What I will do is go through a few of the top listed must-haves for the new parent and give you our Paradis take on the necessity factor. . .our gear is linked for you to check out, if you're interested.
A pack'n play - although a true necessity for spending a night away from home, ours was used mainly as a changing table downstairs. In fact, Bill just recently convinced me we didn't need it in the living room anymore, as it was holding toys and dirty laundry. Every now and then it held Cole when he threw something he shouldn't have thrown. Overall. . . you should probably have one.
Baby monitors - even in our tiny 2 bedroom condo, I find these necessary. I'm sure I could hear Cole crying anywhere in the house if he got loud enough, but I found being able to hear his every whimper (especially in the early days) helped me not run in his room and check his breathing every 10 minutes.
A good sling/baby carrier - a necessity. . . especially if your sweet thing, like mine, refuses to be put down for any amount of time for his first 6 months of life. I have, however, purchased way too many of these and have two (maybe three?) with the tags still on it, waiting for a re-gift. My suggestion would be to find one that feels good on, and can accompany the baby through a few different weight stages. Baby bouncer - not such a necessity. Some swear by these. . . my experience with Cole was that he truly disliked the bouncing, vibrating and nature sounds I thought were so important to have with this chair. If I had realized that I just needed something to strap him into while I took a shower, we certainly would have opted for a less expensive chair.
Clothing - certainly a necessity. . .but, take it easy on yourself and choose clothing t
hat is easy to put on, snap, button, etc. Cute little overalls, hoodies with zippers, little swaddling blankets that come with directions, hats, booties. . .all unnecessary when you really are having a hard time putting his head through the hole. In those first few weeks, it took all we had to keep him still for the diaper. . .choose a bunch of easy to wear onesies.
hat is easy to put on, snap, button, etc. Cute little overalls, hoodies with zippers, little swaddling blankets that come with directions, hats, booties. . .all unnecessary when you really are having a hard time putting his head through the hole. In those first few weeks, it took all we had to keep him still for the diaper. . .choose a bunch of easy to wear onesies. Exersaucer, swing, highchair - necessary again for some, not for others. These were not items we purchased right away. Cole was able to play in an exersaucer and swing and show us that he enjoyed it before we rushed out and bought one. Which, of course. . .the minute he smiled in a friend's swing. . .we rushed out and bought one. . . .and we used it for about 5 minutes until he was sick of it. C'est la vie.
Diaper Genie - The first time you are awakened in the middle of the night to the smell of a "solid-food" poop. . .you'll want to call the person that gave you the Diaper Genie immediately and thank them for buying a $40 trash can. Seriously. They're that good. Obviously you'll want things like a crib, changing table (although not a necessity), dresser, car seat, stroller, bottles and other feeding stuff depending on formula or breastfeeding, and receiving blankets.
Here are a few things I wished we either registered for or had gotten ourselves. . .
Organic crib mattress - there's a whole lot of junk in our mattresses. . .these usually come with a hefty price tag but it would have been an investment we wouldn't have minded. We do have an organic mattress pad, which I would recommend getting to put over your regular mattress.
Cloth diapers - depending on your lifestyle, these really can save a few bucks for you but require some investment up front. Again, this is something I've spent way too much money on and we've haven't really been successful. After purchasing different types of diapers, I realize now what kind we should have gotten, but at this point, a penny saved is a penny earned.
Diapers, diapers, diapers - and all things diapering-related. I was fortunate enough that my sis and sis-in-law asked everyone attending my baby shower to bring a package of diapers with them. This got us through Cole's first 5 months without needing to purchase any diapers. You can imagine my shock at what the premium Pampers jumbo pack cost when I finally had to buy our own. I've since hunted down the best deals and stock pile when I can. A good place to start searching is Babycheapskate.com. I also like Diapers.com and their automated delivery. But there's nothing wrong with registering for diapers. . .and I think many people would appreciate purchasing something for you that they know you'll need. This is also a great way to try different brands.
Overall, I think most first-time moms would agree that you end up registering for all kinds of stuff that you don't need, don't use and don't realize a Tupperware you already had in your kitchen cabinet would work just as well, too. It's okay. It's part of the fun of expecting. Don't underestimate the effect it has on the dads, too. If you didn't register for all kinds of stuff you didn't need. . .he wouldn't have to put it all together. . .and wouldn't feel like a contributing partner in the "getting-all-the-baby-stuff-ready" nesting phase.
No comments:
Post a Comment