Baby gear: what do you recommend?

I remember wandering through Babies 'R Us for the first time. My belly was huge and my expression was glazed. I couldn't believe all of the gear that was available (and it all seemed soooo important for baby development and parental sanity). New-mom-to-be Ingrid writes:

I would love some recommendations on baby gear! I'll be having my first child (we don't know the sex) later this summer and I'm overwhelmed with all of the stuff out there for babies. Our house is SMALL and has very little storage, so I am tryign to figure out what gear we really need. I'd love some opinions on baby swings, bouncy chairs, activity gyms, doorway bouncers, exersaucers, portable cribs, all of that BIG stuff! Which ones did you use a lot, which ones did you use hardly at all? I'm not so concerned about brands, I just want to get one or two things that we'll use.

I think that we had just about everything you mentioned at one time or another, Ingrid. The trouble is, babies seem to react differently to different gear. My daughter hated the swing; my son would only sleep in the swing. My daughter loved the exersaucer; my son, not so much. I guess the things I used most were a bouncy chair and a pack-n-play. The bouncy chair doesn't take up too much room, and the pack-n-play breaks down when you aren't using it.

What about everyone else? What baby gear have you used the most?

Comments

[Kelly]

Yes the amount of gear is mind-blowing! My best recommendation is borrow as much as you can. Typically people are very generous and anxious to get things out of their own houses (even for a few months). That way you haven't invested too much space or money in a piece of equipment that baby doesn't like. My son really didn't enjoy the swing, loved his bouncy chair, really loved his doorway bouncer and exersaucer. Its tempting to register for everything and stock up on equipment but I'd say hold off on the equipment for bigger babies like the doorway bouncer and exersaucer. I think my son loved them because he was a late crawler (10.5 months) so the activity was fun for him. If you have an early crawler they may not like confinement and you'll never use them

[Leah]

I agree with Kelly...all of this stuff takes up a lot of room and you have no idea what he/she will love or hate... Our first literally lived in the swing--best $40 I spent on baby gear at a tag sale ever, but of course, our second would have nothing to do with it so we recently donated it. The 2nd however, liked the bouncy seat so much that I kept 2 in the house--one borrowed from a neighbor for upstairs (great for letting me take a shower, and for hanging out in big brother's room while we all play or read books) and a new one that we got as a gift for downstairs (great for cooking dinner and eating). Our first liked the excersaucer/walker but our 2nd isnt caring for it too much so I'm thinking about buying/borrowing a jumpy thing from a friend to see if he'll take to that.

The Pack-n-Play is the thing I have used least since having babies but I know lots of parents who use theirs. Our babies have not used it, but it came in very handy when we had a nanny share going last year and needed an extra crib in the guest room for a few months.

Get yourself a good stroller and a good carrier for sure. We have a collection of strollers in the garage that I'm dying to get rid of, but they all have their individual strengths and uses. One is good for shopping, one is good for travelling/airports, one is good for running and one is a double so it's good for the preschool drop off and pick up. Carriers, a nice pouch sling is perfect for when they are little--they pack up small for the diaper bag and most babies love how cozy they are. I also think an Ergo is a must-have carrier--you can carry them front or back, and you can use it for so many years--we still carry our 3 year old in it for hikes.

Incidentally, I'm getting ready to clear out some of our gear--bouncy seat, Baby Bjorn, pack-n-play, possibly the carseat/stroller combo, etc. Email me if you're interested in taking any of it off my hands!

[Becky]

We also have a small space and so understand your need to only get what you need. I agree with the gals above, wait/borrow until you find out what your baby likes. Pack-n-plays can be used instead of bassinet or co-sleepers and I would recommend skipping on the Bjorn or Snugli carriers. They always killed my back and strained my shoulders. Leah is right on about the Ergo. Also when you choose your stroller think about what you will really use it for. If you are going to exercise with it, I would recommend a jogging stroller. But the thing I learned when I registered is that you are going to need the next size car seat!! So don't forget to weigh the pros and cons and when it comes to car seats, find the best you can. (I highly recommend the Britax models, this is your babies safety, b/c I have been rear-ended and they hold up amazingly)
Congratulations!!

[Meg]

By far the best piece of "baby gear" we purchased was an awesome digital camera that takes a quick series of photos. The only other thing I couldn't have lived without were my carriers. I LOVE the Moby wrap for newborns, an easy pouch sling, and my Ergo. Couldn't have lived without them. The swings, bouncy seats, etc., just took up space!

[Phyllis]

Babies out grown their gear quickly, especially if the item is very age specific. If you can keep in mind the length of use when accquiring items, it might cut down on how much "stuff" you get.
Car seats are used daily and for a long time. Invest in a good one. Strollers are useful for many years. Invest in a sturdy one with a larger storage area underneath.

I used to envy moms with rolling high chairs and vowed to get one when we had our second kid. Never got around to it. She loved the seat that hangs from the table edge! It was light, sturdy, comforable, portable (to other houses or restaurants) and took very little space. I did need to put a bath towel on the seat when she was younger to lift her to a good height. But I didn't need to clean a huge tray or try to fit another piece of furniture into our breakfast nook. Hooray. Plus she got the idea of eating at the table with all of us. We used it for many years.

On the other hand, I did love using the South African product called the Bumbo when she was 8 months and older. It was rather age specific but it was really nice to have. Good luck and congratulations!

[Ava]

I would say wait until the baby comes... and like Kelly said, borrow it. I remember stocking up on a ton of gear and though my son loved everything, it took up a lot of space. The pack and play was nice because it had a bassinet built in, which we used in our room when our son was little, and now we use it when we travel so we don't have to rely on hotel cribs. Since we have dogs, it was nice to have a bouncy seat to put my son in while I showered or cooked, but he grew out of it pretty quickly. I would say get a good sturdy stroller and a good car seat - the other stuff you can borrow or find cheap at a resale store or Craig's List.

[Lauren]

Hello & congrats!
I also agree that the Ergo is one of the best buys - you can use it from day one, and I still carry my 30 three-year old around on my back. I also use my Peekaru Original Babywearing vest over it - check it out on my site to see what it's about (http://www.instinctparenting.com). I also love my Diapees & Wipees diaper holder - it eliminated the need for a whole diaper bag. You can use it for cloth or diposables. Lastly, a good swaddling blanket. I love the one I got from O'Henry (local to pdx) - my 7 month old is still swaddled tight everynight, and goes right to sleep. I am also the Portland Editor for Lilaguide, so I highly recommend checking out what others thinks about all that is baby - http://www.lilaguide.com - ratings and reviews from other local parents on all that is baby in Portland including stores and gear. Hope this helps. Contact me if you need any more info on any of the above. Good luck and take care.

Lauren

[DiLILY]

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