I’ve been running into a lot of first time moms lately. When I was pregnant with G, I acquired a list of “must-haves” from a friend, and it was a lot of help.
G’s only been around for 3 months, but I’ve decided on a couple “must-haves” of my own that I thought I’d share. For the most part, however, baby stuff is EASY and safe to come by second-hand. Parents, especially in our area of the Dallas/Fort Worth suburbs, have lots of money and over-buy. They then have lots of clutter and get rid of it for dirt cheap!
Just a few things that have helped G and I survive his first 3 months of life:
A Baby Papasan Chair. G likes this better than his bouncer because it’s at just the right angle where he can fall asleep in it comfortably. Since he’s a baby who always likes to be “part of the action”, it works really well for his daytime naps (he’s actually currently asleep in it!). The angle is also gentle enough that I can swaddle him without having to buckle him in. They are semi-pricey, especially since the kind I’m talking about only last a couple of months, but I got mine BRAND NEW on Craigslist for $5, complete with batteries.
A swaddle blanket: In accordance with the book, “Happiest Baby on the Block”, which many moms swear by, we have been swaddling G since day one. He is a little Houdini however, so no matter how tightly we wrapped a normal blanket, he could usually break out of it. These swaddle blankets are less than $10 at Target. The velcro is so super easy, and he’s only broken out once or twice since.
White Noise Machine: While the heartbeat is a little creepy at first (in my opinion), it is so mesmerizing that not even Jesse and I can stay awake while it’s going!
Pack N Play with an infant bassinet setting and diaper changer: Most Pack N Plays come with both of these features, unless you get one second hand. It also depends on sleeping arrangements for the first few months. I love having G in the same room with us, a) because it’s comforting for us all and b)because nighttime feedings are hardly longer than 15 minutes. The first few weeks we didn’t even leave the room to change his diaper since we were able to set up a second changing station next to our bed. Co Sleepers are nice, but I’m not sure if they accomodate bigger toddlers? I think our Pack N Play will be a great play area for G when I can’t keep an eye on his every move during the day. It also might keep Claire from chewing up all his toys!
Infant Carseat with a buckle in base: I thought that I wouldn’t want one of these, hence the “All-In-One” carseat I registered for. It didn’t seem to be worth the money. Good thing someone gave me a hand-me-down! All I can say is that after a month of trying to “go it” without one, I couldn’t be more grateful for it. SOOOO easy to get G in and out of the car, keep him asleep during a nap if he fell asleep in the car. If it’s cold, I can bundle him in it before we leave the house (trying to keep a baby warm while putting them in a cold carseat is miserable! Especially since the AAP warns that babies shouldn’t be wearing a jacket when buckled in). If I had it to do over again, I’d get the Britax Companion seat because it has an extra safety bar and the pound limit is greater than most.
Moby Wrap or Mei Tai: All the experts agree that the more cuddle time a baby has with mom, the better. It’s so easy to “wear” G while I’m doing housework– he just naps so well when he’s warm and can hear my heart beat. Be careful with Bjorns or any other carrier where the baby’s weight is supported from their crotch. Apparently (and understandably so!) it can cause hip/pelvic pain later in life, especially for boys. Be careful also with slings– a bunch were just recalled because of asphyxiation!
“My Breastfriend” pillow: I’ve tried both, and this is way better than a boppy pillow. Old fashioned pillows also work just fine, but this is so easy to use, and comes highly recommended by my doula/lactation consultant. Since it buckles and has back/lumber support, it really helps! I carry it everywhere with me.
Some sort of breastpump: On the day your milk comes in, you will thank me. Even if it’s only to relieve pressure, it’s a lifesaver if you’re not able to “express” the milk in the shower. Enough said 🙂
My “Petunia Pickle Bottom” diaper bag: I love how the changing pad is attached to the front and unzips– I never need to worry about losing it. Plus, it’s a shoulder bag or a backpack, depending on what you want. They are pricey though, so I guess unless you get a good deal on Ebay or Craigslist, they aren’t worth those conveniences. No PVC plastic though, if that’s something you’re worried about!
Cloth Diapers: I’ve already said my piece on these. I enjoyed the super nice/expensive disposables my mom bought for us while we were in CA, but we had more blow outs in those 10 days then we did in two months of cloth dipes!
