re: To Buy, or Not to buy...that is the question.

I bought it before. It is ok. Maybe you can buy it from a good seller.

Travel Systems are not a waste of money; you just have to be experienced when choosing one! We had no experience and just looked for safety. Now that we have used it, we know what to look for if we ever have another child. The back wheels stretch out wider than the front wheels so I constantly take things with me or get caught on doors! It's really embarrassing but who judges distance with the back wheels!? You have to shop smart and you will be able to find great travel systems.

We got a diaper champ because DH didn’t want to take out the garbage every time LO had a poopy diaper. We wrap her diapers up tight (when we can) so we can go a 2-3 days without emptying it, but we have to shake it once in a while. If you keep the handle open so that the pocket is always ready for a diaper to be dropped in- it contains the stinky smell. If you keep the handle down, the pocket fills with stench and disbursed into the room once you bring the handle up for a diaper.

Our daughter was in her high chair for her first spoon feeding at 4 months and still eats in it at 10 months. We figure if she eats at the same place for every meal, it is instilling early table comfort. She will know that meals are not meant for couches or bedrooms but for family time at the table.

On a list of things that we would not buy if given the chance: her Bumbo. It worked GREAT but it's not for all babies. She loved it the few times she got to sit in it, but her thighs are so chubby I needed DH to pull the center out to release her thighs! If he wasn’t home, she was stuck in it until he arrived! I don’t know if it was the shape of the Bumbo that did it, but she pooped every single time she sat in it! If her thighs weren’t so perfectly chubby, I would have used the Bumbo for everything!

I am a first time mommy and I have absolutely no idea what to buy. Me and my fiancee want to buy stuff that will grow with little Jazmyn such as a convertible crib and carseat/stroller. The baby will be formula fed so other then that I dont know what all I need to buy her at the store next week.

Quoting AltAngel:" I am a first time mommy and I have absolutely no idea what to buy. Me and my fiancee want to buy stuff ... [snip!] ... The baby will be formula fed so other then that I dont know what all I need to buy her at the store next week."

Congratulations! These are my essentials that I would not trade for anything. I was (10 months ago) a first time mommy too and had no idea what was necessity and what was luxury. I just want to share my choices from my experience.  

Convertable crib (like you said! something that will grow with them)
Waterproof mattress cover.
Changing table (this is a waste to some, but to me it saved my back and is so much easier changing her up higher)
Boppy (breast or bottle feeding is much easier with one)
Play pen with bassanet and changing table attachments (if you have a small apartment you might not need it, but we had some heat issues and were confined in one room where her crib didnt fit. the playpen saved us!)
We got a tavel system, but I wouldnt get it again ONLY because I would have gotten a convertable car seat if I could re-do that purchase. Its convenient, and if you have the money to do both, it is easier for the first few months to have the travel system. but we only put her car seat in the stroller for a few months- maybe 3 tops. If you go out alot and dont plan on keeping LO in for the first few months, i recommend one. they are too floppy for umbrella strollers.
Larger receiving blankets. The one carters sell were too small to swaddle with so we used the ones from the hospital.
VentAire bottles. I recommend them HIGHLY. The bottom and tops come off and we've NEVER had an issue with these. they've lasted 10 months so far and going strong (we had to change to bigger nipples along the way but theyre not expensive at all)
Thats all I can think of to recommend at the moment. Ill repost if I come up with anything else!!  

we didn't have a travel system with our first and wished the whole time...was the FIRST purchase we made when we found out we were expecting again...we also bought a diaper genie this time, so damn I guess I'm in the lazy category BUT seeing as how we live in an apartment on the top floor and try to limit how often (we're not nasty or anything lol) we take out our trash I would rather have the genie then stick them in our actual trash can. We did have a genie with the first but gave it to someone else after the fact, it's not totally odorless but we stuck a stick on air freshner in the bottom of it to help  

1.)pac-n-play- they are great not only for travel or when your munchkin stays overnight somewhere but I used mine in the living room so that way when baby took short naps it was close by.

2)travel system-they are a life saver for any mom who wants to ever take walks or go to the mall, plus if you plan on buying a carrier carseat its cheaper to buy the combo anyways. My daughter used her infant carseat for the first 8 months of her life and we got TONS of use out of it. Plus if you are having a winter baby, it is sooo much more handy to be able to pack them up all warm in the carrier and then carry it to and from the car, they make "cozy covers" as well which are a plus for any winter child under 6 months.

3)swing-my daughter LOVED her swing , i purchased a bright starts automatic swing and it was a life saver, there were many of times where i could stick her in that and do the dishes, take a shower, or after a late night feeding when she was still fussy it put her right to sleep. I invested the extra money in a model that the seat rotates so the baby can swing either forward to back or side to side and this was great too bc my daughter liked both depending on her mood and it also helped if the sunlight was in her eyes facing one way i could just rotate the seat and problem solved.

