Baby Necessities (from one perspective)

Everyone has different needs because everyone's baby and everyone's lifestyle is different. So what works for me may not work for you. But just to throw out a few ideas, here are some of the items we found helpful with our little girl.

Baby Clothes -
For the first 3 months, I really liked onesies, as Greta was small and they stayed on better than dresses. The Gerber brand stuff was crap. They ran small and shrunk in the wash. Carters was much better. Most of those button up from the bottom things are a nuisence because it's such a pain to unbutton them to change diapers.

Blankets -
If you swaddle your baby (which worked wonders for us for the first 2 months), the best place to buy real swaddling blankets is Target. And they're called "Swaddling Blankets" not "Receiving Blankets," which are much smaller and don't keep the baby wrapped.

Baby Gear -
The SWING. We would have died without it. Greta still sleeps in it if she's really fussy. We had two - the Fisher Price fishy one (which someone gave us), and this super-duper fancy expensive Graco Sweet Peace thing. The former worked, while the latter did not. The reason that the Fisher Price worked so well is because it swings pretty fast. Not dangerous, but enough that Great could feel like she was moving. The only draw back is that it's battery powered, but we probably change batteries every 3 weeks. This is the wonder swing: http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Ocean-Wonders-Aquarium-Cradle/dp/B0006FHFYS

The Bumbo. By the time Greta was able to hold up her own head, she loved this thing. It's a goofy looking chair that supports the baby all over, allowing them to sit up. She would sit contentedly in this thing for an hour at a time. We started using it when she was 3 months old. Sadly, she outgrew it by 5 months. You'll know they're too big for the Bumbo wen they start arching their backs and pushing themselves out. http://www.bumbobabyseat.com/ Here it is. Walmart and Target also carry it.

The Walker. Now that Greta's outgrown the Bumbo, she really loves her walker. Her feet don't quite touch the ground yet, but between being able to sit up and all the cool toys on her tray, she's very happy. I picked this one because it has wheels and I liked the color. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10756328

Cribs - So far, we've found it to be a highly decorative means of taking up bedroom space. Greta cosleeps, so we haven't used it much yet. If you don't have it up by the time the baby arrives, don't freak. You probably won't use it right away. But it DOES make a great diaper changing station :)

Baby carrier - I love my BabyHawk. It works like the Moby wrap, only it has less fabric and is easier to use ( I think). We used it from the time Greta was born and you're supposed to be able to use it up to a year or so. http://www.babyhawk.com/Instructions/

Breast pump - It's all about what your plans are after having the baby. Since I didn't go back to work after Greta was born, I only needed one for "occasional relief." The Medela Harmony is very easy to use and VERY easy to clean (only four or five pieces). And it's not expensive.
http://www.target.com/s/182-4090817-4006000?_encoding=UTF8&CPNG=Baby&LID=29707973&search-alias=tgt-index&keywords=harmony_medela&searchSize=30&searchView=grid5&searchNodeID=1038576&AFID=google&searchPage=1&searchRank=relevancerank&LNM=harmony_medela

Nursing Bras - Muy importante! I bought some from Motherhood Maternity and hated them. They were itchy, rubbed in all the wrong places and aren't flexible at all for nursing. The only Motherhood bra that I'm still using and like is their Sports nursing bra. The best part about this one is that the cross straps in the back is very supportive. http://www.motherhood.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=993890122&MasterCategory_Id=MC13.
From A Pea in the Pod (formerly Mimi Maternity), I liked this one for its support and thickness. http://www.apeainthepod.com/Product.asp?product_Id=194500122&MasterCategory_Id=MC13.
Note to new moms: When your milk first "comes in," you are going to be and feel huge! Have a couple nice, stretchy bras on hand because your size then is not a good indicator of what you will be in a month from delivery. I liked these ones from Target (and they're pretty cheap). They also work well as sleep bras if you don't mind the back latches. http://www.target.com/Gilligan-OMalley-Nursing-Sleep-Bra/dp/B000KKVHYI/ref=br_1_5?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&searchView=grid5&searchNodeID=1293366011&node=1293366011&searchRank=salesrank&searchPage=1&searchSize=30&id=Gilligan%20OMalley%20Nursing%20Sleep%20Bra

Stroller - I went a little crazy on this one and have never regretted it! We splurged on a BOB stroller because I go crazy if I can't go outside. This thing goes anywhere, including the sand on the FLorida beaches. It's a jogging stroller and one of the few with a near perfect customer review ratings. If you use it while your baby is still in an infant carseat, you need to buy the $50 Infant Carseat Adapter. The total came to about $500 with tax. We bought the BOB Revolution.

Diapers - When G was a newborn, we loved Pampers because they were really soft and easy on her sensitive skin. However, after she was about 5 months old, we switched to Huggies because she was ALWAYS having blow-outs.

Diaper rash - A&D Ointment is the only thing that worked to clear Greta's diaper rash. She had a nasty one for weeks after she was born and we tried all the different creams. A&D was the best.