I’m due July 23 with my 1st and I know almost NOTHING about babies!
I’ve registered for the basics and the obvious "needed" items, but what item(s) were you surprised to find useful or necessary? Also, any ideas of what misc. items I should register for would be greatly appreciated!
My friend took me to Target today and I was shocked at all the things she had me scanning… I didn’t think babies required that much! LOL I’m so glad she agreed to help me.
These suggestions are great, please keep them coming! I’m glad to say I already have or registered for most of these items, so it’s nice to be reassured that I’m doing okay so far! My friend handed me her boppy and told me it’d become my best friend. 
You definitely don’t need everything on the list that Target recommends.
What I find useful:
*breastpump if you work, or will be separated from baby
*a good baby carrier ( http://www.thebabywearer.com )
*a stroller can be handy at times
*a good carseat… I like the Fisher Price Safe Voyage made by Britax
*My Brest Friend or Boppy nursing pillow
*diapers, cloth or disposable
*some clothes, a few blankets, a few burp rags
*LilyPadz breast pads- they are awesome!
That’s all I can think of off-hand. 
Good luck!
October 31st, 2009 at 8:45 pm
I found cloth diapers a a burping cloth the most useful.
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October 31st, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Babies need very little of what people try to sell their parents.
A sling is an utter must. Best, absolute best, tip I ever got on baby items.
Good book on breastfeeding. Good book on infant development - "Dr Sears baby book. Stay away from the ‘what to expect’ series of books. their info is often lousy and they are into detachment.
diapers. books, toys for later. a few onesies.
that’s all.
what your baby needs more than anything is you. more than 10 hours a week of separation from mom in the first three years of life causes devastating emotional, cognitive, social, and physical problems. It also causes the parents to detach from the child, which you’ll see ample evidence of when people tell you how much their infants love ’school.’
Your baby needs you, your milk, your arms, your attention, your bed at night.
References :
http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/Garden/2010
http://www.naturalchild.org
October 31st, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Babies really don’t need that much.
For clothing, for a newborn, I would highly recommend gowns (for boys or girls) for nightime or staying home. With a gown, there’s draw string botton to make sure their feet are covered. For a night time changing, it is less disrputive for the baby and much easier to change the diaper.
A digital thermometer. Doctors really don’t like, but they are so much easier to read. A syringe for cleaning out the nose.
Buy an infant seat with a compatible stroller so that if the baby is sleeping, you can place the infant carrier in the stroller. Most companies sell (via mail) an extra car seat base so that if you have 2 cars, you can keep a base in each car to avoid constantly changing from one car to the next.
Disposable changing pads. The public changing tables are full of germs and the dispenser is always out. Oh, a diaper wipe warmer to keep next to the changing table.
Don’t go anywhere without a fully stocked diaper bag including extra formula (ready to use indiviudal servings are expensive, but come in really handy if youre away from home).
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October 31st, 2009 at 10:38 pm
http://www.greatbabyproducts.com/Powder_Baby_Formula_Dispenser_p/munc-80101.htm
this item right here was a life saver b/c i hated to bring a whole can of formula w/ me when i left the house b/c then you make a mess trying to scoop it out blah blah blah and i didn’t use the liquid concentrate b/c i didn’t need the whole thing and it would go bad before i could make it home to put it in the fridge… congratulations!!!
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October 31st, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Get a boppy, I thought it was silly at first but both my kids lived in theres, my son is a year old and still has his in the bed with him.. Also I couldnt have lived without my baby swing and many many diapers…. Dont register for alot of newborn clothes, they grow so fast that they wont wear them all…
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October 31st, 2009 at 11:25 pm
i love my boppy. i used it to sit on for a week or two after delivery since i was so sore from stitches and then to breastfeed and to put my son in while he napped sometimes or for tummy time and to place behind him when starting to sit up so he wouldn’t fall back on his head. still use it everyday and he’s 8 months
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October 31st, 2009 at 11:33 pm
I absolutely would have died if I didn’t have a swing for my boys. They would both take great naps in it (and then I could get one too!)
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November 1st, 2009 at 12:04 am
Every baby is different. My daughter-I wouldn’t have survived without a soother. My son-a baby swing. I couldn’t put him down without him crying unless it was in a swing. Gripe water was a godsend. I breast fed so a good breast pump and sealable breast milk bags(for drop in bottles) help so I could get a break away with out the kids. A good sturdy diaper bag..spend a little extra for a good one so they don’t fall apart before your done using them. I also loved the stroller I had. The infant car seat clipped to it so if the baby was sleeping all i had to do was take the car seat out and put it in the stroller. One last thing was a book called Mother and Baby care. It has everything from start to finish about pregnacy, labor, and newborn care, breast feeding, different childhood ailments and first aid for kids and babies. It was brought out by the Canadian Medical Association. I still use it as a refrence.
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November 1st, 2009 at 12:52 am
You definitely don’t need everything on the list that Target recommends.
