Baby Registry Items (Mom-to-Mom #20)
June 18, 2009 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under Mom-to-Mom, products
My sister is having her first baby this fall and she seeks help about what to put on her baby registry. Please chime in with what worked for you and what was a waste of money!
Photo by M. Nota
I need your advice! We’re getting ready to register for baby stuff and I’m overwhelmed with all the choices. Can you please answer the following or give me any advice you think will be helpful?
1) What tools/items/stuff did you get for your baby either early or later on that you are so glad you got?
2) What did you think you needed that you never used and wasn’t worth getting?
3) Recommendations for breast pumps? Bottles? Strollers? Car seats? Baby carriers (slings vs. bjorns vs. whatever else)?
4) Any opinions on cloth vs. disposable diapers? I was surprised to read on several web sites that cloth ones don’t turn out to be very much cheaper once you factor in supplies and laundry, so I guess it is more an environmental choice?
5) What else???
My answers:
1. Glad I had: Ring sling. Rocker/glider with foot rest. Good birth, breastfeeding, and parenting books.
2. Didn’t need: never had a crib and never missed it.
3. Breast pump: Medela Pump in Style
Bottles: Not that I could ever get my babies to take a bottle, but I would look for glass bottles like Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow Glass Bottle 2-Pack, 3.5 oz
Baby carrier: Maya Wrap Organic Baby Sling
Car seat: Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat
4. Cloth diapers are way cheaper than disposables especially if your sister hooks you up with her stash. 
You can also buy used, plan to use them for more than one baby, and sell them when you are done. You can save money on laundry by washing every other day and line drying the diapers as is best for them anyway. In the end it didn’t come down to cost vs. environment as much as I was more comfortable putting cloth against my baby’s skin than paper diapers and their chemicals (not that I don’t use disposables occasionally).
5. What else? I wish I had prepared more for the birth than for the baby. You already know my opinions on my home versus hospital births:
Labor Day Meme
A Safe and Satisfying Home Birth and Water Birth: My Story
Cost of Giving Birth at the Hospital or at Home
Ten Advantages of a Home Birth
Your Thoughts
Please leave a comment for others to benefit from the communal wisdom!
1) Glad we got: swaddle blankets, nursing pillows, rocking chair, bouncy seat.
2) Never used/didn’t really need: bottles (1st wouldn’t take, 2nd didn’t even try), crib (1st wouldn’t sleep in it, 2nd we didn’t even set it up), pack & play (really don’t need unless you have a dog or rambunctious toddler who would trample baby on the floor), a billion plastic gift toys: ASK PEOPLE FOR CLOTHES & BOOKS… they last the longest. Wooden basic toys like stacking rings, blocks, puzzles, play food = awesome & can be used again & again.
3) Recommendations: Solerveil ring sling is a MUST for the summer. I had way too many carriers that were TOO HOT in the summer. Loved the Mei Hip for older baby, and ERGO for toddler – the ergo rocks. Breast pumps – the medella hand pump was perfect, (but I didn’t use supplemental bottles – just for relieving engorgement & storing emergency milk), carseats – we’ve been through a ton, the favorite & current are britax boulevard CS, and wished we’d started with these. Strollers – Jeep double umbrella – super cheap & durable & folds quickly – awesome for travel; I wouldn’t recommend any other stroller systems – we had a lot, but they are all bulky, and didn’t get used as much as the umbrella stroller.
4) Cloth vs. disposable diapers:
We’ve always gone primarily disposable and done EC starting around the 1 yr mark, both kids were out of diapers before age 2.
5) What else???
Dr. Sears Baby Book is an absolute MUST; its the gift we give to all new parents. I’d also buy a copy of No Cry Sleep Solution by Pantley. And How to talk so kids will listen & Listen so kids will talk by Faber/Mazelich.
