If you are expecting a
baby, then you have probably collated a list of baby items to buy. Chances are
the list is probably overwhelming and you are wondering which items to cross
out or which items you can’t do without. Here’s a quick review of some of the
items I got and how useful they were.
Baby Carrier: this item is great for carrying your baby
around when you are taking a 5 to 10 minutes’ walk. However, if you have a car
or will be doing most of your commute in one, then you may not have much need
for it. Except you intend to go on pleasure or fit fam walks with baby. I used
mine just once or twice. First time was at the airport, using the carrier freed
up my hands for baby bag and handling my boarding pass. The thing was someone
had already gifted me one, but I ignorantly went ahead and bought another 1
just for variety. Not knowing that it wasn’t an item I would be using
frequently. So, I’d say don’t splurge on this.
Breastfeeding Cover: this is one great innovation to help you cover
up while you breastfeed in public, especially for first time mums who may feel
shy about whipping out their breasts. My mum got me one, a few weeks after I
put to bed and I was really looking forward to using it whenever I went to
church but my son was not having it. Right from when he was 3 weeks old you
could tell he hated for anything to touch his face. The first time I tried to
use the breastfeeding cover, he struggled to push it away from his face and
refused to suck till I took it off completely. Even now, it’s still a struggle
to powder his face or clean his eyes. I’d say don’t go splurging on different
colours of nursing covers to match your different outfits.
Stroller: this is one of those items that I don’t think was designed for the Nigerian market. Seriously, how many people do you see around carrying a baby on a stroller in Naija? At best if you have a very large living room, you can stroll your baby around the house or your compound if it’s not choked up with cars. Except you live in a serene estate, chances are you may never use your stroller. We are not big on walks in the park, that is if the parks exist at all.
Pacifiers: Some people are totally against this as it is believed to encourage sucking. However, it can be very useful for keeping babies from crying or luring them to sleep. Luckily or unluckily, my son never used one. When he was a few weeks old, I tried to put a pacifier in his mouth but it kept falling out. Thinking it was too big, I tried smaller ones but they didn’t work either. By the time he was older and I felt he ought to be able to grip it, he always threw it out like he didn’t understand why his mouth was being stuffed with a foreign object. On the other hand, I know other babies who are addicted to their pacifiers. Some even cling to it till they are about age 3.
Baby shoes: clearly babies don’t walk till they are about
10months so no point splurging on 0 -6 months baby shoes. You can just go for
the booties or socks that are designed to look like shoes.
Breast Pump: if you intend to breastfeed exclusively for the
first few months, then you need a breast pump. Aside
from allowing other people feed breast milk to your baby it also helps you
monitor exactly how much milk your baby is consuming. Plus, it gives you the
opportunity to wear whatever outfit you like without bothering about how easy
it will be to breastfeed while in public. I’d say splurge on a breast pump, in
fact if you can afford it get 2, a manual and an electric one. If possible get
the spare parts too. The valve of my breast pump suddenly spoilt one Sunday
afternoon when my son was still taking just breast milk. Unfortunately, the
spare valve had already been spoilt when I set up the pump wrongly at the
onset. I was completely distraught because I had to be at work the following
morning and no baby shops open on Sundays. Poor baby had to make do with infant
formula which he hadn’t fully adjusted to yet.
Nursing Pillow: this provides a great support to put your
baby on while you breastfeed, it prevents you from having to slouch, thereby
avoiding backaches and bad nursing postures. It also doubles as a chair for
babies who aren’t old enough to seat up yet. It came in very handy for me, in
fact I could barely do without it. It’s perfect for positioning baby for the
countless pictures you’ll be taking. I recommend you get (sew) spare covers for
the pillow, because it will likely get dirty often due to the frequency of use.
Baby Bouncer or
Swing: I never quite got the
hang of backing a baby. Either I folded the wrapper wrongly or I just didn’t
tighten it enough. Either ways my son didn’t seem to like being stuck at my
back either so the baby bouncer was just perfect for keeping him while I
attended to other chores. The music box and soft toys attached kept him
entertained and helped to develop his pincer grasp.
Of course, these are
just a few items on your list, but I hope this helps if you’re shopping on a
budget and considering what items to cross out. The truth is most of these baby
items cost a fortune but are only used for a short while. You could decide to
save costs by asking your older parent friends who are done making babies for
their baby gears which they no longer need. Mums in the house, please share
your thoughts, which items did you regret buying and which did you wish you had
gotten?
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