WHAT DO I NEED!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-29-2006
WHAT DO I NEED!!!
12
Sun, 01-29-2006 - 8:12pm
OMG My family and friends have been calling me all week asking me to make a list of things that im going to need.... like things they can buy for the baby shower... and i don't know this is my first baby... can someone please send me a list or tell me a website that list all the major things that i'm suppost to have... i wish i knew more ... but i don't... PLEASE HELP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-27-2006
In reply to: meolive
Sun, 01-29-2006 - 8:23pm
I too am expecting my first child. I'm only in my 9th week so I haven't had any showers yet, but i was talking with a friend from church who has 2 children and she told me that the diaper jeanie was a waste of money. She said it's more complicated than anything. But she said the diaper champ was great. I have alot of experience with children, but as far as what to have at my home, i'm not sure either (LOL)! But something I have learned is that they grow so fast, so don't waste alot of money on all these little gadgets, cause you won't use them long. Also don't over spend on things like a high chair or bouncer, because like i said before they grow too fast. I would much rather have more clothes, than the best highchair. I hope I didn't ramble to much (LOL). Good Luck with things.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-05-2003
In reply to: meolive
Sun, 01-29-2006 - 9:30pm

I think Babies R Us website has a list of things that you should have. I'm 14 weeks pregnant with my first. Off the top of my head, you'll need a crib, a changing table or pad, a baby bath tub, an infant car seat (hospital won't let you take the baby home without one), a diaper bag, bottles and or breast feeding equipment, crib bedding, lots of t-shirts and onesies, sleepers, bibs, burp cloths, receiving blankets, mittens for their hands (babies nails grow very fast and they can scratch themselves pretty bad, a swing or bouncy seat, diapers, baby bath supplies, the list goes on and on ... take a look at babies r us. Ivillage may also have a list somewhere. High chairs aren't needed until the baby is old enough to support their head and sit up so it's not a necessity for several months. The first few months all most babies do is eat, sleep, and require diaper changes. Sleepers are usually what most little ones spend most of their time in at that stage so don't waste money on a lot of cute outfits the first few months.

Congratulations and hope that helps!

Stephanie
edd 7/31/06

Mommy to Lawson Michael Binghua - born 8/8/06
miscarriage in November 2007 at 7 weeks
miscarriage in April 2008 at 8 weeks

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-28-2005
In reply to: meolive
Sun, 01-29-2006 - 10:19pm
Tell everyone to just calm down and wait until you register for your baby shower. Then they can look on that and buy something from the registry. For sure you will need the basics as one previous post pointed out. Babies R Us will give you a checklist to go off of, or just go to their site. Ask friends who are mothers what they advise. Everyone will have differing opinions on what they see as MUST HAVES. For me, one was a Boppy, but that was for breastfeeding purposes mostly. And maybe the best advice that I can give you is this, if someone is persistant and keeps asking what they can get you, tell them diapers! It is not a "fun" gift, but they are the most useful thing you will get! Overall, if this is your first and you don't have anyone to hand-down any items, you will need pretty much everything that a baby needs, so don't sweat it, get gift receipts and everything will work out!
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2005
In reply to: meolive
Mon, 01-30-2006 - 12:43am

She's right about the Diaper Genie ... everyone gets one and no one seems to like it. We had a similarly bad version with dd#1, but this time around got the Diaper Decor (been using it for about a year and a half now) and it's GREAT! Also, if you're pressed for either space or money (or both LOL), you'd do much better to get one of the adjustable booster seats that simply strap onto a kitchen chair. They're at least half the price of a full-sized high chair (sometimes a LOT less, as I think you can get a decent one for $15-30), and they'll work well from infant through toddler-hood. :)

Same thing with a baby swing. We had a full-size one for our first daughter and, while useful, it took up a lot of space and couldn't be transported from room to room (or grandma's house!). We got the travel size Ocean Wonders Aquarium swing this time, and it hardly takes up any space and folds nearly flat to take anywhere we want.

If you're planning of breastfeeding (or even if you're not, I suppose LOL), a nursing pillow (Boppy or otherwise) is a must-have.

