I think I could post this on Mom's to be thread but I'm worried I'll miss it. And I'm thinking less about the pregnancy/birth etc and more about the STUFF having a child involves.
Cloth Diapers...anyone do it/considering it etc. I'm researching out the wazoo. Also, wraps to wear the baby and carriers etc. All the baby things!! We have finally settled on a carseat/stroller brand. Finally. Cribs...lordy, I don't even know where to start with that. SO MUCH TO RESEARCH.
I partially cloth diapered (basically slowly built a collection up, used disposables when we went out or babysitting or I needed to do laundry). I would like to be entirely cloth diapering with the next baby. Everyone said I was crazy and was going to hate it and not want to do that much laundry...UM yeah not as much as I hated buying disposable diapers and putting weird crunchy chlorine paper on her butt and filling up trash bags full of trash diapers.
I bought sunbaby pocket diapers, which I liked, but want most of the next diapers to be prefolds and covers. My mom also bought me some "little monsters" or something pocket diapers which weren't as good. They fit her weird and were just less quality.
I had...an infantino baby carrier, moby-style knockoff wrap, moby style wrap I made, baby sling (hot sling)...I think that was it. I used them all. The sling was a lifesaver during the first six weeks and basically the only way she's sleep or calm down. I'll definitely splurge on a maya sling next time. Friends have the ergo which is costly but they do say it makes the kiddos feel a lot lighter than other carriers...if I had a baby that wasn't super tiny and light I'd probably care more.
My dad bought me a crib for my baby shower at babies R us. I don't know the exact brand, but it's a really simple light wood where the sides are the same height (I hate the high-backed cribs and they wouldn't work with my slanty walls), and I really like it a lot. It's sturdy, was easy to put together, safe, comfortable, and wasn't too expensive.
I got the baby trend expedition stroller and car seat travel set. The car seat was light, easy, etc...the stroller SUCKED. I want to set it on fire and I was ready to throw a party when we gave it up for the umbrella stroller. Ugh. Do not buy that stroller. BF had a graco car seat for his car. It was nicer looking and feeling and cosier but Lil didn't like it any more and it was heavier and huge. SO...next time we'll be going a different car seat route.
Get swaddlers. When I saw them while I was registering for my shower I was like "wtf is this crap people come up with to make poor stupid new moms think they need all this extra useless junk THIS IS A SCAM" and then I got home. And Lillian kicked out of her swaddled blankey and startled awake. And kicked out of more swaddled blankies. And kicked out of tighter blankets and double blankets. And we put her in a sleep bag even though it was june, and she punched herself in the face. If you care about sleeping, buy swaddlers. Buy five. Because the baby will poop on four of them before you can do laundry.
Don't buy a diaper genie. My mom insisted I needed one. My aunt bought me one. All I did was catch the baby monitor cord on it and stub my toe on it.
Don't buy a $130 baby food maker either, if you have a blender. The blender will work very well. So well, that you will put one serving of leftover carrots in it, and then you will have enough baby food ice cubes to feed triplets. Your baby will decide baby food mush is disgusting (which it is) and you will just be shuffling labeled, dated ziplocked baggies of cubed mushed veggies around your freezer until you beg your mommy and me group to take them off your hands, which they won't, and you'll feel guilty for wasting so much food when you throw them out (after you try sneaking them into baked goods at your husband's dismay).