Baby gear -- what is really necessary?

[candy]

My apologies if this has been covered before -- maybe someone could point me to an existing thread? I'm trying to get a handle on what baby gear I will actually need and would like to keep it as minimal as possible. In other words, I'd like to avoid buying things that will only be used for a short period of time because I hate accumulating unnecessary stuff. For example, do I really need an infant travel system when I could get a stroller that can last from infant through childhood? A bassinet that a baby will use for a month? It would be great if people would post a list of essentials, or products that they couldn't live without. Thanks in advance!

 

[amc80]

Hi Candy! There is a thread somewhere on baby gear...
But to answer some of your questions-

Our stroller is an infant travel system, in that it comes with an infant seat. But, the stroller itself is a jogging stroller and can hold up to 50lbs (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10870672&cagpspn=pla&pla=plab). We will have to get a new carseat in 5 months or so, because our car seat only holds infants up to 29" long, and our kiddo is ridiculously tall. You could just get a convertible seat from the beginning (one that rear faces), but I'm not sure what kind of stroller you'd use. Maybe someone else can chime in on that.

We didn't get a bassinet because I saw it as a waste of money. We did get a pack n play and stuck that in our room for him to sleep in. We figured we would get more use out of that long-term since it can travel to grandma's or wherever.

Personally, we LOVE the swing (My Little Snugabunny). Some people say they are a waste of space and money, but the baby loves it...so we love it. He is so happy in it and naps really well in it.

One thing about having a baby...if it helps your kid be calm and sleep then it's worth every cent.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I remember going through similar threads when I was pregnant, but I think a new thread would be great. I found these threads so helpful when deciding what to get.

First, every baby is different! So the "essential" list changes for every baby. Here is my list of essentials, nice-to-haves and not needed (for us). I'm sure I'm forgetting half of the things I used.

Essentials:
Car seat (obviously)
First Aid stuff (infant tylenol, thermometer, etc.)
Grooming stuff (wash, shampoo, nail clippers and Aquaphor)
Stroller--I had a car seat adapter, no travel system
Boppy
Ergo soft carrier (my go-to soothing tool)
large yoga ball to bounce on
White noise/sound machine
Nose Frida
Infant bathtub (I liked the whale tub)
Pack and play--I didn't get a fancy model because I read you never use the bells and whistles. I did get one with a bassinet that I used for a couple of months.
A few cloth diapers. I'm not a cloth diaper-er, but having these around was handy. They make good burp cloths and are great to stick under your baby between changes--they inevitably have accidents.

Clothes, bottles, pacifiers, diapers etc--I bought a variety of everything to see what worked best. For clothes, I realized I hated lots of snaps. I used the kimono-style pjs when my baby was a newborn. Now I use zippered pjs. Totally a personal preference. Bottles--I always had the best luck with Avent, but tried a few kinds.

If you plan to pump, you need a great double electric pump. I exclusively pumped and thought I'd wear mine out.
Breastfeeding? Get the gel pads. They soothe in a way that only a breastfeeding woman can understand.

Nice-to-haves:
Diaper Genie. Like mine, not really an "essential"
Humidifier. It's good to have on "just in case", but I stopped using it nightly.
Bottle warmer. I used it occasionally, but not often.
Bouncy seat. Only because our baby never really liked hers.
Umbrella stroller. I love ours, but I could get away with only using a full-sized stroller if I had to.

Not needed (for us):
Swing. Our baby hated the swing.
Travel system. Full-sized stroller with carseat adapter worked great for us.
Bassinet. We did have a rock and play to use in our bedroom, but I don't know if I'll use it again the next time around.
Any type of swaddle: miracle blanket, Halo sleep sack, Woombie, etc.--our baby hated to be swaddled. The A+A swaddles make good burp cloths, though.
Anything other than socks for the feet
Ultimate Crib Sheet. Thought this would be great for middle-of-the-night blowouts. Our baby never had one.

Misc.:
When it comes to toys, I resort to the "try a variety" philosophy. I mostly peruse Amazon and buy based on reviews.
Books--for some reason I like to buy these in the store so I can read them cover to cover before buying. You actually start to prefer certain authors. I heart Sandra Boynton.
One of my big "essentials" was joining a mom group with my baby was a newborn. We have a mom center in our town with tons of classes for infants and I have taken a lot of classes there.
Diaper bag--this is one thing YOU should love. Also, unless you're a SAHM, you likely need two. One for you, one for whomever is taking care of your child when you go back to work. Daycare, au pair, nanny...I don't think it matters, they all need one for the week.

