Pregnancy, Parenthood & Playtime

Continuing with my series of What Do I Really Need for a baby, we move on to part 5 today.
If you are unfamiliar with this series, feel free to look back at parts 1 through 4

What Do I Really Need Part 1
What Do I Really Need Part 2
What Do I Really Need Part 3
What Do I Really Need Part 4

We left off at the Travel Wipes off of the New Parent’s Checklist on the Babies R Us website. And the next section to make it through is safety, and we will begin the Nursery portion of the check list. Like the previous 4 posts haven’t been enough, we still have quite a few ahead of us!  Can you imagine?  All of this baby stuff?  It is no wonder people have to pick this list apart to discuss what is actually useful!

Audio Monitor : Most of us know these are normal baby monitors, but in 2010 there are so many kids it is completely ridiculous! Depending on the size of your home, or number of levels a baby monitor is useful. We have monitors but we really had minimal use for them until our second child was born and we wanted to keep the children apart during nap times.
Video Monitor : I do not see any purpose in these. They are expensive, and I think they cross the line of safety and move over to the side of paranoia.
Cabinet & Drawer Latches : Until your baby is a toddler, any type of infant proofing really is not a must have.
Safety Gates : Depending on the levels of your home, or if there is an area you do not wish the baby to crawl or toddle into, then they are helpful. Our dogs get more use our of our baby gate than the actual children do.
Outlet Covers : I think these are a great must have, but by the time my toddler was about 16 months old, he knew how to get them out of the wall. One of my biggest suggestions, just watch your children around things like this especially once they are old enough to realize those covers come out.
Corner Guards : We really had no need for these as we have no furniture available to the children that has any sharp corners, though if you do in your home, they may be helpful to preventing an accident that could be more serious than you want to deal with!
Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms : These should be in your home, by law even without a baby present, but if you do not have them already, local law (may vary by town) requires two working smoke detectors on every floor of your home, as well as one working Carbon Monoxide detector on each floor also.
Cradle, Bassinet, or Portable Crib : I love our arms reach co sleeper! Our youngest is 10 months old, and we still use it! With our youngest we just bypassed all of this and just brought him in our bed, although we did have a portable crib, it turned out to be a huge waste of money that we left at my parents house.
Cradle or Bassinet Sheets : If you are doing to use a cradle or bassinet, at least 2 sheets are helpful. We found that we went through the sheets for the co sleeper much quicker than we anticipated.
Cradle or Bassinet Toys : I am torn, though I love the children to have toys, I discourage them at nap/bed times which is the only time baby would be inside the cradle or bassinet. Making it play time will make sleep time harder on you as a parent.
Bedding Sets : I would save the bedding set for the crib, if you are opting to use a crib. The cradle or bassinet is used for such a short period of time, and the sets are so expensive that they are virtually a waste of money.
Crib : I have mixed feelings on cribs. Our crib for our first child which was a crib/changing table all in one has become nothing more than a glorified changing table. Our oldest never slept in it as we are a co sleeping family. Our youngest has started napping in it as we are trying to transition him into the crib from the co sleeper instead of into our bed. So it really is hit or miss. But in the end I think that it is one of those things we all will end up buying.
Crib Toys : It goes back to what I said about the bassinet/cradle toys. Skip them, bed time should be for bed and if you encourage toys  it is only going to become a battle!
Changing Table : Another hit or miss buy. Depending on the amount of money you wish to spend on the nursery, it is something you can skip if you are on a budget. I found the even with the changing table, we still used the crib the majority of the time to change diapers because it was more convenient.
Armoire : Depending on the set up of your house, and the closet availability in your home, you may or may not want to purchase one. When our oldest was born his bedroom did not have a closet, but then we moved and he ended up with the biggest closet in the house!
Dresser/Chest : If you opt for an Armoire, you can can totally skip a dresser or chest and visa versa. Typically you only really need one of the other.
Hutch : Useless depending on how you want to set the room up. Most children, especially babies do not have that much stuff, but if you are all about decorating, it may be an option for you. We had no use for one, and still today do not even with two kids.
Glider & Ottoman : HEAVEN SENT! I love my glider and still use it to this day for just hanging out and reading! In the first few months of both children’s lives, I do not think I would have survived had I not been able to rock them. Midnight feelings, soothing an upset baby. I could not have made it through the first couple months without it!
Blanket Chest : Instead of a blanket chest, we opted for a crib with a trundle drawer. It worked out much nicer, and took up way less room in the nursery itself.

I am going to stop here and pause.
In part 6 we will start back up on Mattresses, Bedding, and Baby room decor.