Reader Question: Baby Basics?
Saturday August 26, 2006
A reader emailed recently to ask about the cost for basic baby products. If you're on a budget and want to buy only the bare minimum, this basic baby needs checklist will help you get started. How much you spend on each item is up to you, and of course there are lots of cool baby gadgets that don't appear on this list of basics.
Here are some of the basic baby products that I would choose, both budget and luxury:
Here are some of the basic baby products that I would choose, both budget and luxury:
- Infant car seat - Graco Snugride, Britax Companion
- Diapers - Luv's Disposable Diapers, ProWrap All-In-One Cloth Diapers
- Bath Supplies - Huggies Baby Wash with Lavender & Chamomile, Mustela PhysiOBebe No-Rinse Cleaning Fluid
- Feeding Supplies - The First Years Soothie Bottle Starter Kit, Boppy Boutique Breastfeeding Pillow
- Baby Blankets - Gerber 5-Pack Receiving Blankets, Gaiam Organic Cotton Baby Blanket
Comments
Stroller: BOB revolution jogging stroller — the rotating front wheel makes this jogger a snap to take around town as well.
Diapers: We cloth diaper, and for newborns I’d recommend Kissaluvs fitted cloth diapers with Nikkys covers. The Kissaluvs are so soft, and make getting used to diapering a new baby easy.
Diaper bag: I use a Rick Steve’s backpack as a diaper bag — it converts to a shoulder bag, is big enough for a weekend trip and also works as our airline carry-on.
Baby carrier: For newborns, the Moby Wrap is essential! We could not have made it through our son’s first six months without it. Now that he’s bigger, I love my Over the Shoulder Baby Holder
Oh gosh — how could I have forgotten my breast pump? I used a Medela, but without it breastfeeding would have been so much more of a challenge!
The two things that I couldn’t have lived without the last 6 months were my Moby wrap carrier and my Boppy pillow.
I don’t have or want a stroller, and the Moby allows me to transport my son easily and quickly without any of the fuss and bother of a stroller. It’s also one of the cheapest carriers I found. Most people are scared of it saying “I don’t know how you learned to tie it”, but if you can tie your shoes you can learn to wrap a Moby. And once it’s on you can use it in many different positions, including (apparently) for carrying twins or on your back.
The Boppy I use for everything. When we flew, it held an extra blanket and burp cloth as well as acted as a pillow. Jaryth sleeps on it in my lap, so I have hands free to type. He used it to learn to sit, and now is using it to learn to crawl. And it comes in so many different covers that it always looks nice. We have one cover in 100% organic cotton that we use most of the time.