What is one baby thing you guys couldn't live without?

[ashort]

So it's been forever since I've been on here but I just thought I would give a little update.  I'm finally 23 weeks pregnant today.  I'm having a boy!  I want to say thank you to everybody who got me through all the hard times and m/cs.  Dh and I are so happy that things are going well.  I hope everything is going well for everybody else.

I'm getting ready to register and I knew you ladies could give some great advice.  What are some things I HAVE to register for..that you guys just can't live without.  I think I'm going to register for the amby baby swing thing and all the normal stuff but it there anything else you guys can think of?  

Again, I hope everything is going well...wishing you all lots of sticky babydust if you are trying!

[Renogirl]

have to have -

we had a bouncy seat made by Boppy - it was huge and looked like a baby papasan chair - Abby loved it and will still crawl into it - it vibrates and plays music

cloth diapers - you will never run out of uses for them

Dr Brown bottles - the best out there

One good heavy warm blankets - it is NOT safe to put your child in a car seat with any kind of bulky snow suit, jacket, or those Bundle Me's - all that cushion just ensures that the straps of your car seat are not fitting snuggly against your baby and in a car accident your child has more room to move in the straps - climb in the other side of the backseat and shut the door and put your child in their seat if you are worried about cold -cover them up with a blanket to keep them warm going to and from the car - honestly - how long will you have a little one outside anyways?

A GOOD car seat installation - call your local emergence service or ask at Babies R Us and see how professionally installs car seats safely - you will never regret knowing your seat is installed correctly and no matter how good you THINK you are installing it - you'll never get it in as safe and secure as someone will who is trained to do installations
Whatever you do - DO NOT leave the hospital without the snot sucker - and ask some really nice nurse in the nursery if you can have an extra - one for the diaper bag and one for the nursery - you will never buy one as good as the one they give you at the hospital

Desitin or some other butt cream

a comfy glider rock and glider foot stool for the nursery!!

a smaller extra diaper bag that you can keep packed and in the car - because there will be a day that you run out of the house in a hurry to just run to the store and grab one quick thing and you think you won't need the diaper bag for this quick trip and that is when the baby poops up his/her back - this way you'll always have a change of clothes and diapers and wipes with you - I also get those cheapie disposable bags at Babies R Us that you can throw a dirty diaper in and then trash it - if you aren't close to a trash can, you can throw the diaper in the bag in the floor until you get home plus the bags are scented

A small photo album that you can keep in your purse and keep stocked with recent photos - I also found a small brag book at Walmart and keep it filled with pictures - it's small enough for Daddy to take with him to work because you know all the ladies at his work will want to see pictures!!!



Don't waste your time on the wipe warmer - too many blankets - too many shoes (my daughter has more then I do and most she's never worn but so hard to resist the temptation of cute shoes) fancy outfits - fancy baby bathtubs (you aren't going to use them that long) - don't buy anything that you can't keep in the room you and hubby spend the most time in - we have a beautiful swing but it doesn't fit in our family room so its in the other room and we are rarely in there so the swing is hardly used

Best of luck with your little one

[mlb1234]

It is funny - what some people love, others think was a waste of money, etc but here goes my list anyways...

LOVE:  
-video monitor (LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!! and you don't have to open the door to spy on baby and risk waking her up!)
-bundle me
-swaddle blankets
-carter's onesies fit the best

Waste of $ (or barely used):
gowns
invisible bumber
baby positioner
bottle warmer

[alexia1112]

Sorry girls... I missread the question.... I thought the question was...

What is one baby thing you guys could live without..

dirty diapers are one thing I could live without... specially if I start thinking how much we pay for those diapers.....  :-)

[alexia1112]

diapers full of poooooop !!!!!!!!!!

[tbeards]

I love this thread! It is reminding me of things I have to double up one. The Baby Bundle Me is AWESOME! It is definitely the best. We live in Minnesota and my dd was born on 10/28 so that meant my maternity leave was through January, our most bitter cold time of year. After I took her out of the Bundle Me even on the coldest days, she was still nice and cozy and warm. They also make a lighter weight one too, which I also have, for Springtime or colder Summer/Autumn months. I just never thought the carseats had that great of security over the buntings.

