Baby Must Haves list of baby gear
With so many baby products it can be overwhelming deciding what you actually need for the baby coming. Here is my baby must haves list of baby gear. After having two kids I have been able to actually experience what I actually needed and what just took up space in my house.
Safe place to put the baby in.
Babies want to be held all the time but we have other things we need to do like clean and pee! LOL So you need some place safe and cozy to leave your baby, they might even take a nap. A lot of mom’s like the Fisher Price Rock ‘N Play. For me it was the Pello that worked out. Plus the Pello unlike the Rock N’ Play can be used beyond the new born phase. It becomes their own comfy place to watch tv or read in the toddler years and nice pillow for you to cozy up on the floor with them.
Safe place to sleep over night.
So this can be co-sleeper if you are planning to co-sleep, a crib, if you’re not or the newest product in the market the dock a tot. I wish this was around when I had my first baby. It makes the baby feel like back in the womb all tight and cozy. You can put it on your bed if you co-sleep or inside the crib if you don’t.
Bath Tub
I love our bath tub. We used it for both babies. The fact that it adjusted with their age, was the deciding factor for us. First there was the hammock inside to make sure baby can’t drown. Then you take out the mat and put in a seat, that way still baby won’t slip and drown but they have a bit more control and autonomy in the bath. Then finally just a little tub perfect for the size and once they graduate from that is just our regular grown up tub.
Play Mat
This is a fun place for them and keeps them entertained so you can do the dishes or something.
Car Seat
This is one is not even a choice. You must have it by law or you can’t take your baby anywhere in a car. I recommend getting the ones that can just attach to a stroller since you will be needing that too.
Now my opinion on the optional stuff
Swing
Nice to have but not needed. Some babies don’t like swings at all so before you go all out and spend hundreds of dollars on the swing of the moment maybe just try it at a friends house? If you can get one for free then I say go for it.
Rocking chair aka Glider
I love my glider and for me it is pretty much a must have. But this is more for me then for the baby. It’s just a comfy place for me to feed and soothe baby. Having said that, it is not a necessity. You can totally feed baby on the couch, char, bed wherever and you can soothe baby a thousand other ways too.
Bouncer
Again nice but not needed.
High Chair
Highly recommend it. It definitely makes life easier for us parents having the kid strapped down to a chair so we don’t have to worry about them falling down while we are wrestling to feed them. But I will be honest from 6-9 months I mostly just fed them sitting on my lap. So you can wait to get this one until baby is older.
Carrier
For those babies that unless they are held cry non-stop. This is really handy. Because you can hold them and yet be hands free to take care of other stuff. I would go to a place where you can try a bunch and see which one you like best because there are so many choices! Baby Bjorn is the most well know. When I had my first baby though all the mom’s wanted the ErgoBaby, the crunchy mamas liked the Tula the best and I just went for a cheap Infantino which works if it is not too hot or humid otherwise baby is uncomfortable.