If you could start all over again for baby gear, what would you get?

[swissair81]

I'm set for my strollers and car seat.
My bouncy seat, exersaucer, swing, jumperoo, bumbo, etc were all totaled in my flood. I'm not looking to buy anything right now, just wondering what you would have gotten if you were an experienced mom already when you bought all your equipment. I'm not looking to buy 1000 things that I don't use. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

[Beth24]

Bare minimum for me would be:

For infant stage--bouncy seat and gymini for floor time, swing would be third choice
I also like the FP rock and play sleeper bc its portable and babies seem to nap well in it.
Crawling stage--exersaucer so you can keep them in one place when needed
High chair

I never used a bumbo (prefer to wait until they can sit by themselves and not prop them up artificially) or a jumperoo.

[Tondi G]

I would buy a cradle swing that has side to side motion. I had an older Graco (front to back) and both of my kids didn't love the swing.

My DS1 didn't like being reclined much so the bouncy chair wasn't used very often, but DS2 loved his fishy FP bouncy seat. DS1 went into his exersaucer earlier because he loved being upright... we wedged him in with receiving blankets to keep him more steady.

Bumbo seats and jumperoos didn't exist for us ... since I already had a saucer from DS1 we didn't consider buying a jumperoo for DS2. We did have the jumpy for the doorway and both boys enjoyed that for a while.

I would have loved to have had my hotsling pouch early on with DS1 and also an Ergo or something more comfortable/supportive than the Bjorn cause DS1 lived in that thing!!!!

[hillview]

Minimum would be an exersaucer and baby play gates. Ds1 hated the swing so I'd wait on that. Snap and go stroller. Good car seat. The kindermax chair and learning tower are all good items.

Neither really liked the baby seat. Also both boys were big fast so lots of items were only used a couple of months.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Tripp Trapps from the beginning.

Chicco Keyfit 30 carseat with UppaBaby Vista (we had this for DD but not for DS..we had Graco Snap N Go).

[twowhat?]

Oooh, fun:)

I'd get:

FP healthy care boosters (we used IKEA and while they worked great for us, the FP boosters take up even less room)
BJCMD GT (not available when I bought our BJCMD; if it were it'd be our one and only)
Nap nannies (we used reflux wedges - they don't look as comfy)
Bouncy seat (we used and found essential)
Exersaucer or jumparoo (we never had; would've been really nice to have)
Carrier (we used Beco and found them to be essential)
Baby monitor (another essential and I'd get the same one we use now: Sony Babycall)
Cribs (I'd buy the same ones all over again - IKEA Gulliver)
Carseat (I'd buy the same one all over again - Graco Snugride)
Nursing pillow (essential)
Playmat for tummy time (essential and we loved the IKEA one)

Things we had that I wouldn't buy again:
Bumbo
Boppy
Walkers (gift from Grandma - waste of money IMO)
A real high chair (we sold ours)

[marymoo86]

Exersaucer - loved the Tea for Me by evenflo, no lights!
Floor gym - Tiny Love gymini
Swing - got one after trying at a friends to confirm DD would like. Got the FP my lamb cradle

bouncy seat didn't get used much as she didn't like it too well
MBF nursing pillow

[crl]

I was pretty happy with what we had.

Wood baby gym from Ikea, I just put a blanket down under it
Bouncy seat from CL, don't know the brand.
Tripp trapp with baby rail


I would get a swing that plugs in as those suckers eat batteries like crazy. And I would get one that swings in both directions. I got one that did the cradle rock for free and then it died and I bought one off CL that only swung front to back and dd never did like it as much.

I never had a bumbo or a swing or an exersaucer (despite being offered a used one for free) or a pack n play and didn't miss any of them. Haven't used our monitor at all (our place is small though). (I have a neighbor who somehow has her iPhone set up to function as a baby monitor, btw.)

Love our ikea Gulliver crib with ikea mattress.

Never have had a changing table and don't regret that a bit. I do have the JJCole changing station/tote and that little thing is super handy. One of my neighbors saw mine and bought one to keep in her car.

We have an old iPod and dock with speakers with a 99 cent white noise download on it and it works great as a white noise machine.

Catherine

[swissair81]

My real problem is that among my kids, each of them liked different things. This is why we ended up with so much, I think. I didn't have much left from DD1 when DD2 was born, but DD2 liked the swing, hated the bouncer, and was in love with the jumperoo. DS loved the swing, loved the bouncer, hated the jumperoo, but loved the exersaucer. DD3 hated both the bouncer and the swing, but liked the bassinet and the rock n play, and hated both the exersaucer and jumperoo. She loved the jolly jumper though. What am I supposed to do with that?

[MizMojoLaveau]

FP Rock N Play
tripp trapp
gotta give some BUMBO love. lol.

[new_mom_mry]

Cooshee changing pad
Tripp Trapp
Bumbleride Indie (used it from newborn days without any issues, love the flat recline)
Ergo
Gymini or some other mat that's fun for the baby
JJ Cole bundle me urban edition; indispensable for NorCal outdoor walks
Dwell Studio bedding for when the baby gets moved over to the crib and starts sleeping independently...love the quality and the look. Hated the breathable bumper...