The nasal aspirator from the hospital is an absolute must. If you need anything, it is one or two of those. As the ladies mentioned above, NONE of the store ones worked even close to the hospital ones. Ask if they can give you more than one. It is amazing how you can misplace them so easily (behind the changer, fall off of things, etc. due to the round bulb). One note of caution on them though; wash them frequently with really warm, almost hot soapy water (suck the soapy water in the bulb and let sit for about 10 mins.) as the moisture they suck in will start to stink. We put ours in boiling water once a week also along with the tan thingy from the Dr. Brown bottles which we loved also). We bought the battery operated nasal aspirator recently when my dd had a cold and the jury is still out on that for us. I think it will work better with runnier noses vs. boogie type consistency hahahaha.

We also hated our baby carrier (Baby Bjorn) until our dd was about 9 months old or so. She seemed to get so hot in it and my back always hurt. Again, I know of a lot of mothers who loved theirs so maybe ask to borrow one as they are pretty expensive. We just got a Moby sling that can be used for twins and it seems really comfortable and I feel like I will be able to hold the babies better so I will let everyone know in a few months : )

I also agree with getting a great diaper bag, especially one where the strap can be shortened a lot. We put ours over the handle of our stroller for easier access and one with longer straps that aren't adjustable will drag on the back wheels. I also didn't realize how much I would love it but the adult cup holder on the stoller is great to have. By the time I get us all out of the car and into a store, I am parched. Probably because of having a toddler and preg with twins but it is nice to put a bottle of water in.

Toys were such a toss up for us. The ones we thought our dd would love she barely touched and the plain ones she loves. I also think she would have loved the Johnny Jump Up much more if we put her in it earlier. We have the Rainforest exersaucer with the jumpy feature and she preferred that much more but we put her in it earlier.

Oh yeah, one more thing. I absolutely love our Fischer Price Space Saver High Chair. You attach it to a chair with straps (like a booster seat but can use for infants as well). The seat reclines so you can use from birth on up. Our regular high chair is so big and it hasn't come our of our storage closet since we got it - thankfully a hand me down...

[Joyce49788]

i agree with tiredbuthappy....the hospital nasal syringe is the very best....they just dont sell them that good at the stores.  also a pair of baby nail clippers, those nails grow sooo fast and soooo long that if you dont clip them on a weekly basis (at least) then baby will be scatching the S*it out of his/her self....also a great diaper bag or two is a necessity.  i kept one (a small one i got at hospital) in the car at all times (except winter) so that i never forgot the diapers and wipes for a quick run to town (also included a couple bottles of water, and i had those single serving of formula (wonderful but expensive).....then i had a larger diaper bag for when going away from home for more than just a short time which included the formula cooler, outfits, diapers,wipes,ect... and if you keep both diaper bags packed at all times with the exception of fresh water and/or formula bottles....then you are always ready to go when you need to go somewhere....just remember to replace those extra outfits as the baby grows....lol...i forgot to do that with my daughter, and with her i didnt go very many places at all....so when i went somewhere when she was about 3-4 months old....omg i had newborn diapers and newborn and 0-3 month outfits in the bag....it was AWFUL...cause i had to buy her some stuff cause she ended up pooping all over EVERYTHING....lol...i learned my lesson....lol

hope that helped

[tiredbuthappy]

DD used the first years 5 in 1 bassinet for almost 6 months. i LOVED it. it was worth every penny spent on it. she was right next to my bed. it has a vibrate function that was a lifesaver- if she fussed in her sleep, i just reached over and pressed the vibrate button and she stayed asleep. it also had a little light built in. we kinda rigged it as well to be a life saver when she was sick. because it converts into a seat, the top portion inclines. when dd got the sniffles (which was often), we would prop the incline slightly and she slept comfortably elevated. since my baby was not a roller, she lasted a very long time in that bassinet.

i agree with those who said to avoid the bulky travel systems. i wish i hadn't bothered. the infant seat is great as long as your baby isn't huge. mine was average so she was able to stay in it for 8 to 9 months. the bundle me was GREAT in the winter- never had to mess with coats or snowsuits. If i could do it all over, i would get an infant seat and just the simple base for when out and about. Then, i would get a lightweight, practical stroller. my graco stroller (and it's not even the fancier one) is just to bulky to use on a daily basis.

dd hated the elastic gowns- she kicked too much and it restricted her.

