Currently shopping around for infant carriers. Which car seat did you go with and why? I’m really liking the Doona but is it worth the money… Also what are some must have items. This will be my first baby.
3 Likes
graco verve is amazing. I used it for my first baby and now with my second.
we loved our Britax! It has a metal base and the anchors are so easy to get into the car!
Chicco Keyfit all the way! Chicco makes the best car seats, and I’ve tried several brands.
We have the Doona and love it!! Worth every penny for me… saves so much room for grocery space… easy to just click a button and click into the seat… only downside is it does get heavy once baby starts putting weight on lol… but I just wheel her around everywhere so it’s not to bad.
I loved the baby Bjorn carrier! Used it for all my children. I LOVED the Graco duo glider! My daughter actually slept in it for the first few months- it holds up to 40 pounds and lays down or has different incline options. I seriously loved it!
Doona seats are nice but most babies will outgrow an infant style seat by 18 months, so it’s a lot of money for something that’s going to be pretty short lived.
We have a Graco Extend2Fit and really love it, we got it when my youngest outgrew his infant seat around 1 year.
The grace forever car seats we loved them we got one for each kid super easy to clean last forever they are good quality material and my kids loved them you can do rear facing infant seat and then just flip around once they are 2–3 depending on weight ect it goes all the wait to booster which my 10 year old uses now we have had since 2016 then another in 2017 we bought two more
You should definitely get a humidifier!
I loved having a pack of cloth diapers to use for burp cloths, spills, bibs—a ton of uses besides diapering. A sponge-like baby bath you put in the tub is easier than the hard plastic kinds, though those were useful when our son was scared of a bath and we’d put the lights low & set it on top of a running dishwasher or dryer to soothe him.
Depending on your home configuration, once baby’s mobile, baby proof everything. We got locks for refrigerator, oven door, toilets & all low cabinets. Get the kind of outlet covers that work like child proof caps. Those little plugs get picked out by tiny fingers in seconds. Baby gates are a definite if you have steps.
Have bottles and formula on hand even if you’re breastfeeding. Don’t worry about a fancy crib. Babies can sleep in a cardboard box with a little mattress if need be just as well. I liked the teethers you could freeze. An umbrella stroller and a baby carrier you wear (Snugli?) are useful. A playpen was great for keeping the baby safe while you do other things nearby.
Baby clothes are fun to buy but will be outgrown in a week or so at first. Sing, talk & read to your baby, and just love them. That’s the biggest part.
Grow your network/village. You can’t have too many people you can call on when you need help. And you will more than you know. Just to be able to hand off baby for a bit so you can eat, sleep and/or take a shower is a miracle. To have someone you trust who can watch the baby while you run to the grocery store without all the buckling, unbuckling, crying, fussing, etc. Makes a difference. When my kids were little we had an all night grocery store that let me shop quickly in peace after they were in bed. Do you have someplace that is open 24/7 to get diapers? If not be sure you always have plenty on hand. Travel at night when the child is asleep or when they’ll fall asleep. Makes it much easier. If you’re headed to grandma’s hopefully she can watch your little one while you sleep in if you were on the road until the wee hours.
Make sure you have time to yourself every week if not every day, just to maintain your sanity. If you get even one thing done in a day with an infant, that’s a real accomplishment.
Cut life back to easy basics when you’re a new mom. No gourmet meals, just eat something. No looking glamorous is needed, just wear whatever is comfortable and not too stained or stinky. Don’t bother with jewelry, mail polish, shaving your legs. You’ll be in survival mode for a while and anyone judging? Hand off the baby and let them deal for the next 12 hours and see how they do.
I would look at car seats that don’t use flame retardants or PFAS. There are a handful that avoid flame retardants, but I believe Nuna is the only who don’t use either.