WARNING: To ZZZ and the boys, or anyone who want's to stay away from baby talk, LEAVE THIS THREAD NOW!!!!!! :P

As I posted a month or so ago, I'm expecting my first child at the end of the year (we still don't know what we're having but should know next week).

I'm headed back east in August for a family event and My mother is going to throw my first shower while I'm there. Granted I expect to receive mostly gift cards since everyone knows I have to fly back home. However, I want to make sure I at least have a registry set up before the shower.

Anyway, this is where I need your help. I went to the Babies R' Us store on Saturday just to look around and have to say I got a bit overwhelmed. I don't think I have any problem with the basics (bibs, onesies, etc.) and I'm dragging DH along next weekend to look at some of the big items (strollers, furniture, etc.).

What I'm looking for from all the Mommies here is any recommendation for what you couldn't live without. Also anything you wish you had thought of then and would recommend to new mothers. What are the must haves that a first time mother might not think of?

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Congrats again!! So many babies on the way at the moment!!

I had 2 cribs, once downstairs in the living room and one in the bedroom, so she had somewhere to sleep in the day. We borrowed one from a friend and bought the other one second hand, just buying a new mattress for both. It was easier than goign up and downstairs in the day.

We used ( and still use 5 years later) lots of large muslin squares for posset or in the case of my monster continuous projectile vomiting!

We didn't really bother with dresses and little outfits, as she lived in sleepsuits most of the time.

Those tummy carrier things are great..can't remember the name ( Baby Bjorn make them I think), and I know Camis is a dab hand with the ones that start off as long bits of material that you wrap around yourself :)

My favourite large baby thing was a combined changing table / bath, which was great until she stopped wearing nappies.

This kind of thing

Our bathroom was just big enough to get it in and it made bah time and nappy changing so much easier because the baby is on a easy to manage level with you .

I'm sure I'll think of more!!

It has been years but I had a crib upstairs and a pram (car bed) downstairs. It made for a lot less stairs

Interesting topic, I'll sure be paying close attention! :D

Congrats alsgal!! I think I am about 4 weeks ahead of you, my due date is Nov 29th and in the 19th week (3 weeks ago) we found out that it will be a girl!

We will get my old baby bed (a round one, how do you call them in English?) for the first months and later we have a larger one from my sister-in-law. Just bought a pram which you can change into a stroller later on. And a diaper changing table is already ordered. The room is already painted yellow and the furniture is the old one we had in the living room before so it fits together nicely. There is even an old bed of mine, which we used as a guest bed so far, and which will stay in there because it might be handy to breastfeed on. Oh, and I got a maxi cosi (for carrying around and in the car) from a friend already.

Still need a bath and probably clothes. I did get some from my sister-in-law and a friend but have to sort through them and look for the sizes. Buying all those things is really confusing. Don't know what diapers or pacifier or ??? to buy but there is still time...

It is confusing, but it is so much fun!!


Some of my tidbits of wisdom. lol

The best spit up cloths (and you will need these all the time) are cloth diapers. But be sure that you don't buy the pre-folded ones. The ones you need are just like a big square of cloth. Kind of like what Sunny mentioned. These are the most absorbent useful things. I always had one thrown over my shoulder.

Another must have is Desitin- although I like the Generic Dollar General brand better. Not the creamy kind, just the regular. At the first bit of redness on a baby bottom this stuff works wonders to prevent any diaper rash.

Don't buy too many newborn size diapers and clothes. The babies out grown them so fast. Buy 6 month size as he/she will grow into them in no time.

Instead of using the little baby fingernail clippers, buy the little scissors instead. I was always able to use these so much easier, and you will need to use them to keep baby from scratching themselves.

Will add more as I remember. :wink:

I second wss4 on several things. Never underestimate the need for a nearby spit-up cloth! I also used a few old cloth diapers, but they also make "fancier" ones. It doesn't really matter what they look like, since they're going to stain anyway -- just anything that is absorbant & will hold up after lots of washings.

I also agree with the diaper rash ointment, and yes -- the regular Desitin is better than the creamy kind. It's a little messier, but more effective I think. I also really liked Budreau's (sp?) Butt Paste. It's more expensive, but I thought it worked well.

It's been a few years since I had an infant, but I really found those infant car seat covers handy (the ones w/elastic to fit over the top & a little flap w/ velcro for a peep hole). Do they even still make those?! Although....I guess maybe in CA it might not be cold enough to need one, but they were great for winters in the midwest!

Ditto on the diaper advice. I liked Pampers for the small sizes, but as they got bigger, I found any brand was fine.

