Baby Buying Stuff

I would let her throw you a baby shower, granted, this pregnancy may have not been planned but it is still a celebration. You deserve a baby shower, I say go for it.

My son wasn't planned either and I still had a baby shower. I don't think people really care about that, at least I know it would not make a difference to me. If you want to let her throw you a baby shower, I doubt people will be upset and it is not you that is throwing the party.

The only thing I think I could not have lived without was Infants Mylicon (gas relief drops). When he got older I also loved the exersaucer my son had. He spent a lot of his days in there once he could sit up. I liked he could work his legs without running me over like if he were to have a walker.

My son is 4 1/2 and i am expecting soon... Even from that span i am lost when it comes to baby shopping... So dont feel too bad...

As for the baby shower if your mom wants to throw you one let her.. She has to be thrilled... I made a baby registry for my husband and I (just so we knew what we had to get)... My sister ended up throwing me a baby shower... Which i thought might have been not needed... But i had way more people show up for my shower than the first time i had one...

Good luck and I hope you have tons of fun shopping!!!

I don't see anything wrong with you having a baby shower. The one thing I could not live without was the baby sling. I had my oldest daughter so spoiled that she hated to be laid down. So the only way to keep her quiet was to hold her. Especially when we went to like the mall or store cuz she did not like being in the carseat or stoller.

♥ Never make someone your priority, when you are just an option to them. ♥

I know you asked for a sort of buying guide and are probably looking for more practical ideas, but reading is one of my favorite times with my daughter and these are the two books I have gotten that I cherish and have gotten for other moms.

"On the Night you Were Born" by Nancy Tillman
and
"The Twelve Gifts of Birth" by Charlene Costanzo

You may already have these two books but I thought if you hadn't they are and would be a marvelous addition to your current children's library.

KELLY

I thought one of the best ideas I bought was the Fisher Price Ocean Wonders cradle swing. My daughter had a little colic and the swing worked wonders. I would also suggest buying a travel system. It works great when you need to go some where and the baby fell asleep cause you don't need to wake them to put them in the stroller.

As for the baby shower, I think you should let your mom throw one for you if she wants. Having a baby is always time for celebration:)

jesshod is a mommy to 2 girls (ages 6 and 1) and is an arizonamoms.com discussion leader living in Surprise.

I say let her throw the shower totally. I really liked the travel system a lot, but at some point you will have to get a bigger carseat. We still use the big stroller though, and it's great because it has a place for diaper bag, purse, and etc in the bottom perfect for the mall or browsing. The car seat portion is nice because you can cover it when it cold, get the baby ready and put her by the front door, gather your stuff, and your are out of there. I think it helps them feel secure.

The things that we got, but never ended up using were the babywipe warmer, as soon as you take the wipes out of the warmer they go cold anyway, and they make the wipes dry out quicker.

Bottle warmer took to long, and the kids face was beet red screaming for food. It's almost quicker to nuke the water in the micro super hot, and then let the bottle sit. (maybe I just had a bad one though who knows)

Otherwise we used the even flow bottles that have a slant in them, bought my formula (generic version) at Sams Club. I still think the best place for value on diapers is Toys R Us. Nice big boxes. Swaddler diapers are so cute, and huggies wipes seem more sturdy to me.

I got one of those convertable cribs that will transform into a toddler bed, and even though my daughter (the human termite) has taken the varnish of of some places I think it will still due.

Don't buy the miniature travel cribs if you are going to buy one get a normal size one they grow out of them quick, and they are nice to have around for when family wants to watch the bebe. You can also buy small mattresses for $20, and $10 for two crib sheets for these cribs. My daughter still uses hers for overnight and she'll be 2 in October, and is a very tall baby. So it's worth it if baby needs a nap while you are at a friends house, families houses, holidays etc.

I still buy clothes on sale at target shirts for 1.98 on sales racks, and they have baby clothes that way too, and I also try to buy a couple of sizes up for later, and savings.

Childcare start looking early. Some places require a deposit to hold a spot, and they will fill up quickly. If you have any questions about this I am the queen on that state website in case you can't figure stuff out I'd be happy to help you. It can get confusing, and I want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to find places that are optimal for their children, and not questionable (which is scary to anyone). Childcare ranges in the $200 less or more. I pay $185, but a lot of places vary.

