I swear, and this is probably the hormones talking, but I am going to go berzerk if someone leaves a comment about how babies don't need these things. Fer serious, yo.
Okay, are we ready then? Great!
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(2)
Full disclosure: I've not carried a human child in one of these yet.
BUT....I have carried human children in other carriers and I have carried a human shaped doll in the K'tan and I am super excited about using it for my newest nugget. It comes highly recommended by some of my pickiest baby wearin' friends and also a bunch of ladies who made YouTube review videos. And we all know that those two categories of people are the mostest crucialest. So there.
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Sorry. I'm just prepping my script for when baby arrives....
Anyway, plop 'em in the swing, turn it on, and instruct older children to choreograph interpretive dance in front of said swing. Winning!
And that, my friends, is it. Yes I put clothes on them and I wrap them in receiving blankets and I use a car seat and I give 'em the boob juice, but all of that goes without saying right? 'Cause no one wants to read about how much I love it when babies aren't hungry or cold. That would be lame.
So what about you? What are your top 3 wants-not-needs when it comes to baby havin'?
Right there with ya on the Boppy! Also, a sling is a must. If we have another baby, I want a basket. I didn't have one for my other children but I would really want (not need) one if we had a newborn again.
ReplyDeleteLike a bassinet type thing? That would be handy....to just plop baby down near wherever you are. You gotta have a ploppin' place.
DeleteTotally. A Moses basket like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Badger-Basket-Moses-Bedding-Espresso/dp/B0049U5UC0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1338927848&sr=8-3 Sorry for the long addy. I can't remember how to make it a link.
Deletethe vibrating bouncy chair was our third gotta have it item instead of the swing. with my youngest I'd also include the dishwasher - she had colic and would only sleep in her vibrating bouncy chair right next to the dishwasher while it was running. we spent months sleeping for 47 minutes at a time. (and living in an apartment where water was included in rent, thank goodness!)
ReplyDeleteThe things we have to do to get some sleep!!!
DeleteWe totally let our kids sleep in their Boppy. We didn't know it was against the rules when we first started, but they both slept REALLY WELL in it and at some point that's all that matter.
ReplyDeleteI might have to argue with you on the swing. It's definitely a NEED! Especially when your first child will sleep nowhere NOWHERE but in the swing or latched to mommy. Ya. NEED!!! ;)
ReplyDeleteAlso a big fan of Boppy.
I had a baby bjorn with my first. She hated it, and I never investigated anything further until my second came along. Then I discovered Ergo, and it was TRUE LOVE FOREVAH.
ReplyDeleteNeed. For sure need.
YES! Love the Ergo! I have a 4-mo and he loves it, too!
DeleteLOVE the Arm's Reach co-sleeper!! After the first couple weeks of baby literally sleeping in the crook of my arm, that thing is wonderful. Better sleep for both of us but right there next to you for nursing, patting back to sleep, and obsessive breathing-checking.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's just because I'm -ahem- not as well endowed as others but I can't do the Boppy...at least for nursing. The baby still doesn't reach and then I'm either bending and killing my back or putting extra pillows in anyway. It could also be that the boppy we have is three thousand years old and a bit flattened out. The Breast Friend pillow, though? Amazing.
And I'm most definitely a Moby girl if we take baby anywhere.
I too am a HUGE fan of the Arm's Reach co-sleeper. We demolished on after 5 or so kids, and I have never had the cash to repurchase. May have to reconsider that for this lil one. So awesome to have the baby RIGHT THERE, but no in your bed. My lasst son was very much a feed me, and then put me down kind of kid. Unfortunately, I had HORRIBLE PPD with him and was scared to death to not be staring at him all the time. Co-sleeper was so great. We both got what we needed!
DeleteAlso a big boppy fan, and I really love a baby food grinder. We do real food, not jarred, so an easy - stick in the the dishwasher baby food grinder is a must!
I couldn't justify the cost of the Arm's Reach co-sleeper, though I REALLY wanted one. My solution? Take the side off the crib, adjust the mattress height to match ours, and wedge it between our bed and the wall. It works great, and as soon as he starts scooching, crawling, rolling over, we'll put the side back on. LOVE IT!
DeleteI haven't had much success with the boppy either, just doesn't fit me right, and I've never figured out the art of propping them in it either. Go fig.
