So my relative is having a baby. Yay! She's a new mom, and I am chock full of advice and ideas for her, but I don't really want to overwhelm her and be annoying. So I've sent her some of my top picks and things to skip, and decided I'd put the rest of it here, for anyone to enjoy (He he). I've tried to organize this some to make it easier, so check out the headings and that way if you want to know what I think about, say, bottles, you don't have to read about strollers to get there. You can also use the "find" feature in your browser (if you have that) to look for key words you might be interested in. Or you can just read the whole thing!)
Brands I have had a lot of success with, across their product lines
Graco
Britax
Fisher Price
Bright Starts
Munchkin
Equipment
bouncy seat or vibrating seat (I have a Boppy brand and really like it). You won't hold your baby all the time and you'll want a nice place to put him or her down. Elena loves her bouncy seat.
swing (look for one that plugs in; otherwise stock up on D batteries). This is another must have, in my opinion. When Elena was smaller, she was often hard to get to sleep in anything other than the swing. The one in this link is very similar to ours.
floor gym (mine is Bright Starts) The little flower plays the sweetest tunes when you pull the tab under it. Unfortunately, when we stored it between kids, all the slobber from when Karina was a baby kind of, um, made it dirty....so it's gone. I miss the flower's tunes! I wish I could play them for Elena.
Fisher Price rocking bassinet (this thing is amazing!). Some days I wished I had two, one for upstairs and one for downstairs! Elena loves it and prefers sleeping in it to anything else in the house. She sleeps longer overnight in it than in her crib. And it was perfect when we were dealing with the bad, bad, horrible, horrible, awful, bad, bad reflux. Did I mention her reflux was bad?
Some type of exersaucer or walker. As baby grows, you won't want or be able to carry him or her around all the time. Karina's was by Safety 1st and had dinosaurs on it; she was fascinated by the lights.
Doorway jumpers--we used ours all of three times. I say either skip it or get it on consignment.
Bumbo seat. Very useful, but not used for very long. This is one of those amazing baby items that is so awesome for the one month or so that you use it. As soon as baby can sit up unassisted, you don't really need it anymore. I recommend finding one on consignment or a hand me down from a friend.
Monitor. I have two Gracos and both are great. The older one is analog and you can't get it anymore, but we are still using it 3 1/2 years later and it works great. Then we have a new digital one that has talkback, and I love it. I also just won (I know, this is so cool!) a V-tech audio-video monitor and it is AWESOME. I wish I had had one with Karina because I worried so much, and it would have helped me a lot to be able to see her as well as hear her. Go ahead and spend the money on a good baby monitor. You are going to use it for many years, well into the toddler years. Get one with talkback so that when your sweet toddler starts the nightly, "Mommy can I sleep with you?" calls, you don't have to get up out of your bed to tell them no.
Diaper Bag. If you use cloth diapers like I did, you will need a very large diaper bag. Larger than a standard bag, because the basic truth is cloth takes up more space than disposables. There are lots out there. I have a Carini Bambini that I used constantly with Karina, and now I'm actually using a Miche bag my friend gave me. It's not quite big enough all the time, but I like it so much I keep using it anyway! I also had a smaller bag for quick outings. I would suggest that you shop in a store though, so you can really tell how big it is and how the pockets work etc. Buying online can be great, but sometimes you get the thing and it's not at all what you imagined.
Carriers
I have used Baby Bjorn, Infantino, Baby K'Tan, and Munchkin jellybean slings, which was a regular stiff cotton sling. Karina liked them, Elena hates them. My recommendation is to see if you can borrow one from someone first and see if your baby likes it. If so, spend the money on a good one, especially if you plan to use it a lot. The Baby Bjorn I used has lumbar support but the Infantino did not, and it made a huge difference. Same with the two slings, the Baby K'Tan was much more versatile (because you can put the baby in more positions) than the other sling, although Karina liked both of them a lot. (I think the Infantino link is the one I have). This is just one of those items where spending more on a quality item is really worth it. And if you didn't know it, I'm a tightwad. :-)
Feeding
Unless you breastfeed at home and never leave your baby with anyone until s/he weans, you will need bottles. I use formula and we have used the Playtex Vent Aire Advanced with both our girls and I love them. They worked so well with Karina that she almost never had to burp. For breastfeeding moms, I have heard great things about Avent and Tommee Tippee, though I have not had experience with either one. I suggest buying just one of several brands and styles and see what your baby prefers (because they do have preferences!)
