So, I (finally) wrote the obligatory baby gear post. I know any blogger who births a human is pretty much required to write such a post but I have to tell you, I thought about skipping it. Aside from taking FOREVER to write, I questioned just how useful these posts truly are. So much of what you buy for babies is simply a matter of preference. What my munchkin likes, another may not. (Ever read the product reviews on Babies R Us? "He loves it." "She hates it." "It's a life saver!" "It's awful." It's enough to make you rip your hair out.) What baby gear is best is largely a matter of preference. Opinions differ.
That said, while I was pregnant and researching the goods I'd need (okay, want) for the wee one, I read every review and recommendation I could get my hands on. The best source of information turned out to be the blog posts written by moms. Because these posts were so helpful to me, I decided to pay it forward with a post of my own.
A few things I want to mention at the outset. I was not compensated in any way to write this post. All products reviewed were purchased by me or given to me by friends or family. Also, fair warning, this post is LONG. I bookmarked a lot of baby gear posts while I was researching and it's easier to bookmark one post rather than a series of posts. Thus, the mega-post. (Despite the length, this is not a comprehensive post. There are lots of things we've used that I won't mention. If you have a question on something not listed, feel free to email me. We've probably tried it.)
Okay, let's get to it. Baby gear. Stuff she loves, stuff I love. And a few things I think you should skip and save your money on.
The "Big Stuff"
Baby Jogger City Select Stroller - We have just loved this stroller. It pushes easily, turns well, and can be used as a double stroller if we should need it down the road. Her infant car seat snaps right into the frame and she can move to the stroller seat when she's a little bigger. There is a ton of storage underneath, which is great as I've never packed light for anything, ever. And I love that it's black. Plain black. It's nearly impossible to find plain baby gear and I'm a plain jane. No crazy colors, patterns or cartoon animals for me, please. (Obviously, this doesn't apply to toys and such for B. I know color and pattern is fun for the wee ones.) I could write a book about all the ways I love this stroller but Laura from
iGriza has already done it far better than I could. Check
here for all her great posts on the City Select.
I do have two small complaints about this stroller. It's a little heavy to lift in and out of the car. I can still easily lift it but it's not what I'd consider a lightweight stroller. The second is the lack of a cupholder. This was easily solved by purchasing a cupholder attachment.
Maxi Cosi Mico - We chose this car seat because it was most compatible with the City Select. (It snaps right into the car seat adaptor on the stroller.) I figured every model is safe, so go with what works with the stroller. It's fairly light weight, snaps in and out of the base easily and comes in plain black, which I wanted. An unanticipated benefit - we're the only ones at daycare who have this car seat. All the car seats are lined up for pick up at the end of the day and there is a sea of the same Chico Keyfit seats. Apparently that was the popular choice. It's easy to spot ours and grab it.
Fisher Price My Little Snugabunny Cradle & Swing - For the first three months, B napped exclusively in this swing. Needless to say, we loved it. We don't use it much anymore (B is 6 months old). It has everything you really need in a swing. It's soft, quiet, has adjustable speed and sounds, and a mobile to entertain the bambino. Most importantly, it plugs in. You do not want to be replacing batteries in a swing. Such a waste of time and money. Even worse, you do not want to run out of batteries at 2am with your baby in the swing when it's the only place your child will sleep that night. If you don't buy this swing, make sure you get one that plugs in. Trust.
Graco Kensley Pack N Play Playyard - I wanted a very simple pack & play. We have a small house and B slept in her crib from day one, so our only need for a pack n play is for travel and possibly as a contained play area when she's older. I didn't want options like a diaper changing station and bassinet adding extra weight. This pack n play fits the bill. It has a raised bed that B slept on when she was tiny and it lowers for her to sleep on now that she's bigger. It folds up easily into a travel case with a handle so it's easy to transport. It's also half the cost of most pack & plays on the market. I'm very happy with this purchase but if you're looking for bells & whistles, this isn't the one for you.
Sleep & Such
Summer Slim & Secure Digital Color Monitor - This monitor has worked very well for us. The video quality is excellent, I like the color display, and the feed has never been interrupted.