 

[amc80]

I'll echo what NEL said. It really depends on your baby. For example, a swaddle (miracle blanket) was mandatory for us. The baby wouldn't calm down without it. We had another brand of swaddle, but he simple laughed and wiggled his way out. Same goes for the swing, I don't know what we'd do without it. NEL was right on regarding the cloth diapers. Get a pack (I bought a 10 pack of the gerber 5 ply ones) and place them around the house. We use them everywhere. We also have one in the swing in case of leaky diapers. The Nap Nanny was also an essential item for us. B hated sleeping flat, so it worked well. Hmm, maybe I should make a list after all.

Must haves (for us!...leaving off the more obvious essentials (crib, car seat, etc.)
-Swing
-Nap Nanny
-Cloth Diapers
-Miracle Blanket
-High quality pump (I use the Ameda Purely Yours)
-Bottles (I also use Avent, love them!)...lots of bottles.
-Soothie (pacifier brand)
-Turtle light by Cloud B- projects stars onto the walls and ceiling. Calms B down as he stares at them and falls asleep
-PJs. We didn't really buy any, it totally slipped our minds. And we didn't use them at first, since B was always swaddled at night, and it was too hot to have PJs and be swaddled (gotta love the early August bday!). I'll be more specific and say footless PJs, if you can find them. We have a ton that he could never wear due to his length and giant feet.
-Lots of socks
-Bibs. Particularly useful now that he's drooling all the time
-Boudreaux's Butt Paste. The stuff is amazing. Every time B's had the beginning of a diaper rash, I'll apply it, and it's gone by the next diaper change. Not to be confused with any other brand.

Nice to haves-
-Baby Bjorn/carrier. The only reason it's on this list is we have one and haven't used it yet. I always felt like he would suffocate when facing me, and he's just now getting big enough to face out. But I think we will use this a lot in the future.
-Baby bath. Some people use the sink and are fine with it, but I don't think I would be. So this depends on you.
-Bumbo- B loves sitting next to us on the couch and looking around. But we can also pop him up against the back of the couch and he does fine.


Don't use-
-Bottle warmer. B doesn't care if his bottles are warm or straight out of the fridge. Some babies are more picky. If you do get one, I strongly suggest NOT buying the Avent brand. It sucks.
-Lots of newborn clothes. Obviously this depends on your kid. Especially true for socks. The newborn and 0-3 sizes never fit him.
-Play mat. We have the Evenflo ExerSaucer Triple Fun. It goes from a play mat to an exersaucer to an activity table. He never used the playmat part, but I suspect he'll be into the exercaucer when he's old enough.
-Sophie the giraffe. The #1 selling baby toy on amazon. Glorified, expensive dog toy. He HATES the taste of it and wants nothing to do with it.
-Baby towels. Yeah, they are super cute...but seriously, just use the baby as an excuse to buy yourself new towels. The baby towels tend to be really thin and of crappy quality.

There are some other things we have that B doesn't use, but that's just because he's still a little guy.

 

[Haven]

This thread is awesome! Thank you for taking the time to share your lists, ladies!

 

[artdecogirl]

I am not a new mother, we have three grown children and the things we used are different then what is available now for sure but I have 2 grandsons, a 2 and 4 yr that we spend alot of time with and I can tell you what was nice for us. We bought a graco stroller that could lay flat like a bassinet / bed or be a seat that we used when they were days old up until now we still use it for the 2 yr old, we had also got them a double stroller, one in front of the other but the thing is a pain, bulky and does not steer easily over rough ground or even nice smooth sidewalks, can't remember the brand it got shoved somewhere in the pole barn never to be seen it was such a pain. If you have or will have multi children I would go straight for the radio flyer wagon with the convertable seats and the sun cover, we used that alot this last summer. Wish I would have got it the year before, They can lay down or sit up on a seat and it has cup holders for hot summer outings. I liked this one instead of the one step brand, I thought the handle was longer and my son is taller so it is easier for him to pull.

They never used a bassinet for the grandkids, we bought a pack and play for our house and they stole it, they had a pack and play but it did not have the bassinet, they used the bassinet attachment when they were infants then it is height adjustable so they used the next height when they started moving and left the attachment on to hold wipes/ diapers and misc stuff, then it came back to us when they moved to the crib and they slept in it at our house, it traveled easily also, 79.00 at target for a portable bed, bassinet, play yard and changing table, worth every cent. we used it this summer camping for the little one to sleep in, he can get out but it slows him down a little and gives this grandma a fighting chance to catch up!

