First time parent need help (ideas, babies, accident, play)
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It's important to try it before you buy - how heavy is it, does it steer well, can you get in into the car easily, etc.
We never had a travel stroller system, just an open base that the bucket car seat snapped into. Once the baby was able to sit up, I went for a lightweight stroller. Just my preference, never wanted to lug around one of those huge ones.
Definitely try pushing the stroller around (with something in it to weigh it down) before deciding on one - some are really crappy to steer or difficult to fold.
Crib - no need to rush on that, moses basket/bassinet will work fine for the first few months (my daughter slept in a cardboard box for the first 6 months!)
Second hand for everything except the car seat (unless its passed on from someone you know so you know its not been in a crash) is a very good way of saving money as baby stuff doesn't tend to get worn out as its used for such a short time.
Father of 6 here. What I would do is visit BabyRUs and make a list of all the items that you will want to have and just can not live without. Knock your socks off with that list. Don't forget to write all the prices down for all that cool stuff.
After you have completed that list add up the prices for all that stuff, deduct the amount for the stuff you really do have to have and place the remainder in an account for your future baby.
You need clothes, but realize that your perfect child will throw up colors you did not know existed and ruin all those cool exspensive clothes that you bought her.
You need a car seat and I am guessing the choice is 2 car holders that is fine.
So many other things you just do not need and it will be to your advantage to save for your childs education now. Imagine how much that little education nest egg will grow during the next 18 or 20 years.
You should buy the travel system in person, because you and your wife need to try pushing the stroller and see if it's comfortable. If you are tall or wider than average, the big strollers are more comfortable to push around. My mom always bugged me to switch to an umbrella stroller but it wasn't comfortable to push.
About the carseat, you can get a convertible seat instead of an infant seat, which will last for several years. But a lot of them are less than convenient to buckle rear-facing, and the baby has to be rear-facing the first year. The other advantage to an infant carseat is that lots of babies fall asleep in the car and you can take them in the house in the infant seat and leave them sleeping inside it while you put away groceries, etc. If you have to get them out of the carseat to get them in the house, they always wake up.
I always had a crib for my babies...someone gave us a bassinet for my oldest, but she was over the weight limit (10 lbs)by the time she was two months old and she was a preemie. We lived in a townhome then, so we had her crib upstairs and a pack and play with a changing table attachment downstairs. That was important to me, being able to have her nap downstairs. When I had my second daughter, we were in a one story so all I had was the crib, but my older daughter had a whole herd of little girls who liked to come play, so I had a superyard set up in the living room so there was a place to put the baby where the little girls wouldn't step on her.
You don't need a really fancy crib and you don't need to pick it with forever in mind...they make some that convert to a toddler bed and then to a full size bed, but a basic crib is fine. By the time the baby is two year old, he will either be climbing out or jumping up and down in the crib, and you'll switch him to a toddler bed or twin bed.
we are having our first child, baby girl, baby is due in 2 months..
So far finished clothing purchase but still need to get Travel System (Stroller + car seat) with extra base (we have two cars), Crib etc..
When I search online there are way too many options, not sure which one to choose, which one is good, what's reasonable cost..overwhelmed..please help.
You need a car seat if you will take the baby out. Otherwise everything else is just a want. Some people get strollers but never use them because they don't walk around much or go anywhere. Strollers can be the biggest waste because you might prefer to put the baby in a backpack type baby holder. Babies don't really care where they sleep.
You can play it by ear -- a newborn doesn't need much of anything -- so you could wait until after the baby is born and if you decide you need something buy it then.
Your state's laws determine when you will need to move up in regards to a different car seat. If you want to keep your baby in the seat when getting in and out of the car, you will want the style car seat with the base left strapped in. If you want to leave the seat behind (and only hold the baby), you can start right out with the larger car seats (can go rear-facing when newborn and change to forward-facing once they reach a certain weight limit). I would guess most people start with the first kind of seat, then purchase the bigger seats later (like you said, another year or so down the road). Then there are the booster seats during their later toddler years...
