Favorite baby gear

[huntr1]

My daughter is pregnant, as many of you know, and they are living in a small apartment. We're trying to pare the list of baby gear down to just the essentials to save space. SO, what was/is your favorite baby gear item? Obviously crib, carseat, etc, but what about some other things?

My absolute favorite was a diaper bag that converted to a bed with sides. You hardly ever see them, but I found one on eBay for her. This thing was absolutely the most practical item I had with both of my kids.

#1 vibrating bouncy chair. We have about 4 of them (daycare). Favorite ones are sturdy enough that they convert to a rocking chair when the child gets too big for the bouncy part.

#2 Swing. We bought one at a yardsale 2 weeks ago (people advertised the yardsale on here). It's nice becuase it's small. Not much larger than a bouncy chair, so it won't take much floor space and is portable (battery operated).

#3 Snuggly. Baby carrier worn on chest.

#4 strap on high chair. Fold up multi-color high chair that straps to standard kitchen chair. Saves lots of floor space and easier to clean than regular high chair. Only drqwback is a smaller tray, but then you don't need a 2'x3' tray to feed a baby with a 12" reach.


Least used item:

Really nice backpack to wear on back to take the baby out and about. Rigid metal frame. It's really nice, my parents gave it to use when #1 son was born. Think I've used it 6 times. Still hanging in the basement.


Most hated item:

diaper genie. Too small an opening (unless you get the wide mouth version) and refills too expensive.

 

[vraiblonde]

Really three if you get the right one. I had a base for the car and a stroller that the infant seat sat in and when baby gets older you store the car seat and you still have a stroller for toddlers. Very handy item.

So that would be an excellent baby gift for me to get them. Not that I'm not already buying a bunch of stuff.

Here's a pic of what I got her - it's a diaper bag, but it folds out into a sleeping area. This was my #1 favorite - I'm surprised you don't see them more often.

 

[cattitude]

So that would be an excellent baby gift for me to get them. Not that I'm not already buying a bunch of stuff.

Here's a pic of what I got her - it's a diaper bag, but it folds out into a sleeping area. This was my #1 favorite - I'm surprised you don't see them more often.

Because most of today's moms are kooky and don't take their kids out anywhere when they're really little..they prefer them to sleep in their own beds/rooms.

 

[Nanny Pam]

a SWING!!!!!!!!

AMEN

 

[puggymom]

On the boucy seat path but my kids LOVED this:
Walmart.com: Fisher Price - Baby Papasan Infant Seat: Gear

 

[SoMDGirl42]

other suggestions were very good. Next item for the 2-6 month age group would be the bumbo. OMG they love this thing. It's great! As soon as they are old enough to control their neck holding their head up, it allows them to "sit up" on their own. She is now two and still loves to sit in the bumbo to watch tv and play. It makes a great portable booster seat to take to restaurants also once they out grow the high chair. Some of those booster seats at the restaurants are pretty nasty.

YouTube - Ready-Set-Bumbo

YouTube - Ready-Set-Bumbo II

 

[teverheart2002]

Living in a trailer with a 7-month old I can relate to keeping it to the essentials. I absolutely love the graco pack and play that we have. It has the bassinet portion and a diaper changing station. The diaper changing spot has been so useful. I have it up against a wall, so everything diaper related is stacked up on the side.

I also second Pandora's suggestion on cloth diapers as burp rags. Walmart or Exchange has the Birdseye cloth diapers that are great! We use the ones that are tri-folded - I think that they are the prefolds. My SIL says that they are also great for colds when they are toddlers for wiping noses. Just a suggestion - cloth diapers are now as easy as disposables! We cloth diaper and love it! There is a trial from jilliandrawers.com - you get to try 1 of every type.

I have the swing, bouncer, and the newest rave - Bumbo seat. The swing has been great b/c she would sleep for 1-2 hours in it for naps (not anymore though - but I can vacuum the house), and now it doubles as a highchair to feed her in since I can move the seat from a recline to a sitting up position for feeding. The bouncer she can take or leave it. I love the Bumbo seat. She can sit in it and I put the tray on and she'll eat frozen peaches or I might feed her in it and it is really easy to clean up. And hubby commented that it is the "littlest" item that I have brought into the house.

