Product Reviews Please?

Supafly · Guru

Product Reviews Please?

Alyssa · Guru

We have the graco snugride carseat.

It's great cause it's graco but personally I would not have picked this one if it was my kid. It goes up to 30-something pounds (maybe 32? 35?). So technically Dustin's 4 year old could fit in it but there is no way I'd keep a kid that big in an infant car seat. Even with a newborn I could barely carry it. And it takes up so much room in the back of the car although I know you are getting a minivan so that's probably not an issue.

We also have the snap and go stroller, which is awesome. I just wish the car seat itself was a little smaller.

We have the baby einstein exersaucer. It's very cute--the big kids like to mess with it. But the little one hasn't used it too much yet. When we bought it, his feet didn't touch but I'm guessing they would now. We should drag it back out this weekend.

Pretty much everything else we have is hand-me down from Ethan so I'm not much help.

Do you want a bouncy seat? Ethan loved that so much more than the swing. Was a life saver.

As for the bands, are you talking about bella bands? I think they might have cheaper versions at target. I planned to get those when I thought I was having another both for the transition to maternity clothes and the transition back after. Everyone I know loved them. (on an aside, I had a more fitted banded maternity skirt that I wore shortly after Ethan was born. The band helped my stomach so much and I'd imagine these are the same.)

I'd love to see the stuff you pick even if I don't know anything about it. Just cause I'm nosey and love baby stuff. So excited for you!

3s_a_crowd · Guru

Supafly wrote:

Ok everyone. I am going to need to buy new things for this baby!! We still have a few things (snap and go stroller, chicco umbrella stroller, high chair, maybe a bumbo, IDK, crib), but we are missing a LOT. It is too early for me to shop, even though I am dying to, but I would like to hear your reviews of different things you have and couldn't live with out. Here are the things I KNOW we will need, but there might be a million things I need but don't realize:

-infant car seat
-swing
-bassinet or cosleeper-I am iffy on this. I haven't enjoyed having them in my room because I get ZERO sleep and wake at every little noise, but I also really want to try and establish the nursing this time (it looks like it will be ok!!), and I know it would probably be easier with the baby nearby.
-bottles (even assuming the nursing goes fine, I will want to introduce a bottle. I am very nervous about flaring, and I want this baby to be used to a bottle early on regardless so that I don't have to worry about it if things should go south)
-activity stuff-activity mat, exersaucer, jumper, etc. I may have a doorway jumper though-I am not sure on that.
-boppy or some other support for nursing
-hmm...what about those bands that people wear post birth? I have heard of them, but did any of you use them? I think I remember one of the preschool moms talking about how it helped her SO much post c/s

I can't think of other things?!? Will you virtual shop with me? I might even start a registry so that I know what I want to buy. (No, I am not planning on having another shower)

I am so excited already about this baby. Which is so unlike me. I wish it were August already.

Re: the cosleeper. I have this
http://www.walmart.com/ip/The-First-Years-Close-and-Secure-Sleeper/3205748?sourceid=1500000000000003260330&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=3205748

If your interested Im more than willing to send it your way for price of shipping althouh Id have to find out how much it would be.

We have a king size bed and we still all fit although it was a snug fit.

I also have something very similar to this which i like

http://www.amazon.com/Boppy-Tummy-Play-Pad-Daisy/dp/B00457X7EA

Supafly · Guru

Thanks Slick!!! Another reason for me to start a registry, so everyone can see what we decide on!! :D

That is good to know about the car seat. We will be ok space wise with the minivan, but I really need to feel their weight empty before I decide. Lighter seems better, and I know after a while, I just put them in the Britax anyway and we only used the carrier if we needed a place to put the baby in someone's house or something. So I will look into that.

You know, IDK if we have a bouncy anymore or not. I think we do, but I am not sure.

Here is the problem I am running into. They make such AWESOME new things now that I want to replace old stuff, lmao. But I really can't do that, so maybe it makes sense on some things to wait and see what kind of baby this turns out to be. I would hate to spend money on a new bouncy to find this one isn't a bouncy baby.

IDK about the bands-might have been that. She said it was this big thing that she wore all of the time post birth and she felt it really helped her recovery. Of course she teaches all sorts of exercise classes at the gym and has chiseled arms and zero fat on her tiny little body, so I imagine she was up and about very fast anyway, lol.

What about strollers? The snap and go is great for a while, but Bill is very against getting something else, and I don't think the umbrella will be enough.