You may or may not use formula, but if you do, it gets expensive really fast. I used brand names for my first kiddo, but with the second, I bought the store brand. Saved quite a bit of money that way.

I'll probably think of more later too. Those are off the top of my head! Good luck!!!

My one piece of advice is to find a Certified Child Passenger Seat Technician to check your car seat installation. It's very important that your infant be protected in the car. Car seats are so difficult to install correctly that you really need someone who is specially trained to check your installation. In the US about 8 out of 10 car seats are installed INCORRECTLY! Check with your local police or fire departments to see if they have certified staff or if they can direct you to the right agency.


I've found a site where you can find events in the US with Certified folks to check your seat. Here's a link

Seat Check Events

Congrats! I loved my travel system (the stroller with the infant carseat) I still use it all the time at 20 months. I had a high chair, but wished I had bought the one that hooks onto a chair, less cumbersome and easy to travel with.

I had a sleeper/sleeping bag thing that I zipped James up in, that way I didn't have to worry about blankets.

I had a hand held breast pump, I didn't use it very long, but am glad that I had it, it came in handy.

I have a multi-function playpen that I used all the time, still do it was great for visiting, I could use it as a bassinet, a change table or a play pen.

Hmmm, I will think a bit more and add when I think of things, it is a wonderful time!

Congrats, what an exciting time. :)
We had a highchair that clipped onto the table, it was easy to take travelling with us.
The thing that helped our sanity, but definitely wouldn't work for everyone, was having him sleep in our room, right next to our bed. It meant I could just reach out a hand and stroke him without getting out of bed a lot of the time, and if I did need to get up, I could just grab him and cuddle/feed him in bed.

It all depends on how much room you have too.

One of my ds loved his swing, we got a regular crank one, then after about 2 weeks of that upgraded to a battery operated one, never once regretted it.

I loved our bouncy seats, you can feed baby in it, strap him/her in so you can take a 2 second shower and the new styles vibrate which I guess is suppose to calm baby, but I wouldn't know for sure because my kids hated that.

Because our kitchen is so darn small we didn't get the traditional high chairs, we got booster seats that strap right to existing chairs. I can't think of a single drawback to these and if I were to have another child I'd definately use these again. They travel super easy, snap apart for quick cleaning and the entire thing is dishwasher safe.

We used the traditional newborn tub until our kids could sit up, then we got bath rings that have suction cups on the bottom and bathed kids right in the sink. I don't think I'd beable to stand up straight if I would of had to wash kids in the tub! lol

If you're going to breastfeed I loved the Medela pump & style breast pump. It was a bit on the expensive side, but definately paid for itself in the long run.

Don't waste money on cute outfits! You'll be having the baby in the middle of winter and won't be leaving the house anyway so onesies and sleepers is all you'll need. That all depends on where you live though. Regardless I wouldn't waste the money on lots and lots of cute clothes. 4-6 cute outfits for church and pictures, etc will be fine.

A good blender if you're planning on making your own baby food. A Swifter Wet Jet for those spills that *will* happen on your floor. You don't want to drag the mop out. Swifter Sweep/Vac for the dry spill (again saves you time not having to drag out the broom).

Im sure I'll think of more.

There are a few things. My mind was on versitility. The stroller/car seat/travel system thing that was mentioned early. Definitely a must. Because even we the baby doesn't fit in the car seat they will still fit in the stroller. The best thing is the high chair we got for my son. I'm trying to see if I can find a link so you can see it. IT WAS AWESOME!! I can't find a link for it. But it had three pieces. The tray, of course, a chair, and a base. When set up as a high chair the chair slid into the base. Then when the baby got older the chair comes out and is a booster seat. The base then gets turned on on it's side and becomes a table. Which the chair/booster seat goes with. My son had his for like 10 years. He used the heck out of it. I wish I could find a link so I could show you what I'm talking about.

The one thing I used more than anything was my sling. Both of my children loved being carried around in it before they learned to walk.

ooooh! I want to chime in on the swing and the bouncy chair, they are a blessing. When I was looking at swings two years ago, Fisher Price was the only one that plugged in, it was great! I never had to worry about batteries.

The vibrating bouncy chair was my son's favourite until he was mobile. He then loved his Jolly Jumper. Ooooh Another thing he loved, and I did too, was his exersaucer. They have some fancy ones with bells and whistles, my was a simple one, but he loved it.

There's some great advice in the other posts, and much of it from people who've had young kids much more recently than I have (my baby is going off to college in another month). But I can't resist joining in anyway.

When my son was very young, one of the things I loved was a little quilted pad with a neck support that went under him in the car seat, etc. Maybe he wouldn't have been uncomfortable without it, but he LOOKED uncomfortable and that bothered me. In fact, it was so simple that I kept it after it was worn out and used it as a pattern to make others as gifts.

