Baby Gear Must-Haves - Update

Now that my son is 13 months old, here is an updated list of the baby gear I've grown to love (See prior post for details):

(1) Huggies Baby Wipes - still the best.

(2) Huggies or Pampers Diapers - I started out with Pampers, they worked very well, until I got a bum package where all of the silica pellets fell out all over my kid and made this gooey, ridiculous mess. I switched to Huggies and they work great. Now, I use the Huggies overnights, well, at night, and the Little Movers during the day. If I hadn't had a bum package of Pampers, I would have stuck with Pampers. Don't bother with the "chlorine free" green diapers. Not as absorbant.

(3) California Baby Tea Tree & Lavender Shampoo - my boy had cradle cap REALLY BADLY. This got rid of it within a week, and he never had it again. It's pricy, but worth it. You can get it at Babies R Us (BRU) and at Whole Foods.

(4) Aveeno Extra Moisturizing Body Wash (has a dark blue cap) - my family is the definition of dry skin - this keeps him from getting the always dreadful ecszema that the rest of us battle with.

(5) Aveeno Baby Ecszema Care Lotion - sooooo creamy and great. I give my son a massage every night before he goes to bed and this stuff makes his skin like butter. Even if your baby doesn't have ecszema, I totally recommend it.

(6) Born Free BPA Free Plastic Bottles - I use Avent and Born Free plastic bottles, but I like the Born Free ones the best. After a while, if you don't put the Avent tops on just right, they leak everywhere. Don't bother with glass bottles unless your entire house is carpeted. Babies drop bottles for sport. Not worth the extra money to have them shattered all over your kitchen tile.

(7) Cloth diapers - Again, don't bother with burp cloths. Buy a 12 pack of Gerber organic cotton cloth diapers, and you're set. they're absorbant, and nothing cleans up spit-up in a hurry like a cloth diaper. That is, if you can beat the dog to it (gross).

(8) Koala brand receiving blankets from BRU - they are HUGE, so its easy to swaddle with them. Later on, use them as a sheet for the baby in the summertime.

(9) Wearable blankets - Still great. Unless you keep your house super cold (like we do), you really don't need that many of the fleece ones. They get too hot. Go for cotton, you will get the most bang for your buck.

(10) Earth's Best Formula - I exclusively breast fed my son until I had to go back to work, and I couldn't pump very well at work (not enough privacy), so we switched to part breastmilk, part formula. He took to the formula (in a red can - cow's milk based, not soy) without a hitch. There's so much unpronounceable garbage in those other brands, this was the only one I felt comfortable using. That's not to say you won't be comfortable using the other ones - it just was comfortable for me to do so. On the pricey side: $28.99 a can - Whole Foods had the cheapest price, usually. Earths Best.com has a good coupon, but they limit you by IP address on how many you can print out.

(11) Desitin - still the best - don't buy the tub - stick with the tubes because you are less likely to get all that white stuff jammed in your finger nails smearing it on with the tube. I can't wait to finish this darn tub of Desitin!!

(12) Bumbo infant seat - it is foam and formed in such a way that babies can sit up in it before they are able to sit up on their own. This is a fantastic invention. Bumbo is made in South Africa. The other manufacturer makes theirs in China, so Bumbo won for me.

I've been making a mental list in my head for quite some time now because I want to put together a "survival kit" for my friends when they are ready to have children, based upon my experiences, so they don't have to waste their time and money on baby nonsense - just get the good stuff and move on!

(NOTE: I did not receive any compensation for endorsing any of these products. Nor am I guaranteeing their quality or creating a warranty for these products in any way. I'm just telling you my OPINION as to what worked for my family and what didn't. (That's right, I'm a lawyer - there always has to be a disclaimer!)

Baby Gear Essentials

I know, I know, every single website tells you what to buy and what not to buy. Well, no one is giving me any money to endorse anything, I'm just a regular person writing a blog who happens to have had her first baby, registered for a bunch of stuff, and has used a bunch of stuff a ton, and is also disappointed that I was suckered into things that I really didn't need (and now feel guilty that, in this economy, my friends and family bought me those things that just lay around my house).

Here is my no-frills, no-nonsense approach to buying for baby. These are the must-haves. I hope this helps you cut through the hype from magazines and other sites that are sponsored, and to help you when you are waddling around Babies R Us trying to figure out what is necessary. There's nothing fancy on my list, but everything on the "must have" list has served a purpose.

MUST HAVES:

Diapers (I prefer Pampers) - I bought a package of size 1 diapers every week while I was pregnant. I bought all kinds: Chlorine free, pampers, costco, etc. I found Pampers Swaddlers were the best at first, then Baby Dry at night, Cruisers during the day.

Huggies Wipes (they are worth the money) - again, I've tried them all. Huggies are tough, allow you to clean poopy bottoms with only one wipe.

Desitin (get a tub for the changing table, tubes for the diaper bag and alternative changing station)

Cloth Diapers (6-12) - don't mess with those cute burp cloths - these puppies are hardcore. Trust me, when your kid is in the spit-up phase, you will be cleaning up a lot of baby puke.

Sleep Sacks (aka wearable blankets) - fleece for winter, jersey for summer; i recommend having 3 at your disposal. you will use these A LOT!

Receiving Blankets - try to find larger ones if you can, so you can use them longer; have the nurses in the maternity unit teach you how to swaddle. It really does help the baby stay calm while he/she is sleeping.

sleep n' play one-piece pjs - get the ones that zip up, rather than snap. you will lose your mind in the middle of the night trying to snap all of those snaps!

Born Free Bottles - even if you're breastfeeding (which i did) it is nice to have bottles on hand, and these are the best ones i've tried. they let just enough liquid out, and they vent pretty well. they come in BPA-free plastic or glass. I have both. I like both.

Bottle Warmer - I just bought the BRU generic brand. It works just fine. this is really nice to have - it heats up really quickly.

Breast pump (if breastfeeding) - I bought a Medela Pump in Style. it looks like a handbag, it's relatively quiet and easy to use. it comes with four 5oz bottles, and all of the equipment you need. I also bought the cleaning wipes and the pump and save breastmilk storage bags.

Travel System - these are great. they have a stroller, infant carrier/car seat, and car seat base all in one package. It all coordinates, which is nice too.

Pack n' Play - they have really come a long way since the plain blue ones of old. They have changing tables attached, which is great if you have a two story house (one changing table upstairs and the pnp changing table downstairs).

Dreft laundry detergent and stain remover - the stain remover is the best thing since the invention of the washing machine. No kidding, it gets motor oil out of clothes! This stuff is worth its weight in gold!!

Other: bibs, onesies, clothing, socks (Old Navy makes the best socks)