ATOT dads - help me out!

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Vonkhan

Vonkhan

Diamond Member
Feb 27, 2003
8,198
0
71
Well, it's nearly time :) My daughter is going to be here soon it's shopping time

I have the basics: crib, bassinet, diapers, etc.

From your experience, what are some of things that are a must have ... stuff that really helped you out?

Thanks!

Will post pics when she's here!
 
A

andy04

Senior member
Dec 14, 2006
999
0
71
diaper genie, 2 if you have a 2 story house.
Bottle Sterilizer - will save thorough washing
infant ear swabs
baby on board
 
M

MisterJackson

Lifer
Jun 19, 2004
10,860
1
81
Hooker? You won't be getting any from the misses for awhile.....or if hookers aren't your thing, see if she has an understanding sister.

Seriously though, I did the baby thing 11 years back, so I may not be much help other than to tell you not to sweat things. It'll all fall into place. Hell, if I can do this, anyone can.

Do you have one of those baby bathtub things? What about formula if your wife's not breast feeding. If she is breast feeding does she have a breat milk pump (don't stick your wang in that thing......don't ask).

Also, baby monitor?
 
V

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
membership to costco for formula, wipes, etc...


Car seat. * Make sure its one the hospital approves of *
Me and my wife are expecting so from the reading I have seen some hospitals are picky with car seats. Some want infant only, not the convertable type.
 
Fritzo

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Get a recliner for the baby's room. Seriously. It makes it more comfortable to hold the baby at night, for feedings, etc.
 
rh71

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
Originally posted by: andy04
diaper genie, 2 if you have a 2 story house.
Bottle Sterilizer - will save thorough washing
infant ear swabs
baby on board
Click to expand...

In my experience, the diaper champ is better than the diaper genie because it doesn't use the refills that cost $5-$6 each. As your baby grows, so will the diapers (plus we have twins) and you go through them so fast. The champ takes regular bags (of any kind) and the smell difference is NOT noticeable.

As for my list:
- "the first years" bottle warmer
- nasal aspirator
- vaseline (for diapers)
- 8oz+ bottles (4oz bottles will be useless in 2 months so why not just go with 8s?)
--> drop-ins are good too in case you don't like washing bottles often
- avent bottle sterilizer (2 mins in the microwave FTW)
- pampers swaddlers (the mesh design is awesome)
- any unscented baby wipes are fine
- cloth (gauze) towels (awesome all-purpose and cheap enough to throw away if ruined)
- crib sheet savers (so you don't have to take off & wash the entire crib sheet if they make a mess)


Also consider:
- audio-only monitor (video was useless for us, just be sure you don't put anything near their face in case of suffocation)
- drying rack (running the dryer every day gets expensive)
- changer, with drawers (they used to change babies in beds but your back will hurt after a while)

It may seem like what's out there these days is overkill but these things make your life so much easier.
 
Brovane

Brovane

Diamond Member
Dec 18, 2001
6,390
2,582
136
Originally posted by: andy04
Originally posted by: Brovane
We personally found one of these very helpful with our two daughters - http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-P...&qid=1221584586&sr=8-3

Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Cradle Swing

A membership to Costco is very helpful. If you doing formula I found Amazon had the best prices.
Click to expand...

I have the rainforest version. It was just great! helped to put the baby on a speeling schedule
Click to expand...

Oh yes I almost forgot. We practiced swaddling with our babies and found it helped a lot with getting them to sleep for hours at a time -

http://www.miracleblanket.com/
 
HomeBrewerDude

HomeBrewerDude

Lifer
Jan 18, 2001
14,465
1
0
1-4 months:
bassinet

4-12 months:
swing (wind up or battery)

12-24 months:
a couple of baby einstein videos for when you need to have 15-20 minutes to do 'something'
 
R

ra1nman

Senior member
Dec 9, 2007
333
4
81
Double boob pump and several 4oz/8oz feeding bottles all from the same manufacturer.
Kinda fustrating making a bottle at 2am then finding out you don't have a cap/nipple that works with that brand bottle.
 
rh71

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
^ ahh yes the pump... go with Medela and make sure you buy the right size breastshield... the ones it comes with are quite small and well... you'll notice they grow a huge amount. ;)
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
A bouncer with the vibrating function. My daughter slept in that the first 5 months. This thing is a miracle device. You can set the baby in there and put them on the floor while you make dinner or do the dishes or whatever chore you need to do. Best $40 we spent.

