BellaOnline Forums Family Attachment Parenting What "must have" baby gear do you swear by?

If you could only keep three items of baby gear, what would they be? What items make attachment parenting a little easier for you? Toys, diapers and such don't count. If you mention a sling, please let us know your favorite brand or kind.

Nappy bucket, bottles and dummy.

Oh....
And my swimming nose-clip.....

Lego

New Native Baby Carrier or the Ergo baby carrier. A homemade sling works well for newborns. Britax Boulevard (or most any Britax) Baby Car Seat and a Svan High Chair for fun.

I was always quite fond of Farleys rusks*, still am really but forget I said that.

* big biscuits, or rusks.

No gudget. Just momy and boobs. And, learning tools for parenting: I would never have done half as good without the tapes/CDs Babies and Toddlers, to Tame or to Trust and the book, Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves, both by Naomi Aldrot. Learning tools for me, give my baby a lot more than any gudget. It gives him a capable mom.

No bottles whatsoever unless the child is adopted and the mom has never nursed.

Car seat -- mandatory unless you never travel via car.

Small "chew" toys for teething babes.

Lambskin throw to cuddle baby in.

I have two:

carseat

sling (I have an over the shoulder baby holder, considering a maya wrap for new babe)

The sling is my stroller, my baby seat, the ring doubles as a teether, it's a blanket, it's a jacket, it holds the baby as I nurse them, it keeps strangers from breathing on baby, it allows my hands to be free while I run after the other kids (and allows me to push kids #3 and #4 in the double stroller while still holding the new baby!), it's a bib, it covers me if the baby spits up or a diaper leaks...heck it could even double as a cloth diaper in a real pinch <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

As for the other stuff, with each kid I've had I've needed/wanted less and less. I had EVERYTHING with my first. She had 3 places to sleep and ended up in my bed. She had 4 or 5 baby seats and rarely used any of them. She had two high chairs only to be fed on my lap. She had every gadget out there.

as I've grown as a parent I've realized I don't need bottles, I don't need a fancy baby bed, I don't need fancy things to put them in if I have a sling (and older kids to help hold!), I dont need a baby monitor since baby sleeps with us and among us when napping.

The only thing I have recanted on was a playpen, something I said I would never, ever use. Well, I have one now because I have older kids with small toys, two toddlers who like to paint each other, a large dog and I have taken one of my kids to the ER at 2 months when the piano bench fell on her head. In other words, the older kids go in the playpen while the baby stays out with me <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Meg

I agree about the sling. I survived 1 colicky baby and 1 GRD baby with that thing--the kids only stopped crying when held upright.

Also an exersaucer (when they hit 3 months). Gives them a safe/fun spot to sit for a bit when you absolutely have to do something and can't hold them.

You all have the "must haves" down! The basics are so very few aren't they? Lots of love and good care.

I have to admit, I like all the decorations and neat nursery themes and stuff. That's what I do and write about. I don't think all of that stuff is necessary, but it is fun. Just so long as the mom's priorities are in line, there's no harm.