My friend Shannon is expecting her first baby on my son’s birthday! She recently emailed me and asked my opinion of some baby gear. I got so excited to be asked for my opinion that I nearly wet myself from the excitement.
Here’s what I told her about my opinion of travel systems…
“As far as the stroller system, here’s what I recommend…(feel free to do with this info whatever you please!) Graco MetroLite stroller!!!!! Only 17 lbs! It’s a travel system, which I DO think is good. Why, you ask? Well lemme tell ya…if you plan to ever go anywhere then you’ll want a really good stroller. Unless you get a really expensive umbrella stroller, then it’s a pain in the arse to push around. Once Baby is strong enough to hold up her head, then you won’t necessarily need to use the carseat in the stroller. However when Baby gets tired, he might want to be reclined in the stroller for a nap. Umbrella strollers don’t have that feature. Also if you go shopping at the mall, the MetroLite has a basket on the bottom to stow away purchases and purses and whatever else you’re carting along. The umbrella stroller doesn’t. When Baby gets hungry while you’re out and about, you’ll want a tray on the stroller for the cheerios and sweet potato puffs. The umbrella stroller doesn’t have a tray. If it’s bright and sunny out and you want a cover over Baby’s little head, you won’t have one large enough on an umbrella stroller.
Some people really like umbrella strollers. I think they are very useful if you plan on traveling long distances or by plane a lot, as they take up less space. That doesn’t mean you won’t need a better stroller for everyday use, though.”
Whew!
I feel really strongly in favor of the Graco MetroLite! GO Graaaaaaaaacccccccccoooooooooooo! Go!
I feel equally as strong about my disdain for the Diaper Genie. BOOO! Two thumbs down! If I had more thumbs, I’d put them down, too. The insert refills are expensive and once Baby makes stinky poops, I don’t think it actually masks any odors.
BOOOOO!
Now, I have plenty more opinions, but this post doesn’t need to be 40,000 words. I’d like to know some of your opinions about your favorite and detested baby gear.
Here’s what you do…Tell Shannon about one MUST HAVE baby gear item and WHY! The WHY is most important. Then tell Shannon one eye-roll worthy baby product and WHY! Again, the WHY is very important.
I’m certain Shannon appreciates all of our assvice, er, I mean ADvice.
We had the Metrolite, too, and loved it. But a good MacLaren umbrella stroller is a must for when you’re going somewhere that has tight spaces. The Metrolite is awesome, but can’t handle narrow aisles.
Don’t bother with a changing table. A good pad and the floor work perfectly well.
We loved the Jumperoo and bouncy seat.
Also, invest in a good exercise ball. When baby is fussy, sit on the ball and bounce gently. It calmed my two down immediately.
Christina’s last blog post..I Wish Some Gifts Came With Receipts
Cheap bibs that velcro– not snap– shut.
A cheap plastic high chair you can take outside and hose off.
A dog to eat the scraps the kid drops.
Ambien
earplugs
wine
camera
If a boy, Legos and Knex out the wazoo.
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Wow! Great idea, Jennifer – lots of opinions.
I guess everyone (I should say everyone’s baby) has different preferences about what works/doesn’t.
We LURVED our baby bouncer for both girls. It was the vibrating one, and the adored it. Swing? They thought it was OK. Yep. Used items are perfect in that regard. We had a lot of items given to us, so that was great.
My babies never needed carried around, and I was so short that carriers never made much sense to me. Same with the Boppy. One must have a torso that can accompany such an item. I did use a very soft travel pillow when I nursed. That worked great, and both girls did eventually use the boppy when they were able to hold their heads up (laying on their tummies – using it to prop them up to play) and when they were learning to sit. It worked great for those things.
And the travel system? We used ours all the time. As we did with our umbrella stroller. Different things at different times.
Diaper Genie? Lame. Especially when I was babysitting for several babies at once, and it would be full (and stinky) after one morning. Sheesh. Just take the stinky diapers out with the trash.
Good luck!!!
Mandy’s last blog post..Evidence
I loved my Medela Pump in Style breast pump. It made pumping a lot faster since can do both sides at once and you can adjust the suction power which is great when you’re SOAR in the beginning.
I HATE the Diaper Champ. Sticks to high heaven even if you just put one poopy diaper in it!
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OOPS I meant SORE!!! And speaking of sore, I also loved the Lansinoh nipple ointment. Really helped with the cracking.
Susan’s last blog post..Strawberries!!