Anyway hope I didn't make you fall asleep :-)

Lisa - Mom to her spunky little Scarlette

Well, in regards to having to stock up on baby goods, I would recommend trying to get stuff through CL or clothes through consignment. You'd be amazed at the finds you can get on CL (you probably already know)...and I hope you have a good consignment shop (or Goodwill, etc) near you. I love new clothes, but I think I feel better when I get 3 outfits for the price of one (especially these days).
And though I'm a newer mom, there wasn't much I could/n't live without. The one decision I'm glad we went along with was getting a booster seat instead of a high chair. We just got one of the fold-up ones that we can take with to friend's houses, and bought an extra for the grandparents. I like the fact that I have that much more space.
The only thing that we got brand new for our son was his carseat/stroller. That will be the only thing that I will only ever buy brand new. Everything else we bought off CL, and his room looks GREAT!!! We don't use the stroller from the travel system for outings anymore, but we use it every day for our walks around the neighborhood-so it's still getting great use until we add another in the mix. :) I have a stroller (a Jeep model) I just keep in the car all the time-nice, compact, easy to fold down, but much more sturdy than a regular umbrella stroller.

Change it up a bit! I had a diaper party for my second and it was a blast. We just had a party for everyone, dads and kids too... lots of food, friends, family, and a few silly shower things, but nothing too girly.

People can't help but buy baby stuff, so you'll still get other stuff too, but this was so much food. And the best part...

I didn't buy diapers or wipies for A YEAR!!!

Congrats and good luck.

Congratulations your pregnancy. For my 3rd child I had one of those inexpensive car seat carriers, they weigh nothing and fold in a second, I just could not live without it -for me it was easier then lugging a stoller (especially right after a c-section) then when he was older I used my peg perego stroller (that was a gift and lasted all three kids,lol). The Graco "Pack & Play" I thought was awesome for naptimes & trips to Grandma's. I agree I love the Ocean wonders line of nursery items. Have so much fun shopping & I say go for it if your mom wants to throw you a shower it will be nice to be pampered & have a day all about you...cause once the baby comes you know what happens,lol.

I say have the shower! Who cares if it was planned or not, either way the baby is a blessing! :)

Yes, I would also consider buying second hand items as well. It's amazing how quick they go through things.

Good luck

There is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one!

From what I've heard and scoping them out travel systems are just too big and bulky and end up collecting dust in the garage far sooner than you'd like.

www.babygizmo.com is a fun site with baby junk tips.

I see absolutely no problem with you having a shower. Enough years have passed that it sounds like you have gotten rid of all the stuff years ago.

I second what someone else said, skip the bottle warmer and wipes warmer. Never used them, didn't need them.

Exersaucers are wonderful, the swing that goes side to side and back to front are very nice (some babies don't like the back to front motion). Boppy pillows are nice, but could probably do without, just use other pillows. Get a sturdy, safe crib, but you don't have to go overboard on price. There are economical ones that are perfectly fine. You'll probably want the infant car seat as well as a convertible one when the baby is older.

You can try Goodwill, second hand stores, and garage sales. I would get the crib mattress and car seat new, but everything else can be second hand as long as you check it over real well.

Money saving tips - Target diapers are good, but not real thick (wouldn't use overnight when the baby starts sleeping through), White cloud diapers at Walmart are good, Parents Choice formula (Walmart) is good, and half the price.

I think you should have another babyshower. I think "EVERY" baby deserves a party and since your last baby was born 8 years ago, you should have a full shower, not just diapers and wipes. I think second hand stuff is fine, but I agree with the other poster, that I wouldn't buy a carseat or crib matt used(gross for the matt and unsafe for the seat). My son didn't like the swing or bouncy, so for me, those were a complete waste. He LOVED his baby einstein exersaucer and the Jumperoo. I loved that my diaper bag had a really good changing pad because I was grossed out to put my baby on public changing surfaces. I don't think I could have lived without my baby bjorn. It literally saved my sanity on some days!

