Turns out my last post about the cost of pregnancy was just a little too early to really feel the effects of a new roomie/human/lovie coming into our lives. Now that we’re nearing the end of the pregnancy just about every cost you could imagine has come and hit us. Even though we’re frugal and trying to do the whole “minimalist baby” thing it still turns out that little people need a whole bunch of crap. Who knew!
My head has been spinning and it’s hard not to turn this blog into a “HOLY CRAP, THE BABY IS COMING SOON!” blog :)
A few things I should note before I get into the whole mess of what we got, bought, and spent on our little one’s impending arrival:
Regarding the Baby Shower Registry: We registered at Target for ease of use and availability to most of the baby shower guests. Hey, if people want to give us stuff to help us out I want to make it as easy as humanely possible to do so. We also registered at Diaper Junction because we’re going to cloth diaper (after the first 2-ish weeks- no need to make things harder on ourselves then they need to be).
We waited to buy most of our baby supplies until after the baby shower so we could avoid buying things we would (generously) be given. We are so grateful for our family and friends who have helped us get started. Such a huge, huge, help. I breathed a lot of sighs of relief during the shower…
Regarding the baby’s sex: One of the unexpected perks of not finding out the sex of the baby is that people are more likely to give you gender-neutral clothing and supplies. Even doing shopping for the baby myself I think it would be hard to stick to gender-neutral stuff if I knew the sex of the baby. It’d be like, “This dress is SO stinking adorable!” or “OMG! Look at these baby bow ties” (or something like that). Keeping things gender-neutral is a huge plus when you start thinking long-term about the re-sale-abilty (I think I just made up a word) of items and if you have future kids. Also, I think we ended up receiving more practical items for the baby from our baby shower registry (which I’m thankful for) over clothes since we don’t know the baby’s sex. Since we’re having a winter baby anyway the baby will most likely be in pajama’s and cuddly clothes anyway so we won’t need many outfits to start out with.
I used Lucie’s List Baby Registry Cheatsheet (you get a PDF emailed to you when you sign up for the mailing list) to compile the list of what we would need to get started and used some of the recommendations from the Target registry site too (even though I tried to use those recommendations very cautiously since they are clearly in the selling business and not in the saving-you-money business).
I’ll walk through what we did and didn’t decide to get and why. In the parentheses is the recommended amount that Lucie’s List provided. With the items we registered for I wanted them to have more than 1 use, if possible. We don’t have a huge house (nor do we want one;) so compact and versatile items are a must for us.
The Cost of Pregnancy Continues (an Update)…
Car Seats and Strollers
- Infant Car Seat, base, and stroller– Still haven’t decided on this one. We live 2 stories up, share a car, I’ll be bus-riding and lugging the thing around so it needs to be very light-weight, easy to collapse and expand with one hand, and be able to handle the Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood bumpy sidewalks. (Any recommendations on a good, light-weight, not-expensive travel system!? Seriously, I need help!)
Baby Carrier
- Newborn Carrier– A friend let us borrow a Moby wrap
- Infant Carrier– A friend let us borrow a Chicco carrier (I’ve heard great things about the Boba carrier since it can be used from birth to toddlerhood with adjustments made to the settings and without requiring additional inserts. We probably would’ve gotten a Boba 3G Baby Carrier
if we weren’t able to borrow the carriers from friends.
Baby Holders
- Bouncers and Swings- Borrowing a swing from one of Aaron’s co-workers and we’re borrowing a vibrating bouncer thing from a friend of mine. (The swing is like this one: Fisher-Price Cradle ‘N Swing and the bouncer is like this one Fisher-Price Bouncer
.)
Bath Time
- Infant Tub- Borrowing from the same co-worker who is loaning us the swing (It’s just like this one: The First Year’s Infant To Toddler Tub with Sling)
- Hooded Towels (3), Wash Cloths (3+), Soap/Shampoo- We got hooked up with all the bath supplies at the Baby Shower!
Sleeping
- Temporary Crib- Borrowing a bassinet from a friend. The plan is to have the baby room-in with us for the 1st year. We’ll see how that goes;)
- Swaddle Aids/ Wearable Blankets (aka “Sleep Sacks”)- We were given a HALO SleepSack Micro-Fleece Swaddle from a friend.
- Crib and Crib Mattress- We found a used Ikea crib and mattress set on Craigslist for $40. It had 1 light coat of white covering it from the previous owner so we re-painted it with a non-toxic latex paint. I was worried about if this was safe or not since I know babies tend to chew on that top railing. We decided we could get these plastic covers (Crib Rail Protector
) for the railing if the baby started to chew on the railing or we could make a cloth cover like this one: Cribwrap Rail Cover. The crib mattress has a few tears in it that made me a little nervous but they are luckily only on one side. We’ll keep that side down, put duct tape over them, and we got a mattress cover to keep the baby that much more separate from the mattress. Something I should note about the Ikea crib is that it is shockingly low to the ground. There are 2 settings for the mattress but yeah, it’s really short and not something I expected. It’ll be fine for me since I’m kind of short too but if you’re tall I probably wouldn’t recommend an Ikea crib.
- Waterproof Mattress Cover- We weren’t going to get one of these but since the mattress has tears on it we decided it was a good idea. It was about $20.
- Crib Sheets (2 or 3)- Received these as gifts from baby shower.
- Crib Bumper- Waiting on this until baby is 6-ish months old. When we do get one it will probably be this one: BreathableBaby Breathable Mesh Crib Liner.
- Blankets- Received quite a few from Baby Shower so we won’t need to get any more.
- White Noise/Sound Machine- We live on a semi-noisy street that also happens to be on a bus-line so we considered this item to be a “Need”. We got this white noise machine that also has a night-light included (which we hear is good for late night changes and feedings): Munchkin Nursery Projector and Sound System. The projector part is a bit over-kill but it had all the other features we liked (for example, it’s small and plugs into the wall) so we went with it.
- Baby Monitor- This is an item we weren’t sure we even needed. Our place is only 1 level and not that big. I found a ton of basic monitors on Craigslist for around $10. We have a friend who has a video one that she’s going to let us borrow so we’ll go with that, a Craigslist one, or we might not get one at all since we would only use it for naps anyway.
