Another post in my “baby theme week“.
This is a list of items that either we used or things that I know people typically get with a new baby – I’ve indicated whether I think it’s mandatory and the timing of when you need it. I’ll put an approximate price for new items which is generally on the lower end – you can spend much more if you want. I’ve split it up into a number of posts which is in keeping with my tradition of not having excessively long posts.
Baby Carriers:
We had several of these that were all borrowed and we ended up not using any of them. I’m not sure why they didn’t catch on but I guess we were both satisfied with using the stroller or carrying Junior around. If we have another child though we are going to make more of an effort to try a carrier since it seems like a pretty good way to move the kid around. Carriers are better when the child is younger (and lighter) so probably the first four months is the best time for this. If you have a winter baby then it might be more useful since you’ll want to keep the little bundle of joy warm when you go for a walk. Our little guy was born in the summer so that’s probably one of the reasons we didn’t use the carrier very much.
When: Newborn to ??. It really depends on the parents and how much weight they can carry. I would think that somewhere between 15-20 pounds would be the maximum.
Cost: $30.
Diaper bag:
This is yet another product that I had no idea existed before having a kid. The main benefit of a proper diaper bag is the different compartments which can hold things like bottles, diapers (duh!), wipes, toys, food, extra clothes etc. We used a cloth bag for the first few months since all we had for the diaper bag was an extra set of clothes, some diapers and wipes. If your baby is on formula or is a bit older (six months+) then the proper diaper bag can come in handy as you will need to bring more “stuff” with you when you go out with the baby.
When: As soon as baby is born.
Cost: $25
Vibrating chair:
We actually had one of these things (borrowed) – more like a chaise lounge for the newborn set or “electric chair” as I liked to call it. I wouldn’t recommend going out and buying one, but it was pretty neat and Junior seemed to enjoy it.
When: After baby is a couple of weeks old. They will outgrow it pretty quickly so you might get two or three months out of it.
Cost: $50.
Bumbo:
This is definitely the most overpriced piece of foam ever. It’s kind of useful since it will hold the child in place so you can leave the room or just get a break. We used ours for the bath (you’re not supposed to) and it worked ok for that. We bought it on a gift card but we could have bought diapers with it instead.
When: Around three months.
Cost: $65 at Toys’r’Us.
3 replies on “Baby Expenses VIII”
Love your blog! Just a comment about baby carriers – fleece baby pouch sling – best invention ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’d almost recommend it over a stroller for the first few months – and then you can buy a simpler, cheaper stroller when baby gets heavy and sits better!
I borrowed a Bumbo and I’m glad I didn’t buy one – it was handy for a month, and then my baby figured out how to heave herself out of it head first! (It was on the floor, thank goodness, not on the table.) At first I figured it was a one in a million fluke, so I put her back in. She did it again 30 seconds later. Bye bye Bumbo!
My take (dad of 2) on this stuff – Baby Carrier – they’re good until the kid starts to hate them, and most kids will still go in them when they’re 2 in certain situations (hiking, parades, etc)
Either get 2 cheap ones, one front carrier and one back carrier, or get one of the good ones that’ll do forward & rear facing front and a back carrier (we got one of these given to us)
vibrating chair was a gift, and our older boy wanted nothing to do with it, but our second loved it…. but wouldn’t have bought it anyway, he was overweight for it by 2 months.
Bumbo – get one used if you want to get one. They’re horribly overpriced, and I think people try to keep using it after they shouldn’t be because of it…. If your child can sit up on their own, they shouldn’t really be in the Bumbo anymore, because they’re probably strong enough to get out of it. During that window it’s something different to amuse/distract.