So, a month into our parenting endeavor, I feel like I have sufficiently used everything enough to provide a decent rundown on what I find useful, what I can’t live without, and what I could have passed on. So here we go.
THE BIG STUFF
Stroller – Valco Baby Tri-Mode with bassinet. $660. I love this stroller. It is sturdy and stylish, and different from all the other strollers out there. I bought mine from joggermom.com. I love the big chunky tires. It’s like an SUV stroller. PLUS! The bassinet add-on is so cute. Peanut doesn’t really like to be confined in a chair or carseat unless the car is actually moving, so he appreciates being able to stretch out in the bassinet. The bassinet also doubles as a Moses basket-type carrier, which will make overnight travel to my parents’ house easy as Peanut can just sleep in the bassinet; we won’t have to pack up a bed for him. The storage basket underneath is large and deep, and there are zipper pockets on that and the bassinet. The bassinet comes with a sun shade and rain cover. There is an optional toddler seat that attaches to the front, and a contraption called a hitch-hiker that attaches to the axle in the back, allowing an older child to stand and ride along. So if one were so inclined, one could transport three children with this stroller. I give it a 10 out of 10.
Pack-n-Play – Baby Trend Deluxe Nursery Center in Mojito. $130. Zac actually picked this out. I was going to go for the standard Graco or Chicco pack-n-play, but I’m glad I let him talk me into this one. It’s quite large and relatively easy to assemble, and the colors are nice. It has a sturdy bed surface for those daytime naps, and a newborn napper that makes diaper changing a bit more convenient. The only issue I have with it is that the mobile doesn’t stay cranked very long and runs out of steam after about a minute or two. Luckily, this PNP comes with a fawncey sound machine that has several tunes and settings, the ability to record your voice, and an mp3 outlet. Peanut likes it, and so do we. 9 out of 10.
Baby chair – Bright Starts By Your Side Infant Seat. $70. My friend Danielle got one of these for her little one when she was born in January, and she raved about it so that I decided to look into it for myself. I really like it. It is taller than any other infant seat I have seen, and puts the baby on your level in most seating situations. It plays music and outdoor sounds, and vibrates to soothe baby. There are four height settings and a seat belt to keep baby in place, plus an activity bar with two furry friends to play with. I like the large basket underneath the seat, it provides a great space for keeping Peanut’s little toys and necessities contained. I have no complaints about this seat. 10 of 10.
Bassinet - Baby Mod Futura cradle. $140. I like most things about this cradle. It is stylish, large enough to give baby room to grow yet compact enough to move around the bedroom, and relatively easy to maneuver. I roll it over to my side of the bed when Peanut is ready to go to sleep so that I can get to him easily for our late night nursing sessions. The only thing I don’t like about this bassinet is the pin that keeps it from rocking. It tends to slip out easily and doesn’t fully immobilize the bed, so that if Peanut shifts around a lot in his sleep it might cause the bed to tilt a bit. I counteract this by putting the side of the bassinet right up against our mattress. A small annoyance, but an annoyance nonetheless. 7 of 10.
Carseat – Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Carrier. $179 ($75 for additional base). This is one of the top safety-rated infant carriers on the market today. It holds babies up to 30 pounds and has the ever-important five point harness system. We like this car seat because of the way it clicks into the base. It is so easy to install and know that your baby is secure in the car. We bought an additional base to keep in Zac’s car or the Tahoe so that we can transition between cars without having to take out and reinstall the base time after time. Peanut likes the car seat and riding in the car. He doesn’t mind being slung around from car to store to restaurant and back to car because he is securely strapped in and feels safe. Best car seat out there. 10 of 10.
Monitors – Summer Infant Video Monitor and Angelcare Movement Monitor. $229 and $90. Zac’s one request as far as baby items went was a fancy video monitor. I acquiesced, and we got the Summer Infant video monitor. I really like it. The picture is very clear and it works great in the dark. The Angelcare monitor is the sole reason I get any kind of sleep whatsoever. It was a must-have for me, and I highly recommend it to any worrywart parent. Right now it is in Peanut’s bassinet, and it will make the transition into his crib when the time comes. 10 of 10 on both counts.
Breast pump – Medela Pump In Style Shoulder Bag. $280. If you are planning on breastfeeding and also planning on being a working mom, you will need a good quality breast pump for the days away from baby. I chose the Medela based on reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations. It is quiet , the parts are easy to clean and buy extras of, and it isn’t very bulky so I can take it anywhere I need to take it. There are many different bag types for the PIS. I chose the shoulder bag just because I didn’t want the backpack style bag and didn’t want to pay an extra $50 for the Metro bag when the only difference is the pump comes out of the Metro bag easier (the pump comes out of the shoulder bag too, you just have to un-velcro it). I’m not a huge fan of pumping, but it is a necessary evil and this pump is very efficient and easy to use. 9 of 10.