Get a good drying rack as well as a dishwasher basket. You'll also probably want a microwave steam sterilizer, unless you would rather just boil water on the stove, which you can very easily do. To sterilize this way (I have done both) just boil water in a clean pot and drop the desired item in for about five minutes. You probably don't even need to do it that long, but that's what I do.
Get a high chair that reclines and then sits upright. I have never used those clip to table styles because I personally am afraid they'll fall off (but that's my paranoia). I also got the Cooshee booster seats for when Karina outgrew the high chair. I really love them because they grip without straps, and are nice and soft.
If you breastfeed, get a brand new, high quality pump. Don't borrow or buy used as I am led to understand that bacteria can linger and you don't want that. Plus, we're talking about your parts here, so let's take good care of them, right? :-)
If you use formula, I recommend a partitioned formula dispenser, but not a mixing pitcher or electric mixer. They just aren't necessary. I have both and don't use either one. In fact, I actually do use the mixer...for hot chocolate!
When you buy baby spoons, I recommend the long ones made by Munchkin, because when the baby graduates to the larger size jars, you won't get as messy digging out the last bits with the long spoons.
Brita makes a water bottle with built in filter. Great if you use formula so if you run out of water you can have clean water from any tap.
Nuby sippy cups were a great transition for Karina. They have a textured spout that is more like a nipple than most sippy cup spouts. With Karina, I had found one, and she loved it, and then I could never find anymore just like it. I found some recently and got two for Elena.
Bottle brushes--I found a soft rubbery one recently made by Sassy, and it has saved my hands. I also use a regular bristle one by Munchkin. I use the bristly one on the actual bottle part, and the soft one on the small parts that I have to hold in my hand and rub the brush across (this is why I love the rubbery one; no more scratching my hands while cleaning the bottle parts).
Plates that suction to the table tend to not work, in my experience. I say skip them. Instead, just get some of those grippy drawer liners (you can usually find the stuff at the dollar store) and use them as a placemat. It will grip any of the plastic plates your child is using enough that it will be hard to knock it on the floor.
Diapering
I love cloth diapers and if you read this blog you know that already. Cloth is cheaper (it has a higher start-up cost, but in the long run, they are much, much--like thousands of dollars--cheaper. And they can be reused on subsequent children. Seriously I haven't bought diapers for Elena since I bought the newborn ones I didn't have with Karina. I have spent probably a total of $50 on her diapers in 5 months and that was only those newborn diapers), better for your baby's health (disposables are hot and use chemicals to absorb the urine), and better for the environment (reusable and recyclable). I often hear people express the opinion that they are "gross" because of the poop. Well, the truth is that if you have a baby, you are going to deal with poop. Cloth or disposable, and you are more likely to have blowouts requiring massive poop cleanup if you use disposables, because the slipperiness of the diaper interior doesn't 'catch' the poop like cloth fibers do. So I recommend cloth, but not everyone wants to use cloth. Okay, that's fine, just please, please flush the poop down the toilet, even if it's in a disposable. Poop is NOT meant to go into landfills. It creates a biohazard waste situation and most people don't realize this. Please flush the poop. :-)
Rash cream. I talk below in the bathing section about Grandma El's, but I'll repeat myself here. Grandma El's makes a diaper rash cream that is cloth diaper
safe and I love it. It smells good and allows baby's skin to breathe,
unlike most creams you buy in the store. These creams usually form a
barrier between baby's bum and the diaper, so they don't get a rash from
sitting in all that wetness. You can't use barrier creams on cloth
diapers because they will cause the diapers to repel instead of absorb.
