to buy or not to buy

it's so easy to get caught up with baby-related consumerism when you're having your first child, but i have realised that some things aren't actually that necessary, no matter what the shop promoters and advertisements say.

1. strollers - by all means get one so that there's somewhere to plonk the baby while she is asleep so that you can eat/shop/whatever more comfortably while you are out, but don't splurge on a pram unless you are pretty sure your kid will stay in it for more than 5 minutes while awake. a baby carrier worked much better for us. 

2. fancy schmancy food prep machines - was very tempted to get one but realised there wasn't a need for one of those fancy contraptions when one preps baby mush in bulk. steaming/boiling veggies using normal kitchenware and the blender worked just as well.

3. high chair - the plastic white IKEA one works fine. we did get another booster seat so that we could use it at both the grandparents' place, but if the kid is staying in one place most of the time, the IKEA one is good enough.

4. rocker - only keeps baby in for a short period (maybe first 3 months or so) and for short spans of time, so don't splurge. the amount of time they spend in those things don't increase proportionately to the number of jingly toys hanging from the top. a play mat with jingly toys probably will see more use.

5. baby laundry detergent - no need, please.

6. fancy diaper bag - any roomy bag can be a diaper bag, please. I doubt the fancy diaper bags would have been big enough for my milk cooler bag plus hot water flask plus diapers plus milk bottle plus wet wipes plus random toy.

7. bottle warmer - erm, for what? if making formula then make it warm from the start. if warming up frozen/refrigerated breastmilk, just plonk in a large glass of hot water.

8. shoes - before they start walking. if you buy them, know that it is only for show. plus what's not to like about barefoot babies with chubby toes/feet!

9. sophie the giraffe - erm, no need. glad i didn't buy it because she'd probably lose interest within a day. she also had other things to chew on while teething, like her other toys!

will add more to the list along the way ....

on the other hand, i think we spent good money on the following:

1. medela pump in style breast pump - you save from not having to buy crazy expensive baby formula for the first year

2. aden & anais bamboo swaddle cloths - the cloth was so light and breathable.

3. philips baby monitor - especially necessary early on since baby was sleeping in a separate room since her second week.

4. huge playpen - it was good until she could climb over the top rail. we could snooze in it while she played without worrying that she'd get into trouble around the house. 

5. baby wipes - lots of them. there's no need to spend on the high-end brands though. the beautex one works fine.

6. babybjorn baby carrier air with back support - i brought baby out in this carrier all the time, especially for walks to the supermarket and other times when i was out alone. she loved the facing-out option and it was so convenient compared to lugging around a pram while potentially carrying the baby-who-refused-to-be-prammed-around. it's now quite difficult to use the carrier because baby is way too heavy for my back to take it!

babywise and wonder weeks - the former was a gift but i am paying it forward by passing it on to close friends.