[LRA]

It has been a long time since I shopped for swings, high chairs and the like and from what I see...it is a whole new world. What are some of the things you bought or were given that were life savers? What were just space stealers? I have seen a new swing that is made by fisher price and it is called a papasan(sp?) it looked really nice but is it worth the price? How about the pack and plays..do you really use them that much?

tish

[tobeafamily]

Tish,

Things I loved:

1. Baby Bjorn. Spend the $$ on the real deal too, much easier than the knockoffs.

2. Baby sling - mine was an OTSBH. Loved that for months.

3. Baby swing - I just got the standard A-frame one with six speeds (though Ryan only wanted one - fastest). He loved it, even took naps in it sometimes.

4. I got a BIG - like 4' by 4' square pack n play. Kind of a hybrid between traditional play yards but the origami/collapsable/portablilty of the smaller pack n play. LOVED it for months, and have passed it on to other mothers who also love it. This one had a colorful mat and decorations on the sides - a mirror in a butterfly, jingle in a lady bug, etc. Ryan would entertain himself and had freedom to move safely.

I hardly ever used the smaller pack n play BTW.

Wastes for us:

Those baby wrist rattles. Ryan hated them.

Baby Mozart tapes. I understand a lot of kids like them. Mine didn't.

Baby sleep positioners for the crib. He was a squirmer. They never really worked. Rolled up & taped towels did OK for a little bit but he was a determined belly sleeper. Ended up getting an AngelCare monitor.

Bottle warmers/baby food warmers. I think they got the formula too hot, honestly. Ryan preferred room temperature anyway.

I'd highly recommend the book "Baby Bargains" by Sam and Denise Fields if you haven't gotten it yet. Wonderful suggestions.

JMHO

Regina

[LisaCA]

waste of money for us:

1. swing-dd hated it, spent a total of about two minutes in it, cried the entire time. at age 14 months she still isn't sure that swinging at the playground is fun-she tolerates it for a few minutes to keep us adults happy . my recommendation: try out the swing a few times before buying it.

2. travel crib. never used it for the first year, used it once since then.

3. i agree with the wrist rattles-dd hated them. same with sock rattles.


things we love:
1. baby sling: we got ours at target (brand: infantino i think.) cheap and spectacular, dd loved it. she was colicky and that was the only thing that made her life tolerable for the first few weeks. I could actually work around the house and she was cozy.

2. baby bjorn: awesome. we had two, the regular one and the back support one. the back support one was less useful, but they are an indispensable for baby time. at 14 months we still use it on occasion.

3.britax roundabout car seat: still going strong, fits all cars and trucks with extended cabs.

4. regular diapers: we loved these as burp rags. dd has reflux issues and puked constantly for about 9 months.ick.

5. backpack/purse diaper bag. we love ours, it holds just the right amount.

6. baby positioner with built in wedge: kept dd in line. bought ours at babies r us.


i'll try and think of a few more items.

[sugarbabysmommy]

Baby Bjorn, now they make one with a lower back strap for more active persons, but I can see how this would be great no matter what.

Seventh Generation Baby Wipes

Six Paneled play area- aka baby jail- we used it every day once baby was mobile as a safe area. Ours didn't come with a mat like Regina, but we got some of those foam linking mats to put under it.

(And a side note about those foam linking mats- whatever you do DO NOT buy the ones that have alphabet cut outs as part of the mats, unless you want close to a hundred pieces of foam alphabet spread all over the house. Babe is obsessed with taking these apart.)

Baby Saucer- husband used this more than I did when he was cooking.

MacLaren Techno XT stroller- I know you didn't ask about strollers, but we love ours and after two years it still looks good, works great (we're a one stroller household so it's had lots of use)

Bassinet (with wheels)- it was very nice to have baby sleeping near by, and be able to move baby with us. We used it until six months. Ours didn't have any bells and whistles, literally, it seems like so many are just battery operated noise makers.

Pack and Play- We were never going to get one and ended up getting a hand me down. The only thing we've ever used it for is so I can take a shower, it has sat in the bathroom the whole time and has never been taken anywhere. We could have lived without it, but it s nice to get for free.

Prego Prima Papa high chair- I know many folks like simpler chairs that take up less footage, but we have been very glad with this purchase.

Travel Booster with Tray- a real life saver for long road trips and eating in picnic grounds. We also use it to eat dinner in our back yard.

Edited to add:
Babe also hated those wrist/foot rattles- sort of like what the heck is this and what the heck were you thinking

Love our Roundabout as well

Flannel cloth diapers! great for everything

[tobeafamily]

I second Lisa's rec on the Roundabout. Love it. Ours is still going strong almost 3 1/2 years later!

