New Baby Coming - Need Your Input, Please :-)

[3little1s]

Most people buy a rocker for night time feedings...I bought a chaise lounge with two arm rests so that i coud comfortably fall asleep in it with baby in arms if needed and then when I finished with it in baby room I took it to my bed room for a reading chair.

I found (after 3 kids) the best things to spend on are multipurpose items...ie. swing/bouncer chair combo...3 in 1 car seat....3 in 1 crib.....highchair that turns into a booster chair....chariot stroller/bike trailer.....etc.

they do cost more upfront but if u buy used, u can save alot, then only buying it once

ALSO....I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT MY BABY BULLET!

[Lilyana'sMommy]

We have a 2.5yr old and a 1yr old and of course with our first we had a TON of stuff that was really not needed but here are a few of our must haves:

scratch mitts (best ones in my opinion are from ToysRUs and they come in 2pk)
diaper cream
J&J bedtime bath wash (LOVE IT!!!)
Gripe water has been a lifesaver for us (we just buy the PC/no name brand $2.99 at SS)
Onesies (a lot of them, lol....)
First Aid Kit (infant acetominaphin, thermometer, nasal aspirator, nail clippers, etc...)
Mesh Bumper Pads *however they may decide to use regular bumper pads or no pads at all but I love the mesh ones as the allow for the baby to breathe if they roll into them but they keep their hands and feet in the crib
Baby Oil & comb (just a small one to keep on hand in case they develop cradle cap)
Noise machine (plays nature sounds, heartbeat, white noise, etc...)
Swaddle blankets (receiving blankets work well but these are easier)

[maybe]

You need to have some tummy time toys to help them learn to hold their heads up. Also, I loved my Bumbo and tray. It was great for home and fantastic for travel. Once baby can hold themselves up, an excesaucer was so awesome. It let me have my hands back for a bit (my son loved his). Lots of burp cloths to clean up spit up. Oh and we used the rocking chair a lot. If your sister is going to be travelling with the baby, a playpen is ideal for sleep.

That's all I can think of right now.

[GoddessDigi]

Highchair
Swing (sometimes this was the ONLY way to get Luna to sleep)
Exersaucer (she loved hers and it gave me a chance to wash dishes and stuff)
Playpen

[Chantel]

Not a "can't live without" but ANYBODY I know who has had a baby and spent tons of money on new clothes for them has told me they regretted it. Baby clothes only get used for a month or two at a time, especially in the stages where they grow very quickly. Take her garage-sale shopping or look on kijiji for people getting rid of loads of baby clothes so she can get boxes full for next to nothing.

Stuff like cloth bibs, blankets, clothes etc. can all be purchased secondhand, washed thoroughly and sterilized so there is no remnants of the previous owners.

I think it's easier on mom and dad when you have an abundance of extra clothes and bibs and stuff, that way you can just chuck whatever fits at that stage in a bag and throw it in the trunk of the car, drop it off with grandma or the babysitter etc. and if one day in a frazzled, tired mess of a mommy you forget to pack an extra of something as you run out the door, you're covered

[garbagepicker]

I started fresh-again-at 41. My can't live without is our Angel care baby moniter..Not only moniters noise but movement. I breastfeed so my avent pump and microwave sterilizer and electric bottle warmer so DH can help with feeds. I also used an electric wipe warmer takes away the middle of the night chill!!
I also make personalized baby/kid blankets. My little guy loves his nite-nite!
I got so many things for nest to nothing(diapers etc)because of SC!

G

[GoddessDigi]

Not a "can't live without" but ANYBODY I know who has had a baby and spent tons of money on new clothes for them has told me they regretted it. Baby clothes only get used for a month or two at a time, especially in the stages where they grow very quickly. Take her garage-sale shopping or look on kijiji for people getting rid of loads of baby clothes so she can get boxes full for next to nothing.

Stuff like cloth bibs, blankets, clothes etc. can all be purchased secondhand, washed thoroughly and sterilized so there is no remnants of the previous owners.

I think it's easier on mom and dad when you have an abundance of extra clothes and bibs and stuff, that way you can just chuck whatever fits at that stage in a bag and throw it in the trunk of the car, drop it off with grandma or the babysitter etc. and if one day in a frazzled, tired mess of a mommy you forget to pack an extra of something as you run out the door, you're covered

This needs to be agreed with! lol
We got so much clothing given to us at our baby shower, but she never even wore half of it. What she did wear, she was out of really really quickly (she's only 15m but she's in 24m clothing because she's big..not fat, cause she's tall).
I didn't get many sleepers, so I have been buying them now and then, and the best deals are at yard sales. :p (I got 2 for free last weekend, since I bought their travel system. ) They're also totally cute, with bunnies on them, and stuff, lol.

