The Stuff: A Review

As I wrote before, the baby gear is pretty overwhelming.  And even as you are buying it you kind of know you probably don't need it all.  But what will be the busts and what's the stuff you actually can't live without?

Well, here's my list.  Just remember, the stuff I found I didn't really need is probably the exact thing another Mom would swear was crucial.  And vice versa.

3 things I really didn't need

Crib mobile: It is cute, but I'm not sure what the point is.  Most of the time when I put her in her crib I'm hoping she'll be sleeping soon.  So music and motion seem to be working at cross purposes.  Yes, it does occasionally keep her occupied while I run to the bathroom or whatever.

Pack and Play: Now the caveat here is that this will probably come in very handy soon as a playpen where we can park Miss Maddie when she gets to be mobile.  I also think it will be great when we travel.  But my original idea -- that she'd sleep in it next to the bed -- never worked out.  She refused to sleep in it.  Of course those were the days she refused to sleep, period, so maybe it would have worked better if I'd been more patient.

The baby carrier: Again, maybe we'll use this eventually.  But so far I've used it once.  Now part of the reason for that is because I ended up getting a sling from a friend and I just found that much easier and much more comfortable.  I haven't used it in several weeks, so not sure how it would be now that she's heavier.  In any event, we have the stroller.

The one thing I was sure I wouldn't need, but did

A humidifier: I just didn't think this was something we'd need.  Our apartment is heated by steam, so I didn't think dryness would be a problem.  But Maddie has been congested since birth and the humidifier has helped a little.  (Or, at least it makes us think we are doing something.

My 6 favorites

The Skip*Hop Pronto: It's basically a changing pad ... but it's so much more.  It is a changing pad that also holds the diapers and wipes and becomes a changing station.  It turns any bag into a diaper bag.  And it's what all the other hip moms in my breastfeeding class had.  So sue me.

The Jungle play mat, the bouncy seat and the swing:  In that order.  The gym and bouncy seat keep her occupied and entertained.  The swing sometimes helps her take a nap.

The high chair: We don't even feed her in it yet.  But she loves sitting at the table with us.

The new stroller: Yeah, it's as cool as I thought.  You have to see this thing fold.

The SwaddleMe: I'm pretty certain I wouldn't be getting nearly as much sleep as I do now if it weren't for this.

At the end of the day, of course, all we really needed was some diapers (I've been using the Seventh Generation ones which Preston calls "free range diapers"), some clothes (roughly half of what we actually got), and breastmilk, which I have been making in plentiful quantities.