Supafly · Guru

3s_a_crowd wrote:

Supafly wrote:

Ok everyone. I am going to need to buy new things for this baby!! We still have a few things (snap and go stroller, chicco umbrella stroller, high chair, maybe a bumbo, IDK, crib), but we are missing a LOT. It is too early for me to shop, even though I am dying to, but I would like to hear your reviews of different things you have and couldn't live with out. Here are the things I KNOW we will need, but there might be a million things I need but don't realize:

-infant car seat
-swing
-bassinet or cosleeper-I am iffy on this. I haven't enjoyed having them in my room because I get ZERO sleep and wake at every little noise, but I also really want to try and establish the nursing this time (it looks like it will be ok!!), and I know it would probably be easier with the baby nearby.
-bottles (even assuming the nursing goes fine, I will want to introduce a bottle. I am very nervous about flaring, and I want this baby to be used to a bottle early on regardless so that I don't have to worry about it if things should go south)
-activity stuff-activity mat, exersaucer, jumper, etc. I may have a doorway jumper though-I am not sure on that.
-boppy or some other support for nursing
-hmm...what about those bands that people wear post birth? I have heard of them, but did any of you use them? I think I remember one of the preschool moms talking about how it helped her SO much post c/s

I can't think of other things?!? Will you virtual shop with me? I might even start a registry so that I know what I want to buy. (No, I am not planning on having another shower)

I am so excited already about this baby. Which is so unlike me. I wish it were August already.

Re: the cosleeper. I have this
http://www.walmart.com/ip/The-First-Years-Close-and-Secure-Sleeper/3205748?sourceid=1500000000000003260330&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=3205748

If your interested Im more than willing to send it your way for price of shipping althouh Id have to find out how much it would be.

We have a king size bed and we still all fit although it was a snug fit.

I also have something very similar to this which i like

http://www.amazon.com/Boppy-Tummy-Play-Pad-Daisy/dp/B00457X7EA

Thanks Tracy!!! We only have a queen and that is barely big enough, so I am not sure we will have room in the bed for that. I think it would be ok in a king, but not sure about a queen!

I love that boppy mat!!! So cute!!! Definitely gender specific though, so I will have to wait on something like that until baby is born. I really like that. Last time, we rolled up blackets to elevate Kate a bit-she would have loved that mat for tummy time!

Alyssa · Guru

Supafly wrote:

Thanks Slick!!! Another reason for me to start a registry, so everyone can see what we decide on!! :D

That is good to know about the car seat. We will be ok space wise with the minivan, but I really need to feel their weight empty before I decide. Lighter seems better, and I know after a while, I just put them in the Britax anyway and we only used the carrier if we needed a place to put the baby in someone's house or something. So I will look into that.

You know, IDK if we have a bouncy anymore or not. I think we do, but I am not sure.

Here is the problem I am running into. They make such AWESOME new things now that I want to replace old stuff, lmao. But I really can't do that, so maybe it makes sense on some things to wait and see what kind of baby this turns out to be. I would hate to spend money on a new bouncy to find this one isn't a bouncy baby.

IDK about the bands-might have been that. She said it was this big thing that she wore all of the time post birth and she felt it really helped her recovery. Of course she teaches all sorts of exercise classes at the gym and has chiseled arms and zero fat on her tiny little body, so I imagine she was up and about very fast anyway, lol.

What about strollers? The snap and go is great for a while, but Bill is very against getting something else, and I don't think the umbrella will be enough.

yeah I agree about the britax. Ethan was a big baby and outgrew his infant seat length wise by 4 months so we just switched and I didn't think it was a big deal.

We still use the snap and go and he's 6 months. I think I started using an umbrella at 9 with Ethan and I had a super cheap-o like $15 one and he was fine. I'm guessing based on size Eli will be ok in the snap and go until he can use the umbrella but I'll let you know what we end up doing.

Bands might be good so you can get back into non-maternity clothes earlier. I remember being really eager to ditch the maternity clothes after Ethan was born.

I have E's old bouncy and I left the batteries in so it coroded and the kicking part doesn't light up so I hear you on getting new stuff but we figure it only lasts so long and with bigger kids the baby is not lacking for entertainment.

do you have a bjorn or sling? that's super helpful too.

CoffeeQueen · Guru

Honestly, on the big items I would wait. Mia came to me and I had bought this 180 swing and we never used it. She hated it. Considering this may be your last I would not spend the $ till you need to.

For me a bouncer seat was a must. It gave me somewhere to put her when I needed to.

