Andrea’s Weblog

Since we’re now parenting veterans, I figured I should try and share some of the things that worked for us in the early days. So, here’s a list of things that we used and a list of things that were basically a waste of money. The main thing I learned is not to buy anything until you need it. That goes for clothes too - if you can resist the urge.

Used:

1. Baby sling - You can’t hold a baby too much! Buy a couple slings then see what you need from below. Ring slings also double as sunscreens, breastfeeding screen, drape for shopping carts, light blanket… They’re very easy to make!
2. Cloth diapers- They’ve come a long way from when I was a baby. I would bite the bullet and get Fuzzy Bunz all-in-one diapers instead of the prefold/diaper cover we started out with. Or sew your own.
3. Breast pump - buy the best one you can afford. If you’re committed to working and pumping, it will pay for itself in the money you save on formula.
4. Pilates/Birth Ball - Great cheap, multi-functional. Use during pregnancy, birth and afterwards as a rocking chair. Buy one the correct size for you - your legs should be parallel to the floor as shown here. Mine came from Italy and smells like chocolate for some reason.
5. Activity mat - This provided a non-sliding tummy time spot on our hardwood floors.
6. Bouncy chair - a safe place to put the baby when they want to see what’s going on. Ours had a vibrator that we never used.
7. Exersaucer activity center - Elizabeth spent time in here while I cooked.
   
8. Jog stroller- We have a great time around the neighborhood and at the beach with this. You can definitely walk faster. Plus, ours has a bike computer on it that tells how long, far and fast we’re walking.
9. Nice umbrella stroller We splurged for a stroller that travels well in the trunk and is tall enough to be comfortable to push. So many umbrella strollers are too short for taller people and don’t have baskets. It’s also great for airplane trips.
10. Britax Roundabout carseat - Finding a safe carseat was our biggest concern. NHTSA rates carseats here.
11. Books- you can’t have too many board books
12. Ride on car with rear handle- definitely got our $13 out of this. She used it as a walker and now still uses it to get around the house.
13. “Disposable” spoons and sippy cups - Sets of these so-called disposables are only a few bucks, but we’ve kept them around forever. The sippy cup doesn’t have a lot of crevices where gunk can build up. The downside is that they’re not spill-proof.
14. Baby Washclothes - I keep a stack of them handy for post-meal cleanups.
15. Socks - A friend put me on to Old Navy baby socks. They’re in a bunch of colors, durable, and cheap when they’re on sale.

Used-less:

1. Crib - we now use it as a side-car to our queen-size bed
2. Cradle - she could never sleep in it
3. Play pen - if you babyproof your house, you won’t need to worry about them getting into stuff.
4. Baby Bjorn style carrier - There are some studies out that say too much time in these upright carriers can hurt babies’ backs. We found ours uncomfortable for both parties.
5. Baby bottles
6. Burp clothes - turns out breastfed babies don’t spit up nearly as much as formula-fed babies
7. Mobile - no crib=no mobile
8. Boppy Pillow - I tried to use it on my lap for nursing, but I guess ’cause I’m tall, other pillows worked better.