Diapering
- Newborn Diapers- We were planning on cloth diapering the baby from the very beginning but then during one of our birthing classes the instructor advised us to not do cloth diapering at the very beginning for these reasons: it would add stress to an already new situation, and it would be hard to fold-down the front of the diaper to keep the umbilical cord from getting rubbed. Ultimately, we decided against doing cloth diapers in the very beginning because the baby will grow out of them so quickly. We have a friend who had some newborn disposables left-over from when her little girl was born a few months ago so she let us have those. If we need more, we’ll get them as we go.
- Wipes- While we are going to cloth diaper after the baby has gained enough weight to fit into the cloth diapers (7 lbs minimum) we aren’t planning on doing cloth/re-usable wipes. I’ve heard re-usable wipes are easy to make so that would probably be a solid DIY to attempt;) Right now, we have about 3 packages of wipes that were given to us at the baby shower.
- Changing Kit- I had no idea what in the world this thing was so after some Googling I found that it is essentially is a waterproof/foldable pad that you put in your diaper bag and it turns “any bag into a diaper bag”. So, we got one of these things with a gift card from Target. It’s pretty much just like this one: The First Years Deluxe Fold and Go Diaper Kit
- Waterproof Pads (4+)- I’m not totally sure what these things are so we aren’t getting ’em.
- Changing Pad- We got one of these with a gift cards. It’s like this one: Infant Contoured Changing Pad, and it will go on top of the dresser.
- Changing Pad covers (2-3)- I have a friend who just so happens to be a sewing whiz so I’m having her make a changing pad cover. We’ll just stick with one for now and if it gets pooped or peed on too much we’ll just wash it as needed. I don’t think we need to get a ton of them right away.
- Diaper Pail- We got this one: Safety 1st Easy Saver Diaper Pail
and we’ll use it for the disposables in the beginning and then when it’s time, we’ll use it for the cloth diapers. It seems to have a good seal on it so we’re hoping the stink stays put!
- Disposable Bags- We’ll use regular trash bags with the diaper pail (part of the reason we picked the above diaper pail so there are no special bags needed, like the Diaper Genie calls for) and we will use a re-usable pail liner when we switch over to the cloth diapers. We got this one with the super cute little foxes: Planet Wise Diaper Pail Liner (Fox Trot)
. Super cute, right?
- Diaper Rash Cream- So, with cloth diapers you can only use certain diaper rash cream because the standard stuff will coat the cloth diapers and will affect their absorbency. We went with this cloth diaper booty ointment.
- Changing Table/Surface- In an effort to conserve space we hunted down a dresser that was the right height and had enough space on top to also be used as the changing table. This post on choosing a changing table was great and super helpful. I found myself referring back to it over and over again. We ended up getting a very cute 1960’s dresser with 9 drawers (below). It was $199 from an antique shop in town. While it was a little expensive we justified it by deciding that it would grow with the baby and it was also at least $100 cheaper than the Ikea one we had been eye-balling so it turned out to be quite a good deal. Also, those little diamonds on the top drawers have removable panels that you can flip around and change the color of. I really like that feature :)
Feeding
- Bottles, Milk Storage Bags- Since I’m planning on breastfeeding I decided to get this kit primarily for it’s milk storage capabilities: Medela Value Pack Bpa-free Feeding Gift Set. I have no idea if this set is good or not but went with it because it’s the same brand as the breast pump I’ll be able to get for free through insurance.
- Bottle Brush- Given one at the shower.
- Bottle Drying Rack- Not getting one; using our regular dish drying rack.
- Formula- Not getting any since we’re going to plan on breastfeeding. Would probably try donor milk before formula if the need arises but we’ll deal with that if/when needed.
- Burp Cloths/Burp Bibs (lots!)- We were given a ton of pre-fold diapers (the old school cloth diapers: Prefold Cloth Diapers) and everyone has told me how these things are the perfect burp cloth, boob-leakage cloth (to lay under you while you sleep), and apparently they have a ton of other uses too. Hey, I’m all about trusting people who have had babies before me and know secrets and tips!
- Nursing Pillow- I borrowed a brest friend pillow (My Brest Friend Pillow), and was then given a Boppy Pillow as a gift so I’ll be returning the brest friend nursing pillow back to my buddy so I don’t boob-up her pillow;)
- Nursing Pillow Cover– Having a friend sew up a cover.
- Breast Pump- Getting a Medela Breast pump from insurance. Be sure to call your insurance in advance to see what the requirements are for qualifying. Our insurance has a whole bunch of paperwork that you have to fill out and then you can only get the breast pump once the baby arrives and it takes about 30 days for it to get delivered- all good things to know in advance.
- Nursing Bras- TMI warning… Awhile back my modestly-sized lady bits grew into behemoth-sized lady bits so I got a cheap, under-wire nursing bra to work double-duty as a maternity bra. I’ve just used one bra the whole pregnancy (washing often, but of course) since I don’t know how the ol’ mammaries are going to change I didn’t want to invest in too many bras. I’ll play this one by ear and will get more/another bra as needed. A friend let me borrow some nursing tanks so those might work just fine. We’ll see how it goes.
- Pumping Bra- Not getting one of these.
- Breast Pads- Received 2 packages of these re-usable pads at the shower.
Clothing
- Newborn Kimonos (2-3), Footie Pants, Onesies (aka Bodysuits), Footed Onesies, Jammies, Infant Hats- My sister-in-law generously loaned us A TON of baby clothes. Most of the clothes are newborn size and some are 3-6 months so we should be good for awhile. After that I’ll be going to the thrift store for the baby’s clothes. They grow so fast that I can’t see spending much money on the clothes. (Even though Baby Gap did cause me to do a double-take the other day when I saw these bright orange little courdory pants they had. They were so cute!)
- Scratch Mitts- These were un-needed since we could just put socks on the baby’s hands but I got them anyway. (Safety 1st No-Scratch Mittens)
- A jacket or sweater(s)- We got a cute brown bear jacket/coat onesie suit from H&M. It was about 1/2 the price as this one but looks really similar: Bearington Baby – Lamby Coat.
- Socks- We received these as gifts from the registry.
- Shoes or booties- We didn’t register for any of these since I figured the baby would just wear socks but we did receive some super cute little boots, and itty-bitty black and white checkered Vans (Vans Classic Slip-On)
at the shower. Man, baby stuff is cute!
- Footmuff for stroller- We haven’t gotten one of these yet and probably won’t if we can keep the baby warm enough with blankets.
Playing
- Playmat- Borrowing one from a friend.
- Soft Toys- We were given some at the shower.