Regina

[leaabc123]

The pack n play is great if you are going to be traveling and need a travel crib/ baby rest stop in a home that is not child proofed. It also makes a handy 2nd crib, if you have an upstairs/ downstairs situation.

Baby swing was great for all our little babes. check weight requirements at the stores and look for what will last the longest.

Bouncy chair, same thing.


Waste of time:

Wipe warmers- sometimes your butt wll be cold, get used to it!

Diaper pails- the plastic tends to retain the odor of the diapers after awhile and remains quite stinky. We were given a used one awhile ago and had to throw it out. Keep plastic bags around to wrap stinky diapers in and empty waste baskets every night.

[Nevada Jen]

My favorites:

1. Leap pad vibrating bouncy chair with the fancy mirror thingy (The toy bar with the cool mirror comes off to avoid over stimulation). Because of the toys its useful life is much longer than the standard bouncy chair.

2. 2 Diaper Champs (one for upstairs and one for down). Way better than any other diaper pail and uses regular litchen bags.

3. Bottle warmer and chiller from babies r us. It gets bottles to about room temp and chills 2 bottles over night (because what good is a warmer if you have to go get the bottle out of the downstairs fridge anyway)

4. Sassy nipple holder (the bright colored one from target) for the dishwasher. The trick to this one is that the nipple part on the top has holes big enough that you car push the nipple through and then pull up the top part of the nipple instead of having to open the little lid and then try to get all the nipples to balance in there before you clean it.

5. Somewhere to sleep upstairs and downstairs. That way you can see baby downstairs while you are doing other stuff and not have to depend on a baby monitor which I always had trouble trusting.

6. Borrowed changing table for downstairs. Every book says chaning tables are a waste (and I beleived it with the first kid) but we keep extras of all of babie supplies in the downstairs changing table and it really is a lifesaver. Of course, this is a loaner. Don't know how I would feel if we had paid for it.

Jen

[momofmykids]

LOVED:
*Playtex disposable bottles...NO scrubbing!
*Playtex drop ins for the bottles...no stretching those bags over the rim of the nurser
*Johnny Jump-up
*Jumperoo
*backpack to carry baby in when they're big enough (dh says it beats a stroller any day!)
*powdered formula! if you get babe used to room temp water from the beginning, just buy the "baby" water at Wal Mart and you've got a bottle in no time
*the divided powdered formula holders from Wal Mart
*changing table
*3-in-1 car seat/stroller combo
*Mylicon drops...a.k.a. LIFE SAVER if babe has a tummy ache
*bouncey seat

Didn't like:
*baby food warmer (mine like it room temp)
*wipe warmer (get them used to it and then WHAM, freeze them to death when you're out and about)
*baby side sleeper thingy (rolled up blankies work better and the hospital recommended the blankies)
*baby bathing "ramp" you lay them on it in the big tub...a baby tub is better
*DIAPER GENIE...HUGE waste of money...use Wal Mart bags!

[mxf0068]

I agree with most of the above posters.

I know that my son had terrible reflux issues and we should have bought stock. in the company.

Regarding the papasan (ekee spelling?) I have not heard good reviews on this. While it is snuggly and comfortable for small children (less than 3 months if a small child)..it is too short and the babe's head and feet hang off the ends. There are many other choices for baby bouncers that work just as well, are half the cost and last 3x longer (I actually fed my son out of the bouncy seat from 6 months until he learned to sit up at 10 months)
Edited to add:
You might also consider resale stores... You can find all sorts of bargains on clothes, toys, baby bjorns..etc that are nearly new if not never used...Same great stuff...just a fraction of the cost.
Blessings,

[Heather Jeane]

When my son was a newborn, I had a vibrating bassinet that could be repositioned into a seat... WONDERFUL! When I turned it on, he slept and slept.

My daughter loooooved her exersaucer.

For "Ziggy" I saw a neat thing at the BX a couple days ago. It is a small bed to put in your own bed so that you can attend to baby during the night without having to get out but also not worry about rolling over him. Has anyone used one? I won't be nursing this time, but it still seems good for bonding

I definately want to get one of those angel monitors. They came out about a year after my son outgrew the sids danger and when I saw it, I thought how much relief it would have given me when they were infants and I'd run over and over to their beds to make sure they were still breathing.

Oh yeah, and I had a change table in the upstairs bedroom and never used it. I always found it so much easier to keep a change pad and supplies in the family room where we spent most of our time and change sitting on the floor. With change tables, the baby lays sideways to you and I found it easier to change them straight up and down.