Forgot to add to the list above: Subscription to Mothering Magazine & the Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears
I’ve turned out to be much more of a baby minimalist than I ever imagined, but here’s the lowdown on what we use and don’t use. (My baby is 7.5 months)
1 – Things we use / love:
Boppy, but I’m sure everyone here knows that!
Kiddopotamus “Tiny Diners” placemat – great for http://www.babyledweaning.com
Gypsy Mama / Wrapsody baby wrap
Regular old backpack instead of a “real” diaper bag
(put those 2 together and baby and I are off for the day, hands-free!)
Glow Worm – she loves the music and the light-up face!
Toddler size board books
2 – Not so much:
Travel system stroller/carseat/carrier – We pretty much exclusively wear her when out and about. In restaurants we wore her when tiny, then held, now she’s in a high chair. During winter (born 10/27) it was nice to buckle and bundle her in the house and carry her to the car in it, but other than that, I think we’ve taken her “bucket” carrier in somewhere about 3 times, once before I had the wrap, twice when she was asleep when we arrived at a restaurant.
The stroller’s been used 3 times – once flying, 2 train trips – as basically a luggage cart (we wore baby)! If I had it to do over, I’d get a convertible (stay in car) carseat and maybe an umbrella stroller when she gets heavy for wearing.
Of course, we are not the norm!
4 – We love love love BumGenius 3.0 one-size pocket diapers. They retail for about $18 each, and we don’t have any other special equipment, other than a couple of washable diaper can bags and some wet bags in the diaper bag, which are all optional – but handy to have.
Carriers, cloth diapers, other stuff, we got from http://www.momandbabynaturally.com – the owner was my doula and is a local La Leche League leader.
I guess that I would tell you not to stress too much. I obsessed over Babies R Us reviews, car seat designs, high chairs, etc. In the end, it didn’t seem to matter nearly as much as I thought it would! Here’s my advice:
1) What tools/items/stuff did you get for your baby either early or later on that you are so glad you got? I LOVE my breast friend pillow. I bought mine second hand and use it daily. I wish that I had a second cover for it.
2) What did you think you needed that you never used and wasn’t worth getting? My son never liked his swing, but we had a combo bouncy seat/ swing and I was able to use the bouncy seat while I showered. We got WAY WAY WAY too many blankets!
3) Recommendations for breast pumps? Bottles? Strollers? Car seats? Baby carriers (slings vs. bjorns vs. whatever else)? I wish that I would have bought a Madela pump. The Madela I used at the hospital was great.
We had a Chicco Key Fit car seat and were very happy with it.
I bought the cheap Babies R Us BPA free bottles and had no problem. I have also used the Playtex drop ins with good success. My son rarely takes a bottle, so I am still using the first box that we bought and he is 9 months old! I would not settle too firmly on one bottle brand since you don’t know what your baby will prefer! I bought a few different kinds and tried them all until he picked what he wanted.
Regarding carriers- we got a front carrier by Jeep that was only okay. I recently made my own ring sling and wish that I had something like that much earlier (links to directions on my blog). I have not used any of the other slings out there, but will if/ when we have another baby!
4) Any opinions on cloth vs. disposable diapers? I was surprised to read on several web sites that cloth ones don’t turn out to be very much cheaper once you factor in supplies and laundry, so I guess it is more an environmental choice? My husband was WAY against cloth diapers, so we just did disposable. I am not picky about brands and have used Huggies and Pampers as well as the Kirkland’s (Costco) brand. I cannot tell a huge difference among them and just buy whatever I can find on sale. I did recently buy a cloth swim diaper for my son- it’s by Bummis and I have been really happy with it! If you can find a diaper service in your area, I have heard that’s a wonderful option! Simple Mom just did a great series on cloth diapering- (http://simplemom.net/weekend-links-cloth-diapering-edition/) and Hobo Mama (www.hobomama.com) has great info on using a diaper service and also baby slings. I got my ring sling info from her.
