feedback for "Parental Advisory: First Gear"

1. Would buy again:
   I loved the boppy.
   Couldn't have lived without a breast pump (and word to the optimistic: have some bottles and formula on hand, even if you don't think you'll use them. You never know when the boob might not be readily available.)
   Co-sleeper was fabulous -- we used it for five months.
   Bottle-warmer for the bedroom if you're using bottles in the night -- saves you from wandering around bleary-eyed in the kitchen, stubbing your toe at 4 in the morning.
   The swing was a lifesaver, and most babies love them.
   Caldesene powder and Triple Paste butt cream (don't use anything else. This is expensive, but it works better than anything else on the market.
   I splurged on a rocker/recliner from Lazboy and would do it again in a heartbeat.
   
   Wish this money went to chai lattes: those premade (preswaddled?) swaddling blankets,the "sleeping" blanket/sleeping bag thingie, baby bathtub (the baby isn't immersed in water and will thus scream; the sink's much, much better); any and all clothing that wasn't a gown, onesie, or pair of socks. Baby towels and washclothes, bathrobes, and the like. Any and all grooming products: one bottle of California Baby and a small tube of lotion did the trick for months.
   
   Perhaps this still incomplete list will save someone . . . I wish I had listened to my mother.

   posted by : Fairygirl776 on 6/26/2008 at 5:30 PM Flag For Abuse

2. The best product we have amongst the myriad of baby purchases is this stuff:
   nappy rash
   Apologies if the cut and paste didn't work, try this maybe:
   http://www.buttpaste.co.uk they sent us some for free and boy oh boy did it work :)

   posted by : Johnny from the UK on 6/27/2008 at 2:43 AM Flag For Abuse

3. We wanted to go the minimalist route. Our idea was that we weren't going to buy it until we thought we needed it. We started out with only:
   - a stroller w bassinet
   - baby tub
   - play mat
   - some clothes
   - diapers, desitin
   - a few toys
   
   We didn't buy the following and have survived fine anyway:
   - swing
   - bouncy chair
   - rocker
   - pack n play
   - bottle warmer
   - bottle sterilizer
   - monitor
   - crib bumper/matching set
   
   We bought, but wasn't essential:
   - Boppy
   - diaper bag
   
   We use often:
   - swaddle
   - baby tub (our baby is a jumper - we used a sink in a hotel and she practically smashed her head into the faucet)
   - Bebe pod chair
   - bottle/pump microwave sterilizer bags
   - sling and Ergo carriers
   - insulated bag (got free from hospital)

   posted by : me on 6/27/2008 at 12:08 PM Flag For Abuse

4. Take consideration of where you live... we were in a tiny Brooklyn apartment with our first, and laundry was a huge issue. So we had loads of soft goods... onesies, blankets etc since laundry was only a once a week event if that often in the beginning.
   
   Craigslist, some ebay and used kids stores can be lifesavers. Even if just for trying something out on the cheap and then buying what you have figured out you can't live without.

   posted by : frankiecamaro on 7/10/2008 at 3:37 PM Flag For Abuse

5. Our key purchases were:
   
   Stroller,
   Sling,
   Basic clothes all in white so no need to do separate washes (many were second hand - you will receive lots of lovely clothes from friends and family),
   Blankets (second hand)
   
   We borrowed a baby bath as they grow out of them so quickly - our daughter was in the normal bath within a few months.
   
   Toiletries - bath cream, moisturizer, and aquaphor (great for diaper rash).
   
   Bouncy chair - very useful but this only lasted a few months before she was too big for it. Same goes for the bebe pod. Borrow one if you can or craglist/ebay it.
   
   Our daughter hated any form of swing. Try one out if you can. Same goes for the various slings - some babies like the cradle position whilst others like being held stomach to stomach, and some don't like them at all.
   
   
   Hoping this adds something! Good luck!

   posted by : tiredmamma on 7/18/2008 at 11:42 PM Flag For Abuse

6. With baby number 2 on the way, I am remembering how much stuff we got that we didn't need... I agree with posters above: use Craigslist!  Use the local second-hand baby/kids shop!  So much stuff is gently used and cheap, seeing as there is a hugeand quick turn-over for most baby products.
   Best / most used products we got:
   Graco detachable car seatMaclaren strollerErgo baby carrierArm's reach co-sleeperA few soft, on-the-larger-side blanketsCheap Fisher-Price bouncy/lounging seat (mostly from age 3-9 mos?)Weleda diaper cream and California Baby shampooBooks!  (Encourage friends to buy used books for the baby shower... your child will have and love them for years unlike most baby stuff)
   Could easily have survived without:
   BoppySling (though I know tons of other moms who loved theirs)playmatpack n' playtons of unneeded clothes/towels/washcloths/socks/etc.tons of toys (5-10 soft toys/animals will be fine for months... anything is a toy to them)changing table (a cute dresser with changing pad on top works fine)Swing

   posted by : kmm2v on 11/1/2009 at 4:12 PM Flag For Abuse