Sunday, February 12, 2012

Cradles and Bassinets and Cribs, Oh My!

Can we talk baby furniture for a minute?  There are so many choices and options I feel like I'm drowning in a world of changing tables and dressers and cribs and mattresses and strollers and car seats!  ACH!  HOW DO YOU DECIDE?

I decided the crib was the first thing I was going to choose and then everything would fall into place from there, but seriously, there are 9,000 cribs out there and they ALL LOOK THE SAME!  I want a crib that is going to last if/when we have more babies, but don't want to spend a ton of money if I don't have to.  But, seriously, right now they all look basically the same, the $180 crib from Walmart and the $700 crib at baby stores.

Then there's changing tables and dressers.  Do I need both?  After talking to my sister she stressed the importance of making sure diapers and changing supplies are in easy reach, so I'm pretty sure I don't want JUST a dresser, but I secretly hate the way open shelved changing table look.  I like the idea of a changing table that has an open shelf and then dresser drawers underneath, is that enough?

And then there's the bassinet/cradle/moses basket dilema.  What should my baby sleep in for the first few weeks/months?  I know I'll want the baby in our room, and I know a crib is too big for both a newborn and for our room, but how do you decide on which option?!  And seriously, what's the difference between a cradle and a bassinet? Is portability important?

Oh, and I'm not even thinking about car seats and strollers and mattresses yet! But I do think I've made one important decision.  I think I've found a rocker/glider chair I like.  But it's only online, not in stores, so what if I get it and it's uncomfortable and I hate it?!

So, my Mom friends, what did you do?  Particularly for the first few weeks, what worked?  Or what didn't work?  And how did you decide what to get?  Am I overanalyzing?  HELP!

3 comments:

  1. We bought a used crib from a family in our ward. By today's standards it would be deemed dangerous because it had drop sides. I always wanted a nice one and if I could have afforded it, I would have splurged on a nice one.

    I did not have a changing table with my eldest. I found a few baskets or totes around the house with wipes and diapers worked better. And we had a bathroom with counter space that wasn't being used, so we just put a towel there and put wipes and diapers in empty drawers. Just be sure to keep a hand on the baby when they start rolling around. I got a changing table with the second and found I didn't use it. Most diaper changes happened on the floor or on a bed. I say skip the changing table altogether. Also, skip the diaper genie. Skip it, skip it, skip it. I don't care what they say, those things still stink and emptying it is like being hit in the face with a dirty diaper. Not to mention it's another cost to add to an already expensive endeavor. We either threw the diapers right in the outside trash or made sure to take the garbage out every day.

    Cradles rock back and forth and bassinets don't. We used a bassinet with both kids and it was so nice for the first few months to have them right by the bed, but also have the option to move it somewhere else. Ours had a vibrating mode which was nice. Bassinets these days are so cool. There's probably some kind of bassinet/cradle hybrid that would be perfect. There were many a night when I wished our bassinet rocked back and forth.

    As for strollers/carseats, we had the huge "travel system". I think they are more compact now, but I'd still for go it. There are frames you can stick a baby carrier on and turn it into a stroller. I'd go that route. They are easier to manage and take up less space.

    And a good rocking chair/glider is a must, make sure it has the footrest to go with it. I didn't have one when Aidan was a newborn and it was hard. I did a lot of pacing and walking with him. With Emily I had one and it was a dream. Get a good one that is comfortable. You'll want it late at night.

    My advice when deciding on these things is to keep it simple and don't go for all the bells and whistles. Your baby will outgrow most of them so fast. Spend your money on a good crib that's sturdy and a glider that's comfortable. Those are the two things that you'll probably keep the longest and will get the most use.

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  2. When we had Brock, I had to start all over with the baby stuff because we thought we were done! I bought my crib at Burlington Coat Factory - a nicer one than Walmart but not $700 either. I love changing tables. We didn't have one with our first, but bought one for the rest of the babies. I hate changing my babies diapers on the floor or my bed - just my preference! I still get Brock dressed and changed on his changing table and probably will until he's potty trained :) I bought cute baskets to go underneath to store everything and I think it looks good. As far as bassinets - with Brock we bought a pack n play that had a bassinet attachment on it and that's what we used. I don't like baby sleeping in the same room though, so that was only for a couple weeks. I like my sleep! I agree with your friend about the diaper genie - you don't live in an apartment that makes it hard to take the diapers to the outside garbage - take the short trip to the garbage can. Your house will thank you for it! You should definitely buy a comfortable rocker for yourself. We've had a few nights where we slept in the rocking chair holding a baby - so make sure it's comfortable. We got a wood one when I had Eli - it rarely got used because it was so uncomfortable! Now we have a lazy boy that can fit 3 people :) The best investment you can make in the infant stages is a baby swing. We had a large one with our first three and a small travel one with Brock. They both worked great. And wait to buy some of this stuff for your shower - who knows what you'll get!

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  3. Can we talk baby furniture for a minute? There are so many choices and options I feel like I'm drowning in a world of changing tables and ... bassinetscradles.blogspot.com

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