[blparent] Items you couldn't live without

[Jo Elizabeth Pinto]

Hi, Angela.  First of all, let me say that hand-me-downs and thrift stores 
will be a lifesaver for you if you let them.  Babies outgrow clothes and 
equipment so fast that you can often find secondhand treasures that have 
barely been used.  If you have friends or family with small children, they 
will often give you outgrown items or at least lend them to you.

As to the baby bath tub thing, I wouldn't recommend spending a lot.  The 
most useful tool for bathing that I ever found was a sponge, contoured to 
the shape of a baby, that laid in the bottom of the big bath tub.  It was 
$4.00 at Target, and my daughter, who is nineteen months old, still sits on 
it in the big tub.

If someone is going to give you a shower, then I wouldn't worry about buying 
hooded towels, blankets, clothes, or baby lotions, since you will probably 
be given all you need of those things, as well as bibs and newborn clothes.

If you don't want to spend money or don't have room for a changing table, 
buy a contoured foam pad and a couple of soft fabric covers for it.  With 
this, you can turn any counter or desk or other flat surface into a changing 
table without having to have a separate piece of furniture.

The store brands of diapers and wipes are just as good for most babies as 
the name brands, which are way more expensive.  Don't buy too many diapers 
of one brand ahead of time because some babies react with rashes with 
certain brands, and you wouldn't want to have a bunch of extra diapers you 
couldn't use.
The big ticket items--crib, play yard, high chair, swing, bouncer seat, play 
gym, Exersaucer--I got them all used for practically nothing.  Just keep 
safety requirements in mind--no more than 2-3/4 inches between slats on a 
crib, no decorative knobs that babies could get their clothes hung up on, no 
broken or sharp edges on anything, no strings longer than six inches on toys 
or clothes.  The only things I bought new were the crib mattress, the Diaper 
Genie, and a car seat.  Oh, also a Rain Forest portable swing and a Rain 
Forest jumper toy which I regretted spending money on because Sarah outgrew 
them so quickly.

My basic advice, beyond looking at yard sales and thrift stores, would be to 
evaluate every purchase based on the fact that you'll probably only use the 
item for six months at the most.  Hope this helps.

Jo Elizabeth

Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify 
the hunters.--African Proverb

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Angela Frederick" <angelahoward at mail.utexas.edu>
Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2009 9:47 AM
To: <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [blparent] Items you couldn't live without

> Hi, everybody,
>
> Okay, so I am a huge nerd and have been trying to figure out what our 
> family budget could be if we succeed in getting pregnant.  I've been 
> looking at baby items and their costs and wondering what is really 
> necessary and worth spending money on.
>
> So, I would like to know from all of you who have kids:
>
> 1. What baby items do you consider a necessity or a life-saver?
>
> and
>
> 2. What baby items do you wish you hadn't spent money on?
>
> Thanks for the feedback!
> Angela
>
>
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