Before going home, make sure you ask for about 6 of the nose bulbs they have there. There is absolutely no replacement for the hospital variety suction bulbs. Anything from Target/Walmart/Ect is absolute crap in comparison.

The bottle warmers are definitely nice, but as your kid moves up to higher volumes, they just can't keep up. About 6oz is the make or break point. We just microwave about 2 cups of water in a big cup for a couple minutes and drop the bottle in there now that we are in the 6oz/8oz bottle sizes.

As for swings - Fisher Price makes a plug in version that doesn't require batteries. GET THIS ONE. The battery ones chew through batteries faster than your kid blows through diapers.

Speaking of diapers - get a bottle of Dreft stain remover. Wonderful stuff for getting the various bodily fluids your child will produce out of clothing, carpeting, and furniture.
 
X

xchangx

Golden Member
Mar 23, 2000
1,692
1
71
If this is your first, here are a few tips...

1) Suck up to the nurses at the hospital and ask for their # before you leave. We called the nurses at least a few times a day... Granted I work at the hospital so they knew who I was.

2) Babies aren't as fragile as you think, so don't freak out abaout every little thing.

3) Think rationally, they throw up (sometime through the nose), they cry, they also learn, so I would get a schedule going and try to stick to it.

We use our swing a lot, breast pump was useful, but when the mom stops producing then it can seem like it was a waste of money.

 
JulesMaximus

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,584
984
126
Originally posted by: JS80
Baby Monitor
Bottle heater (THIS IS SO MONEY)
Click to expand...

I have one...it was completely worthless IMO.

Never had a bottle heater either. I just boiled them in a pot on the stove and kept plenty of them on hand.

Diaper genie is handy.

Also, a Boppy is handy for feeding.

Oh, a pack and play with a built in changing table is also very usefull. We had one and just set it up downstairs until he was potty trained.
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Originally posted by: JS80
Baby Monitor
Bottle heater (THIS IS SO MONEY)
Click to expand...

I have one...it was completely worthless IMO.
Click to expand...

Monitor is more house specific than anything else. We have a two story home + basement. Family room is in the basement. Nursery is on top floor. If we tucked the baby in for bed at 8:00 and wanted to watch some TV until 10:00 or so we'd never hear her cry. Monitor was nice the first couple months when she was still having troubles getting to sleep on her own.

Even at 7 months I still use it in the morning when I'm eating breakfast and getting stuff packed up for work to know when she's awake and rustling around.
 
IHateMyJob2004

IHateMyJob2004

Lifer
Sep 29, 2004
18,656
68
91
Originally posted by: Vonkhan
Well, it's nearly time :) My daughter is going to be here soon it's shopping time

I have the basics: crib, bassinet, diapers, etc.

From your experience, what are some of things that are a must have ... stuff that really helped you out?

Thanks!

Will post pics when she's here!
Click to expand...

Baby wipes.
A baby swing and baby bouncer are musts. bouncers can go places with you and there is nothing better than a swing for putting the baby to sleep. You can put the swing in the kitchen and as you goet chores done, the baby is always near.

Your wife will buy toys. To bad. A clean sock will make a baby just as happy.

Get a baby monitor.
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
Originally posted by: cheezy321
Get the bumbo baby seat


Buy it here! (Shameless work plug)
http://www.activeforever.com/p...e-bumbo-baby-seat.aspx
Click to expand...

We bought one. It was nice for like....2 weeks. And then she just got pissed off whenever she was in there for more than 30 seconds and was strong enough to almost push herself out of it.

The bounce has been infinitely more useful/valuable. And about the same price really.

The only real nice thing about the bumbo was that it worked okay the first couple times we tried eating solid foods. It wipes off easily.
 
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