Yes- I am almost on the same page as this mom... I love the Arm's Reach as well, no more amazing contortion acts to safely get baby out of his bed without disturbing my own sleep so very much. And the Moby is my top choice carrier for the littlest ones (after they move on from the "snuggly" stage, the Ergo is A NECESSITY). Moby's make it SO easy to nurse in public- even while I'm walking! They provide just the right support, flexibility, modesty and are comfy for me . I would have to say the bouncy seat is by far more of an absolute than the swing, which does come in handy for restless nights, but the seat can go where I go (say, into the bathroom while I take a shower to prevent too many little hands from "helping" when Mama can't reach... or into the kitchen when I have to feed the rest of the animals). I also purchase new wash rags, onesies and premo infant diapers with every newborn. And a brand new as-cute-as-I-can-find pajama or "lounge wear" for me. Just cause I like to. (Just so you know, this is my sixth round... due in August, so these are pretty established habits. =)
DeleteAden and Anais swaddling muslins. Best blankets ever.
ReplyDeleteBorn Free baby bottles, already made up the night before and waiting in the fridge, so I don't even have to think during feeding sessions (adoptive mama, here; back off, lactavists!) (btw, teaching our kiddo to drink lukewarm or even cold bottles was a huge time saver and allowed me to make a bottle anywhere, anytime)
Vibrating bouncy seat for when your kiddo hates the swing!
My doc has always held that babies have less gas if the bottle is on the cooler side...
DeleteI totally agree about the Boppy, although I think we use it more to prop the baby up vs. a nursing help device. :) We have had ZERO luck with the swing...all three boys were so against it, but I'm hoping #4 will be different.
ReplyDeleteI am a HUGE fan of the sling too...I have a Sleepy Wrap (I guess it's called a Boba Wrap now: http://store.bobafamily.com/baby-wrap/) that I swear by. I wouldn't be able to get anything done without it!
I never had a baby that would go in a carrier after maybe 3M. They are bizzaro babies. My top 3:
ReplyDeleteSuper big, stretchy knit swaddling blankets. My 4M old may hate a carrier but she still sleeps (all night) swaddled
Vibrating, lights blinking, music making bouncy chair
My MOSTEST must have is the Tiny Love Symphony in Motion mobile. If you want to shower AND shave your legs you NEED this!!!
and my bonus want....never ending supply of green soothie pacifiers.
I'm sitting here now, Maeve in my arms, with the Boppy. Lisa Schmidt turned me on to the A&A blankets .. Oh my word, I love them. ;)
ReplyDeleteHmm ... What else .... We have a swing, too. Right now, I'm loving my tiny little pocket diapers. So funny looking on her, since she's still so small.
I'm excited for you and the wee one that's coming!
So glad you like the aden + anais blankets, D! I also purchased a bassinet like Melanie mentioned above for this last time around. Our bed is big enough that babe slept in it b/n hubs and me up until 4 months. Worked very well. And I also love the swing - totally with you, Dweej. That is until the baby "fell" out of it a week ago. TERRIBLE mother, I know. We are no longer using the swing.
DeleteAnd love that K'tan. Totally need to have another baby now! :)
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteMy twin boys hated the swing, while my girls would have sat there until they got bedsores. Oddest thing. My newest little gal has only been in the swing once so far, so her verdict is still out.
It's funny to see what everyone's favs are. I never got into the boppy, but my last two kids slept in the swings for EVERY nap until their were about 6 months. Total hand/sanity/time saver! Rechargable batteries were a must, but I would have liked better to have one that plugged into the wall.
ReplyDeleteThat carrier looks like a hit for little babies, but sooo hot in the summer. I've seen people in their Mobies (which look exactly like that) and the fabric is so thick that it's like wearing an extra sweater. Besides, I never liked having the babies sleep on me (except in public) because then I never feel like I can or SHOULD get anything done. I mean really, I'm holding a baby, what else do you want me to do?!
I favored the sling carriers for the simple reason that it was easy to shove in my purse and took two seconds to put on.
I've used a Moby before and it is a very different fabric and product than the K'tan. I actually sold the Moby wrap because it was too hot, but am VERY excited about the k'tan. You should check out the link! Seems like a really great product :)
Deletep.s. got mine off of ebay for 1/3 retail to save $
Your list is great! I would definitely agree with the Boppy and wrap. I used a Moby Wrap and a Piggy Sack--more like a mei tai--with my last baby and LOVE, LOVE them! We don't have space in our our bedroom for the co-sleeper or I suspect we'd have one. What we used is the Snuggle Nest (http://babydelight.com/index.html), which is a little co-sleeper that goes between the parent's pillows in the bed. Hard plastic sides which, unless you're nearly dead, you couldn't possibly roll over and not feel it, but baby is right there in bed with you. I've used the same one for all four babies and lent it out to a friend for their first and it's still going great...hopefully for a next baby!!