THE LITTLE STUFF
Itzbeen baby care timer. This has been such a handy little gadget for me. It is basically a timer that tells you how long ago you changed or fed your baby or when he last slept. There is also an open timer for whatever you might need to keep track of, like when you last gave the baby medicine had tummy time or something like that. There is also a little switch for breastfeeding moms that you can slide to which breast you last fed your baby from. Believe me, those first few weeks of having a baby at home are hectic and your nerves will get extremely frazzled. I couldn’t remember the last time I ate or slept. With the Itzbeen, you just push a button when you change a diaper, push a button when you start a feeding, push a button when baby goes down for a nap. Easy peasy. You can also use the alarm feature to remind you when to do something. 10 of 10.
Milkbank bottles and vacuum storage system. Prices on bottle packs vary, but the vacuum storage system is $30. Bottles were one of my most researched baby items. There are so many choices and it can get very confusing. The thing I like about the Milkbank bottles is that they can go from freezer to warmer to baby’s mouth. I don’t have to mess with bags. The vacuum system is really cool. It pumps out the excess oxygen in the bottle before you put it in the freezer. Oxygen present in breast milk causes it to spoil. I purchased some Medela storage bags and have frozen some milk in them, and thawed two bags for the first time for our day out yesterday. I could definitely tell a difference in the way the milk smelled. I was concerned that the flavor had been changed and that Peanut wouldn’t drink it and I would have to throw away over 75 oz of stored breast milk. He did drink it, but I don’t think he liked it as much. I certainly didn’t like the smell. For those of you who have never handled or been around breast milk, it has a slightly sweet smell and taste, which I guess is why babies like it so much. The milk that came from the Medela storage bags had a metallic smell to them. I didn’t taste it of course, but Peanut ate it so I guess it didn’t taste as strange as it smelled. I hope the rest of the stored milk in bags doesn’t smell like that. Ick. I have frozen milk in the 5 oz storage bottles with the vacuum system, and it thaws smelling sweet, exactly like it did when it was pumped. The bottles also have a really great venting system that sends the air up and over the milk so it doesn’t pass through the milk, which cuts down on the amount of air in baby’s tummy. They are leak-proof (no, really, they don’t leak!) and the storage bottles have an insulated outer sleeve that you can fill with warm water to warm up the bottle to baby’s liking (this doesn’t leak either). The nipples are large and more like a human nipple, not small and tiny like a lot of bottle nipples. This cuts down on nipple confusion and helps baby go back and forth from bottle to breast easily. Plus the bottles look cool. I love them. 10 out of 10.
Pampers Swaddlers diapers and Pampers sensitive wipes. Prices vary. These diapers are great. Peanut has not had one incident of diaper rash or raw bottom with these diapers and wipes. The newborn diapers are neat in that they have an indicator line that lets you know when baby is wet. I wish all the sizes had this line, although it is pretty easy to tell when a diaper is wet. The newborn diapers leaked a little bit, so we transitioned Peanut into the size 1 diapers a little early and haven’t had any problems since. We will definitely stick with these diapers and wipes. 10.
Wipe warmers – we have two - Especially for Baby and Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer. One is upstairs, one is downstairs. They both do precisely what they are supposed to do: warm wipes. Peanut likes toasty buns, so he loves the warmers. With the Especially for Baby warmer we have to add a little water to keep the wipes moist. The Prince Lionheart comes with a moistened foam pad that goes in the bottom to keep the moisture circulating in the warmer. No matter what brand you go with, a wipe warmer is a must.
Prince Lionheart Diaper Depot. $13. We actually have the dresser top and the hanging diaper depot, the dresser top for upstairs in our bedroom and the hangining one on the side of the pack-n-play downstairs. I prefer the dresser top station because the hanging one slants and the diaper dispenser is not as convenient as it looks. You have to use two hands to extract only one diaper from the bottom, which is a pain when you have a squirming newborn preparing to pee on you or poop the newborn napper. They have a place for diapers, compartments on the side for lotions or ointments, and of course the wipe warmer goes on top. I like it, and it is very convenient to have everything you need all in one place. 10 of 10 for the dresser top, 8 of 10 for the hanging one.
