Personal Baby Products Review (Part One)!

As a soon-to-be new parent, you become ENGORGED in all the baby stuff that's out there.  Sometimes it's magical and enchanting, other times it's quite overwhelming and exhausting.  And it can become REALLY expensive if you let it.  Add to that other moms, family members, books and magazines telling you left and right what you need and what you don't need, what you'll use and what you won't use....and you're downright confused as to what you should buy or ask for.  People agree and disagree left and right over what you'll need and what you'll use, based on how they raised their baby (or what their baby liked).  And I'm no different, because I did have a baby and all.  There are things I felt I needed, things I actually used, things I haven't touched, things I didn't even bother to ask for and things I went back to the store to get because I realized I wanted or needed them.  

I thought I'd write a blog about what has worked for me.  I'm not telling any moms out there what THEY should use....I'm just posting about what I personally have used.  And I have also bought a lot of used items that some moms wouldn't let touch their child with a 10-foot pole (such as a crib and car seat).  And that's perfectly fine.  It was my decision and my discretion to buy these items used, and I did my research as well!

Reviewing baby products I've used will take more than one blog post (plus I need to write things down to talk about), so we'll start with a few of the "big ticket" items.  I don't really get into comparing different brands of any of this stuff (since I haven't used multiple brands of car seats or cribs or what not), just when I bought it, if I used it, if I liked it and if (in hindsight) I think I needed it.

Baby boutiques are super fun to browse on a non-overwhelming day!

Car Seat - This is probably the most important thing I bought, since I HAD to have it in order to leave the hospital with a baby.  You have no choice but to purchase (or be given) a car seat before the baby comes.  Car seats range in price from quarters to millions, depending on what brand you buy.  And you can start with the infant carrier (which most people do nowadays) or go straight into a convertible car seat (with no carrier).  You've got to figure out on your own what route you want to take towards getting your hands on a car seat, and how much you want to spend.  And I HIGHLY recommend you have it installed by someone who's certified, so that you can see exactly how it should be strapped into your car.  That part's free.  :)  In fact, here's a link to the blog where I gave car seat checkpoint info.  Enjoy.  Again.

Crib - I purchased a crib early on, in my first trimester.  I mean, when you think of having a baby, you think of getting a crib!  The reality was that Delano didn't start sleeping in his crib until he was 7 months old.  It didn't hurt to have the crib as a "storage unit" for baby gifts and what not for a while (plus I do love my crib), BUT I could have gotten away with not buying one for a LONG time.  So this was definitely something that could have waited.  But now he's in it and so it's definitely being used!

Delano's crib.

Stroller(s) - I had a stroller right from the get-go.  My car seat was part of a Graco travel system package which included the infant carrier car seat, stroller and car seat base (with an extra base tossed in).  Travel system strollers are bulky and heavy when being lifted in and out of the car.  And mine takes up quite a bit of space in the back of my car.  On the plus side to having a travel system stroller, I can lock my infant carrier directly into the stroller OR put the baby directly into the stroller seat, I have two cup holders and a place for my keys and cell phone up by the handle, and the basket underneath is nice and big for my diaper bag and also some shopping bags.  As bulky (and sometimes inconvenient) as this stroller is, I use it ALL the time because it's what I have.

My travel system.

A friend of mine has a Snap N Go stroller which she LOVES.  These are meant for infant carriers only, as they simply consist of a metal frame to lock a carrier into and a mesh basket on the bottom.  They weigh a whole lot less than a travel system stroller and they take up a whole lot less space as well.  If you go with a Snap N Go, you'll eventually need a second stroller when the baby graduates from riding in the infant carrier all the time, BUT you have the option of buying a stroller that's NOT part of a travel system and therefore will be lighter and leaner.  I got my stroller and car seat for an awesome deal ($60) so I would never trade what I paid for it for anything else, but had I gone a different route, knowing what I know now, I would have looked for a Snap N Go for the first several months and then graduated to something with a seat that was lightweight and more of a space-saver.

Snap N Go stroller with an infant carrier locked in.

Maybe something like this!  Though this is a Bugaboo...aka WAY out of my price range!

**I also have a jogging stroller (which was given to me) and an umbrella stroller, both of which I use on occasion.  The jogging stroller has a stationary front wheel, so it isn't meant to be used for anything other than jogging (unless you really want a good arm workout).  The umbrella stroller is FANTASTIC for crowded areas and quick trips, plus it weighs nothing at all and collapses like - hence the name - an umbrella.  But it has no basket for personal belongings and is meant for older babies and toddlers who can sit up nice and solid on their own.  Mine doesn't have a canopy for shade.  I've never used one with a canopy, so I don't know if it really makes a difference (and provides shade) or not, since umbrella stroller canopies are typically small.

This is the style that I have.  Simple.

Here's one (same style) with a typical canopy.

