It's funny because when I first got the Baby Lust a few years ago, I used to spend hours online ogling over custom designer nurseries and cute, color-coordinated stuff; now that we are actually HAVING A BABY (are we actually having a baby? sometimes it seems like it still hasn't really sunk in) I am so much more practically minded. In the past couple of weeks, friends have given us some of their baby gear, a lot of it in very good condition, and between that and realizing how much good stuff is available at places like garage sales, I'm wondering if we need to buy anything (other than clothes and diapers) brand new.
Anyway, here's my checklist:
1) A place for the baby to sleep. Our options are:
A traditional nice wooden crib, like this:
Advantages of this option are that it looks very nice and tasteful, and, many of the models they have now convert to a daybed and/or full size bed (as pictured). Also, if we went with this option we could get a beautiful dresser/changing table combo that matches, and, a cute bedding set. And matching curtains and wallpaper border and rug and light switch cover and decorations, etc etc! Disadvantages are: price. Hundreds of dollars, at least if we get it new (I'm sure there are nice used things out there). And, we're not sure about how our baby is going to sleep, especially the first few months; I am definitely interested in trying co-sleeping. So it's likely that we may end up getting a crib like this, but not until the baby is a little older (and after we've moved and settled into our new home.)
A co-sleeper crib:
This attaches to an adult bed so that you don't have to actually get up in the middle of the night to retrieve a crying baby. Advantages: appeals to my laziness. Provides a safe place for baby to sleep close by. Disadvantage: I have heard many reports that people who buy this don't actually use it for the baby to sleep in, because the baby wants to sleep IN bed with you, not just next to you. So maybe a waste of money...? Still an option to consider, though, especially if I can't get the hang of falling asleep while holding/nursing an infant or can't overcome my fear that I'll smother her.
A Pack-and-Play:
This is, in my opinion, one of the great inventions of modern baby gear. It has everything-in-one! A playpen, bassinet, changing table, diaper stacker, wipes holder and mobile. And it's portable, perfect for trips to Grandma's house. We want one of these anyway, for the portability, so I'm thinking if we just use this for the first few months we can delay the purchase of a regular crib/changing table...? Am I right?
2) A rocking chair, like this:
But we just got one from Paul and Sara! It's really comfortable. I might pick out some pretty blue fabric and try to re-cover it.
3) Diaper pail: Do those of you who have babies like things like Diaper Genie? Or should we just stick with a little trash can with a lid?
4) Maybe some kind of cute storage baskets like these:
to hold clothes, and a laundry hamper?
5) Baby bathing and hygiene items: a bathtub, towels and washcloths (already got some from Chris and Jordana- thanks!), nailclippers, hairbrush(?), and of course, the everyday items that will have to be purchased on a regular basis: diapers, wipes, lotion, powder, soap, shampoo.
6) Clothes and blankets! Thanks to my mom and Bethany and Chris and Jordana, we already have a good start in this department, and I'm sure if I have a shower we'll get a lot more. Same story for the other fun-to-buy item: Toys!
7) A breastpump:
This will likely be one of our most expensive purchases (or gifts? If people chip in together?) The one pictured here is (supposed to be) Very Good, but also Very Expensive; honestly, I don't know whether or not one of the cheaper models would work just fine, considering I probably only need to pump occasionally...? This is one item where I would definitely like input from those of you who are experienced nursers.8) Other nursing accessories? Bottles/storage sets/nipples? Burp cloths? Pads? Lotions? What do we need? Again, advice/input welcome. From Paul and Sara we got a Boppy in great condition:
I might just get an extra slipcover for it. As for a high chair and sippy cups and dishes, it makes sense to wait until she's actually eating solid food, right?
9) A stroller/car seat/infant carrier:
Already got it from Paul and Sara! Thanks guys!10) Sling and/or baby carrier of some kind(s): Again, this is an item where I would definitely appreciate input. I have heard good things about the Maya wrap, and I know a lot of people like Baby Bjorn's things... maybe this is something I'll have to wait and try out for myself, since, like the breastpump, people's individual needs and preferences seem to vary a lot.
11) Places to put the baby down/attempt to soothe her to sleep: swing, walker, bouncy seat, jumper...? Paul and Teresa are giving us a swing and walker; maybe we need a bouncy seat, maybe we don't. That's one of those items that your baby might love or hate, and there's probably no way to tell before you get it, right?
12) Diaper bag and changing pad: I might just use my Vera Bradley bag as a diaper bag, since some have commented that that's what it looks like, anyway. ;-) (Mine doesn't have a zipper though; might be inconvenient.)
13) Baby moniter? We don't need it if she's sleeping in our room.
14) Thermometer? The ear kind or the new ones that take temperature by scanning on the forehead? Or the pacifier thermometer:
Pretty clever, huh?15) Finally, a little luxury item:
This, my friends, is a Wipes Warmer, designed to provide cozy warmed comfort for your little one with every change. We probably won't seriously get it. But I do think it's rather a nice thought. ;-)
Okay, that's it for now I guess; anything obvious I've left out? Again, I would welcome input from those of you with kids, re: what's worth it, what you could skip, what you can't live without, favorite brands/models, etc.
