Crib: We like the Sorelle Tuscany for three reasons: the color, the fact that it converts (to a day bed with rails and then a twin bed) and it comes with crib, changing table and dresser attached. Seems like a product that is worth the money.
Car seats- do we get one and move it between cars or two and leave one in each?
Carrier- what is the best one and if we get a carrier can we avoid buying a stroller for a while?
Breast pump- manual or electric? I am leaning towards manual, but I am not sure how often I will be pumping.
Bedding- I am not going to bother with a set that includes bumper and blankets and all that. I am going to get a sleep sack and fitted sheets. All the research shows that the fewer things in the crib, the safer the baby.
Pack and Play- the ones that they make now can be put on the side of the bed so it's like the baby is sleeping with you; I really like the thought of it, but are they really safe?
These are all my inquiries, for now...
PLEASE HELP!!
1 car seat and extra base as an infant, two once over the 22-30 lbs range. Get a high weight car seat (to 80 lbs) to avoid having to purchase one after a 3rd. Booster seats can be very dangerous.
ReplyDeleteAs for stroller. The city mini by Baby Jogger is AWESOME!! I have used it in 30 different cities and ahve never had a problem
Car seats- I agree... 2 bases for the infant car seat.
ReplyDeleteCarrier- I used a moby wrap when Keelin was small... I still use if Keelin wants a 'piggy back' ride to the park. Just tie the wrap in a different way and it's perfect for a 'piggy back'! So, many different ways to use it!
Breast pump- I used both... You are not going to want to pump by hand all the time... it can be very slow going!
Bedding- We loved the seep sacks! We started using them REALLY early with Keelin... she wouldn't stay in a swaddle. (She had a mind of her own even then!)
Pack and play- We used a traditional pack and play (with a bassinet attachment). It made it easier to get in and out of bed with out disturbing the baby. Of course, I did set it up right next to my side of the bed.
Definitely one infant seat w/ two bases. Make sure the one you choose fits rear facing in all possible vehicles.
ReplyDeleteWe got the Graco SnugRide & Stroller Shell thing so that we could have a stroller & snap the car seat into it w/o the hassle of a full stroller. It was lite & convenient.
For outdoor "strolling", we inherited an Urban Mountain Buggy, which is AWESOME (they are normally super expensive - Craigslist can be great for that type of thing)
I also enjoy the Ergo Carrier - well worth the money & can be used in any position.
I had manual & electric pumps - found the manual to be way too slow. Our hospital's Breastfeeding program rented us a hospital-grade electric pump, which was FANTASTIC, so that's something to look into.
SleepSacks were great & we got the BreathAble Baby bumper, which I highly recommend.
I also agree with the Pack N' Play w/ Bassinet next to the bed - not the Co-sleeper, but that's just me :-)
I second the ergo! That was very important.
ReplyDeleteWith stroller make sure you guys BOTH try and push it. I find the GRACO is very short
just quickly: does the changing table/dresser detach for when charlotte gets older and starts pulling herself up? it's a perfect escape route for precocious babes! if it doesn't detach, i'd say go with a crib that doesn't have that feature.
ReplyDeletei have more to add, but i'm off to bed - i'll PM you two with more! ;)a
Car Seats: Go with the two bases and one infant carrier. You will get plenty of use out of it. You won't need a regular car seat (convertible) until she's about a year. I think we made the switch at 10 months, but Lila's very tall.
ReplyDeleteCarrier: I have the Baby Bjorn, and although Lila and I both LOVED it for the first 4 or 5 months, it KILLED by back once she hit 17 or 18 lbs and I had to stop using it. If I'd known about the Ergo, we'd probably still be using it today, because she still needs to be held sometimes, and I'd love to be "hands free"! I've also heard good things about the Moby and the Baby Hawk. As for putting off buying a stroller, I would at least get a "snap n go" (the carseat/infant carrier snaps in -- graco makes one). If the baby is sleeping when you get to the mall, you're not going to want to wake her to put her in the carrier! Also, walking was huge to help me lose the baby weight (and keep me from going insane), and I even jogged with the snap n go. I didn't use the umbrella stroller until she was 6 months, and I still barely ever use it, so I would go with a cheap one there.
Crib: The crib looks nice. I think ours is a Sorelle. Just buy what you like. They all meet safety standards. I didn't use a changing table (just a pad on top of the dresser), but to each her own!
Breast pump: Trust me on this, electric. You can rent one. If you will barely ever pump, a manual is fine (I used once once at a wedding), but be prepared to spend 40 minutes pumping for a couple of ounces. And your hands cramp up. You might want to wait on this purchase because you just never know what can happen with breasfeeding. Baby could have a milk intolerance or for some other reason need formula instead. But I would go electric.
Bedding: Yup, you don't need the whole set. You might want to look into breathable bumpers. We still have them on her crib. When I took the fluffy ones off, she kept bumping her head. These have enough padding to help with that issue, but are totally breathable.
Pack n play: We NEVER used ours. Not once. And it was the $200 one with all the bells and whistles. It didn't fit in our bedroom, so we planned to use it downstairs in the living room and for travel, but just didn't. We kept Lila in a bassinet by the bed for the first 8 weeks, then moved to her crib. The bassinet was cheaper than a pack n plan (or side sleeper), and it worked fine. I think any of these are safe though. My best friend used the side sleeper and loved it.
Good luck! Let me know if you have any questions! And remember, the only things you really need are a few burp cloths, a few changes of clothes, a place for the baby to sleep, and lots of LOVE! Everything else can come later (or not at all).
I have to agree with all the "electric" pump opinions, this saved me in more ways than one!
ReplyDeleteI never did use a pack and play for Chris, we went straight to the crib. When we traveled, I used the safety rails which slide in between the mattress and boxspring.
If you are driving two cars, you want two seats...mommy brain is an amazing thing....especially the first couple of months.
I found no matter how many "checklists" I prepared there would always be one thing I forgot. A car seat is NEVER one of the things you can pick up at CVS...
Once, my car went in for service and we did not think about the seat being moved to the other car. There was no emergency that day, but the stress I put myself through was not needed.
It seems most things have been covered very well, so my comments are coming in rather late.