I also had a bassinet downstairs and the cradle/crib upstairs. I used the top of the dresser, with a pad on top, for changing and it worked great and was cheap.

I found that a roomy diaper bag with a changing pad that's either attached to the side or pulls out from its own pocket was invaluable for taking advantage of a car seat, lawn, or other space for those important moments where you can't find an accommodating bathroom with a changing area. And you'll be amazed at the amount of stuff you need to take with you - diapers, creme, food, toys, wipes, ...

I also liked a couple of activity blankets (mine were hand-me-downs) that folded up and washed easily. They gave a familiar, clean environment with no set-up time wherever we went.

For pacifiers and bottles, get a little variety and see what your baby will use. Some will take anything and others are very fussy and reject most. So there's not much point in your deciding that a particular type is what you'll use if they have other ideas.

Oh yea an exersaucer!! My kids loved it too!! I've got tons of pictures of my kids grinning from ear to ear in the exersaucer. We didn't have a crib on both floors of our home, but we DID have an exersaucer on both floors.

Back in the dark ages, when my DS was born I just loved these flannel covered rubber lap pads. No one ever told me that babies poop when they eat, and it's all over you if the diaper leaks. Those dreamy photos of a mother nursing her child is all a lie. She's not dreamy, she's about to pass out from the fumes... :wacko:

The lap pads caught everything and washed up great. Saved many a pair of jeans.

And just so you know how long ago that was- we didn't need to have a car seat.

Wait, while they eat? Or just, you know, generally around the same time as the food?

My sister's sons (the first two at least) loved the bouncer. Adored it. And it definitely was great to hit vibrate, which hers found more amusing than calming, and run to the bathroom or such.

Thanks everyone for your wonderful advice. I'm definitely felling alittle less overwhelmed now.

Keep the recommendations coming :D

I agree on the sling - so versatile. Carry them on your front when they are little and on your back or hip when they are bigger. I carried Theo in one until he was at least 2. There are loads of different styles out there - a good place to start is
The Baby Wearer

My personal favourite was a Didymos sling.

Also muslins or terry squares - useful for everything!

Changing mats for upstairs and downstairs if you don't want to keep going up and down.


I know I had a lot of stuff for my first that I never bothered with for the subsequent children - the baby bath being one of them.

Slings, another good one, I have a baby carrier that I LOVE! I took a mommy and me aerobics class where James was in the carrier. I have the babytrekker and it is fantastic.



It is very versatile and considering I had a heavy baby, I couldn't even tell he was in there.

ETA I loaned it to a girlfriend of mine who has back troubles and she loved it. She bought one a Ebay.

Back in the days of old when I had my babes they all seemed to react to diaper rash cream. I tried several kinds over the years and then took my moms advice and just used plain old cornstarch :shrug: with nothing else and within a couple diaper changes their bottoms were alot better.

Changing table, play pen, bouncer seat, we had a small bed side crib that was handed down in my hubby's family, it went through my hubby and his 2 brothers, and my hubby's 2 nephews and my 2 boys. It was great because I breastfed both mine and it was a lot easier at night to not have to get up to get them. :lol: But of course after the first 4-5 months they got too big for it. Speaking of breastfeeding, if you do go that route, you'll need ointment for your breasts. Because ouch at first they are so swollen and tender. I believe I used A & D original ointment not the one for diaper rash. :giggle:
I also used a bassinet during the day when they were very young. For when I was doing chores and such. I also loved rocking my boys. A rocking chair isn't a necessity but it is calming at bedtime and naptime for both the mom and the baby.

Several people have told me not to bother with a baby bath

I do plan to breastfeed but will be heading back to work after about 2 months. Anyone have any thoughts on breast pumps?

Al's mom already called and said her MIL bought her a rocking chair when she was pregnant with Al (her first) and she loved it. So she wants to buy one for me. Of course, I didn't refuse :P

Will no one answer this? Is this one of those things that no one wants to confirm for fear that us non-children havers will be irrevocably grossed out? Like she-nuts. And pooping on the delivery table.

TMI Warning!! If you're easily grossed out, leave now.




Well, the thing is that they just pee and poop any old time. So it's not linked to their eating but it can definitely happen then. It can also happen during the bath, while you're changing their diaper (if you have a boy, you'll probably learn to cover the 'squirt gun' while you're wiping and putting ointment), or any other time when it's really inconvenient.

Um - she-nuts - I'm not familiar with that expression although perhaps I know it under another name.