- Crib Mobile- I had my eye on this Themis mobile since long before I was ever pregnant but when it came down to it I couldn’t justify spending $37 on a mobile. I decided to get this one instead: Kikkerland Randon Hanging Photo Mobile
, and we’ll swap out the hang-y things as the baby grows.
Miscellany
- Diaper Bag- We’re going to use one of Aaron’s old camera bags that just so happens to not look too much like a camera bag but does have a TON of pockets (something I’ve heard is useful) so we’ll throw that changing kit in it and we’re set.
- Pacifiers- We were given a bunch of these at the shower.
- Night Light- The white noise machine has a night light in it so we’re good.
- Baby’s Medicine Chest (Baby Nail Clippers, Baby Acetaminophen, Anti-gas medicine, Snot remover, Thermometer)- Ended up getting a whole bunch of this stuff with gift cards.
- Exersaucer OR Jumperoo- I think an Exersaucer is the same thing as a bouncer… ? If so, we’ve got that covered. If not, we’re not going to get one :)
- High Chair- Waiting on this until baby is older.
- Umbrella Stroller- Waiting on this until baby is older.
- Convertible Car Seat- Waiting on this until baby is older.
Things We Have Gotten/Paid For That Were Not Included on the Lucie’s List Checklist
- Birth and Post-Partum Doula- We’re going for the no-med birth route so having a doula felt especially important to us. The doulas in town that I talked to were at least $500 and went up from there. We decided we were okay with having an in-training doula so we contacted a company that has a training program. Turns out, we completely lucked out with meeting a doula who is new to town and has 7 years doula experience and just needs to volunteer with a family (in exchange for a review of her skills and service) to become a part of the regular doula referral program. I feel like we completely lucked out! It is $95 to secure her as our birth doula and then it is $95 to secure her as our post-partum doula (includes 10 hours of post-partum work). We don’t have family in town so having help with a newborn will be amazing. For those in Denver we are going through this company: Cocoon Birth. Also, you can submit a claim to your insurance company to see about reimbursement for doula services. I’ve heard some insurance companies will pay for doulas. (Do you know which insurance companies reimburse for doulas?)
- Kids/Baby Books- We registered for a bunch of books but I don’t think we got many (if any) from the registry. After the shower I was thinking that was a silly thing to register for since there are probably tons of books we could get for cheap at the thrift store. We have had friends give us books that their babies/kids loved and now we have a solid stack to get started!
- Bumbo- Borrowing from a friend. These were recalled so be careful and don’t leave baby in it without supervision.
- Grocery store cart seat protector- Borrowed from a friend- probably wouldn’t have gotten one if we had to buy it. :)
- Car Seat mirror- Not sure how vital this thing is/will be but we got one anyway. We got this one: Britax Back Seat Mirror
. What do you think parents? Is it useful?
- Nursery decorations- We will be having the baby sleep in our room for the 1st year so apart for some minimal art by the baby’s changing table/dresser we won’t be decorating much at all (even though I really want to). The baby shower hosts let me take the decorations so I have those to put up if we decide to get fancy.
- Birthing Classes- $200 for 4, 3 hour classes and these were required by the birthing center. Going to look into reimbursement from insurance… might be a stretch but worth a shot to try, right?
- Newborn Class and Breastfeeding Classes- $50 each for the 2 hour classes. Required by birthing center, and going to try to get reimbursement on these too.
- Pre-natal Chiropractor- Going to a chiropractor was recommended during the birthing class so things could get “lined up for birth”. That sounded like a great thing, so I went. The 1st appointment was $100 and subsequent appointments are $50. These will be getting submitted to insurance and hopefully we will be getting reimbursed.
- Pre-natal yoga- I splurged and got a package of pre-natal yoga classes. It was $85-ish for 5 classes. I haven’t been able to make it to the classes and have instead been walking around the (free!) park for exercise. Go figure! If I don’t use the classes before the baby gets here then I’ll go to them after with the baby since they offer baby-and-me yoga classes.
- Black maternity pants- Most of my maternity clothes have been borrowed (thankfully!) but we have 3 weddings to photograph at the tail-end of the pregnancy. I had to get a pair of black pants to cover my swollen lower half (fun-times!). I wish I had gotten these pants earlier in the pregnancy because I definitely would’ve gotten a lot of use out of them. They were 30% off at Gap Maternity so they ended up being about $45.
- Work Shirt- Same as above with this item. Needed something appropriate for these last few weddings we’re shooting. It was on sale too so that was helpful! I figure I’ll let someone borrow the few maternity clothes I’ve bought so they’ll get more use and I’ll be able to “pay-it-forward” because people helped me out so much.
- Iron Supplement- Turns out I have anemia so they put me on this super-expensive plant-based liquid iron supplement which just so happend to be $22 a bottle at Whole Foods (and it only lasts for about a week-and-a-half!). Um. Yeah. So, I asked for a less-expensive option and they said standard iron-supplement pills are completely fine but you also have to take Magnesium with the iron pills to counteract, TMI warning, constipation. More, fun times!
- Nursing Cover- Had my sewing whiz friend make me one of these in this adorable whale fabric. $20.
- Hand Sanitizer- Pulled a whole bunch of these itty bitty bottles out of our junk drawer. I don’t know how or why we have so many but we do, so we’re set on the sanitizer!
- Tdap and Flu Shot- Got these at Walgreens during lunch hour one day. I believe it was around $90 for both shots. Aaron will need to get these shots too and I’ve submitted a claim to insurance for reimbursement.
- Cloth Diapers- Now these were really pricey up-front. Disposables are convenient but they are also super expensive, bad for the environment, and they constantly need to be re-stocked. I’m all for cloth diapers but Aaron isn’t as big of a fan. He wants to stay as far away from the poop as possible (I get it, I get it). While I would’ve picked the pre-folds with the waterproof cover for economical reasons that’s not something that was flying with Aaron so I knew I had to compromise if I wanted to cloth diaper at all. We went with this type of cloth diaper called “All-In-Ones”. They are pretty much the closest you can get to disposables convenience-wise but it turns out because of that conveince they are one of the more expensive options. I know that cloth diapering would save us money even if we did go with the more expensive cloth diapers so we ultimately decided on these ones: bumGenius Freetime All-In-One One-Size Snap Closure Cloth Diaper. As another compromise, we decided to start with half of the recommend amount (3 dozen- whoa) to see if we even liked to cloth diaper. We got 15 of the cloth diapers and that added up to about $300 total. Gulp. I know we’ll save money in the long-run by going with cloth diapers but it is a big up-front cost to deal with. Other considerations are that if you use the re-usable diapers for subsequent children you don’t have the “start-up” costs like you do for the first-born so there would be significant saving there. Also, we went with a brand that has a good re-sale value. Meaning we could turn-around and sell the cloth diapers to a store that sells used ones or we could sell the entire stash to someone on Craigslist and re-coop some of that initital investment. The diapers we choose can be worn from 7 lbs up through toddler-hood so that will significantly help with costs.