5) What else??? Get a good nursing bra (or 3) BEFORE you have the baby. I ignored this advice, thinking that I would go out after the baby and get measured then. My son was in NICU for a week and I had to worry about what I was going to wear to try and breast feed him in a pretty public place! Get used to breast feeding in public ASAP- I never did and now my little guy likes to throw off any nursing shawl that I try to put over him, so we are more home bound than I would like. Good luck!
The stuff is way less important than you think… you will be fine!
Best wishes!
1) What tools/items/stuff did you get for your baby either early or later on that you are so glad you got?
My ring sling came in really handy with two babies. I’ve also gotten a lot of use out of my bassinette in the early days.
2) What did you think you needed that you never used and wasn’t worth getting?
The baby swing was totally useless. The change table also wasn’t all that great, I generally change the baby on the floor.
3) Recommendations for breast pumps? Bottles? Strollers? Car seats? Baby carriers (slings vs. bjorns vs. whatever else)?
I don’t use a pump or bottles. I like my Maya Wrap ring sling, and my Kozy Carrier mei tai. I use both most every day.
4) Any opinions on cloth vs. disposable diapers
? I was surprised to read on several web sites that cloth ones don’t turn out to be very much cheaper once you factor in supplies and laundry, so I guess it is more an environmental choice?
I used disposables with my daughter, and now I’m using cloth with my son. I love cloth! I am convinced they are cheaper, especially when used over 2.5 years with more than one kid.
5) What else???
Visit a La Leche League meeting before your baby arrives, if you can swing it. Nothing’s more helpful than chatting with other moms and seeing breastfeeding in person.
Man, I asked the same questions to EVERYONE I knew and always got vague answers! LOL
1) Ring sling is a must have for us, could not have lived without ours. Didn’t start using until she was 3 months, and wish we’d started sooner. Still using at 1 year. A wrap is great too–easy to make (just 5-6 yards of jersey knit cut down the middle, tons of tutorials on how to use online, no sewing required!). I mostly used ours during the colder months. Baby bathtub was helpful. Boppy (or similar) was pretty helpful, not a can’t-live-without item, but helpful. Burp clothes. TONS OF BURP CLOTHES. Excersaucer very helpful 4 months on for showertime for mommy. I liked wearing bralet-type things instead of nursing bras around the house–kept nursing pads in place but didn’t feel like I was wearing a bra, very comfy.
2)Did’t buy a bouncy seat, didn’t need one. Bought a swing, she hated it and I hated it–big fans of holding/wearing our baby.
Activity gym (arches that hang toys over baby) wasn’t too interesting. Didn’t need a crib or pack-n-play.
3)A ring sling with non-welded aluminum rings, WAHM-types usually great. Didn’t care for pouch slings, too hard to get custom fit. LOVE our mei tai, great for front carries in beginning, back carries now. Ring sling easiest to nurse in. I just used a Medela Harmony pump for occasional use, it was fine. Baby Bjorn–eh. Okay in beginning, so limiting in how you can wear, and truly not much back support for mom/dad after about 20 pounds. I’ve heard the Ergo is much better, and still “gear-like” enough that dads will wear.
4) We started with Pampers. Leaks and perfume-y smell. Switched to 7th Generation. Liked them. Now using cloth. LOVE THEM. Rocky Mountain One-size are our faves, check out Diaperpin.com for lots of handy tips on cloth. Totally believe that disposables are more wasteful, worse on environment, and keep chemicals trapped against baby’s skin for hours.
5) Did I mention the burp cloths?
1. Nursing pillow, swaddle-me blankets, bouncy chair, baby bjorn, glider w/ foot stool. I had a swing for upstairs and down. Also loved the bumbo!! White noise machine. Also, I cannot stay enough good things about the Bob strollers. If you like to be outdoors, this is the only stroller to get.
2. We only use/ still use a jogging stroller. When K was in his infant carrier, we just installed the infant seat adapter. No need for two or three different strollers.
