September 2014 Moms

The Loot... Do I Need It?

My baby shower was last weekend and was so much fun! Our in-laws threw us a co-ed bbq and it was a great time, We got a lot of really helpful stuff. A bunch of it, however was not from our registry, and I'm wondering if I really *need* this stuff, or if I should return it.

Also, we will be room-sharing with baby in a crib in our room in our apartment for about a year. We have a decent size apartment but not a ton of storage. Can you tell me what I can live without off this list of stuff I am iffy about or if I need more or less of these items?

  • High Chair
  • Mammas + Pappas Floor Seat (similar to bumbo) with tray 
  • 4 packs of aden + anais muslin wraps
  • 3 packs of receiving blankets (with three blankets each)
  • Pack N Play with Napper/Changer
  • Wipe Warmer
  • JJ Cole Bundle Me thing for stroller (we live in san francisco, so it gets cold, but not sub-arctic or anything)
  • Puj bath for sink

I think a lot of these things are cool, but realistically, not sure how much I'll use them. Did you have any of these items and surprisingly get a lot of use of them? How many wraps and recieving blankets do I actually need?! Eek!


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Re: The Loot... Do I Need It?

  • edited July 2014
    I would keep all of that! You don't need that many wraps and blankets but it definitely helps when finding time to do laundry becomes more difficult.

    Eta: didn't see the wipe warmer...if anything I'd get rid of that!
  • The Aden + Anais packs came with 4 each, so I actually have 16 of them, along with 12 receiving blankets! I don't need all that, do I? I'm all for extras to avoid doing laundry all the time, but that seems like so many!

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  • I would ditch the wipes warmer. And you really don't need a high chair for a few months so to save on space you could always purchase it later. Also that does seem like A TON of blankets but it's up to you, like a PP said it will save you from doing more laundry.

  • Of these things I could live without the floor seat (had a bumbo and hardly ever used it with DD) the wipe warmer, bundle me you don't really need (just use a blanket and they are NOT for use in car seats so limited use anyways) and the bath for the sink.  When they are small enough to bathe in the sink I didn't feel the need for a special bath thing.  You could possibly get away without a PnP if you have a crib already and don't plan to travel at all with baby.  Other things were all stuff I used daily.

    ETA: As far as the high chair goes we didn't start using ours until she hit 6mo and started solids but we did use it daily for over a year until we switched to a booster.  If it is big in size you can get away with exchanging it for a space saver  high chair that attaches to a chair and converts to a booster.
    I like your idea about the high chair. We didn't register for one because we figured that would be something we'd just get when we need it if we need it, since we don't really have the space to store it until then. The one we got looks like it folds up, but not very compactly. Maybe I'll see if I can exchange it for a slimmer one or something.

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  • I'd personally probably keep all of it, but you could return some things I think.
    7 packs of blankets is a lot, you might return one of each?
    If it doesn't get that cold, then return the bundle me.
    I wouldn't use a wipe warmer, but some people swear by them.

    I think I'd keep the rest of it as it seems pretty useful.
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  • Personally I would go without wipe warmer, bumbo type chair, and maybe 1-2 packs of the wraps. I have never used wipe earners for the fears of what pp mentioned her friend went through. I also have a fear of bumbo chairs for a few reasons but used wisely I think they are ok but not a necessity. The high chair can be used in many areas of the house around 3 months if it reclines somewhat. I always put dd in hers while I was making dinner, putting groceries away because she liked to see what I was doing and it raised her up off the floor so she felt like she was part of the happenings. (She doesn't like to be left out of anything. She is nearly 9yrs younger than her brother.)

    We are also locked into an apartment for the next 9ish months so it can be a tight fit but you can make it work. I actually just converted half of our big closet to hold baby essentials like car seats, swing, extra clothes that we will need but not until he's born and then I will be rotating to put stuff in as I take stuff out.
  • Just putting a few things out there:
    The high chair isn't necessary for a while but you will need some place for baby to sit and learn to feed himself

    The a+a swaddles were a huge hit on the keep toss add thread, but I can't imagine needing 16 of them. What are the prints? You might find some of them go for higher than retail in certain Facebook groups.

    Other than that I'm no help. Good luck!

