What do you really need?

When you are a new expecting mom it is really hard to know what is necessary and what is just not worth the money.  I remember when I was pregnant with my first child I thought I had to have ever single piece of baby gear in the Babies R Us catalog.  I quickly found out after my daughter was born that many of those things are not all they are cracked up to be. 

MUST HAVES
There are many different things that are in the category of “baby gear.”  These are your swings, bouncy seats, car seats, etc.  Obviously you have to have a car seat but we also found that there were some more things that we HAD to have!

Infant Swing – it doesn’t really matter which brand of swing that you buy, but we felt that it was a necessity in our home.  Rachel as well as Lauren spent a lot of time in the swing.  Sometimes it was the only thing that would calm them down. 

Bouncy Seat – we really enjoyed this as well.  I was able to take Lauren outside in the bouncy seat while Rachel played in the backyard.  She would sit and laugh…she loved it outside.  She was strapped in and safe and could still see what was going on around her.  We used this a ton with both kiddos.

Other items that we feel like are needed to keep baby and the rest of the family happy:

Swaddle blankets – I did not have these with Rachel but I did with Lauren and we will not do without them again!  They made a WORLD of difference when it came to sleep.  We bought the specialized swaddle blankets and they are a lifesaver!  They are very easy to use and worth every penny!

Angel Care Monitor – this is a baby monitor that monitors the baby’s movement and acts as a typical monitor as well.  I do not think I could have put my babies in their cribs without this.  I just had such a peace of mind about it.  The monitor alarms you if the baby stops breathing for more than 20 seconds.  Some may say it is not necessary but it was/is for us!

DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY
We quickly realized that there are some things that you can live without when it comes to baby.  Some of these may be great for other moms but just didn’t seem practical to us.

Wipe warmer – this just seems crazy to me!  I know it will be a luxury to have a warm wipe on a warm tushy but really?  Are you going to take it everywhere because what happens when you aren’t at home and baby isn’t use to a cold wipe??!!

Bottle warmer – This might be great but we just use the hot water in the sink method.  Works like a charm.

Double Stroller – obviously I didn’t get one of these until I was pregnant with my 2nd baby but we literally have used this MAYBE 5 times.  It was expensive and not worth it!

Bassinet  - we found that the Pack n Play was much more versatile and economical.  That’s what worked better for us.  Bassinet– after the baby outgrows it, you’re done!

I am sure that there are many more things that I could list but I feel like these are some of the main ones.  I would be interested to see what others think.  Also, just remember, stock up on batteries of all sizes!!!  

Rikki Hester is a social worker at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital and Mom of two girls with another baby on the way.