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Honestly, I love talking about baby gear. While I do think of myself as a minimalist, I'm also constantly in search of the perfect baby item, so I've tended to try out a lot of things before settling on the perfect one and sticking with that.
This is my thoughts on baby gear from when Ellie was about 9 months old.
1. Carseats - We used the Britax Companion and Roundabout for both kids. We actually had a 3rd seat (for Joe's car) that we just put in my car when Frisco outgrew the other seat. Which, by the way, the baby seat worked for Ellie for about 8 months but only 4-5 for Frisco. We were in a small accident with Ellie last year and the seat worked great. I'm not sure that it was better than any other seat, but I was happy with it. The seats were expensive (maybe $200? each) but I'm very happy with them and they were well rated. I'm not a huge fan of the infant carrier seat (the one with the handle) because it's heavy and awkward to carry around *but* those first few weeks it was invaluable when the baby can/will sleep as he/she is carried around. The one thing I really loved was the Snap N Go stroller frame that someone gave me. It's just a frame that holds the carseat so you can use the carseat as a stroller. It's sort of like a travel system but no where near as bulky and cheap. This was a huge win for us.
2. Because of the Snap N Go, I didn't even buy a stroller until Ellie was about 9 months old. First, I got a cheap-o umbrella but I'm tall enough (5' 9") that I couldn't reach the handles comfortably. I ended up getting an Inglesina Espresso online. It has an adjustable handle bar, which I needed, and it light and easy to collapse. Ellie and Frisco can actually ride in it together. I have taken this on almost all of our airplane trips in which we needed to bring a carseat, mostly to carry the seat and other stuff. It's a good mall stroller too, although I usually end up wearing the baby and putting stuff in the stroller.
3. BOB Ironman jogging stroller - I think this is the single best piece of baby gear I've ever bought. If not the best, definitely the most used. I walk or run at least three times a week. It is a great stroller for walking but also very good and safe for jogging. I loved it so much that I bought the double version when Frisco was born. The double is a bit hard to run with - because the kids are so heavy - but I ran a 5K and pushed it a few weeks ago. Very expensive (maybe $300 for the single and $500 for the double) but I've definitely gotten my money's worth from the single and probably will with the double.
4. Non-wheeled baby carriers - with Ellie, I had the Bjorn and a sling. I pretty quickly wuit using the Bjorn because it made my back hurt, although it was more secure than the sling - good while walking dogs. I used the sling on an almost daily basis until Ellie was about 18 months old. It was great for carrying her and for using as a blanket. With Frisco, I wanted to try a few other things. I ended up buying a Peanut Shell pouch, a mei tai, a Beco Butterfly, a new Bjorn with better back support, and I still had the sling. The pouch was great the first few weeks but then Frisco didn't like it. The mei tai was actually best for carrying Ellie on my back but it was too much of a pain to use regularly. Frisco loved the new Bjorn but I didn't think it was comfortable. We have ended up using the Beco the most. I *always* have it in the car and we use it almost daily. I have a friend with a Moby wrap and, if I had lived in a cooler climate, I would have used that a lot when Frisco was smaller. I've now sold everything but the sling and the Beco on eBay. Oh, and I guess I still have the mei tai, but I will probably get rid of that too. Oh, and somewhere I have a baby backpack style carrier (with frame) but I will probably sell that too since Frisco never seemed to like it and the Beco is so comfortable in the back carry position.
5. Baby sleeping stuff - well, I'm a total fail here. We had a bassinet and a Pack N Play for Ellie. We used the bassinet daily for about 2 months. Ellie never slept once in the PNP. I didn't even bother to get out the crib for Frisco. He sleeps with us in our bed. I did buy an Amby to try but by the time we got it, Frisco was pretty well established in our bed. He does nap in his swing, still, but that's about it. I would never have had the - I don't know - I would never have been so anti-establishment as to just not have any designated place for the baby to sleep with baby #1 but we like co-sleeping and this time around, I just didn't see the point.