Some other stuff, I agree with the towels and also baby wash cloths, cute but pointless, same with infant outfits for going out, they will be out of them in a month, tempting because they are adorable but a big waste of money. Whoever invented onsies is a rockstar! When my kids were little we had the t shirts that wrapped around them and tied, yuck!!! And whatever you want to call them burpees, flannels we used tons of them for our kids and the grandkids, babies did not change they still puke and spit all over you, as a new parent you will get in the habit of throwing one over your shoulder everytime you pick that baby up if you want to remain even semi presentable and not change your shirt 20 times a day.

 

[candy]

Thanks so much for the helpful lists! Keep the great suggestions coming.

Do any of you have good tips on cost savings for baby products? For example,

- I hear you can get discounts on diapers by subscribing through Amazon, even if you cancel your subscription immediately after purchasing. Or is there an even cheaper place to buy diapers/wipes?
- Baby registries? Many stores offer a 10% completion discount (Amazon, Target, Babies R Us) after your due date. Diapers.com offers the completion discount + a $50 coupon for every $500 that's spent towards your registry.
- Old Navy and Target seem to have the most inexpensive clothes. Old Navy often has e-mail promotions for up to 30% off, so that's a good time to make clothing purchases.

And does anyone have a specific stroller, car seat, or crib that they love? There are options galore in those categories!

 

[pancake]

A change mat (table is definitely not an essential!)
Somewhere to sleep - a cot or bassinet, whatever you choose
Somewhere to bathe the baby - if you have a laundry trough this is perfectly sufficient and won't kill your back
A chest of drawers for the baby's clothing
A carrier
A stroller - if you choose one that reclines all the way you will not need a bassinet if you don't mind the baby facing away from you
Carseat/capsule (if you get a capsule you can get adaptors for your stroller)
Playmat/rug for the floor with some kind of overhead mobile or frame so bubby can swat at/watch toys


That's it for the big items.

Little items:

Nail scissors
Moisturiser
Baby shampoo
Baby wash/bath oil
Towels (I like the ones that you can wear like an apron - thought they were a gimmick but they're great!)
Burp cloths - the more the better
Face washers
Thermometer
Wipes - cloth or disposable

 

[amc80]

The cheapest place for diapers I've seen is costco. Even better if they have a coupon. Cheaper than anywhere else.

 

[Skippy123]

The cheapest place for diapers I've seen is costco. Even better if they have a coupon. Cheaper than anywhere else.

that is where we get all our diapers. Huggies are usually a bargain there and I love love love Costco wipes!!!

I will write a list because I think you are right, lots of people buy stuff they don't use, I did!

 

[iloveny]

I'm so glad to see this thread! There is another thread about "Preggo Stuff.." on page two of Family Home and Health, but it was started a few years ago, so I am interested to see if there are any newer products out there for new moms. I'm very early in my pregnancy, but I have a question- are there any moms that live in NYC or in a small space in general? Our apartment is very small, and we are committed to trying to stay here for at least a year or two before getting a bigger place. I would love to hear of essentials, specifically, from city moms. Thanks!

 

[amc80]

The cheapest place for diapers I've seen is costco. Even better if they have a coupon. Cheaper than anywhere else.

that is where we get all our diapers. Huggies are usually a bargain there and I love love love Costco wipes!!!

I will add that I hate the Kirkland diapers. Normally, Kirkland stuff is as good or better than the name brand stuff (you know, like their vodka )...but the diapers are terrible. They don't hold as much and then leak out. Plus, the 1-2 size is weird.

 

[SB621]

I will just add for the pumping/ bottle feeding and cloth diapers mommas

MUST HAVES:
-At least 2 dirty diaper bags size L (will hold 10 + diapers) I really like the Planet Wise Brand
-10 to 12 diapers if you do laundry everyday. 18-20 diapers if you want to wash every other day
-A breast Bump if you plan on pumping full time
-Cloth Diaper Cream. I really like the Earth Angel Baby Butt Balm. It is on amazon subscribe and save.
-Pumping bags. You can usually find good deals on amazon subscribe and save.