Since you want a barrier cream if you use disposables, I'm sad to say
you should probably not use Grandma El's.
Diaper sprayer. If you use cloth, please just get one. Really, just do it. It makes poop cleanup so easy. I didn't have one at first, and once I got one, I felt like I had a new lease on my cloth diapering life!
Diaper Pail. Not a clue, really. Sorry. I don't use one, so I don't know. I do know that the wetbags I use for my cloth diapers do not smell nearly as much as any other diaper container for disposables I've ever come across (probably because no one flushes the poop, so it sits in the diaper pail making stink. Flush the poop, really.) I've hear Diaper Genie, Diaper Champ, some other brands, but to be honest, if you use disposables, don't flush the poop, and don't take each individual diaper to the trash outside, you're going to have some level of stink. I have a level of stink with cloth, but it's not that bad really.
Wet bags. Not just for cloth! These things are good for wet swimsuits, wet clothes, spitup on clothes, soaking soppen wet burp cloths, transporting things that can leak, such as shampoo and so much more. And unlike plastic zipper bags, you don't throw them in a landfill, you just wash them and reuse them. Woohoo!
Sleeping
Woombie--I loved ours. It's a swaddler that stretches kind of like baby is still in the womb, plus it has a double zipper, so once it's zipped up and baby needs a change, you zip it UP again from the bottom only as far as you need to. You don't need to remove the entire thing. Awesome.
White noise machine--helpful if your baby doesn't like quiet or needs some kind of noise to sleep. You can get lots of them and they have pretty standard sounds. You can get some that even have "womb" noises. Elena didn't like that setting but she does like the ocean waves.
Crib Mobile--Take it or leave it. Elena hasn't really needed one, but Karina and I had a fun time making one anyway. Karina had one and it was more of a pain than it was worth, in my opinion. It hooked to the crib, so as soon as she could reach for it, it had to go. Of course, that's when she finally got interested in it. Elena's is actually suspended from the ceiling, far from the reach of anyone including me.
Bathing
Get lots of washcloths. Lots, because they're also great for keeping in the kitchen to wipe messy faces off. So get some for the bath and some for the kitchen. You won't need as many towels as you think though. I have five and I never need that many, ever. I could have done with three and been fine. The towels with hoods are good though to keep baby warmer when s/he comes out of the water.
A good bathtub is essential. Get one you can use in the sink and transition to the tub. Mine is by Summer Infant and I love it. It locks onto the center post in the sink, and can also
be used in the tub. Plus, it came with this hammock-like netting that I
used when the girls were infants.
I say skip the tub kneeler. You're just being raised up higher, which only makes your back hurt more. I just use a towel folded up, which does double duty as a catch for the water that sloshes over the side when toys are set on the side of the tub or little hands splash too much.
Shampoo. I really love Grandma El's shampoo. You can get it at Target.com, and if you have a Target card the shipping is free. It also appears on sites like babyhalfoff.com sometimes. I love it because it got rid of Karina's chronic cradle cap. We literally spent $70 on a prescription foam because the stuff wouldn't go away. The Grandma El's arrived in the mail, and after only one application of the foam, and shampooing with the Grandma El's, no more cradle cap, ever. Really. (No one paid me to say that, it's just true). Waste of $70. (If you read the diapering section above, you've already read this part) Grandma El's also makes a diaper rash cream that is cloth diaper safe and I love it. It smells good and allows baby's skin to breathe, unlike most creams you buy in the store. These creams usually form a barrier between baby's bum and the diaper, so they don't get a rash from sitting in all that wetness. You can't use barrier creams on cloth diapers because they will cause the diapers to repel instead of absorb. Since you want a barrier cream if you use disposables, I'm sad to say you should probably not use Grandma El's.
