verdict
My wife and I are having a baby boy in April and I wanted to know what is your opinion of the must have baby gear/item for new parents. I'm not talking about a crib, or a bottle or things like that, I want something that new parents wouldn't think of.
Answer
so I'll list my favorites in order of recommendation:
A baby sling - assuming this is your first child (or even if it's not), you'll probably go through at least a short stage of wanting to have your baby constantly with you. A baby sling is the perfect solution. You can hold your baby right next to you, be completely comfortable, and still have both hands free. The other great use for a sling is if your wife wants to breastfeed. I was able to nurse my daughter in a sling while sitting or standing, and my version actually had a cloth attachment that maintained my privacy during (while I personally have no problems with women nursing in public, some places do - and not all nursing moms are comfortable exposing themselves). My best advice if you get a sling is to go somewhere that you can actually try them on. While some brands are more reputable than others, this is definitely something you want made to fit you. And when your baby's older (at least able to hold their head up), I would suggest switching to a backpack style carrier (front/back or both) since these do a better job of distributing their higher weight.
A travel crib/playpen - I plan on skipping a real crib altogether with my next child and using one of these instead. It works just as well for sleeping up to the age when you'd typically buy a toddler bed anyway, it's smaller, it's portable (Grandma's willing to babysit? Great, we're all ready!), and higher end models even have a relatively high changing table and bassinet for babies up to around 20 lbs (which is great when you're a new mom and your back constantly hurts anyway). Plus, you can get a very nice model for under $100, as opposed to the hefty price of a new crib.
A diaper pail - unless you're planning to take out trash ever day, religiously, these really do make a huge difference. You may not notice any smells at first, but as soon as you start feeding that little one real foods, expect to need noseplugs. A high quality diaper pail helps with this problem tremendously (though don't expect miracles - I've never heard of one that completely eliminates odors, but they do make a huge difference). I'm sure someone out there would disagree with me, but my biggest advice on buying one of these is to skip the Genie!! I have known numerous people who got one and they have all been extremely disappointed. Plus it takes specialty bags which are pretty expensive. I'd stick with the cheaper Diaper Champ, or if you want something nicer for a fancy nursery, the Diaper Decor.
A carrier carseat - ok, so I know a carseat qualifies as "required items" (aka not what you're looking for), but I can't even begin to count the number of times that my daughter fell asleep in the car, just to wake up when we got to wherever we were going because I had to unstrap her from the carseat. With a carrier, you can remove the carseat from the base, leaving your child still safely strapped in place - and blissfully asleep. (Trust me, there's nothing worse than a baby who's cranky from being woken up but too well rested to go back to sleep. This was especially horrible when trying to keep her quiet someplace like church.)
so I'll list my favorites in order of recommendation:
A baby sling - assuming this is your first child (or even if it's not), you'll probably go through at least a short stage of wanting to have your baby constantly with you. A baby sling is the perfect solution. You can hold your baby right next to you, be completely comfortable, and still have both hands free. The other great use for a sling is if your wife wants to breastfeed. I was able to nurse my daughter in a sling while sitting or standing, and my version actually had a cloth attachment that maintained my privacy during (while I personally have no problems with women nursing in public, some places do - and not all nursing moms are comfortable exposing themselves). My best advice if you get a sling is to go somewhere that you can actually try them on. While some brands are more reputable than others, this is definitely something you want made to fit you. And when your baby's older (at least able to hold their head up), I would suggest switching to a backpack style carrier (front/back or both) since these do a better job of distributing their higher weight.
A travel crib/playpen - I plan on skipping a real crib altogether with my next child and using one of these instead. It works just as well for sleeping up to the age when you'd typically buy a toddler bed anyway, it's smaller, it's portable (Grandma's willing to babysit? Great, we're all ready!), and higher end models even have a relatively high changing table and bassinet for babies up to around 20 lbs (which is great when you're a new mom and your back constantly hurts anyway). Plus, you can get a very nice model for under $100, as opposed to the hefty price of a new crib.
A diaper pail - unless you're planning to take out trash ever day, religiously, these really do make a huge difference. You may not notice any smells at first, but as soon as you start feeding that little one real foods, expect to need noseplugs. A high quality diaper pail helps with this problem tremendously (though don't expect miracles - I've never heard of one that completely eliminates odors, but they do make a huge difference). I'm sure someone out there would disagree with me, but my biggest advice on buying one of these is to skip the Genie!! I have known numerous people who got one and they have all been extremely disappointed. Plus it takes specialty bags which are pretty expensive. I'd stick with the cheaper Diaper Champ, or if you want something nicer for a fancy nursery, the Diaper Decor.
A carrier carseat - ok, so I know a carseat qualifies as "required items" (aka not what you're looking for), but I can't even begin to count the number of times that my daughter fell asleep in the car, just to wake up when we got to wherever we were going because I had to unstrap her from the carseat. With a carrier, you can remove the carseat from the base, leaving your child still safely strapped in place - and blissfully asleep. (Trust me, there's nothing worse than a baby who's cranky from being woken up but too well rested to go back to sleep. This was especially horrible when trying to keep her quiet someplace like church.)
How do you occupy your baby at a restaurant?
Gracee's M
So I have been cooking a lot lately but tonight by husband took Gracee and I out for dinner. It was really kinda crazy trying to get Gracee to sit still in her high chair with out trying to stand up, and she was getting restless and bored. I kept giving her food and snacks to play with and eat but they eventually just ended up on the floor.
Do you have any restaurant tips or anything to keep your baby happy and entertained through-out the whole meal?
Answer
i have a little backpack full of toys that i bring with us to the restaurant.
its loaded with so many different things that its hard for them to get bored. and my kids are only 3 1/2 years old and 10 1/2 months. its got everything in it. dolls, cars, blocks, crayons and coloring books , you name it its in there!! oh and a little packet of wipes too!. ;0)
so when we get to the restaurant i sit them in at the table and when they start getting fidgety out come the toys!. and they play quietly until the food comes then the toys go away until they are done eating and then they get cleaned up and out they come agin until everyone is finished and ready to go. :0)
but dont worry too much, most kids even with an abundance of toys arent going to sit through an entire meal at a resaurant without making a peep. just take it in stride and be thankful they arent screaming the whole time and throwing their food at the people next to you . lol :P just try to go to family restaurants :0)
now believe me this isnt something we practice at home, but toys work wonders for eating out!. our bag is always packed and in the van ready to go, just in case we make any last minute stops. and it comes in hand when we get stuck anywhere waiting.!
good luck next time! :0)
i have a little backpack full of toys that i bring with us to the restaurant.
its loaded with so many different things that its hard for them to get bored. and my kids are only 3 1/2 years old and 10 1/2 months. its got everything in it. dolls, cars, blocks, crayons and coloring books , you name it its in there!! oh and a little packet of wipes too!. ;0)
so when we get to the restaurant i sit them in at the table and when they start getting fidgety out come the toys!. and they play quietly until the food comes then the toys go away until they are done eating and then they get cleaned up and out they come agin until everyone is finished and ready to go. :0)
but dont worry too much, most kids even with an abundance of toys arent going to sit through an entire meal at a resaurant without making a peep. just take it in stride and be thankful they arent screaming the whole time and throwing their food at the people next to you . lol :P just try to go to family restaurants :0)
now believe me this isnt something we practice at home, but toys work wonders for eating out!. our bag is always packed and in the van ready to go, just in case we make any last minute stops. and it comes in hand when we get stuck anywhere waiting.!
good luck next time! :0)
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Title Post: What's the one must have baby item for new parents?
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Rating: 96% based on 987 ratings. 4,7 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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