Top Ten Baby Items for Expectant Parents

I was lucky to have some moms give me advice before having my first baby and in other cases, I learned by trial and error what was best. Hopefully these recommendations will help you, as a new parent, to get the things that will really help you.

BREASTFEEDING/FEEDING

1. Lansinoh Cream
This is wonderful (and worth the money) for keeping your nipples from getting too sore or cracked. You can buy it at most baby supply stores and even some maternity shops.

2. Breast Pump
The Medela breast pump This can cost you a few hundred dollars but it's worth it. I have the Pump in Style and it works really well and is fairly comfortable. Medela offers different cup sizes to accommodate different breast sizes. Save money by borrowing the pump or definitely put it on your baby registry. Put the accessories on your registry because the costs can add up.

3. Baby bottles
Dr. Brown's baby bottles have a great design and REALLY keep the baby from getting gas. We tried Avent and our baby was not happy (although we know several people who like them). The nice thing is that the Brown's baby bottles can also attach to the Medela cone for pumping breast milk directly into the bottle.

4 Breastfeeding pillow
The Boppy is among the top-rated items for parents. While it is wonderful for breastfeeding ease, it also is great for propping a baby who can't quite sit up yet. You also can put baby on the pillow on her stomach for "tummy time."

HEALTH/SAFETY:

5. Baby Monitor
We love the monitor by Summer Infant Products. It costs about $170 but it does go on sale or use a store's 20% off coupon. It has some great features. It has a pretty mobile base and the handheld unit is very easy to take with you. The handheld has a color screen with night vision so you can see baby without disturbing him. It is pretty tough, too. We've dropped the camera part a few times and it still works great. There's also minimal interference between this and wireless products.

BABY PLAY

6. Play Yard
The Graco Pack N Play is another favorite among parents, including us. It is fairly easy to pack up to take with you or store. It has a changing table feature which is nice. It also is durable.

7. Infant Swing
We think Nature's Touch Cradle Swing by Fisher Price is the best one out there. You can fold it easily to put away (although it still is a little bulky) and it's still sturdy. It is very versatile as well. You can adjust the seat so baby is lying back or sitting more upright; you can change the swing direction from side-to-side or back-and-forth. The swing offers music and white noise sounds, a little mobile and mirror for baby to look at. There also is a play tray that you can detach or attach if baby wishes to play with it.

8. Baby toy
Every baby - even newborns - should have a toy. Our baby's favorite toy is the Noa doll by Noukies (www.noukies.com). This doll is SO soft! It also is very light so very young babies can hold it and toss it around. Noa's braids are also great for a teething baby. Noukies dolls can be pricey (12-inch dolls go for about $25) but they are very durable and most can be machine washed. If you don't like Noa, there are plenty of other stuffed toys such as Lola the cow.

MISC.

9. Stroller
We LOVE our Graco stroller. It's called the Mosaic stroller. It is one of the lightest strollers under $200 and it packs up fairly compactly so you can put it in a small trunk or even the back seat. It is maneuverable and strong. (We actually broke one stroller in the store trying to fold it up). It has a cup holder and a storage basket (which they could improve a little). And it works nicely with Graco's infant car seat and when baby upgrades to a new seat, it's a great toddler stroller.

10. Diaper Pail
We like the Diaper Champ. It got the same - or better - ratings from parents over Diaper Genie. Plus you can use regular garbage bags instead of special bags for the Genie, which is a tremendous money saver.