- Cloth Diaper detergent- Cloth diapers do require special detergent. Boooo. We went with this stuff: Eco Sprout Detergent 48 oz..
- Free and Clear detergent- I decided to not go with the standard Dreft baby detergent and to instead wash the baby’s gear and clothing with a detergent that is for sensitive skin and has no dyes or perfumes. I’m hoping that works just fine.
- Storage containers- We had some old containers in the basement that we’ll be able to use for miscellaneous baby stuff.
- Happiest Baby on the Block DVD- Borrowed this DVD from the library and found it so informative that I’m considering buying it (that hardly ever happens). (The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer)
- Baby Album- I haven’t bought one of these yet because I haven’t found one that I love. Guessing it will be around $30.
- Storage Locker- Our place has limited storage so we got an old metal locker to house some of the random baby stuff. We like it because it’s vintage and neat looking. It was $49.
- Glider/Rocking Chair- So it turns out there are 2 kinds of gliders: super cheesy/ugly ones that are around $50 or super cool/pretty ones that are about $500+. That kind of sucks for the person (me) who wants a non-cheesy, non-ugly glider but doesn’t want to/can’t spend $500+ on a great-looking glider. So what’s a girl to do? Well, luckily we were visiting a friend and her new baby and saw her non-ugly glider:) Turns out it was from (of all places) Wal-mart. It was only $150 and then you buy your choice of slipcover for around $50. I’m really surprised there aren’t better glider options available. We wanted to make sure we’d be able to put the chair in more places than just a baby’s room so a versatile looking glider was something we really wanted.
This above list totals about $1,594 (3 x’s the costs of the 1st list!) and with the 1st list of pregnancy costs of $600 we’re at about: $2,194 for the cost of the pregnancy and baby, so far. Apart from the car seat and stroller we’re just about set so we shouldn’t have many more costs come up to surprise us (here’s hoping at least;).
What do you think? Have we gotten a whole bunch of stuff we don’t need or do you see anything we haven’t gotten that we absolutely need? I’d love your tips and insights!
top photograph by mark sink and kristen hatgi
How exciting! We too waited to find out the sex (Jan ’12) and will again (March ’14) though we were bequeathed a ton of ducky stuff. I hope you were sparred the unisex ducky clothes! I never want to see a ducky again. We also use Bumgenius diapers and love them but we waited about 2 months before using them bc of recovery was pretty gruesome. The minimalists way is the way to go with babies, I didn’t expect a person moving in with all their junk but it happens. With that being said I did/do enjoy the car mirror, its very helpful. Swings have saved a lot of parents’ sanities over the years I am sure. Some babies hate swings but most are a God send. Another thing ppl don’t tell you is that baby bottle nipple change after a few months depending on the brand. It’s such a shocking expense when you get 3 months into it and BAM!! you have to shell out $15-20 for more bottle nipple 3-6ms and then 6ms+ or 12ms+, its a crime I tell you so beware of the nipple scheme. I could go on and on about this but I won’t :) One other thing that was super helpful was nipple shields, they are great for starting out BF. Best of Luck!!!
If you are going to be riding the bus with baby I would honestly suggest just getting a convertible car seat (many starting at 5 lbs) and wearing the baby in one of the awesome carriers you have borrowed! This is what I do when I’m going around my hometown (Chicago) with our daughter. This is merely a suggestion as a cloth diapering mama myself you may want to plan on waiting a month to 6 weeks to start using them as breastfeed babies poop A LOT in those first few weeks. But also BF poop is water soluble so you can throw the diapers straight in the wash. They are still quite bulky in the beginning on those tiny babes!
My stroller would definitely fall in the SPLURGE column, but I swear by it: Baby Jogger City Select (it’s the best double!)
:D “Aaron’s old camera bag” :), good one! :)
I can’t even read the entire list, it’s a leeetle overwhelming:) It seems like you guys have everything under control :).
Anna! I almost fell out of my chair (no, but I got very happy) this morning. I was reading my October GLAMOUR magazine, and there you were quoted on p.220, in the same paragraph as Dave Ramsey (not that it matters).
I think we need a little post to celebrate this? :)
Also that picture above is very beautiful.
Holy smokes! You are prepared woman. I’ve gone through this 4 times, (I’m gearing up for my 5th) & with each pregnancy I’ve become increasingly minimalist. I’ve learned all I *really* need are a few essentials:
*an adjustable pack & play (you can use as a bassonet, then adjust the height & it works as a crib, & a portable one at that. I ‘ve only used a crib with one kid & realized, that a pack n play is much better in terms of price & portability.
* a good wrap (I’ve used a DIY moby, but prefer my New Native wrap I purchased at a used baby goods store).
* a few baby blankets (which inevitably, everyone seems to give baby blankets as a gift, so I’m set)
* onesies & sleepers (honestly, all that cute stuff before 3 months is kinda silly–they sleep most of the time)
*a good hand pump & some bottles
* diapers
* a good baby swing
* a sturdy stroller & carseat
I’ve never found diaper bags all that useful–I use a tote or my purse. I nursed, so that saved on bottles. I never used baby soap, lotions, or creams. I didn’t find the boppy pillow all that useful (or worth the price).
Most of the stuff at Babies-R-Us is geared towards new parents who think they need all the gadgets & gizmos.
That’s my two cents–and congrats! It’s such an exciting/wonderful/awesome time of life for you & your family.
Also, I hate nursing bras. I only used them during for two of my babies. A regular (albeit bigger) bra works & nursing tanks. Regardless, be prepared for them to get ginormous for awhile.