***make sure you take the hospital's boogie sucker! i have bought so many other brands and none works as well as the one the hospital gave us. if you can, snag an extra while you're there.

my favorite piece of equipment is actually a hand-me-down. I haven't seen it anywhere, but i'll describe the features so you know what to look for. it's a j.mason rocking activity seat. by the time it got to us, the toy bar was missing and the vibrate feature is dead but it's still my favorite thing despite this. It's an infant to toddler rocker/seat (kinda like the fisher price one described by someone above). It has a sun shade that can be pulled up- WONDERFUL for having her outside or even when we just want to put her down for a nap in it. You can rock it, which lulls her to sleep. it can go from laying flat to sitting upright, and everything in between. when she is sick, it's great to keep her elevated. best part- it's super lightweight and it folds flat. so we take it everywhere if we know she'll need a nap. even now at 18 months old she uses it.

[7preg3b]

Well you ahve quite a list,  Its funny because some of the things everyone said you needed I hated..  LOL..  If I had to pick one thing I would definately say a nice functional diaper bag.  I hated the diaper Genies, I loved the cloth diapers and burp clothes especially if your baby has reflux.  MY son would say He Baby Tad.  Its a Leap FRog That actually will play up to six minutes of nightime sleep music.  We have played it everynight  since he was about 3 months and he still at 16 months loves it.  It does other stuff too for daytime..  

[ashort]

You guys are great...I've started registering...finally!  Keep the imput coming!

[tbeards]

As we were cleaning our diaper station, I realized I had said Diaper Genie above but we have the Diaper Champ. We picked the Champ because you don't have to use special bags, just your regular kitchen garbage bags.

We also didn't get our dd used to a warm bottle and she never minded a bit. I bf for three weeks and wish I would have done some things differently to keep going a little longer to see if my milk supply would increase. I am going to try to bf for two months this round. I think I didn't allow myself to rest enough nor eat enough to make sure my supply wasn't compromised. Any advice out there would be greatly appreciated. I would have 4 oz. in the morning but by the end of the day I would hardly get an ounce out of both bbs combined...

[IsabelleCanada]

A swing:

Coulnd't live without it for the 1st 10 months

[xinerevelle]

I never let my daughter get used to formula that was warmed, so I never had to worry about heating it up. This was a major lifesaver for us. By the time she was drinking 30 oz. a day we would make all that formula in a large plastic container and make 5-6 bottles (enough for 24 hours), put the tops on, and put them in the fridge. She loved it cold, just like everyone else drinks their milk.

We love our diaper genie, too. We empty it twice a week on trash day. One thing we did to save money is put TWO only-wet diapers in at a time. Since so much of the lining film is used in the twisting action, and the wet diapers don't really smell (and it's such a short amount of time until you get another one -- LOL) that it seems to save money. Of course, poopy diapers get their very own diaper genie action. Lysol in the bottom works great.

Pacifiers and sturdy (not plastic) clips that attach them to the baby (especially when they are little and aren't pulling the clips off). The all plastic clips don't stay attached very well. We had to search high and low for ones that had a metal clip (though some have plastic characters on the front, which is fine). Pacifiers are recommended now for SIDS -- it keeps the baby awake enough that they don't fall into such a deep sleep and breathe all the CO2. We also found that the silicone pacifiers last longer and don't pick up odors like the rubber ones do.

