Hey all! Having a baby in May 2023.
What are some great baby kids tech and tips to help us out? Can range from, tech, clothing, hacks and anything you could possibly think that may help parents, excluding sanity tablets, drugs of some sort. Looking to make parenting a little easier.
Thanks!
kids grow fast
This can't be emphasised enough.
You will look back and think "why did I buy all that stuff that was used for about 3 - 6 months then stashed in a cupboard or binned… It's crazy how our hormones kick in and convince us that forking out $$$ on all sorts of things will make a world of difference.. It rarely does.
Try and work with the minimum and get the necessary on an as needed basis!
cancel your ozb account now you cant afford wasting money on unnessary stuffs
Nah, OzBargain is good for price saving tips for babies!
My top tip is to get as many second hand/hand-me-down items as you can for newborns. No need getting new and expensive stuff with they'll outgrow it in weeks/months and when as soon as they put it on, it'll get covered with breast milk, saliva, poo, wee in minutes/hours.
I once saw a preparation list for having a child, it went something like this:
1) Go to your chemist and empty the contents of your wallet (credit card also) and tell them it's all theirs.
2) Speak to your payroll department and get your salary transferred directly to the supermarket - saves on transaction costs.
3) Grab a newspaper and read it - it's the last one you'll read.
4) Buy and ice cream, open it and put it in your glove box - it's going to happen anyway.
5) Set your alarm for 3am, that's your new "I'm ready for today" time (that is if you've got to sleep yet).
I have children.
This list was correct.
Really depends on how you use OzB. The mentality for 95% of regulars here is to buy like crazy. That's not how I look at the site.
Cashback on baby will always be rejected.
ps: congrats
Leverage grandparents.
AirTag, track your baby
Looking to make parenting a little easier.
No tech will be better than outsourcing it… but the whole point of having kids isn't to make your life easier… OP having creation remorse?
Winter baby. Invest in a good heater for late night feeding..
If you can afford it then paying someone to do chores can take some stress out of it all.
Join your local Facebook but nothing group! Best place for free second hand baby items! The majority of stuff like clothes, bassinet, toys etc. I've got off this group for free :) Big ticket items like ergobaby 360 carrier, Britax Graphene car seat, spectra pump etc. put a search alert on ozbargain for so you can get them when they are on sale. :)
So much this. And don't buy expensive things for a baby/toddler (toys, beds, clothes) as they'll grow out of them really quick and never go back.
Invest in a baby carrier such as Ergobaby, so you can carry them on your front. Unlike a pram, you can use stairs or uneven ground with no issues, all while the baby sleeps against your body.
Was gonna say this one too. Facebook groups have so much stuff. Don’t start with marketplace, start with the local groups (eg good karma or hard rubbish rescues). Also don’t be afraid to ask for what you want/are looking for!
Make your home smart, especially the lights. Nothing worse than having to get up to turn on the lights when the baby wakes and having it bright. I use Xiaomi rgb lights around the house but I leave the bedroom one on all the time and use my phone to control it.
Handy to make your TV smart as well as you will lose the remote 29183x, just say 'hey google/alexa turn off the tv".
Get a digital kettle if you are bottle feeding, make sure it goes to 40 deg.
We used salt lamps at night not as bright but easy to turn on, if they are formula feeding you should always use boiled water though..
Yup, I put preboiled water in the kettle when they are young and drink less than 100ml. But when they are older and drank more i would just boil a kettle and pour it into 3 flasks. Will last me the day.
Vava had really good night lights but they removed them from Amazon.
This. Also if you have a coffee machine that needs preheating, put it on a smart plug or timer.
Take turns doing the night feeds if doing bottles, be there for each other, get family to bring you cooked meals to heat up (massive help) we purchased heaps off marketplace as they grow out of it all so fast !
We got a Vtech baby monitor use it pretty much every night !
a phone with YouTube kids playing cocomelon makes nappy changes a breeze once theyre about 1yo.
Looking to make parenting a little easier.
Bit late for that, you are already expecting.
Follow your head, follow your heart, follow your gut.
Cherish every minute, they grow up way too fast.
Be there, be in the moment and take what little time you can for yourself.
Tech tip - noise cancelling headphones mean you can't hear the baby crying (not as good a thing as you might think).
The sound of a newborn crying is incredible, gets me every time.
Baby Tip - It is exhausting and exhilarating, support each other.
ok, maybe not a baby tip.
There is some really good advice in this thread. Take care of each other. Delegate some cleaning if you can afford to, and get anything done now that you could do and needs concentration or would resolve a minor frustration.
It's not a baby tip per se, but I found black fabric car electrical tape a godsend (to block out all the LEDs and lights on our AC/chargers/etc in baby room, without looking cheap and plasticky). Adhesive magnetic strips from Bunnings also were amazing at keeping blinds against the window frame and light out of the nursery. A small torch with a physical switch is also way better than a phone for quietly going into bedroom at night and a hell of a lot easier to find and turn on when woken from a dead sleep by crying.
Smart plugs/lights let you adjust lights/fans while they're feeding, or after you've forgotten and left the room. I don't believe an excellent, safe and reliable smart baby monitor exists.
Congrats and good luck!
Baby bottle sterilisers are single-function, wastes of bench space, finicky and too small to do batches.
A pressure cooker like an instant pot will do double duty and has much greater capacity. Steam mode for 5mins without the pressure lid on is all you need.
We bought a normal pot lid (the genuine one, but ikea also sells ones with the right dimensions) and a basket to keep teats/bottles together.
Thanks all! Great feedback and runny comments
I don't have a kid, but i do have one recommendation based on nieces and nephews - a Snoo.
Expensive, but if you like sleep and don't like sleep depravation then its a product for you lol
Specifically a second hand Snoo. You'll sell it for the same amount you pay for it in 12 months time.
I Can attest to this, I'm currently using it for my second baby and I wouldn't go through the experience again without it.
Comment about resale value is also correct.
and runny comments
That comes after they are born.
If you haven't been anointed with some bodily fluids of the fruit of your loins, you haven't been a parent.
85" Oled TV
Is it for ABC 4 Kids ?
Advance congratulations
use cloth nappies not plastic (don't add to landfill) the baby's butt will be clearer from rashes sweat etc yeah lot of work but then babies are. Select the right bassinette etc to suit the child with regard to age and required safety, as others have said hand me downs or 2nd hand stuff for the early months then pass the stuff on.
/Joke
PLEASE do NOT put one of those baby on board signs on the car and expect all traffic to stop and let you in/through or move to allow you a empty space all around the car so wife? can get all the prams etc in out without hassle as some people do. /Joke
Make sure you are aware of all the annoying stuff you will be dealing with that without a new-born you may not know, feeding sleep cycles etc changing come to mind, many ppl forget about vehicles and access for strollers bassinettes later on child seats and the need to get all the necessary stuff packed into the car just to go to the shops etc. can catch ppl out
again congratulations hope the pregnancy , delivery and first 12 month go well keep in touch
sleep now!
discuss later
get tips but do it your way, everyone will have different tips that work for their kids. listen, thank them, try and if doesn't work try something else
buy second hand if you are comfortable with it (kids grow fast)
convertible beds are good, can grow into it