Need and Unnecessary

I received tons of useful things at my baby shower this past weekend. SO's mother is also having a baby shower for me and asked me to give her a list of items that I still need. This got me to thinking. Being a first time mother, I of coarse want and think I will need EVERYTHING. So my registries are full of items that I'm sure would be great to have, but probably aren't necessary. So my question to all you Mommies out there...

What are some of your necessities?

What are some of the items that you thought you were going to need but ended up being unnecessary?

I realize that I can alway buy as I go - but would much rather be able to give SO's mother a list of needs instead of wants.

Thanks in advance!

Diapers, diapers, diapers!!  I thought people were giving me way too many diapers, ,but the truth is they don't last no time!  I was buying diapers before I knew it.

One thing I laughed at my mom for was telling me to put Andrew in the sleep gowns, but those things are wonderful!  So easy to slide the gown up and change him.  Also, cloth diapers make the best burp cloths!  They fancy ones don't hold anything, the cloth diapers are the best.

Another thing that came in great was the mirror that you attach to the backseat of your car so you can see the baby, we bought one at Toys R Us for about $25.. it had a remote control, so you could play music and lights for the baby.

We never used the wipe warmers, it dried the wipes out. 

Don't be afraid to take stuff back.  I got a ton of clothes, people saw things that were cute, but the wrong sizes for the seasons.  Wal Mart is really good at taking stuff back and giving giftcards, that will help you stock up on stuff you didn't get that you need.

You'll be holding your little man before you know it!  Congrats!

Yes - diapers are high on the list. I contemplated stocking up on diapers when I first found out that I was pregnant. But I heard a horror story from a friend of mine, who stocked up and then when her little came, she ended up being allergic to Pampers (which just so happened to be the brand she stocked up on.) So I decided against that idea.

My mom also told me about the sleep gowns - luckily, I got about 12 pairs at my baby shower - so I should be good on those!

Thanks for the info on the wipe warmer and mirror - I will have to remember that. And don't worry - I've already taken things back - mainly duplicates. I must have $100 or so just in gift cards due to it.

Definately diapers and wipes. I know they aren't "exciting" gifts. But trust me.......it saves SOOOOO much money for you guys. I literally got over 20 packages of diapers at Jantzen's shower. Ranging from newborn to size 3. It's great.

Also baby wash and lotion. Riley is 2 1/2, and I still haven't bought her baby wash yet. In fact, I just got out her last one finally. And she has 2 bottles of lotion left. LOL. Those things don't go bad, and it's those little things that you don't have to worry about.

I like to have a ton of receiving blankets. I double them for swaddling. And he tends to spit up on them or pee on them frequently. So it's nice to have plenty of back up.

I love the Bumbo. Not sure if you got one yet, but I loved it with Riley, lent it to a friend, then lent it to my sister, and just got it back so Jantzen will be able to use it. It was so nice to have. I would take it along with us so I could feed baby food away from home. And I used it so much at home.

The gowns are wonderful.......when you are half asleep and need to change a diaper, the last thing you want to deal with is button and snaps.....LOL.

Diapers, wipes, baby lotions, nail clippers, Milicon drops & Infant Tylenol to have on hand........i personally love gift cards.........that way you can try different brands at a time to see what works for you etc...

We loved our jogging stroller. They are great for vacations, roads, malls, flea markets, walking at the park.... with unknown paths, etc... Very easy to move around and fold up easily.

Pack N Play...a must have. We have 2 One for inside and one take outside to places.

The same goes for a swing , we had 2. One in our bedroom, one in the kitchen. Very handy so you dont have to move things all over the place.

Lots of bibs, Gowns, onsies, burp cloths, tons of socks ( I love baby socks, lol)

A bouncer/vibrating chair. They are great for while you are showering.........just take it in the bathroom with you, etc...

I hated having a bottle warmer, wipe warmer just really was not needed for me and a pain the A$$ at 2AM.

You are very blessed to be having a baby shower, let alone 2. Congrats!!!

