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I bought the swing (I think) you are referring to. I chose it instead of cheaper models because it can run on electricity and not just batteries, so I figure we will save a fortune on batteries over the long run. It also had reviews that showed that it does not break easily like cheaper models, and I didn't want to spend the same amount buying multiple swings only to have them break. Also a lot of the cheaper models are very loud and we wanted a quiet model.
For the most part we are doing everything we can to avoid the money traps with over-priced baby gear. DH and I are really trying to find the balance between necessity and luxury, as well as between quality and budget. We are buying a lot of things second hand at two awesome local stores, and are also accepting loaners and hand me downs.
My advice is to read reviews since there is some really good information out there, but also stay within your budget or comfort range for prices on items. And keep in mind that the majority of baby gear out there is not a necessity. Babies do not NEED swings, bouncey seats, bumbos, wipe warmers, etc. There essential needs are pretty basic, so keep that in mind when contemplating expensive baby gear items.
And a lot of babies don't like swings. My niece loved hers, but I have two friends whos infants hated them and they never were used.
I'm for the motto "you get what you pay for". If you buy crap, you'll probably have to replace it at some point. But I don't think there is a huge difference between a $100 swing and a $150 swing. A $30 swing and $150 swing, yes.
There are ways to cut corners and still get awesome stuff. I LOVED the Bratt Decor furniture, but there was no way I wanted to spend $1000 on a crib. I went to the warehouse store in Baltimore and got a crib (originally $800), dresser (originally $1600) and changer (originally $500) all for a total of $600. I purchased a floor model crib and changer, and the dresser just needed to be repainted and had a little crack on the side and I changed the hardware. Everything looks great!
If you want to splurge on the nice stuff, maybe you can ask or hint to a grandparent for a specific purchase. They love that!! My dad bought our fancy swing, on his own. The cradle part of the swing detaches into a bouncer b/c some babies prefer one over the other. I also got a fancy breastpump as a chip-in gift at one of my showers.
We bought our fancy like-new carseat and crib off Craigslist (well inspected first). High end stroller, barely used given to us. Again, grandparents (and aunties) like to splurge on baby stuff and often just want a little direction.
Oh, and Babies R Us gives 20% off coupons all the time. Just ask the cashier how to get one.
For us, we found that our $150 swing got hardly any use but our $20 bouncie was used all the time. I agree with the previous poster who said not all babies are "swing" babies. My first sure wasn't. I hoping to get more use out of it the second time around.
The stroller: $240. Eh I could of went either way with this. It was wayyy over priced. We get alot of use out of it but honestly, its big, bulky, heavy and just too much. What I paid for was the good carseat it came with. Other then that it wasn't worth the price. The top of the stroller as a digital clock and temperature reader. Cool at first but really didn't need it. I did like all the little compartments it came with to store stuff. But now that I'm having my second and will have 2 kids under the age of 4, I need to buy a whole new stroller that can accomidate two kids.
The crib: To me this is the BEST thing to spend a pretty penny on. Not only are you going to use it every night for the first 2 or so years, but cribs are passed down from sibling to sibling and often family to family, within families. They really make the look of the nursery too. A good crib will gets years and years of use. Where as anything else wont.
We've been fortunate enough to have both a friend and my sister pass down a lot of the pricy items like the swing, bouncers, co-sleeper, exer-saucer, etc so if our baby isn't too thrilled with one item, we haven't wasted money. There are a lot of second-hand type places you can get baby things at, which is what my mom has done for when the grandkids visit. Look for local consignment shops.
We spent a pretty penny on the furniture though since we bought furniture that is warrantied for 60 years / three generations (Romina). If nothing else, it will be lovely guest room furniture over time (crib converts to toddler and then full size bed) and we love heirloom type furniture in our home and it was worth it to us.
Other than that, the only other pricy items we bought were the car seat/stroller. We did not get the travel system stroller/car seat. We did select the Chicco KeyFit 30 infant seat and the Chicco liteway stroller, which can be used for infants when fully reclined with a snuzzler. The stroller does not fit the car seat on it but I'm not concerned since the stroller will be good for a toddler too. It's a nice mix between the umbrella stroller and full size stroller so we don't have to have multiples.
Like PPs said, not a whole lot is truly a necessity.
You don't have to spend a lot of money on baby things; if you can, borrow from a friend before you buy it. We don't have a swing at all, just a $30 bouncy seat, and we opted out of buying a pack n' play/play yard at all. Buy the things you absolutely need right now, and then try out the rest after the baby is born to see what he/she likes.
Also, you can really buy nursery furniture for much cheaper than what you've seen. Our crib converts into a toddler bed and full-sized bed, and it comes with an attached changing table and hamper (which converts into a night stand). That plus the matching dresser (all from Target) cost less than $500, brand new.
I am fond of saying that if I had it to do all over again the only baby stuff I would buy would be:
A large wicker basket
A high chair
A stroller
amd a car seat.
I am almost hysterical with laughter every time I see my niece with her baby - she drags along enough stuff to stock a small store!
I'd say see if your baby would even use/like a lot of things before spending a ton on them. Check out consignment stores to save on things that were probably used for a short period of time.
Furniture it makes sense to splurge on because you can use it for other children or resell. A swing you may end up using less that you expect so it may not be the best thing to invest a ton of money in, like Mrs. Spring said - see if you can borrow one first because your baby may not even like it.
Start with the basics and add as needed rather than having to store stuff that may not ever get used.