Love,
Neb
PS Those of you who love us and read this blog (that's you, Mom and Dad!)- please don't jump the gun and buy anything featured on this page yet. I didn't pick out exactly the things I want, just representative images. I'll probably have a detailed registry within a month or two. :-)
5 comments:
Okay, now for my input...
Even if we register for it, don't buy it until we know where we're moving and tell you its okay to buy it. The registry might get put together long before its appropriate for you to make purchases. Kindness will not diminish if you wait, but the amount of possible burden on us will fade away. This isn't only things like cribs, it's also things like baskets or other items that take up space.
Pink clothing is okay, but it could lead to dress-up disasters because it looks like grey to me. For my sake, because I become enraged when people who wouldn't dare laugh at someone on a wheelchair think that my colorblindness is funny, keep the pink to a minimum. If you have fantasies about little girls in pink 24/7, live them out with your own kid or someone else's. Anyone's but ours. Please.
Annoying toys that make too many sounds, flash a lot, encourage the child to like Dora the Explorer, look like a cell phone or computer, or are otherwised deemed distasteful in my subjective opinion will be either donated to a shelter or grond up as waste, depending on just how awful they are. Most kids these days have too many toys anyway. If you want to buy us stuff, please think practically and get things we need, not toys I'll throw away because they annoy me.
Honey, if you re-cover the chair cushions, remember that fabric like that used for many quilting projects is way too light even for a slipcover. It will be quickly destroyed. You need heavy fabric.
Forehead thermometers are a bad idea. Use your hand if it comes to that. Seriously. It's cheaper and just as meaningful. Ear scanning thermometers are bad enough if you aren't also checking visually for lack of a middle ear infection and line-of-sight on the eardrum. Whatever happened to the rectal thermometer, anyway? Pat ourselves on the back! We accept lower quality data just becasuse we don't have to talk about or deal with butts to get it! Yay, Modern American Culture!!!
Not. (I say this tongue-in-cheek, of course, for reasons involving blood temps and core temps and such.)
We definitely need a diaper bag that will close, honey. Your current bag spills all over the car regularly. And a bag smaller than that one is better. It will force us Thinking People to think and therefore put less crap in it and hurt less muscle hauling it around. You'd be surprised how small the arsenel can be. If you disagree, reply in six months when I can prove you wrong.
Wipe warmers are for wusses. They are, sadly, priced in the range where if you register for it someone will be more likely to buy it than other things that are more needed. The baby can suck it up and take a cold one on the bum now and again.
And now, I will go look for parenting books in the niche genre written by and for cranky fathers.
my PA destination is lancaster, home of The Extended Family, The High School Friends, and The Boyfriend. unfortunately my trip is rather cramped, as i'll be moving to nyack, ny on monday. i will be thinking of you and everyone else while you are at camp this year!
Also check out "Baby Bargains" (a book). It's kinda Consumer Report-sy, but evaluated by actual parents (yes, with actual babies) and lets you know what stuff would be a waste of $$ and what stuff you should pay once for something nicer (and more durable). And where you can get stuff cheapest. Your local public library almost certainly has one (if not in the current edition -- the 7th -- then an earlier one).
I've heard from some of my parent-friends that it's an invaluable tool.
Hey, there. Fun to see your baby coming along. How exciting. (I'm Chris' cousin, by the by. . .)Two things popped into my head. I have a Madela but have used it only once or twice, and often wished I just had a hand pump, so I didn't have to bother with all the tubes and the electricity. With my first kiddo, I was still working for two months after maternity leave, so an electric pump was a must--but the first kiddo downright refused a bottle even when she was starving so had to be brought in on my breaks for quick feeds. You could always wait for a while and then decide what best suits all of your needs, after the baby's born.
Oh and Diaper Genie is totally unneccesary. My advice is to buy the cheap can with the lid, or even better, tie up the diaper after changing it in a plastic bag and deposit it in a can that is or will quickly go out. Newborn poop isn't too smelly, really, it's only when they're on solids when they begin to reek.
On the crib, the cosleeper is a great choice--I think the best--if you want to sleep at night at all but still want to touch your husband once and a while. Both our girls have coslept with us, and I am convinced that it's the best option for all concerned--you get more sleep in the long run, your kiddos are happier, and Daddy is more aware of the baby and her needs. Also it's a really precious time.
Well, gotta go. . .good luck and congratulations!
Oh, man, just noticed. Look, if you don't get anything else, pay a little more and get the Baby Bjorn carrier. Trust an experienced, multitasking momma on this one. I did everything with the baby in the Bjorn, from cooking to gardening to hiking to cleaning the house--with Merry we had a Snuggly, which was far inferior. The Baby Bjorn completely surpasses all baby carriers (including the Sling--which I've tried and is impossibly awkward and gives one a back ache). With the Bjorn you can slip the babe quickly in and out (while the carrier is STILL attached to you) without losing your mind as babe screams.
For me, Baby Bjorn EQUALS independence without sacrificing intimacy with baby.
Oh, for when Baby's older, make SURE you get the Bjorn bib with the trough for catching food. These above two items are indispensible. I'll put a baby in a drawer to sleep, hand express milk, etc., before I would go without those two clever Bjorn products.
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