A breathable mesh crib bumper. Put away the pretty one that comes with the bedding set once your baby starts to roll around. For about $25 you can get a breathable mesh padded crib bumper at Target or TRU/BRU (online only, I think) that won't allow your child to suffocate if he/she presses his/her little face up against it when asleep. Well worth the money.

Dr. Browns bottles. My daughter had mild GERD, so anything that could help was wonderful. While these bottles are slight more expensive and harder to clean than some others, they significantly reduced her spit ups and burping. They now come in BPA-free polycarbonate and glass.

Plastic links. We used them to attach toys to car seat straps, stroller straps, etc. when the "throw everything on the ground and watch momma get it" stage arrived. What a godsend! You can also use them for attaching toys to a baby gym. Cheap at twice the price!

Lightweight stroller. We have a Maclaren Techno XT and love it. It's only about 11 lbs. and folds up like an umbrella stroller and can be done with one hand. I had back surgery a few years ago, so I was looking for something light and easy to fold. This fit the bill. The only negative is that it doesn't accept an infant car seat, so if you're going to the mall, you have to take baby out of the car seat and out him/her in the stroller. Of course, you only use that car seat for a short while. but use the stroller for a much longer timeframe, so that would seem to be more important. For a double stroller (second one due in a few months) I've selected a Joovy Ultralight Caboose. This is only 21 lbs, which is really light for a double stroller.

Extra mattress cover and sheets. When you make the baby's bed, put down a mattress pad, a sheet, a mattress pad, then another sheet. It will be tight, but doable. When baby spits up or a diaper leaks in the middle of the night, you'll only need to strip the top layer off, revealing a clean sheet/pad below.

Cloth diapers (2 packs). As another poster said, use these for burp clothes and sun shades when you're out and about. You don't care if you lose one because they are so cheap.

Onesies and knit cotton pants. Besides sleepers, these could be a newborn's uniform. Comfy and easy.

Convertible bouncy seat. We have a Fisher-Price bouncy seat that converts to a toddler chair -- my 2 year old is still using it. Best $35 spent ever. Of course, that means I had to buy a new one for this little guy, so I got a "traveling swing" from FP. It's low to the ground like a bouncy seat, but swings too. Plus it collapses and can be taken on the road to grandma's.

Tiny Love Mobile and LeapFrog Inch Worm. The mobile kept our baby enthralled for 20+  min. at a time. I was sad when she was big enough to stand and grab it because I had to take it down. I did leave the music box part for about 3 more months, but then she learned how to turn it on and off and it was really annoying after that. The Inch Worm we attached to her changing table to give her something to look at, play with, and listen to when we change her and dress her. It's still there to this day, 2 years later.

Baby nail clippers. Made it much easier to clip those little nails.

Tylenol suppositories. Available at the drugstore, though you may have to ask for them. FeverAll is the brand my drugstore carries.

Rectal thermometer, plastic sheaths, vaseline. Forget the ear thermometer -- too unreliable on a squirming kid. Go for the tried and true method.

Cool mist humidifier. Any brand is fine.... just make sure you get the little ball cleaner (it looks like stones in a plastic ball) that they sell at Target. It keeps it clean for a long time.

[Joyce49788]

i always used the infant snowsuits that have the hole sewn in to be able to click the carseat through....it always worked for us.  

i used a swing for all of my kids, and it is just soooo nice. i only had a bassinet for one (my youngest) and he was in it til he was about 4 months old.  am hoping to get one for this one too but not too sure yet.

if for some reason you have to use pre made formula, a bottle warmer is a life saver, especially since now they have them that warms to perfection in 5-10 seconds instead of minutes...lol

it has been almost 7 yrs since i had a new baby so it will take some getting used to again...but i am sure that we will all buy/borrow/or make all of the items that we want/need.

i never really bought true burp cloths....i had cloth diapers that i used for burp cloths or i used older recieving blankets... the hospitals that i had my other babies in, always let us take the recieving blankets with us.

