Baby gear

So I have a ton of friends and co-workers who are pregnant and trying to make sense of all the baby gear craziness. So here's just a little something I wrote a couple of months ago while Leo was napping (at about 2-3 months old).

• Swing - When shopping for a swing, I'd recommend finding one that swings both ways (tee hee) - front-to-back and side-to-side. And look for an option to plug into the wall so you don't have to feed it batteries all the time. We ended up with the Fisher Price Rainforest swing and really like it (as does Leo).
• Bouncer - I got the Combi Pod bouncer and actually don't like it very much. It does the trick, but I wish I had one that was softer and bouncier. And easier to stick in the car to take to people's houses. I've heard the BabyBjorn bouncer is really good (but very expensive).
• Bottles - BPA-Free is the big deal right now. I'd recommend getting two starter kits to see which kind of bottle works best for baby and then go back to buy more when you need them. If you're planning to breastfeed, you probably won't need more bottles than are in the starter kit for a couple of months anyway. My recommendations: BornFree and Avent BPA-FREE bottles. We're using BornFree and really like them, but the Avent bottles have fewer parts to clean.
• Car Seat and Stroller - This one is the #1-rated car seat as far as safety and it's pretty easy to use. I really like it. Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat and Cortina Stroller. Comes in different colors.
• Boppy - Of course everyone needs a Boppy. Plus an extra slipcover or two.
• Sleep Sheep or Mommy Bear - It's amazing how much this helps little babies go to sleep and stay asleep. I have the sleep sheep, available in store at BabyGap and Lone Star Baby. (I got Leo's at babycenter.com)
• Swaddle Blankets - I absolutely LOVE the Ultimate Receiving Blanket by SwaddleDesigns. It's really big on a newborn so you end up wrapping it around a couple of times. But it's now the only one that fits Leo and I can't use all of the others. You can find them online almost anywhere.
• Monitor - I'd definitely spring for one with a video function. It's so nice to be able to see what's going on when he's making noises without having to go into the nursery. It's pricey, but I love the one we have (Summer Infant Day and Night Handheld Color Video Monitor ) because we can see him whether it's dark or light in the room, we can plug in the monitor so it doesn't eat batteries (but we can use batteries, which is nice if we want to take it outside). And we can turn off and on the video and sound separately so the video screen doesn't always have to be on when you're trying to sleep.
• Breastfeeding stuff - The Medela Advance Pump-In-Style seems to be #1 out there and it works really well for me. We got it at Target with a 10% off registry completion coupon (which is a $30 savings). But as far as everything else breast-related (breast pads, milk storage bags), I really like Lansinoh stuff better than Medela.
• And speaking of milk storage, there are Sterilite ice bins in the Tupperware section at Target (for about $2) that fit in a freezer perfectly and are the perfect size for storing milk. Cool.
• Gripe Water! We use the Little Tummys brand, but there are lots of kinds out there that I'm sure are good. We've only had to use it like 10 times, but it makes Leo stop crying within three minutes every single time. That stuff is some kind of miracle juice - especially if you think it might be his tummy bothering him. We actually had to give him some last night because nothing would make him stop crying. About halfway through the dose he actually started smiling. That stuff is crazy good.

Miscellaneous notes:

• I read the Girlfriends' Guide to Baby Gear before I started shopping and it really helped.
• 3 sets of sheets for wherever baby will be sleeping and/or changing. I only had 2 thinking I could have one in the laundry and one in use. But unfortunately, sometimes you need to change it after the very next use and you haven't had a chance to wash the other one yet.
• T.M.I. WARNING HERE. Get a waterproof mattress cover for YOUR bed if you don't have one already. In those first few postpartum weeks, I was sweating like a pig every night from all the hormone changes. Plus there's always the lovely leaking breast milk, baby spit up, etc that you don't want seeping into your mattress. Gross. We got ours at Sleep Experts.
• Vibrating = good. When looking at swings, bouncers, etc. I would always look for something with vibration mode. It's so soothing for those little ones. I actually wish I would have bought the vibrating mattress. Crazy, I know.
• Price compare - especially on the big stuff! I've found that babycenter.com and Amazon.com are often much cheaper than Babies R Us for the exact same product.

I could go on and on with every little product, but these are the highlights. Feel free to peep my registry and ask me any questions on whatever other products - pack 'n' play, pacifiers, slings, etc. You know I'm flattered. :-)

P.S. If you're a mom reading this and have additional suggestions (or even if you disagree), feel free to comment!