6. Places to put the baby - until the baby can sit on his/her own, you really need safe places to put the baby. For Frisco, we had a playmat, a bouncy seat, a travel swing, a big swing, and a jumper thing. THe bouncy seat was a success and he sat in it a lot on the counter while I was making dinner or eating or showering. The travel swing he hated and I gave it away. The big swing he still hangs out in and naps in some. The jumperoo is age appropriate right now but he really doesn't care for it and I'll probably be giving it away soon. The playmat was great in the 4-5 month stage but I've now given it away too. It's best for a baby before they can move around, I think.
7. Eating - for Frisco, we had a Bumbo. I think this was a great investment. We took it everywhere (restaurants) and I had numerous people ask about it. It's also nice just for hanging out. When I was in the kitchen, Frisco was either in the Bumbo or bouncy seat but he preferred the Bumbo. We also have this Inglesina seat that screws on to the table. Once he could sit up on his own, Frisco loved to sit at the table with us. I have carried that seat to many restaurants and peoples' houses and it works well. It's a but nicer than your standard restaurant high chair when the baby is still on the small side. With Ellie, we used the booster seat a lot at home. With Frisco we use it at home but we have also taken it many places, so I feel like we've gotten more use out of it this time.
8. Breastpump - I was given an Ameda Purely Yours by a friend. Hard to beat free. :) With Ellie, I almost never pumped so it worked just fine for occasional use. That pump broke when Frisco was about 4 months old and I bought a new one of the same model although it's now purple and branded Lansinoh. I used that on a daily basis once I started working but I didn't like it that much. It made my nipple hurt. I bought a Medela hand pump on a whim and I love it. It's so much smoother. So, my feeling is that if I was going to use a pump on a daily basis, I would invest the money in getting the Medela Pump In Style. Otherwise, I'd stick with a cheaper one (but probably still the Medela).
9. Diapers - I've used Fuzzi Bunz with both Ellie and Frisco. In fact, while I did buy 6 new diapers when Frisco was born, I've used the same diapers for both kids. I can't tell you how much money we've saved on diapers. It simply is not a recurring expense. I think I spent maybe $600 initially on the different sized diapers and liners but that was spent almost three years ago. The Fuzzi Bunz were a great fit for Ellie who was (and still is) very skinny). They are fine for Frisco but if Frisco had been my first, I might have gone with BumGenius as they are a one-sized diaper and they work well on chubby little thighs. The FBs work fine for Frisco but the BGs were too bulky on Ellie for my taste.
This is my thoughts on baby gear from when Ellie was about 9 months old.
1. Carseats - We used the Britax Companion and Roundabout for both kids. We actually had a 3rd seat (for Joe's car) that we just put in my car when Frisco outgrew the other seat. Which, by the way, the baby seat worked for Ellie for about 8 months but only 4-5 for Frisco. We were in a small accident with Ellie last year and the seat worked great. I'm not sure that it was better than any other seat, but I was happy with it. The seats were expensive (maybe $200? each) but I'm very happy with them and they were well rated. I'm not a huge fan of the infant carrier seat (the one with the handle) because it's heavy and awkward to carry around *but* those first few weeks it was invaluable when the baby can/will sleep as he/she is carried around. The one thing I really loved was the Snap N Go stroller frame that someone gave me. It's just a frame that holds the carseat so you can use the carseat as a stroller. It's sort of like a travel system but no where near as bulky and cheap. This was a huge win for us.
2. Because of the Snap N Go, I didn't even buy a stroller until Ellie was about 9 months old. First, I got a cheap-o umbrella but I'm tall enough (5' 9") that I couldn't reach the handles comfortably. I ended up getting an Inglesina Espresso online. It has an adjustable handle bar, which I needed, and it light and easy to collapse. Ellie and Frisco can actually ride in it together. I have taken this on almost all of our airplane trips in which we needed to bring a carseat, mostly to carry the seat and other stuff. It's a good mall stroller too, although I usually end up wearing the baby and putting stuff in the stroller.
3. BOB Ironman jogging stroller - I think this is the single best piece of baby gear I've ever bought. If not the best, definitely the most used. I walk or run at least three times a week. It is a great stroller for walking but also very good and safe for jogging. I loved it so much that I bought the double version when Frisco was born. The double is a bit hard to run with - because the kids are so heavy - but I ran a 5K and pushed it a few weeks ago. Very expensive (maybe $300 for the single and $500 for the double) but I've definitely gotten my money's worth from the single and probably will with the double.