@Mrs. Spring: Thanks for the tips. As far as the crib, the one we are getting is reasonably priced in the mid 200s and converts to the other beds like yours does too. We opted out of a pack n play which for us I think is uneeded and too big and instead are getting a travel lite crib which is a bassinett, which the baby will be in for the first few months, and it converts into a mini play pen. We will get the swing, put it on the registery, but I'm not sure if we'll go for a high end one, maybe something priced inbetween.
I've been trying to get the certain expensive items that I want in the typical ways and creative ways...
1)Grandparents
2) People going in together on gifts
3) Amazon & Toys R Us giftcards purchased using credit card/debit card points
and as far as baby furniture we are using Target...beautiful, convertible, safe pieces that look like Pottery Barn but way nicer prices
Who needs a swing? Let the baby roll around on the floor with a blanket and some toys. They don't need swings :) And you can pick them up and cuddle them and swing them around yourself.
And when it's bed time just throw them in their bed and they go to sleep. Don't get them into the habit of rocking to sleep otherwise you'll be up all night wandering around the house rocking a baby. I didn't let my DD get into habits like that, she's always just slept well because she had to.
Seriously, I had so much CRAP! All you need is 4 things:
We spent a lot of money on a brand name crib. It's solid wood, and we got it from a boutique baby store with an amazing warranty on their merchandise. We chose a convertible crib, so it goes from a crib (2 levels) to a toddler bed to a full-size bed. It'll last until she goes to college!
But anything where the safety of your child is a top priority, I would definitely recommend spending more money, rather than looking for a bargain. Besides the crib, this includes the car seat(s) and stroller.
And... that's it. You'll be buying tons of toys and clothes, and you'll receive even more than you buy. We didn't plan on buying any giant 'toys', like bouncers or swings or playards or exersaucers or high chairs, but we were lucky enough to receive THREE SETS OF EVERYTHING WTF. (I found out quickly that "NO!" doesn't work with family.) And guess what? She hates anything and everything that encloses her. She hates bouncers and swings and playards and exersaucers and high chairs roflmao.
For feeding, we've been using a booster seat since she was 5 months old, and it's worked out well b'cuz she feels like she's sitting at the table just like everyone else.
I agree with the pps, you won't need much for the first several months. But once their personality starts kicking in, you'll also be able to tell what kind of toys and gadgets they'd prefer. Overspending is just too too easy with babies.
@yoori: It's so true isn't it. DD hated being tied into things. She preferred to just play on the floor with a few soft toys and a blanket. She really loved being taken outside and having the blanket on the grass! And then she could look at all the colours around her.
I agree with all the comments about car seats and strollers. Safety ratings are definitely worth more money. And getting a cheap stroller with short handles that won't steer sucks and is not worth saving a few bucks.
Other than that you won't know what you need until the baby comes. For instance my son loves being swaddled and loves to jump. So I have bought tons of swaddles and a jumperoo that were totally money well spent. On the other hand, he hardly ever used his swing.
We did get a few expensive items like our BOB jogging stroller (hello weight loss!) and our Britax car seat... For everything else we did research, research, research.
Our high chair is considered very inexpensive, but it gets GREAT ratings. Our crib, too, was very inexpensive, but it's beautiful, durable and got great safety ratings and has never had a recall. And by the by, we are thrilled that we didn't spend much on these things cuz the kid prefers to sleep with us, and doesn't use the swing or the bouncy chair any more.
It's pretty outrageous what they can get away with charging for baby stuff!
I think the only item we'll splurge on is the crib. Even so, the one we picked out is in the mid $200 range. The rest of the furniture we plan to build (we built nearly everything in our home already, but building a crib has me petrified). Whatever we don't get gifted toy/play wise I think I'll get on freecycle or craigslist. A big thing in my guy's hometown is for the guys to have a diaper party, where they have a big blowout inviting all their friends to bring a case of diapers in a bunch of different sizes. The last daddy got diapers to last over six months that way! Perhaps you can suggest it for your daddy-to-be?
I bought bulk diapers online. While I was pregnant I bought enough to last me for the first year. I had a massive stock up in the garage. :)
Safety ratings are important, but in NZ (and Australia) things have to be a certain rating to be sold so you can't run into many issues with what you buy from leading stores. Is that the same in the US?
Do you have a toy library near you? Because you can borrow things like jumperoos etc to see if it's something your little one is into.
Consignment shops and Craigslist are great for used baby items! Especially things like swings that will only get a few months use. And borrow from friends/family if you can, even just for a short period to see if baby likes the item {some like swings, some prefer bouncy chairs, etc}.
We chose to spend our $$$ on the stroller, not only will it last through a second child we hope to have, but the higher end ones also retain much of their value for resale.
For a crib, we went Ikea. When you're looking at convertible ones don't forget that double mattresses + sheets are more expensive than singles/twins.
For things like a swing, bouncy chair, etc. we're waiting to see how baby is. We have a jolly jumper and I hope to baby wear a lot, so we'll only buy those items if she's fussy... but like other PPs have said, with an item like a swing going the cheapest you probably do get what you pay for.
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So I'm always looking at baby items online and can't believe how expensive some stuff is. I went in one store that was a supposed outlet and the baby furniture was $800 and above. I almost fainted and girls were buying stuff too. I don't mind spending a lot on a stoller because I want something safe, especiailly with the car seat. Some other things I've been pricing out seem a little much too. Like, is there a big difference between a $130-$150 dollar swing and one that is $100 or less? I saw one I like, some lamb one by Fisher Price, but the swing is like $150 in Babies R' Us, which if most of you bargain hunt like me, you will see that this store is way overpriced on some items. So what do you guys think? Are all swings the same lol.