* Boppy (or My Breast Friend)
* Bouncy chair with a little buzzy-vibration
contraption so you can plop the baby into the chair
when you want to go to the bathroom or eat a quick
meal.
* Breast pump so you can put milk in the freezer when
used Medela pumps on Craigslist, which is what we did
-- you can save $50 or more.
* Nice, fluffy chinese prefold diapers. Even if you're
going to use disposables (but don't do it if you don't
have to!), the prefolds are awesome as burp cloths,
spitup rags, blankets, pillows, emergency rags to keep
in the car, etc.
* Ergo baby carrier. (Yes, I know everyone in the BAHC
loves slings, and they're great, but the Ergo is way,
way more practical, despite costing a lot and being
very trendy.)
* Sling -- I'll take one of these too
* Diapers. If you're going to go the green route, you
can register with a diaper service such as Tiny Tots
and people can contribute directly to that fund. Or if
you're going to launder your own diapers, you can have
people buy you Wonderoos (which we use -- they're
great) or FuzziBunz or any other brand. They're about
$15 EACH so they are a big initial investment, and it
would be nice for others to contribute.
* Wonderoos -- a couple to try

* I think the best thing we got was food.
At your shower, have a calendar and have people sign up for
days when they can bring food over.

*housecleaning service
--------------------

Are you using a crib, co-sleeping, bassinet? We used a pack n play for 9
months as well as co-slept. We did it because we only had a 1 bedroom and
didn't have much room. It worked fine because it had a bassinet it in. It
still needed sheets though, and a waterproof mat.

You need burp cloths. Some people use cloth diapers, some people make them
out of soft material.
Baby bath tub/mat
Soap/lotion/butt balm (get an organic one, don't use the A&D stuff)
Snot sucker/nail clippers/other hygine stuff.
Boucy chair (a lifesaver for us when you just need to put the kid down).
GCs for Target are really useful so you can get necessities like diapers, or
pick out your own cutsie things.
Swing in a couple months, they don't fit right away.

--------------------

I highly recommend getting a vibrating chair, infant swing: these will soothe the baby when nothing else will. We had a vibrating chair that was like MAGIC I tell ya. A mobile is also good in bassinett/crib (if you are using one): rotating things with music to distract baby.

Also: cloth diapers (for spit ups and other bodily functions), GripeWater (helps aid infant digestion), nose bulb (those are usually part of a first aid kit for babes), baby monitor.

If you plan on working outside the home, a breast pump is good (I recommend Medelas electric, two breast breastpump) which means you will also need bottles for storage and feeding. If you are not working outside the home, then you might want to get a small electric one-breast breastpump for when you want to go out, or let your partner feed the babe.

Exersaucer: you wont need at first, since they have to be able to hold their head up to use it. We got one of these at a second hand store quite reasonably priced. They are pretty big, so no need to get one until you can use it.

We only had one rocking chair (in Skylers room) which is actually a glider and we still use it to read stories before bed.

Gift certificates are ALWAYS good, since if you are anything like we were, we went back to Babies R Us at least once a week after Skyler was born to pick up things we didnt know we needed.

You will need nursing bras (and bra pads), but I dont think you get those until after the baby is born.

----------------------------

Services from friends (delivered meals, babysitting
offers, massages, "we'll bring a movie and pizza"
nights...) are great. Get them in writing though :)
You can set up a "diaper fund". I noe realize that's
really what I should have offered my friends with
older babies!

On the material side:
- a bouncer/swing/vibrating chair
- monitors so you can always hear what's going on in
the baby's room
- diaper bag(s) (for you and your partner)
- sheets
- soft and thick towels
- bottle feeding starting kit - like one bottle and a
couple of slow nipples.
- consider children books and cds so that you can
learn songs and lullabies :)
-------------------------------------------

one thing I would mention, though, is that you may want to personally choose
some things, particularly stroller and carriers. I have a few friends who
recently have had beautiful strollers bought by groups of friends, and the
stroller wasn't the right one for them for some reason. Same with other
types of carriers/slings. Though I know some like to have lots of options
in the sling department, so it can work either way.
-----------------------------------------

Return anything you are not 100% sure if you will use and get a credit at the store.
Then you will have the credit when you find out what you really need.
We used ours to get ear thermometers, diaper rash ointment, diapers, and such things that are not usually given at a shower.
Unfortunately friends who have never had babies tend to get less useful things, like hard to get on uncomfortable little outfits in light colors.
I still remember returning an $80 silk blanket and asking if they had anything "practical" to which she sort of snorted.
For Toys R Us and Mervyns you do not even need a receipt to return.
Big items that you will cycle through in a few months- get on craigslist or a second hand baby store (there are many) then resell when done.
It may sound callous, but I knew people who spent thousands the first year.
We probably spent $500 or less- mostly on diapers, medicine and food.
Personally I would rather have it go to education, and have more time with her, because I am not trying to pay for things.
This same friend also wrote something like this on her shower invite: "hand me down and second hand gladly accepted"
And, she also turned me on to "preschool" sales. they happen in the fall and spring (check craigslist garage sales, keyword "preschool")
O, my gawd...great stuff for a few bucks. At the preschool level, families clear out the baby stuff when they have had #2 or decide they are not going to.
I once did all you can fit in your car for $10 and was basically set on equipment, clothes, toys, books and such for the next year.
I also end up with a lot of stuff I otherwise would not buy, and some has come in very handy.
------------------------------------------