Great post! You’ guys have done a good job. We were very luck and were given a lot of our “big ticket’ items at our shower and I’m so grateful for that. We’ve also been given so many hand-me-down clothes that I’ve hardly had to buy any in the first 1.5 years, which allows me to splurge on high-quality shoes now that he is walking (I think these are important). Noise machine: We use the box fan we had in our attic – and it doesn’t turn off after a certain period of time. We’ve coped with an old-fashioned rocking chair, because a friend gave us the one he rocked his own kids in 20 years ago. Sometimes I wish it was a glider, but I was grateful to not spend the money. One thing I want to say is about the crib mattress – I realize you intend to have the baby room in with you for year 1. If that doesn’t work out (babies have their own preferences you can’t predict), I’d encourage you to get a new mattress and to get a good one. Your child will spend 14 hours a day on this surface and you want it to be good and safe for them. We got a cheap (ikea) mattress to go with our plain Ikea crib, and after 6 months, we ended up spending $200 on a much nicer mattress. It was a lot of money, but we don’t regret it. The child is more comfortable, is safer (the Ikea mattress sagged) and it will last through is tenure in the crib/toddler bed. Just something to think about. Good luck!
Wow! I was definitely not that prepared for my first! I would recommend skipping the crib bumper altogether – not necessary and they can try to use them to climb up when they get a little bigger. No need to encourage a Houdini! As for waterproof pads for changing table, these are priceless – especially in the beginning when they randomly pee/poop WHILE you change the diaper. You still have to wash the changing pad cover a lot, but it’s easier to have 3-4 of these on hand and wash them. I saw baby toiletry items on table (shampoo, etc) – you can skip those. Most have chemicals or fragrances which are bad for baby anyway. Initially, just water is fine, then mild, unscented soap. Last piece of advice is on cloth diapers – cloth wipes rock. We got cheap flannel ones from White Mtn Diapers. Get a lot, they’re really useful. Assuming you are washing your own (we did, with prefolds and ProWrap covers) you want more than 15 to start (2 doz is good). You can easily go through 12-15 in one day and it is nice to be able to do diaper laundry every other day. I’d say to go with prefolds because they are cheap and easy to deal with. My husband was hesitant at first, but he since turned into the guy who recommends that co-workers and friends use cloth. We’ve loaned our set out, so they’ve been used by four babies. It made me feel better about the expense.
I think your list looks pretty good. ;) The only suggestions I have would be these…
I would recommend at least 2 sleep sacks. I know you’ll be doing laundry more often than I did w/ the cloth diapers, but in case of nighttime leaks you probably should have 2.
We never used a crib bumper. We used a sleep positioner till he was about 6 months. It kept him pretty well where we placed him all night. It was about $10-$15 at Target. We never had any problems w/ him getting stuck in the crib.
Wipes are handy. As green as I try to be, I do use these for everything. It’s one of my vices. Our son is 6 now & we still buy a case from Sam’s every 4-5 months. They’re good for muddy pet paws & other pet messes too.
Bottles… I chose Avent bottles for one reason — all their stuff is interchangeable. Basically, we had a 6 pk of 4 oz bottle given to us & we bought a 6 pk of 8 oz bottles. As our son grew we just switched out the nipples. Once he moved to sippy cups we got a pk of 2 handles that fit under the bottle lids for about $4. We put them on whatever bottle we were using at the time. They also have sippy cup “nipples” that fit on their bottles like the baby nipples. We got a pack of sippy nipples for maybe $3 to use on all bottles rather than spend $5 ea on sippy cups. All of their bottle lids/nipples fit their breast milk storage containers too so they can also double as bottles. Easy peasy. I too used a Medela pump & it seems to me there was an adapter for the Avent. Then again, I may have just pumped into the bottle that came w/ the machine & poured it into my Avent stuff. I didn’t use it long because my body dried up about as quick as it started. :( I had planned to breast feed the whole time, but my body just didn’t like that idea.
I didn’t use a white noise machine. I had a boom box w/ CD player so I just popped in some instrumental/classical CDs I already owned & turned down the volume. My poor son has heard enough Jim Brickman, Kenny G, & Enya to last a lifetime. LOL!
Honestly though, I think you made some great choices. :)
Oh, forgot about the highchair! A friend got me the Healthy Care Booster Seat from Fisher-Price & we used it as our only highchair/booster from the time our son was 4 months to about 3 years old. It is very portable & we literally took it everywhere. We even strapped it to a picnic table bench a few times at the park. It’s cheap too, about $25, & easy to clean. I highly recommend it. ;)
http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/brands/babygear/products/55421
Make that GREEN Mountain Diaper Co. White Mtn were the shoes I wore in middle school. Ha!
Here’s my thoughts (for what they’re worth) based on what I’ve experienced with my almost-6-month old so far…
I only used my bathtub about 3 times. Once Myles’ belly button fell off (around a week old), he just comes in the bathtub with me. I feel more secure holding him on my lap and bathing him and it’s fun to splash and play! (I had never considered “co-bathing” till I read it online and it is so much easier for us!)
Sleep sacks Myles HATED so we gave away the ones we got as gifts. (Don’t stock up crazy amounts till you see how your baby likes them!) I don’t have a baby monitor either and haven’t needed one. For white noise, I use my iPhone with an app and plug it into a base that has speakers and charges it. Crib and bedding has been a total waste for our family so far, (glad I only got a $100 Ikea crib and a $50 mattress) because we’ve ended up co-sleeping. We didn’t PLAN to do so, it just kind of happened haha. But hopefully Myles will use his crib as a converted toddler bed later so it gets some use! I literally change the sheets simply because they get dusty.
I’ve mostly stopped cloth diapering due to pure laziness (I have a few around and sometimes use them) but I do love my cloth wipes! One tip on cloth diapers: different brands fit different babies at different ages better/worse than others. If you have the chance to diversify your stash, do so! Myles was only 5lb 10oz when he was born so he was too small for almost all of them, later on Thirsties fit him well but other kinds didn’t. It took him a while till the BumGenuis fit well (but those were the most leak-free for me!). I’ve never used my changing kit because my diaper bag came with a changing pad that’s smaller and less to lug around, and I just toss the entire package of disposable wipes in without putting them in a plastic case. (They stick together in that dang plastic case and it makes me furious! haha) We don’t have a diaper pail at all (just use the regular garbage) and it’s not smelly (he’s exclusively breastfed so that makes a big difference). We do have a Fuzzibunz diaper bag for the wipes and when I use cloth diapers though. It hangs on a doorknob next to the dresser we use for diapering him. When you need more milk storage bags, go to Target! Their “up and up” store brand is great and I actually like them a little better than the Medela ones (they hold an ounce more and will lay down flat to freeze which saves freezer space and thaws faster).
