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Question:

I am revising a toy/product guide put out as part of an educational program by an independent (they don’t sell toys) company. The guide covers 0-12 months. I have been asked to add a section on useful things to buy before the baby arrives that are not necessities, but helpful to have. I consider necessities things like car seat, crib, stroller, clothing, diapers, etc. Examples of useful but not necessary things are monitors, back or front pack carrier, music boxes, etc. The guide does not mention specific brands, only types of items and what to look (desirable features) if you buy them. I’d be interested in hearing from anyone about both supplemental things you used a lot during your baby’s first year and things you thought you would use but found didn’t work our as well as you expected. It’s been a long time since my kids were babies, so any help would be appreciated.

Response:

A front carrier was SO useful for me when my first child was born. You can still do all the things you need two hands for, and hold the baby as well. When my second baby came, I used it even more. The type where the child can face you and feel secure when they are very small, and then later face the outside world, is the best.    -**** Posted from RemarQ, http://www.remarq.com/?b ****-  Real Discussions for Real People

Response:

>The guide >covers 0-12 months. I have been asked to add a section on useful things >to buy before the baby arrives that are not necessities, but helpful to >have.

You know what I used a lot for about a year and a half untill I lost it was one of those mirrors that you can see in the back seat. They are only like $4 and are great. I actually need to buy another one but I just keep putting it off. Highly recommended. Nancy

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Couldn’t live without an exersaucer!  Nikki – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I am revising a toy/product guide put out as part of an educational >program by an independent (they don’t sell toys) company. The guide >covers 0-12 months. I have been asked to add a section on useful things >to buy before the baby arrives that are not necessities, but helpful to >have. >I consider necessities things like car seat, crib, stroller, clothing, >diapers, etc. >Examples of useful but not necessary things are monitors, back or front >pack carrier, music boxes, etc. >The guide does not mention specific brands, only types of items and what >to look (desirable features) if you buy them. >I’d be interested in hearing from anyone about both supplemental things >you used a lot during your baby’s first year and things you thought you >would use but found didn’t work our as well as you expected. >It’s been a long time since my kids were babies, so any help would be >appreciated.

Response:

exersaucer — my favorite!

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I had one of those frames that the infant car seat clips into to make it into a stroller (when you don’t have one of those all in one strollers).  It was wonderful.  When the baby had fallen asleep in the car I didn’t have to disturb them when we got to our destination. My swing was indispensable…especially during the evening cranky time which naturally coincides with dinner preparation. I also love (and still use) a type of plate/tray called the Baby Buffet which attaches to the tray of the high chair via a big rubber band underneath.  It has a divided plate on it and there is absolutely no way for the child to remove/throw the dish from the high chair.  I got this from a catalogue-I’ve never seen it in stores. Also-I have a bar that attaches to the handle of the stroller which has a cup holder, and 3 double-sided hooks.  I believe the manufacturer is Prince Lionheart.  It is similar to the Stroller Holder (which I had originally) but the Stroller Holder can’t be used with the new ergonomic stroller handles and this bar can. As for toys/activities:  my Gymini pad with the 2 arches and attached toys, the Today’s Kids Activity Rocker and the Fisher Price activity table (these last 2 are more for 10mos on up) Hope this helps. Marion—Tampamom to Louis(6) and Erica(2) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >exersaucer — my favorite!

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Gotta disagree.  None of my kids much enjoyed the sensation of not being fully supported and/or of floating in mid-air, so the following would be dubious in my book: exersaucer infant swing doorway jumper (= johnny jump up?) I’d at least recommend borrowing these for a day or two before actually purchasing them. They did all love their bouncy seats (which had toy bar and battery-powered vibration) and their lullaby-playing mobile.  Plus those things to stand over them for them to bat at while lying on their backs on the floor. Stroller cup holder for *Mom*. Because my kids tossed their food so badly, I eventually had the Baby Buffets, too — again from a catalog.  I didn’t use them much because they were very hard to get on and off my highchairs (which had a huge tray and so the elastic band barely stretched).  Also would have preferred them if they had had a holder for a cup. –Janet Elliot, Hanna, Connor  (10/21/96) .