Angelcare Movement Monitor - If you're not familiar with this product, it's a monitor that detects your child's breathing. If your baby stops moving or breathing in the crib, an alarm sounds to alert you. (The flat piece goes under the crib mattress.) I'm sure it's overkill to have a video monitor plus the movement monitor but I was (am) terrified about SIDS. Having this monitor makes me feel a bit less anxious while B sleeps at night. If you're someone who would like the extra piece of mind and are considering this monitor, I will warn you, there are some false alarms. (This scared the bejeezus out of me at first.) It can be hard to find a good setting where the monitor detects subtle breathing movements but doesn't detect other motion in the room, like the ceiling fan. Still, I'm glad we have it. But I'm not sure it's something everyone would want.
- These were the perfect swaddle blankets for a Florida baby born in August. They're lightweight and big enough to swaddle snuggly.
Sound Machine - We got
the one recommended by Moms on Call but I'm sure any number of brands would work well. What's important is that it stays on all night long. We started out with the Sleep Sheep, which is adorable, but turns off after about 40 minutes. No bueno. You want that sucker on all night long to drown out noise that might otherwise wake up your baby.
BreathableBaby Crib Bumper - I originally had a padded bumper on B's crib. I figured she wouldn't be moving around in the crib for months and I'd have plenty of time to decide if I was comfortable with bumpers. Two things changed that. First, B started moving around in the crib much sooner than I'd anticipated. I found her snuggled up against the bumpers more than once before she was 2 months old. Then, the American Academy of Pediatrics
revised their position and began advising against bumpers in cribs. Out went the bumpers. Then I started waking up to find B with an arm or leg dangling out between the crib slats. Enter breathable bumpers. They keep her arms and legs inside the crib, offer a little bit of padding between her and the slats, and don't pose a suffocation risk. They aren't all that pretty but that hardly matters.
Gap Favorite One Piece Footed Jammies - B wore one of these jammies nearly every night for her first three months. They are super soft, lightweight cotton and great for a warmer climate. (They're a little thin for chilly nights.) They fit well and have held up nicely to numerous washes. Unfortunately, Gap doesn't have any on their site right now. (They do have the footless style shown above.) I hope they bring them back this spring because they are our favorites! I also like the
Stretchies from The Children's Place but I think the Gap jammies are a little softer and I prefer the snaps to the zipper.
Stuff I'd skip: The
Sleep Sheep - adorable but only plays for 20-40 minutes max.
Receiving blankets - they're too small for swaddling.
Sleep gowns - totally a personal preference but I found getting her into a gown to be a pain when she was tiny. I much preferred jammies that snapped or zipped up the front so we didn't have to go over her head.
Bumpers - the worry over the (very small) risk wasn't worth it for me.
Sleep wraps - we preferred to swaddle with a blanket. When she was small the wraps seemed like they might cover her mouth or nose and I was too scared to use them.
Feeding
Medela FreeStyle Pump I've heard this called the "Cadillac of pumps." From a noise perspective, it's more like the dump truck of pumps. This sucker is LOUD. (I think they all are.) But other than that, it rocks. You know, as much as a breast pump can. I know opinions differ on if and when to buy a pump, but here's my two cents: If you plan to breastfeed and work outside the house, buy the best pump you can afford. The ability to pump and save up some extra milk while I was home on maternity leave was wonderful. I was able to leave the house for more than an hour or two and not worry about rushing home to feed B. And Brian was able to be more involved by feeding her a bottle of pumped milk every night. That alone was worth it. But if you're a working, breastfeeding mom, you will use the pump ALL. THE. TIME. You do not want to skimp on something that you use so frequently. A manual or single pump will take much longer than a good electric, dual pump. If you're going to pump frequently, I definitely recommend the FreeStyle. (I've also heard good things about renting the hospital pumps but I don't have any experience with this.) I'd also suggest the following:
extra parts and
shields,
micro-steam bags, and
milk freezer storage bags.
Tommee Tippee Bottles - We registered for a few different kinds of bottles and tried these first. Blaire loved them so we never tried anything else. She's a very easy going and agreeable baby so it's possible she would have liked anything we gave her. Who knows. But these have worked well for us. They are also easy to clean - only 3 pieces. Some other brands have a ton of little parts to clean and potentially lose. (Daycare practically begged us not to use the Dr. Browns because they hate all the pieces.)
Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Milk Bibs - These are the best bibs, hands down. I can't recommend them enough. They fit snugly but comfortably at the neck to catch all the milk that would otherwise drip down B's face and into the cracks and folds of her rolly polly neck. Momma's far too busy to be bathing that little munchkin after every bottle so this bib is a must. I give these with all baby gifts now. (The decorative bibs that people will buy you - totally useless. They don't get close enough to the neck to catch any milk. By the time you start solids, you'll want something wipeable, not cloth.)