What I find useful:
*breastpump if you work, or will be separated from baby
*a good baby carrier ( http://www.thebabywearer.com )
*a stroller can be handy at times
*a good carseat… I like the Fisher Price Safe Voyage made by Britax
*My Brest Friend or Boppy nursing pillow
*diapers, cloth or disposable
*some clothes, a few blankets, a few burp rags
*LilyPadz breast pads- they are awesome!
That’s all I can think of off-hand.
Good luck!
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November 1st, 2009 at 1:23 am
Well I am having my 4th so for me personally I have learned what things are necessary and what are not!!
Mothers touch baby bather, not the big plastic tub that takes up sooo much room. This one folds nicely!
Have lots of burp rags, they spit up quite frequently! And unless you want to constantly wash…as well as extra outfits, blankets;
Infant SWING!!!! I loved a bouncy seat b/c I took it in the bathroom while I showered.
Those were the things i couldn’t do w/out everything else is pretty much convenience or personal preference.
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November 1st, 2009 at 1:56 am
Our slings were a must have. In fact, outside of the immediate "needs" (food, diapers, clothing), it’s the ONLY thing I couldn’t have lived without. It kept people from touching him (either of them) when we went out when he was small, and kept him close to me, so he rarely fussed.
I also really loved our miracle blankets (I believe it’s http://www.miracleblanket.com), and a snugglenest… we didn’t plan on cosleeping, and when we came home from the hospital and fell into it, we weren’t confident about not rolling over him… this helped us feel like it wouldn’t happen until we were sure it wouldn’t. Then when my next son ended up being a crib sleeper, it helped create a smaller environment for him… his arms flung out and touched something, not a wide open space, just like in the womb.
Love the Dr. Sears site and books.
Enjoy your new baby!
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November 1st, 2009 at 2:11 am
A swing, definitely get the formula holder that Sarah D was talking about, if you have a dishwasher get at least one of the baskets to hold nipples and rings. A car seat, obviously. A few sleepers onsies and pants. Being due in July you won’t have to worry about warm clothes. If you are breastfeeding definitely look into getting a pump, they are a life saver. OH definitely get nursing pads whether or not you are nursing. Get a few receiving blankets. And I highly recommend a Baby Moses Basket. Its a little bed but its a basket so you can carry the baby around the house without waking them up. It will be a life saver, especially when the baby is first born. My daughter woke up as soon as I tried to move her to bed. This way you just take the bed with you!! Congrats and good luck!!!
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November 1st, 2009 at 2:27 am
The sling, The Baby Book by Dr Sears and lots of big receiving blankets. Those were must-haves. I agree about the "What To Expect" books. There are much better books out there.
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This is my favorite sling: http://www.mayawrap.com
November 1st, 2009 at 3:12 am
Gas drops, burp rags and a comfortable rocking chair. I also use a small carry-on bag for a diaper bag. I have a few regular sized ones for short trips, but if the baby is going to the sitters or Gra-mas for several hours you can fit a lot more diapers, wipes and blankies in a bigger bag. I love it.
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November 1st, 2009 at 3:48 am
you will use the changing table,burp rags, and diaper jeenies. All the things that I saw at my friends baby shower because I didn’t have one were ridicoulous. You really need food,diapers, bath tub, changing table, burp rags, diaper jeenie( not necc. but nice) one piece outfits, and little gowns that look like potato sacks for night time. You really don’t have to spend millions to have a child. Of course you do need a car seat
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November 1st, 2009 at 4:19 am
Keep cloth diapers handy not for diapering but they are really absorbant and clean anything up. Also i found that newborns wet through thier diapers and clothes a lot (i guess diaper manufacturers haven’t figured that one out yet) but you can buy these cloth things that are soft on top so they won’t irritate baby but they are plastic on the bottom to keep the sheets from getting wet. saves you from having to do extra laundry because believe me you will be washing a lot of clothes. And keep bibs handy nothing gets spit up out of clothes.
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November 1st, 2009 at 4:35 am
Stroller
changing table
crib
bassanette in my room for first three mounths.
I liked the smaller diaper bags
I liked my diaper geenie, that is the only one that really keeps the smell out.
The best types of bottles are avent so I found.
Diapers depends on the child and how they are built and what gender they are
Car seats are hard choices make sure they fit your car properly. buy it, try it in the car before you leave the store. If you get it at a shower, make sure it buckles down good, my sons did not, and he fliped around in the car when I turned a corner. I had to buy another.
Make sure you have one or two out fits for every growth spert, most babies need knew out fits every two to three mounths during that first year.
I love the plates that I have when he started eating baby food. They were bought at wal mart in the baby section
The best brand of passy for my son was the mam.
Oh and the musical bouncy seat is very usefull as well, and you the play pin is a must have for when you stay at friends houses. Make sure if you get the fold up one that it has safty locks so baby does not get stuck in it.
Most babies love their swings as well, my son loved his until he had surgery on his head.
Well that about covers it.
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November 1st, 2009 at 4:59 am
A life saving item for me was a sling! Both of my boys wanted to be held constantly so I would just tuck them up into the sling and then I could do housework while they slept in the sling
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