have not decided whether or not i am going to solely breastfeed or not...i had a not so good experience with my oldest son, and so i didnt even really try with my youngest.  and i was only 20 and alone with my oldest that i really didnt try with her either.  my bf wants me to nurse but i am not sure that it is my thing....will definately be cheaper but then again i was always uncomfortable trying to nurse when i was out and about....i dont know, i have already bought a whole bunch of bottles really cheap on ebay.i guess if nothing else i will list them and resell them on ebay...lmao...or give them away to someone who wants/needs them.

anyhow i usually buy at resale shops or consignments shops, as we dont have many places around to purchase baby things....no babies r us, or anything like that...just walmart, kmart and big lots...lol

good luck and sorry for the short novel...lmao

[babyprayers]

I love the bundle me blankets for the car seats. the snow suits are SO BULKY, and its hard to them strapped properly, I got them at Babiesrus for 40 dollars each and I LOVE THEM

[40smama]

large blankets used to swaddle on happiestbaby.com (perfect swaddling solution ones)- my 8 month old baby is still swaddled in these blankets.  Also, get a good carseat - we bought a Britax - even though they're more expensive, they support the head much better than our Graco one.  The straps are kind of confusing but they're tangle-free so that helps.

One more thing I just thought of:  a stroller - we bought a universal baby carrier at Target.com.  It's much lighter than the regular 'travel' systems & easier to fold up.

Most other things he's come and gone through - i.e. the bassinet, papisan, bouncer which is inevitable.  He never liked his swing which was drag since we had two.

[ashort]

Thank you for the advice.  I looked into those carriers but I'm not sure which brand to buy.  Their are so many options.  I think I am going to get the Medula too.  I work with a girl that uses it and she loves it!  Thanks again!

[SoCalTricia]

One thing I absolutely loved and used more than anything was my backpack/baby carrier. I used it more than the stroller. It was small, so easy to take places. You don't have to deal with trying to manuever a stroller through a crowd or through crowded store aisles. And most of the time babies LOVE being up there, watching the world. I used mine to get housework done, cooking...everything. We went hiking a lot, and it makes it so much easier to just take your baby everywhere you want to go. No need to worry about stairs or anything. Plus, I found it was a great way to build up my leg strength and stamina. I started using it when my son was about six months old, and just kept using it...so my strength increased as he grew. By the time he was two, my legs were buff and my back was strong! :-)

The other thing I couldn't have done without was a good breast pump. I had the Madela Pump in Style...it was a life-saver. I went back to work when my son was six months old, but was able to continue nursing until he was two years old.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

[ashort]

tbeards-  Thanks so much!  I think I'm going to order the Amby baby swaddling swing thing.  It looks so comfy and it says the baby will move around if it starts to wake up and that will bounce the baby back to sleep.  By the way, you seem really handy!  Good luck with the twins!  I share a classroom with a girl that has twins and God bless her..she is still breastfeeding them and she has a 3 year old..they are 9 months old!

[ashort]

OMG!  I love you guys!  I've been on babies r us and I'm going crazy with all the selection of stuff.  I even joined consumer reports to see ratings.  I just can't seem to get this done.  I just feel like these are major decisions..LOL.  So far I think I'm going to register for the Graco Quattro and get that extra stroller thingie..LOL..that piece that holds the infant seat and looks so easy to maneuver.  I'm really confused about a bassinet...AGH...I have two large dogs 98 and 70 pound labs...I'm afraid they might knock the bassinet over if it has wheels.  AGH...such hard decisions...thanks sooooo much for all the help!

[PamelaBee]

I'll keep it short and sweet....PACIFIERS!!  : )

[tbeards]

Congrats on your 23 weeks milestone! I am 26 weeks with twin girls and I have a 14 month old I just read the other post to see if there were things on there that I loved/hated and here are my two cents (sorry for the novel...):