Optional
-A diaper sprayer. Until you baby is eating solids their poop is water solible. And even when they start eating solids I rather use tear sheets that go down the toliet then a sprayer.
-Bottle warmer. If you pump and the milk comes straight out of the fridge then I would recommend a bottle warmer. However, some babies don't care if it is cold or warm. Regardless if you are pumping and warming up milk the bottle warmer will SAVE YOU SO MUCH TIME over heating up a bottle with warm water under the facet. It was a lifesaver for us.

Forget about:
-A pumping bra- just use a sports bra and cuts slits in it....much cheaper
-A pumping/ feeding cover. I just pumped at home so I never needed a cover. If people came over I was usually in another room or just used a blanket for cover.

 

[Logan Sapphire]

It's funny to see how each person's idea of necessary is subjective! We had a Bumbo- never used it, but other people love theirs. My kid's thighs were too fat for him to fit in it, so for us, it was a complete waste of money. I actually found for a lot of baby gear, we would've been way better off buying used from consignment sales or Craigslist- of course the issue with that is that you have to put in the effort to go through CL or get your butt to consignment sales!

For us, BJ's was a better deal, rather than Costco. It depends on what brands you like; we use Pampers for day diapers and I don't remember Costco carrying those at the time. Also, some people really rave about Kirkland wipes, but I didn't like them. BJ's lets you use manufacturers' coupons as well as any credit card, so you're not limited to using Am Ex, cash, or debit. Maybe Costco has changed though??

I actually found using a hands-free bustier to be the best bet for me. I exclusively pumped, so was constantly pumping and the bustier allowed me to not have to actually take off my shirt each time I pumped. I also found a nursing cover to be key b/c I pumped out in public. Even though we had a lactation room, it also doubled as part of the health station, so anyone technically could've walked in at any time. The cover gave me a little bit more privacy, and I have a lot of friends who pumped in their offices, but were also walked in on. Or some people had windows in their office but couldn't adjust the blinds for complete privacy etc.

The one thing that was key for me was a baby carrier- I had the Ergo and loved it. If you have one near you, I would recommend going to a babywearers' club to try on the different kinds of carriers. The one in my area lets members borrow carriers; if I had known, I might've done more research and gotten a Beco carrier that allows a front, forward-facing carry.

Also, we had an activity mat and because we used it for our 2nd child, it was helpful to plop him down on it near the table while the other 3 of us sat at the table and ate. Sometimes I'd forget he was down there!

 

[amc80]

For us, BJ's was a better deal, rather than Costco. It depends on what brands you like; we use Pampers for day diapers and I don't remember Costco carrying those at the time. Also, some people really rave about Kirkland wipes, but I didn't like them. BJ's lets you use manufacturers' coupons as well as any credit card, so you're not limited to using Am Ex, cash, or debit. Maybe Costco has changed though??

Nope, still the same! And Costco carries Kirkland and Huggies, that's it. We bought the huggies wipes and while they worked just fine, I found the packaging annoying (giant packs of wipes and a plastic refillable container that you had to refill yourself). We bought the Kirkland brand last time and I like the convenience of the prefilled packs. No BJs here though, sounds like a good store!

 

[mlk]

Just jumping in hereto ask amc how you find the ameda purely yours as it is one of the last fee things I need to buy. Is it portable and does it pump a lot of bm? Thanks!

 

[Skippy123]

I did not buy a convertible system.

I bought a carseat and the Snap n Go. The reason being is it is easy to keep the baby in the carseat so you don't wake them and just stick them in a Snap n, Go to do errands. I had twins so I had the Snap n Go for twins. Or if you don't want a stroller, you can baby wear; I had a Moby.

You don't need a changing table like others say.

If you want to have your baby by your side, you can buy a Rock n Play (my boys stayed in theirs till 9 months) they also had reflux (one worse than the other, which helps w/the reflux, keeping them upright) http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Newborn-Rock-Sleeper-Yellow/dp/B002M77N22/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351716292&sr=8-1&keywords=rock+n+play

I had swaddles but some babies don't love them but you can make a blanket into a swaddle.

If you pump or BF, you want lansinoh lanolin, it helps w/chapped nipples. A must have!!!

I did buy stuff through Amazon Mom Prime or Costco. Having twins made it hard to leave the house so having Amazon was a lifesaver.

a lot of the ladies listed some great suggestions already! Congratulations by the way!!!!

 

[amc80]

Just jumping in hereto ask amc how you find the ameda purely yours as it is one of the last fee things I need to buy. Is it portable and does it pump a lot of bm? Thanks!

