Baby Supplies - What Saved You Money and Time

In descending level of OMG-ness.

1. Baby Bjorn. (I've also heard good things about the Ergo)
2. Diaper bag with all the fixings (honestly, it wasn't even the bag so much; the little portable easy-to-clean changing pad saved my life a million times over).

The final thing, and this is a terribly unsplashy gift: wipes, wipes, and more wipes. Really, even on the rare moments when the baby's got a clean diaper on, some part of it will need wiping.

I always pack a mommy box since most people will be gifting baby items. It had pads (Always Infinity is very absorbent), heat pad, breast pads, to-go wipes, vaseline, gauze (for circumcision if you do that), q-tips, chap stick, trash bags, mints, disposable toothbrush, mouth rinse... you get the idea. Stuff for her to take to the hospital and for right after birth.

As far as actual baby items I could not live without. Baby sling, Boppy pillow and at home delivery of diapers. I loved my heat pad (mine was plug in). Other than that, I was good to go with baby. I did breastfeed so that part was taken care of. Babies don't need much except to be taken care of and to best take care of baby is to take care of mom.

Brain dump:

I did not have a boppy but I used my mini snoogle for both myself and my infant.

Socks for infants in winter, yes. Shoes, not really.

Wipes warmer? No. Diaper changing table organizer, yes, please. Multiple kinds of diaper cream to try? Yes. Onesies, onesies, onesies. If the kid is born in the winter/cooler months, sleepers are great, too.

My papasan style swing was a godsend. Some babies do not like swings, but that thing was worth its weight in gold.

Video monitor? Haven't been impressed with the ones I saw. The audio was just fine for us.

Breathable bumpers and halo sleep sacks.

Travel system - I liked the stroller, but it's big. I'd go with a snap n go and a good umbrella stroller if I had a re-do.

Clear rain cover for carseat carrier and a shower cap style no-jo cover - great investments. Don't get a snuggly cover that has to go around the straps as it may interfere. The shower cap style is easy to use.

Raincoat for mom. You can't easily juggle all the things with an umbrella.

No thick snowsuit for baby. Nice fleecy jammies instead with a cover for the seat. Thick jackets and suits make it impossible to pull the straps tight enough and make it unsafe for baby (so $$ saved). Get a nice poncho or some cute hats and a blanket to carry baby to the car if baby isn't already in the seat.

Some sort of Bjorn or ergo or strap on carrier for walking sans stroller.

Backpack style diaper bag. Hands free.

If she needs to pump and work, a metro bag or a nice little bag with just the motor vs the Medela backpack is my vote. Tell her to get a really good pump and not the on sale pump. Medela, Ameda and Lanisoh all sell good ones. Inexpensive bottles (gerber, evenflo) usually fit.

Hope that helps!

I don't recall any "wow" gifts, but depending on your budget, you could get her a gift card for one or two sessions with a housecleaning service. That would have absolutely been wonderful and appreciated when busy with a newborn.

The one OMG purchase (second kid, so I know what I speak :P ), was the Fisher Price Rock 'n Soothe bassinet. It is super light weight, folds up, can be rocked easily, and sits baby on his/her back in a 45 degree angle in a very snuggly way. My SIL also used one and LOVES it. In fact, she just pulled it out for her 11 month old because of her cold. It is easy to move around the house, take on a trip, and keep close to the bed. They cost between $50-60. And can be resold for around $35 on CL. :)

Save time and money? Breastfeeding. :)
Save money? Cloth diapers (they have some really nice ones now. Just throw them in a special bag, throw them in the washing machine, dry in the dryer or line, ready to go again.

Carter's sleep sacks are super awesome. I like them b/c they actually have sleeves, not like the other brand! I LOVED them! Also Carter's makes really great socks that never get wiggled off but you have to go to the store to get them, not at Target or Wal Mart, although I'm sure you could find them on line.

Things like baby Tylenol, etc. are good gifts b/c if they are first time parents, you may not realize you need it until it's time to need it! Most of those have long shelf lives so a little "medicine cabinet" gift is good too.

I also really love Robeez shoes. They are also super duper awesome and make a great gift. When my kids were little I put them on them to help keep their feet warm during really cold months if we did a lot of getting in and out of the house/car. Plus, they help keep socks on and look adorable too! They are also really great for that crawling phase too.

