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First Time Parents - Most Useful/Unuseful Items Received/What to stock up on

4K views 25 replies 23 participants last post by  Heloise 
#1 ·
I'm hoping I posted this in the right spot. If not, please move. Just curious to see others' take on what you received that you thought was the most useful and the most unuseful. After being at this for only a week and a half, here is what I can think of so far. I'm hoping this will help someone out.

Useful
  • Receiving blankets - rec'd about 20, thought it was overkill - WRONG - great for swaddling
  • Cloth Diapers/Burp Cloths - going thru a lot of these under baby's head in crib & for burping
  • Bottle Warmer - a godsend for those late night/early am feedings
  • Breast Pump (rented from hospital, as the boob alone wasn't working)
  • Sensitive Wipes (stocked up on non-scented but the sensitive ones are a lot less cardboard-like on baby's hiney)
  • Diapers - enough said
  • Diaper Dekor (Diaper Genie) - glad to have this within arm's reach & easy to use
  • Changing pad protectors - already had a few mishaps of the squirting pee kind
  • Bottle drying rack

Unuseful
  • 40 washcloths - who needs this many?
  • clothing in the wrong size for the season - many well-intentioned gift-givers gave us short sleeved newborn sized items
  • Stuffed animals - cute, but we don't have much room for them
  • Bottle sterilizer - when sleep is precious, this takes just way too long and holds too little bottles in one session - good 'ol hot soapy water seems to be working

Glad I am finding/found good deals on:
  • Wipes
  • Diapers
  • Formula (to supplement breast milk) - did this a few days after when I decided to use the brand they did at the hospital. Check expiration dates for long-term storage.
  • Washes & ointment
 
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#2 ·
Useful - Dr. Spock's book.
Unuseful - pacifier. I hate the things.
 
#3 ·
the faceclothes will get used lots in the toddler years..when they learn to feed themselves...

i loved our swing, only place she napped..
i hated the little receiving blankets, i bought yardage and made large ones..
useless baby lotion and baby powder
useful baby seat for tub, the reclining one, useless the bath seat ring, always made kids cry cause their knees hurt in and out
baby bowls, use your own...
 
#4 ·
Useful:

-swing
-gift cards
-wipes and diapers
-diaper pail that uses trash bags instead of special inserts

Un-useful:

-wipe warmer (waste of space and electricity)
-bottle warmer (never used once)
-blankets (we got 20 blankets, for ONE kid, c'mon)
-five different brands of bottles that do not have interchangeable parts
-diaper genie and it's overpriced liners
 
#5 ·
I agree on the blankets - the rectangle ones are good, the square ones stink.

The lotions are a bit overkill - I have enough to last her till she's 18 LOL.

The gift cards already came in handy.

Forgot to add in the boppy pillow - may be considered a novelty but this helps when I have guests holding her cause I'm afraid of them dropping her.
 
#6 ·
IMO:
useful - clothes that are several sizes ahead, I loved going to the closet to "shop"
useful - diapers
useful - more diapers
useful - did I say diapers? :)

useless - changing table - I never used it once, ever!
 
#7 ·
Useful:

I had very spitty babes, so there were NEVER enough burpies

For those who are cloth diapering, diaper covers and soakers

Plastic links for attaching toys to the carseat, the stroller, etc.

Blankets (this probably is akin to the burpies for us)

Bouncy/vibrating seat thingumy

dishwasher cage for all the little bottle bits, and sippy cup bits when they got older

pizza gift cards (seriously)

floor gym; we had one that was all soft and quilted not a hard plastic one. The arches came off as baby got older, so it became a floor quilt for putting sitting toys on.

Least useful:

wimpy umbrella stroller

3 diaper bags, all too small

anything "newborn" sized

anything "dry clean only" (MIL arrived at hospital with 5 outfits!!!)
 
#8 ·
Useful:
Boppy: I loved mine and used it for both kids...but if I did it again, I would make mine.
Recliner to have in the baby's room (great to both rock in and sleep in)
Sleep n play outfits
Onesies
Crib Tent: I used this with both of my kids. I bought it when my son got tall enough that if he leaned over the crib gate, he would fall out. It keeps pets (cats) out of the crib and makes sure the baby can't crawl out.

Not Useful:
Baby sized washclothes: UGH. I have so many of these. I think we used them for about a month with my first. After that....regular ones were fine. However, I got so many for shower gifts, I still have them and have NO use for them.
Baby towels: not really needed
Special laundry detergent: I never used this stuff. I always just bought fragrance free and dye free detergent and used it for all of our clothes.
Basinette: For me this was useless

If I think of anymore, I will come back.
 