[StorkWatcher]

My newly adoptive mom friend has told me to get the book The Happiest Baby on the Block. It's a GREAT book on how to soothe fussy babies. May be a colic lifesaver. I'm only halfway through now, but plan to put it to good use once we're placed.

StorkWatcher

[MrsSmith]

I must strongly second the bouncy seat (the sling-on-a-frame kind)!!! There were weeks and weeks when little, teeny Em would not sleep ANYWHERE for any length of time except in that thing. We had a basic one, no bells or whistles, but my sister and bro-in-law got a tricked-out one (the FP aquarium theme one I believe) and my niece loves it.

We also got LOTS of use out of our Baby Bjorn - I would bring it with us when I did my weekly shopping and Em loved being in that and looking around (did it with her facing out) a lot more than being in the baby carrier in the cart.

We have gotten good use out of our Pack and Play. When Em was teeny, we used it as a bassinet and changing table for downstairs, so I wasn't always running upstairs to change her or let her nap. Nowadays, we take it with us when traveling (though Emma just discovered last weekend that she can climb in and out of it so I don't know if that is a death knell for the P&P ) and we also use it in lieu of a baby gate to keep Emma restricted to one half of the great room downstairs. (It fits perfectly between the side of the couch and the hutch against the wall LOL.) If you travel at all, I'd recommend it, and also it really was a lifesaver for me to be able to just put her down for a nap downstairs where I could keep an eye on her (new Mommy obsession, dontcha know) and also get stuff done without running up and downstairs to check on her (again, that new mommy obsession...).

Emma loved her megasaucer and her jolly jumper and we got a lot of use out of those, albeit for a limited period of time, as she didn't want to be contained in ANYTHING as soon as she became mobile... We were given a portable swing, and got good use out of it for the first few months but Em tired of it by about 6 months so it got retired quickly. Having the portable swing was nice though because we could bring it out in the yard with us and move it upstairs, downstairs, wherever we were for the time when she was into it.

Never had any warmer type things, be they for butts or bottles! We also used rolled up towels instead of a baby positioner - worked fine for us.

Oh, Emma also loved the crib aquarium (think it is FP?). That played in her crib every night for months - 'til she was maybe 18 months old? She loved the "fishies!!!!!"

Regarding powdered formula, someone gave us a container with four sections on it and that was TERRIFIC for being on the go - you can measure out formula (and later cereal too) and then just mix it into the bottles (pre-filled with water) and it was great for when we were on the road or even just going to be out and Em would need a bottle.

Cheers!
Heather

[Lovebug]

I agree with pretty much everything too!!!! Lol. The little sectioned powdered formula holder is a lifesaver for formula and cereal like Heather said.

Oh! Also the safe feeder...can't remember who makes it...it is a little net thingie that you can put fried or cookies or bigger chunk things in for baby to chew/suck on. It is great!

Disposable bibs and the Huggies washcloths with soap in them are great to keep in the diaper bag, too! Also I always keep infant tylenol in there just in case.

--Renee

[skootinalong2]

[quote=leaabc123]


Waste of time:

Wipe warmers- sometimes your butt wll be cold, get used to it!
QUOTE]

I couldn't agree more!!!!!!

Ter

[mommieof2cuties]

We love the following items:

Peg Perego newborn 5 point carseat-worth every penny, light weight easy to use and you look so great with it.

Peg Perego Pappa High Chair, it reclines so you can put your newborn in it while your in the kitchen.

Peg Perego Plinko 3, light weight, reclines foldes flat, take newborn carseat, nice to be out and about with...comes in RED instead of navy etc!

Graco pack n play sport, has UVA protection for outside at the beach, has a crawel in, is big and weight is about 12 pounds instead of the normal 30 pounds, we just got this when we moved and LA loves it. We had the mini graco pack n play....good for the first two to three months but a pain since than...we donated to a freind who had a preeime. We also have the normal three way pack n play and it is great for travel but we will get a second sport since it is so light weight.

We loved the avent and Playtext dropins.

We have the Fisher price Ocean wonders, big swing, take along swing and bouncer seat, and my son loved all three so we will get the updated ones for our new baby. We also have the fisher price crib water toy...it is both LA's and B's favorite to listen to go to sleep.

We have a Britax Marathon...WE LOVE and the roundabout we also love.... the marathon will hold a baby up to 65 pounds

We have a safety first booster seat with tray that we love for eating out or even for home since we have LA.

My DH has a double Combi Savvy stroller he loves, folds up real flat and the weight is I think 12 pounds.

We love the take n toss items We reuse them....

We loved the baby Ein stuff, the toys etc, we also love te leap frog items.

God Bless,
Summer