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> exersaucer — my favorite!

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>Gotta disagree.  None of my kids much enjoyed the sensation of not being >fully supported and/or of floating in mid-air, so the following would be >dubious in my book: >exersaucer >infant swing >doorway jumper (= johnny jump up?) >I’d at least recommend borrowing these for a day or two before actually >purchasing them.

I agree these might be a good idea to "try before you buy" (like many large toys) but our daughter absolutely loved them! Quite honestly I don’t think we would have survived the first 7 or 8 months without them. We even took the Johnny jump up with us when we travelled overseas as I couldn’t imagine getting through a day without it. >They did all love their bouncy seats (which had toy bar and battery-powered >vibration) and their lullaby-playing mobile.  Plus those things to stand >over them for them to bat at while lying on their backs on the floor.

We also loved the lullaby mobile ….  we used it over her changing table and had trouble free changes for months – until she learned to pull it down. –Lisa Bell SAHM/WAHM to Gabriella (14 months) #2 due 22FEB2000

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I love my Boppy nursing pillow.  I hated nursing away from home without it.  Even after I stopped nursing, it’s great for propping baby up in a semi-sitting position and helping her learn to sit. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I am revising a toy/product guide put out as part of an educational >program by an independent (they don’t sell toys) company. The guide >covers 0-12 months. I have been asked to add a section on useful things >to buy before the baby arrives that are not necessities, but helpful to >have. >I consider necessities things like car seat, crib, stroller, clothing, >diapers, etc. >Examples of useful but not necessary things are monitors, back or front >pack carrier, music boxes, etc. >The guide does not mention specific brands, only types of items and what >to look (desirable features) if you buy them. >I’d be interested in hearing from anyone about both supplemental things >you used a lot during your baby’s first year and things you thought you >would use but found didn’t work our as well as you expected. >It’s been a long time since my kids were babies, so any help would be >appreciated.

Response:

No-doze for the many long days after sleepless nights for the parents. Just kidding.  Seriously, my favorite shower gifts that weren’t considered necessities were a vibrating pillow for me and a vibrating bassinet for my daughter.  The pillow was great during her naps because I could just sit in a chair, prop up my feet, and get a relaxing massage.  The bassinet was wonderful because it provided a mobile bed for when we visited relatives, and it was great for calming my daughter down when all else failed (usually any ways).  The pillow, I think, was relatively inexpensive, and I think the bassinet cost around $50.  I still use the pillow, and we used the bassinet as long as we could.  I think my daughter was around 3 or 4 months old when she grew out of it. However, it’s a passable item for those in large families who have a tendency to have family members being born almost one after the other. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I love my Boppy nursing pillow.  I hated nursing away from home without > it.  Even after I stopped nursing, it’s great for propping baby up in a > semi-sitting position and helping her learn to sit. >I am revising a toy/product guide put out as part of an educational >program by an independent (they don’t sell toys) company. The guide >covers 0-12 months. I have been asked to add a section on useful things >to buy before the baby arrives that are not necessities, but helpful to >have. >I consider necessities things like car seat, crib, stroller, clothing, >diapers, etc. >Examples of useful but not necessary things are monitors, back or front >pack carrier, music boxes, etc. >The guide does not mention specific brands, only types of items and what >to look (desirable features) if you buy them. >I’d be interested in hearing from anyone about both supplemental things >you used a lot during your baby’s first year and things you thought you >would use but found didn’t work our as well as you expected. >It’s been a long time since my kids were babies, so any help would be >appreciated.