I have the Chicco travel system and it is amazingly simple to get the base in and out of the car. So simple in fact that we never bothered with the “second base” for Spouses car. LOVE my Sling (ring sling called Slingezee) and the Mai Tai carrier (Baby Hawk) now that she is bigger. Makes errands and food shopping a breeze without having to carry the car seat.
She is on a play mat right now going to town…Baby Einstein.
Oh and I think the best diaper bag is no diaper bag. I have a really large stylish Fossil bag that does the trick!
On the off chance she is thinking of cloth diapering….Bum Genius or Fuzzi Bunz are the best!
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This has probably already been said but you must have a swing.
We had a Graco French bear 2 speed swing. The two speeds were fine for our needs. It was especially useful for getting my little ones to sleep or calming them when nothing else would.
Worker Mommy’s last blog post..My sweet little ones turned five, it’s a miracle I’m still alive
You won’t be able to use this right away, but when your shorty gets a little older, you should definitely get the Bright Starts Tropical Fun Around We Go Activity Station! Its like one of those exersaucer things, but its attached to an activity table with a bunch of little gadgets and widgets for the baby to play with. And the exersaucer part where the baby sits actually moves around the activity table if the baby moves his legs! Pufferfish used to get that thing going about 90 miles per hour! Its better than a regular walker because the baby practices walking but won’t roll down the stairs or anything. Plus, when he outgrows the exersaucer part, you can take it off, and the baby can just pull himself up to play with the activity station part!
My favorite baby toy EVER!
Nicki’s last blog post..Playground Playdate
Following the rules:
MUST HAVE:
Mother’s Touch Baby Bather. It’s not a plastic bath tub – it’s more like a bouncy chair with a mesh that allows the water to go through. I used one of the plastic ones with my first son and hated it. The water kept getting too deep and he kept sliding down. It was awful. This thing is THE BEST bather thing ever. Seriously. I used it until both boys were starting to try to sit up in it and then I just put them in the kitchen sink. (This thing fits into my kitchen sink.) Oh – and you can fold it up to store. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2373665
ROLLING MY EYES AT:
a regular high chair. Just get one that fits on a kitchen chair. You can throw it in the car when going to grandma’s or a friends house and push it under the table when the kid gets big enough to eat with you. And it’s cheaper.
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Not following the rules:
I loved all of the following:
my boppy (but the breastfriend pillow looks better)
my sling (just a plain ol’ cotton one)
exersaucers (we have two – one inside and one outside)
bumpers (yeah, I know, SIDS, but both of my boys got their limbs caught in the rails of the crib)
Sleep Sacks
swaddle me blankets
learn to swaddle and get some light receiving blankets
car seat cover (for a fall/winter baby)
made the top of the boy’s dresser the changing table – just get a changing mat and secure onto the dresser
WASTED MONEY ON:
a pea pod thing for outside
those diapers with the notch cut out for the umblical cord – just fold over regular diapers
a winter “snow suit” for baby. just put the baby in the car seat and cover with blankets
a swing
DIDN’T NEED BUT LOVED:
fun socks (Little Loopies)
fun shoes (Roobez)
really soft burp cloths from Pottery Barn Kids
animal towels from PBK
*This stuff just made me smile, even when I was sleep deprived and crabby. Spend a few extra bucks for some things that will make you happy – even if they seem a little frivilous.
OH – and I think the Queen of Shakey Shake said something about a nursing bra that doesn’t look like your grandma’s bra. Um, where can I find one of those???
Cathy’s last blog post..My Mother’s Day In Numbers
I do love a little rule breaking!
Also, I have NO IDEA where to buy sexy nursing bras? Anyone? Anyone?
I hope your poor friend doesn’t have a mental break down on whats good whats not. The opinions oh they are like night and day. The best advice I’ve read is use what works best for you, even if it means trial and error. Every baby is different and has their own likes.
Now on to my minial assvice.
Loved:
The bouncy seat ..they do make ones that vibrate you know. All 3 of my boys loved it.
Someone mentioned the Playtex bottles with the liners..love! They probably don’t even make them anymore.
Not So Much Liked:
Wipe Warmer..waste of money but great idea.
The swing that goes side to side..I thought my youngest would love..hated it no matter which way it swung. The other two loved their swing. Every baby is different.
That’s all I’ve got off the top of my head. Interesting to see everyones opinion.
