A new baby layette

[Update - Darlene re-wrote this post with some changes based on her experiences with Olivia in the last few months]

Darlene wrote another helpful article, this time it's about what to buy for that baby shower you'll be attending. I'll let her take it from here.....

Are you stumped on what to give your office coworker, your daughter or neighbour for her baby shower? Perhaps you don’t have any children and don’t have a clue what they need? Take it from a grandma that fully outfitted her first grandchild for the first year through trial and error. I did a lot of my research on Epinions.com or had to pay the price for not very good equipment.

The stroller and car seat combination. Do your research – these are the two most critical items – go high quality all the way – the safety of the child is most important as is the ease of putting the child in and out of the car seat. To make it more confusing - the car seat comes in a variety of sizes – newborn to 20 pounds – 20 pounds plus and booster seats. The mother can use the stroller/car seat combination until the baby is sitting up and doesn’t want to recline anymore. Then she moves on to either a convertible car seat or one made for baby 20 pounds or more. Then comes the booster at the toddler stage. Britax makes one of the best versatile combination car seats. It goes from 5 up to 65 pounds suitable for either rear or front facing depending on the size of the child. It also has passed the most crucial safety standards out there. Check it out on the net. Expensive? Yes! They can go for up to $350 but do parents ever find it great after trial and error and a lot of dollars spent on other car seats. Worth every cent? Yes! And it comes in a variety of colours and styles. For you Calgary Cowtowners or other cow lovers - it comes in a cow print cover! You can find some limited styles at ToysRUs and E Children. Some things my daughter found with the cheaper car seats was being able to get the child in and out of the car seat was not as easy and the lack of ease removing and putting the car seat in the car. Some seats were horrible and not user friendly at all.

The stroller. Yes another stroller – there is the one that holds the adaptable car seat and then there is the light, collapsible and more portable model - that snaps into place easily and can be used at the mall. Always an appreciated life saver.

The bassinet / Play Yard Combination. These are very multipurpose items. The baby can sleep in the bassinet next to mom and dad for the first few months until they are around 30 pounds or sitting up and then you use it as a playpen for the baby that starts to get around. Do your research on the internet – some are more adaptable than others. Listen to other moms and dads!

Onesie. What we called bodysuits in my day – they are an undershirt or shirt with the bottoms attached and handy snaps to keep it all in place. They come in either an undergarment style or a shirt style that go with pants, shorts or skirts. Get a combination of both long sleeve and short sleeve onesies depending on the season the baby will be wearing them. The Winners store has a fantastic selection of all sizes at excellent prices.

Rompers. A lot like the onesies – these summer outfits are a tank top and shorts all in one – with snaps to get in and out of easily. These really come in use for babies who are crawling or walking – when normal two piece outfits would crawl up over their bellies.

Sleepers. This is the number one item worn by baby for the first 6 months plus. Babies live, eat, sleep in them, and go to the mall too. Get the type that are easy to get on and off, with snaps down the legs and at the crotch, long sleeves of every size available - you can’t go wrong with this item. Avoid the usual pink and blue, mix it up with yellows, greens, cream colours - mom and dad have already gotten 50 outfits in pink or blue. Again the Winners store has a great selection of all sizes at excellent prices.

Receiving Blankets. Who gave them this name? Used to swaddle the infant, to clean up spit up, to put under baby during changes, to wipe down where something spilt – a permanent fixture on mom’s or dad’s shoulder - this item has a multitude of uses and you can’t have too many of them. All colours and sizes will do.

Tights. We called these leotards in my day. Socks fall off, shoes fall off, when baby gets older they tend to pull their socks and shoes off – tights are good for the cooler months of the year, can be layered and you can buy them in a huge variety of sizes and colours. Get them all! They are going to get used big time in Canada!

Bibs. There is a point in the baby’s development that they need tons and tons of washable bibs of every size, colour and material.

A Cool looking Diaper Bag. Mom and Dad are going to carry the contents of a house in this bag – and may go through more than one in a year so go quality all the way! Remember – Mom and Dad are from the ‘Cool’ generation – they are going to look at the ‘Pooh the Bear’ diaper bag and hide it out of sight. So stick to neutral colours, dark browns, black, grey, etc. Go for lots of pockets, heavy duty zippers that won’t break from being stressed by an overfilled bag. Lots of snaps, clasps and tapes - most come with a matching portable change pad. Diaper Dude comes in fantastic colours for every personality type, and for a more affordable price than the higher end designer diaper bags. Diaper Diva is a version more female friendly but think of dad and his pride – it’s enough that he is actively taking care of baby now – give him a break! You can get this bag on Ebay for a fraction of the price of the higher end baby stores and I found these good ones hard to find in Canada or extremely expensive at boutique stores.