Everyone gets an infant tub, but we only used ours once or twice -- right after our oldest was born. She was scared to death and chilled easily, and we finally found out that she actually loved getting a bath if I laid her on my lap (supported in a sitting position by my legs) in the regular tub. I actually read recently that this is the preferred method of bathing an infant by the AAP. We've done the same with our second daughter and she still squeals with delight at bathtime (although she can now sit in the big tub by herself).

Some things we never ever used ... the mittens that are supposed to keep the baby from scratching herself (both girls absolutely hated these and would cry until we took them off, and yet without them never suffered more than an occasional scratch or two that never seemed to bother them ... not worth it IMO!), bouncy seat (both hated them and preferred the swing hands down ... also, a lot seem to be too upright for a small infant, allowing their heads to kind of flop forward, so I never thought it looked very comfortable or safe), seperate changing table (a pack-n-play does double duty and saves a lot of space!), bassinet (if you can find a cheap one, it might be worth it, but our first was only in it for a week or two, then preferred her crib, and our youngest had bad reflux and couldn't sleep upright for a few months, and our ped. told us an infant swing or car seat next to the parents' bed was just fine, and in some cases safer, than a bassinet), lots of Nuks or bottles - if you're BFing anyway (our second wouldn't take any artificile nipples, even a Nuk, so all the ones we'd already bought and sterilized went to waste ... I'd just buy one pack of Nuks and a few bottles until you know you need them).

Guess that's it for now. Sorry so long. :)

HTH!

~Kelli




Edited 1/30/2006 12:57 am ET by mommyagain6124

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2005
In reply to: meolive
Tue, 01-31-2006 - 4:43pm

Hello!! Don't be worried! Everything will be just fine. It is amazing how little babies auctually need in their first few weeks of life. And generally people coming to a baby shower know what to bring. You will get a lot of cutesy stuff that you will never use. So really don't register for clothes or toys, people will get stuff like that. And be prepared for people to bring you diapers. That kind of caught me off guard. But if you fancy yourself a reader, feel free to register for board books if you are interested in starting a library (stuff you would buy anyway)
But I have some advice... For what its worth.

Bouncy seat (we ended up feeding Ryan in it bc his high chair was too big for him)
High Chair (look for one that is EASY TO CLEAN!!!! trust me.)
Infant Tub (which we did use a lot, but we had kind of a water baby. Get one. Just in case)
Grooming kit with all of the combs and sucky things in it
Infant Tylenol (hooray for acetominophen!!)
Gas Medicine (it made my son projectile vomit, but may come in handy for you)
Saline for stuffy noses
Bottles
Long scrubby thing for bottles (Munchkin makes a great one with a thing that comes off the end for cleaning nipples)
Humidefier (Seriously if you don't already have one they rock for stuffy noses)
Crib Bedding/ nursery accessories
Car seat or "travel system"
Pack 'n' Play (I know some other people said they didn't use it, but my son never slept with my husband and I, so when we went away it was the most precious of commodities. He used it until he turned two)
Breast Pump (if applicable) and nursing gear

That is just basically off the top of my head. Just so you know, you can register online at like Target and Walmart without even leaving your house which is awesome. A lot of people get online to buy stuff too so that helps them. But if you are registering more than one place don't register for the same thing both places unless you really want two.

Oh and get your own diaper bag. It will end up being very personal and special to you, so pick out one you like. And if you have a loving man in your life that will have to be carrying the thing around, be kind and get him his own manly one. Boys get funny about carrying around bright pink flowery bags....

Take care!!! And Congratulations! Hey if you have any more questions please email me! mallaryhenning@yahoo.com ( I am having one in July.)

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-15-2004
In reply to: meolive
Tue, 01-31-2006 - 9:04pm

Hello!

