Shopping for your newborn

First-time mom-to-be Jessica Elmore registered for baby gear three days after she found out she was pregnant, not knowing quite what she needed.

"My first time when I went to register it was so difficult," Elmore said. "If it looked cute, I registered for it. Then I talked to people and went online and deleted a lot of stuff."

She is not alone.

Baby shopping can be overwhelming even for an experienced mom. For first-time mothers sorting it all out can be especially daunting, especially with a multitude of new niche products hitting the market.

"There are tons of things," said Gina Garbell, whose first child, Cameron, turns 1 in a week. "Everything looks cool. It's in cool colors. They make you think you need it all. If you're not careful, you can spend a lot of money for things you don't need."

Babies "R" Us has an information center at the front of its Rosedale Highway store complete with free information on topics ranging from how to stock a diaper bag, what to pack when going to the hospital and breastfeeding.

Some stores like Babies "R" Us also gives those registering a sample list to help direct them, but Stone said: "Even though they give you a sample list, there are like 20 different baby monitors on it."

Garbell recommended bringing along an experienced mom while registering or polling moms you know for advice beforehand.

Tracey Stone said it took her three attempts to register for her 7-month-old daughter Audrey and required Stone's sister to come and help her.

"There are so many choices," Stone said. "You don't know what's important. You don't know what you need. You try to make your best guesses. In the end, you don't even use all the things you registered for."

Stone is the organizer of the Bakersfield Moms and Munchkins Group. Elmore and Garbell are also members.

Stone said she started the group, which has about 70 members, in February because she felt isolated as a new mom and needed a way to connect with other mothers.

Elmore credited the group, which meets weekly and holds regular events like fitness walks and play groups, for helping to prepare her for motherhood and giving her first-time baby shopping advice.

"I've been picking everyone's brains," she said.

A car seat, diapers, wipes and infant clothing are must-haves.

Stone and Garbell both recommend buying a bassinet and Pack 'n Play, "so you can go out of town and take them," Stone said. Both also used a reclining and vibrating bouncer seat, a swing, a molded seat that helps hold the baby in a sitting position and a container to keep dirty diapers from stinking up the house.

Some of Stone's must-have baby items include a Boppy, a formed pillow to help hold the baby while breastfeeding, and a baby jumper, which suspends babies who cannot walk on their own yet, allowing them to stand up and jump. She also uses a mat with an arched activity center, allowing her daughter to play with suspended playthings while lying on her back.

Garbell said a playpen is also a good buy. She said her son didn't use his changing table for the first four or five months, but now it is essential. "He hates diaper changes," Garbell said. "At least with the changing table I can keep him on it long enough to get his diaper changed."

Garbell also recommends getting plenty of Onesies and little T-shirts to cut down on laundry. "When they first come home, they are spitting up all the time," she said.

All moms are different and what one mom considers necessary, another may think is useless.

Case in point, Garbell said she regrets buying a crib -- something most consider a necessity.

"He hasn't slept in his crib maybe a week out of his whole life," she said. "He will sleep anywhere but the crib."

Garbell said one of her favorite baby items is something other mothers told her she wouldn't need -- a diaper wipe warmer. The rectangular warmer plugs into the wall, keeps wipes warm and even has a light on the front that has "just enough light to change the baby" at night, Garbell said.

"I use it a lot," she said. "When you change diapers in the middle of the night, the last thing you want to do is put cold wipes on a baby and wake them up."

Stone swears by a waterproof crib pad she uses to keep her baby's sheets clean.

She makes the bed with one set of sheets, puts the crib pad over the first layer of sheets and then puts another set of sheets on top. This allows her to strip off the top layer if her baby has an accident in the middle of the night and have another set of sheets ready to go.

Stone said she regrets buying too many infant toys, which her daughter has already outgrown.

She also purchased too many receiving blankets that were too small (she said she prefers the large swaddler blankets). "I've got like six of them," she said of the small receiving blankets. "They're just so darn cute, and you don't use them."

Garbell said she never used a plastic bottle sterilizer, using the dishwasher or a pot of boiling water instead.

She recommends asking experienced moms what is necessary and not going overboard.

"If I went through this process again, I would buy much less stuff," Garbell said. "You can buy the basics and do just fine. You don't have to have all the extras."

Father knows best

Californian reporter Ryan Schuster is the proud father of an infant and a 2-and-a-1/2 year old. Here are a few of his baby shopping tips:

• Car seat (can’t take baby home from the hospital without one)

• Crib or bassinet for baby to sleep in (if you let the baby sleep in your bed, you may have a difficult time getting the tot out of your bed)

• Changing table or changing mat (changing a baby on the floor can get messy!)

• Baby lotion (gives baby that fresh scent and prevents dry skin)

• Nail clippers (prevents them from scratching themselves)

• Burp cloths (to avoid having to change your shirt every time they spit up on you)

• Swing, bouncer or jumper (to entertain them while you talk on the phone, make dinner or sit down and take a break)

• Baby carrier (one of may favorite baby accessories, allows you to clean up around the house or go for a stroll with harness holding baby to your chest — I even used it to vacuum and mow the lawn a few times while holding my older daughter.)

MORE BABY SHOPPING TIPS

Outfitting a baby these days isn’t easy — or cheap. Here are a few tips for preparing for that little bundle of joy without breaking the bank:

• Make a list of what you think you will need, starting with the basics like infant clothes, diapers, wipes and a car seat.

• Check the list with friends and family members who have kids to see if you need to add or delete items.

• Don’t purchase items you are unsure you will need. You can always buy things later.

• Avoid too many impulse buys and remember the baby will soon grow out of infant clothing; register for a variety of sizes up to 12 months.

• Many things, including big-ticket items like cribs and strollers, can be had for bargains at garage sales or for free as hand-me-downs. (For safety reasons, car seats should be purchased new and their proper installation supervised by the fire department, highway patrol or in workshops held regularly at places like Babies “R” Us).

• Comparison shop for the best prices, clip coupons and check out prices online (taking into account shipping costs).