During the long months of my pregnancy, I spent HOURS researching every little thing related to my growing belly and the life within it. This included performing hundreds of Google searches, polling every friend who had children and buying all the popular books. I had to know about everything from what to eat [and NOT eat!], what labor would be like [ack!], which stroller I should get, what diapers I should buy and so on. After all, this was going to be my first baby, and I had SO many questions! I wanted to be a good parent, of course, so I set out to learn and know everything I could. Quite an undertaking!

I must say, my diligent research did [and continues to] pay off. We have been thrilled with almost every purchase, especially the major ones. During those painstaking hours of Google search after Google search, it would have been very helpful to find a thorough list of recommendations, though. Therefore, I have complied all of my findings here -- in case it saves YOU some time, and you find it valuable.


Books I Recommend

The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy: Or everything your doctor won't tell you
For first-time mothers-to-be, this candid, funny and very reassuring guide to pregnancy is just what the doctor ordered - or would if he/she knew about it. This book was GREAT! I would recommend it to every first time mom.....but only if you really want to know what you're in for...the whole truth and nothing but the truth! I like being prepared, and the thought of giving birth was one of my biggest fears...I'm not sure if I was more worried about the pain or humiliation of the entire ordeal! This book answered sooooo many of my questions, and since I read it early in my pregnancy, I had many months to mentally prepare for the "big day."

The Girlfriends' Guide to Toddlers
I haven't read this one yet, but if it's anything like the Guide to Pregnancy, then it will be well worth the read!

What to Expect When You're Expecting, Third Edition
I've heard mixed reviews on this book. I felt it was a worthwhile reference regardless....especially when I started having Sciatic Nerve issues in the seventh month! I think some people feel it causes problems and concerns for the new mother, and maybe it does for some. I only used it as a handy reference and didn't read the entire book.


Products I Recommend

Stroller/Carrier:
Cortina Stroller - Explorer (6495686)
Why do I recommend these products?
We checked out many different strollers/travel systems including Britax, Peg Perego and Graco. We couldn't agree on any of them! We both felt the Britax one was clunky and hard to open/close. The Graco was way too heavy, and I didn't like the handles on the Peg Perego.

During yet another shopping trip, the Chicco was recommended by a Babies R Us employee. Hallelujah! My husband and I both loved it right away! It's rugged, yet lightweight. It's easy to open and close [unlike the Britax] and will stand up on its own, once closed and locked. It was very easy to assemble, looks good, cleans easily, works great....I haven't found anything I don't like about it!

Pair this great stroller with the Chicco KeyFit Car Seat. We bought these together as a travel system and purchased the second base for my husband's truck. Well worth the $350 we paid! Although my son is about to grow out of his carrier, he'll be using that stroller for years to come. And the carrier looks brand new, so I'm sure I can sell it and the two bases and recover a decent portion of the amount we paid.

Carrier Accessory:
Original BundleMe
Why do I recommend this product?
We live in Ohio where it gets rather cold during the Winter. Brrr! The BundleMe fits rather nicely in the baby carrier and is soft and toasty warm. Our baby loves it! And we don't have to put bulky coats on him or worry about comprising his safety.

Highchair:
Polly Highchair - Explorer
Why do I recommend this product?
You're going to notice a theme here.....we like Chicco products! Since we loved our stroller and carrier so much, we decided to start our quest for the perfect high chair by looking at Chicco's product. Again, it blew the others away, as far as we were concerned. Cleans up easily, reclines almost straight, has two tray liners and folds up very slim. What's not to like?

Play Yard:
Chicco Lullaby Play Yard Explorer - 6445386
Why do I recommend this product?
This is another great Chicco product! There are so many things it does. There's a flip down changing table, an activity mat, a bassinette and the play yard. It also has a night light, music and vibration. Folds up really small, so it's great for travel! We've used it on several trips to visit family.

My only recommendation or change? The mat where the baby sleeps or plays seemed rather hard to us. So, we bought a piece of memory foam at Target for about $19 and cut it down to size. We put that under the mattress and had a baby who slept very well!

Baby Carrier/Sling:
Ergo Baby Carrier
Why do I recommend this product?
Originally, we were going to get the Baby Bjorn, and I had it listed on my registry. However, a doctor friend recommended this carrier instead. I did some research [shocking, I know!] and read numerous reviews -- they were all glowing. So, we went ahead and purchased this carrier versus the Baby Bjorn.

Now, although I like the carrier, I did have some trouble getting it on at first. We ordered the infant insert, and I had to read the instructions to figure out where baby was supposed to go! It was very comfortable once I got it on and adjusted the baby. And he definitely loved being so close to Mommy.