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  • I'm going to say keep all the blankets bc when you run out of burp rags (if your LO spits up that much, mine did) then the blankets are good in spur of the moment. I would deff keep the high chair but maybe not the floor seat I had a bimbo and DD really never used it. I never had a wipe warmer so idk about that one but keep the pnp especially for traveling if you do. That's the only time I used it or if someone came over and I didn't want them to hold her I would put her in there so she could move around and not be touched.
  • I'd get rid of the wipe warmer and Bumbo

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  • FTM here, but the A+A blankets were a big hit in Keep-Toss-Add. Bumbo and wipe warmer had a lot of "tosses". The summary sheet is linked at the bottom of my signature if you want to look further.
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  • I love my wipe warmer and still use it with my son who just turned 2. I think its just a nice place to store wipes with the added benefit of warming the wipes. I also love my pack n play for travel. Could probably due without the sink tub thing as the baby will probably outgrow that fast and you will be using a regular baby tub. Hope that helps!
  • @bainidhedub Tried clicking the link that you referenced in your siggy, but it doesn't seem to be working (at least not for me, not sure if others can access it). Do you have another link or could you PM me something possibly? I don't think I ever saw that thread and would be interested in checking it out. Thanks!
    Same. Can you (or someone else) please post a link as a comment so we can get to it easily? I'd love to see it, I guess I missed that one! Thanks!

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  • @bainidhedub Tried clicking the link that you referenced in your siggy, but it doesn't seem to be working (at least not for me, not sure if others can access it). Do you have another link or could you PM me something possibly? I don't think I ever saw that thread and would be interested in checking it out. Thanks!
    Same. Can you (or someone else) please post a link as a comment so we can get to it easily? I'd love to see it, I guess I missed that one! Thanks!
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  • Keep the A&a blankets and 1 package of the receiving blankets. I used them as burp rags or changing table covers. Is their a relative close by you could store the high chair until you need it? We got one that just straps to a regular chair which is nice when we go to friends houses for dinner but again didn't need until 5 months. I never had a bumbo. We also had a big infant tub but we only used it first couple months and then he liked to take baths with us.
  • dinodna3 said:
    @bainidhedub Tried clicking the link that you referenced in your siggy, but it doesn't seem to be working (at least not for me, not sure if others can access it). Do you have another link or could you PM me something possibly? I don't think I ever saw that thread and would be interested in checking it out. Thanks!
    Same. Can you (or someone else) please post a link as a comment so we can get to it easily? I'd love to see it, I guess I missed that one! Thanks!
    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EFl4MAxV4d6NTkJg-aMgJOfk0hl0U1sowKfCtN1yd0o/edit?pli=1#gid=0
    Thanks @dinodna3 I thought it had it working. Just updated the link with that one...
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  • Honestly, I wouldn't keep any of it except maybe the blankets if you don't have any. The a+a are useful for more than just swaddling (burp cloths, nursing covers, light blanket in the summer, to shade the carseat in the sun, etc). 

    We never used a bath tub, full size high chair, wipe warmer, Bundle Me (we live in the PNW, a blanket was fine). We had a Bumbo and used it for about a month, but it's not really necessary. We did use a basic Pack n Play for travel, but the attachments would have been useless to us.
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  • I forgot about the sink tub: completely unnecessary. I held DD over the sink in my arm wrapped in a towel so she wasn't so slippery until her cord fell off. After it fell off her tub had an infant sling that buckled on it and she sat in that until she could sit up. Her tub also had two sides a slanted infant side and straight up side for sitters. But once she started trying to stand I got a bath may and put her in the bathtub.
  • Since you are limited on space, you might consider a booster seat for the table when that time comes instead of a high chair. Also, I wouldn't keep that many blankets of either kind. You'll likely be doing laundry a lot so I don't see a need for 16 a&a blankets. I also wouldn't keep the wipe warmer or the bundle me. I've enjoyed having the Bumbo and tray for both of my babies but its not a necessity either.
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  • I would definitely keep the a+a swaddles and the pack n play. Maybe exchange the full high chair for one of those half ones that you put on a regular chair?

    The other stuff could all go as far as I'm concerned.

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  • I agree with @Mom2four97355‌, depending on the type of high chair you got and space issues, it can come in handy way before you need it to feed your LO. Ours reclines and was a great place to put our daughters so they could see what we were doing when making dinner and clearly safer than putting a portable seat on the counter. All of mine loved to sit in it from very young and I'd just roll up a blanket next to them to keep them sitting straight.

    I had a wipe warmer we used only in the winter months and never had an issue with my girls complaining about the cold ones used elsewhere. If your apartment generally runs warm, you definitely don't need it, but will be very nice if it's drafty or cold in the winter.

    I personally would not keep all those A+A blankets. Probably two packs. They are expensive and you could just use cheaper cloth diapers for burp cloths and use the $$ for something else you really need.

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  • We never had a full high chair…only a space saver….as we didn't have the room.  SHe used her bumbo with a tray for the first month or so until she really got the whole sitting down to eat thing under control.  

    I never felt comfortable holding my child in the sink.  They are insanely slippery and the Puj tub is great if you are short on space.  You can't even imagine how much space an actual baby tub takes up.  We have the whale tub that everyone loves, and while we love it, it takes up so much space!! 