Loved:
1.) Cloth diapers for burp cloths, under baby's head/bottom in the crib, etc. I loved these so much I actually started a company making them out of cloth diapers and soft fabric (www.diaperburprags.com), although the plain cloth diapers work just as well and come in packs of 6 (6 ply best) or 12 (3 ply) for around $12.
2.) The swing. I honestly do not know of any baby that didn't like to swing. We used ours so much the music and vibrating seat don't work anymore. That being said, you don't need an expensive one.
3.) The nightgowns (elastic at bottom, on legs) are a life saver at night. Who wants to deal with snaps at 3:00 in the morning? We have about 12 of them and love the Gap Baby ones. Easy access to change the diaper.
4.) The Diaper Genie - Despite what others said on the other post, if cleaned properly and often (once per week), the smell does not linger. We sprayed Lysol in the base each bag change and doesn't smell now after 14 months.
5.) Receiving blankets - The bigger ones like the size of the hospital ones and better yet if the hospital will let you take them home. These larger ones are really hard to find so I make them out of 2 pieces of baby print flannel (45 inches x 45 inches - sew right sides together, turn inside out and sew a straight line about 1/2 inch around the edge and closing up about a 6" hole where you turn inside out) although you could probably find them online. The ones in the packs of three are way too small and we had an itty bitty baby (5lb 10 oz at birth) and they didn't fit her snugly. I have 8 ready for the twins to use (four each). Either to swaddle or just to have under baby for changing.
6.) The Boppy! Even if you aren't nursing, these are awesome for sitting the baby in for when you need to take a shower, etc. It keeps the baby upright and in a snug fit. I hate to say it but I actually didn't like it that much for nursing since the sides don't wrap around you very nice (especially the week after baby is born) and I didn't even gain that much weight during my pregnancy (20 pounds) and wasn't that big to begin with but we still loved it.
7.) Lansinoh (sp?) cream. A friend of mine recommended using twice a day about a month before birth so I did and I didn't have any nipple soreness at all when breastfeeding. I am not sure if this helped but I figure it didn't hurt either : )
8.) Tylenol SUPPOSITORIES. Our baby has and still has a terrible gag reflex and pukes every time we give it to her out of the dropper. At Target they keep them behind the pharmacy counter so you have to ask for them. Not sure why.
9.) Saline Nose Drops - Not the decongestant but the saline drops that you can use as frequently as needed. They clear up the nasal passage almost immediately after using. Our dd had RSV and so she had a really stuffed up and runny nose and this worked magic.
10). Hand mixer for formula - These are awesome. It is a battery powered whisk like device that mixes the formula with water in a couple of seconds. We ended up having to use a thick formula because of the gag reflex issue and shaking didn't do the trick. They are only about $2.99 or so at Babies R Us/Target.
11.) Going with #10, a formula dispenser. If you are bottle feeding with formula, this is a must. Forgo the smaller compartments and buy the larger four compartment one that can fit four scoops in each one for when they are older. At nighttime, we would fill up three compartments with formula, three bottles with water and brought all upstairs. It only took a couple of seconds to have a bottle ready.

Hated (or we and/or baby didn't care for that much or waste of money):
1.) Bassinet - For some reason, our baby hated her bassinet. Not sure why because she loved to be swaddled but we ended up putting her in her crib after two weeks and she went from sleeping for 2 hours at a time to 4 in one night. I think this is unusual though because I haven't heard of any other babies not liking theirs.
2.) Expensive baby blankets - I was so sad about this one because I bought a bunch of really cute, but expensive baby blankets (Little Giraffe, etc.). Our baby got way too hot in them and still doesn't like them. She loves her handmade knitted and crocheted ones that we received as gifts. Plus, the crocheted ones are stretchy so we swaddled her in them and also wasn't afraid of putting them in the crib because of the breathable holes. We will keep the expensive ones as keepsakes though.
3.) Along with #2, expensive baby clothes. With girls, everyone wants to buy dresses and we found that we hardly ever use them. Since you are having a boy, you don't need to be too concerned with this one : ) Babies pretty much wear PJs until they are around four months anyway and once they start crawling, the play wear is much more practical. It is hard to resist buying them but we have a ton of baby clothes with the tags still on them.

I think that is it. I am interested to see what others have to recommend!

~t

[Helen72]

This post from the baby products community helped me with my registry:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/537549