[Zonny]

It's funny how different we are in what we consider a 'can't live without' item.

We never had a swing, used gripe water or special baby laundry soap (just used unscented Tide, didn't do any special rinsing). In the hospital they didn't use diaper cream, just Vaseline, and that's mostly what we did too. DS was lucky in the skin department though, not at all sensitive and never had a bad diaper rash.

Body wash is great stuff, can wash an entire kid with it, although one bottle will last a LONG time. Baby shampoo too, one bottle goes a long way, we still have partial bottles of both that we have in our pool bag and our DS is five! And I hate the smell of the baby shampoo!

The baby bathtub wasn't all that useful for us either. Eventually I found it easier to just toss him in the tub with me! I'd have a soak, then when it had cooled off enough, DH would bring DS to me and he'd splash around, get clean, and then DH would come and fish him out. We did use the diaper genie though, bought one secondhand. It really did reduce the odours, our change table was in our room upstairs so it wasn't handy to run right out with the stink!

I think the more valuable stuff is what you can do personally. Make some meals for the freezer, offer to do the shopping, etc.

[corbinx]

I just had my second child and I now know what my "must-have" items are because they have/will have been used a lot by both. My sister had actually bought me a book called "Baby Must-Haves" which has a lot of things in it I didn't need...Babies R Us also had given me a list of things I "needed" but actually didn't. Everyone wants you to think you need to buy everything but for some things it's better to wait and see.

My large must-have items:
-car seat and stroller combo
-crib
-change table/dresser combo with change pad and covers
-play pen with attached change table and storage
-high chair
-infant to toddler rocker
-swing
Most of these items could be purchased second hand at garage sales/kijiji if need be (other than the carseat) or borrowed from friends/family.

My must-have small items:
-small washcloths
-bibs (especially the larger plastic ones)
-diapers (larger sizes)
-wipes
-swaddle and thin, large receiving blankets
-sleepers and onesies (the Costco ones are the best and the cheapest too)
-baby kit (comes with thermometer, nail clippers, files, comb, etc)
-baby shampoo/body wash and vasoline
-disposable diaper bags (Babies R Us)
-large diaper bag/back pack

I'm sure there's more but I can't think of anything else at the moment. The things I didn't use much which I thought I would are my baby monitor (could always hear well enough without it) and doorframe jolly jumper (didn't have a good spot for it and it was hard to get baby in and out of it). I also don't like my diaper genie as the refills are so expensive! I enjoy my Today's Parent magazine that I received as a gift from my play date group and my sis-in-law renewed it for me for Christmas. Not many coupons in it though.

For as gift for her I would recommend that you make a diaper cake or gift basket...you can get a lot of free things to add in by signing up on the baby websites- formula cans, diaper samples, free cereal coupons, etc. You can also call for the J&J new parents pack and use it on a basket of baby products or a first aid kit. I bought a friend of mine the diaper bag she wanted on her registry and filled it with a bunch of things I got free or cheap and included a list of all the baby websites to sign up for.

[DiamondLil]

With her having the baby during the wintertime, getting that carseat cover (the snuggly winter kind with the blanketty thing you use to cover the baby when you move him/her from the house to the car) is a must. It is much easier to move baby, secure the straps and buckle the baby up in the carseat with that. I have used winter suits and that winter carseat cover, and if I had another baby (wishful thinking!), I would definitely go with the carseat cover. It is very warm, soft & snuggly, and fits well with the straps and buckles with the carseat (you get a snug, secure fit for baby).

[shejayd]

A winter baby! I am having one too, and my ds is a winter baby.
# 1 thing, bunting bag for the car seat!
Lots of sleepers, for the 0-6 mth range. If next year will be like this year, that baby will be in longsleeves until May.
A swing, I could not have lived without the one I had, my ds lived in his swing for the first 3 months, then it was a life saver during colic.
Gripe water, infant tylenol, a nose sucker, thermometer.
If she does disposible diapers, a bag or 2 of size new-2, and a box of 3's. My ds grew out of 0-2 right away and was in 3's for 7 months.
Recieving blankets for swaddling, and for a barfy baby
Laundry detergent
A playpen with bassinet or a crib.
teethers

Thats all I can think of right now, hope it helps. We are in the same situation. My DS is 2.5 and we didnt plan on anymore kids, so I got rid of everything, so this thread helps me too. .

[kimzcouponz]

My DS is just over a year old now and he was our first.