I like it a lot! It is very portable- in addition to the normal plug in, you can get a car adapter for it, and it can run on batteries as well. I have used it in the car during a few road trips and it worked great! I guess the amount of BM is subjective, but I get a fair amount. I normally pump 3-6 oz (total) every 3-4 hours. I did have to buy the larger flange set, but I have ridiculously large boobs. I haul it to and from work every day and it's help up well.

Just a reminder, though- as of August (or whenever your plan renews after that), your health insurance has to cover pumps. I'm going to get another one in January to keep at work so I don't have to carry mine back and forth.

 

[lliang_chi]

Ditto on the Lanisoh brand cream. Do NOT settle for generic brand, it's not as good. In the very beginning your nipples will need some help or at the very least some soothing. E never gave me issues with nursing (when he would nurse), but pumping would chafe my nipples before I started using the Lanisoh cream. Get as MUCH of it as possible from the hospital. That stuff's expensive!

I'm with Skip, I had a SnG and used it with my infant seat. I eventually got the convertible (big kid car seat) when E turned 7 months.

Another thing to do before you go to the hospital: turn your heat up to 72-73F (22C). Babies like the ambient temperature to be nice and toasty, so we kept our condo at 73F. I had DH run around the changing the thermostats while I held E to keep him warm.

Diapers, you can steal a bunch from the hospital,but newborns pee and poop a lot, so your best bet is to get a stash of your own.

Formula, you can steal a bunch from the hospital (I haven't bought any formula until recently). And take as much as you can, your milk takes 4-5 days to come in, and you might need to break into the formula if your baby needs to gain weight or flush billirubin (jaundice).

You need somewhere for the baby to sleep the first night home. If you're planning to co-sleep then you're fine, otherwise a bassinet, arms reach co-sleeper, Moses basket, sometihng.

Swaddle: Ethan LOVED being swaddled so for us it was essential.

Cloth diaper Must have:
2 pail liners, 2 large sized wet bags, fleece liners (useful if you're using zinc-ox based butt cream)

Things you can get later (hopefully as hand-me-down or off CL):
Stroller (if you're using a SnG)
Convertible car seat (I'd buy this new)
Bumbo/Bebe pod. (I used this as his high chair for almost 2 months)
High chair

ILove, I'm a city mom in Chicago. My apt is ~1000 sqft 2bdrm, 2 bath. We fit a crib (Ikea Gulliver), a low/wide dresser, and a tall boy dresser (in the closet), a glider + foot rest and futon in E's nursery (12' x 10'). Had to take the doors off the closet. We utilized a lot of overhead shelves to clear floor space and give us more room in the nursery. PnP I set up as a living room "station" for him, while I was home with him on leave. Now that I'm back at work it stays folded up and stored behind his door. In our bedroom he had his bassinet. His changing station is in the 2nd bathroom, we found the lowest profile changing table (Graco Lauren), and set that up where normally you'd find a hamper. We left his stroller outside in the stairwell. We didn't have one of the activity gyms for floor time, I just laid a blanket down for cushioning and used a boppy pillow (another must have!) in the very beginning to prop him up during tummy time, then we started doing tummy time on the floor around 8 wks.

I was on the fence about getting a PnP but in the end I'm really glad I got it. A few reasons, I go over to my sister's a lot so I actually use it a fair bit outside the house. Also we have a 2 bed condo, so any family coming to visit they stay in E's nursery and he sleeps in the PnP in our room with us. Don't get the ones with music/vibrations etc, they end up being bigger than you need. Get the most basic one if you're thinking of getting on. You can use it as a bassinet when baby's still sleeping in the same room as you.

Swing: We have a FP fold up swing that we got as a hand me down but it's kinda like this: http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Adorable-Animals-Along-Swing/dp/B0042D69ZG/ref=sr_1_20?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1351718210&sr=1-20

High char: You're not going to need this right away, but some thoughts. I have a booster that I strap to my dining chair. I really like it. Stokke makes a pretty nice one too (used to be Minui Handysitt) that I was thinking of getting but got my booster for free. The Stokke Tripp Trapp acutally is pretty low profile so if you're looking for a high chair not a booster, I'd suggest it (they were all over Europe as restaurant high chairs, so that's when I used it).