Tub spout cover (see below in safety-household)
Safety Items-Household
Doorknob covers, outlet plugs, and cabinet locks are a must.. We did not need toilet, fridge, or stove locks with Karina, but every child is different. I think you will be able to tell by your child's behavior if you need these items, but I would say wait to purchase them later. I'm thinking we're going to need every kind of lock available for Elena. She's such a turkey.
Cushioned corner covers. These don't have to all go on one item. We have them only on exposed corners, such as the corner of Karina's nightstand that was at a higher level than her toddler bed (I worried she'd bump it in the night). I didn't get the all-around table cushion, although that would work well if you have a table in your living room. Ours is pushed to the side because our room isn't that big and Karina needed room to play. You probably also want a tub spout cover. But check your tub first--if the shower pull is at the back of the spout near the wall, you may have trouble finding one that works. So check that before you buy or register for one.
Safety Items/Mommy Helpers-Travel
Car mirrors. These are useful but some of the small ones that go on the rear-view mirror don't work well. I got one that velcros on. I tried one style that had this bungee type cord, and it didn't work for me. The larger mirror that goes in back doesn't seem to make much difference, although I have found all the ones I've ever used to be hard to position easily. It just takes trial and error.
Swiv'lrs stroller hooks--I like these more than the carabiner type hooks because there's nothing to open when I want to hook something on, they're strong, and they fit just about any stroller because the two C-shaped ends are different sizes. You just snap it on.
Clothing
Lots of footy pajamas/sleepers/creepers/whatever they call them. Lots. And lots. In lots of sizes.
Pedoodles makes fantastic first walker shoes with very soft soles. They have high ankles and velcro, and for us, they were the greatest shoes for Karina. She was comfortable and the shoes stayed on.
BePe Baby is a small business but they make the only slippers that stayed on Karina's feet, and they are now the only slippers she will wear. I get her new ones now every winter. She loves them. They make very tiny ones for babies, even newborns, but I don't think they're necessary. The toddler ones have no-slip grip on the bottom, too. Sizes are pretty true, although when you order them sometimes they look really big.
Socks usually fall off. Carters and their subsidiary brands (Child of Mine and Just One Year) made (and might still make) some with thick, terry cuffs that didn't fall off. The other really random place to get good baby socks that I had a lot of success with--the Target dollar spot. No kidding, I got lots of cute baby socks there and they didn't fall off. Most of the other ones I tried, even name brand ones, fell off. Not until baby is a little older do the socks start staying on!
Onesies with foldover cuffs on the sleeves are the best. Babies can scratch their faces unintentionally and the mittens you get at the stores just don't work well (in my opinion). But those foldover cuffs are lifesavers.
Miscellaneous Things
Lots of Links or other brand of links. They are good for holding all kinds of things and the baby can chew them, too.
O-ball toy. This thing is so cool; it's a ball but it's open inside. Imagine a soccer ball but instead of having a sold outside, all the seams were plastic and the stuff in between was gone. It's easy for baby to grip, and it can be chewed on. It will bounce but not a lot.
changing table covers--you'll need a bunch of them.
wetbags. I recommend these for every mom. They are not just good for cloth diapers, but also for wet swimsuits, spitup clothes, or basically anything that gets wet and you need to transport home. The best thing is, instead of an environmentally unfriendly plastic bag, you just wash these and reuse them. I have to recommend MonkeyFootDesigns on Etsy (or she has a regular shop but I don't know the address for it). I absolutely LOVE her wetbags.
Skip gas drops. They don't work well at all. Some pediatricians also do not recommend using things like baby Orajel for teething babies. I use it, and I used it on Karina, but if you choose to do so you are doing so at your own risk. Always consult your doctor first. I like the nighttime formula better because it seems to be stronger. I don't even buy the regular kind.
I hope this list was helpful to you. I was not compensated for any reviews and everything expressed above is my opinion. Be sure to check with your doctor before doing anything, or if you have any questions. I'm not liable if you do something I suggest and it doesn't work out for you. . This is just what works and worked for me. Others may have different opinions.
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