4)a good crib-you can find tons of good models of cribs now, even at walmart if you are looking to not spend a fortune. with my daughter (who is now 16 months) we use/used a hand-me-down crib from a family friend and it has a sliding side rail, this came in handy when she was a newborn bc with me being only 5'2 i could easily get her in and out of her crib but it because a hassle when she got older bc this side was not as sturdy as we thought and she actually lowered it herself a few times, the sliding side is fine i think if you buy a model that has a GOOD locking mechanism.

diaper genie yes but they also have a arm n hammer brand   i am totally getting in on that because they say less stinky......travel systems are ok but i got a stroller that you put the infant carseat on and you go on about it plus its kinda small so not getting stuck on stuff!.......pack n play.....totally need one of these, i mainly kept mine in the truck w my little girl because me and my son would go swiming at my moms and id put the pack n play on the porch and she loved it...i never had a changing table w either of the oldest but w this one i am putting a changing pad on the top of this dresser because its a good height for me! i would deff get a lot of fitted sheets i felt like until they regulated my daughters milk we were changing her bed like 3 or more times a day....bottles i prefer the plain jane bottles because the dr brown bottles are SOOOO MANY PIECES lol and not that im lazy but waking in them middle of the night trying to get all the pieces shoo and then my little girl wouldnt burp but when i finally gave up and layed her down she would puke idk its kinda trial and error on those, paci's neither one of my kids would take a newborn sized one they both wanted the 6m+ scared me at first bc i thought it would gag them but it never did! GOOD LUCK 

Quoting DoveloSono:" How about those travel systems (stroller/car seat)...? How long does the baby actually get to sit in ... [snip!] ... actually get to sit in the car seat before she is too big? Are they actually worth the money? Should I just buy separates?"

I would say its a great deal. I have continued to use the stroller once the baby has outgrown the car seat.

Quoting whatsername80:" Hehe (: Thought it might be helpful...especially since I have a question already!! Whats everyones opinions ... [snip!] ... I've heard that they're really good from some people, and then from other people that they're a waste of time and money..."

My family had a Diaper Genie when my little sister was born (13 years ago). If you get the scented bags, you REALLY can't smell the dirty diapers that you've thrown into it. I'd say it's a good investment, if they still work as well as they did back then... I plan on getting one, anyway.

I loved my stroller/carseat combo that I got for my son! and I plan on getting another one for this child. I dont have the old carseat anymore other wise I would probably save $150 bucks. But by time you calculate a carseat, stroller and taxes, it would all equal out to the same if not more depending on brand and style. So I plan on getting one that I like, matches, and safe. My son grew out of his combo carseat at 6 months or so, so I just got him a backwards facing that can front face as well, booster seat. but the problem wasnt my son's weight, it was his height! His legs were way too long for either of them by time he was 6 months old. I felt bad because it wasn't safe for him to sit any other way yet. I dont want a diaper genie because I have a trash can, same thing, less money and less complicated. This time I will get a changing table! I didn't have one the first time around and I managed but it was horrible having to change him on the bed, or his basinet, or the other furniture. and also this time around I will not get a basinet! nice to move around, but If moving my childs bed needs to be moved around I will just rearrange their room.   I'm hoping to buy less this time around. but Will probably get the same amount lol.
I want to get a crib, matching changing table. (sold my son's crib due to thinking I couldnt actually carry during pregnancies after him, and he got a cool toddler bed), stroller/carseat combo, walker, bouncer, big diaper bag. (can use one of my son's little book bags for short outtings) he has 3 lol, and a variety of sizes for clothes. and a baby sling for when its itty bitty.
Things I dont want are diaper genie/pale/champ, basinet, one of those baby back pack thingys that carry the baby on ur chest or back. baby swaddlers (my son hated it, plus he was over heated easily, so i didnt use it), more than 10 outfits in each size up to year 1.
My son didn't even wear half of the clothes he got when he was a newborn. he had so many clothes its stupid, literally. So much money wasted on cute clothes. Plain colored/white onesies are amazing tho! this is just my opinion of course.

Quoting whatsername80:" Hehe (: Thought it might be helpful...especially since I have a question already!! Whats everyones opinions ... [snip!] ... I've heard that they're really good from some people, and then from other people that they're a waste of time and money..."

I actually love my diaper genie for newborns. It's nice when they are constantly pooping! But once they get older, it gets pretty expensive. As they get bigger, so do their diapers! By that time you can only fit several diapers in there and then the refills start to get expensive to keep buying. I have thought about getting rid of mine so many times, but I still keep it for those newborn days.

Quoting ***JEN***:" Unsure about a product? Want to buy it but unsure if you will really need it or if it is a good product? Post it here so you can get some feedback. Thank you whatsername80 for the sticky idea!  "

Whats the product?

My aunt just had a baby & she uses her boppy pillow all the time...sometimes its a neck rest for her or if she can't sleep she'll use it and lay on her side. She puts the baby on tummy time, but also feeds her on it. Baby was born June 4 and she says she loves it...I'm expecting my 1st & 2nd at the same time in Feb & she said I needed 2 of them she uses her's so much...

Baby clothing I will buy! It is so cute and I don't like use second-hand one.
And I guess the radiation protective clothing is not necessary to buy new one, cuz you could borrow it or buy a secondary from other.
As here is Halloween's Day coming soon, I plan to buy cute romper for my little nephew (just 9 month age).  
http://www.banggood.com/Wholesale-Cute-Red-Ladybug-Yellow-Bee-Shape-Baby-Long-Sleeve-Rompers-Jumpsuit-p-50370.html
Is it a good one as the day gift?