Unnecessary Crib Gear and Gadgets

Many parents love the sight of a mobile hanging over the crib, but we forget how it may look to a baby. Staso explains that much of the effect of a mobile is lost on very newborn infants, though babies between two and five months enjoy watching them. "He's lying in a crib looking up much of the time, so you need to make sure the mobile is not hanging vertically, or your baby will just be able to see the edges," cautions Staso. Older babies love to track things with their eyes, he explains, so if you can, opt for a hanging toy that rotates on a motor.

Other crib toys, such as activity boxes with their mirrors, noisemakers and spinning wheels are best for slightly older babies. "By five or six months, kids are interested in cause and effect," Staso explains. "So anything they can grab and make noise with or push against with their hands and feet is great."

Keep It Simple
Buying all that crib gear is fun for parents, but it isn't really necessary for newborns. The littlest babies can only handle one form of stimulation at a time. So Staso advices, "You should only give them one thing to look at or one thing to listen to at a time."

Start out small, and add things as your newborn grows. "It's not until three months that a baby's senses are in line enough to handle different toys together." And when it comes to choosing either the high-contrast or soft pastel mobile, he suggests that you might not want either one. Instead, try creating your own mobile by hanging a picture of a face two to four feet from your baby's eyes, then slowly add more images as the weeks progress.

If you're at a loss as to whose image that might be, experts say that the familiar, loving faces of Mom and Dad are the all-time favorite objects to capture a baby's gaze.