You’re pregnant. It’s your first.
You know you need baby gear, but you’re not going to be like all the other parents. Their homes are full of plastic, nonrecyclable junk.
You will be a minimalist.
What do you really need and what’s just overhyped?
It depends on you and your baby.
To one mom, a wipe warmer is a desert-island item. To another, it’s pure gimmickry.
You’ll find parents on every corner who swear by certain baby products and just as many on the next saying, “Don’t waste your money.”
It also depends how committed you are to keeping things simple after you become a victim of baby-induced sleep deprivation.
Your best bet for many items is to wait until after the baby arrives and see what you really need.
We know that’s counterintuitive — you’re going to be ready, dang it — but it might save you money.
If you can borrow items from friends — the ones who swear by their white noise machines, power-swaddling blankets and crib entertainers — that’s ideal.
Here are a four items to seriously consider as you plan your baby registry.
Baby swing or seat: It’s hard to imagine now, but you’re going to have to set your baby down once in a while, even if it’s just to wash your hands.
Having a swing or a bouncer seat — ideally on each floor of your home — gives you a place to do that and gives your child a view of you and the world, instead of the ceiling.
Our top pick is the Fisher-Price Rainforest Bouncer ($51.99 at www.target.com). This one isn’t the cheapest, but it bounces when pressure is applied by the parent or even when the baby kicks hard.
It also vibrates when you flip a switch. It comes with a removable entertainer arch for when your baby is a bit older and ready to bat at things and listen to music.
It’s great for impromptu naps, too.
Your child can use it only until he or she is able to sit up on his or her own, about 4 to 7 months.
Unlike a swing, it’s easy to pick up and move around the house.
Is it sophisticated and sleek?
No, it’s gaudy yet wonderful. Welcome to parenting.
Baby carrier: You’ll need your hands free to do household chores and on trips to the grocery store, and what’s better than having your baby close to you at the same time?
We recommend two carriers: The BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Original ($60 on www.amazon.com) is great for newborns (and should be easy to come by from a friend or secondhand store) and is the easiest of all carriers to use.
Once your child hits about 15 pounds, however, it’s harder on your back.
That’s the time, if you find you enjoy wearing your baby, to upgrade to the Ergobaby Carrier ($105 at www.ergobabycarrier.com).
It’s a bit harder to put on by yourself but allows you to carry your child on your front and, as your child gets older, on your hip or back.
You can start with the Ergo at birth by getting a special newborn insert ($38). You can use the carrier until your child passes the 40-pound mark, which is well into toddlerhood.
Bottle drying rack: This may seem silly if you already have a dish-drying rack and you don’t plan to bottle feed, but it also works for sippy cups and lids, pacifiers and breast-pump parts that need constant cleaning and drying.
We adore the space-saving Splash design from Skip Hop ($28 at www.skiphop.com), which looks great, spins and includes a bottle brush. It’s also easy to clean and dishwasher safe.
Highchair: This apparatus is useless to new parents at first, but it comes in handy when your baby starts sitting up and eating solid foods, often around 4 months.
Here’s the thing to remember: You’re going to be using and cleaning it a lot, not just three meals a day but for snacks and maybe even messy art projects.
While beautiful wooden high-end chairs will tempt you with their lovely designs, we recommend the Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat ($29.99 at www.amazon.com). It’s the only highchair you’ll ever need.
It straps securely to a dining room chair. When your child is ready to eat at the table, you can simply remove the tray and Baby can join the grown-ups.
The tray is removable and dishwasher-safe tray and it has two layers: Mess up the top layer for one meal, and you’ll have a clean one waiting for the next. There’s even a cover for the first layer if you want to preload it with finger foods.
The plastic booster has no fabric seat liner with icky crevices to clean. And it folds down into a tidy cube for easy transport to play dates, where extra highchairs are always in, ahem, high demand.
On Amazon.com, it boasts five stars with 789 customer reviews.
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
