So mamas, what did you do differently with your 2nd, 3rd...? What about baby gear?

[ttmomma]

Just curious, what did you do differently with your children after #1? Could be anything: cosleeping, BFing, FFing, use of gear such as swings/rockers/bouncers..., sleep overs at G'mas, solid feeding earlier or later...

I've been thinking a lot about what I would do differently if we are ever blessed with another baby. I can honestly say that I would probably do things pretty much the same with the exception of co-sleeping. As much as I LOVE cosleeping, sometimes it would be nice for DH and I to have our bed back. So I *think* I would try to have baby used to sleeping in a crib as right now, my LO will not even go near it anymore without having a fit. I would definitely EBF for 1st year and delay solids but would pump so daddy can feed baby too as he says he feels so left out with our LO just coming to me. My position on baby sleeping over at G'ma's house wouldn't budge - baby stays home w/mom & dad until he/she can ask to spend the night on their own.

As for baby gear...here's some stuff I had on hand but never used, and probably wouldn't w/baby #2:

Wouldn't buy - hooded towels (I like my big fluffy soft, absorbant cotton ones better), pacifiers, boppy, diaper pail, activity mat, big top-of-the-line stroller that didn't get used AT ALL! What a waste of $$ that was!!

[wildeyes]

with my first i had one of those travel system strollers with the carseat carrier thing, and i hated it. this baby i didnt use a carrier carseat, and went straight into a convertible, and got a smaller, lighter stroller that i LOVE. (and that fits in my car lol)
other than that, i dont think i would change much... we dont co-sleep here, so all the crib related stuff i need, and both girls loved the swing and bouncy seat. i do have a p&p that is rarely used, but it has come in handy a few times. one was a yard sale at my sisters, and the other big deal was when i had a migraine and had to sleep, and i was alone with her. i only did that once though.

what the biggest money wasters for me were figuring out which bottle she liked the best, and which binky she liked the best. i had a lot of hand me down sippy cups for that one, otherwise i would have spent a ton trying different cups. shes a picky thing.

[smashncakes]

Our kiddos are 28 months apart...DS (#1) was a very high needs baby & is still a very "spirited" and high needs child...DD (#2) is not, well not as much lol We had kept all of our gear and didn't need to buy anything again. I breastfed both, child-led weaning with both (DD is still breastfeeding), co-sleep with both (yep, my three year old is still in our bed ), refused to CIO after one try with him and have never done CIO with her. Big differences? I wear her more, I didn't learn about it until he was older. I've CD'ed her more, didn't start with him until he was over a year old. We are selectively vaxing with her, he was on schedule. I chalk it all up to experience and "learning better" I think the biggest thing I'm proud of though is learning to stand up to everyone and make it clear that they are my kids and I will raise them how I choose. Just because somebody tells me "you have to do this" (like CIO with DS), doesn't mean I have to. I've really become so much more comfortable in myself as a mother and putting my foot down...but at the same time, I've learned what things are so much easier to just let go and to not let the little things bother me as much.
As for baby gear...buy used & cheap and stick to the basics. Hit yard sales & craigslist for everything possible. We have a swing, bouncy chair (actually DS just broke that, but its not getting replaced), and a walker. Our playpen got turned into a laundry basket for when mama's slacking My mom insisted we needed a double stroller, so I told her if she thought we needed it so bad, SHE could buy it...and she did...and its been used maybe five times and our daughter is 9 months old lol Glad I didn't fork out for it. We keep two bottles on hand, neither of our kids have ever taken one. We keep two binkies on hand, neither kid ever took one. Keep it simple, keep it basic...you can always go to the store to get something if you really need it

[Smidgerooski]

I will do most everything the same this time except for a few things...

Buying the big stroller that goes with the carseat...except this time I'm in the market for a dbl jogger

I got more fitteds...last time around we only had prefolds b/c that's all we could afford. This time we couldn't afford anything either, but I traded like a mad woman for a nice stash of fitteds

I will be wearing the baby a lot more. I didn't start wearing A until she was about 6 months...I just didn't know about it

[The*Fab*Four]

With my first ~ we used disposables, had EVERYTHING under the sun (gear wise) and everything was given to us. DD self weaned at 8 weeks when I went back on birth control

When #2 came along, we weren't in the best financial position, so she went without a lot but she was (and still is) the happiest kid I have ever met. We switched to cloth 4 months before she pl'ed and I wish I would have done it sooner! Dd self weaned at 6 weeks, due to family circumstances and my need to supplement with formula.

With this one we will cd from birth, I will breastfeed as long as possible. I will have the necessary items for us ~ a good wrap, car seat, a swing and a bouncer ~ but nothing extravagent. I will also keep this baby rear facing longer than I did th other two.

[nm45832]

I just want to say this is very reassuring!!! I swear up and down there are very very few things I'll do differently next time around - but my mother is continually telling me that I won't co-sleep, I won't babywear, I'll let them stay at her house, blah blah blah! I'm pretty feisty, so I'd put up a good fight to do what I want, but I was starting to think that maybe something magical eally did happen when you had your second!

[Ami in Deutschland]

So far, we're doing a lot of things the same, but DS2 is getting way more mommy time and less grandparent time than DS1 did. I'm sort of afraid we're neglecting him, but he seems happy just coming along for activities with his big brother. I'm much more relaxed about milestones and am not playing with baby in a directed now-roll-over-and-grab-the-rattle kind of way. The major thing that is different is Omi and Opa are not beating down the door to take him out on walks and cuddle him.

Gear-wise, I'm on the search now for the perfect carrier. With only one child, I had time to wrap and didn't have to worry about another little person pulling on the ends of the cloth or bothering the screaming baby while I get the wrap tied on. Sewed my first mei tai last week and will be working on a sling soon. I'm also not changing diapers as often, as we have better dipes (pockets instead of fitteds with half-dead elastic) than at the beginning with DS1. We co-sleep, though I keep promising myself to move the baby into his sidecar bed more often. He sleeps there like 15 hours a week, tops. This time, I won't get pressured into starting solids before 6 months. MIL was dying to feed DS1 solids, but I think she won't bother me this time. And if she does, I won't be listening.

[Mama2acrew]

More kids = less stuff! All the crap that sits around, there is no need for it. Each child gets "worn" more. I would still BF. Even though with the last, I was only able to bf 2 months, I would still do it all over again for the 2 years I did some of them! Cloth diapers from the start (that was new with the last LO). Less co-sleeping. Perhaps some sleeping *next to the bed and actually use the basket for the baby LOL! I would wait just as long or longer for solids. We have had great luck with the waiting until self-feeding starts. No jarred/packaged baby food- ever!

[gamamaof4]

Originally Posted by Mama2acrew More kids = less stuff! All the crap that sits around, there is no need for it. !

ITA We have 4 kids now and with each child I have needed less stuff. I am much picker about car seats than I was 11 years ago. With my first I had to have everything BRU sold. At this point I look at 90% of what they sell and think don't need it.