I had a home birth (which, interestingly, was a tiny fraction of a hospital birth even with insurance!) so I didn’t have a doula but I did have two amazing midwives. It was an incredible experience for me that was totally empowering and life-changing. It’s awesome you’re able to have a doula! I hope you have a beautiful birth and wish you all the best for a happy, healthy little one! :)
This is SO helpful, Anna! My husband and I were just working on our registry this past weekend, and holy moly it’s an overwhelming process!
We’re hoping to get a lot of our big ticket items through showers. We’ll see how that goes…
Oh I forgot to ask, for your cloth diapers do you have a wetbag to fine your trash can? Its a lifesaver.
Oh, my gosh you’ve got it covered, lady! The first baby is always the most overwhelming, in the stuff to buy sense. The good news is, pretty much everything can be reused if you choose to have more kids. I am a few weeks away from giving birth to our third and I will spend maybe $100 on baby supplies this time around – mostly because we moved cross country last year and sold a lot of things, like the bassinet, baby swing, etc. I’ve found that children’s consignment stores or sales are great places to find pretty much anything you need for your baby. And if you keep your stuff in nice condition (which is easy when they are little and grow out of stuff before it even starts looking worn) you can trade it back to the shop for store credit or cash. I love it!
What Janae said earlier is true too..you become more and more minimalist with each child. You learn through trial and error what you will and will not use. I’m so chill this time around…we have diapers, a few blankets, some clothes and my boobs…the babe will survive. :)
One thing I completely stopped using after my first was the baby bathtub because it takes up SO much room in our tiny bathroom! I just sponge bathed him until he was old enough to sit in the sink or the bathtub. I also started using regular towels and washcloths instead of the baby ones.
Also, sports bras make great nursing bras, if you like how your boobs look in them! :) I have child sized boobs and unlike most pregnant boobs, they barely grew at all. Even during nursing they were still too small to fit in nursing bras…bleh. Sports bras ended up being a great, easy to use and comfortable alternative. :)
My daughter is 1 and I also used Lucies list to create my registry. It is a little overwhelming to say the least.
I have heard the Britax b agile with the b ready travel system is a pretty good compromise. However, I think they are all a pain in the butt and I am loving my Uppa baby g lite umbrella stroller! I don’t think there is one perfect system out there.
We used the baby bathtub once, it felt like a complete waste of space.
I felt so prepared for baby and the hospital stay that I completely forgot about myself and what would happen when I got home. If I had another baby I would make sure to have a box of disposable nursing pads ready. I also couldn’t live without the earth mama angel baby nipple butter the first few weeks of nursing!
I would hold onto the breast friend nursing pillow. I found that due to the flat surface it was way easier to nurse a newborn with that pillow, I only started using the boppy around 4-5 months when my daughter had better neck control.
I also swore by the Velcro swaddled for those late night swaddling sessions.
At the end if the day you will probably have a totally different list than this, but all these items helped me :)
We didn’t find out the gender of our first and I’m so glad now that baby two is almost here. In getting organized I realized just how much stuff we already have and can use because it’s not all pink or blue.
I agree about the comments about the baby bathtub; we got one from a family member and used it once…we used the kitchen sink until kiddo couldn’t fit anymore than then just transitioned to the regular bathtub.
Just a few comments to make everything more overwhelming! I agree with the person above who suggested replacing the crib mattress with a better one. If there are holes it’s may be a safety issue. Some mattresses are double sided and some aren’t. Some are one side for infant, one side for toddlers, and you do want the baby to be comfortable. We started out with a cheap one and could feel every coil in the thing, there was no way our little lady was comfortable; we invested in a better one after much research sometime when baby was about 6-7 months old (we spent about $200). The good news is you prob won’t be putting baby in the crib right away so you have time to save up if you decide you may want a better mattress in the future. Nursing bra – I would recommend wireless bras. Wires can cause clogged ducts which become very painful and can become infected if not treated. (I found this out the hard way!) I also agree with the poster who said hold on to the Brest friend pillow. Everyone I know has preferred it to the boppy. It’s very sturdy. All in all you will realize that every baby is different and everyone will have things that worked for them. Just bc it did or did not work for them doesn’t mean it will or won’t for you. High chair: we purchased a fisher price space saver high chair off craigslist for $10. It hooks on to a regular chair and has recline positions that are nice for when they are younger. Exersaucer/jumperoo: these are different than the small bouncer, but many doctors dont even recommend using them. They are convenient for setting (older but non-mobile) baby down for a few minutes when you need to do laundry or something, but def not a necessity. toys- we have an ongoing joke that we shouldnt have bought any toys. Babies tend to love anything, it does not have to be a fancy specially designed toy for a baby. Just go with your gut and do what you feel is best! Good luck and congrats!
I didn’t read through all of the comments so I don’t know if anyone has mentioned alvababy.com, but they are an incredibly inexpensive option for cloth diapering with lots of really simple clean colors. I did a post on my experience with cloth diapering and where I found the least expensive goods etc. (http://greenardelle.blogspot.com/2013/07/cloth-diapering-what-ive-learned-and.html)
Good luck and it sounds like we’re about to spit babies out around the same time :)
P.S. I’m in LOVE with that changing table.
I’m no expert (childless) but I recently read a post on Mr. Money Moustache about what they got for their newborn and it was a lot less than this: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/09/09/mrs-money-mustache-what-do-newborn-babies-really-need/
Also KatySays.com (biomechanist extraordinaire) has a post on pain-free baby holding (sans carrier) that might be helpful for traveling around town: http://www.katysays.com/pain-free-baby-holding/
Hello! A new follower here and I’d like to say congratulations on your pregnancy; how exciting! I have a 15 month myself and used Lucie’s list as a guide as well. You’re lucky to be able to borrow so many baby items.
I use cloth diapers. We started at about three weeks, when our pack of gifted newborn diapers ran out. Aside from the additional laundry, I love cloth diapering! My baby has never gotten a diaper rash, though you can use coconut oil or olive as a great natural rash remedy. Best of luck!
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Holy moly! I think you are doing great! Thank you so much for this series…we may be having a kid in the next 2 years and I want to know what to be prepared for. Go you!
Wow, that’s a lot of info! I’m on my second baby experience, twins this time. One place I was willing to splurge was the mattress bc I wanted to avoid flame retardants. My only advice is that if you’re planning to pump with any regularity, a pumping bra is worth absolutely every penny so you can have the use of your hands. Life changing. Good luck!