Jean’s last blog post..Fashionably Late
Here are my two cents worth based on having twins with opposite personalities:
*no travel systems! buy a Snap and Go and then invest in an expensive “umbrella” stroller like the Mac Claren which has four seat positions, including FULLY reclined for sleeping, and a visor that actually protects from the sun/light
*a baby carrier is a must: I started with a regular sling (Peanut Shell and Slinglings) and then moved on to a ring sling and the Moby Carrier (my favorite so far!!!), which can also be used as an impromtu blanket
*the Swaddle Designs Ultimate Receiving Blanket: it’s more expensive, but worth it b/c it’s larger (baby stays swaddled), softer and will not lose it’s shape even after being washed 100′s of times. We use ours as lightweight blankets now.
*colic water when newborns and then any product by Highland’s (homeopathic, EFFECTIVE and safe). I use the colic tablets and the teething tablets on both babies and both types of tablets work like a charm. Also, their C+ tablets are great when baby has a cold – it releives the symptoms and shortens the time they are sick.
*anything from California Baby, but especially their Calendula cream. My daughter has the fairest, most delicate porcelain skin and this cream works miracles on everything from rashes to scrapes/scratches in what seems like seconds.
*Carter’s bibs when drooling and bottle feeding (they have a inner plastic liner) and Bumkins bibs when they are solid feeding.
*sleeping gowns rock! and those hand mittens are a waste of money – just cut the baby’s nails and use the Calendula cream if a scratch does show up =-) .
Hope all this helps!
Ooops! The Homeopathic tablets are by Hyland’s.
I could not agree with you more about the gross Diaper Genie (and it’s counterparts.) I don’t even have children, yet, but I have never met a Diaper Genie that was actually worth anything. They are stinky, complicated, expensive, ugly pieces of clutter.
One of the best pieces of advice I heard at a baby shower was to put multiple crib sheets with diaper pad squares (you know, that block moisture) layered in between on the crib. So if the baby dirties the sheets in the middle of the night, you don’t have to fumble around re-making the bed- just pull off the dirty top layer and you’ll have a clean layer underneath.
Barb @ getupandplay’s last blog post..The cause of my partial deafness…
Barb! Thank you so much for reminding me of THE most important baby item…
KNIT sheets for the crib.
NOT cotton sheets, KNIT sheets.
Cribs are so hard to make up, and knit sheets make them easier to change since they are stretchy.
I also agree about diaper pad squares (or rectangles) instead of mattress pads. They are FAR too difficult to put on the crib, especially if baby messes in the middle of the night.
Which lead me to my next crib related MUST HAVE, a sheet saver. My kiddo spit up in bed alot, so it was easy to just take off the sheet saver vs. changing the sheets. Also, you can you more than one sheet saver, one under Baby’s head, another under the bottom. That way if there’s a diaper blow out, you simply replace the sheet saver. Very important in the middle of the night.
Here’s a link:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2403292
We have had four children; the youngest is just 2 now.
There are three things that we had for our youngest child that I regret not getting for the older three. (finances was a main reason, but now that we’ve had them, I think they would have been worth the investment).
Bumbo–this thing was amazing–at three months the baby could sit in the middle of the other kids playing on the floor; she would be content for a long time. Our older kids loved having her at eye level and handed her toys etc, and played with her so nicely. It was great a meal time too–we have a large table and we would put her on the table (in the middle–supervised of course) and she could enjoy watching and reacting with everyone. She still uses it on the floor at two year old!)
Glider Rocker with Ottoman–awesome. I’ve never been so comfortable nursing…I nursed all the kids until around a year old. We bought a nice one that coordinates with our other furniture and will put it in the family room when the baby leaves the crib. It’s big so more than one of us can sit and rock together!
Jogging Stroller–we live near a trail and the lake. This thing can take anything. My husband loves running, so he take the youngest with on hour long treks….a break for me. We both use it and love it.
We also loved our travel system, our pack and play, exersaucer, jolly jumper, and a travel fisher-price swing someone lent us. We did use a change table and still do–we are both tall and found it helped our backs not to bend over so much.
Hope this helps!
PS We can never figure out why people buy diaper garbage things. We bring all diapers to the garbage in the garage immediately. No smell ever.
Sonja’s last blog post..Sweetness
Could NOT live without : Baby Whisperer, Maclaren stroller, Bjorn and MOST IMPORTANT FOR INFANT WAS THE FISHER PRICE BOUNCY. Both my kids LIVED in it when in the intial “blob phase” (first 3 months). I would plop them in and carry it from room to room and they would happily watch me cook, shower, etc. OH and the vibrate feature! My son LOVED it (my daughter less) and yes he seems to have turned out find even though his brain rattled around non-stop for months
I never even owned a swing! I didn’t need it!