Everything is already new since I even had Mia it seems.

I used less things with Mia then I did with Allie.

You may love a sling or something like a ergo. I am not a personal fan of the bjorn, but everyone is different.

Juni · Guru

ITA on the wait and see approach. Gavin LOVED the swing. Owen didn't care for it much. So glad we didn't buy one new specifically for him. Owen loved his little bouncy seat. We got the boppy bouncer (http://www.amazon.com/Boppy-Cradle-Comfort-Bouncer-Pink/dp/B000HZFL0M) and it was so much nicer than the bouncer we had for Gavin. He used it right away and you can tilt it up and down depending on their age/wants. I would swaddle him and then put him in there and he loved it because of the padding around. He slept in there for naps most of the time. It was awesome!

Sara · Guru

Car Seat - Graco or Chicco Key Fit. I personally like the higher weight limit ones because they can last until at least a year if not longer in them. As for me after a certain time I just leave the carrier in the van on the base. No biggie.

Swing - we had the Ocean Wonders Fisher Price, loved it, it crapped out though. I am borrowing my friends Fisher Price Papasan Little Lamb it is great as well. All four of my kids have LOVED the swing!

Bouncy - Only Bryce loved it the rest could take it or leave it. We have one but it is rarely used.

Boppy - I love my boppy. I use it everytime I nurse and then now with Ryder as he is getting better sitting up but still is wobbly so I put it around him if he topples over if I am not right there with him.

Playmat - I have the Tiny Love Deluxe. We did not get one until Keegan. But it has been used a ton by both kids.

Stroller - I love the Baby Jogger City Mini. I have it in a single as we did not buy a double (although after having this nice weather I can see we will be buying one to get us through this year).

Never wore any band.

As far as bassinet/co-sleeper - We just had the bassinet in the pack n play and honestly most of my babes ended up in bed with us at some point.

Swaddler - I recommend the Woombie! LOVED it with both Keegan and Ryder.

We have an Exersaucer and Jumperoo. One over the other Ryder prefers the jumperoo. But really both get used equally we keep one in the basement one on the main level and both are quite handy.

Bottles - I have always just kept the Playtex Nursers the few times he has had a bottle. I also have a Soothie bottle on hand since he takes the Soothie pacis. He has recently started boycotting the random bottle he gets.

Supafly · Guru

Thank you all!!! I do think there are some things that will be wait and see items for us. Aside from wasting money, we don't have room for stuff taking up a lot of space here.

Sara-I am so glad you weighed in about all of those items. Thank you! The band thing was something she seemed to indicate was for c/s moms-and that is why she wore it. But now I forget. I should dig out her number and call her.

We don't have room for the P&P in our room, so I was thinking of maybe one of those smaller co-sleepers. I will never sleep with a child unless by accident, I have great fears about it, but also really don't enjoy it. Bill is enough-even that can be a struggle, lol! But I think the co-sleeper could work. Knowing how hard it is for me to get around those first days home (though maybe that is also because my recoveries sucked), I am hoping for something that won't require a lot of getting up and down to get the baby. IDK-I need to look into the options more I think.

The swing was a lifesaver for us with Kate. I could not have lived with out it. Neither girl was a bouncy girl, and Anna only somewhat liked the swing, but she used the swing (we didn't have one of the cradle types that time though) a lot more than the bouncy for sure. So it is hard to imagine us not using a swing! IDK-these decisions can be tough to make, especially when this is likely our last.

Have you ever found the woombie anywhere but online? It looks easy, which rocks!!! I definitely want to try that-both kids loved the swaddle.

Some friends have offered hand me downs, which is great!! So I am going to see what everyone has before we go off and buy things. That will save us a lot!!

sbucking · Guru

I really like the Chicco infant seats.

My kids all LOVED their swings. With Carter I found a Fisher Price Rainforest one that plugged in and it was great not to have to deal with batteries. As he slept in it for 6 months, while on!

I went the way of the jumperoo over an exersaucer with Carter. Loved it!

A bouncy seat was always a must.

I've never had the kids in our room. I couldn't sleep and it didn't deter nursing at all, at least for me.

I'm also not a high chair person. After Braydon, I just used those clip on chairs and it was a huge space saver.

CoffeeQueen · Guru

Laura, I had a co-sleeper and hardly ever used it. If the shipping was not so much I would send you mine. If you want one, see if you can borrow one. I was never one to sleep wih my kids and I breastfed for a year.

I second the woombie. Sara got me hooked on them. Loved it and was so easy.