Just one quick thing- hand sanitizer loses its effectiveness really quickly. That might be one thing to throw out and start fresh with.
Hi, can I just recommend you purchase a new cot mattress? Second hand cot mattresses can increase the risk of SIDS. I’ve had two children (youngest is now at pre school) and replaced the mattress between them. Ikea do really good prices on mattresses.
I’m from the UK so my anti natal classes were free as were post natal visits etc. Chiropractor seems a little extreme tbh, unless you suspect a problem.
We got:
Cot etc
Moses basket
Bouncy chair
Door bouncer
High Chair
Travel System
Steriliser and bottles
breast pump
babygrows
swaddle blankets and bedding
grobags
monitor
nursing bras (I used my many scarves as cover-ups)
breast pads
maternity pads
nipple shields (BEST BUY EVER)
dummies
nappies and wipes
nappy bag was free with a baby club at Boots
Baby carrier/sling
V shaped pillow
Mobile and baby gym
After having my baby girl in June, the only things i needed was iPad while breadtfeeding. You will be sitting all day breastfeeding but it’s worth it so you need something to entertain yourself. Don’t give up because the first two months are the hardest! Diapers, nursing tank, onesies, Aden and Aneis swaddle blankets, my best friend nursing pillow was a life saver until we got the hang of things,towel for baby’s bath, car seat, puj tub, crib, good mattress, and sheets, sling was a God Send, and stroller. Didn’t get bassinet since crib was in our room until four months. Everything else was in storage. Babies don’t need a lot the first six weeks. She hated her swing, she hated her car seat, and she hated her her bouncer until now.
Was about to post my comment when my computer crashed…arg.
-Wetbags were not on your list, but are helpful for dirty cloth diapers and other things when out and about: zipper keeps smell and wetness in the bag (otherwise you’re diaper bag may start to emit dirty toilet like smells), clean them by throwing in the wash with your dirty laundry, continue to use post-potty training for dirty/wet clothes and occasional potty accidents. We tried using disposable plastic grocery bags, but they don’t hold in the smell and can’t be cleaned. We got a cheap set of four on ebay and they have lasted well.
-Another commenter suggested the Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster Seat as an all-in-one highchair. Make sure you get “deluxe” version–only $5 more. I just bought one on Craigslist for my almost three year old because our previous (supposedly) all-in-one was slightly too tall to slide under the table, so I couldn’t use it as a booster seat. I noticed people complaining about the Healthy Care seat on Amazon because they thought they were buying a duplicate of what they already had (for the nannyshare/grandma’s/etc.) and they ended up with the slightly different, non-deluxe version and were really disappointed.
-I agree with the previous commenter about the helpfulness of waterproof pads: use for diaper changes around the house, use it on your contoured changing pad so you don’t have to wash the whole cover, use it on your nursing pillow to catch spit-up or diaper blowouts so you don’t have to wash the whole cover and/or pillow (and you can’t wash the My Breast Friend pillow). Keep the receipt, though. Our birthing class instructor recommended some from Target and they were awful. Liquids ran to the sides and dribbled right off or headed towards the low point where our son was, at which point, his clothes soaked up the wetness…worthless. They had imprints of sheep on them. Get the plain white ones from Babies R Us or your local baby store.
-http://www.babycheapskate.com/ is a great place to find ongoing post about current baby gear deals and discounts. Her last post was about top cloth diaper deals of the week.
One more thing. I’m really impressed with this post. Any time I try to post about baby gear, I get totally overwhelmed and give up. There is just so much gear out there and so many opinions of what is needed and what is not (and rightfully so, a lot “thumbs up” vs “thumbs down” opinions come down to personal needs and vary for each baby and parent). Wow!
Hey Anna!
Catching up on some blog reading. Happy to see my newborn diapers will get some use! And my glider and crib sheet made an appearance! :) Your list looks thorough and it seems you and Aaron have really done your research! As I am sure you have heard, nothing really prepares you! LOL! But I disagree, you can pretty much prepare yourself based on your lifestyle, living quarters, commute, etc. So you have! True, once the baby comes, you will determine for yourself what is a waste of money, and also, what is worth running out and buying more of. KEEP receipts on everything! I did a TON of running around post baby shower- returning duplicate items, getting seconds of some things, exchanging others for larger sizes or exchanging unnecessary clothing for more practical items we didn’t get. I plan to do a baby update post now that baby is 5 months. I felt I was well prepared before her birth and then when she was here, I had little if any errands to do but just enjoy her really. My tips:
Not sure about rooming with baby for a year…but yo will see what you think after they come. I think babies also like to have their space and it creates independence and allows them to self soothe when they wake. Babies have shorter REM periods and will wake and you will hear them coo…but just wait and allow them to put themselves back to sleep. My baby does anyhow…
GREAT dresser! love it! I like the idea of buying nursery furniture that transitions into other things. I liked the Ikea crib, but it did look tiny and a downside it doesn’t convert into anything else. Most cribs now convert to a day bed before transitioning into a headboard for a twin mattress. Plus our diaper changer does convert into a twin headboard too- although I feel once I get into twin bed territory I want a cuter bed.
You WILL and should get at least ONE waterproof crib mattress. Here’s why. Babies poo. And that poo soaks through diapers, jammies, sleeping bags, and sheets sometimes! I have one, and wash it and recover, but thinking of getting at least one more. I have been okay and totally fine with just one- not too many blowouts- only when she wore Huggies- bad diapers equal more messes because of bad fit.
You MAY want more than one diaper changer pad cover. Same as above- babies poo! Sometimes, when you change them, the air hits and they pee- especially you having a boy. Put those Munchkin washable covers down, $9.99. I have these on every diaper changing station and in my diaper bag changing pad too. http://www.target.com/p/munchkin-waterproof-changing-pad-liners-3-pack/-/A-14323622#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=munchkin
What will you do if one cover is in washing machine and dryer? Good to have at least one back up and use these pads…
A comment about the underwire bra- I have used one, but when nursing, it has caused some discomfort in the earlier months when I was more engorged- TMI- when you pull up an underwire bra it presses into boob and milk will flow, correction, spray out! Can choke baby because too much let down. Also, be careful, they say to avoid under wire bras because you can get uneven milk release causing a build up in milk duct and infection. I had a build up and was able to squeeze out, but don’t risk it…get at least one nursing bra. I actually have one and love it, wish I had a second for washing…Boobs will leak and when they feed milk gets on bra folded down…I may get another. If you are home and nursing and pumping at home you don’t need a pumping bra- I went in the buff and simply held the bottles. Unless you absolutely need to email while pumping for ten minutes. :)
You are good on sheets, good on pacis- my baby does not take one, but probably because I was firm that the nurses not give her one. Again, they say if you are breast feeding to not give them one to just get them used to your nipple…and back to that learning to self sooth thing…
I had a sleep sac with attached swaddle and used it once. Baby did not like swaddling. I went and bought a sleep sac- more like a sleeping bag with open arm holes and recently bought the next size up.