#9 ·
Useful:

I can't remember what it was called, but it fit over my daughter's car seat and had a flap where her head was that opened and closed. I loved this thing because it keep the cold off of her when I had to carry her to and from the car and it was held snug around the car seat instead of flapping in the wind like a blanket.

Diapers: you simply can't have too many of these. I love practical gifts and was thrilled when I received diapers.

Practical clothes: babies are cute enough without all the frills and lace. They only need a few to-die-for outfits to make little old ladies swoon when going to the doctor or out shopping. For home use, clothes that are soft, easy to get off and on and will last through multiple spit up stains are ideal.

Unuseful:

changing table - the bed was much handier for changing diapers

dressy and expensive clothes: I had little need for expensive, frilly, fussy outfits at home. My sister once spent over $60 for an outfit for my daughter and she only wore it a few times. I was saddened by the waste and wished she had used her money more wisely.

Items that are meant to be looked at instead of used such as: Fancy dolls, silver cups and brushes, figurines, scratchy lacy blankets and stuffed animals come to mind
 
#10 · (Edited)
Thought of one more useful: COUPONS!!! My sister's friend's mother works at Walgreens so with her 20% discount & a fistful of coupons, I got really cheap diapers & formula (I'm supplementing). I also sent Vic food shopping with a list and coupons and he nailed my whole order (20 phone calls later!).
 
#11 ·
This is a great thread, We are expecting in July and I've been trying to think of what we will need and what will be a total waste. For furniture we are thinking just a crib for now and I like the idea of a tent for it, to keep our cats out of there. We already have a rocking recliner that I can use to rock the baby and it doesn't sound like we need a changing table of any kind, as I probably won't use it very much.
 
#13 ·
Only other thing I would add is either baby food mill or a good food processor. Although convenient canned baby food is every over priced. Just remember to mill the baby food before adding a lot of seasonings.
 
#14 ·
#15 ·
Useful

Diapers
Crib sheets
Onsies and t shirts
Bottle liners
Rocking Chair
Changing pads
Bouncer
Swing
Motherly advice :)

Least useful

Wipe Warmer
Heated food bowl
Infant toys that made noises
Expensive newborn sized shoes
Motherly advice :D
 
#17 ·
I don't even know what a boppy and a diaper genie are! Would that automatically classify them as unuseful? I had my baby in June.

Useful:
sheets
spittle clothes (little squares of fabric to wipe bits of spittle or milk of baby's mouth/hands / guest's hands and trousers)
diapers
diaper bin with fitted lid
microwave bottle sterilizer
manual breast pump (I prefer it to the electric one, because at work I have to use it in one of the (clean) toilets, and I don't like my colleagues hearing me using the breastpump; there's no proper room for breastfeeding/taking milk. Besides, the toilets don't have a socket)
mobile with music for over the playpen
playpen and babybed (not crib) with adjustable height (saved my back!)
baby bag/length of cloth to carry baby during the day (think African/Asian), so you can do your chores and comfort baby all at once

Unuseful:
wrong-size/season clothes (although you can usually add a thick onsie (sp?) and a cardigan)
frilly clothes
lots of small bottles (5 fl oz), baby will drink more very quickly
too many toys

Wishing you a very good time with your baby and also wishing you a delivery like the one I've had! (My first reply after giving natural birth without painkillers (only a hot bath during labour): "if that's all there is to it, we'll soon have a second")
 
#18 ·
Great lists,,,,and glad I don't need them anymore lol. I would also add infant tylenol and a good thermometer to the useful list. I always add those to my basket of gifts for a baby shower. Nothing worse than a crying overly warm baby in the middle of the night and no thermometer.
 
#19 ·
I have an almost 2 month old...so here I go as a first time mom.