I used the bathroom sink for Ethan's bath but he very quickly got too big for it (around 6 wks). Then I used the kitchen sink, but it was a pain to have to clear/clean it every time, so I got a tub for him. In the beginning when he's still floppy, i washed him in the tub on the kitchen counter (saves your back). But once he can sit up pretty well, it's pretty easy to do it in the tub.

 

[candy]

Hi iloveny! Thanks for helping me find the other thread. Here is the link, which has lots and lots of suggestions:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/preggo-stuff-baby-stuff-toddler-stuff-post-your-best-finds-here.81185/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/preggo-stuff-baby-stuff-toddler-stuff-post-your-best-finds-here.81185/[/URL]

I also live in a small space, which is part of my motivation to stick with just the essentials, so I'm also interested in hearing tips about minimalism with baby.

 

[lulu66]

Just a reminder, though- as of August (or whenever your plan renews after that), your health insurance has to cover pumps. I'm going to get another one in January to keep at work so I don't have to carry mine back and forth.

seriously?!?! i'll be calling my insurance provider this week!

 

[amc80]

seriously?!?! i'll be calling my insurance provider this week!

Yep

 

[iloveny]

@lliang chi- Thanks for the tips! Our apartment is a one bedroom, so it's going to be much tighter than yours. We will move if we absolutely have to, but our apt is currently underwater with our mortgage so we are motivated to stay as long as possible.

@candy- hi! Thanks for starting this new thread!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Do any of you have good tips on cost savings for baby products? For example,

- I hear you can get discounts on diapers by subscribing through Amazon, even if you cancel your subscription immediately after purchasing. Or is there an even cheaper place to buy diapers/wipes?
- Baby registries? Many stores offer a 10% completion discount (Amazon, Target, Babies R Us) after your due date. Diapers.com offers the completion discount + a $50 coupon for every $500 that's spent towards your registry.
- Old Navy and Target seem to have the most inexpensive clothes. Old Navy often has e-mail promotions for up to 30% off, so that's a good time to make clothing purchases.

Hi Candy,

I buy a ton of baby clothes for my 21 month old. In the early days, we bought everything new, most at Carter''s in the very early days. I tend to make a big Old Navy purchase once a season to stock up on some basics and always use a coupon. I find the quality of Old Navy to be on the lower side. I'm now in love with Naartjie, Hanna Andersson, Tea Collection, with some Gap and Gymboree. I've bought A LOT on ebay. I haven't really bothered with baby resale shops lately, like Once Upon A Child, because the ones here really don't have the good brands. Here's my secret (and I'm totally sure not everyone will go for this idea): Goodwill!! I have found some really, really high quality, hardly used, and sometimes new with tag baby clothes there, sometimes for only $.75 a piece! We go through a LOT of clothing. Often 3 outfits a day, so I'm all about the bargains. I think GW is definitely worth a try.

Oh, and Craigslist for everything else!

Also, GAP has their own visa card. You get points for all of your purchases, and more points for your purchases at gap and old navy. I have an Amazon MC and use that for everything. I always have tons of points accumulated on Amazon!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Double post!

 

[candy]

Bumping this thread for Fisher

 

[amc80]

-Sophie the giraffe. The #1 selling baby toy on amazon. Glorified, expensive dog toy. He HATES the taste of it and wants nothing to do with it.

Sophie is now one of his favorite things. Still a glorified, expensive dog toy, but he loves it.

 

[dani13]

Dont have a ton of time to respond, but agree with mostly everything posted here. L loves his My Little Snugabunny Swing. He naps so well in it. Which leads me to my next question....Does anyone have any recc's for a "portable" swing? My Mom and Dad are going to need one at their house for him since they will be watching him on days I work. I dont want something as expensive or bulky as the Snugabunny, so Im looking for something smaller and cheaper. If anyone has any suggestions let me know. Thx!!

AMC- After August all insurance co's have to cover pumps? MH inquired about it recently with BCBS and they cover it, but only in special circumstances including prematurity, etc. We decided it wasnt worth it at this time to go through the hassle of getting all of that documentation, even though for me it probably would be pretty easy considering I work for my own OB

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Thank you for the bump!!

 

[lulu66]

dani re: breast pumps & insurance, I have bcbs also (fed employee program) and breast pump coverage went into effect jan. 1st. they do not require any documentation, you have to order through cvs Caremark (they can provide the ph # to order), & you get a choice of two pumps & a 150-count supply go bags (that can be reordered every 90 days). I have a thread on it...maybe a few pages back.