Columbia Trekster diaper backpack. $45. Again, at the recommendation of Danielle, we got this backpack for Zac to carry as it was a little more manly than a lot of the other diaper bags. I got the Columbia Vertical Slide diaper bag, which is a shoulder bag, and I very much prefer the Trekster. It is easier to get things in and out of it, and there is more room for our stuff as well as Peanut’s essentials. It comes with a little changing pad and lots of pockets for storage, and the ultra-padded straps are very comfortable. It’s easy to Bjorn the baby and carry the backpack at the same time without feeling off balance. The insulated pocket is large enough for two 5 oz bottles and a Medela pump bottle. Looks nice, lots of room, great for people who only want to carry one bag. 9 of 10. The Vertical Slide bag gets a 6.
Baby Bjorn carrier. $80. We have only used the Bjorn a handful of times, but it has been great so far. Peanut stays close and secure and we get to bend down and give him a smooch every now and then. We used it for the first time when he was 10 days old and it kept him snuggled close to Zac’s chest. I used it in Walmart the other day and was able to carry him and push a cart with no trouble at all. When Peanut is older he can face out toward the world, but right now he’s snuggled up with his face to our chest. I did notice that the leg holes were a bit snug yesterday when Zac was wearing it; hopefully that can be adjusted to accommodate Peanut’s chunky thighs. It is fairly easy to assemble and put on, and Peanut really likes it. I give it a 9 out of 10. I think I am also going to look at a Moby wrap or an Ergo carrier in case Peanut outgrows the Bjorn anytime soon.
HALO Sleepsack Wearable Blanket. $20-25. We attempted to swaddle Peanut for about a week after we got home from the hospital. Every time he would kick and thrash his way out of it, no matter how tightly we would swaddle him. We tried SwaddleMe blankets, regular blankets, even the blankets they used in the hospital to swaddle him. He kicked and fussed out of every one. Not wanting him to be cold at night and also not wanting to cover him with loose blankets, which pose a suffocation risk, we bought a couple of these sleep sacks. He really likes them and they keep him warm at night. Peanut likes to sleep with his arms up above his head and likes to sprawl out, and the sleep sack gives him free range of motion. I am attempting to reintroduce the swaddle at the moment because his gyrations have gotten so big that he startles himself awake at night, but I really like these cute little sleep sacks. 10.
Boppy. $30 for naked pillow and $10-20 for slipcovers. Ah, yes. The much touted, much recommended Boppy pillow. To be honest, I didn’t really like the Boppy at first. Peanut didn’t like it, we didn’t use it for nursing, and it kind of just sat around. Until one day when Peanut’s tummy was bothering him but he was incredibly sleepy. I placed him on his tummy (bad parent) and let him sleep in the Boppy (BAD PARENT!). He napped for three hours curled up in the Boppy on his tummy. Since then I have started using it to nurse and he has been spending a little time in it every day, either lying back looking at the ceiling fan (one of his favorite pastimes) or on his tummy napping or working on his neck muscles. It has turned into something I use a lot, but I really didn’t care for it at first. 8 out of 10.
The First Years bottle warmer. $20. We just broke this out for the first time this week when I went out with some friends on Wednesday night to see the new Harry Potter movie and Zac was at home with the baby by himself. This bottle warmer is compact and really works fast. It uses the steam created from a tiny vial of water to surround the bottle with warm air and warms much faster than running under a hot tap. I am directionally challenged so I don’t really understand the measuring system, so I just pour and pray. 
8 of 10.
Medela Harmony manual breast pump. $35. This product is an absolute MUST for breastfeeding moms on the go. Peanut typically eats every 2.5 hours or so, and I am fine with giving him a bottle when we are out and about. However, that does not help alleviate the fullness I experience when we miss a nursing session. We were out too long one day and I was in pain from fullness and starting to um, leak. I am not the type that likes to be tied down to a certain schedule, even if it is my child’s feeding schedule. With the Harmony, he can stay on schedule for feeding and I can get some relief from the fullness that results from a missed nursing. I decided to get one and keep it in the diaper bag for those long days out, and used it for the first time last weekend. It was SUPER easy to use in the car and extremely effective. I filled up a 5 oz bottle less than 10 minutes into the pumping session. I was literally amazed at how well it worked. It is small enough to fit in the diaper bag or keep on the night stand if need be when Peanut starts sleeping through the night. 10. 10. 10. Love it.
DO NOT WANT
We have taken back a few things that just didn’t work for us. The Summer Infant ultimate sleep positioner was awful. Peanut hated it, and it looked like he was going to fall off. We also did not like the Boppy sling. It was hot and awkward to put on, and I couldn’t bend over without Peanut dangling in midair and startling himself awake. Of course now that I try to think of things that we didn’t like, I can’t remember any of them. Oh well. You get the gist.
Well, I guess that will do it for now. These are the big things that have stuck out in my mind as things I love and hate. I hope the help some of you out in your baby product buying endeavors!