An Electric Breast Pump. For the breast feeding mom this is a godsend!

Baby swing. This is another godsend for mothers everywhere – a place to put baby so that they can get stuff done. Babies can’t go in them right away - but soon enough. The baby swing usually keeps baby content while mom makes and eats dinner and it rocks them to sleep.

Exer-saucer. This is a piece of baby equipment that has morphed from the walkers and jolly jumpers we had in my day. The baby sits in the centre of this ‘toy’ (by the age that they can sit up comfortably) and can rotate 360 degrees to play with the toys permanently affixed to the frame. Music, colours, chew toys abound. It is adjustable in height to fit for a few months – and by the time they get too big for it – they don’t want to be confined anymore. They can also bounce up and down to strengthen their tiny legs. Research on the net which exer-saucers are most adaptable for baby.

Baby toiletry kit. Usually comes with a nose aspirator, tiny finger nail clippers, a thermometer, Emory board, liquid medication applicator and an eye dropper.

Bouncy Chair. This is a reclining baby seat that is usually made of a colourful fabric with a stretch to it on a bendable frame and a 5 point harness to keep them snug and safe. It usually has a removable bar across it with some colourful dangly toys. It bounces gently from the baby’s movements. Though the time they get to use it is minimal – it is another much appreciated item for the new mother.

Bumbo. This is a soft rubbery baby seat that is formed to their little bums and legs. It also comes with a little tray and is great for restaurant visits. It helps the baby to sit up when they can just hold up their heads but they can’t quite sit up yet.

Baby Bum Bum ointment/cream. This product is amazing - it sooths and stays on the skin for a long time before it is absorbed – just what you want it to do, and it is planet friendly!

A Maid for a Day. A certificate for a Maid for A Day would be appreciated by about month 3 – the baby is now (maybe) sleeping through the night and mom has time to look around the place and say ‘Holy crap – Help!’

Robeez shoes. A wonderful lady finally figured out a way to keep baby’s shoes on. They are made of leather and are machine washable and come in a huge variety of sizes and colours. Mom will soon appreciate them in a big way!

Later you can buy:

A baby carrier. I found that my daughter had two kinds of baby carriers. One is a sling-like object that cuddles the baby horizontally close to mom when they are still quite tiny (and it can only be used for a short period of time) that is good for walks and baseball games. The second type cuddles baby either front facing, stomach facing or on your back – good for those moms and dads that are outdoorsy – otherwise they may not get a lot of use out of it. The smaller infant is usually in that car seat/stroller combination for the first few months of their life if mom and dad manage to get out at all.

A high chair. Again do your research – a high chair that is adjustable in both height and reclining position – with a dishwasher proof insert is the best. Look for a high chair that has a moulded hump in the middle so the child doesn’t slip out of the chair and onto the floor when they are being removed from it. The most expensive is not necessarily the best model – I have found some Evenflow models just as good as the top of the line chairs. They are starting to do their research and know what mom’s need.

Baby Bathtub. There are a variety of baby bathtubs. The hard plastic preformed bath, blow up inflatable tubs with soft sides and collapsible portable tubs.

Nice but not a necessity – a Baby Change Table. You know that fancy baby change table with the strap across it? They end up being changed on the couch. Don’t waste your money! I may take a lot of flack on this opinion but I stick to what I am saying.

Jolly Jumper. Though we haven’t got as much use out of our jolly jumpers as we would like – it is a novelty and helps the kids build up their leg muscles – I haven’t seen a child not like on yet – though the window of opportunity to use it is small – the child has to be old enough to hold their head up on their own but also be within the weight limitations. It comes in two styles – we bought both – a stand style that they can take wherever they go and a doorway clamp style – but they would have to have sturdy mouldings around the door to use this style.


Stay away from:

Cutesy Baby Outfits. You know those sweet little outfits that you see at the baby stores – fashion plate outfits? The baby lives in sleepers for the first few months as they are just eating and pooping machines – the outfits are too much work to get them in and out of - and those little shirts - they just climb up to their armpits and leave their cute little bellies exposed – no fun! They also only fit for about a total of 5 minutes. Better to all pitch in and buy the mom something that she can really use.

Those cute baby socks and shoes. They fall off and/or are pulled off and look cute for about 20 seconds. You spend the whole time trying to find them. Just stick to tights.