We also have a baby gym - the mat on the floor with toys and stuff. You could probably get away with just putting down a blanket and putting down toys as she usually ends up pulling them down to her level now. But I would probably buy it again, just because of the toys that came with it.

I also love her bathtub. It is The First Years Sure Comfort Newborn-to-Toddler Tub. Makes bathtime very easy when she was an infant. I could never get the hang of in the sink - plus ours is way too tiny.

I could take or leave her baby monitor. It is kind-of nice to have, but I don't use it nearly as much as I thought that I would.

I'm sure that there is more, but she is done playing on the gym.

 

[emma1606]

I love the diaper warmer sold by Prince Lionheart, my son never flinched with cold wipes and we still have it 1yr later. It is awesome.

I have to disagree with some people too, we bought the Diaper Genie 2 and LOVE IT!!!!!

My son never used the swing at all and I found the strap on carriers were too heavy and hurt my back.

Such a fun time

 

[StrawberryGal]

1. Portable Swing where you can fold up and take along to places
2. Moby Wrap (good for your back and hold baby in real good than others such as Snuggly, sling, etc.)
3. Jumperoo (it do fold up)
4. Bassinet for first few months, so the mother doesn't have to keep getting up to go to other room.
5. Fold up bathtub
6. Boppy (good for breastfeeding or bottle feeding)
7. Bumbo
8. Pack n Play
9. Crib that can be convert to toddler and "twin/full" bed to save $$$
10. Diaper Dekor (diaper pail and this is a GREATEST tool to have!)
11. Baby Monitor with a little TV on it, so you could see the baby
12. Travel Stroller System that included the carseat carrier with base to put in the vehicle.

Keep in mind, I still use most of it as I still have a 17 months old baby in the house.

 

[Dymphna]

#1 vibrating bouncy chair. We have about 4 of them (daycare). Favorite ones are sturdy enough that they convert to a rocking chair when the child gets too big for the bouncy part.

I don't know why that one was your favorite. We NEVER used it for a rocker. It was bigger than the others and took up more room. The vibrating feature was useless because the seat itself was too far away from the vibrator. The regular bouncy chair was much better.

#2 Swing. We bought one at a yardsale 2 weeks ago (people advertised the yardsale on here). It's nice becuase it's small. Not much larger than a bouncy chair, so it won't take much floor space and is portable (battery operated).

#3 Snuggly. Baby carrier worn on chest.

#4 strap on high chair. Fold up multi-color high chair that straps to standard kitchen chair. Saves lots of floor space and easier to clean than regular high chair. Only drqwback is a smaller tray, but then you don't need a 2'x3' tray to feed a baby with a 12" reach.


Least used item:

Really nice backpack to wear on back to take the baby out and about. Rigid metal frame. It's really nice, my parents gave it to use when #1 son was born. Think I've used it 6 times. Still hanging in the basement.


Most hated item:

diaper genie. Too small an opening (unless you get the wide mouth version) and refills too expensive.

I agree on the rest though. Hated the diaper genie, but for different reasons. It was hard to empty and although it contained the smell, whien you did open it, the smell could knock you over.

I'd like to add my vote for a boppy. There's a competitor out there called "my brest friend" (they misspell it, not me) but they operate on the assumption that you only use a boppy for holding the baby while feeding but it can be used for much more. Stick to the boppy brand.

Pack n Plays are useless UNLESS you travel a lot or if you are REALLY strapped for space and are skipping a crib altogether and want to use a PnP for space saving purposes. I didn't use mine more than once or twice before I started doing daycare.

Johnny jump up thing, by whatever name, was something else I never used. Someone gave me one but I didn't have a doorway I could use. My doors were in dark hallways or at the top of stairs or something like that.

