Dear Minnow,
Spring is in the air, well almost summer really. Either way it seems to be baby season around here. I now have 5 women in my life who are expecting one of which is your auntie Kai!! I am soo thrilled!! Looks like the guppy will have plenty of playmates by next spring. When I was pregnant with your little sister a friend posted a blog a review of all of the baby items she found helpful and the she could have totally gone without. It was extremely helpful! There are just too many babysites out there trying to convince you that you need way more crap than you actually do. Here is my list of the items I found really helpful along with some things I'll switch out next time around. Just remember, every baby is different, my friend's daughter didn't like her swing, it has been a lifesaver with guppy though, like everything in motherhood it's all about trial and error.
Okay here goes the list in no particular order:
Pack N' Play: I've been using ours next to my bed instead of a bassinet, although it's great for traveling it's a bit of a pain in the butt for nursing. Getting out of bed to lift her out of it in the middle of the night stinks and even to check on her or put the binky in her mouth requires dangling off the bed head first (I swear that is how the whole messed up wrist thing started). I would gladly trade in my pack n' play for an arms reach co-sleeper.
Bouncy Seat: You want one of these. I actually have two, we bought one at the moms of multiples consignment sale, it was cute and pink and vibrated but a friend of mine also lent me this one Awesome at first I was like why on earth do I need this one. Turns out most babies like to sleep inclined especially if they have reflux which Guppy did at first. The bouncing is also much more like what they feel in the womb. I literally put the awesome bouncy seat in the pack n play and that is where she slept for the first few weeks. We liked it so much in fact that when we saw the same one at my favorite consignment store for only $20 will bought so we wouldn't have to keep lugging the one we borrowed up and down the stairs for naps. I would say try to find a used one though they are very sturdy and hold up well used.
Playmat: You can't really go wrong with playmats. Guppy has a jungle themed one from fischer price that she loves she also like to lick the elephant that came with it. This is the one she has, I like it because the toys all detach so you can move them around the mat or add other toys. Obviously you don't need a playmat but they're really helpful, I can get things done and she is happy to play on it.
Baby Clothes: Buy them used, especially newborn stuff the first few baby blowouts will ruin those cute going home outfits also if your nursing you might end up with rusty colored spit up on everything (sometimes your nipples bleed at first so the baby spits up milk mixed with blood from your nipples which stains). Another reason to buy used, you might give birth to a nudist like the guppy.
Stroller: I kept saying I didn't want one, I'm really glad I have one. Although I prefer to wear the guppy for small trips, the stroller is great for long walks outside and places like the mall. I have This One and love it. It's beyond easy to push and turn and the wheels are big enough to handle off roading.
Babywearing: I went a little overboard, I bought a moby and a maya ring sling before the guppy was born. I sooner realized that the moby was a pain in the butt yes it worked and she loved it once she was in but it took me so long to tie it that she would scream her head off until she was in it. I still have high hopes for the maya but when the guppy was a newborn it just didn't give enough neck support. A friend of mine introduced me to the hotsling and I was hooked! I love my hotsling it is soo easy and there are a bunch of different positions all of which the guppy loves. I also bought mine used, best $18 I've spent on baby gear.
Baby Bath tub: Don't go overboard, babies r us carries baby spas and expensive baths, don't waste your money on something fancy. I love our little pink bathtub, I think it's fischer price. Ours fits over the kitchen sink which was great when she was little. We got a solid 3 months of use out of it before the guppy's legs got too long and she figured out how to push herself over the bump that is supposed to keep the baby in place. She also started to kick her legs over the sides so we have moved into the big bathtub with a rolled up towel under her head. We will definitely be using it again for the next baby.
Diapers: I love our cloth diapers.We mostly use bumgenius and have a few sunbabies. I totally suggest cloth diapering but make sure you either rent newborn cloth diapers, use prefolds or use disposables for the first 6 weeks. As much as I hate disposables the bumgenius just didn't fit right until 6 weeks.
well I'll add more as they come to me. Nursing gear needs a whole entry of it's own.
love always,
Fish
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