3. See above for stroller rec. I honestly think that both a sling and baby bjorn are great to have, depending on the age, activity, and season. Graco infant carseat, britax convertible. Medela Pump-in-Style breastbump. Avent bottles.
4. Cloth diapers, 100%. I use cloth diapers, cloth wipes, and a home-made wipe solution. If you get the one-size variety, it’s one time investment. I love them! Not to mention that fluffy butts are oh so cute!
5. Happiest Baby on the Block and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Introduce a bottle around 4wks for the best chance of baby taking pumped milk, then follow-up with a bottle of pumped-milk at least every other day. Pump early and often to build a good stash. Consider laboring in a tub.
Looks like people have covered a lot of what I would recommend, so I’m going to just add things that I haven’t seen mentioned to this point:
1) books I recommend: ‘Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering’ by Sarah Buckley (clinical research and the author’s experiences presented in a series of articles – very helpful for birth planning), ‘Why Love Matters’ by Sue Gerhardt (psychological research written in an accessible way), ‘ParenTalk Guide to the First Six Weeks’ (short, practical, and humorous – very helpful), Three to a Bed by Deborah Jackson (co-sleeping), Dr Sears’ ‘The Baby Book’ (comprehensive, like having a pediatrician on call), and Jack Newman’s ‘The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers’ (like having a lactation consultant on call – you’ll want a real one in the first weeks as well, but this is great as you continue on)
Highly recommend Glamourmom.com nursing tanks. You don’t have to worry about size beyond S,M,L (not like a normal nursing bra) and they let you lift up your normal shirts without revealing your post-partum belly. So discrete – I really love them.
2) I thought I needed a stand-alone high chair, but we ended up enjoying a clip-on high chair by Inglesina because it brings baby right to the table. Also found a specialized glider chair/ottoman for nursing wasn’t ideal since the ottoman kept scooting away from me. But the pockets on the side of the chair for holding books/burp cloths were great.
3) A ring sling is invaluable in the early days (already mentioned, I know). Once baby was facing out, I found a wrap invaluable – there are so many to choose from, but a great, thin, supportive, easy-to-tie brand is GypsyMama’s Bali Baby Breeze. I used a FWCC (front wrap cross carry) tie. You can find more information at http://www.thebabywearer.com and also loads of how-to-tie videos on YouTube. After baby was too heavy for a front carry, I wore her in an Ergo on my back. You can buy them used or new. Ergos can also be worn on the front (facing in) or back, or even in a hip carry. I would strongly suggest spending your money on a ring sling rather than a Bjorn.
Umbrella stroller is all you need if you use your carrier primarily. We never used our stroller until our second child came along (literally never opened the box).
4) Cloth is cheaper if you have more than one child in mind. Prefolds are the cheapest option as well as easy to clean and quick to dry (plus you can put ultra-cute waterproof wraps over them!). But you can always ask friends and family to buy you BumGenius rather than picture frames, nursery decorations, etc.
5) You might also want to ask someone to buy you some housecleaning (or clean the house for you) so that you can relax and enjoy the babymoon!!! Try to take it very easy those first weeks even if you feel like you could do anything – your body and your baby will thank you later!
1.
- Boppy
- Bright Starts play mat: it has no toys attached or junk to get in the way, just a plush mat for Baby to lay on that won’t wrinkle like a blanket and can be thrown in the washer. Awesome!
- LAMP DIMMER SWITCH- couldn’t live without it. Its right by the bed for middle-of-the-night tending to Baby without totally waking her.
2.
Didn’t need: swing, crib, stroller, bottles or bottle paraphenalia. I also bought 4 nursing bras one size up from my preg. size as recommended, and those were useless within about a week when I deflated.
3.
I am all about the wrap and Medela Pump in Style. We have a sling, and Baby is warming up to it, but honestly, I think we both like the sling because its so versatile and there’s no bulky fabric between us.
4.
