Seeking advice from the women of the forum

[Bakersdozen]

Now that we have a few Moms and Grandmothers frequently visiting the forum, I would like some advice.  My stepdaughter is expecting her first baby.  She and her husband chose to get married at city hall instead of a wedding.  She is the sweetest girl in the world and deserves something special.  I am giving her a baby shower and she has been receiving lots of great hand me down baby things from her cousins and friends.  So far, she gotten an infant car seat, high chair, and tons of newborn clothes.  A good friend is helping her fix up the nursery.  He is going to paint a mural or something similar on the walls.
This is my question.  What is the one infant item you have found that has been a life saver or used more than you expected to?

[The15thMember]

I'm not a mom or grandma (yet), but I am the oldest in a large household, and I've done my fair share of baby raising.  One thing that we used heavily with babies was the Bumbo baby seat.  We found that to be the thing that babies liked most to be contained in when they are able to sit and crawl on their own but can't walk yet.  Our babies never liked those walkers and seemed to feel trapped being stuck in a high chair or some similar baby seat, but the Bumbo seemed to give them the illusion they were sitting on their own, which made them happier because they didn't feel confined.  With my one sister, we'd even stick her in the Bumbo on the center of our dinner table like a centerpiece so she could be with the family while we ate, but she didn't have to be stuck in her high chair.  We got ours probably in like 2006, so I can't speak to the quality of more recently manufactured ones, but ours was totally indestructible and lasted through 3 babies with minimal noticeable wear.       

[Grandma Bear]

We wear the babies as often as possible to keep our hands free for chores, there are so many different ways to do that. You can get an inexpensive wrap, or carrier almost anywhere and there are lots of patterns to sew your own. We are also very fond of the cosleeper that snugs up beside the bed so momma can easily nurse at night without getting up. All of my children had a swing and it was a lifesaver for colicky babies. Congratulations on the addition to the family!

[Jen]

Hi Baker, my first baby was born 45 years ago, and Boy! have things changed in the baby section of the general stores.

So I asked my daughter your question

She said the Bumbo and a baby carrier like a Moby baby carrier were the most useful.

[Bakersdozen]

Now I need to Google Bumbo, cosleeper, and Moby.   
I saw something online and wish I could remember the name of it.  It was an all-in-one kitchen devise that would gently heat a baby bottle and as the baby grew to solid foods it would puree real fruits and vegetables.  That way you wouldn't have to buy jars of baby food.  I am sure she will try to nurse, but will probably store milk too.

[Grandma Bear]

As far as a cosleeper, all of my babies just slept with me. DD did the same but was blessed by a friend with a cosleeper that attaches to her bed and she feels like it's easier for her to rest well while baby is sleeping without the worry of her position and blankets, and of course SIL likes that much better too since he isn't worried about rolling over at night now. Moby is just one type of carrier and everyone has a different preference, but as I said before it is so easy to sew your own wraps or slings to wear babies. We have never heated bottles, but we do make our own baby food with just a blender when babies first start on solid foods.

[Jen]

I wish I would have had a cosleeper, brilliant idea! baby right next to you, just slide baby over for night nursing.

And beings we are talking the world of newborns, here is a very valuable tip for beginning nursing mothers or any nursing mother for that matter. The herb Fenugreek works wonders for nursing mom's who can't seem to make enough milk. Daughter nursed her first baby girl up to a year with no glitches. But second baby boy just could not get enough milk, lots of crying and little fists. Daughter took fenugreek and Man O Man! the milk came in a plenty within about 3 days. Plenty of info online about fenugreek and nursing. 

[Bakersdozen]

I wish I would have had a cosleeper, brilliant idea! baby right next to you, just slide baby over for night nursing.

And beings we are talking the world of newborns, here is a very valuable tip for beginning nursing mothers or any nursing mother for that matter. The herb Fenugreek works wonders for nursing mom's who can't seem to make enough milk. Daughter nursed her first baby girl up to a year with no glitches. But second baby boy just could not get enough milk, lots of crying and little fists. Daughter took fenugreek and Man O Man! the milk came in a plenty within about 3 days. Plenty of info online about fenugreek and nursing.

I wish I would have known that way back then.  That was before the internet and answers at your finger tips.

[Grandma Bear]

I wish I would have had a cosleeper, brilliant idea! baby right next to you, just slide baby over for night nursing.

And beings we are talking the world of newborns, here is a very valuable tip for beginning nursing mothers or any nursing mother for that matter. The herb Fenugreek works wonders for nursing mom's who can't seem to make enough milk. Daughter nursed her first baby girl up to a year with no glitches. But second baby boy just could not get enough milk, lots of crying and little fists. Daughter took fenugreek and Man O Man! the milk came in a plenty within about 3 days. Plenty of info online about fenugreek and nursing.

I wish I would have known that way back then.  That was before the internet and answers at your finger tips.

We make a tea of fenugreek, blessed thistle, red raspberry, and oat straw with a bit of spearmint to add more flavor and help momma's digestion. Talk about extra milk to donate or share with a momma who isn't producing well!!! The oat straw helps add a lot of nutritious minerals and is very calming to the nervous system, red raspberry helps tone the uterus and adds a lot of mineral content to the tea..so it eases the afterpains of birthing. The fenugreek and blessed thistle definitely boost milk production by A LOT!!!

[Wandering Man]

Secondhand advice from a guy ...

But it comes from a woman.

3Reds is a retired high school business teacher, and this is her advice to her students:
The best gift for a newborn is a set of tires.  You can use the tires as an infant bed by placing blankets or pillows in the middle, or as a bath if you lay out a tarp over the tire and fill with water.
When a little older, you can stand the tires up, tie them together, and make a play pen out of them.  Or a small jungle gym.
A little older, and you've got the makings of a swing set.
When they reach driving age, you are already on your way to a car.  Just at the vehicle.

[Bakersdozen]

Secondhand advice from a guy ...

But it comes from a woman.

3Reds is a retired high school business teacher, and this is her advice to her students:
The best gift for a newborn is a set of tires.  You can use the tires as an infant bed by placing blankets or pillows in the middle, or as a bath if you lay out a tarp over the tire and fill with water.
When a little older, you can stand the tires up, tie them together, and make a play pen out of them.  Or a small jungle gym.
A little older, and you've got the makings of a swing set.
When they reach driving age, you are already on your way to a car.  Just at the vehicle.

 
I may have to borrow that wisdom to share at the baby shower!