If someone has a bassinet or cradle to lend you, I would suggest taking them up on it. Newborns really don't need the size of a crib. This will give you some time to decide what kind you really want/need. Plus it is much easier to reposition the bassinette/cradle to your room, family room, baby's room.
I remember shopping for all of those newborn supplies the books suggested over 20 years ago. They were so far off on what you really needed (the suggestions were way overestimated). The areas where I over-bought but found necessary were cloth diapers (for burping) and bibs (to protect baby's clothing from spit-up and drool).
You will figure it out. You can always go to the store to buy something you find that you need after the fact. Unless you are located in some remote part of the country where stores are not easily accessible.
Thanks for all posts, Looking at various websites for travel system and crib as suggested by posts.. Trying to any stores that sell used ones, I'm told that the travel system/car seat will be useful for an year or two and then we need to get another car seat.
Our travel system was good for about 9 months with our son and about 7 with our daughter. After they grew out of the bucket/travel system we got convertible seats. We love Recaro for carseats. They are made by a racing company. Our kids now 4.5 and almost 6 are now in Recaro High Back boosters.
It really depends on if you want to be able to carry the baby in the house in the carseat which is what I preferred for both of my kids. If the baby is sleeping you don't need to wake him/her up you just get the seat out and carry them in.
You should buy the travel system in person, because you and your wife need to try pushing the stroller and see if it's comfortable. If you are tall or wider than average, the big strollers are more comfortable to push around. My mom always bugged me to switch to an umbrella stroller but it wasn't comfortable to push.
About the carseat, you can get a convertible seat instead of an infant seat, which will last for several years. But a lot of them are less than convenient to buckle rear-facing, and the baby has to be rear-facing the first year. The other advantage to an infant carseat is that lots of babies fall asleep in the car and you can take them in the house in the infant seat and leave them sleeping inside it while you put away groceries, etc. If you have to get them out of the carseat to get them in the house, they always wake up.
I always had a crib for my babies...someone gave us a bassinet for my oldest, but she was over the weight limit (10 lbs)by the time she was two months old and she was a preemie. We lived in a townhome then, so we had her crib upstairs and a pack and play with a changing table attachment downstairs. That was important to me, being able to have her nap downstairs. When I had my second daughter, we were in a one story so all I had was the crib, but my older daughter had a whole herd of little girls who liked to come play, so I had a superyard set up in the living room so there was a place to put the baby where the little girls wouldn't step on her.
You don't need a really fancy crib and you don't need to pick it with forever in mind...they make some that convert to a toddler bed and then to a full size bed, but a basic crib is fine. By the time the baby is two year old, he will either be climbing out or jumping up and down in the crib, and you'll switch him to a toddler bed or twin bed.
I agree with almost everything HH mom has said. The infant car seat will last less than a year but is really nice to have. Get a gender neutral color so you can use it for subsequent kids. Borrow one from a friend if you can be sure that it is < 5 years old and has not been in an accident. An extra base is nice to have if you know the baby will be in both cars regularly. If not, learn to put the seat in using the seatbelt or have the kid ride exclusively in one car. We had 2 bases because we both needed to be able to get the baby to and from daycare.
We had a Graco infant seat and stroller system. We used the stroller a good bit with our first child esp. when traveling. We used it in airports and for all day outings for about 4 years. It was not the best stroller though and would not have held up to heavy walking or running. We did not use it much with our second child.
I got a no frills crib from target and used for both kids. Also had a Graco Pack-n-play with the bassinett insert that was handy for sleeping downstairs for whatever reason and for traveling.
I found the book "Baby Bargains" by Denise and Alan (Adam?) Fields to be really useful when I was shopping for my first baby (10 years ago). Perhaps, it is still helpful.
A swing and vibrating chair are nice to have but should be easy to borrow from friends or get at a resale shop.
Good Luck!
Last edited by Scientist Mom; 11-27-2013 at 03:41 PM..
And for napping downstairs etc. if you don't have pets then you can just put the baby to nap on the floor on a blanket - saves money on buying a pack n play (in my experience tummy time often turned into naptime)
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