We use disposables: Hubby LOVES, LOVES, LOVES Pampers Swaddlers with the new yellow line that turns green when diaper is wet. He can’t yet just touch the outside of the diaper and tell if it needs changing, but is getting better.
5.
I second The Happiest Baby on the Block. Also, download the baby white noise CD from iTunes- the washing machine and vacuum tracks (combined with wearing the wrap) are heaven if you have a colicky baby!
So thankful for the following items that made life with a new baby easier..
Sleepywrap (awkward at first, but its really awesome way of wearing baby)
Boppy
Medela Pump In Style
Bed Rails for co-sleeping
Items we never used that were a waste for our family…
Crib, swing (although most babies do like them), bottles, pacifiers, changing table, bibs, bottle warmer, wipes warmer, baby shoes, etc.
We use disposable diapers but I do make my own wipes which I love doing and is cheaper! Don’t fall for all the little baby items that stores promote and make you think you need..you won’t. Babies don’t require a lot, we just think they do! My daughter won’t use bouncers, or swings or any of that fancy baby gear. She’d rather play on the floor or interact with Mommy & Daddy!
Oh one more thing, skip the travel system. Get a good safe reliable reversible car seat and then buy a separate stroller down the road when you need one. I never should have bought an infant car seat, she used it like 2 months, total waste!
There are so many options out there for everything. I agree with trying not to stress too much about them…I think that what works for one mom may or may not work for you as well as what works for one baby may or may not work for your baby. You kind of just have to get some “essentials” first and figure out what you think you will enjoy the most and figure it all out as you go along! I’ll add in some of my thoughts below.
1) Aden & Anais swaddle blankets are THE BEST! They are useful for so many things other than just swaddling. Everyone I know who has used them is totally hooked on them. You won’t want to use any other blankets! The bouncy seat and exersaucer were big hits at our house. I have to say, that I couldn’t have gone without a crib. I’m a great sleeper, but tried out the cosleeping thing and I couldn’t sleep at all with V in bed with me.
2) We had a swing, but V wasn’t a big fan of it. I would suggest trying to borrow one from someone. I hear some babies love them though, you never know. We also got a pack n play from my neighbor who had only used it a couple of times. I wouldn’t spend too much money on one. I’m glad we have one and we’ve used it more than I thought we would, but most people end up not using it all that much.
3) Medela Pump In Style. I couldn’t have made it without my pump. We had some nursing problems in the begging, so I really needed the pump in the beginning and really thoughout the time I was nursing to create a stash. On the bottles, I would suggest purchasing a few different ones and trying them out. Some babies are pickier than others. We had to go through a few different ones to find what worked for us. V never became attached to a bottle though. If you’re going to be walking outside much (and I know you’re neighborhood is a good walking one!) I’d recommend a good jogging stroller. They work so much better on the roads than regular strollers. I have the BOB and love it.
4) Cloth diapers all the way! We use Fuzzi Bunz and love them. My sister-in-law and I started selling them in our baby store after I started using them since we love them so much. They just came out with a one size that’s great!
5) I had a really hard time with breastfeeding for the first few weeks and thought I wasn’t going to make it. I had a lot of support around me with the breastfeeding which helped me figure it all out and we ended up nursing for 14 months. I definitely recommend having some good breasfeeding guides, consultants, friends, etc around to help you figure it out. It wasn’t easy for me a first, but I’m so glad I stuck with it! Oh yeah, try to read as many parenting / baby care books as you can before the baby gets here. I read tons of pregnancy books and not enough of “what should you do when the baby is actually here” type books!
This is such great advice! Thanks everyone, and please do keep them coming! I’m grateful for recommendations and resources!!
