Baby Essentials

[AmsterDamsel]

What are your must have items for your babies? I'm trying to take inventory of what we have and what we still need.

[Bootysaurus]

Burp rags (for soooo many things..I like the white cloth diapers to use though)
Onesies (we went through so many a day!)
Boob or bottle
Couple fuzzy blankets
Bouncy seat for when I shower :hehe:

[Goosey]

Burp Rags
Diapers
Onesies
Recieving Blankets
Baby Body/Hair Wash
Diaper Rash Cream
A Book to mark their moments in
Some sort of toy for their carseat or to show them and peek their interest like a rattle
A Stuffed Toy to call their own throughout the years(like a Teddy)

[Jojo]

Pacifiers
Bottles
shield
pump
onesies
diapers
something to lay baby in

Those are my essentials...not sure they'd work for someone else though :hehe:

[lilbunnygirl]

Boppy, boobs, comfy clothes & socks, wrap or sling, bouncer or swing.

[Shay]

Must have
Bouncer
Big huge thin blankets [wrapping the baby super tight via Happiest Baby on the Block]
pacifiers
lots of changes of comfy clothes - I usually stick to onesies and 1 piece outfits in the newborn stage - as long as they don't do up in the back. I avoid real clothes except for every once in a while
baby bath tub[wet babies are just too slippery for me], baby towels a good smell free baby soap
Boppy or nursing pillow
electric pump - if you have to pump full time - a manual pump won't cut it and it wrecks your nipples.
lanolin - good on nipples, baby bums etc
Gerber Premium prefolds for burp rags.

Nice to have
Swing - the only way I got dishes done and a meal cooked for about 2 months. Best baby containment device ever.
Sling - I didn't have one in the beginning and it sucked.

[theWrap]

-Car seat
-baby sacks (they are like super-long night gowns for newborns, they pull up over the feet to the neck and then you can lift up the bottom to change the diaper quickly and easily) and LOTS of onesies
-Swaddling blankets (as explained by Shay)
-Diapers
-wipes
-bouncy seat or swing
-(for me, because I EP'd) lots of pump accessories - multiples of shields, valves, tubing, steamer bags, breast milk freezing bags
-baby thermometer
-baby sling

[Bootysaurus]

I'd wait on the swaddlers.

Some babies love it, some hate it.

Aidan HATED being swaddled. We swaddled her only in the hospital, and even then she liked to stretch out.

Dylan LOVED being swaddled...like a burrito...for a good 2 months!

[Elaine]

The first things that come to mind...

Baby clothes. Any type will do. I was giving dozens as gifts before Ben was born and used them all (still using them).
Receiving blankets. You can never have too many.
Swing. Absolute lifesaver with both boys.
Bouncy chair. Ben hated it, Thomas loves it.
Soft, cozy blankets.
Sleepers. Lots of them.
Onesies and/or diaper shirts. Lots of them.
Bibs. Lots of them.

That's all I can think of right now but I'm sure I'm missing a bunch of things.

Oh, and both Ben and Thomas hated being swaddled. The both broke out of the straight jacket swaddles of the nurses at the hospital and we tried it at home but they broke out of those too. I did wrap them in blankets at night but not swaddled.

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

My must haves are:

Boob
Cloth Diapers
Sling/Wrap
The Miracle Blanket (with copy of the Happiest Baby on the Block)
Onesies, footie pj's, comfortable pants w/ kimono style wrap shirt (the baby has a set in every colour from gap: http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=15867&vid=1&pid=729056&scid=729056012)

Um.. oh yeah and spit rags. Isabella was a serious spitter.

That's all I can think of for the first several months anyway.

As she got older she lvoed her exersaucer!

[AmsterDamsel]

How many onesies do you recommend? I am worried that we don't have enough warm clothes for the baby. He'll be here in October when it starts to get pretty cold around here and very cold in January and February. Should I only get long sleeved/pants onesies?

[Caitlin]

How many onesies do you recommend? I am worried that we don't have enough warm clothes for the baby. He'll be here in October when it starts to get pretty cold around here and very cold in January and February. Should I only get long sleeved/pants onesies?

Aiden was born in December when it was super cold here in Maryland. I would put him in sleepers or even a short-sleeved onesie and then swaddle him. You don't want them getting too hot.

Oh, and Aiden had major reflux from 3 weeks to 10 months. In the beginning months, I'd say we went through 6-7 onesies a day. Not even kidding. :hehe: it's best to just have a bunch on hand. Those are all they seem to wear the first few months anyway.

[Paula]

I always needed the little pants to go over the onsies. I remember running out to get them after both babies were born because their legs were cold.

I'm also big on the swaddling blankets. The kids loved being swaddled.

And the little vibrating seat. Both my kids loved it and spent a lot of time in it.

[bettercowpatty]

I'd wait on the swaddlers.

Some babies love it, some hate it.

Aidan HATED being swaddled. We swaddled her only in the hospital, and even then she liked to stretch out.

Dylan LOVED being swaddled...like a burrito...for a good 2 months!

Neither of mine liked it. At all. They would both FIGHT and FIGHT until they were unswaddled, even at a couple days old, and then fall asleep. So yeah, wait on those. Or I can just mail you mine! I have like 3 or 4...

If you are working and bf-ing, get a bottle warmer. Of course, I haven't used it b/c I got the goods, but my parents and nanny said its the s***. WAY better than warming bottles on the stove.

[bettercowpatty]

Oh, and a cradle swing. Seriously the most important piece of baby equipment for both my kids. I don't think I would be sleeping half as much right now without it!

[Elaine]

How many onesies do you recommend? I am worried that we don't have enough warm clothes for the baby. He'll be here in October when it starts to get pretty cold around here and very cold in January and February. Should I only get long sleeved/pants onesies?
I would get a few of both short and long sleeved onesies. We could easily go through 4 or 5 onesies and outfits a day with poo blow-outs and spitting up. Thomas was born at the end of March and while it wasn't sub-zero it was still quite cool (although the day we left the hospital it was something silly like 22 C). He wore short-sleeved onesies and diaper shirts under sleepers for the first few weeks to stay warm.

[natalie]

Boobs
Onesies/pajamas (depending on the season)
Burp cloths
Swaddle blankets
Diapers
Car seat
Diaper bag

In my opinion, these are the essentials for the first 3 months or so. The rest is just fluff.

[lilbunnygirl]

Also, baby legs. I hate one piece sleepers, all those snaps to do and undo for every diaper change, a onesie and baby legs makes for much easier access but still keeps baby warm

[AmsterDamsel]

Also, baby legs. I hate one piece sleepers, all those snaps to do and undo for every diaper change, a onesie and baby legs makes for much easier access but still keeps baby warm

Those are like those giant leg warmers for babies, right?

[lilbunnygirl]

Also, baby legs. I hate one piece sleepers, all those snaps to do and undo for every diaper change, a onesie and baby legs makes for much easier access but still keeps baby warm

Those are like those giant leg warmers for babies, right?

Yep!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs096.ash2/38162_1389700534972_1005859021_869678_243028_n.jpg

If you or someone you know is crafty you can make them out of adult knee socks, that's what these are

http://www.themcginleys.org/cash27/ks03.jpg

[Jojo]

Matt hated being swaddled and hated the bouncer we had. OMG the screaming. he'd sleep in it in the beginning but at some point it just didn't work.

I'd say get at least 2 dozen onesies...he'll be in them a lot and you can wash and have some in between.