“Help, we are new parents”
Boy, haven’t we all been there? There are so many reasons new parents need help. But recently a friend called me and her “help we are new parents” line was related to what “baby gear” she needed to buy and what was decent. So in her honor I drew up this list. Some of mom’s, dad’s, and yes, baby’s favorite items include:
Diapers & Wipes
Every parents first nightmare is coming home without the appropriate diapers. Although we really considered cloth diapers and were assured by our “right on” friends this was a must, we opted for non-cloth diapers.
The best newborn diapers we found were Pampers Swaddlers and Pampers Cruisers. The best toddler diapers we found were Huggies Pull-Ups.
By far the best wipes we have found for are from “Seventh Generation.”
Car Seats & Strollers
How do you even get you baby home from the hospital? Of course you should have the baby seat installed before you even go the hospital. Look in your area to see if there are any “car seat installation” days you can go to. This might seem odd, but many fire & police departments sponsor these sort of events to make sure that car seats are safely installed. We were told that only 1 out of a 1,000 parents actually do this correctly! So get your seat installation checked out before you take the precious cargo home!
The baby seat that worked for us is the Peg Perego infant seat. This seat is durable and snaps into the accompanying stroller.
We do love the stroller, and one of the best things about it is that you can get 3+ years use out of it. The only downside of this stroller is it still feels a bit clunky and the wheels sometimes get stuck on the sidewalk. Obviously this stroller won’t work if you need a double stroller and/or a jogging stroller, but now there are plenty of good choices at most baby stores.
Baby Toys
We couldn’t have survived withoutTiny Love Products!
Their “baby gym” was a perfect place to lay our baby down and for entertaining the baby too. We found that even as our baby got older the “baby gym” still got played with. We also loved theTiny Love
Baby Teethers
We basically spent a year looking for the best and safest teethers for our baby. After investigating which ones are safe we settled on Nuby and MAM rings.
Do not get water filled liquid ones, as we had several that actually popped, and therefore could have been a choking hazard!
Baby furniture
Our motto was definitely, “keep it simple” for baby furniture. The last thing we wanted to do was spend $1,000′s on a changing table we would never use again. So we got creative. We discovered that there was a local “consignment” shop that did sell many slightly used baby things. Although we do not recommend this sort of shop for the most important things where safety is a must, such as a crib and in toys (due to the fact that there could have been a recall on the toy) we did find lots of nice touches for the nursery without spending a fortune. We bought a few lamps, and some artwork and none of it cost more than $20. We also asked around to see if any of our friends had baby items they were ready to part with – before we knew it we had three baby bassinets at our door (which was great since they only can be used for a short amount of time).
The “big ticket” item we did spend a lot on was our crib. We wanted to get one that could convert into a toddler bed, and that was safe and durable. After researching cribs, we finally bought the Bonavita brand from Buy Buy Baby. To save money we bought the Sealy mattress and bedding from Target.
We did not want to buy lots of furniture, so instead we purchased a white bookshelf from Target and bought fabric boxes from Bed, Bath and Beyond where we stored all of our baby’s clothing.
Finally, we choose not to buy an expensive “glider” but instead bought a very comfortable reclining chair from Ikea (with footrest).
Baby Bath
The baby bath that worked for us was the First Years toddler/infant bath. This bath grew with our baby and we still used it in the “toddler” form two years later! By the way, we threw out all of our rubber duckies, as we later discovered they most likely had high PVP levels (see more on healthy toys by clicking here).
Baby Carriers
When our baby was little we did use the Infantimo Baby Carrier, which is basically a baby sling. This worked for us, but you did need to be careful to make sure that baby did not get too warm.
The big winner in baby carriers for us, is a big winner for many. Yes, like so many other families, we couldn’t live without our Baby Bjorn Infant Carrier. Look for the “breathable” versions, as the traditional ones can overheat baby.
We did try hip carriers, but found these to be uncomfortable and awkward.
Pumps
Medela Advanced is by far the best pump going! We bought the car accessories with it, so that you can even “pump” on the go,
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Baby Swings, Seats, and Bouncers
We were lucky enough to have a friend give us their old baby swing (as these are quite expensive). It was Fisher Price, and it provided us with great relief! Yes, baby bouncers seem like a luxury, but we thought one was a must. We used the Fisher Price Infant to Toddler rocker. This worked for us, but we wished there was an automatic rocking function on it! One thing we looked at but didn’t buy was the Baby Bumbo Seat, which we hear was great.
Baby Monitor
We use the Evenflo Whisper. It is mobile and simple – and it works.
Highchairs & Booster Seats
We have been frustrated with our high chair, the Primo Peg Perego. It is large and is hard to wash. Our best friends have a good old wood one from Ikea, which seems a lot easier.
What has worked for us instead is the Fisher Price Booster, which lasted us for over two years. It also makes your little one feel like part of the family, as they sit in a chair that is attached to another chair and can be pulled up to your dinner table,
Other Mom’s Favorites
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What are other mom’s favorites of baby gear? Here are just a few:
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