[jensma]

Moms and mom's to be: what do/did you HAVE to have??

[jbhonea]

The Boppy. I have large breasts, and it's hard to feed the baby without it.

[amonstersmomma]

The BOB stroller was my must have item! We love the outdoors and spend a lot of time in the parks and on trails and what not so a good stroller is a must. I'm sure there are other must haves but that's the first thing that comes to mind.

[MommyPoky]

I second the boppy. Also, we have Amazon.com: The First Years Close and Secure Sleeper, Colors May Vary: Baby which I almost returned because I didn't really want to co-sleep, but it was the ONLY thing she would sleep in for a few days, and it's nice for bringing to other places in the house so she can nap wherever I am, and she now will sleep in her bassinet at night.

Tummy drops for gas also helped in the first few days before she figured out how to expel it on her own

[~Caroline~]

Originally Posted by jbhonea

The Boppy. I have large breasts, and it's hard to feed the baby without it.

That's very good to know

[fromustobaby]

love Boppy (a MUST for nursing - dont listen to the nurses about the football hold, it sucks, go across your body with baby on the boppy and you are set!), swing (he's in it now), bouncer, swaddle blankets (get *The Happiest Baby on the Block* if you avent already - it will save your sanity the first few tough weeks). Pack n Play (he sleeps in it right next to me and will probably continue to do so for the next year), real reclining rocking chair (I fall asleep in it, but since it is so large I trust that he wont fall - he's on the boppy also - and it is SO comfy - it isnt a glider it is a HUGE Lane recliner), BOB stroller, rainforest playmat, Bumbo, his bug toy, pretty much most of the things I got for him...and his new favorite for tummy time



HATE sling (he HATES it and I cant figure out for the life of me how it fits even though I measured for it and everything - so frustrating since I paid SO much for it like $50!)!!, cloth diapers (I just dont do laundry enough to do it...they dont leak, I am just not good enough to do it) and Baby Bjorn (at most can only stand it for 10 minutes)...he wants to be carried!

[MommaLee]

We are very thankful for the Fisher Price sleep and play rocker. She sleeps roughly 5 hours a night in it and sometimes I have to wake her to feed.

Amazon.com: Fisher-Price Newborn Rock and Play Sleeper, Yellow:…

Here you go....just took it while she is napping


Oh and I just thought of something you really need to get. It is stroller netting...you can get it at babies r us for $4.99. It works great to keep the mosquitos and (right now) june bugs off her when we are walking. For Texas, it is a must have. Here is a pic of it with our stroller.

[KCMomma]

Tonya, I'm gonna have to disagree with ya on the football hold. Since I had a c section that was the only way I was able to hold her and it not hurt my belly. I think it definitely depends on the baby. I used the Boppy sometimes, but not really for nursing. I would set it behind her when she was starting to sit up and that helped break her fall!

My must have item is the Miracle Blanket...MUST MUST MUST have. I totally second the "Happiest Baby on the Block" book. I loved the techniques and it definitely saved our lives!! Any other blanket we would swaddle her in she would get out of it - but not the Miracle Blanket!

And when Paige was at her peak colic stage, the ONLY thing that kept her calm at night was carrying her around in the Bijorn...we would walk our house from about 4pm till she went to bed...horrible horrible memories, but the Bijorn really helped us out.

[Celry]

I wouldn't have survived without my Moby and a swing that plugs in (not one with batteries). I never used my boppy for nursing but did use it to "hold" the kids so they thought they were being held once swaddled. I also used the Boppy later on to prop them up sitting since neither wanted to lay down once they realized they could bend and sit.
Personally, I suggest you watch the happiest baby DVD if you can get it from a library. It's much faster than reading the book and you can actually see what's being done to sooth the baby. I saw the dvd at a playgroup a few weeks ago and wish I had seen it instead of reading the book before my kids were born.

[jensma]

i read somewhere else that the miracle blanket was a life saver!! I bought some swaddle sleepers that i think might be interesting. They may be a complete waste of money but they look interesting. Its basically a sleep sack without arms...

[tiffanys]

Thankfully, I have received all of my must have items! I was adament on a pack n play that could double as a bassinet, b/c that is where he will be sleeping for the first few months, a swing, a bouncer, a glider, and a boppy!

[MommaLee]

You know Kate...I have a woombie. It is pink but you could have it to try out and see if ya'll like it. Julie hates being swaddled. I don't know what B will think but hey, it's free and you won't waste your money if he doesn't like it. Just let me know. If you do want it, it'll probably take me a month to get it to you since I've secluded myself in the house.

[Jodi0804]

We wouldnt have made it w/o our swing, Billy napped in it the 1st 4 months (we got an attachment so we could plug it in. I also used the boppy to nurse Billy for the first 3 months. We also used a million burp cloths because he spit up all the time w/ his reflux. The other thing that we love is our video monitor.

[jensma]

LeeAnn, thank you for that! But i just looked and that is EXACTLY what i bought. I got two of them, one green and one yellow. I figure if i don't like it (or he doesn't) i will either ebay it or craigslist it. Did you find it swaddled well??

Hahaa, i totally don't blame you for barricading yourself in the house!

[Sam914]

see me post but yes we LOVE the miracle blanket

[jensma]

it must have been on your blog sam...i knew i saw it somewhere!!!

[tiffanys]

Oh yes, I forgot about my video monitor...my parents bought it for us and I'm super excited about it! I feel like it will save me so many trips of running to his room to check and make sure I can see his stomach going up and down to know that he's breathing!

[fromustobaby]

Originally Posted by KCMomma

Tonya, I'm gonna have to disagree with ya on the football hold. Since I had a c section that was the only way I was able to hold her and it not hurt my belly. I think it definitely depends on the baby. I used the Boppy sometimes, but not really for nursing. I would set it behind her when she was starting to sit up and that helped break her fall!

.never thought about that...I take it back...
I swear, I tried it for the first two weeks cause thats what all the nurses suggested and got like carpel tunnel syndrome in my hands from the hold itself, I've never had anything like it before or since...

PS-I'm really responding to say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE your new siggie...you look great as always, and Paige is SOO big, and adorable

[Oreobaby]

I would be careful on how many swaddling things you buy kate, just as a heads up, Rayanne HATES to be swaddled. She loves having her hands free, and she will fight with the blankets until she gets them free. We don't even try to swaddle her in anymore, because it just makes her upset. I'm just saying, you never know how your baby is going to be.

My must have right now is my swing. She sleeps in it during the day, and it has a mobile, so she just loves looking at it right now, and watching the animals move, it keeps her entertained so mommy can get some things done. The swing is off the ground, so it's not as easy for the cat to get at her.

Other than that, I love my diaper stacker as well, keeps the diapers nice and handy for when I am changing her, cause it is hung right beside the change table. It helped with not being able to bend over because of my C section.

[*Mommy2Camden*]

It's funny because a lot of the things that I thought I HAD to have, I didn't end up using, then the stuff I didn't expect to use a lot, I couldn't live without. Our portable changing pad was an ABSOLUTE life saver!!! It was the only thing Camden would sleep on for the 1st 2 months. Also, as silly as it sounds the crib is also a complete must have for us. We set it up in our room about 3 months ago, and Camden sleeps SOOO well in it. We originally weren't going to set it up until he was older, but changed our minds. (I'm so glad we did)