Here's one with a canopy that I think would definitely be effective.  But this one also looks more like a standard stroller, even though it's considered an umbrella stroller.  I highly doubt it collapses like an umbrella, but I could be wrong.

Bassinet - There are loads of different bassinet-like options out there for having the baby sleep in your room for the first days/weeks/months of their life.  Some people use bassinets, some use co-sleepers, some use Pack N Plays, some use baby hammocks......the list goes on.  Some people also sleep with the baby in their bed, which we didn't do.  That would have scared me to death.  I was given a Rock N Play from a friend who was no longer using it, and for me, it was pure magic.  I loved it, Delano loved it and it was super light and easy to travel with.  After Delano outgrew the Rock N Play, he moved into the Pack N Play.  I purchased a used Pack N Play before Delano was born.  Had I not been given the Rock N Play, I would have likely used the Pack N Play from the beginning.  But I actually ended up not needing the Pack N Play until Delano was about 6 months old, so that's another thing that I personally could have put on the back burner.  A Pack N Play is awesome in the sense that it's great as a bassinet option plus it's great as a traveling crib for your baby.  But just like a travel system stroller, a Pack N Play (even folded and packed) is bulky, takes up a good chunk of space in the closet/car and is a whole lot heavier than you think it would be.

Sound asleep in his Rock N Play.

Swing and Bouncy Seat -  I bought both a swing and a bouncy seat at two separate consignment sales before Delano was born, though I feel like these are things that could definitely have waited until after he was born.  OR, I could say that we didn't really need them at all.  The bouncy seat did end up getting used quite a bit.  It was perfect for "holding" Delano while I cooked, or cleaned, or folded laundry, or used the bathroom, or showered, etc....though I often waited to do these things until Delano was napping and I put him to bed in the Rock N Play anyway.  Delano had NO interest in being in the swing while awake, so he was only ever in it while he was napping.  So like I said, I really could have gotten away with not having either of these things since the Rock N Play weighs nothing and could be moved from room to room throughout the day without a hassle.  I'm hanging onto the swing and bouncy seat for Baby #2 just in case Baby #2 LOVES being in the swing, but once Baby #2 grows out of them (or if Baby #2 doesn't like them), they're outta here!  The bouncy seat isn't a big deal to store, but the swing is a space-taker-upper for sure, unless I want to disassemble it (which I don't, so it's just hanging out in the basement).

Changing Table - My changing table isn't really a changing table, though it kind of looks like one.  I think it's actually some sort of dining room piece.  It had been in my parents house for several years and I told them that I wanted to use it as a changing table when I had a baby.  I use my changing table (with a changing pad purchased from Babies R Us, though these ARE sold at consignment sales as well) ALL the time.  Some people don't - some people change their baby on the floor/couch/bed most of the time and don't hardly use a changing table at all (or may not even own one).  And this is perfectly fine because a changing table isn't all that necessary....but I definitely use mine.  But just like mine, it doesn't actually have to be a "changing table".  If there's a table or dresser or something else you really like that's the perfect size and height for changing diapers, then I say go for it.

My changing table.  I have a pic of it loaded up with changing table stuff, but I can't find it!

Rocking Chair/Glider/Recliner -  We have a glider chair (in the living room), two wooden rocking chairs (one in Delano's bedroom and one in the living room), and an old rocker/recliner (in the basement den), all of which are family heirlooms.  I have used them all to try to sooth the baby (and still use the rocking chair in the living room frequently), but for those middle-of-the-night feedings I actually was most comfortable on the bed in Delano's room.  Since the glider and wooden rocking chairs have bare wooden arms, my arms would hurt where they rested on the wood.  So the bed was fine for both me and the baby.  Once Baby #2 gets here, I figure that I'll just go to the other bed in the guest/computer room or onto the couch in the living room at night, since Delano will be sleeping in his room.  I'm actually tempted to bring the rocker/recliner upstairs into the living room from the downstairs den.  Lucas won't be too thrilled (he thinks it's ugly, and it kinda is, plus it's a real pain to move around), but it's all about comfort for a while!  I could always watch some TV while he/she eats, but I use the time during night feedings to catch up on a book or unread magazines.  :)  So do I think I needed a rocker/glider/recliner?  Probably not, especially since I usually opted to sprawl out on the bed with a bunch of pillows, a blanket and a book anyway.  But I definitely needed somewhere super comfortable to hang out for (and sometimes fall asleep during) those night feedings.  And on chair options - big, fat, padded arms are your friend

So those are some of the basic big ticket items out there.  Do what you will with the information.....like I said before, different moms have very different opinions about baby products!  And if you look at the online reviews for stuff, you'll find people who LOVE and DESPISE the exact same product.....and this goes for EVERY product out there.  As if you needed to be confused more, right?

I'll type up some more blogs about baby products as I jot down ideas for things to talk about!

Whose precious baby is that??  Oh wait, that's mine!!  :)