Could easily live without: the Diaper Genie (it worked fine, but YES expensive refills and I found just tossing the diapers into a plastic supermarket bag and knotting tighly worked just fine), never owed a pack n play (baby jail) but I guess it would be good if you plan on lots of overnights not at home, Baby Mozart videos
The bouncer was an awesome invention and a must have as well as a very good stroller system!! The bobby was useless since I’m short.My son hated the BUmbo too! The Fisherprice jumperoo with animals is an absolute must have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Zippers on clothes-you will learn to hate buttons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Splurge on the stroller, you won’t be disappointed (plus, it’s usually purchased by some benevolent group of friends or relatives). We have a Sit ‘n Stand for our two — the babies were 3 years apart in age. Bought the Joovy brand and would highly recommend it. It maneuvers well, even with 60 pounds of little ones. My son likes it (he’s now four) because he can sit on the back bench or stand when he’s tired of walking. It also came with an accesory so that we could strap in the infant carseat. Only downer — the storage basket is too small for mall trips! If you’re going to invest in a job stroller, you do need to buy the better brand. Many of them are difficult to steer.
The resale shops are great to look for furniture. We purchased a basic crib and repainted it. We re-purposed a child’s desk (new, safe paint) to be a changing table. I’d rather spend our furniture budget on them when they’re older.
Tried Diaper Genie with #1. Hated it!
In hormonal state I threw out the Genie and bought Diaper Champ for #2. Still stinky, though easier to use and less expensive.
For fall or winter infants, invest in a “Bundle Me” by JJ Cole. It’s a sherpa kind of sleeping bag that inserts into the baby carrier. That plus a hat and there is no need for a snow suit (which some advocates say pose a safety issue with securely fastening baby in the carrier). My daughter had a whole wardrobe of hats and it was cute. We usually have zero degree weather in Jan/Feb and this gave me peace of mind that my babies were warm.
Also for fall/winter babies, consider a Swaddle Me, which is a baby sleeping bag-type bunting. My babies would always houdini out of their swaddled receiving blankets.
Lastly, take advantage of gift receipts! There are only so many 0-3 mo. clothes you truly need! Take them and exchange them for 3/6, 6/9, and 12 mo. basics like onesies. Baby will need them, regardless of the seasons. And, they literally wake up one morning and outgrow their clothes.
LOVED LOVED LOVED this Infantino Baby sling thingy! http://www.infantino.com/Carriers/151-210.php Could not have lived with out it! Especially nice for breast feeding in public, or for when you don’t want strangers or family for that matter in yo babies face! That always makes me so mad!! . “Oh he’s nursing!” Because that is the only time they would not invade my personal space to kiss the baby! And they did not know if he really was or not because he was hidden. My youngest lived in his until he was the max weight limit. Too bad I did not have it for the first three.
thefarmerswife’s last blog post..Shakin’ It Like A Hillbillie Shakira!
LOVED:
Fisher Price Papasan swing
Nuk Paci’s
Balmex, Butt Paste & Desitin
Kate Spade diaper bags
BOB Revolution stroller (best investment EVER!!!)
Water Babies sunblock SPF 50 (I live in FL)
Pampers diapers, don’t waste your money on the cheaper ones
Stride Rite shoes (when the can walk)
Crocs (for the summer)
WORTHLESS: (in our household at least)
Boppy
Maclaren umbrella stroller
Huggies
Couldn’t live without:
Baby Bjorn
Exersaucer
Baby swing that went back and forth and side to side
Never crazy about:
Playmats
Boppy
Bottle warmer
Jackie’s last blog post..Sigh.
My assvice.
Buy nothing new except car restraint.
Buy as little as possible.
Borrow everything possible.
Different things work for different babies. Save your money for when they get older and need to be educated. Seriously, you can spend a fortune on products but really, babies need very little.
dani’s last blog post..Spook. Probably not for reading in a Catholic hospital.
i skimmed thru most of these, and see the diaper genie is not well received!
i looked into genie II which they say is easier to use and more blocked in.
now i wonder…. ( i looked at the reviews from BRU & target)
i only have a boppy b/c it was loaned to me. i may or may not use it. we’ll see.
all this has been pretty helpful since i’m expecting little bean… but i do realize that all babies are different and some things work better for others. i guess really i won’t know till i do it.
then i’ll kick myself for not listening to all of your wise reviews!
great post to read when i have only 8 weeks left…..
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