Show me your favorite baby gear

[glitzy07]

Bonus points if you can link to Amazon so I can add to my wishlist.

We're starting to think about a nursery and gear and all of that fun stuff, but I don't even know where to start. I'd love to have some real mom recommendations.

So, what is your favorite car seat? Co-sleeper/basinette? Stroller? Etc?

[jessnpaul]

I agree with the Snugabunny swing. DS uses it every day still (he's still tiny even though he's 8 months old). Worth every penny! And definitely get a swing that plugs in!

We also love our:

Graco Snugride 35 carseat

Beco Gemini carrier

Graco PnP - highly recommend getting the one with the infant sleeper/bassinet thingy... he slept in that thing a lot when I was on maternity leave as we kept it downstairs so I didn't have to go up and down the stairs all the time to check on him during the day!

Fisher Price Rainforest Bouncer... DS loves this bouncy seat so so much that I bought a second one for grandma's house!

[marclovesme]

DD loved this and it had the longest lifespan out of most toys/gear:

www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-K2564-Rainforest-Bouncer/dp/B000I2WB6G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356715625&sr=8-1&keywords=rainforest+bouncer

Also, a Bumbo with tray attachment - we put toys and finger foods (Cheerios) on the tray for her.

[marclovesme]

Dec 28, 2012 12:29:11 GMT -5 jessnpaul said:

Fisher Price Rainforest Bouncer... DS loves this bouncy seat so so much that I bought a second one for grandma's house!

Best EVER.

[pugz]

snug a bunny swing (a swing that plugs in is a must, all others are crap)

bouncer

rock n play

homedics sound spa w/projecter

miracle blankets (also the velcro swaddle mes worked for us when she was tiny, before she got hulk strength)

nose frida

brest friend pillow (boppy sucks for nursing but is good for other things)

city mini stroller w/carseat adapter. We use the Graco Snugride but it works with many types. Maneuvers way better than a snap n go.

wubbanub pacifiers


tommee tippee bottles

[pugz]

oh also the fisher price kick n play piano playmat. Squirmy LOVES kicking so it is the perfect playmat for her.

[Deleted]

I loved my boppy and still use it all the time. It probably has been the most widely used item.

We also just used a regular PnP, no infant insert or anything, and it was fine. He napped in it a lot. (At night he slept in our co sleeper so the two were similar).

Other faves....video monitor, snuggabunny swing (like others mentioned, it was big and took up space but worth every inch - and penny, ha!). The play mat was a big success. He likes his bouncey chair but more with H than with me. Also the Aden and Anais gauze blankets were amazing. I use them as nursing covers, receiving blankets, stroller covers, and car seat blankets.

[Brie]

Ergo and infant insert
Rock N Play
Brest Friend pillow
Halo fleece swaddle sacks
Skip Hop ABC playmat
Sleepers with zippers
Best Chairs glider and ottoman
MAM pacis (this is just a baby preference thing though)

The swing and bouncer and stroller have been kind of a waste. C will still only tolerate them for a few minutes at a time if he's in the right mood. Hopefully kid #2 will like them.

ETA: we love our PNP mostly because it's great having a changing station on our first floor.

[Deleted]

RNP that thing is the only reason my son ever slept.

[Deleted]

Ergo
Uppababy Vista stroller (also comes with a bassinet that we used in our room until DS outgrew it)
Uppababy stroller bag, it guarantees free replacement should anything ever happen to the stroller when you travel via plane
Rock N Play
PNP and the foam mattress that you pay for, DS hates the cardboard bottom it comes with
Aden + Anais blankets
Sophie the giraffe teething toy (get two if you find a great deal, you will def lose one)
Recaro ProRide convertible carseat
Peg Perego infant carseat
Rainforest bouncer
Snug a bunny swing

[Deleted]

Dupe

[dcn]

Rock n play

Ergo

Snap n go stroller

Sleep sack swaddle mes

I like my boppy

Medela pump in style breast pump

We have a hand me down bouncer that he likes to sit in while we get things done.

He never really used the pack n play but we live on the same floor as the bedrooms. We will use it for travel I'm sure.

We didn't get a swing and have survived so far.

Oh love our Motorola video monitor!

[pugz]

also loving the motorola video monitor, it was super easy to set up. You basically just plug it in and go. Just started using it last week when baby started sleeping in her nursery. I love spying on her, hehe.

[hski2349]

Sorry, I don't know how to make the links clicky.

