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What Baby Stuff Do You Really Need?
Our veteran mom-to-be dishes about essential and "nice to have" mom and baby gear.
By Meagan Francis
At almost 37 weeks along, I'll be technically "due" this week. I'm not expecting a baby any day, but it's definitely time to start thinking about all those little baby-related details like...what's she going to wear? What am I going to wear when I'm finally out of these clown pants? Where's she going to hang out while I'm making dinner? And what are we going to put on her rear end?
And I better get cracking. It just occurred to me that my baby-related purchases so far include exactly three items: one pink cardigan sweater embroidered with an elephant, one brown dress with white polka-dots, and one pair of teeny-tiny tweed Mary Janes.
That's it.
Sure, in theory I should have a bunch of stuff to pass down from the other kids. But in practice, I don't know where any of it is. And even if I did, the majority of our baby things are not only very boyish but have been passed down through several kids. They aren't in the best shape. And after dressing four baby boys, I'd really like to not recycle those blue and white striped gowns and go ultra-girly this time. Pink all the way, baby.
People often ask me what baby gear I find essential and what stuff I could do without. My answer is simple: when it comes to NEEDS, there are just a few. The baby needs something to wear, something to keep her safe in the car, something to sleep on, something to keep her warm, and something to cover her butt (unless you're planning on doing elimination communication).
Of course, beyond that there are some things that make early babyhood more pleasant for moms. Those would include:
• A good baby carrier or sling. Who wants to lug a heavy plastic car seat everywhere? A baby sling allows you to go hands-free at the store, sweep the floor, or take a stroll while keeping the baby close. Strollers are great, too, but you don't have to get one before the baby's born. Sometimes it's best to wait until he's here, and then go out and test drive a few to see how they work with an actual baby inside.
• A Moses basket, swing, or reclining seat. I love holding my babies, but there are times when it's just not practical (for instance, I was always too paranoid to cook while holding a baby in a sling for fear that a small hand or foot might venture out toward the hot stove). It's definitely easy to take this too far, though: you don't need one of each, especially if you don't have the room or budget for it! This may also be the sort of thing that's better to buy after the baby's born, since some hate to lay flat, some like a battery-powered vibrating seat or swing that does all the work for them and some like to power a bouncy seat on their own steam.
• A GOOD nursing pillow. It's got to be big enough to raise the baby to your breast or you'll just wind up hunched over all the time--bad for your posture and back, and not great for breastfeeding positioning, either. Of course, a couple of regular pillows can do in a pinch, but a nursing pillow is one of those little luxuries that can make mothering a baby that much more pleasant.
Honestly, that's about it. Babies are simple creatures, and their three main needs are love, food, and warmth. So while my house is pretty devoid of baby gear at the moment, it won't take long to fully re-stock my supply.
And now, I better get to shopping.
By Meagan Francis
At almost 37 weeks along, I'll be technically "due" this week. I'm not expecting a baby any day, but it's definitely time to start thinking about all those little baby-related details like...what's she going to wear? What am I going to wear when I'm finally out of these clown pants? Where's she going to hang out while I'm making dinner? And what are we going to put on her rear end?
And I better get cracking. It just occurred to me that my baby-related purchases so far include exactly three items: one pink cardigan sweater embroidered with an elephant, one brown dress with white polka-dots, and one pair of teeny-tiny tweed Mary Janes.
That's it.
Sure, in theory I should have a bunch of stuff to pass down from the other kids. But in practice, I don't know where any of it is. And even if I did, the majority of our baby things are not only very boyish but have been passed down through several kids. They aren't in the best shape. And after dressing four baby boys, I'd really like to not recycle those blue and white striped gowns and go ultra-girly this time. Pink all the way, baby.
People often ask me what baby gear I find essential and what stuff I could do without. My answer is simple: when it comes to NEEDS, there are just a few. The baby needs something to wear, something to keep her safe in the car, something to sleep on, something to keep her warm, and something to cover her butt (unless you're planning on doing elimination communication).
Of course, beyond that there are some things that make early babyhood more pleasant for moms. Those would include:
• A good baby carrier or sling. Who wants to lug a heavy plastic car seat everywhere? A baby sling allows you to go hands-free at the store, sweep the floor, or take a stroll while keeping the baby close. Strollers are great, too, but you don't have to get one before the baby's born. Sometimes it's best to wait until he's here, and then go out and test drive a few to see how they work with an actual baby inside.
• A Moses basket, swing, or reclining seat. I love holding my babies, but there are times when it's just not practical (for instance, I was always too paranoid to cook while holding a baby in a sling for fear that a small hand or foot might venture out toward the hot stove). It's definitely easy to take this too far, though: you don't need one of each, especially if you don't have the room or budget for it! This may also be the sort of thing that's better to buy after the baby's born, since some hate to lay flat, some like a battery-powered vibrating seat or swing that does all the work for them and some like to power a bouncy seat on their own steam.
• A GOOD nursing pillow. It's got to be big enough to raise the baby to your breast or you'll just wind up hunched over all the time--bad for your posture and back, and not great for breastfeeding positioning, either. Of course, a couple of regular pillows can do in a pinch, but a nursing pillow is one of those little luxuries that can make mothering a baby that much more pleasant.
Honestly, that's about it. Babies are simple creatures, and their three main needs are love, food, and warmth. So while my house is pretty devoid of baby gear at the moment, it won't take long to fully re-stock my supply.
And now, I better get to shopping.
WE: Women's Entertainment and the logo are service marks of WE: Women's Entertainment LLC
Copyright 2009 WE: Women's Entertainment LLC. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2009 WE: Women's Entertainment LLC. All rights reserved.
I really do feel like I need both swing and bouncy seat. For my first baby I thought I wanted neither because, of course, I was going to wear my baby at ALL TIMES. I find swings really helpful in getting fussy babies to fall asleep or stay asleep, while a bouncer is a nice entertaining place for them to hang while you shower or whatnot. And if you have a house with several rooms, it's nice to have the swing here and the bouncer there so you don't always need to go find the other one to set the kid down.
A nursing pillow, on the other hand, I've never needed. I guess cause my babies tend to be light? I've stuck a regular pillow under them occasionally but the Boppy just seemed too much hassle.
Not a stroller! Get one of those stroller frame thingies that you can pop open and put the baby's car seat into. That's all you need for the first 6 months and they are easy to find at consignment shops. Believe it or not, it took me 6 kids to discover this item; and I really could have used it before then.
Not a stroller! Get one of those stroller frame thingies that you can pop open and put the baby's car seat into. That's all you need for the first 6 months and they are easy to find at consignment shops. Believe it or not, it took me 6 kids to discover this item; and I really could have used it before then.
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