Bottles – Dr Browns
Strollers – Orbit Baby & Mountain Buggy
Car Seats – Orbit
Carriers – Moby Wrap & Ergo
Breast Pump – Medela
Diapers – Pampers size N-2 and then Huggies
I love my…. Adan & Anais Muslin wraps – can be used for everything and really the only blanket you need! http://www.adenandanais.com
…Bravado Nursing Tank http://www.breakoutbras.com…. Hanna Andersson organic pjs http://www.hannaandersson.com... Vulli teethers… Merino sleep sack http://www.merinokids.com
1. What tools/items/stuff did you get for your baby either early or later on that you are so glad you got? A playmat and bouncy seat were great especially when Katie was little. They can’t do much while they are so small. A Bumbo seat was handy to feed her with once she started eating cereal. A good quality monitor is a must have. We got a Sony one for about $45 that is great! We can literally hear Katie breathe at night! One of my favorite things was a “First Year” calendar. It is a treasure for us! One of Katie’s FAVORITE toys was a Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo. She would play it in and just laugh and have a great time! Good gates are a must now that Katie is 17 months old and running all over the place! Try to get one that your baby can’t climb on when he’s older!
We didn’t think we were going to use a sleeping wedge, but ended up that Katie would not sleep on her back. She was a side sleeper, so the wedge was great! Sleepsacks are wonderful for the winter months. Swaddlers are also great for the first few weeks. We have a pack-n-play that we have used from the very beginning (still use it). It is great especially if you are going to travel. Also, think about getting two car seat bases for your infant carrier- that way you can just leave the base in each car and just snap the seat in/snap it out.
2) What did you think you needed that you never used and wasn’t worth getting? We wanted a “cool” looking trash can for Katies diaper pail and opted for a regular stainless steal bathroom type trashcan. BIG mistake! Her room smelled horrible because the trash can did not contain the odor! We broke down and had to get a diaper genie. I am SO thankful that we did! It works! We had a bottle warmer that was useless. It didn’t work! A formula mixer is also useless. TOO MANY TOYS!!!! It truly is amazing that kids want to play with the simplest things! Katie’s favorites are books, music, a $1.99 bouncy ball from Wal-Mart and the tv remote!
3) Recommendations for breast pumps? Bottles? Strollers? Car seats? Baby carriers (slings vs. bjorns vs. whatever else)? We chose to bottle feed and used the Playtex nursers with the drop-in liners. They were great- very quick to use and easy to clean up. We went through 4-5 styles before we settled on the Playtex ones. We purchased two strollers- one is a Baby Trend travel system. It came with one car seat base, an infant carrier and a jogging stroller. We sold the infant carrier and car seat base at a consignment sale and still use the jogging stroller around town, on trails and to walk around the neighborhood. We liked the Baby Trend jogging stroller because it had 16″ rubber tires on aluminum rims, so they would hold up to heavier use. We also opted for a small umbrella stroller for other everyday uses. We got the McLaren which is awesome! When Katie outgrew the infant carrier we got the Graco Nautilus car seat (bought two- one for each car because these stay put). We have been using it since January and love it. I had an Infantino sling that I loved! Katie loved it, too! She would just snuggle up in there when she was tiny! It was great to have to put her in and walk around the house, town, etc. However, she outgrew it after about 2 months. I also opted for the less expensive Snugli brand baby carrier. You wear the baby in the front- the baby faces in when they are little and can be turned to face out when they are a little older. We looked at the Bjorn and some other brands, but just couldn’t see spending that much money. We were very pleased with the Snugli one.
4) Any opinions on cloth vs. disposable diapers? We use disposable diapers. If you choose disposables, I would recommend that you try each brand and find the one that you like. We primarily use Parent’s Choice (Wal-Mart brand) but also like Huggies. Luvs are ok. I don’t like Pampers. Same goes with wipes- the only wipes I’ve found that I really like are Huggies- they are thick and work well. Cloth diapers do make great burp cloths, too!
5) We got three sizes of diaper bags- small, medium and large- which was helpful. Another suggestion- get at least one diaper bag that your husband will feel comfortable carrying around. I was looking at pretty pink/floral/paisley ones for Katie, but Mark’s comment was “That’s pretty, but I won’t carry it!”. A hamper for the baby’s room is handy.