Nursing shields - These were lifesavers for me. If not for these, I doubt I would have been able to nurse B at all. I won't go into details because unless you're planning to nurse or having trouble nursing, you really don't care. I'll just say that they are very helpful for latch problems or painful nursing. (If you have questions, feel free to email me or leave a comment. I just thought I'd spare the full readership the story of breastfeeding woes and how shields saved my
boobs butt.)
Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair - This high chair is perfect for us. Space is at a premium in our small house and this doesn't take up much room. It sits on dining room chair and pulls right up to the table. It cleans easily and the tray is removable with one hand. We're very happy with it.
Stuff I'd skip: A bottle warmer - a pyrex measuring cup of warm water works perfectly.
A sterilizer - hot, soapy water or the dishwasher work for us. We also use the sterilizing microwave bags. I try to avoid one-use appliances. I'm sure these products work fine - I just didn't see the need.
Beaba BabyCook - a food processor works much better. The Beaba BabyCook doesn't make large enough batches and is another one-use appliance. I have a post coming on making baby food with more details.
Playtime & Random Stuff
Lamaze toys - B just loves these colorful toys. They keep her attention and have lots of colors, textures, and shapes that interest her. We have quite a few different toys made by Lamaze and they are all a big hit. I really like that they come with clips so they can be attached to a car seat or stroller.
Baby Einstein Ocean Adventure Gym - This was the hideously ugly baby crap I feared when we began registering. Wouldn't ya know it - Blaire loves this thing. She has such fun laying on the mat and playing with the attached toys, which we can swap in and out to keep her interested. It's lightweight so we can easily move it from room to room. B gives it two thumbs up.
Baby Einstein Activity Jumper - This one is a hit, too. It took her a while to grow into it but now that her toes reach the ground she's loving it. She smiles and laughs as she bounces. The pediatrician says it will help her develop her leg muscles so it's fun and helpful. Win, win.
Fisher Price Deluxe Infant to Toddler Comfort Rocker - Okay, we didn't actually buy this one. But I wish we would have. They have this seat at Blaire's school and she LOVES it. All the babies do. It's so much better than the lame seat we purchased. It rocks and vibrates and the toy bar across the top is the perfect height. I wish we had one at home.
Baby K'Tan - The few times I've used this, I've like it. That said, I don't use it often. Blaire was born in August. In Florida. It's like 900 degrees. Carrying a baby close to your body in that kind of heat will leave mom and baby a sweaty mess pretty quickly. I also borrowed a friend's Baby Bjorn and liked that. (pictured above) B seemed to enjoy the Bjorn a bit more.
Stuff I'd skip: The My Little Lamb "Bouncer" Seat - It doesn't bounce. It just vibrates. Blaire didn't enjoy sitting in it and we rarely used it. The Bumbo - this was another thing we just didn't use. Blaire didn't particularly love sitting in it and it wasn't secure enough to let her sit in unattended.
Bath Time
Pottery Barn Bath Wrap - You definitely don't need special bath towels for the little one - regular towels work just fine. But, if you do want to get a special bath wrap for your little one or as a shower gift for a friend, I recommend the bath wraps and wash cloths from Pottery Barn Kids. They are soft, thick and beautiful. And B looks so darn cute wrapped up in her personalized towel! (Don't waste your money on the baby bath towels & wraps they sell at Babies R Us and other kids' stores. They are super thin and cheapy.)
California Baby Shampoo & Body Wash - After I learned about the carcinogens in the Johnson's Baby Shampoo, we stopped using it and switched to California Baby. I love that it's all natural, with no sketchy chemicals. It doesn't have that typical baby soap smell, which I miss, but the all natural ingredients are most important to me.
Sophie - Ah, the famous Sophie. I'm pretty sure they make you show your Sophie at the door of labor & delivery before they'll admit you. Just like every momma assured me she would, B loves her Sophie. She's been chewing on Sophie's head and feet for a couple months now and can't get enough. She also has
Bath Buddy Sophie, who hasn't made her debut in our tub quite yet, but is pretty darn cute.
Well, that covers the basics. If you have questions on any of the products, feel free to ask them in the comments or send me an email. Hope this was helpful!
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