I decided to write this post since I feel like I've learned a lot in the past few months that there is no way I would know unless I had a baby of my own. A lot of this advice was thankfully passed down to me from friends who had been there before as well. I don't want to forget any of it, so that I can also share with friends having their first baby as well as patients. Keep in mind, this is only my opinions, I'm sure many people will have different experiences with these products than I do/did.
-Best sleepers: Stretchies from the Children's Place. They are lightweight, have ZIPPERS (you try doing tons of tiny little snaps on a squirmy baby at 3am), and the feet just fit right. The sizing is pretty accurate too. Plus, they have adorable patterns and are cheap!
-When it comes to onesies, Carter's brand are really good (and not just because it shares a name with my son!). They are found most places (including Kohl's), reasonably priced, and they are generally true to size. Plus, they fit well-some other onesies tend to be too wide and not long enough. Gerber brand fits well, but they run AT LEAST 2 sizes too small (Carter is currently 5 months old, wears 12 month clothes for the most part, and is in 24 MONTH Gerber onesies...) and Babies R Us brand fit well too but they run about one size too small (Carter is wearing 18 mo BRU onesies). Invest in/register for some short AND long sleeved white onesies. You will always get use out of them alone or under other clothes!
- My Brest Friend is the best nursing pillow. The boppy is good for propping/tummy time/etc. but sucks for nursing. The Brest Friend is flatter, you can snap it around your waist, and there are little bumps in it to elevate the baby's head. It's great!
-When buying a stroller, if you are sold on getting a travel system (one where the car seat can snap onto the stroller and then when the baby outgrows the carseat it can be used as a regular stroller), keep the WEIGHT of the stroller in mind. If it is more than 20-25lbs, it can be very burdensome, especially when you're by yourself and lugging it out of the trunk of the car to go into a store. Some good, lightweight travel system strollers are the Graco Metrolite and the Graco LiteRider, which both hold a Graco Snugride 30 or 35, which are rated top in infant car seat safety. Chicco brand is good too.
-A good alternative to a travel system is getting a snap n go to use with the infant carseat and then a separate, lightweight stroller. Some things to look out for: presence of cupholders (for mom of course), the size of the basket underneath (you'd be surprised how much crap you put down there), and the handle bar height if you're especially tall (like me) or short. In general, what you pay for is what you get when it comes to strollers, but that doesn't mean that cheaper ones can't be good too.
-When registering for gifts, go ahead and put a bigger, convertible carseat on there. If you get it, great! You don't have to pay for it later when you need one! The top of the line in safety is the Britax brand. Keep the weight limits in mind-the higher the weight limit, the longer you can use it. Make sure it is able to be used rear facing for as long as possible, as the AAP recommends keeping children rear facing until at least age 2.
- When looking for a swing, try to find one that plugs into the wall. Ones that only take batteries can get very annoying....
-Before buying/registering for ANYTHING, look at the reviews, especially on Amazon.com. That will tell you a lot about the quality of the product!
-If you plan to cloth diaper, buy a couple different brands to find your favorite(s) before investing in a large amount of one brand. Also, invest in some hemp inserts to use as doublers, especially overnight. Also, if you cloth diaper, cloth wipe too-so much easier and cheaper! Many people just use cheap, dollar tree baby washcloths as cloth wipes, or you can make your own with flannel/terrycloth fabrics.
-If you plan to use disposable diapers, Pampers Swaddlers are the best, hands down. They don't leak, fit well, and have the wetness indicator strip which is useful so you don't have to undo the diaper to tell if it is wet when they are a newborn.
-Using old school cloth diapers as burp cloths is very cost effective. You will need LOTS!
-I love Green Sprouts toys and tethers.
-When buying/registering for crib sheets, make sure the elastic goes all the way around and is not just in the corners. I like SheetWorld crib sheets, and they come in lots of colors.
-If your baby is choking/gulping/spitting up when drinking from bottles even with a slow flow nipple, try using a Preemie nipple. These Dr. Brown's ones work in both Dr. Brown's and Medela bottles.
-Lansinoh breastmilk storage bags are the best. They don't leak and hold a good amount of milk. Speaking of lansinoh, don't bother getting/registering for nipple creams. You can take some home from the hospital, and a little goes a long way. Plus, if you are having serious nipple issues, APNO (Rx only) cream takes the cake.
-Don't get disposable nursing pads. They are a waste of money, they leak and they show through your clothes. Cloth nursing pads are great, but most of them show through your clothes as well, and they can leak too. I've found the best ones to be bamboobies, which don't leak, and they are heart shaped which don't show under clothes. I can't even express enough how much I love these things. Worth the $$!!
-These are the best nursing tanks, hands down. They are supportive, easy to use, and comfortable. Worth the $$. The ones I've gotten from Target, etc just don't compare. I wish I had bought like 5 of these in different colors instead of ANY nursing bras. It is a lot more discreet when nursing in public, since it covers your middle.
-When it comes to getting a first aid/safety/grooming kit, make sure it has: nail clippers and a nasal aspirator. They usually include thermometers, but I learned the hard way that the ones that generally come in the kits take FOREVER to take a temp reading. You do NOT want it taking more than a few seconds when you have a stick up your baby's bum. You will probably have to register for/buy a separate thermometer-any kind is good as long as it clearly states that it takes quick readings!
-These swaddlers with velcro or something similar are awesome, and so easy to use. Much easier than swaddling with a blanket.
-Even if you don't think you will want a video monitor now, you most likely will after the baby is born. And if you're not sure, register for/buy one and just keep it in the box until you either decide to use it or return it. This is the one I have, and I like it because it tells you the temperature in the room, and it has a button that you can use to talk to the child when they get older (read: "get back in bed!!" or "I'm coming, hold on a second!")
-I love Mustela products, especially the lotion. Its great for baby skin conditions.
-Tovolo carries good, cheap silicone ice cube trays that are great to use for freezing baby food. Each square is about one ounce, and they are square so you can pop them out and freeze them in a bag and they can stand up or lay down nicely.
-I really like my Ergo baby carrier. It supports the baby by their bum instead of their crotch like the Bjorn does, which is better for their hips and just seems like it is more comfortable. Plus, you can wear it on your back (or daddy can!) which is a nice option. The Moby wrap is great too, especially when they are a newborn since it cradles them and keeps them close to you.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head of things I've learned that I would have never known before having a baby/doing research on products. I will keep adding to the list as I think of things/experience things and maybe one day will organize the points by product type so they aren't so scattered :). Hope this is helpful!
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