everyone is different, but if i were making a list for me i would:

not get a stroller. what a huge heavy useless thing! get more slings.
buy lots of cloth diapers or have people buy months of diaper service.
not get an infant car seat. i recommend a Britax Roundabout or Marathon.
your baby will outgrow an infant seat in length or weight very quickly.
and carrying a baby in one isnt ergonomically sound. your baby will
prefer your arms or a sling at any rate.
get a wool/ other waterproof cover for your bed. so handy! they have
them at ecobaby.com , i think. and at other places.

just off the top of my head!
-----------------------------

my general advice is Less is Better.
[just had to include that --Kiki :) ]
--------------------------------------------

Need

Diapers (unless you are using EC) (if you're getting a diaper
service, your families can pay for your diaper service for years in
advance! If you're buying diapers, there are great websites you can
direct your family to so they can help you buy handmade covers etc.)
A car seat
A sling
Some baby clothes
A place to change your baby (Yes, you can use your bed, but it *is*
nice to have a table that's the right height, especially if that
table or dresser can hold diapers and blankets as well. You will
spend a lot of time bending over your babe to diaper him or her, and
it can be hard on your back.)

Nice gifts

Baby clothes (just don't let them buy too many infant clothes, cuz
your babe will grow so fast)
Books
Baby blankets (You really can easily use a dozen baby blankets, even
if your baby always sleeps with you. You have no idea how often
you'll use those blankets -- for swaddling, for wrapping up in the
car, for lying on the floor, etc.. I made many of my own, but I
appreciated quilts and crocheted blankets and all sorts of things
that people gave me.)
Toys (Tell your family you don't want any plastic. That will rule out
a lot of crap.)

May not need at all

Strollers (As I said, we almost never used one, but when we finally
got one, we knew that what we wanted was a lightweight jogging
stroller for walking our heavy toddler in the hills. So wait until
you have your kid and know what you really need.)
Crib (We used a crib for all of our kids, but not until they were
over 6 months old. No need to get one at first, especially since you
may never use it!)
Bottles and pump (I have always like to have a pump around, so that I
could deal with engorgement and so that I could freeze a little
breastmilk for going out. It's very liberating to be able to leave
your baby and not worry that they'll be hungry. If you think you
might feel the same way, I would start out with a few glass bottles
-- plastic has toxins that can leach into the milk -- and a good,
manual pump. The Avent Isis is a terrific pump that's not too
expensive. If you turn out to need to pump a lot, like if you are
going to work away from home many hours a day, you'll probably want a
double electric pump, but the Avent Isis is a great starting pump.)
Neglect-o-matic -- that's our name for the electric baby swing. Need
I say more?
Exersaucer. A whole heap of plastic. If you're going to get one, get
one used at a garage sale for the sake of the planet.

The stuff you do need is very minimal and basic. The stuff you don't
need ... well, it would fill many landfills. Wait! It DOES fill up
the landfills...
-----------------------------------------

However, after the many gifts we
were fortunate to receive, I think it could help to encourage folks to
gift help to you. The best gifts we got were people cooking us homemade
yummy food which we could also put in the freezer, someone doing our
laundry, going to the grocery store, a lesson in diaper putting on and
swaddling etc. And after our short time as parents, so far we've mostly
needed diaper service, blankets, and sleep. One person gifted us a
massage which was delightful as well. Some one from this list suggested
starting a bank account which eventually paid for their child's Waldorf
schooling. I thought that was a great idea (even thogh our baby came
before I could get that together !).
-----------------------------------------

I just ordered a beautiful upholstered rocking chair from Good Night Room Furniture - www.goodnightroomfurniture.com. She sells them so much cheaper than Dutalier, Pottey Barn, etc. so I'm very excited.

One of the things everyone recommends if you are getting cloth diaper service is to register with them and people can buy you the service. I know Tiny Tots is very good. We really didn't get anything to begin with but felt it out as we went along. A sling is really great to have and there are many out there to choose from. Someone mentioned peppermint.com to browse.
-----------------------------------------

Babies dont need much. I would say some type carrier/sling is a must. Depending on how you want to diaper (or not) your babe, you may want to ask for diapers. I often set up registries for families who appreciate natural and attachment parenting products. Feel free to email me offline for more info. Gift certificates and money are good since what you think youll need may change once baby is actually here. If baby will be in bed with you then an extra pair of sheets is nice too!



Melissa Cole

Natural Family Boutique Consultant

Helping You Live and Parent Well...Naturally!

www.naturalfamily101.com
[I left the contact info, in case others want to get in contact! --Kiki]