Breastfeeding Stuff:
Boppy Bare Naked Medela New Pump In Style Original Breast Pump
Why do I recommend these products?
Oh boy, breastfeeding was a MAJOR challenge for me! My mother and older sister couldn't do it, so I felt I was doomed from the start. But I gave it the good, old college try and stuck with it through those first few harrowing weeks. I don't think I would have had any success without the Medela pump. And the Boppy was perfect for breastfeeding and supporting my big baby -- he was 9 lbs. 6 ozs. at birth! Although I was never able to go without supplementing with formula, I did manage to feed him at least 50% breast milk for 3+ months. To me, that was a huge success!

Good Night, Sleep Tight:

Baby Monitor:
Summer Infant # 02100, Handheld Color Video Monitor
Why do I recommend this product?
This has become one of my absolute favorite baby products! When we moved our son from our bedroom to his own room upstairs, I had a little meltdown. How could I sleep with my baby so far away??? However, with this monitor, I am able to hear and see my little boy whenever I want....something that gives me SUCH peace of mind.

As usual, I did a lot of research on this and other monitors, and the Summer monitors kept coming up as highly recommended. I thought about getting the 1.8" screen but went for the 2.5" instead. And let me tell you.....I'm glad I did.

The picture is good, the sound is good - even two floors away. I love being able to watch my baby snooze with the touch of a button. I especially enjoy listening to and watching him when he first wakes and likes to sing to his mobile. I don't know how we'd get along without our monitor! Oh, and if you have a wireless network and cordless telephones that are anything other than 900 MHz, then you'll have a nice, clear signal!

Other Bed time Products:

Calypso Mobile
As far as mobiles go, this one is great! It has lots of features and "grows" with baby. However, we hardly ever use it, because the ocean lights and sounds seem to actually entertain our baby and keep him awake! Luckily, the hanging fish will make great bath toys soon...

Halo Cotton SleepSack
Our son sleeps in one of his halo sacks almost every night. It's a good way to keep baby warm without worrying about a blanket covering their face!

Other Products We Love:

Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bouncer
This is great for putting baby to sleep or keeping him occupied while you attempt to shower, cook or balance your checkbook! The vibration usually has our son asleep within minutes. Very portable.

Prince Lionheart Bebe Pod
Now that our son is learning to sit up and control that big noggin of his, he likes to sit in his Bebe Pod seat more.

Baby's Health
Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer
Doesn't require sticking a thermometer up baby's bum....need I say more?

You Are What You Eat:
I signed up for numerous newsletters and new baby deals....I get stuff in the mail AND in box all the time. I have tried Enfamil, Good Start and Similac with my baby. Although each baby is unique, I found that my son didn't seem to like Similac, and it made him fussy. He had some major gas with Good Start at first. But, we went ahead and finished the canister with him, and he's been fine with it ever since.

We feed him Good Start during the day and Enfamil Lipil A.R. at night. Since he's such a big baby, he seemed to need more than just formula or breast milk at night. When he wasn't old enough for solid food, the added rice starch in the Lipil A.R. seemed to be enough to get him sleeping through the night [at 11 weeks]. It also helped with a minor spit-up problem he had.

Bottles:
Dr. Brown's Deluxe Wide-Neck Bottles

Once we started him on solid food, we went with Gerber. I try to find the organic versions, but they aren't always available. I have to admit that the pears are quite tasty!

So, what do I NOT like? Regardless of brand, I would not buy:
A diaper pail - the one we used stunk no matter what, so my husband threw it out! Now, we just bring down the dirty diaper and throw it away in the outside trash can. A tiny bit of extra work, but baby's room doesn't stink anymore! A mirror for the car - you know, the ones you hang on the seat, so you can see the baby in their carrier. The one we had seemed really cool at first since it played music and had lights. Unfortunately, it blocked A LOT of our view out the back and side of our SUV, so the added benefit of seeing our baby wasn't worth the risk of an accident. Adjustable newborn wrap - I think we got the Swaddle Me. It just didn't fit our baby right, and by the time it did, he didn't want to be swaddled anymore! Stick with blankets. Bottle warmer - This one probably sounds crazy, but we have barely used ours. I don't make bottles in advance, so I can always use warm water when I prepare the bottle. And I never had enough extra breast milk to freeze it. Every so often, we need to heat a bottle, and a bottle warmer comes in handy then. I wouldn't recommend spending very much on this unless you plan to prepare bottles in advance or use frozen/refrigerated breast milk. A mobile....as cute as ours is, it was a disappointing waste of money.


In summary....no, I do NOT work for Chicco! And yes, I have purchased and tried every one of these products. And yes, I would purchase all of my recommended products again, if need be. Hope my trials and errors may assist you with making fewer errors!

Instead of making constant, frantic searches for information, you can relax, kick up your shockingly bloated feet and enjoy your journey to motherhood! Wouldn't you rather be shopping for fun maternity t-shirts or cute baby bibs instead anyway?

Author Information:

Christie Caronis-Gardner is mom/stepmom to three, beautiful children and wife to one wonderful husband. Her background is in Graphic/Web Design, Marketing and Communications. Be sure to check out her funny and creative gifts at got baby! and got baby! at Cafepress.