I’m expecting #4, so here are my suggestions. 1st, you can never have too many receiving/infant blankets or burp cloths. 2nd, I didn’t like the infant nightgowns. They were too big and bulky for my newborns, and too restrictive for other babies. And, my babies were really uncomfortable when I bunched them up to change them. I found that onsies were much more easy and comfortable. And now they come in a very cute variety it basically doubles as a cute outfit if company drops by. 3rd, if you have a special grandma, or your mom, who likes to sew, ask them to make the Christening outfit. My grandma crocheted a blanket, and my mother-in-law sewed a gown for the girls, and a little tux for the boys. Makes it extra special. 4th, as many of the other posters have said, the big-ticket items (such as a swing, or high chair) usually won’t be used until at least 5 months, so they can wait. You could ask for gift cards to Babies R Us and then save them until you need those items.

Congratulations! And enjoy this fun time!

Nikki :0)

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2005
In reply to: meolive
Tue, 01-31-2006 - 9:10pm

Ooh! Nikki's post just reminded me ... sleep and plays (the one-piece outfits with the feet on them) are great for exactly that -- sleeping AND the rest of the day! Just keep in mind that the zipper kind are best. The ones with buttons don't seem to keep baby as warm (fabric puckers and lets air in between the buttons), not to mention being a HUGE hassle and taking ten times as long at diaper changes, etc. :) HTH!

~Kelli


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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-09-2004
In reply to: meolive
Tue, 01-31-2006 - 10:20pm
DIAPERS :-) if all else fails!


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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-24-2005
In reply to: meolive
Wed, 02-01-2006 - 10:16am

I am having my first baby in March. I registered at Babies R Us and Target, and I registered for EVERYTHING that I will need, or may need. I figured I would rather register for it and see what I get, then not and end up spending a lot of money later (even for things I won't need yet). I did that for several reasons...#1.People have a variety of things to get for the shower (I learned from my wedding registry that people can suprise you with what they are willing to buy!) #2. It's a constant list of stuff I need, so if I don't get a particular thing at the shower, I will know what I need to go buy myself. I also didn't put anything on my list that I am not willing to go buy myself. But here's what I registered for...hope it helps.
~ Burps cloths
~ Bibs
~ A baby positioner for the crib (keeps them on their side/back)
~ Stroller
~ Car seat
~ An extra car seat base (we have 2 vehicles)
~ Highchair
~ Swing
~ Exersaucer (like a stationary walker)
~ Shopping cart cover
~ Playard (they grow out of bassinets too fast)
~ Changing pad W/extra covers
~ 1 package of bottles
~ Extra crib sheets
~ Clothes hamper (matches my bedding)
~ Receiving blankets
~ 3 waterproof mattress pads for going under the crib sheet (protects mattress)
~ Diaper champ (this got 4 out of 5 stars on 1900 reviews and uses normal trash bags - $$ saver!)
~ Diaper bag - I went to the store and picked out the one I liked first.
~ Some toys, just to give people an idea of what I was looking for. If I get them,
great, if not, no sweat!
~ A newborn-to-toddler tub w/bath accessories
~ A baby monitor
~ An ottoman (A friend gave us a glider/rocker, but I want an ottoman to go with it)

ALSO NEEDED:
~ Furniture - crib, dresser, changing table, glider/rocker w/ottoman

I have to say, my in-laws gave us money to purchase the furniture (we were able to get a crib, changing table, and dresser with the money). A co-worker gave us some boppy pillows, clothes, a little vibrating rocker chair for the baby, and some play mats. Another co-worker gave us a bjorn snuggle-up (where you can strap them on your chest and carry them around), a glider (which is a must have!), a walker, and a doorway jumper seat.

It's amazing how you tell someone you are expecting and they are willing to give you stuff they don't use anymore!

Hope this helps!
~ Laura

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2005
In reply to: meolive
Wed, 02-01-2006 - 11:06am
If you look in the other forums most of the expecting clubs have a list of what you'll need. I'm due in a month and I went to Target with the consumer reports list of what I'll need for the first month and beyond. It was much more manangeable than the list the store gives you because they just want you to spend your money on stuff you probably won't use, like a bottle warmer for the car. Like many of the PP said, most of the stuff you won't need until later. You'll need very few things the first few weeks, even fewer if you plan to breastfeed. If you want to see the consumer reports list and don't subscribe, email me and I'll copy it for you. sireia@yahoo.com
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