Ring A Links (keeps toys close)
Baby 411 Book (and Toddler 411, saved many trips to the Dr)
My Brest Friend or sling (gave me hands free moments)
Baby Car Seat cover (that zips up) soo much easier than putting a coat on or blanket over for quick trips in and out of the car
Lansinoh Breast Milk Storage Bags (stand up by themselves due to the gusseted bottom)
A decent sized food steamer

The OMG gift at my shower was the bassinet with white sounds and vibrating function, the other items I mentioned were what I really appreciated over time for their functionality

Ergo baby carrier. Hands down!

No omg gifts, but we received a baby play mat that came with the bar with the hanging toys that we used a LOT. Same with soft blocks, books, and toys etc. Diapers are always appreciated and used the most.

I did NOT use the baby soaps, and lotions I got though because I didn't like the smell and was allergic..

Baby towels and wash cloths are great to get and so very useful.

All the toys we got for a newborn, like stuffed animals or activity blankies, were a big waste for us, only bc a newborn just eats, sleeps, poops and stares at things. They can't even grab or grasp things until a few months later.

A baby doesn't need alot of fancy outfits either (as cute as they are). Nothing wrong with a few fancy and over the top cute outfits but a baby doesn't need a whole closet full bc they are just going to wear a $20 outfit once and that's it...on to the next cute more expensive outfit the next day? A sleep deprived mom needs baby clothes that are easy to put on the baby and functional.

When we gave a bottle, I used the plastic liners. Prep and clean up was ridonkulously easy!

Diapers! We got so many diapers and in all different sizes! We never had to buy newborn diapers (All were received as gifts), Only had to buy 1 pack of size 1 diapers, Had to buy a few more size 2 diapers, Barely had to buy any size 3 diapers (A guy from my mom's church gave us an entire pallet of size 3 diapers)!!! Oh I love diapers as gifts :)

Ok so what's your budget?

I loved "Swaddle M." , my baby wouldn't sleep well unless swaddled.

Bassinet - a rocking bassinet was a great buy. Also the rocking chair for breastfeeding.

Infant cradle swing - my son spent a lot of time in that and he loved it!

Bouncer - The first one we got as a gift , I returned it. My son was v little and hated it. When he was 3 months old, another friend gifted a bouncer.This time he LOVED sitting in it. It's my most fav gift of all, baby would enjoy kicking n bouncing. Oh the smiles and laughter that he could make the chair bounce by kicking his legs!

Baby monitor - I just had the audio , no video. I still use it 2 years later when he naps upstairs in his room.

Baby Bjorn - the one we had was upto 25 lbs. We used it for a long time! Totally recommend it!

Playmats - we didn't use it as much as I thought I would(baby outgrew it before he could enjoy it)
Yes when he was really little he would stare at the toys , but I could live withouht this if need be.But it will make a great gift!

The above are something I will make sure I have when I have another baby.

I know lot of people gift diapers, wipes etc. But really check with your SIL on the brands. I would suggest giving a gift card for babies R us or target instead of giving diapers, wipes. Give them money and thats what they will buy. You need not gift it to them.

DIAPERS, Diapers & more diapers!!!! Everyone buys the cute clothes, the blankets, toys etc. But noone realizes how much getting diapers & wipes really does help. With my first child i got tons of stuff i did not need or only used once before baby out grew it.

So when 6+ years later baby 2 comes along & everyone asks what i need, i said diapers & wipes. I did not have to buy diapers for the first 3 months, it was fabulous!!! get several different sizes and or brands so that mommy can decide which ones she likes best. Also unless the baby is really really tuny do not bother with the new born size. They only fit to a short time & they always get soem fromt he hospital anyway.

Things I got that I used - wipes (not flashy but really important), onesies, sleep sacs, toiletry kit (nail clippers, thermometer, etc) and a diaper genie.

Things I got that were used either once or never - Baby Bjorn, bathing seat, sleep positioner, blankets (48 of them to be exact), pacifiers, swing, bouncy seat.

What I appreciated most: diapers, portable swing, swaddler.

What I appreciated but didn't get much (any) use out of: froo froo princess outfits for tiny little babies, headbands.

cloth diaper service saved most time and money and was just wow!! But thats in SoCal:(. Not sure if have something similar near your SIL.

other OMG gifts were a large amount of cash and the travel system. couldn't live w/o a baby carrier and infant gas drops.

I would love Robeez shoes, a Lug diaper bag, and a snuggly warm car seat cover so I wouldn't need a snowsuit. All very practical and wonderful items.

Things that saved time/money:
- Binky clips
- Good diaper pail (LOVE the new Genie)
- Tons and tons of burp cloths
- Tons of kick-proof socks (Robeez- pricey, but worth it in the end)

The OMG gift?
My SIL and MIL gave us our Travel System and the convertible car seat!