I loved having a bassinet for the first few weeks, but since you only use them for a limited time, don't spend a lot of money on it. The one I used for my first 3 handed down through AT LEAST 10 babies that I know about before being passed right out of the family. As far as I know it's still in use somewhere in Florida even though it's over 15 years old.

 

[kom526]

We have an awesome piece of baby equipment, a high chair/floor swing combo, multi purpose and a real space saver.

 

[itsbob]

Not to mention that the carrier can even hook on to the strollers....makes it a three-bee...

And the REAL good ones mount to shopping cart too!!

Remove it from the car seat, and it snaps right onto the shopping cart.

 

[K_Jo]

1. Ear plugs.
2. White noise machine.
3. Big box of wine.

 

[virgovictoria]

1. Ear plugs.
2. White noise machine.
3. Big box of wine.

 

[K_Jo]

I swear if she was on formula I'd be drunk all the time!

 

[Roberta]

I started putting S in her bouncy chair around 2 weeks old... give or take a few days there. If I was in the kitchen cooking I put her in it and set it on the island so she was near. She loved that chair and still does. It vibrates as well so when she gives me little fits about going to sleep I turn that thing on and she settles down right away. Now that she is older there is toy piece that goes with it. It plays music and has toys for her to bat at. This would be my number one must have!

I also have the carrier for baby. You strap it on and they can face you when very young and face out when they get a bit older. In the evnings when she was a bit fussy I would throw her in it and take a walk, inside or outside.

The swing, we could have done w/o. But it's nice to have.

I've used the boppy somewhat. But it is something I could have lived w/o.
All babies are different each one will like something another doesn't.

I looked at the picture and I still can not for the life of me figure out what that is used for. Can some one enlighten me?

 

[Hawkeyewife]

My advice

Some things I LOVE!

For smartly designed inexpensive baby furniture, go to IKEA. They have changing tables that attach to the wall and fold back up, a couple of great high chairs (we have the wooden one) and tons of cute essentials. Don't spend too much on a crib, it won't be too long before he/she will be in a bed
(2 yrs for my little ones and we have had the same IKEA crib for all 3). Save your money to invest in the best carseat you can buy, since you never know when you'll be in an accident.

Carseat: BRITAX MARATHON, it's a bit pricey but will last up to 40 pounds and is easy to clean. After that a BRITAX REGENT, that will take you to 80 pounds. They are huge but offer the best protection for your pre-schooler and up. They last 6 years and right now I have all 3 of my kids (ages 5, 3 and 7 months). I just wash the covers every once in a while, they still look new.

Stroller: I have a Peg Perego Venezia. It cost a lot at first, but looks great after 5 and a half years of hard use. It is reversible so we have used it at a carriage for the babies and there is a boot (cover) when it's cold. Also, there is a footrest for one of the bigger kidsto ride. It moves great, and I can stear it with one hand. When it gets dirty I simply take the fabric off and machine wash. It's great. If we have a fourth, I plan on still using it. Stay away from American strollers, they just don't hold up the same way in my experience.

BABY THINGS I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT: Sling and boppy (I still use the same one I had with my first). I breastfeed so formula is not necessary for my babies, but a BJ's membership for that and diapers is good too.

ONE LAST THING: Please, please, please be informed about birth and aftercare. Read a lot, talk to your medical providers and take classes (childbirth, breastfeeding and baby care/CPR etc). Watch "The Business of Being Born", a new film about maternity care in the US. The Business of Being Born.

 

[SShewbert]

I looked at the picture and I still can not for the life of me figure out what that is used for. Can some one enlighten me?

You put it around your mid-section for the baby to lay on while you are feeding them. My youngest slept on that thing so much.

 

[Roberta]

You put it around your mid-section for the baby to lay on while you are feeding them. My youngest slept on that thing so much.

Thank you. Back in the day we did not need them, we just held our babies.....
I guess they will come up will all kinds of things to make you spend your money on.

 

[Speedy70]

I second the swing. Best thing EVER.

Actually, if you're interested, I have quite a few baby items (swing included) that I'm looking to get rid of (I've tried selling them on craigslist with no luck).