Please educate me on the latest and greatest in must have baby gear

[mommybug]

DS3 is arriving in less than six weeks so it's probably time for me to start thinking about what I need for him (oh poor, poor third child ). It's been so long since I've thought about baby gear that I have no idea what the must haves are these days. DS1 is almost 8 and DS2 is approaching 6 so it's been quite awhile. I'm thinking that we need a swing, bouncer, and in a few months, a high chair. For both of the older kids we had the Fisher Price Aquarium bouncer and I remember both liked the motion sensitive lights and sounds. It looks like the Fisher Price Rainforest bouncer might be the latest equivalent? Or are there better ones that I should look at? For the swing, we still have a Fisher Price papasan swing but the highest speed no longer works and it was a huge battery suck so we're looking to get a new one that can also be plugged in. Any favorites? It looks like Fisher Price has several cradle/papasan style swings. For the high chair we had the Fisher Price aquarium one and I remember liking it because it had the adjustable seat and one-handed tray release. Any new features I should be on the look out for?

Any other must haves? I see the Rock n Play mentioned a lot. Is the deluxe version the version that is supposed to be softer and less likely to cause flat head problems? For DS1 we had a bassinet next to our bed and that's where he slept at night until about 6 weeks when we moved him to his own room. For DS2 I borrowed a friend's Arms Reach co-sleeper, which I really liked. I'm debating whether or not I should get a co-sleep or if our older Pack and Play with bassinet would be almost as good.

What about crib soothers and mobiles? We had the Fisher Price aquarium soother that we didn't use at night but I remember both boys liked looking at. And the mobile that we had was the Tiny Love one that played classical music. I'm wondering if I should just skip these things this time around...

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated! I'm the type of person that likes to research things to death so this is all driving me a bit batty since I'm also going through the other forums researching infant car seats, strollers, breast pumps, etc., etc.

[jam224]

We did fine without a swing, so no recommendation there.

For a bouncer, we *loved* the Bjorn Babysitter: http://www.amazon.com/BABYBJORN-Baby...dp/B001GZJU4K/. It moves when the baby kicks, so it's baby-powered. It has 3 incline levels. It folds flat for storage and travel. I love the modern look. It was definitely a splurge, but I managed to get a deal during a Kohl's sale.

For a high chair, we loved the Fisher Price Healthy Care Booster seat: http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-H...dp/B005IWM8PU/. We used it on a regular dining room chair. Cleans up easily and was also great for travel. I like that it blended in well with our decor. Cheap! I'm glad I saved money on that baby item, because once DD outgrew it, we got her a Tripp Trapp (secondhand off Craigslist, no less!).

I liked our Pack N Play with bassinet just fine. If that's what you have, I'd use it.

We did fine without a soother machine or a mobile (I bought a Tiny Love mobile and never used it). Instead, we used the Sleep Sheep as white noise in the bassinet, and then later on in DD's crib: http://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Travel-M...dp/B000J6CDY6/. Highly recommend.

Hope that helps!

[Still-in-Shock]

We made do with the swing that a friend lent us, a bouncy seat that was a gift, (http://www.amazon.com/Wenzel-49233-C...y+cars+bouncer), a rock and play I bought used on Craigslist and the Arms Reach co-sleeper that I also found on Craigslist. We didn't bother with a mobile, but my brother got us a dream light puppy (http://www.dreamlites.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1) that gave the baby something to look at at night.

Our baby had a ton of phlegm and hates sleeping flat, so the rock and play ended up being the sleeping place of choice. The cat decided that the arms reach was hers! (I bought both, because I knew that not all babies like one or the other, but bought used, so that I wouldn't waste money on the one the baby didn't like.) And now at 7 months, our baby sleeps in the crib.

What I thought were the best things we got, because they would have been useful no matter what, were the Itzbeen timer, the perfect pull wipe dispenser and lap pads. I know that you were more interested in big things, but I found that these made my life SO much easier.
http://www.amazon.com/Itzbeen-Pocket...GE/ref=sr_1_1?
http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Perfect-Wi...VS/ref=sr_1_1?
http://www.amazon.com/Multi-Use-Blue...IO/ref=sr_1_8?

Also, I don't know what diapers you were planning to use, but Pampers Swaddlers has a stripe down the front that changes color when the diaper is wet. So you don't have to stick your finger in to check. Being able to rule out a wet diaper when our baby was crying was a HUGE time saver. And they now go up to size 5!

[essnce629]

For a high chair, we loved the Fisher Price Healthy Care Booster seat: http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-H...dp/B005IWM8PU/. We used it on a regular dining room chair. Cleans up easily and was also great for travel. I like that it blended in well with our decor. Cheap! I'm glad I saved money on that baby item, because once DD outgrew it, we got her a Tripp Trapp (secondhand off Craigslist, no less!).

Another vote for the FP Healthy Care Booster! It's sooooo easy to clean. We had one at home and in the car! Then when DS2 was around 18 months he moved to DS1's HippoSmile Chair (no longer made but is identical to the Kinderzeat and Tripp Trapp).

I LOVED the newborn napper of my PNP. DS2 slept so well in it, but it can only be used for about 3 months so I probably wouldn't buy a new PNP if you already have one. If I ever have a baby #3 I really want to get a mini-cosleeper, but would probably buy it from my friend instead of paying full price for a new one.

