September 14th, 2009 by Neptunebaby
Here is a list of things that I believe every new mother should have and things that some people think they need, but are really just a waste of money. This is just my opinion as an experienced mother of four children.
Must have:
1. Clothes – Onsies and Sleepers: there is really no need to spend a ton of money on frilly or dressy clothes whether girl or boy. My daughter is 6 months old and has been in dressy clothes twice. With my 3 year old daughter, her being my first girl, everyone went nuts buying me girly stuff. First of all, I got sick of pink. Second, I just sold most of it at a Mom 2 Mom sale NEVER worn – even after the 2nd girl. They will spend much of their time in onsies and sleepers. Stock up on those before anything else.
2. Diapers – cloth or disposables. If you are interested in cloth diapering I will be posting some great links later today!
3. Wipes – or you can use washcloths if you are so inclined
4. If breastfeeding – lanolin for your nipples
5. If breastfeeding – nursing pads
6. If breastfeeding and think you’ll be away from baby or going back to work – a GOOD breast pump. You need at least the equivalent of the Medela Pump In Style Advanced. Also, don’t start pumping until at least 4 weeks and don’t expect to have a huge output. The average output for a pumping session is 1 ounce. Some mothers are lucky enough to pump 8 ounces at a time, but that isn’t the norm. Also, for pumping moms I have found that the way to get the best pumping output is to nurse one side while pumping the other. If you have any questions about pumping, feel free to ask. I could go on and on about pumping. lol.
7. Bottles for expressed breast milk or if you choose not to breast feed.
8. Pacifier – although if you breast feed you shouldn’t introduce a pacifier until at least 4 weeks to avoid nipple confusion. Same with the bottle.
9. Crib – the baby needs a place to sleep
10. Dresser – because even if you start with only basic things – onsies & sleepers – you will accumulate enough clothes to warrant a separate dresser.
11. Some type of diaper rash cream – A&D, Desitin, Butt Paste. I recommend A&D, but if a diaper rash gets really bad – if you put Desitin on and then coat with A&D it should clear up over night!
12. A jumperoo or an exersaucer. Babies LOVE these and they help them developmentally.
13. An Activity Mat – same as number 12.
14. Baby Einstein DVDs – My 3 year old daughter learned so much from these and was highly entertained by them. By 1 year of age she knew sign language (something I started teaching her at birth — never too early!)
15. A Ring Sling or a Wrap. Wearing your baby makes life SO much easier. The first three months of a baby’s life are considered the 4th trimester. Babies know nothing else but being snuggly and warm and comforted. Wear your baby! Questions about babywearing – message me. I’ll talk your ear off!
Don’t Bother:
1. A baby bathtub – some moms will disagree, but my youngest is 6 months old and we didn’t even buy one this time. As a newborn we laid her on a towel next to the kitchen sink and from there.. our own bathtub. If you’re going to buy one I would recommend one that is mesh and looks like a bouncy chair. The hard plastic tubs are uncomfortable and difficult to work with. You’ll probably never use it.
2. Wipes Warmer. This is the biggest waste of money I’ve ever seen. All it does is dry out the wipes and then they are useless anyway.
3. Bassinet. They are in and out of them so quickly! If you do anything buy a Pack-n-Play with a bassinet setting. You can move the mattress down when they grow out of the bassinet and use for a long time.
4. Changing Table. In my opinion it’s a waste of money. A baby can be changed in their crib, on a bed or a couch and even on the living room floor on a blanket. Our changing table always ended up with a pile of clothes on top and not being used for the intended purpose. If you need the extra storage space that the shelves provide, you’re better off buying a 3 drawer chest for less money that can be used for much longer.
5. Rice Cereal – I’m getting into a controversial thing here. First of all – rice cereal is NOT nutritious. I think pediatricians must be compensated in some way by Gerber to convince parents to feed this garbage to their children. Second: It does not make them sleep through the night. The only reason it may seem that way at first is because it causes their poor little digestive system to work so much harder to digest it. Is putting your baby through that worth an extra hour of sleep the first time you feed it to them? No. And after a few days of that they’ll go back to their regular sleeping pattern anyway.
6. A Swaddler. Yes, they are convenient at first, but babies grow out of them and it’s more cost efficient to simply swaddle with a receiving blanket.
Here are some things that could go either way:
1. Swing – some babies love them, some babies hate them. If you get one and your baby hates it at first, give it some time (a couple weeks or even months) and try again. If your baby still hates it. Sell it at a Mom 2 Mom sale or on Craigslist. 
2. Bouncy Chair. Same thing as the swing. My 3 year old daughter loved hers. My 6 month old daughter hated it. I sold it, brand new, at a Mom 2 Mom sale at our church.
OK, so I may have forgotten some things and may be adding to this list. If you see something you agree/disagree with or that I missed – feel free to post it in a comment!
