If you haven’t heard, Denise had a baby boy on March 2. We’re all so excited for her! So, his week I’m taking a step back from Coupon Cravings to fill in for her with a guest post on five must-haves and five do-withouts for baby. I’ve got three kids with one more on the way in August, so I feel somewhat qualified to dispense this advice (though I’m open to debate on my selections!).
So here, we go, first with five must-haves:
Ultimate Crib Sheet: I love, love, love this. It’s a waterproof sheet that lies on top of your cute crib sheets and just snaps around your crib rails. It’s perfect when baby spits up or has a diaper leak since changing crib sheets is no easy task. I don’t think I’ve ever changed the crib sheets – I just change the Ultimate Crib Sheet once a week.
Boppy: I love the Boppy, and so do a lot of other moms, though there are other breastfeeding pillows out there. This pillow makes it super comfortable to feed your child and doubles as a pillow to prop up baby during tummy time.
Baby Carrier or Sling: I’ve always been partial to the Baby Bjorn and it’s been a sanity saver. It’s so calming for the baby (my babies would always nap in the carrier when we’d go out on walks) and it’s great to be hands-free.
Stroller with a Big Basket: No matter what, when you’re looking at strollers, make sure to get one with a big (huge) basket. This is so crucial when you’re out and need a place to store the diaper bag and your purse. It’s great for holding coats and shopping bags too. You really don’t want to be holding all this and trying to push a stroller.
Baby Swaddler: Whether you use a baby blanket or a special swaddling product, like SwaddleMe, you need to be able to wrap up and swaddle your baby to keep her calm. We always swaddled at sleep times, and it truly saved my sanity on numerous occasions.
And here are must five do-withouts:
Bottle Warmer: With my first baby we had a bottle warmer but quickly got rid of it. It’s actually much faster and easier to warm up a bottle in a pot of water on the stove.
Baby Robes: I’ll admit it, baby robes are super cute. But, you’ll never, ever use one, not even once. When I was pregnant with my first child, I got at least three of these. However, they’re impractical and impossible to put on, so if you get one, take it back.
Changing Pad Cover: These terrycloth covers look cute on the changing table but are a waste of money. I’ve always changed my babies on the plastic pad which is super easy to wipe down. If you get one, you’ll be changing it every single day. It will get that dirty.
Baby Wipes Warmer: Seriously? I’ve never had one and my babies have never complained. Take this off your registry now.
Baby Laundry Detergent: You’ll surely see lots of ads for Dreft and others, but you’ll be fine with any dye- and fragrance-free laundry detergent. With my first I actually used all free & clear. It cost the same as regular all and I never had any problems, though it’s true that every baby is different, so do what works for you.
So what do you think? Do you agree or disagree on any of these must-haves or do-withouts? I’d love to hear what you think. Just leave me a comment.
Erin Gifford blogs at CouponCravings.com to share the best grocery, retail and drugstore deals. She has three daughters (5, 3 & 21 months) with one more on the way in August. She can be found on Twitter at Twitter.com/CouponCravings.