4. Non-wheeled baby carriers - with Ellie, I had the Bjorn and a sling. I pretty quickly wuit using the Bjorn because it made my back hurt, although it was more secure than the sling - good while walking dogs. I used the sling on an almost daily basis until Ellie was about 18 months old. It was great for carrying her and for using as a blanket. With Frisco, I wanted to try a few other things. I ended up buying a Peanut Shell pouch, a mei tai, a Beco Butterfly, a new Bjorn with better back support, and I still had the sling. The pouch was great the first few weeks but then Frisco didn't like it. The mei tai was actually best for carrying Ellie on my back but it was too much of a pain to use regularly. Frisco loved the new Bjorn but I didn't think it was comfortable. We have ended up using the Beco the most. I *always* have it in the car and we use it almost daily. I have a friend with a Moby wrap and, if I had lived in a cooler climate, I would have used that a lot when Frisco was smaller. I've now sold everything but the sling and the Beco on eBay. Oh, and I guess I still have the mei tai, but I will probably get rid of that too. Oh, and somewhere I have a baby backpack style carrier (with frame) but I will probably sell that too since Frisco never seemed to like it and the Beco is so comfortable in the back carry position.
5. Baby sleeping stuff - well, I'm a total fail here. We had a bassinet and a Pack N Play for Ellie. We used the bassinet daily for about 2 months. Ellie never slept once in the PNP. I didn't even bother to get out the crib for Frisco. He sleeps with us in our bed. I did buy an Amby to try but by the time we got it, Frisco was pretty well established in our bed. He does nap in his swing, still, but that's about it. I would never have had the - I don't know - I would never have been so anti-establishment as to just not have any designated place for the baby to sleep with baby #1 but we like co-sleeping and this time around, I just didn't see the point.
6. Places to put the baby - until the baby can sit on his/her own, you really need safe places to put the baby. For Frisco, we had a playmat, a bouncy seat, a travel swing, a big swing, and a jumper thing. THe bouncy seat was a success and he sat in it a lot on the counter while I was making dinner or eating or showering. The travel swing he hated and I gave it away. The big swing he still hangs out in and naps in some. The jumperoo is age appropriate right now but he really doesn't care for it and I'll probably be giving it away soon. The playmat was great in the 4-5 month stage but I've now given it away too. It's best for a baby before they can move around, I think.
7. Eating - for Frisco, we had a Bumbo. I think this was a great investment. We took it everywhere (restaurants) and I had numerous people ask about it. It's also nice just for hanging out. When I was in the kitchen, Frisco was either in the Bumbo or bouncy seat but he preferred the Bumbo. We also have this Inglesina seat that screws on to the table. Once he could sit up on his own, Frisco loved to sit at the table with us. I have carried that seat to many restaurants and peoples' houses and it works well. It's a but nicer than your standard restaurant high chair when the baby is still on the small side. With Ellie, we used the booster seat a lot at home. With Frisco we use it at home but we have also taken it many places, so I feel like we've gotten more use out of it this time.
8. Breastpump - I was given an Ameda Purely Yours by a friend. Hard to beat free. :) With Ellie, I almost never pumped so it worked just fine for occasional use. That pump broke when Frisco was about 4 months old and I bought a new one of the same model although it's now purple and branded Lansinoh. I used that on a daily basis once I started working but I didn't like it that much. It made my nipple hurt. I bought a Medela hand pump on a whim and I love it. It's so much smoother. So, my feeling is that if I was going to use a pump on a daily basis, I would invest the money in getting the Medela Pump In Style. Otherwise, I'd stick with a cheaper one (but probably still the Medela).
9. Diapers - I've used Fuzzi Bunz with both Ellie and Frisco. In fact, while I did buy 6 new diapers when Frisco was born, I've used the same diapers for both kids. I can't tell you how much money we've saved on diapers. It simply is not a recurring expense. I think I spent maybe $600 initially on the different sized diapers and liners but that was spent almost three years ago. The Fuzzi Bunz were a great fit for Ellie who was (and still is) very skinny). They are fine for Frisco but if Frisco had been my first, I might have gone with BumGenius as they are a one-sized diaper and they work well on chubby little thighs. The FBs work fine for Frisco but the BGs were too bulky on Ellie for my taste.