Mobiles are awesome! My baby LOVES hers! Especially the one over the crib changer! A great distraction for when she fusses during diaper changes. She loves one that was a gift from Ikea for like $5.
Great idea on diaper bag…although mine has pockets and I don’t use them…guess I am a bucket bag kind of girl. I use the side pockets for my keys, chapstick and wallet though…
You can use Ziploc freezer bags for dirty clothes. In 5 months, baby had one major blowout through clothes, onto car seat when we were out.
We have a swing and she uses it occasionally but she doesn’t really care for it. She has a vibrating chair- same thing..,..she is super active and loves most to lay on a mat under a gym and play most of the time…depends on your baby.
I don’t get all of those wraps- they look super confusing and hard to do by yourself with a baby but if you can manage it great!
We bought the Bjorn on sale and love it.
I use Aquaphor every time I change baby, and she has never got a rash. If she has looked a little red, I put on the Waleeda diaper cream ASAP and skin goes back to neutral tone by next diaper change. Have been blessed she is not super sensitive…
You will want a few odor bags for dirty nappies if you go to one of those fancy weddings or a house party or something…As a polite gesture in case you have to throw it away inside…
We borrowed a bassinet from husband’s brother. I used it about a month and returned it. She was in her crib in her room after a month. I send back the borrowed stuff as soon as I determine it is not useful. Same as the Boppy pillow. I only used it to prop baby up for a photo a couple of times and it took up space. Never even tries to use it for nursing as I nursed in bed or my glider and it is just too bulky.
Luckily my baby is not a vomiter or spit upper either, but I do have a stack of cloth diapers for such occasions. I also keep one on my nightstand or glider and use it to firmly press against boob. When you breast feed on one side, other will leak, so I use one there.
Mittens are a choking hazard- at least that is what we learned in our birthing class. Most newborns are not coordinated enough to find face and scratch anyway and by the time they can, they can also bite them off and they get stuck in mouth. I had bought a pair and never used…don’t put socks on hands for same reason.
Baby bath situation for us was tricky and still is…I had bought Puj, but when it came time to bathe- after a month- her belly button stayed on a long time, the Puj did not fit properly in any of our sinks! Husband ended up buying a bulky white plastic baby tub which has worked, so so, but now she is too big. I want to get a bath ring so she can sit in actual tub.
We also sponge bathed her on side of bathroom sink and you can get those cushiony water absorbent ads for drying dishes (available at Dollar Store) and sit him on that…well have Aaron hold him on that as you wash cloth and bathe…
Agree a bottle drying rack is a waste- we have one and never used. As a breast feeder you won’t have a ton of bottles hanging around. Depends though. I was hoping husband could give her a bottle to bond, but she refuses a bottle…
Nursing cover- my sister in law let me borrow hers and it is a lifesaver! I thought I could get away with using blankets, and have in a pinch or when I left the cover, but the strap around neck is really crucial! You’ll see!
I think that’s all but I wanted to give a few points of feedback from a newbie mom. You will do GREAT! You will find your rhythm…your baby will let you know what he likes and doesn’t but really, when it comes down to it, when you have one thing as an option and use it, then they get used to that…as that is all they know. They don’t know choices or products, they only know what you do to them, so….pretty much whatever you like and introduce will most likely be what he likes…
Oh a few more things I forgot!
High chair- we found one when KMart was closing and I set it up in kitchen about a month or so ago and she sits in it and watches me cook and plays with a rubber spoon. I wanted to have my eyes on her while I cooked and introduce her to food preparation…hopefully she likes the kitchen more than mommy. She loves it…Another spot for them to camp out. This one reclines a little so she doesn’t have to know how to “sit up” yet. I had some older baby things in basement and have pulled them out as I see her changing and wanting more stimulation, etc. We did not get Bumbo and glad we did not because she tried to borrow our neighbor’s when we were at their house the other day and her thighs are too chunky for it. We borrowed his brother’s it is by Summer and converts to a booster seat….http://www.target.com/p/summer-infant-3-in-1-activity-and-booster-superseat/-/A-13299988#prodSlot=medium_1_58&term=Summer+infant+
I ended up getting one of those expensive play mats with gift cards and glad I did…she has been playing on that thing a long time and still loves it- lights and sound option- where she can cause the reaction of lights and sound if she pulls or kicks on it. I would love to get her an exersaucer next- super pricy but think she is ready for it as she wants to spend more time up right. We borrowed his brother’s walker, super simple, with just two toys on it and that has served well, I add wooden block to try for her to play, but think she is ready for exer saucer…
Borrowing is great! I made a note in my phone of what I borrowed and as I return I delete it off…
Okay that’s enough…don’t want to be that crazy….”here’s what you need to do” mom…although I sound like that….ek! Anyway! Best of luck and can’t wait to meet him/her…wait I just noticed I called it a him above! Okay we’ll see!!! Hugs!
I remembered something else. Product reviews on Amazon.com are handy and can give you information that isn’t in the product specs. I like to start by reading the 1 star reviews. You can weed out the ones that aren’t applicable to you (“I’m just over 4ft tall and this stroller doesn’t work for me”) and take note of the ones that are (“this booster seat doesn’t work on xyz type chairs”). I also like reading some of the positive reviews to see which features of the product parents really like.
I agree with you that stroller shopping is totally overwhelming. Sometimes you can save money by buying last year’s model, although sometimes is worth paying more to get the upgraded features. For stroller research, I’m in love with Hollie Schultz’s videos at Baby Gizmo. I love them so much I wrote a whole blog post about them. She goes through stroller specks, pros and cons, opening and closing, updates from the previous model, and more. She also puts children in them to show how well they fit (often including a younger child and an older child). She also stashes a diaper bag in the storage basket during the video to show how much space is down there. You can look at a list of here reviews here http://blog.babygizmo.com/stroller-reviews/ (it looks like the newest years haven’t been added to this page yet) and check out her youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/BabyGizmoCompany