Pooping on the delivery table. Yup - the baby pretty much takes up all the room and pushes everything else out ahead of it. Even if you think it's empty, it's not.

I bought a Medela Pump & Style. I was more expensive then the brands you find in the chain stores but worth every penny! I sold it when I was done (don't get grossed out..lol..the new owner bought new shields and new hoses).

Here's one very similar to the one I had. http://cgi.ebay.com/Medela-Pump-In-Style-D...1QQcmdZViewItem

I loved mine, so I am going to go off on a little Medela promotional rave here..

I had triplets and I needed a good breastpump. This thing DID NOT let me down!! I loved the fact that it was electric and also came with a cigarette lighter adpt. (great for pumping in the car). The inside of the bag is also insulated, though I wouldn't leave milk in their for hours on end, it does make a great holding place for at an hour.

I breastfeed my kids for 14 months, and thanks to the Medela my kids only had about 2 days of formula (while I was waiting for my milk to come in) and I even had enough milk for freezer stash!

I bought mine for over $300.00 and ended up selling it for $100.00. That mom also sold it again so it's gone through 3 nursing moms and it's still going strong!!

I bought it from a hospital supply store. Im sure the LCC at the hospital you deliver at will know where you can rent or buy one.

If you're planning on pumping at work, just check the noise from an electric pump - some can be quite noisy!!

Again - I used a manual pump with my first and then just expressed by hand for the others - couldn't be bothered to sterilise! Depends on how forceful your supply is really :lol:

Find a local BF support group- La Leche League are pretty good.

While they eat.. it's a reflex action that keeps them regular, I guess. All I know is that I had to sit there covered with baby poo until he was full....but it only last for the first few weeks....

I use the term "back to work" loosely as I work from home. Unfortunately, since I'm on conference calls and the phone most of the day, I won't really be able to watch the baby me while I'm working.

We are trying to work out a way for hubby to take off some time (maybe 3 days a week) for at least a few weeks after I go back to work so we can keep the baby at home for an extra month or so before bringing in a caregiver or taking him/her to a sitter/day care.

So I don't have to worry about how much noise a pump makes as long I pump between phone calls :blush:

Hmm, I don't know how to explain it as I was never entirely clear to begin with. A couple of years ago one of the authors of a blog I read had a baby and she blogged about how for all of the things that people warned her about, no one ever told her about the she nuts. It was a phrase entirely coined by her, but it seemed that everyone who had had a baby knew what she was talking about. I knew enough to figure out that she nuts were somehow the female equivalent of nuts (a guy's balls, not like peanuts) but still couldn't quite get a picture in my head. For which I am grateful.

hmm... Some really good ideas here! Jordan turns 4 on the 2nd.

Later on, when your baby is say 1 or 2 or something I would get more than one stroller, those fold up umbrella ones. I keep one in the trunk of my car. If you have more than one car I would say get one for each car (same kinda deal for car seat, it's a PITA to be switching car seats around) And also a stroller to keep at the house. They are usually $15 and under, so not that big of a deal.

I have a kinda crappy back, but it got much worse with Jordan. Even tho babies don't really weigh all that much, it'll weigh on you more than you'll even think about.

I did have a baby bath.. but kinda scraped that after she could hold her head up, the kitchen sink just works better.... I even gave her a bath in the kitchen sink last weekend. (Ok, so I know that's a bit old for a bath in the sink, but we had a lot of stuff going on and she needed something fun - my uncle had just passed and the house was a bit nuts.)

I also loved my diper gene, helped with the smell, but it was still nasty and smelly.

OH, diapers. I wouldn't buy too many at first. I would buy say one pack of each brand. Use one brand at a time and just watch. Jordan could only use Pampers, if she used any other brand, she would break out... but then could only use huggies pull-ups when training. Weird I know, but it'll save you money in long run knowing which brands if any bother the baby. I've had friends who have had the same problem with their kids, and some that didn't.... just hope your kid loves the cheap ones. lol

One thing that helped is friends would buy Jordan clothes in bigger sizes, she had TONS of clothes, and I never really had to buy her any until she got about a year old. It helps a lot to have clothes in various sizes.

One product that I LOVED was the feeding pillow thing. Boppy Pillow
This was great while feeding, either bottle or non it helped so much. I would also put a blanket over it, and lay her in the middle of it, and she loved it.

Also, one thing I did in the first few months that helped me a lot was baths. Warm water (no soap or anything else in the water) and just sit in the warm water, that helped me feel much better... I would just sit in the tub for 10 mins or so and feel better, why no idea, but it helped with the pain/uncomfy feelings downstairs.

That's all I can think of for now.

Oh yes! Totally agree with this one!