ReplyDeleteNever used a swing, but we did have a vibrating chair that worked wonders - a hideous lime green and orange Fisher Price contraption. Love that thing.
ReplyDeleteI like the Moby Wrap, myself.
Boppy = A+
Am I sick for scrolling through the comments hoping somebody would spark the "babies don't need all that jazz" war? I mean you said don't do it but you know haters gonna hate!
ReplyDeleteBad Jennifer. Bad.
Ha ha! Glad you did it so I don't have to. ;)
DeleteWith each of my four, I bought one box of Dreft and washed all their itty bitty clothes with it. My form of nesting was to ooh and ahh over onesies and sleepers and feel the raging oytocin coursing through my veins.
ReplyDeleteAfter the first box, the baby stuff got thrown in with the sweat socks and soccer uniforms.
Lol! I did that too!
DeleteMy Brest Friend nursing pillow, Baby Bjorn BabySitter bouncy seat, Maya Wrap Lightly Padded ring sling
ReplyDeleteI second the "My Breast Friend" nursing pillow! Until we become competent nursing down it's all we can use. Boppys tend to be too floppy for my newborns and me.
DeleteI'm going to have to try the Boppy this time. I had a different nursing pillow last time and it was all right, but not quite the right size.
ReplyDeleteThat carrier looks cool too. I love my Ergo. And a swing is a must! We need to get a new one.
I loved the Baby K'Tan! I used it with my second and we both loved it! I'm not the most graceful person in the world so it took me a little while to figure out how to get her in the contraption, but once we did it, it was awesome!!
ReplyDeleteMy four month old liked the Moby for perhaps four weeks, the swing for perhaps four days...but the boppy never fails! However, since the baby demands that I am all about the baby wearin'/holdin' (she wants to look forward allthefrickintime), the BabyBjorn has been a lifesaver
ReplyDeleteAfter about 3 or 4 months, I usually switch to the Bjorn, too. I know that a lot of people feel it doesn't position the legs correctly, but you can manually position the legs correctly so they're not all dangley or whatever and then baby's hips are fine :)
DeleteOk maybe this doesn't count as a "baby" item. But I love that first beer after the baby is born and my Mom claims it helps with nursing.
ReplyDeleteAlso as they get older have any of you guys used that Rubber Giraffe? I'm not kidding when I say my kids would gnaw on that thing for hours. Worth every over priced cent!
This is what I'm talking about: http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=537289&cm_ven=none&cm_cat=none&cm_pla=none&orderType=none&utm_source=none&utm_medium=none&utm_campaign=none
DeletePS Because I know all of you are so interested in my baby giraffe love, but I can not believe how much more they are charging for it now. I think it was fourteen dollars when I purchased it back in the day. Re-donk.
Oh honey, you just wait. Tomorrow is all about the tasty adult beverages! Can't wait to enjoy that first glass :)
DeleteAnd what is this rubber giraffe of which you speak? I love things that keep people occupied "for hours". They're my fave!
Oops, I was too slow with my reply. But clearly I AM interested!
DeleteIs it Sophie the Giraffe?
DeleteMy latest baby got one as a gift and he L.O.V.E.s it. It's so bizarre! Seriously, we do NOT leave the the house without Sophie.
It's:
purse- check
iPhone- check
four little girls with shoes on- check
baby- check
baby gear: pacifier, blankie, SOPHIE THE GIRAFFE- check, check, and check
Or we don't leave.
My 19-month-old STILL loves his Sophie. This is him gnawing on it at about 5 months:
Deletehttp://domesticfontgoddess.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/a-love-story/
You guys piqued my curiosity about Sophie so, don't you know, I had to go & buy one last night. Seven kids, so far & I've never heard of Sophie. Baby #7 is a five month old baby girl who just happens to be teething! So, there you go- all your fault. I bought one. It's unbearably cute & we can't wait to get our Sophie. Thanks for the suggestion!
DeleteSo with you on the beer (red wine) and Sophie!
DeleteI would die without this awesome Fisher-Price newborn-to-toddler rocker chair. Both my boys love it. The small one has been known to fall asleep in it.
