Baby gear

When I find out people are pregnant, I often have an urge to tell them everything I know about baby stuff, e.g. what to buy, etc... I realize that this can be somewhat annoying if they are not looking for advice because I can go on and on about this topic.  So instead of being annoying, I`ll just write everything down here so my pregnant readers can peruse at their leisure.

Pre-birth
- Lansinoh Lanolin cream - it's much easier to prevent cracked nipples than to treat them
- Kushies anything - I especially liked their burp pads, change pads, crib sheets, swaddling blankets
- Bebe au Lait nursing cover - this was the one must-have item in my diaper bag.  I couldn't have breastfed for 13 months without this
- Diaper genie - we tried to do without one for our first child but I ended up caving and bought one for our 2nd child.  What a great investment!
- JJ Cole bundle me - especially good for winter babies
- Graco Infant car seat - they are lighter than the Peg ones
- D-drops - the sunshine vitamin
- Beco carrier - I had a Beco Butterfly 2 but the Gemini is newer and looks great too

- Bravado designs nursing tank tops - didn't own one but wished I did
- Medela Electric breastpump - didn't own one but wished I did
- Skiphop Pronto travelling change pad - I have a similar one but it's not Skip Hop.  Always wished I had this one instead.
- Stroller frame - I had a Graco stroller frame before I committed to buying a Bugaboo Bee.  I loved it because it fit my Graco car seat perfectly.  It was lightweight and had a huge basket underneath.
- Stroller - I ended up buying a Bugaboo Bee about 6 months after my son was born.  I liked how easy it manoeuvres even with one hand and how it folds in 1 piece.  However, I`ve had a lot of problems with it and the customer service sucks if you live in Canada.  The handle bar lock is now broken, suspension is rusted, 5 point harness buckle is broken.  The stroller still works (thankfully!) but it`s just slowly breaking down bit by bit.  I contacted customer service and they said they can`t ship me the parts because I`m in Canada and their only Canadian retailer that sells parts doesn`t have what I`m looking for.  So now I tell people to research how easily you can get replacement parts before committing to a stroller since it`s such a big investment.  
- Graco Pack n Play - Good to have a playpen for travelling or napping at other people`s homes.  I had a basic Graco one which worked fine.  There are more fancier ones out there but probably not necessary.


0-3 months
- Books: Canada`s Baby Care Book, Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child, Lullababy Sleep Plan, The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems
- Braun ear thermometer
- J&J nursing pads - I went through so much of these that I decided to get reusable ones for my 2nd child.

3-6 months
- can`t really think of anything right now...

6-12 months
- Fisher Price booster seat
- Baby Bjorn soft bib
- Heinz Baby Basics spoons
- Munchkin suction bowls
- a small food processor - there are a lot of special baby ones out there now like the Baby Bullet but any small one will do
- Gap UV shirts for swimming - these UV shirts and shorts really are good quality.  Even better if you can get them on sale.
- Britax carseat - you`ll need this when your baby grows out of the Graco bucket car seat
- a waterproof camera because you`ll want to take pictures of them swimming or at the beach or at the waterpark when they are older.  There are lots of different ones in the market.

1-2 years
- Baby Bjorn potty chair - when they first start potty training, they need a chair to feel like they won`t fall in

- Baby Bjorn potty seat - when they get older, they can use this one with a matching step stool

Stuff to borrow if you can because you`ll only need these for a few months max:
Bumbo
Swing
Bouncy chair
bassinet

I'll update this list if I think of anything else that was useful for me.  Thanks for reading!