LOVED my cradle swing and used it for both kids. We had the papasan one that used batteries and if I didn't still have that one I would buy one with an AC adapter.

I always wanted a mobile with both kids, but never ended up getting one and it was fine. It's used for such a short time anyways since you have to take it out once they start being mobile.

I did love my Aden & Anais blankets and would get more of those for sure!

Don't forget a tummy time mat/play gym. I would get the cheapest one since they are all basically the same and I always liked to add my own additional toys (like chimes).
http://www.amazon.com/Infantino-Twis.../dp/B002DWALTI

[lizzywednesday]

I was insane until I had my wrap carrier! It was this brand, but there are a lot of other budget-friendly ones:

http://www.ellaroo.com/index.php/products/ellaroo_wrap

We were also big fans of the Rockabye! Baby CDs (well, you can also get them as digital downloads):

http://www.rockabyebabymusic.com/

Beyond that, DD didn't need much and I didn't find much use for the "latest and greatest" gear - honestly, I thought a lot of gear items were "unitaskers," and I didn't see the point of cluttering up my home with them.

I was happy with my Medela PISA in the backpack bag. The best thing I bought was the Simple Wishes hands-free pump bustier, as I was told at the outset that I would have to pump in the hospital due to DD's health issues:

http://www.simplewishes.com/

I actually ended up buying TWO. (Of course, I never needed to do compressions to fully empty my breasts while pumping, so YMMV.)

As for diapers ... we changed frequently because DD acquired a rash in the hospital. She had a reaction to Pampers Swaddlers, so we ended up with Huggies Pure & Natural (which are neither "pure" nor "natural," but they ARE unscented and didn't irritate her bum) until she started walking.

[Still-in-Shock]

I tried 3 different types of baby carriers, but our little guy didn't really like any of them. I borrowed my friend's sling, and that of course was his least favorite - he wanted to stretch his legs out full length, and the sling is for babies who like to curl up. We then tried a ktan, and that didn't work for the same reasons. I had my best luck with a Beco Gemini, but I am not sure I got my money's worth from it.

Now that our baby can sit up by himself, he loves the Kelty Junction baby carrier and knapsack, and my husband loves taking him on walks with him. But I did find it on sale, so it wasn't as big a hit to the pocketbook. http://www.kelty.com/showproduct.asp...me=junction-20

Liz, I have friends that swear by Pampers Sensitive, but I don't know if they really are sensitive.

[lizzywednesday]

...
Liz, I have friends that swear by Pampers Sensitive, but I don't know if they really are sensitive.

It's kind of a moot point now that she's been potty trained a year, but I found that even the Pampers "Sensitive" were pretty heavily fragranced & aggravated my asthma. (I have been known to have asthma attacks because of fellow commuters' cosmetics, so I'm probably not the best gauge of irritation.)

If I'm being honest, I've been on a full-court-press Pampers boycott since discharge day.

[Piglet]

We have a nearly 7 year gap between DD1 and DD2 and not a drop of baby gear left in the house!? We do still have our beloved FP healthy care boosters (2 of them!) since we like to offer guests the option of putting their kids in boosters when needed.

We are loving the Aden and Anais swaddle blankets. They are our favourite new baby item and are in constant rotation. So happy we got them!

We are using our swing a lot (borrowed an older papasan swing and DH somehow wired it so it doesn't need batteries - the man is a genius!).

We borrowed a Rock n Play but so far DD doesn't love it. She is still super new and for now she does so much better in our arms. We will see what the next few months hold.

Other things we bought new - Baby Jogger City Versa, Graco Safeseat, Skip Hop diaper bag.

We are using Pampers Swaddlers. I love the wetness indicator. It is awesome in the middle of the night. I did buy Huggies as well and I think they have a similar idea, but we are still working on the big box of Pampers. We also use Kirkland Wipes. They have been our standby for years. So far so good for DD as well.

[mommybug]

Thanks so much for all the replies! We actually do have a FP Healthy Care Booster that we used with the older two when we went to friends'. But it's not very cushy so I thought a full sized high chair might be better. Used Swaddlers with the other two and was planning on using them with this one. Didn't know that they have a wetness indicator now. That's awesome. I didn't discover the Aden and Anais swaddle blankets until DS2 and so wish that I had had them with DS1. I thankfully still have them. I ended up ordering a Rock n Play from Amazon since they're having a baby sale. Got a bouncer on CL for pretty cheap so if DS3 doesn't like it it's not a huge loss. Busted out the pack n play and the bassinet seems like it will be fine for the first couple of months but am still watching CL for a good deal on a co-sleeper. Also still undecided about getting a new swing. I have an Ergo, sling, and mei tai. Was wondering if I should try out a wrap carrier with this one. They just look so complicated! Ack, hard to believe that this baby is going to be here in a few weeks!

[lizzywednesday]

... I have an Ergo, sling, and mei tai. Was wondering if I should try out a wrap carrier with this one. They just look so complicated! ...

They're easy, though they have a learning curve. I'm about the least coordinated person I know and I can use a wrap with ease in a windy parking lot.

Also, if you can do a mei tai, you can totally do a wrap!