the little bathtub.