ReplyDeleteI have not been compensated to say this, promise.
BABY SWING!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd that's all I have to say about that...
...because life was infinitely easier the moment I let go of the "mama guilt" and let it glide my second child into a sweet, blissful slumber. Not ashamed at.all.
(ooops. Looks like I did have something say about it...typical).
Fisher Price Papasan Chair
ReplyDeleteBumbo seat
Maya Wrap Sling
I'm a momma to seven babies, my youngest is just five months. These are the things that I absolutely gotta have. The Papasan has been great for our baby girl to sleep in when very young, and she still loves the snuggly closeness of it now. The Bumbo is fabulous for her to have a new "view" on the world, rather than her being flat on her back on a playmat for a bit. And, the Maya-Wrap sling is great to free up my hands when I'm out & about with my other little ones!
Congratulations on your new little one due to arrive soon. I enjoy reading your blog!
ktan, bouncy chair with vibration, and I cant think of a third. We got rid of everything else right before baby #4. I had these two things and I was happy. The giraffe- Sophie is amazing. Expensive but amazing. And the bumbo of course, but those are for older babies so...
ReplyDeleteI'm excited you're trying the K'tan. I LOVE mine and will never use another carrier for the newborn- 4M stage...now if only I could find it...
We didn't use the swing too much (right now we have 2 bags of potatoes sitting in it) and I never used wraps/baby carriers. I think we always held baby in our arms or in the vibrating seat thingie. I love me some boppy because my boobs are little and I need that extra boost :)
ReplyDeleteDwija, would you link this up with my baby necessities link up? Pretty please? http://catholicnewlywed.blogspot.com/2012/01/baby-on-budget-what-you-really-need.html
ReplyDeleteWe use 2 Fisher Price rock and play sleepers for our twins. I think they are a must have for multiples. They are light, versatile, a good height for baby to see everything, toddler proof (won't tip over from big sister bumps). The babies sleep in them at night, for naps, and just to hang out with the fam. When the babies were little in the Winter, we put lamb skins over the rockers and put another blanket on top, and then the babies....super cozy.
ReplyDeleteDwija, seriously. Babies don't need these things. You need to learn the difference between needs and wants. Don't you know? All babies need is food and snuggles.
ReplyDelete;) Hee. I couldn't resist. You practically BEGGED for it!
Now go have that baby!
Have you not heard of 'my breast friend' it is a boppy with a velcro strap. look it up, i LOVED this for my infants.....
ReplyDeleteOh good, we registered for a Boppy AND a swing. But a different brand of carrier, since we were perplexed and overwhelmed and had heard a lot of different things...but I guess we'll soon figure out what works for us and will (hopefully) be better prepared the next time around...;)
ReplyDeleteY'all are starting to make me think I really need to spend $25 on a rubber giraffe! My husband is gonna freak...
ReplyDeleteMy daughter wasn't a huge fan. I mean now that she's almost 2, she likes to squeak it in my ear/face when I try to sleep in. But if you're after something safe to chew on like the giraffe, I believe there are silicon teething rings that are closer to 10$.
DeleteRather than a Boppy...I got myself a (used) "My Breast Friend" pillow. Not so good at the sleeping on for baby, but it's a bit firmer so baby doesn't roll between pillow and body! Also, it has a rope thingy that goes around Mom (or Dad I suppose) so it can't go wandering off your lap during feeding! I want to also pick up a new one, but mostly because it wasn't until I got home with my $8 used one that I realized that the foam that wraps around Momma's back to support it was torn away from the rest of the pillow. If I can find a "naked" one for cheap(ish), that'd work too cause I have a cover from the torn foamy one.
ReplyDeleteSome sort of co-sleeper would be my #2...not sure how we want to approach that one though. With the new Tempur bed, I may just scooch it against the wall and get one of those co-sleeper bed thingys. But, the cats also like to sleep on the bed...so maybe a play yard with bassinet insert is a little better of an idea. Whatever we get...it needs to last past "new baby-hood"!
I don't have a #3 yet though...I'm sure I'll come up with "something" after Friday and we know "what" we're having!
Wow, I have four kids, all breastfed for over a year, and never once used a Boppy pillow. Are they really that great?
