Baby Stuff

Just had another thought... We have a backpack for carrying the kiddos around. I got it used from a co-worker and that thing is awesome. Even if you aren't using it to go hiking (which I have) but I also use it when I go to the grocery store. I've carried both my kids in it for miles with no issues, and the kids love it.

And I'll echo whoever said strollers were short, they are. Even the newer ones with the adjustable bars only go so far. And forget an umbrella stroller, after one use, the wheels wobble on that thing like a bad buggy from the Walmarts Store.

I use the backpack way more often than the stroller.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: You are now entering one of the greatest consumer rip-off zones ever devised. You will spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on crap you don't need because the first baby is the best target demographic ever created. Any time you balk your own family will do the closer better than any sales rep.

I +1'd and quoted you. For truth.

To the OP, want a real challenge to help you wade through the crap at BRU? Flip the package over and check where things are made. I bet you can't get half the list of "essentials" from North America or Europe.

Even if you don't tell anyone, register at Target and put everything you think you'll ever want on it. That way, you can get discounts on the stuff after the baby is born because 'its on your registry'. You'll get things in the mail for coupons for the stuff too. And their return policy is quite good for stuff on there too.

scroll to the bottom of this page: http://www.target.com/gift-registry/baby-registry

Babys-r-us is a rip off. Garage sales and hand-me-downs are the best. I made a changing table out of some plywood and purchased a cushion.

The cushion cover was quickly abandoned after the first time poop and pee got on it.

The best thing we bought was an $8 'jumper'.

He also loved the jumper thingy that hangs from a doorway, but sadly we have a giant baby and he no longer fits. (28lbs-ish at 8 months)

asoduk wrote: So from those that have done this before: I know most of the seats are designed for the anchor points in modern cars. What do you do when you have a car without those fancy attachment points? Bonus points for seats currently available that fit in a 944 (for slightly bigger kids)!

You do it the old-fashioned way, the seat belt threads through the holes in the base/holes in the bottom/holes in the side (choose the set of holes currently applicable). To cinch it down, pull the seat belt all the way out before buckling and then let it retract back. It will ratchet down to a point - from there, you need to push down on the seat and feed more seat belt back. Continue until good and tight (doesn't go more than an inch in each direction).

I bought my daughter 2 semi expensive things prior to her birth.

The first was a Recaro Performance Ride for a car seat (on sale for the same price as a Graco).
The other was a BOB stroller I found on sale at REI because I couldn't stand the cheap strollers I looked at.

For the bottle warmer I bought a Kiinde system for my wifes use. Its quite a bit cleaner than the other bag solutions and I can't overheat milk with the warmer system.

The Recaro seat tends to be contentious as it's pretty big but... they only make seats. That's all they do and I'd rather have a company that specializes in seats rather than a hodgepodge products by a company with a good marketing department.

Otherwise get the cheapest clothes you can find (all hers are hand-me-downs or on the sale rack of carters) because they outgrow them like crazy, a couple swaddles if you're into that, and some sleep sacks.

It's hard to find any good information on baby equipment because every review reads like one of those advertisements that pose as an article in magazines.

Well update to all of this... We were given a fancy stroller: the one in the news for being advertised by a bikini model (who is actually a triathlete, showing that its durable and you can run with it ) We were also given a bunch of other stuff that I have not even gone through yet, but I'm told there is a car seat (7 years old...) seats, toys, 3 bags of clothes, etc.

I think we're already overflowing with the stuff and the shower hasn't even happened yet! I really appreciate all of the tips from you guys.

Yep, buy nothing. People you hardly even know will start giving you crap.

See if you can make a game out of going a long time before buying something. For example, my wife's choir all went and bought us a package of diapers from each member. It lasted like 5 months. Very nice of them, but how awesome! My wife wanted to buy diapers before ours was born, but he would've out grown them without being used.

Register for cloth diapers. They rock.

Final advice: people give lots of advice, and sometimes their experience is similar to yours. More often it isn't. We never owned any warmers of any kind, but some people swear by them. We actually used a changing table. Others never do.

This is true for all of parenting. Just go with it. You'll be losing your mind over some issue and people will make proclamations guaranteed to solve your ails. You want to tell them to berkeley off, but you eventually learn to listen to(ignore) their E36 M3 advice with a smile.

On the subject of advice you may find awesome or also crap. Bottom line: cloth diapers are awesome. (See what I did there?) At least I thought so. My wife wasn't too into them, but we each did our own thing with our daughter. Saved millions of dollars NOT buying disposable.

One last thing: if you think car or gun forums are rife with TLAs, lingo, and other acronyms, watch out for mommy forums. Especially cloth diapering forums. I had to make a glossary just to read any posts.

mikeatrpi wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: You are now entering one of the greatest consumer rip-off zones ever devised. You will spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on crap you don't need because the first baby is the best target demographic ever created. Any time you balk your own family will do the closer better than any sales rep.

I +1'd and quoted you. For truth. To the OP, want a real challenge to help you wade through the crap at BRU? Flip the package over and check where things are made. I bet you can't get half the list of "essentials" from North America or Europe.

Double quote just for emphasis. Oh lord yes. I have to say we didn't go as overboard for our first as many others do, we still fell into the trap to some extent. Our next go-round was with twins. They're experience was worlds different...and they'll never forgive us for it.

octavious wrote: And I WISH I would have thought to register for a sixer and some gummibears. I know some of my buddies would have bought that, and it would have been hilarious.

me with the registry scanner and my wife not looking is when things happen.

more advice. troll the streets on garbage night. people get so sick of tripping over kid stuff that they put it out and hope it becomes someone else's problem. i pick it all up, and if we can't use it i donate or sell it. picked up a super clean pooh rocker with a mobile all wrapped up in plastic one night. my wife sold it to the baby resale store for $15. my son has 2 trikes, 2 big wheels, and 2 small bmx type bikes. i have $5 in all 6, because one came from a garage sale the rest were from trash night. picked up 3 pack and plays one night. washed all 3, gave one to my mom, sold one to the baby store, and donated one to the church that hands things out to families in need. don't be above taking things from people offering and just selling it to the resale shop. they're happy it's gone, you get some diaper $.