Oh yes and the travel system was great for convience when you have a sleeping baby that you don't want to transfer to a traditional stroller. Plus if you take the seat with you, then you don't have to worry about it being too hot when you return to the car. But, you will need a new car seat fairly soon if your child is big like mine was. I had to put him in the bigger carseat at 5 months! BTW, you willprobably want to invest in a cold seat which is a pad that you freeze to go over your child's carseat when it's hot. I still use mine:)

I really loved my Snap 'n Go stroller frame for my infant carseat. It wasn't a travel system, it was just a frame that the infant carset snapped into. It was light and very simple to use.

It is so fun to get together and celebrate the new baby, so I would definately have a baby shower. I don't think it matters whether it is your 3rd child, people love to go to baby showers and buy cute little baby outfits.

I think you should totally have a shower. Usually people feel uncomfortable with showers so soon after another baby, but enough time has passed where you will need all new stuff...and it's well deserved!!! Have the shower!!!!

As far as the travel system goes, it was so convenient in the beginning being able to place the baby in the seat, while I gathered all my stuff together, pop the seat in the car and then pop it out and put it directly into the stroller without ever disturbing baby...after about 4 months, especially being in AZ, the baby would get way too hot and sweaty in the infant seat after a while....so, I would end up taking him out of the seat and putting him in the stroller anyway.

We have a Chicco travel system, and the infant seat has lasted my son 11 months (he is not quite at the weight limit yet). A lot of babies don't last nearly that long in the infant seat. We just bought a convertible car seat for him....so, all in all, it was $280 for the travel system, and then another $260 for a Britax Roundabout! CRAZY! Yes, we have a good stroller from all that, but I question if I just should have done the Britax and a decent, lightweight stroller from the very start.

I guess my point is, picture yourself in your daily activities with a baby. Since you didn't have a travel system for the others, you probably wouldn't know the difference..and you will also have your older kids to give you a hand. I would factor that in. They will be a huge help I' m sure.

One of my favorite baby items was a Snuggle Nest.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266116
I brought it everywhere and knew he always had a good place to nap.

I loved having the travel system, especially those first few months. Loved being able to just pop the car seat in and out of the base in the car, and then pop it into the stroller.

If you have the space, I'd go with a full size crib. Your baby might outgrow a "portable" crib before he/she is ready for a toddler bed, which will leave you still needing a crib. They've got some great convertible cribs out there, too, that convert into a toddler bed, and then some even into a "regular" size bed! Could be worth spending a bit more to save yourself from having to buy a crib, then a toddler bed, then a regular bed.

Another must have for me was a changing table. I know a lot of people find them unnecessary, but I have a bad back, as well as a bad knee, so having to drop to the floor to change a diaper, or even bend over the bed, can get painful over time. Loved having him right there, level with me, and all our diapering needs at hand!

If you're thinking about a swing, I'd see if you can borrow one from a friend, our buy a used one first. Baby swings aren't too cheap anymore, and if you're baby doesn't like it, you're out the money.

Other must haves for me: a "bouncy" chair (soothed him to sleep a lot of the time), a sling (enabled me to get stuff down while keeping him close by), a Boppy pillow if breastfeeding, a "white noise" machine for the crib (could set it to sound like rainfall, ocean waves, lullabies, or mommy's heartbeat).

If you have one nearby, keep your eyes open at Toys 'R us; that's where we got a lot of our "gear". We got our infant car seat (Graco Snug-Ride) on clearance for $35, our first stroller (Graco--car seat fit into it) on clearance for around $40, a basic 2-speed swing on clearance for around $15, and an $80 Fisher Price high chair on clearance for $20. You can find some great deals there (and even at Babies 'R Us) on clearance items!

Jennifer, mom to one special little boy

Something else I thought about since there are quite a few posts on strollers. When I went with a friend to Babies r us, she had me walk around the store with a few different strollers. It was a great idea-to see how easy they turn, maneuver, etc. And just think about how often you'll use it,too. Like I said in my post, I'm still using my travel-system stroller for walks every day and it's great.
If you can at all walk around a bit with the strollers I think it will make your decision easier.