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| we love our Phil & Ted's double stroller |
-a carseat
-diapers
-a bed (bassinet/playpen/crib)
-sleepers and onesies (or pajamas and undershirts, depending on what you call them!)
-blankets (some big flannel ones for swaddling, and some warmer ones)
-a good stroller
-baby carrier of some type (sling/mei tai/beco/ergo/etc...)
Seriously. That's it for essentials. Well, and food of course, but for breastfeeding moms the food is free and built-in. :)
Three items that we have found helpful, but not necessary are a bouncy seat for a newborn, and a Bumbo and an Exersaucer for an older baby. These are items that each baby only uses for a few months, so they are often items you can easily borrow from a friend. (With our first three babies we used a borrowed Bumbo - a different one each time.)
Lastly, my list of items that we personally have found to be unnecessary (ie: we've never needed):
-crib (we have used a bassinet/playpens instead - easier to haul around)
-diaper genie (just empty the garbage often)
-baby bath (just use the kitchen sink or bathtub)
-change table (we just got one for free and I rarely use it)
And a word about baby clothes. They are cute. And adorable. And totally unnecessary! It's fun to have baby clothes and dress them up sometimes. But really, it's totally okay for a baby to wear onesies and sleepers for the first few months of life. Baby clothes are very cute and tempting to buy but the reality is, if you want to, you can definitely do without them.
Is there anything you can add to my list of essentials? Or any baby gear that you've found unnecessary? Leave a comment!
This list is not meant to condemn anyone who has more baby gear than us. We have been asked many times by couples considering having a baby, about what a baby actually needs, so this is simply intended to answer that question from my perspective.
Your list looks similar to my list. We had a crib and change table given to us. I don't anticipate using the change table often as I find it easier to change diapers on the floor, but we don't have a dresser or place to store baby clothes/blankets/diapers so the change table will function mainly as a dresser. And, with a winter baby and first babe a that, I'm leaving the stroller until I find a good deal second hand.
ReplyDeleteI looooooove my nursing pillow. I made it myself with what I had on hand in my house so it cost about $3 to make. It just makes nursing so much more comfortable for both Lily and I.
ReplyDeleteIf you live where snow abounds in the winter, it is really helpful/handy to have some sort of sled/toboggan with sides and a back to it that baby can ride in (also handy for putting a couple of grocery items in) for walking/erranding. Auntie Coke
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