Love my Snoogle. I got it at a garage sale. This thing is awesome. You can wrap it in all different ways for tummy time, and make a little cushion area for your LO to sleep in. And then DH and I will use it as a pillow too.

www.amazon.com/Leachco-Snoogle-Total-Body-Pillow/dp/B0000635WI/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1356722125&sr=1-1&keywords=snoogle


And I love our Britax B Agile stroller. It is cheaper than the City Mini, but all the review I read said it was just as great. It is easy to push, easy to fold, and light. I will go on walks with DD and my 80 pound dog and it handles great. It was one of the best purchases we made. I wish I would have gotten a Britax infant seat so that I did not need the seat adapter. But we have a Graco infant seat, and the infant seat adapter works fine with the stoller.

www.amazon.com/Britax-USA-U341783-B-Agile-Stroller/dp/B0050GD2AE/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1356722217&sr=1-1&keywords=britax+b+agile

[Becca]

You got great advice, but I just wanted to add another vote for the rainforest bouncy seat. Best bouncy seat I have ever used!

[Deleted]

I use the Moby wrap to wear her daily. Out for walks (it's cold and if she's in the wrap I can zip my day's coat around us both) and around the house doing chores.

[glitzy07]

These are all so great, thank you everybody! And feel free to keep adding. I'm going to start saving some of these in my baby Amazon wishlist for future reference!

[kangaroo11]

Dec 28, 2012 15:44:21 GMT -5 glitzy07 said:

These are all so great, thank you everybody! And feel free to keep adding. I'm going to start saving some of these in my baby Amazon wishlist for future reference!

I'm using this thread to update my registries.

[MadamePresident]

Dec 28, 2012 14:39:54 GMT -5 @idaholakelady said:

I use the Moby wrap to wear her daily. Out for walks (it's cold and if she's in the wrap I can zip my day's coat around us both) and around the house doing chores.

I also love the Moby wrap, but really any type of infant carrier/wrap is great to have. I have a 14 lbs 12c week old and without baby carriers my arms would fall off.

[pugz]

I got a K'tan but it was never used much. Squirms didn't really like being worn. I'm glad we have it though, I think for our 2nd kid it will get more use since I will likely be chasing a toddler around!

[chance22010]

Aden and Anais swaddle blankets, I don't use them for swaddling, I throw them over his car seat when we go out so he can nap without getting overtimulated. They are the perfect length and very lightweight

Fisher Price Papasan Starlight swing. Cheap, you can plug it in and it has lights, mobiles, side to side swinging and nature/music sounds. Love.

Chicco Keyfit Caddy, love having a lightweight stroller frame versus a huge heavy one (I bought both, the lighter one is better)

Swaddlemes, they Velcro so even squirmy babies can't get out

Fisher Price Kick and Play Piano

[cherry1111]

12 days in, the rock n play and the Halo sleep sack are my lifesavers.

[catbus]

This monitor: www.amazon.com/Angelcare-Movement-Monitor-System-Ac1100/dp/B004E9SWQ2/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356804098&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=angelbaby+video

Basic bouncer: www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-T2517-Bouncer-Turtle-Days/dp/B002OOWAGW/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1356804168&sr=1-1&keywords=turtle+bouncer

Halo SleepSack Swaddles (fleece, because they're not stretchy. E can escape the cotton ones if he wants): www.amazon.com/SleepSack-Micro-Fleece-Swaddle-Cream-Small/dp/B001D7JO1U/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1356804244&sr=1-2&keywords=sleep+sack+swaddle

Plug-in sound machine (this one works great and gets way better reviews than the Homedics one): www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Nursery-Projector-Sound-System/dp/B006SFUEF2/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1356804296&sr=1-1&keywords=munchkin+noise+machine

Basic Pack-n-Play: www.amazon.com/Graco-Pack-Playard-Bassinet-Pasadena/dp/B004Y9AKZI/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1356804473&sr=1-2&keywords=pack+n+play We don't have a large house, and our living space is all on one level, so we just needed one for baby to sleep in while in our room, and for travel purposes.

I personally did not want a Rock-n-Play because I didn't want E to rely on incline/rocking to fall asleep. But they are very popular, and many babies transition to a regular crib just fine (like Pugz's baby .

And we love our Maxi-Cosi Mico infant seat (www.amazon.com/Maxi-Cosi-Mico-Infant-Total-Black/dp/B004GJYU48/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1356805538&sr=1-1&keywords=maxi+cosi+mico) and UppaBaby Vista stroller (www.amazon.com/UPPAbaby-0112-Vista-Stroller-Jake/dp/B0077J2KB4/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1356805598&sr=1-1&keywords=uppababy+vista). The car seat is one that works great with our car (Subaru Outback), and the stroller fits our lifestyle well (we live in a very walkable neighborhood of Seattle. If we were in a suburb and had to drive most places, and the stroller were mainly for malls and such, we'd have probably gone more lightweight).

