"Must Have Baby Items"

I think a lot of "must-have" baby items vary from baby to baby. Each kid is different and has different needs. When you're about to become a parent for the first time there's a certain amount of pressure to buy the right things and have certain things. But the truth is, a lot of this stuff can wait until after baby (your baby's personality may not require it) or simply not be bought at all. Here's a few things I've discovered as the mom of two.

What should every parent splurge on before baby comes?

1. A high-quality carseat. There's no price on safety.
2. A good digital camera and video camera. You can't get those moments back!
3. If you are going to be breastfeeding--get a Boppy pillow (or some other specially designed support pillow) and bring it with you to the hospital.

What should you wait until after baby comes to buy?

1. Bottles. You need to buy SOME but don't go nuts. Buy a pack of the ones you'd like to try. Just remember that Baby may have a different opinion and want a completely different kind.
2. Miracle Blanket. Not all kids need to be swaddled. My first one didn't, but my 2nd one did. And when she started wriggling out of her receiving blanket swaddle, the Miracle Blanket was a lifesaver!
3. Baby Bjorn. My first child didn't care for being carried this way. Of course I had the cheapo version of the Bjorn which really hurt my shoulders and back so that might've made a difference. My 2nd child wanted to be held and carried all the time. I was reluctant to use my old front carrier because it was so uncomfortable. A friend loaned me her Bjorn and it made all the difference in the world. I carried baby everywhere in this thing and my back was fine.

What can be skipped to save some money?

1. Highchair. We bought the fancy highchair for our first child. We have a small dining area and the thing took up SO much room. I was so happy to move her into a booster seat. It straps to one of our dining room chairs and can be used with a tray or just pushed up to the table. When our 2nd one came alone, I did not want to pull that highchair out of storage. We tried her in the booster seat from day 1 (six months old). It worked great and took up much less room. If you have a small dining area like we do, go straight to boosters and forget the highchair!
2. Changing table. Some people love theirs. But think twice before shelling out the big bucks on one of these. With both kids we actually used it AS a changing table for maybe the first 6-8 weeks of their lives. After that we just changed them on a floor or couch or bed. The changing table was just a storage place for diapers, wipes, etc. Now we have this thing to get rid of... I wish we would've spent the money on an extra dresser instead. We could have used it for diapers early on and clothes now.
3. Umbrella stroller. Again, this is just me. Some people love the convenience of the umbrella stroller. But personally, I never used ours. The regular stroller folds up almost as compactly AND it has cup holders, a tray, a storage basket for the diaper bag, etc.

Happy shopping!