I just reread that post title; sounds like a gripping headline set to make accusations. Wow. Anywhoo, I'm totally stealing Grace's idea over at Camp Patton and dishing on what I think is necessary baby gear.
Please be advised- this is the opinion of a mother of one. After I've birthed multiple littles I might have a different take on things.
Before Toby was born I wanted to make sure that we didn't end up with ridiculous amounts of baby stuff that would ultimately just collect dust and be something that I hurl insults at on particularly rough days. Also, as much as I love babies and being a mommy, I hate baby-ish things. Going to Babies"R"Us is torture for me. Way too much cutesy pastel colored baby items. I understand that baby gear is just that, baby gear, and some of it is unavoidable. But for me, babies are just miniature people and thus have the right to miniature people care items.
Okay, here we go!
Fancy Shmancy Diaper Bags: Okay so a tote of some sort to carry half my household items is a necessity. Thankfully there are loads of hip looking diapers bags available, but unthankfully a lot of them cost more than I care to spend. I'm a bit of a cheapskate so I can't justify spending more than $20 on a bag; I've never even spent more than $10 on a purse, so... yeah, you get the idea. When the time came to brave the world beyond the couch with baby in tow, I just used a cute computer bag I had and it's worked great. It's gotten quite the workout so now the straps are starting to fray. The time is nigh when I will need to invest in a real bag. My sister-in-law told me that Marshall's has a great selection for cheap, so I will be investigating soon.
Swaddlers: This is just my experience with baby uno, but Toby hated being swaddled. Even in regular blankets. A friend lent me a couple of these but as soon as I finished strapping baby in, he freaked out and started screaming. So that was the end of that. It probably just depends on the baby, so who knows- maybe my next kid will be the opposite of current kid and have a desperate need to be swaddled.
Cotton Blankets: I absolutely love love love love using cotton muslin blankets. I was first introduced to the Aden and Anais blankets a few years back when I worked as an infant teacher at a preschool. They're awesome. There are other brands that have started making muslin blankies too so this proves that they are amazing. Toby was born at the beginning of the summer so it's not like he spent a whole lot of time wrapped up, but when he was these were perfect in keeping him warm and burrito-like. I also just discovered that Aden and Anais also makes crib sheets. The clouds are parting.
Bouncy Chairs: These are a must have. No questions. We were given a bouncy chair ( I don't know the brand) and it did the trick. But, on a recent voyage to a new Buy Buy Baby I saw the 4Moms MamaRoo chair. It bounces and also simulates the swaying motion of mommy arms. The price tag goes against my cheapskate religion, but I think I might look into getting one for my next baby. I can't tell you how many hours I spent swaying Toby, so if there's a machine that can do it for me I will pay for it.
Bumbo Seat: I am not impressed with Bumbo. For one thing, who decided it was a great idea to design that chair with the tray that attaches underneath the chair? Lame. When they had the recall I sent off for the straps and that just pushed me from unimpressed to disdain. It was great to use as Toby learned to sit up and he sometimes liked sitting in it while I worked in the kitchen. But he grew into a chubby boy fairly quickly, so cumulatively he probably only got to use the chair for about one month. I like the idea of the chair, but I think next time I'll go for something more like this. The tray clips in at the top and the seat is cushier.
Breast Pump: Okay so this totally depends on your feeding methods. I exclusively breastfeed, but if we leave Toby with the in-laws obviously I can't detach my boob. So when I need to pump I have a little electric milk sucker that does the trick. It was cheap and since I don't need to pump a lot it's great. My mom also got me a hand pump that was helpful when my milk first came in. Overall I'd say if you don't need to pump a lot, don't spend tons of cash a fancy system. However, I read somewhere via the internet that some insurance companies are helping with the cost of breast pumps and lactation consultants. Just sayin' it's worth looking in to.
Baby Carrier: I was blessed with a beautiful baby boy who was very high needs for a good three or four months. Yeah, it was great. Talk to any mom who has dealt with it and they will all say that baby-wearing is key. It's true. Someone had given me an off brand version of the Moby Wrap and I didn't like it that much. It was a pain to figure out how to wrap it and it took way too long to get baby secured in it and it was really uncomfortable. I found a Maya Wrap at a children's resale store and it is by far my favorite for littles. It was awesome to use when Toby was itty bitty and my back and shoulders didn't suffer. My aunt also got me an Ergo carrier which is amazing. Toby likes it and it's super comfy to wear. Yes, it's a little spendy but I'd consider it more of an investment because it's durable and can be used for a long time.
Travel Changing Pads: This might gross a lot of people out but I think these things are a total waste. I just use old hand towels. With a little boy that peed almost every time I changed him, having an absorbent towel was great; I used a changing pad once and that was the time that baby turned on the pee fountain. The plastic pad was useless and the pee just went everywhere.
I could go on and on and on but I'll spare you. Biggest tip is to get what you can used. We got a lot of stuff from a children's resale store and everything has worked great. Almost all of Toby's clothes are handmedowns from a family at our church, and everything else is stuff that I got at a resale store (with the exception of gifts from grandmas). We were blessed by gifts people gave us at the baby shower, but we got most of our gear after Toby was born which I think is the way to go. I'm really glad we didn't spend tons of money on stuff before baby came because we might not have used all of it. So I'd say get the basics and wait until you get into the swing of things to invest in other items.
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