I just read a fellow blogger's post about what baby items she found most useful when she had her two kids, and what items she found to be a waste. This inspired me to write my own post on the subject. Of course keep in mind every mom and baby is different so these lists won't always be the same for everyone. But here's my two cents:
What I Couldn't Live Without:
- Playtex Ventaire Bottles (the ones without the liners)
When I was pregnant I bought the Playtex Ventaire Starter Set, which came with both small and large size bottles and both slow flow and fast flow nipples. This was great because I was able to start Sophie off on the smaller bottles with the slow flow nipples at first, and move her to the larger bottles with the fast flow as she grew. She never had any problem with them, and they were really easy to clean. I highly recommend them! (We tried the famous Dr. Brown bottles and I was not impressed. Too many parts to take apart and clean and I didn't think they made a difference in the gas department.)
We used the bassinet for Sophie until she was 3 months old. She slept really good in it, and I liked it because it was so small and fit easily next to our bed without taking up too much space. I never really got into the Pac-N-Play thing. They are just so big and take up so much room!
Sophie wasn't actually that big on swaddling, but early on when we first brought her home we swaddled her for a little while just because we felt like we were supposed to. However, I never figured out how to actually swaddle her with a blanket. Luckily my sister bought me one of those Velcro Swaddle blankets and it was great. (I don't remember what the actual name is for these.) They are blankets that are already sewn into a pouch that have velcro flaps you just fold over and fasten to swaddle your baby. It made the swaddling process so much easier! However, once we figured out she didn't actually prefer to be swaddled we ditched it all together.
- Gas Drops/Similac Sensitive Formula for Fussiness and Gas
Sophie was a fussy baby. She had stomach trouble for the first 3 months of her life. First she had acid reflux, then she just had an upset/gassy tummy a lot of the time. When we finally made the switch to the Similac Sensitive Formula for Fussiness and Gas it made a world of difference! And the gas drops helped too. Even for breastfed babies gas drops are a good thing to have on hand.
Our swing was an absolute Godsend for us. Sophie actually slept in her swing for a really long time until she got used to sleeping flat, at which point we transitioned her to her bassinet. When all her tummy troubles were going on sleeping upright seemed to help her. And our swing would hook onto a larger part that made it rock back and forth, or you could take it off and it would still vibrate. This came in very handy for when I was home alone with Sophie and wanted to take a shower. I'd just take her little vibrating swing seat into the bathroom and she'd be happy as a clam while I did my thing.
My sister bought one of these for Sophie and we got a ton of use out of it! They are pricey, but they are definitely worth it. They are super soft, are a good size, but not too large, come in several different cute animal choices, and can be found at Dillard's or online. During the day this was Sophie's favorite place to nap.
- Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether
Again this one is a little pricey, but totally worth it. I'll admit I originally bought this because of the name. (Come on Sophie had to have a Sophie the Giraffe teether!) But it actually became Sophie's favorite teether to use. I'm not sure what makes it so special. It's basically a dog toy made for babies. But I know several other moms who also swear by this teether.
Gowns are the absolute easiest thing to put a baby in. They make night time diaper changes much quicker and take a lot less work than those outfits with a million snaps on them. I suggest you stock up!
When Sophie got old enough to start trying to walk we got her one of these Activity Walkers. ( You can find one here
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fisher-Price-Musical-Activity-Walker/15908176) They are cheap and we really think it helped her learn to walk. She started walking at 9 1/2 months. She loved this walker and used it for a long time, until she got comfortable enough to walk freely. I also recommend this one over the walkers you sit babies in, because I've read that experts are actually not encouraging those types anymore. There have been injuries reported with them. So save yourself some money and go the Activity Walker route!
What I Would Skip:
This one is totally determined by the baby. We had gone out and bought several different types of pacifiers, paci clips, and holders when I was pregnant because we assumed Sophie would take one. However, Sophie never took a paci, not once. So that was a waste. I recommend only buying one or two pacifiers until your baby is born to see if they will actually take one or not.
Seemed like an unnecessary step. Sophie was fine with her cold wipes.
We bought these to put on Sophie's car seat straps so they wouldn't rub against her, but we were told by a Physician's Assistant that they don't recommend using them. So we never used them and Sophie did fine. The straps never bothered her a bit.
I bought several little baby shoes for Sophie thinking how cute they'd be on her. In reality on most days I was lucky if I got Sophie in a real outfit and out of her pajamas, let alone put shoes on her. Until a child is old enough to start walking shoes really aren't necessary.
We had several toys for Sophie that she could sit on and ride when she got old enough. We had a pink scooter, a giraffe toy she could ride, and a rocking unicorn. However, Sophie never got the hang of scooting herself so we'd have to push her. And by the time she was able to walk she was over these types of toys and preferred to just run around on her own.
We put a glider in Sophie's room. However, from the time we brought her home we primarily fed her on the couch in the living room. Sophie never wanted to be rocked. And the glider had narrow arm rests that made it difficult for me to rest Sophie's head on during feedings. Next time around I will probably purchase a regular chair with wide stuffed arm rests that would better accommodate her head during feedings.
Undecided:
We never purchased a diaper genie for Sophie because other mom friends had told me they were a waste. We just put a small trash can in her room. However, her diapers get stinky quickly so we are constantly taking out the trash can. I would probably try a diaper genie next time to see if it would help contain the smell.
I didn't breastfeed Sophie so this was never really needed. I did use it a few times to prop her up before she was sitting good on her own. But overall, it wasn't really necessary for us.
We used this little seat when we first started feeding Sophie solids. It was smaller and more contained than putting her in the high chair. The only thing is we used it for a pretty short time frame, until we switched her to the high chair. Plus, there have been several warnings come out saying they're dangerous. Which this is only true if you sit your child in it at a high or uneven level, so really I didn't get too worked up over these warnings.
There is my long winded explanation for what I did and didn't find useful for my baby. I don't know if there are any expecting moms that read this blog, but if so I hope this helped! Again, a lot of these things are a personal preference.
And here's a link to the blog that inspired this one if you'd like to check it out.
http://www.parenting.com/blogs/true-mom-confessions/erin-zammett-ruddy/baby-gear
**Also it has come to my attention that people have had trouble trying to leave comments on here. If you have a blog or Google account it should let you sign in with your account to leave a comment. Or you can leave one as Anonymous, and just tell me who you are if you want. I would love some feedback! :-)
