Tipping List

Top 10 Baby Essentials

What you'll need for that sweet little baby

-Kimberly Shore Levin, "The Connoisseur of Everything Baby"

Are you a new mama or expecting a baby soon? Check out these top 10 ESSENTIALS you'll need to have before your baby arrives!

1. Car Seat(s): A properly installed car seat is a must-have before you leave the hospital with your new bundle of joy. A bucket-type seat is ideal from birth until your baby is 5 to 7 months old (depending on his or her size). You will then need a convertible-type car seat that can face backward (until baby is at least one year old and/or weighs 20 pounds) and then forward. Look for a seat that has been rated highly for safety and fits well in your car.

2. Stroller(s): There are plenty of strollers on the market, which means there's one for every lifestyle and budget. For infants, a snap-n-go stroller is a quick way to go from car seat to stroller - the seat fits right into the stroller frame. Once your baby outgrows the infant seat, you will need a new stroller to accommodate a larger child. Whether you want a jogger, umbrella or hybrid model, I recommend taking the stroller out of the store to push it on the sidewalks, practice folding and unfolding it, and then placing in and taking it out of the trunk (if applicable) to see how cumbersome it might be. Remember, when you have a wriggling, crying baby, the last thing you need is to be struggling with collapsing a 40-pound stroller into your trunk. read more on baby essentials...