My Two Cents…And Then Some

Now that Kent and I are well immersed in the world of everything baby, I thought it might be helpful to any other expectant parents on the do’s and don’ts of baby “stuff”. Keep in mind that this is just my fabulous opinion, so feel free to take it, leave it, or run like hell with it. If you ask me, I’ll tell you from our trial and error to do the latter. Here goes…

Don’t – continue to buy premium diapers such as Pampers or Huggies after the baby gets a little bigger. Yes, they work great and are trusted name brands, but they are ridiculously expensive and will incur you a costly recurring expense that will challenge even the strictest of budgets.
Do – go to Costco and buy the Kirkland brand diapers. They work just as well as the premium name brand diapers, are in bulk, and cost much less in the long run. They only potential downside is that your baby may grow out of the diaper size by the time you use up all the diapers, but you can still be creative and use the leftover ones for other stuff. I use them as burp “cloths” for Ava and keep extras in my diaper bag to clean up spills and messes on the go.

Don’t – buy into the hype and get a Diaper Genie…you’ll have to buy special bags for the Genie that will tack on yet another recurring expense that can be avoided.
Do – buy a Diaper Champ. It keeps the smell out great, is larger than a Diaper Genie (therefore can hold more), and you can use your own garbage bags rather than buying specialty liners.

Don’t – buy a Baby Bjorn carrier. It works great, but is not as versatile as other carriers out there for the same price.
Do – buy an Ergo Baby Carrier. You can carry your baby on the front and back, up to 30+ pounds, AND it can hold newborns! This was our lifesaver since I tote Ava around the house to keep both my hands free. The Bjorn can hold the baby on the front only.

Don’t – buy one of those expensive baby swings (initially).
Do – buy a smaller, floor dwelling vibrating chair and see if the baby likes it. We bought the big expensive swing first and Ava much rather prefer to chill out in her little vibrating chair. It’s a lifesaver, since this entertains her long enough for me to get ready in the morning!

Don’t – give in to the urge to buy those cute, designer burp cloths. Trust me, you’ll either regret using such a beautiful piece of cloth to wipe up drool and spit-up or not use it at all to “save it for another time”…
Do – buy a bunch of cloth diapers and use those as burp cloths. They are soft, super absorbent, and hold up great wash after wash.


A Few More Tips…
Do…have a large water bottle next to your bed or where you nurse so you won’t have to constantly get up for a drink.
Do…buy a Miracle Blanket to quickly swaddle your baby so they can sleep more soundly. In the beginning with newborns, they seem so delicate and sensitive that Kent and I couldn’t swaddle fast enough or tight enough to keep Ava in her blanket. Go with the Miracle Blanket, and you’ll be saving SO much time and energy swaddling your baby for naps and bedtime.
Do…use a Pack and Play crib rather than a bassinet, Moses Basket, or Co-Sleeper. The Pack and Play is much more versatile and you will be able to use it as a playpen once your baby moves to their “real” crib, and it is a great traveling crib also - it has a changing table and the bed all in one!
Do…resist the urge to buy those beautiful, trendy, EXPENSIVE diaper bags. They don’t hold very much stuff and it would be a shame to see pee, poop, or spit-up ruin it! You don’t necessarily need a diaper bag…just a bag big enough to hold all your baby gear!

Happy Baby Shopping!