I only went to TJ Maxx for a bathmat, I swear.
But then I saw the baby stuff. Did you know TJ Maxx had baby stuff?
I didn't buy much (a little cushioned thing for the car seat that's supposed to support the baby's head and neck which seems vaguely important, even though I can't get over the fact that we're required to have a car seat even though we don't own a car, and a super cute terrycloth thing that I think is a portable changing pad, but truth be told I bought it mostly because it's fun and I'm a fan of the brand - Icky Baby - so I'm a little sketchy on the details) but after several calls to mom (Does the kid really need a baby blanket?) and confabs with strangers ("Get a Boppy if you're planning on nursing. Trust me, it'll save your life." What the hell is a Boppy?) I came to the conclusion that I really have no idea what I'm doing.
So I thought I'd put it out to you, gentle readers: Which baby items could you not live without?And (more importantly, I think) which turned out to be the most useless?
6 comments:
Personally, I'm in a two-story, 3000 ft house with a big yard and I stopped doing the baby monitor somewhere around 6 or 7 months.
The boppy pillow I still use, however. That sucker will still be in regular daily use until Kaylee is five or six, probably, and for any siblings she acquires. The damn things are invaluable -- screw 'for nursing' -- they're like having a second set of plushy ARMS.
Don't worry about buying one, though -- Kate and I will be getting you one -- maybe two.
What else?
I dunno what that terrycloth pad thing is, but the idea of making a changing pad out of a highly absorbent, hard to wipe clean fabric strikes me as "that can't be what it's for."
Don't skimp on a 'diaper bag.' Better yet, bags. More pockets are better. Yea verily.
Two of you should go, together, to the (usually hospital provided) infant safety course. Great stuff.
Sleep sacks. Sleep sacks are the bomb. Thick, fleecy ones for cold months and thin ones for hot months. Two or maybe three for each of the 0-3, 4-6, 6-9, and 9-12 months. Yah can't have blankets in the bed with the bebe for about that long, so you need em.
You still need a few baby blankets -- not for the bed, but for laying out as a baby area (sleep, play, flop around) during the day or when you travel around.
More later. I owe you and Matt a few awesome books.
I should mention that while I stopped with the baby monitor after early months, Kaylee's mom still uses one to this day during naps and nighttime, and Kaylee's almost two. So your mileage may vary.
Clearly, I need add nothing else. But, you know, if you want to tell us what sex Lil Possum is, we may have piles and piles of clothes for you!!
Do not buy the baby wipe warmer. Tremendous waste of money. (Someone gave us one as a shower gift. While it seemed like a good idea it turned the wipes funky colors and caused them to dry out quickly)
Boppy pillows are good, I found it really useful when the baby had good head control and you can set them on it on their tummys and they like to be able to see, also good for when they can't quite sit up unassisted.
I used a baby monitor through the first year, because I sleep like the dead and was very afraid of not hearing the baby in the middle of the night. But in such a small space...two things that I found most useful...a sling or snuggly to have baby in so that you can do things around the house and they really like being all snuggled up with you. Our baby swing was a life saver two. Until #2 was about 5 months old it was the ONLY place she would nap.
Vibrating chairs. Caitlin would sleep in it when my stomach was unavailable. Also, it was the only place we could leave her strapped in and have a shower in peace. Those things rock!
A cool motorized mobile for the crib. Not essential, but when they wake up, instead of being bored and immediately crying they have something interesting to look at. You'll need to remove it before they get to the grabby/crawling stage or else CRUNCH! Thus went our cool mobile....
Another vote here for Boppy pillows. Oh and Lands End makes a nice diaper bag - SUV sized and they don't have embarrassing characters/designs on them.
Onesies by the truckload. Any article of clothing that gives you near instant access to the poop shoot is fabulous for when you need to change the baby. And you will change the baby A LOT. Leave anything with buttons for when you're getting more sleep, stick with snaps or velcro if you can.
Oh, if you are getting a crib, make sure you air the mattress out for a good long time before the baby gets here. I've been hearing about research suggesting that SIDS is related to off gassing of mattress materials. Don't mean to be a downer, but this is something to think about/further research.
Good luck! Don't let the big box stores overwhelm you with crap and their Oh So Helpful list of gear you "need" to buy. Consumer Reports created a book on buying baby gear, you should be able to find copies at the library.
okay...i have friends who have a three week old baby boy, so i have been compiling data for you. this is their list of must-haves:
baby bjorn- to keep your hands free to do light chores with baby, and he loves being cuddled so close to the chest.
diaper champ- no explanation necessary. those poopie diapers gotta go somewhere...
changing pad- so you can change the little dude anywhere.
swing- so you can shower.
bag balm- for you and your boobs.
they said not to worry about buying clothes because everyone will give you clothes...and don't feel pressure to get a crib right away. they also agree that the wipe warmer sucks.
hope this helps!
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