Baby Gear Necessity Suggestions from a Second Time Mom

There are several things that some stores list as "must-haves" that I don't think moms need at all. Here are some examples of such items:

* Changing Table
I change my babies wherever! I use those cloth diapers as changing pads and I'll change them on the floor, on the couch, in the car, in the buggy, etc, etc. You get to be a diaper expert pretty quickly after having a kid!
Changing tables are big and pointless.

* Diaper Storage bins
I kind of liked having this with Baby #1, but it ended up just being a place to throw clutter. Clutter is the worst, so this time around, I'm eliminating popular places to hoard it, which includes diaper storage furniture.

* More toys
If you have some baby toys, you likely have enough. In my experience, babies would rather play with non-toys like remotes, and whatever else you have in *your* hands.

* Toddler Bed
Kids don't spend much time in their toddler bed, and before you know it, you'll have to buy the twin. I avoided this by purchasing a bed from Ikea that starts short and expands into a twin-size bed. But I think you can go right to twin if you'd like.

Seriously, if you're trying to save money and space, cut out these so-called "must-haves"!

After two babies, I now believe I know exactly what moms need! This is an article about some products you can buy at the store to make your life as a new (or new again) mom a little easier, while at the same time, making your baby more comfortable!

If you have a little or a few littles already, there are a number of things you can reuse for new babies. However, there are some items you might want to buy new. You should also keep in mind the things you don't need at all.

I think I can help; read on.

Save those big items for future babies! I saved almost everything, and when Baby #2 came around, I was glad I did! That stuff is expensive, and I stored it fairly easily!!

Pictured below are some of my favorites; let me tell you where / how I stored them...

* Crib: In pieces under my bed, mattress stored under my daughter's bed

* Stroller: In the trunk of my car (we were still using it occasionally for my daughter)

* Jumparoo: In my daughter's room, it stored all of her stuffed animals

* Play Mat: Easily folds up to store wherever

* Breast Pump: Up in my closet with my
* Diaper Bag
* Infant Tub: In a closet

* Swing: At my parents' house (I don't recommend this; it got accidentally thrown away)
* High Chair: At my parents' house (I don't recommend this; it was stored outside and ruined)

* Toys: In a toy box in my daughter's room

That is the question, isn't it??

I saved ALL of my daughter's clothes thinking I might one day have another girl. I'm not done having kids (God willing!), but my second baby is a boy so most of my daughter's clothes are in boxes, and -at the moment- useless.

Since we don't have enough room to store all these boxes, I'm in the process of photographing the items to sell. See my hub, How to Sell Your Stuff Quickly to find out a great way to unload your used baby clothes!

I *am* glad to have saved the unisex clothing items that my son is able to wear. Currently, I'm most excited about the adorable pumpkin sleeper I saved as well as the sports stuff and Halloween costume!

For the sake of being sanitary and fresh, there are some items you will want to buy new...

* Pacifiers (I had to buy these anyway because my daughter did not take a paci)
* Bottles
* Diapers and Wipes (stock up when there are sales!)

There were also some items on my buy new list because I didn't have them, but heard GREAT things about ways to help baby sleep (I've written a couple of hubs on that topic)...

* Rock 'n Play
* Baby Carrier: I bought this used online for $55! (Ergo baby's retail for something like $120!)
* Wubbanub: LOVE this thing!! (pictured below in carseat picture)

If I had the money / Baby #1 was younger, I would have purchased a

* Double Stroller to fit both kids

I am currently reusing the same infant car seat that I used with my daughter, and I didn't think anything of it until someone else said, "I'm definitely getting a new carseat for Baby #2. Obviously!" And I thought, is there some kind of safety concern or stipulation that you should buy new car seats with each new baby?! Those things are quite pricey as well, and I really don't see anything wrong with ours!

Like I said, I've been using it for my son for almost 6 months now, and it's been fine. Look how much he loves it!! --->

What do YOU think? What did you do? See my poll below.

A Quick Note about the High Chair

As you may have read above, my first high chair wasn't available for Baby #2 so I had to buy a new one. I'm happy about that, though, because I wanted one that was a little different. The first one I bought was very large and had a big cloth cover. While I loved it for Baby #1, it was very difficult to clean and quite cumbersome.

In the picture above, you'll see Baby #2's current high chair. It was only $20 at Ikea!! I love it because it's so simple and SO easy to clean! The only thing that's not awesome about it is that the tray does not slide back close to him. So we'll see how that goes when he moves to solids.

I found an awesome video detailing everything you'll need for your time in the hospital. This is great because it's second-time-mom specific! In the video, she says she overpacked with her first baby so the items she packs this time are THE ESSENTIALS! "I'm just keeping it simple," she says. Good call, ItsMommysLife!