re: Expecting first kid soon. Need advice on top quality baby items

Make sure you get the swing with a cord. Changing D batteries gets expensive if your kid gets attached to it like mine.

Check out baby gear lab ( website). Great reviews that will help you understand what you need, based on lifestyle.

For example, we went to Europe and saw some incredible strollers, but were made for the urban baby. That is, cruising sidewalks. In the US, most people will have a a click In stroller base for a car seat because we are so car dependent.

They have reviews on all types.

However, as a parent of a one year old, the best single item hands down is merlins Magic sleep suit. Went from 3 hours a night to 9 hours on the very first night after months without sleep.

You MUST get a Chicco bravo car seat/stroller. This is not optional. Yes it’s expensive as frick, but it’s essential. Essential.

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Maybe a Mamaroo sleeper

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My son HATED his mamaroo swing. Complete waste of money. We really appreciated our white noise machine and the wrap for the mom to wear the baby. And a car seat/stroller interchangeable combo. We went with Peg-Perego.

About to have our 2nd. Things Ive learned:

Diaper Genie is a waste. Just put diapers immediately in a grocery bag, tie it off, and hang on outside of back door. Next time you go out, take bag to trash. Target bags are best bags out there.

High chair is a waste also. Buy a seat that straps onto a chair. So much easier to clean and travels with you. A high chair takes up a lot of room.

Changing table is sort of a waste. After 6 months or so, child will usually be too big to use it. A bed/couch/floor will be used a lot. Get folding changing mats to lay down.

Cloth bibs are a waste because they have to be washed. Instead, the plastic/vinyl ones wipe off. Wipes or tissue is used to wipe mouth and hands.

Jogging stroller is a must. Their negatives are that they dont collapse as small and do not have as much storage. To counter act this, buy a backpack style diaper bag and hang from back of stroller. Buy cheap ankle weights and place on front area to counter act the stroller wanting to tip backwards.

Speaking of stroller, it will be a base camp for years to come. A bad one will send you home early and a good one will extend your outings, cookouts, festivals, etc. Comfort for parents is just as important as comfort for kids. Dont forget about battery fans, mosquito nets, and sun shades. They may seem overkill but they are must for me.

Also speaking of stroller, dont underestimate a good umbrella stroller for quick trips. 90% of them are not for OTers (meant for people under 5'6" tall). Wife and I are both over 6' and it took us a year to find one.

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That being said I silently dog cussed her coming and going when she put the kids to sleep in the button up onesies. ONLY USE THE ZIPPER ONESIES

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Button pajamas should be banned. My favorite is when my wife slips a buttoned onesie under the zipped pajamas. Always a nice surprise in the early hours.

You will not really need lots of the things you think you do.

Regarding brand recommendations, I chose each item based on solid online reviews. Free second hand stuff always trumped good reviews.

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merlins Magic sleep suit

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This. This. 1000x this.

This thing is amazing and worth $500 if they wanted to charge that.

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AutoYes_Clown

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Most useful advice so far. An all-terrain stroller is a must. The Jeep was perfect everywhere, even the beach

This is the only seat we ever used. Fischer price healthy care something.


We threw the diaper genie away as soon as we couldn’t fit anything else in it.

I swear, you can sell a first time parent anything. If I could go back, I'd buy everything second hand.