What Baby Items Can You Not Live Without?

I couln't live without: swing, boppy pillow, umbrella stroller, diaper genie.

Things I had or tried that I feel were useless or unneccessary to me:
wipe warmer, big bulky stroller, high chair, bassinet, pacifiers, baby bath tub.

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# 1 for me was a SWING !!

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a video monitor!! We did not get one until my daugther was almost two and started climbing out of her crib. There were so many times when she was a baby that I wanted to check on her, but did not want to risk open the door and disturbing her. They are expensive, but so worth it! We can sit in the driveway with neighbors and be able to see her. Such peace of mind. I also really liked the breastfriend pillow.
The waterproof pads from gerber (babies r us has them)
Heavy cloth diapers for burp rags, they work the best.
A one shoulder strap diaper backpack from babies r us.
Get a flannel sheet for winter.
A sound machine-dexis one from babies r us.
Get an organic crib mattress if you can afford it. Look up naturepedic.
fleece careseat cover. I got mine from following website
http://www.babypolargear.com/infant_car_seat_cover.htm
I like all natural products. California baby, burts bees etc.

Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline book by Dr. Becky Bailey
Dr. Sear's books for breastfeeding and baby questions.

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a bouncey seat for sure. they are portable enough to take with u thru out the house. great when i had to shower and brought them in the bathroom. they loved theirs so much. HAVE FUN with it.

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This is something nobody talks about, breastfeeding or not you may leak milk while you are sleeping. Most people already have a mattress pad on their mattress, but is it waterproof? With my first pregnancy, it crossed my mind that my water might break in bed and I didn't want that all over our mattress...that waterproof mattress pad saved me a lot of trouble, my water never broke at home, but my breasts leaked, baby spit up in bed...the list goes on! Congrats on your new soon to be arrival ;-)
(We also could not live without our baby swing! Look for one that plugs into a wall, they're harder to find anymore- but that does make a difference..)

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Baby wipes warmer - our little guy hated diaper changes until we got one!

My Breast-Friend breast feeding pillow - Boppy's are too floppy to support baby correctly.

Onesies/sleepers that snap up the front instead of pulling over head or zipping; much easier to change diapers at night if you're undoing half the snaps instead of unzipping all the way down.

Hope this helps! Congratulations! :)

So interesting to read the responses because some I completely agreed with and others I never used (like Diaper Genie and wipe warmers).

It's going to change from child to child - our kids are 21 months apart, and things I used on 1, I never used on the other.

If this is your first child, the one MUST HAVE is the book "Your Baby's First Year" by the American Academy of Pediatrics. It should be free on your first well-baby visit after birth. I read it cover to cover so I knew what to freak out about and what not to.

The rest will fall into place, and you'll find you use 1/2 of what you think is absolutely necessary! The rest will be around for about 1 year before it goes into storage, gets donated or sold at a garage sale.

Don't buy a pump until you're sure you're going to be able to nurse because you can't return it once it goes home with you. Same with bottles/pacifiers. Buy one of each kind and then purchase more of the one your baby takes to.

Swaddle blankets - I prefer the ones like Woombie or SwaddleMe that make it easy. I can never get the wrap right with the regular blankets. Both my kids needed to be swaddled, but I do hear that some just don't like it. Swaddlers were lifesavers for me. Woombie is my favorite cuz it's so easy.

Diapers - Obviously. Either cloth or disposable. You can register for these. And they can be a huge expense (cloth is expensive up front). So registering helps ease that expense.

The Moby Wrap! I loved holding my little ones 24/7!!

We loved our on the floor play mat thingy, bumbo, standing activity center, bouncey seat, and swing. I didn't like the front/hip carriers, I loved the slings/wraps. I guess its up to your preference and if you are really going to use it. I would definately register for diapers and wipes. If you are formula feeding, you can register for formula (just be aware your baby might not take to the first formula)and bottles, and if you're breast feeding I would register for the "extras" (the freezer bags, extra parts for your pump, bottles, a cover for breastfeeding etc). Good Luck!

A heads-up. They were great in car sits and swings. It is wise to have more than one so you can wash them. Cloth dippers made the best spit rags. A Moses basket was great for trips and while at church ect.. it did not take up a lot or room to take it with us. If breast feeding get good covers for you. Sometimes you have to feed and their is just no where to hide,lol.

I didn't see Bumbo listed below. My daughter loved it, and I loved it. She was able to sit up and look at the world from a different view. I also couldn't have done without my swing and my boppy. Don't forget diaper bag. Also, you may want to consider a pack and play instead of a bassinet. They are more mobile and you can use them for a longer period of time. I also don't think you could ever have enough blankets. With putting my baby down a lot, especially for tummy time, I went through a lot of blankets (she spit up a lot). I also liked the play mats with the toys. I read a lot on this website about kids who don't like tummy time. I had a play mat that had things for her to look at while on her tummy, and my daughter loved tummy time.

-swing: both of my kids pretty much lived in the swing for the first 2-3 years of life

-cloth diapers: I use these as burp cloths, much cheaper and more absorbant IMO

-pack n' play: not sure if you travel at all, or go visiting much. for the first few months baby will sleep everywhere and anywhere...but around 6 months or so, they really need a safe place to sleep.