Good luck! Can’t wait to meet your little guy!
1. What tools/items/stuff did you get for your baby either early or later on that you are so glad you got? I love my boppy, my baby swing, and my baby seat. I love my pack in play when my babies started sitting up…and perfect place for them to play with toys while I cooked supper. And they learned to be very independent while playing that way.
2) What did you think you needed that you never used and wasn’t worth getting? The receiving blankets sold in most stores are too small, my first baby was never swaddled because of that. I love the Swaddle Designs ultimate Receiving Blanket, I had that with my second and it makes swaddling so much easier. Also, I never had a carrier of any kind, so I’m glad I never bought one. I don’t think I would have used it much, I like just holding baby and I use the stroller when I’m out of the house.
3) Recommendations for breast pumps? Bottles? Strollers? Car seats? Baby carriers (slings vs. bjorns vs. whatever else)? If you don’t work and only need milk for occasional dates with your hubby or the church nursery (like I do), the Avent Isis is a great pump. I would just pump one breast and feed baby the other every morning, and keep the milk in the freezer for when I needed a bottle…I also used the milk in baby cereal and baby foods as well. I love having a Graco Travel System…I love the basket for my shopping and the cup holders. I also loved being able to transfer my newborn to the stroller without waking her/him. I now have a Graco Quattro Duo, which I love for mall shopping. For traveling, I have a double MacClaren, which is the BEST umbrella stroller in the world. My DH can actually push it without hunching over, it is well built, and it can seat a 4 year old on one side and a newborn on the other without tipping. The only drawbacks is the basket (basically nothing), and no cup holder…so it’s no good for the mall. It also comes with a great rain cover, which came VERY much in handy at Disney World:)
4) Any opinions on cloth vs. disposable diapers? I use disposable diapers, I’m a fan of Pampers.
5) If you don’t like changing baby on the floor, a changing pad on top of the dresser saves space and works great. I’m also a big fan of lasholin for the early breastfeeding days, and I love Avent washable bra pads. Even after the leaking stops, nursing bras are too thin LOL! For the more traditional parent (as I am), Babywise and The Baby Whisperer are great resources which helped me a ton.
There’s plenty of room for opposing viewpoints on this blog, and I appreciate your comment Michelle. I can’t let a mention of Babywise go by without expressing my dislike of that book and any other sleep training / cry-it-out methods: http://www.blisstree.com/breastfeeding123/why-sleep-training-makes-me-want-to-cry/
You know, I coudl of sworn that I commented on this when I read it the first time! WEll, that’s African internet for you!!
I worked it out once a few months ago and our last baby cost us exactly $33!!! (faceclothes and a few new receiving blankets)
What I use/d all the time and couldn’t live without: receiving blankets, use them for EVERYTHING!, cloth diapers and breastpads and facecloths for wipes, all my carriers…. yes, Hi, my name is Dani and I have a serious baby carrier problem!! several types of slings, wraps, meitais- honestly could NOT survive motherhood without them! all of my babies clothing came through a recycle program I use to run- the “lending library” for babies. A bucket car seat to start off….. oh and a small potty as we are an EC family! ummmmmmm, yea, that’s about it.
the most useless things I even had/was given: crib, change table, swing (all my kids HATED the thing!),Every stroller I’ve ever owned has been more struggle than it was worth (when they get older, wagons are MUCH better!),bottles and all the paraphenalia that goes with them, diaper bags, baby bathtubs, oh and those huge honking highchairs that they make now days!!! come on! who the heck really has enough room for a highchair that takes up 9 square feet of floor room!!!
and not to start anysort of argument between commenters- this is just my opinion: but my partner Helen and I buy up every copy of Babywise we find in second hand shops and tear them up into little pieces so that no new mother might be tempted to read it.