One month at home: Top 10 Baby Items

[crystalriver1]

I liked reading these posts when I was setting up our registry. It made me feel in control - HA. We live in a small house, and I tried to minimize baby stuff. After 1 month, here are the items we use every day, ymmv:

1. Rock n play - Planned to use the Graco Travel Lite crib as a bassinet in our room, but baby likes the coziness of the RNP. Not truly safe sleep, but my OB used it for her kid.
2. Boppy newborn lounger - For when your arms get tired. Baby loves lounging in this thing.
3. Nursing bras - I have 5 clip down bras and 4 sleep bras. I need more.
4. Reusable nursing pads. I have 2 sets of 8.
5. Earth Mama Nipple butter
6. Burp cloths and wash cloths - Need these nearby while nursing to wipe up leaks and spit up. I
7. Velcro swaddles - Unless you’re really good at swaddling, these are the easiest to use.
8. Skip Hop portable changing mat - We don’t have a changing table.
9. Lillebaby carrier - tried the Baby k’tan and the Ergo, but this is my favorite. It’s the easiest to get baby into, doesn’t hurt my back like the k’tan, and doesn’t require an infant insert like the ergo.
10. Haakaa pump - so convenient

Other daily necessities: diapers, wipes, zip footed sleepers (easiest to put on baby), a few bottles for Dad to feed pumped milk at night, cool mist humidifier for dry skin/congestion

Things we use less often, but really like having:
Nosefrida,
Thermometer.
Chicco Keyfit Zip - nice for winter car trips -
Chicco stroller caddy,
IKEA Poang chair in the nursery,
Activity gym/mat,
Babybjorn bouncer - don’t think baby cares about the brand

 

[sweettbaby6]

@crystalriver1 It’s always amazing what one person uses and another doesn’t. We live in a very very small house too. I hate baby carrying so our Uppababy was godsend. I also love our changing table. Our list:
1. The pack and play. We never used it as a playpen but it was godsend during the first two months we all slept in the same room. It was also a great changing table. Now we use it when we travel.
2. Kickee swaddles. We double swaddled. None of the Velcro types were tight enough. The kickees are stretchy so they were great outside swaddles.
3. Bouncer. This was used constantly.
4. Uppababy Vista. We don’t have a car and there are brick sidewalks here so we needed a workhorse stroller.
5. ZIP and magnetic close footies. So good during the night.
6. Diaper genie. I know some people find this pointless but I get nauseous easily and this has been super helpful.
7. The butt thing by the nosefreida people. We swore we’d never use it until we listened to pained full of gas crying for a night. Gross but worked.
8. Eucerin over desiten—our baby almost never gets diaper rash but the eucerin works much better and doesn’t cost everything.

And to think we are going through this again in a few months at least we own most of the stuff.

 

[katrina2017]

@sweettbaby6 Magnetic close onesie? What is this magic you speak of?

 

[marilynm66]

@katrina2017 It is magic, truth

 

[heidibear1974]

@katrina2017 LOVE the magnetic ones!!

 

[sweettbaby6]

@katrina2017 They are the best. It just closes itself back up which is great when baby is wiggling and you are so tired.

 

[katrina2017]

@sweettbaby6 What brand / can I get them in Canada?

 

[sweettbaby6]

@katrina2017 Magnetic Me is the biggest brand I think. They carry them at Nordstrom’s.

 

[katrina2017]

@sweettbaby6 The butt thing???

Magnetic onesies

 

[sweettbaby6]

@katrina2017 The Windi—I can never remember the name.

 

[gentoo]

@sweettbaby6 What is this "butt thing" by Nosefrieda used for?? And what's it called?

 

[cdavis]

@gentoo A catheter tube that reaches up past their muscle that holds in gas to relieve it. They come in packs of 10 and are disposed each time. Reviews say relief is pretty immediate. I used to think they were too bizarre, but after hearing my nieces cries with a gassy stomach, I’m completely on board with the idea.

 

[leastservant1979]

@cdavis I have this on my amazon list! How can you tell if it’s gas causing their cries/discomfort?

 

[jordan_tdwp]

@gentoo Windi the Gaspasser (does what it says on the tin )

 

[maryde]

@crystalriver1 Thank you! Question - about how many burp cloths/wash cloths do you think are necessary to get going? I also have a small home and don't want to get too much of anything, but also don't want to be always needing to do loads of laundry multiple times a day to keep up!

 

[sweettbaby6]

@maryde We didn’t need burp clothes at all because our baby didn’t spit up. We have wwwaaayyyy too many wash clothes. I think this greatly differs by baby.

 

[crystalriver1]

@sweettbaby6 Agree, depends on the baby! I actually use burp cloths and wash cloths to help with leaking when baby is latching. Around 3 weeks, she started spitting up more. We have 6 or so burp cloths and 10 washcloths, which are nice and soft.

 

[winner11john]

@maryde You don't need any burp cloths. Get a big pack or two of washcloths for cheap. I have about a dozen and that has worked well for me. Washcloths can be used for catching and cleaning up spitup, cleaning baby, cleaning parents, cleaning countertops, cleaning carpet, putting under baby's head when you set him/her down to avoid cleaning up carpet, placed over baby's groin when diaper changing to avoid pee spray. Now at 10 months I rarely have to use them for spitup anymore, but now I'm using them to clean up baby, highchair, floor, and table when he eats solids several times a day. Burp cloths are just more expensive washcloths that people will think are silly to use once baby's grown.

 

[waynegarcia03]

@winner11john truly varies by baby! I was an overproducer and my milk came out very fast! When baby was small she would spit and spill everywhere; i would even let down into my burp cloth sometimes. I had at least 3 burp cloths per room. My mom ended up making me some more because I was going through like 6 burp cloths a day lol

 

[winner11john]

@waynegarcia03 Even so, I'd say washcloths, towels of various size, and prefold cloth diapers are all better than the narrow burp cloths.