I agree with a lot of the items that have been posted here.

I also could not have lived without my bar fridge!! We moved it upstairs for night time feedings. DS was a formula baby. So I was able to mix up all of this bottles for the night and have them ready at hand!

[peaches]

seriously good advice on here. i was gonna try and help out but you've pretty much got it covered!
well here's my quick list anyways. lots of these things i would have never bought myself so i'm so lucky i got them as gifts. also try and utilize consignment and garage sales esp for baby stuff taht gets barely used
2 kids-2.5 yr and 7 mths. both winter babies (makes a difference in this country):

love:
nursing pillow
video monitor (although the sound doesn't work anymore aargh)
fisher price kitchen
jolly jumper
convertible crib to toddler bed
nursing apron if you plan on leaving the house
good soother (if you say your baby doesn't like soothers, try a different one)
bath that looks like a mini-pool. so much better than filling the whole tub
a video camera
walker -illegal in canada but amazing if you can get your hands on one
water table
dvd player


neutral:
bumbo (don't buy it, but you will use it if you can borrow it)
1st baby-had way too many clothes, but she grew so slowly that she used it. 2nd baby-borrowed almost all clothes, but he barely touched them cause he grew so fast.
baby carrier-my back gets sore plus it's nice getting a break

didn't use:
baby shoes
newborn winter coats
sleep bags
peepee teepees
am using double stroller but i hate it
teething toy-mesh that you put an ice cube into it
vibrating rocker chair

[betholio]

It's funny how different we are in what we consider a 'can't live without' item.

...We never had a swing, used gripe water or special baby laundry soap (just used unscented Tide, didn't do any special rinsing). In the hospital they didn't use diaper cream, just Vaseline, and that's mostly what we did too. DS was lucky in the skin department though, not at all sensitive and never had a bad diaper rash.

Body wash is great stuff, can wash an entire kid with it, although one bottle will last a LONG time. Baby shampoo too, one bottle goes a long way, we still have partial bottles of both that we have in our pool bag and our DS is five! And I hate the smell of the baby shampoo!

The baby bathtub wasn't all that useful for us either. Eventually I found it easier to just toss him in the tub with me! I'd have a soak, then when it had cooled off enough, DH would bring DS to me and he'd splash around, get clean, and then DH would come and fish him out. We did use the diaper genie though, bought one secondhand. It really did reduce the odours, our change table was in our room upstairs so it wasn't handy to run right out with the stink!

I think the more valuable stuff is what you can do personally. Make some meals for the freezer, offer to do the shopping, etc.

This.

We didn't use gripe water with either of our sons. I'm nervous of it because I heard that there have been recalls on the alcohol-free stuff because of bacteria but if you buy the bacteria-killing alcohol version well then you're giving your baby alcohol which seems sketchy.

We've always used no fragrance laundry soap and the boys didn't have any issues. I think ds1 had a diaper rash maybe twice. Ds2 has yet to have one. I change dipes as soon as I know they're wet and try to give him lots of nekkid bum time.

The nasal aspirator was a god send because we have a lot of runny noses around here. My pal recommended I get the one that works by the parent sucking on a tube that his also in the baby's nose (you're protected from ingesting snot by filters and stuff). That thing is great compared to the old squeeze bulb system.

[mdutka]

The nasal aspirator was a god send because we have a lot of runny noses around here. My pal recommended I get the one that works by the parent sucking on a tube that his also in the baby's nose (you're protected from ingesting snot by filters and stuff). That thing is great compared to the old squeeze bulb system.

tell me tell me tell me where i can find this kind of aspirator! my 2 year old basically has a plugged/runny nose from october till may and i cant get near him with the regular kind, plus its useless.

back on track... really none of these things are necessities, they do without just fine in other parts of the world but...

items i had that i almost never used...

those little baby washcloths
baby hooded towels (never absorbant enough)
baby bathtub (too small, of course my boys were 10 pounds at birth so...)
regular double stroller (got a joovy instead)
highchair (i didnt have one for ds1, breastfed till 6 months then put him in a booster)
bassinet
i had a change table (gift) but its not really a necessity, you can just change the baby on the bed or a blanket
baby detergent (someone bought me some and when it ran out i just used my regular stuff minus the fabric softener)


and its weird cause with my first i went thru recieving blankets like crazy but not with my second, strange.

i did get alot of use out of.....

my breast pump, honestly i wish i would have bought a super nice one, that would have saved me so much time pumping (supply issues)
my hooter hider (every bf mother needs one)
baby shampoo (i like that its tear free, my oldest cries when water gets in his eyes lol)