[redheadk]

Lots of great gear mentioned so I'll add one that I never see anyone recommend but that we absolutely LOVE:



www.amazon.com/OXO-Perfect-Wipes-Dispenser-Green/dp/B0067GKHVS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356804686&sr=8-1&keywords=oxo+wipes

It's the OXO Perfect Pull Wipes Dispenser. It is not a warmer, just something to hold the wipes that makes it much easier to get the wipes out, add more wipes, etc. Random but worth it, IMO. I hated the stupid plastic tubs that the wipes came in. DH could never pull them right to get the next one to come up so I was always having to dig around for a wipe.

[arch01]

homedics sound machine w/ projector
halo sleep sacks, swaddlemes when he was little
ergo for older, moby for younger
FP laugh and learn table www.fisher-price.com/en_US/products/45350
our bouncer was very basic, he never cared about the little toy attachment.
we have an older baby einstein jumperoo. he loves it.
we have yet to use our PNP-it actually ended up at MILs for the very rare occasion he naps over there.
we love our BOB stroller-it's the only one we have right now.
we had a graco snugride 22, we liked it.
we now have a cosco scenera for our second car and an evenflo triumph advance. we really like the evenflo.

[darnkatz]

Chariot Cougar (has infant insert option, and their new Chinook can take an infant seat). Can be used for biking, strolling, jogging, skiing, and hiking.
www.amazon.com/Chariot-Deluxe-Adventure-Carrier-Chassis/dp/B006ZPTCMG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1356806375&sr=8-2&keywords=chariot+cougar



Quinny Zapp Xtra.
www.amazon.com/Quinny-Zapp-Xtra-Rebel-Red/dp/B004BYY72S/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1356806445&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=quinny+zapp+xtra


Ergo carrier. I can still use this comfortably with my four year old, by the way. Back carry.
www.amazon.com/ERGO-Baby-Carrier-Bundle-Joy/dp/B008GVGKPY/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1356806614&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=galaxy+rgo+carrier


Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe blanket.
www.amazon.com/Kiddopotamus-SwaddleMe-Organic-Cotton-Natural/dp/B0013RRNLI/ref=sr_1_1_m?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1356806696&sr=1-1&keywords=kiddopotamus+swaddleme+blanket

[catbus]

Dec 29, 2012 13:15:45 GMT -5 redheadk said:

Lots of great gear mentioned so I'll add one that I never see anyone recommend but that we absolutely LOVE:



www.amazon.com/OXO-Perfect-Wipes-Dispenser-Green/dp/B0067GKHVS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356804686&sr=8-1&keywords=oxo+wipes

It's the OXO Perfect Pull Wipes Dispenser. It is not a warmer, just something to hold the wipes that makes it much easier to get the wipes out, add more wipes, etc. Random but worth it, IMO. I hated the stupid plastic tubs that the wipes came in. DH could never pull them right to get the next one to come up so I was always having to dig around for a wipe.

Yes, we love ours. I bought it on a whim at a baby boutique, and now that I think about it, I'm so glad I did. I kind of take it for granted.

I will disagree with the SwaddleMe recommendations. We tried one on E on a few occasions, and he would squirm out in seconds. The one we were given was a hand-me-down from friends who tried it on their baby... who would also escape in seconds. They came up in my moms' group, and everyone who'd tried them experienced the same thing. The babies they work on must be less persistent or something.

[pugz]

it does depend on the baby, when Squirms was tiny the swaddleme was perfect, she was WAY too small for the miracle blanket until about 3 months. And I didn't want to mess with swaddling with the A&A blanket in the middle of the night. Sizing on the swaddlemes is jacked up though. There is small/med but the large size is HUGE. So once she outgrew the small/med and was starting to sneak a hand out of it regularly we moved to the miracle blankets. Tried woombies but she just punched herself in the face through the blanket, lol.

[mollybrown]

Dec 28, 2012 14:31:27 GMT -5 @msstarry said:

if you can afford it and have room for it I suggest registering / purchasing a bunch of baby tools and hopefully something will work. You won't regret the extra money at 2 AM.

I totally agree with this. I bought lots of gear used so that I could try many things. I figure I'll break close enough to even when I sell it.

There were lots of things that I liked, but the only must haves were my Ergo and the Angel Care motion monitor (I would have bought the motion/video option if that had been available when my son was born). I would have paid any amount necessary for those 2 items.