Useful Baby Purchases
We had a baby (S) about three and a half years ago, and I remember the months leading up to her birth were filled with both excitement and anxiety in equal measure. One of the things we did to stay calm and be prepared was lots of research - both about how to raise a baby and what things we would require to make our lives easier and more comfortable.
Many parents (us included) make the mistake of buying more things than we needed - but here are a few that really helped and were well worth the money that we spent on them.
Some of these we had to buy first hand, but many of them we bought off other parents whose children had outgrown them. Many items are useful only for a brief window of time and can be made good as new with a bit of cleaning and repair.
Travel and Safety
Car Seat
While India does not have formal legislation making car seats necessary, we really should. We got this car seat, which will likely last from birth all the way until S is about 7-8 years old. You start off using it facing rearwards and then transition at about age 2 to facing forward.
Chicco
Baby Monitor
I don't love this monitor - it has poor battery life, takes forever to charge...but it gets the job done. We've also been using it for the last three years, so I guess it's...fine? We deliberately chose an audio-only monitor, but other friends have liked this video one as well.
The Stroller/Pram
Anne Lora Scagliusi
Baby Carrier
Getting a baby carrier was a godsend. It allowed me to do more than one thing at a time; I could now hold a book and read, make a coffee, or answer the door all while having S snug and secure. After a lot of research, we got the Beco Gemini which at the regular retail price (~$80) is great value for money. It's also one of the lightest carriers that exists, which is great given that you will
Sleep
Travel Crib
We were so lucky to find this from another parent, and got it from them at an absolute steal. We used this when we visited friends, family and on vacations. Most hotels don't have great baby beds, and the familiarity of having her own crib was something that helped S fall asleep more easily even in an unfamiliar place.
Crib and Changing Station
Simple, easy to put together, and far sturdier than the price would suggest. We used this crib and changing station from about 3 months onward, and Baby S continues to fit into it now (at 3.5 years).
IKEA
Humidifier
Bathing and Toilet
Bathtub
IKEA
Toilet Seat
IKEA
Baby Bouncer
High Chair
IKEA
Feeding Bottles
I didn't realise that there was so much nuance to something seemingly as simple as feeding bottles. You want bottles that babies can latch on to, that don't leak and that are easy to wash, and verify that they are absolutely clean. After some trial and error, the Philips Avent worked best for us.
Books We Read
- Emily Oster - all four of her books were very helpful
- The Informed Parent
- The Self Driven Child
- Save Our Sleep
- Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
- Growing Up Human
- ...and as a bonus, for those nights when you're exhausted, crying and on the floor: Go the F**k to Sleep
Apps
We didn't find many apps that were very helpful. The only ones that we used were the following:
- Sprout Pregnancy and Baby Tracker - very helpful to track some metrics like height/weight, doctors visits etc
- The Wonder Weeks - no idea how accurate the information here is, but it was soothing.
- Things - a general to do list app. Comes in very handy when you're sleep deprived and trying to keep track of a lot of different tasks/areas of life.
Toys and Entertainment
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