-convertible car seat: you won't need this for several months...but have someone else spend the money on it ;-)

-crib/mattress/mattress pad/bedding set/changing pad/changing pad cover

-carters keep me dry multi use pads: love these! I put them on the changeing table on top of the changing table cover to catch any "spills". this way you don't have to go and wash the changing table pad all the time.

i never used a bassinet, if you get a pack n' play they have a bassinet attachment.

Swaddlers (miracle blanket is my new favorite
Hooter Hiders if you are breast feeding
Pump - if you are going back to work
bath towels
baby bath
receiving blankets - I use these for burp cloths (big spitter), and for laying on the ground anywhere
Sheets for the bed
baby nail clippers
pants
mittens - so they don't scratch their face when first born

I would hold off on opening any big ticket items until you need them. For example, we used the swing like 3 times (I didn't want to waste the time he was awake by having him in the swing, and didn't have him sleep in there).

For the bassinet, if you want a pack and play too, you may just want to get one with the bassinet insert to save money/space. Depending your plans, they aren't in it very long before moving to a crib.

Triple Paste!!!! That was the only diaper rash cream that cleared up my son. It's expensive, but you don't need a lot and I can't tell you how much I love it. It did wonders on some of the worst rashes I've seen.
Car Seat Cover. It was nice to use in the winter months so that I didn't have to bundle up my son, or try to take him out of a snow suit while he was sleeping. It was soft and warm and zips right over the car seat. Awesome product!!! I buy one for all my friends who are expecting.
Also, really love our musical light show crib toy that hung on the side of the crib. My son loved to watch the lights and hear the music. Really worked well for him learning to sleeping in his crib and soothe himself.
Congratulations and Good Luck!

I would suggest getting atleast 3-4 sheets for the bassinet, minimum of 10 onesies (trust me, there are days you'll go through them all!), lotion--babies get very dry skin, definitely a swing, high chair, thermometer, nail care kit (those little things get SHARP), teething rings/toys

Ok, you definitely need:
Bouncy seat, Baby Bjorn (or any carrier you like, the inexpensive ones are lousy....sorry, you get what you pay for), lots of crib/bassinett sheets, mattress cover, if your breastfeeding, nursing bras...need like 5, they get messy in the beginning, I LOVE those rubber bibs (Tommee Teepee makes one) that has a "pocket" at the bottom to catch the food from landing on your baby's lap, baby wipes and faceclothes (I use these constantly!), hooded towels for after baths, infant tub or sling to put in the sink for bathing, also I could not live without a Sound Machine...I have one from Brookstone that plays white noise, car ride sound, lullabye, etc.... I could go on and on....but here is a good start!
You don't need a wipes warmer, Diaper genie (do you really want to "store" poopie diapers in your house, NO, put them with your regular trash which will go out daily!
Congrats and good luck!!!!

Snuggle Me Cushion! My daycare kids love them.

Boppy, boppy, boppy! Can't live without mine. We feed our son with it everytime. Easier on the back and shoulders!

Here are some things I would definitely recommend:

* Aquaphor ( great for diaper rash/any skin irritations)

*JJ Cole diaper bag (a little pricy but great!)

*My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow (Way better than the Boppy!)

Congratulations to you! :)

Boppy pillow.
Moses basket.

Bibbity Rinse and Roll bib by Kiddopotamus. This bib is one of the best baby inventions if you ask me:) It is the only bib I use for my son. It is made out of rubber and you wash it in the sink as opposed to the washer. Saves time and money.

M.

Diaper Genie, they are awesome and you can get them at Walmart or Target under $30.

A comfortable rocking chair/glider was a must for me. Seems like I spent years in it, and now that my son's older and no longer needs 'rocky baby' time I miss it. We didn't use the high chair that much (don't really need one till they are about a year old anyway), but we used the swing a lot. We wore out our stroller by the time he was 2 yrs old. After that we used an all terrain wagon and he loved it.

Fast read digital thermometer (10 second is the best) AND a forehead instant read thermometer for when they are too sick or fussy for the other kind. Pediatricians recommend regular thermomters vs. the forehead readers because they're more accurate, but sometimes if your baby isn't cooperative the forehead models are a Godsend! They're really expensive so this is a great one to put on a registry.

A cool mist humidifier for when they're sick and a nice, ample supply of baby tylenol, baby ibuprofen to combat fevers and teething pain, and saline solution to clean their noses when they're stuffy.

Looking back (my son is now 8) here is my short list:

- Papertowels & warm running water (instead of wipes)

- Diapers

- Car Seat

- Crib

- Lovey

- Spit up cloths (every time we'd burp kiddo he'd spit up a *little* so new
cloth for every nurse = around 20 per day)

- Baby Tylenol

- GIANT rocking recliner (big enough to sleep on, or sit and read on for 2 hours comfy)

- Boppy

- Backpack to keep in the trunk packed with "get out of the house supplies" so I could just grab baby, carseat, myself, and go.

- EXTRA SHEETS AND MATTRESS PROTECTOR (so that when you have an exploding poop diaper, or they catch the flu and start doing the projectile vomit thing.... that gets all over the crib in the middle of the night you just strip and toss in the wash, and put another set on)

- More onesies than you can shake a stick at. They get poopy, sweaty, spit up on, leaked on (milk or pee). Having a summer baby, he was in an average of 4-5 onsies a day.

- Footy PJs (they don't use blankets, so if you have aircon, you need them)

- Changing table &/or changing blanket. I loved our table until kiddo outgrew it when he was 6months old.

- Music player for baby's room.