Response:

***Sorry to piggyback, but these are the items I found useful: My Evenflo carrier (Snuggli-type), it helps me be able to do laundry, & other things around the house without my daughter getting upset. The Graco swing that has the basinette basket & the swing that are interchangable. Works wonders for the tired & cranky baby! Plus we use the swing seat as a feeding chair as well. And since my daughter has outgrown the basinette part I use it to keep her toys in so that I can move them from room to room if needed. The Evenflo exersaucer. My house has very strange floor plan that makes a walker very impractical, the exersaucer keeps my daughter entertained for hours & helps develop her leg muscles as well. If you do have room for a walker I recommend the one from Safety First (we have this at my grandmothers house since she has a HUGE house with lots of room to scoot around) that looks like a little car. It has lots of toys to play with on it & you can put the brakes on it if you need it to be stationary. Evenflo on-my-way carseat. It’s WONDERFUL. The handle is turned at a nice angle, it clips on to shopping carts so you don’t have to drag a stroller with you to the grocery store. I like the seperate base as well. I’m sure many (if not all) of the other car seat/carriers do this as well, but this is the one I personally have experience with. Baby’s First Radio. It’s made by Disney I guess, it has Mickey Mouse all over it. There’s a huge red button you push to make it play music. My daughter LOVES this thing. it plays 9 different songs so it doesn’t annoy you with one repetitive tune. ***Things that are so-so: I have a Graco Pack-N-Play (bassinnette & play pen). Since my daughter sleeps in the bed with us I’ve only used it 3 times. It’s a pain in the butt to take apart, the bassineete mattress is lousy, when I lay my sleeping daughhter on it she immediately wakes up because of the noise. It does come in a nice carrying bag & fits in the trunk (as long as I don’t take much else with me). I think I would like it a lot more if my daughter didn’t sleep in bed with us, but I really get little use from it. Maybe this will change in summer when I can use it outdoors as a playpen, we’ll see. It does make a decent changing table though. I also have a high chair/booster seat made by The First Years that’s so-so.  I’ll probably like it much more later on when my daughter uses it more. It straps on to a regular chair & folds up for carrying. As a high shair it’s a little on the short side. ***Things that I HATE, never use, wish I’d never bought. The Evenflo vibrating bouncy seat. I thought this would be a wonderful item to sit my daughter in while I showered… WRONG. The safety strap doesn’t keep them from toppling over sideways. The toys on it are great, the seat pad is washable, which is wonderful. But I don’t find the seat to be safe if you plan to turn your back for even half a second. My daughter hates the vibrating noise as well. It’s been packed up & put in a closet where it shall stay until I find something to do with it. I’m sure there’s more, that’s just all I could think of at the moment. Hope it helps, Melody – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > No-doze for the many long days after sleepless nights for the parents. > Just kidding.  Seriously, my favorite shower gifts that weren’t > considered necessities were a vibrating pillow for me and a vibrating > bassinet for my daughter.  The pillow was great during her naps because > I could just sit in a chair, prop up my feet, and get a relaxing > massage.  The bassinet was wonderful because it provided a mobile bed > for when we visited relatives, and it was great for calming my daughter > down when all else failed (usually any ways).  The pillow, I think, was > relatively inexpensive, and I think the bassinet cost around $50.  I > still use the pillow, and we used the bassinet as long as we could.  I > think my daughter was around 3 or 4 months old when she grew out of it. > However, it’s a passable item for those in large families who have a > tendency to have family members being born almost one after the other. > I love my Boppy nursing pillow.  I hated nursing away from home without > it.  Even after I stopped nursing, it’s great for propping baby up in a > semi-sitting position and helping her learn to sit. > >I am revising a toy/product guide put out as part of an educational > >program by an independent (they don’t sell toys) company. The guide > >covers 0-12 months. I have been asked to add a section on useful things > >to buy before the baby arrives that are not necessities, but helpful to > >have. > >I consider necessities things like car seat, crib, stroller, clothing, > >diapers, etc. > >Examples of useful but not necessary things are monitors, back or front > >pack carrier, music boxes, etc. > >The guide does not mention specific brands, only types of items and what > >to look (desirable features) if you buy them. > >I’d be interested in hearing from anyone about both supplemental things > >you used a lot during your baby’s first year and things you thought you > >would use but found didn’t work our as well as you expected. > >It’s been a long time since my kids were babies, so any help would be > >appreciated.

Response:

I second the Boppy pillow. It’s my favorite baby item by far! I hate nursing without it. ~Shiloh

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