ReplyDeleteMy list would be:
1) A big purse with lots of zippered pockets. Not necessarily a "diaper bag" but a "mommy purse" with plenty of places to put, yes, diapers and wipes, but also all the accoutrements that come with motherhood -- teething rings, board books, kids' meal toys and crayons, Cheerio crumbs in ziploc baggies... etc.
2) Either an Ergo or Beco Gemini. Or both (like me -- I keep one in the car, and use the other around the house). The Ergo does distribute the weight better and has the sleeping/ nursing hood, but the Beco allows for front-facing carries that are waaaaaayyyyy more comfortable than the Bjorn.
3) Hm. It's a tie between a BOB stroller and a swing. Love, love, love both, but I guess since you mentioned the swing, I'll go with the stroller. ;-)
My top 3:
ReplyDeleteVibrating bouncy chair. We chose it over the swing because we were in a tiny 1 bedroom apartment.
Memory foam mattress topper. I bought a thin 1" memory foam on sale for 20$, and it was a Godsend after my rough delivery. Then recently we replaced it, our mattress is still unstained despite leaking breasts and diapers. I recently heard it's not safe for co-sleeping, so I'll have to look into that for next time.
Clear shower curtain. Bouncy chair + clear shower curtain = shower while the baby can see you and is thus not freaking out. Also you can see the baby if you're not blind without your glasses like me.
My 4th baby is currently nursing himself to sleep on my boppy. I still have the same cover I got with baby #1, which was once a happy buttery yellow but is now a dingy grey. This thing has been USED.
ReplyDeleteI so agree on the swing. My second baby wouldn't sleep in anything else. at four she still kind of zones out when you push her in a swing. It's like her own personal nirvana.
After that I'm tied between:
1. the Arm's Reach cosleeper-- oh how I love being able to have the baby nearby without being in the bed with me, sometimes you just want to be able to sleep without worrying about where the baby is
2. some kind of baby wearing device-- I never tried the K'tan but I have loved my sling and my Ergo
and
3. my changing table. Sure, you can change a baby on the floor or on the bed. But for those massive exploding poops, the ones that go up the back and all, you know the ones I mean... for those I'm so glad I can just roll up the changing table cover and wash it. And glad I'm not being all paranoid as I change diapers that the poop is going to get all over my handmade quilt, you know. And then when they get to that stage where the diaper change is a pitched battle and you're trying to control ninja baby, oh a changing table helps keep the mess contained so it's not all over the living room carpet. Plus, I'm super tall and think I've got the only changing table in the world that is at the right height so I'm not killing my back while dealing with waste and playing peek-a-boo with baby.
Thank you so much for this post, and the comments!! So useful, as we are expecting our first (yay!) and just beginning to navigate the jungle of seemingly must-have products for our registry. Thank you thank you thank you! I found this awesome video which convinced me to take the Moby off my registry and get the K'Tan instead; it's kind of hilarious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ThAv6JeVmA.
ReplyDelete1) Aden & Anais swaddles. Hands down the best blankets. You can even swaddle summer babies in Texas without overheating them. They're big enough to put even the unrulliest infant into the baby straight jacket! No modern swaddle technology can compare with good old fashioned sufficient amounts of fabric!
ReplyDelete2) Leatherman Squirt S4. It's the one with scissors. Yes, I'm serious. It's small enough to go on your keys, if you like, and multitools that include scissors are incomparibly useful with children of any age. Itchy tag? Cut it off. Buying an emergency replacement outfit, you can get the tags out without damaging it. Obscenely long straw for an itty bitty child's cup? Trim the straw short (and flip it upside down if it leaves too ragged an edge)! Got a stupid battery operated toy/soother than dies at the most inconvenient time possible? The screwdrivers in the multitool will probably open it.
3) A spray bottle of Oxiclean. 'Nuff said.
To be honest and fair, good old cloth prefolds and diaper covers are also high on my awesome list, but I bumped them down for not being as universally attractive as say, lovely fluffy enormous cotton swaddles. But, after spending four days with my brand new nephew, I cannot reiterate this enough: finding a diaper that doesn't leak poo EVERYWHERE is essential to everyone's sanity. It doesn't really matter if they're cloth or not (although for us, cloth leaked the least of anything we tried).
ReplyDeleteHey Dweej, have you been using the K'tan now that baby is here? I love my Ergo for older kids but need something for an infant...would you recommend it now that it has traveled with a live non-doll?
ReplyDeleteNice products of swing for baby, I like the stroller. It looks great, lightweight and compact. see more
ReplyDelete