What I have found I needed(besides a carseat which is the law)
-vibrating bouncy seat-sometimes the only way she'll fall asleep when she is fussy
-diapers-plenty whether cloth or disp-they do come down how many they go through esp if breastfeeding cause after a month or so they have plenty of wet, but not many dirty(which is fine). i have had to supplement a bit some days due to production and that is mainly when I get real dirty diapers-also some flat coth diapers can be used as burp cloths and something to lay down when changing baby
-wipes are best for traveling-you can grab a wet washcloth(so yeah a bunch is cool for this)...esp if breastfeeding
-bibs and or burp cloths-the larger bibs work the same-rem though that breastmilk does not stain-I had more prob when I had to give her meds for thrush-had to soak the bibs good before washing or any cloths it got on
-onesies and footy pjs are the best right now-dep on weather dep on what they wear-my daughter also hates her feet to be covered and she kicks off socks or blanket,she will wake up and cry if her feet are covered, but is fine w the footy pj's-find what works for you though-oh get the ones w snaps or zipper down front-same w any shirts(or the wrap ones)-it is hard at beg when they spit up a lot to pull off and put an outfit over a baby's head esp if it has spit up all over it-and the meconium is the worse in the first week
-I have one of those carseat cover things to and yes they are great-though I still have to put a blanket on top when it's really icy cold out since someone likes to stick her hands out
-blankets-doesn't matter what time of yr and light and heavier are great to have-though you only need a couple of the heavier-a blanket can be used to swaddle,lay on floor,lay down on bed before you do the laying down hold for breastfeeding(hey then it gets on blanket not on sheet-doesn't stain but will be wet and smell like milk),dep on weather dep on what I put over her legs in carseat before putting cover on,over your shoulder when breastfeeding and of course as a reg blanket etc...
-thermometer-cause if you ever have to call dr about sick baby one of the quest they ask is temp-do it before you call save step and time
-bassinet-I know some don't like them and I use the one I was in-I just bought a new mattress for it and washed it(it's the vinyl kind that was popular back in the day)-I have her right next to my bed so there are nights that I get up often but don't really have to focus on since I just pull her out to change and feed her and lay her back down
-a couple hooded towels-babies get chilled so fast and this covers their head-mine were gifts-get the large ones so you can use for toddler yrs-though you only have to bathe a few times a week and not even til after a few weeks it helps-my daughter acts so cold and I have her in a heated room where I turn up the space heater before getting everything set up(a few washclothes are good to-you could live w one pack-I was given a bunch as gifts)
-A&D ointment-has multi uses-can be used for diaper rash/or to prevent it(if using cloth-which diaper rash is supposed to be rare make sure to use a liner so it doesn't affect absorbancy), if the neck roll gets irritated(make sure newbies to wash under the neck multiple times a day-look it's where spit up can collect and you can't see it),on chapped skin or lips and it's not harmful,it can also be used on your nipples if breastfeeding and it won't hurt their mouths,the A&D vitamins in it help skin heal-you can use it on yourself to
-sheets-a few for a bassinet just so you can change and have one on while washing since they are only in this for so few months-crib on the other hand you can have plenty if going to a toddler bed since they fit the same mattress
-bottles-you need a few regardless of how you are feeding more if on formula of course-better to be safe than sorry-and decide what kind you would prefer-talk to other people and see what deals they have-and if using liners you can have the larger standard bottles and still fit the smaller liners in when they are little and change to larger when they get bigger
-rocking chair or glider(bouncy seat though works great but some times they just want to be held to
-only one or two nice outfits-maybe something for the season or holiday for pics is good-whatever is comfortable and works for both of you is great in the beg

Not useful
hmmm_I've seen alot on here and I'll have to think

Good luck on your baby and rem to be careful of sizes-you can always put a baby in a to big outfit but not a small one,they grow super fast in the beg(my daughter is in some 0-3 mth and some 3/6 mth dep on the maker-she was 11.5 lbs and 22" long at her 1 mth check up...I have so many clothes I need to go through and see what she has already outgrown and never worn-I'm just glad a lot of people followed my advice and I got a ton of used stuff and stuff in multiple sizes

I will prob think of other stuff but here is the gist of my basic list of more or less what was a must have for me right now
 
#20 ·
What I used when we had our first daughter:

Onsies
Wipes
Lotions
The carseat attachments to make the babies head fit in better so she wasn't bobbing around.
diaper bags, we would keep a packed one in each vehicle at all times with a change of clothes, diapers, wipes, bottle, powdered formula and blanket....that way if we were in a hurry we wouldn't forget something we needed as it was already packed.
Bouncy seat and or Swing

Things we found unhelpful for a newborn:

shoes, she never kept them on and its not like they would be walking that quickly.....socks are enough for a newborn don't waste money on shoes.
Wipes warmer, didn't want one and told everyone that said I needed one that I would take it back and exchange it for something else that I really needed...like more wipes & diapers.
The carseat covers....I just don't like them. We had one and used it maybe twice but found blankets better and more useful as it was a lot easier to get the baby in and out.

I'm sure there are more things I could add to each list and I'll remember them when my second one comes along in March...lol
 
#22 ·
Re: the wipe warmers, when I worked at a daycare in college, we had one baby that screamed bloody murder whenever he was changed. I never could figure it out until his mom told me they used warmed wipes at home. He was that shocked to feel a room temperature wipe on his bottom! I'm not going to use a wipe warmer when I have a kid because I don't want to risk screaming whenever I have to change him/her in a store restroom or over at the grandparents' house, kwim?
 