Bradley Birthing Class: This is one that Jesse wanted me to put here. It really really really helped, especially since they covered helpful tips for those first few days with a newborn when everything is new and scary.
Pacifiers: An obvious one, but I wouldn’t go “stocking up” on any particular kind until you see what the baby likes. Every mom I’ve talked to has lots of unused pacifiers because their baby won’t take them. If the baby is in the hospital for any particular length of time at the beginning, they might be addicted to that kind, and nothing will change their mind! Personally, I didn’t introduce G’s pacifier until 3 weeks because I didn’t want any confusion with breastfeeding.
Stuff you don’t need right away (necessarily): A swing. G likes his, but they’re expensive and take up a LOT of room. Strollers are mostly for later, especially since a lot of pediatricians say that the bouncing can be hard on a newborn’s neck. Ours has nice shocks so I wasn’t too worried, but carrying him is fine when he’s this light. Bumper pads are a safety hazard, and the baby doesn’t move or roll those first few months anyways! Toys and dangling things aren’t necessary either, since they can’t see colors or more than a foot from their face!
I’d be curious to hear any others? Anyone got any recommendations for the next 3 months of G’s life?
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Steph says
Its funny how different everyone is:) The only “must haves” we needed on your list is a swadding blanket (the Miracle Blanket was the only one that would hold Marshall), and pacifiers. I didn’t want to use paci’s at all but it was that or literally nurse about 20 hours a day which got old reeeeeal fast. I take that back, also cloth diapers:) We have bought 1 package of disposables in the last 8 months and swore we’d never do it again!
We went straight to the convertible carseat and never regretted it. He pretty much lived in a sling, gauze wrap, or ergo the first 5 months or so.
After 3 months some of his favorites have been the Sophie the Giraffe teething toy (both for biting and squeezing/squeaking), one of those floor activity gyms (it would keep him busy for 45 minutes at a time which is like days in baby time), then just random things like balls, empty plastic water bottles, paper towel rolls. The bumbo chair is great for all sorts of things. I think around 3 months we started sitting Marshall in it on the shower floor while we were in the shower but I’m sure all babies might not like that:) He is definitely a water baby! We still loooove the Ergo and use it daily. Its so much faster than trying to do a wrap and I find myself grabbing it before the Mei Tei or ring slings.
Kelly says
Steph,
I saw that you guys have the same convertible carseat that I have! It just gets sooo cold here, and I was trying to find a way to bundle him up before we left the house, which is what led me to to try the infant seat out. I do find that the Moby Wrap and Mei Tai take a few minutes to put on, plus, it’s sometimes difficult without someone to help me put him in it. Which kind of Ergo do you have? The ones with head support look rather intriguing! I also noticed that we have the same Pack N Play– does it not work for Marshall now that he’s older? Or did you go straight to a crib?
Steph says
We just have the plain Ergo, we never got the infant support insert. “They” say you only need it till 4 months so it seemed like a waste to me since they’re so expensive. A lot of ppl I know have just used a receiving blanket. You can just swaddle the baby, and if they need additional head support roll another receiving blanket and use it as a bolster. We never did that. Marshall was born with crazy amazing neck muscles or something and never really needed extra head support. When he was little and I’d put him in the Ergo it was usually for walking around a store or the house so he wasn’t really being moved and didn’t need much support. If I was mountain climbing, maybe the infant insert would have been nice:)
We don’t really use the pack n play much. We had it in the living room when he was tiny and would set him in there if he passed out and we wanted to put him down. Now if we go on a vacation we’ll take it for him to sleep in if he doesn’t want to sleep with us and he definitely still fits. My friend has a day care and uses play pens for naps, so 2 and 3 year olds are still fitting in there!
We actually got rid of our crib and switched to a montessori-style floor bed as soon as he started crawling which has been working really well. Its twin sized so he ran roll and crawl in him sleep without falling off (if a 4 inch drop can be classified as a fall). When he wakes up from naps or in the morning he will either play in bed, or crawl out and play in his room. He is soooo much less frustrated than when he had the crib and we will definitely use the floor bed from the beginning for any future kids.
Then again I have friends that have 2 year olds still in their cribs so I think its another one of those personal preference things!