I can't live without my BATH SLING for giving Matthew a bath.  I registered for a bath tub thinking I had to have one and its just a huge waste.  He cries when it in.  I have given him a bath in maybe 2 times.  The sling you put in the bath tub with you so you can give your LO a bath while your in the tub.  It's so easy!  I love it and so does Matthew.  The one I have is from Babies R Us....its put out by Summer or something like that. 

BURP CLOTHES and BIBS.....you can't have enough of these especially if you have a refluxer!!!  I bet we go through 4 or 5 burp clothes a day and almost as many bibs!

Good question! Every baby is different. My son and daughter both liked the same things, Everett is completely different. I second a lot of the pp's like receiving blankets and cloth diapers for burping.

Things I never used or baby didn't like:
-wipe warmer
-bottle warmer
-diaper genie (gets stinky fast and we always threw diapers in the daily trash)
-diaper stacker (that thing that hangs on the changing table)
-portable baby tub
-infant shoes


Things we used ALL the time:
-car seat/stroller combo
-bouncy/vibrating seat
-crib wedge (a foam wedge that you put under baby's mattress to elevate when they have a cold. Particularly helpful with Everett as he has to sleep at a 30 degree incline)
-crib aquarium
-portable changing pad
-Baby Bjorn/Sling
-Formula dispenser
-Play mat with arches and toys (great for newborn tummy time too)


Some other great essentials are Dreft laundry detergent and unscented dryer sheets, disposable hyopallergenic washcloths are awesome ****ep some in the diaper bag for when I need to clean up baby and vomit), bath hammock, waterproof quilted and fitted mattress pads, and baby hooded towels.

I'm so excited for you! Not too much longer and you'll be using all of these items for baby Drew.

Hugs,

I agree with the diapers and wipes. But only open one pack at a time because if he out grows the diaper size you can bring the unopened packs back, Walmart is good on doing that.

Gowns are a blessing. Plenty of wash and Triple paste is the best for rashes, plain Vaseline to prevent diaper rashes.  We bought covers for the straps of Max's car seat near his neck, they are soft and prevent rubbing also he likes to suck on them.

We have a seat bouncer but never used it, he doesn't like it. We also keep a pack n play down stairs for naps so we dont have to keep running up and down the stairs to check on him or to pop the sassy back in his mouth, but it is just me during the day so it is quiet enough here to do that. Never used the sling we have for him, I felt like it was smothering him.

My favorite thing is and I would definetely invest in one is a cradle swing that can swing side to side or front to back. We only use the side to side motion still. He loves it and it has saved my sanity quite a few times when I couldn't get him to sleep but the swing could.

Feety jammies are also great, keeps their toes warm. Tub with a sling to keep both hands free. Plenty of bottles so your not constantly washing them, I just rinse them out after he eats and soak them, at night I wash them all.

Also what I found useful for me was 2 diaper bags. One small one for short trips, it is big enough for the bottle cooler bag, couple diapers, travel wipes, change of clothes and a blanket. One big one for all day trips, pack everything you will need for the day. That way I wasn't carrying the big one all the times especially if I was going to be gone for an hour or so.

Lots and lots of bibs, I put one on Max with every bottle so it doesn't dribble everywhere and he can't pull it away from him.

Have fun at your other shower!!!!

I second the bibs!  Kellen was a refluxer and threw up all the time.  We never used our pack/play but did use the bouncy chair and swing religiously.  We used the baby carrier, baby tub with sling, and actually put him in the highchair right away.  I just reclined it and it was like having him in his carseat but in the kitchen, it was great.

I loved getting those first books - you know the little board books like Good Night Moon, and The Runaway Rabbit.  Robeez or generic footie slippers...safe teething toys - it's so fun to see them actually use them when they are about 3+ months!  A hamper...a few changing table covers...my son loves the crib aquarium...a bottle brush...a lovey....lots of washcloths to keep in the kitchen for those messy times...a toy holder for the tub...boppy...oh, and I totally second the car mirror!!! 

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment.  Have fun!!
Sandy

I don't have any prior experience to help you with, but I found this great checklist from Consumer Reports...since it doesn't come from a store trying to seell you things, it is light on the useless stuff and heavy on the practical: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/news/new-baby -basics-1105/overview/index.htm