#23 ·
All I had for all 5 of mine was this

-cloth diapers and pastic or rubber pants
-baby washclothes that we used as wipes
-car seat that converted from newborn all the way to booster seat
-crib
-crib sheets
-stroller/bike trailer
-blankets - thick and the thin flannel ones, used them for changing pads, nursing blankets and of course to cover the baby
-tylenol and thermometer
-onesies and sleepers
-high chair
-jolly jumper
-snuglii (didn't use it at all with the twins but alot with the other 3)
-a bucket to soak the dirty diapers in

I didn't use much so there are alot of things that I feel are unnecessary, but every family is different. What worked for me might not work for you.

The all time best gift I recieved was at a shower my mom had for me after the twins were born. I already had pretty much everything I needed. So she asked everyone to bring a freezable casserole instead of a gift. It was great 30 women all brought at least 1 casserole. Some were homemade and some were store bought but they all meant I hardly had to cook for almost 2 months. With 2 newborns that wanted to nurse constantly you can imagine how helpful I found it.
 
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#26 ·
All I had for all 5 of mine was this

-cloth diapers and pastic or rubber pants
-baby washclothes that we used as wipes

-car seat that converted from newborn all the way to booster seat
-crib
-crib sheets
-stroller/bike trailer
-blankets - thick and the thin flannel ones, used them for changing pads, nursing blankets and of course to cover the baby
-tylenol and thermometer
-onesies and sleepers
-high chair
-jolly jumper
-snuglii (didn't use it at all with the twins but alot with the other 3)
-a bucket to soak the dirty diapers in

I didn't use much so there are alot of things that I feel are unnecessary, but every family is different. What worked for me might not work for you.

The all time best gift I recieved was at a shower my mom had for me after the twins were born. I already had pretty much everything I needed. So she asked everyone to bring a freezable casserole instead of a gift. It was great 30 women all brought at least 1 casserole. Some were homemade and some were store bought but they all meant I hardly had to cook for almost 2 months. With 2 newborns that wanted to nurse constantly you can imagine how helpful I found it.
I second the cloth diapers, rubber pants, and baby washcloths additions to the list, and love that you posted them at the top of your list!

6 kids here, and all were put through good old-fashioned cloth diapers with rubber pants (complete with diaper pins).
 
#24 ·
Great thread, I hope I can be of help to some new Moms!
Useful-

Bouncy Seat and Baby Einstein videos, they will not really watch too much until about 3 months or so, but a great way to take a shower or get some stuff done w/o worrying about baby. I used my bouncy for early feeding as well. It is very handy.

A swing, although keep in mind not all babies like them. My boys loved it (only way my oldest would sleep sound) and my daughter hated it.

Aquaphor or Eucerin, I am a Mom with three kids with eczema. Also works for diaper rash so eliminates Desitin.

nail clipper, those dang nails grow quick. Hold finger and press skin under nail down while cutting so you do not risk cutting baby.

Baby Bjorn or sling (I could never get the hand of a sling, not sure if it is because I am heavy or what) but I loved my Baby Bjorn. It helps you get stuff done and keeps them "settled".

Even if you are planning on BF have formula as a back-up. I BF my 2 oldest with no trouble at all and number 3 really did not take to it. I made to sure to sign up with all the formula and diaper companies to get samples and a lot of them will send full cans right before your due date. Make sure to ask your hospital nurse for some too, they always have diapers and formula and will usually send you home with extra if you ask.

The little ring toys (the loops) they are great for attatching toys to the carseat, stroller, play gym, or just for them to chew on.

Un-helpful-

Newborn clothes, maybe one or 2 newborn sleepers for the first couple of days but they really do not last long for most babies. Exception of course if you uhvae twins or premies.

Diaper Genie- refills cost too much. I used the one that used regular trash bags and it worked ok, I think it was $20. When they got bigger where their poop started really smelling bad, I would just wrap those ones up in a gorcery store bag and take right out to trash cans outside (instead of the pail), you don't have to do that but I have a sensitive nose I do not want to smell it every time I go in their room, lol.

Shoes, my son is now 9 months and I just bought him his first shoes because he is starting to stand and walk. Not at all necessary before this time though.

Baby towels, come on they do not cover much and they are not absorbant at all.

Look at the sizes on burp cloths/receiving blankets. I like the bigger ones myself instead of the standard size. The bigger ones (like they use at the hospital) are easier for swaddling and so forth.
 
#25 ·
Newborn clothes, maybe one or 2 newborn sleepers for the first couple of days but they really do not last long for most babies. Exception of course if you uhvae twins or premies.
This made me laugh but only because I grow monsters. LOL!
My twins were 5 weeks premature and they weighed 6lbs14oz and 7lbs2oz. The dr weighed them 3 times on different scales they were just so big. She said they were the largest twins she had ever delivered.
 
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