[vonfirmath]

I would get a swing that plugs in as those suckers eat batteries like crazy. And I would get one that swings in both directions. I got one that did the cradle rock for free and then it died and I bought one off CL that only swung front to back and dd never did like it as much.


We had a swing that the plug in part had disappeared ebfore we got it. And I bought two pkgs of D batteries thinking it'd eat through batteries like crazy. And in 5 months of use we only had to replace batteries 3 times. So we've got a big pack of D batteries never opened, and 4 batteries left over from the first (that had only 12 batteries) we're trying to figure out what to do with :(

[meggie t]

We live in a city apt, so space is at a premium. I tried to only get items that fold and store easily, and a minimal number of items to boot. Here is my list:

Boppy (used for BF and then as support for DS on the floor)
Infantino play gym (folds to a stick for storage)
Jumperoo (folds slightly smaller, enough to put in a walk in closet)
Rock and Play Sleeper (used for first 6 weeks for sleeping and around the house daily until 7 months old; used in place of a bouncer; folds flat)
Maclaren bouncer (didn't use much but it wasn't offensive looking, it vibrates and it folds flat)
Tripp Trapp (didn't start solids until 8 months so didn't need baby seat option)

[flashy09]

The Rock n Play for sure. My baby sleeps at night in it and it fits in a suitcase for traveling. It was a lifesaver when she would spit up at night. I also bought the co sleeper and a pack n play, but the rock n play is all I need.

A plug in swing (FP Snugabunny). She naps in it really well

Bumbo seat. Even more portable than a bouncer and my baby really wants to sit upright

A bouncer with entertainment like the Rainforest one. She gets pretty bored in a regular one, but even now likes to watch "her show" on that one

An activity mat. Big hit since the first week and good for tummy time

[mikala]

Great thread.

Basic bouncy seat
Floor playmat like the Tiny Love
Jumperoo
Fisher Price Healthy Care High Chair for travel, playdates, etc., could even work as a full time high chair to save space
Keekaroo or Tripp Trapp high chair
Carriers--Ergo plus a Moby or other wrap
Activity table like this
Pack 'n play with just the raised newborn mat, didn't need all the bells and whistles

Our flops:
Bumbo--DS launched himself out of it backwards every time we tried it
Swing--this seems to vary so much between babies

[hellokitty]

Is this your last baby? If so, I would just suggest buying used or borrowing from friends.

I had a friend who lent us everything for DS3 (I had gotten rid of most of my gear after DS2) and it was so nice not to have to buy it AND to have someone to give it all back to after we were finished, kwim? You just get to that point where you want that stuff out of your house, and to me, it helps if it belongs to someone else and I can just give it back.

Here's the bare minimum and what worked for us:

Stuff I borrowed:
Arms reach co-sleeper
Bouncy chair
Transportable swing (fisher price one, I did miss my full size one that could swing both ways though, I think that this is something I probably should have gotten the full size for)
Baby bathtub
Exersaucer

Stuff I already still had:
Playmat
Stroller
Crib and accessories
Fisher price healthy care high chair (full size, but if I did this all over again I would have just gotten the smaller version you put on a chair)
I just used the contour baby changing pad with cover instead of a changing table and it worked out great.
Our old monitors still worked ok
My slings all worked ok still, I had sold off some, but had kept my favs

Had to buy:
New carseat and new sippy cups

[swissair81]

Is this your last baby? If so, I would just suggest buying used or borrowing from friends.


I hope not ;) I always wanted a big family. Also, I don't have any friends who actually lend out baby equipment. Most of them also plan to have more kids. In fact, most of us were up to having to buy again, because original purchases just don't last that long. I have a big basement though (or I will when we move back home), so I have place to store things.

[swissair81]

I do have some things already. Since I have another few little ones, we needed to replace some things for everyday life.
We have:
2 pack n plays- 1 with bassinet (both are in use at the moment)
High chair and booster seat
Infant car seat (I already contacted Chicco and they are sending me new infant inserts)
Assorted strollers
Infant to toddler rocker (this is dd3's, to get her to stop playing with the car seat)

[AnnieW625]

I wouldn't change much at all, however I would have told my parents I wanted a Svan chair instead of the classic wooden high chair they gave us (love it, and my dad stained it), but the Svan (http://www.amazon.com/Svan-Signet-Complete-High-Chair/dp/B0074Q5JEU/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1335460545&sr=1-2) would have been a bit more practical in the end. I also wish I would have gotten a Graco Safe Seat from the beginning with DD1 because I didn't like the infant seat we had for her, but overall I was happy with our baby purchases.

We never had an exersaucer or a jumperoo.

What I would not change:
*Disney Baby Einstein play time floor mat (http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Einstein-Caterpillar-Friends-Play/dp/B0051POK1E/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1335460445&sr=1-2)
*Baby Einstein crib aquarium (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12482416) (DD2 still plays with this in her crib, even though it no longer attaches to the crib. I initially bought her a Fisher Price aquarium as I thought this one was broken after DD1, but DD2 simply preferred the older Baby Einstein version)
*Pack N Play (http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Playard-Reversible-Napper-Changer/dp/B005UV0UCM/ref=sr_1_3?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1335460619&sr=1-3) (although if I had more space I'd probably spring for the Chicco Play Yard (http://www.amazon.com/Chicco-Lullaby-LX-Playard-Fuego/dp/B001F6YMXE/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1335460671&sr=1-1), as it is very plush, esp. the bassinet area, and the night light feature is nice too)
*Nap Nanny (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12482416) (esp. if insurance is paying;), loved this for DD2 who had severe reflux. I seriously wished I would have bought this sooner! I have since leant it out to friends who have also sung it's praises)
*Fisher Price Infant to Toddler rocker (http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Infant-To-Toddler-Rocker-Blue-Green/dp/B000WUB9O4/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1335461214&sr=1-1)
*Tripp Trapp for kids 18 mos.+ (If it had a tray or the lone after market tray wasn't $90 it would be the perfect chair)
*Bumbo seat (had the play tray with DD2)
*cloth diapers as burp clothes (the Imagine (http://www.nickisdiapers.com/imagine-smart-fit-prefold-diapers-dozen.html) ones that Nicki's Diapers sells are great! I just got my organic ones, prior I had Gerber which are good too, but these are soo absorbent)
*I would still get a changing table, I have a bad back and I hate changing diapers on the floor. I have one similar to this (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_13?url=search-alias%3Dbaby-products&field-keywords=jenny+lind+changing+table&sprefix=jenny+lind+ch%2Cbaby-products%2C397)
*countoured changing pad (http://www.amazon.com/Lajobi-6042100-Nightstar-Contour-Changing/dp/B000VKCGTM/ref=sr_1_10?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1335461992&sr=1-10)
*buying my Graco swing off of Craigslist, I paid $30 for it and it turned out DD2 hated it until she was about 6 months old so I am glad that I didn't spend a ton of money on the thing.

I know it isn't on your list, but I highly recommend the Playtex Drop Ins bottles (I actually preferred the originals to the premium ones (the ones that are curved)). I wished I would have found them soo much earlier than I did because they were the only bottle that didn't cause DD2 to spit up everywhere.

I can't think of much I wouldn't do again honestly. I didn't use the Boppy much until the kids were about 3 months old and I needed a prop, but I still found it useful.

[abh5e8]

we have loved:

svan bouncy seat
tripp trapp high chair (never used infant set, just regular straps)
johny jump up...old school kind that hangs from the door way
boppy
beautiful hand made baby quilt by g'ma for tummy time :)
glider rocker...the same one my mama rocked me in.

thats it, really. we have a small house, so we skipped all the big things. also LOVE my baby carriers...i have all kinds (wrap, ergo, peanut shell and mei tai).

things i tried and quickly passed on (with all 3 kiddos):

swing
saucer
pack n play
bumbo

[teo]

Helpful thread to hear others' experiences! Here's ours, also for a small city house so we tried to be minimal and opted for things that stored compactly when there was a choice...

Loved:
- BabyBjorn bouncer (bought used since they are pricey, and liked because it didn't involve batteries, but I think any easy-to-move bouncer is helpful)
- Inglesina Fast chair (using it now for eating until he is steady enough for Tripp Trapp, but even more useful from 4-6 months when baby could sit in it to be at table height when we were eating or doing other things--he wanted to be at our level so the bouncer was no longer great for those situations, and this worked like a charm!)
- FP Aquarium swing (or any swing that swings both ways)
- FP Jumperoo (looooooves right now!)
- Beco Gemini
- Arm's Reach mini co-sleeper
- Moonlight Slumber changing pad on bookshelf instead of changing table

Non-starters:
-Mamaroo bouncer (was a gift, but baby hated it!)
- Moby
- Sling
- Pack n Play Lite

Didn't have but will get if we have a second:
- Playmat (we just used blankets and the Ikea wooden gym, but I would get a Tiny Love or similar since he loves those at other people's homes)
- Ergo (actually might still get for this one!)
- Travel bassinet (or bassinet for our stroller that can be used in house too)
- Smaller swing with plug (got ours hand-me-down but it has a huge footprint and eats batteries like nobody's business)

Almost all of our stuff was either hand-me-down or borrowed, and I really do think that's the way to go on things where you're not sure if the baby will like it or not---even if you just borrow it long enough to see before buying one of your own. (All of our borrowed stuff comes from people who are planning more children, too---we just make sure to return it before the next child shows up!) However, I can also believe that people in small houses are more up for loaning things out since, almost without exception, all of our borrowed items have come with a big "whew, glad to get that out of the [garage/basement/guest room/closet/etc.]" :) Also, people planning smaller families may also be more willing to lend items---if you've already gotten half of your needed use out of it it's less of a risk than if you need it to last for 2-3 more children. (That said, we were baby #6 for the co-sleeper and it's now being used by baby #7, and is in pretty pristine shape---each child has used it for 4-6 months, so that's a big vote for quality and longevity there!)

Seems like fun to get a re-do on this---congrats!!