    You do not need that many blankets.  I would keep one pack of A&A unless you plan on using them as swaddles then maybe keep two packs and one pack of receiving blankets.  I always kept one in my diaper bag to lay her down on if necessary.  

    Never had a diaper warmer…never saw the point.  We used our PP a lot but if you don't plan on having the baby sleep anywhere but the crib then you don't need it.  I couldn't have lived without it but we went to the beach a lot and PA and she slept in it every time.  

    I got rid of our JJ Cole thing even though DD was a January baby.  She just never needed it.  We're in NC and honestly we never had to go out when it was that cold haha.  
  • I would keep it all except maybe some of the A and A swaddles and the bundle me. We used a wipe warmer for Ds and still do!
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  • reverey said:
    Ditto in ditching the warmer, a few blankets and swapping the chair for a more compact version (or swap for a gift card and buy it when you need it). The bundle thing you could swap and see if you really need it or just bundle baby up more. Along the lines of excess blankies...I have a similar question on swaddles and sleep sacks! I got like three different brands of swaddles: Halo/Aden+Anais/Miracle ad dining up to like 7 or 8 of them PLUS 2 new sleep sacks and we already have about 4 hand me down ones. Excess or keep?
    I'm struggling with this question too!  We have:

    1 pack of 4 a + a
    2 Miracle Blankets
    2 Halo sleep sacks
    2 summer infant swaddle me
    2 of another kind of wearable blanket

    It seems like overkill to me, but I'm not getting rid of anything until I know what does and doesn't work for LO.  If the a + a swaddles don't work for swaddling I'll keep them around, but the other stuff - if one doesn't work out I'll return the second I guess? 

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  • @reverey‌ I suggest keeping all of the sleep sacks, my personal opinion. They are so much easier for middle of the night changing. DD stayed in the sleep sacks for probably the first month because they are so much easier dealing with a newborn, I say the more the better.
  • I think the Puj tub is worth keeping (it's on my registry!)... it lays flat and should be easy to stash in the bathroom or hang on a wall. My sister had one of the floor seats and said that her kids always looked so uncomfortable and awkward in it that she never really used it.  Maybe keep 2 of the a+a wraps but return 2 of them... Everything I've read about those is amazing so it'd be nice to have them on hand because I'm sure they get puked/pooped/peed on. I've heard that the receiving blankets are useless but maybe keep one package? IDK about the high chair, I don't want one because of space but a collapsable or convertible one might be a good option if you can exchange it.
  • Sounds like a nice shower. I personally would exchange high chair for a space saver or return it and get the cheap and oh so easy to clean IKEA antelop high chair when baby is ready. I would keep 2 or 3 packs of a+a blankets and return the others and buy Gerber prefolds or Dundee burp cloths. You most likely will need a pack n play at some point in time and some way to bathe baby but I'm not familiar with puj tub. I would also return seat, warm warmer and bundle me.
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  • PP's gave great insight. As a FTM and what I've heard from friends, I'd probably get rid of the Puj tub, wipes warmer, 2 or 3 packs of the A&A blankets, and 2 packs of the rreceiving blankets.
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  • I would return the wipe warmer. 

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  • Just wanted to add that the floor seat with tray can be used as a place to feed baby at first.
  • braybee said:

    Just wanted to add that the floor seat with tray can be used as a place to feed baby at first.

    This is what I was going to say. Also, we had a TON of receiving blankets but I used them for everything- swaddle, burp rag, for spit up, to change her on, to cover her if it was a little chilly. If you don't have a lot of space, you could get rid of some, but I would definitely keep some.

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  • braybee said:

    Just wanted to add that the floor seat with tray can be used as a place to feed baby at first.

    This is a potential use, but if you're trying to really stay minimalist it doesn't make a lot of sense. A LOT of babies go through a phase where they get too chubby to sit in these seats. So a high chair of some sort will definitely be useful when you need it, versus a floor seat which your baby may not be able to fit into at the time.

    Exactly this. It's ok for when baby first starts eating baby food if they can sit up sturdy enough. But it's only good for a couple months bc babies get so chunky that their legs won't fit in the holes. DD had ptorticollis I'm not sure how to spell it it's a muscle in the neck that is pulled so tight from how she sat in my belly which caused her to hold her head to that side which made her her sway a little. She would lean over her bumbo then she got so chunky I used it for about 2 months and only a handful if times.
  • I guess for me it was helpful because I also used it when going to friends or family's houses who didn't have a high chair. My son was able to use it for a good amount of time before his legs were too chunky to fit in it, so for us, it made sense!
  • braybee said:

    I guess for me it was helpful because I also used it when going to friends or family's houses who didn't have a high chair. My son was able to use it for a good amount of time before his legs were too chunky to fit in it, so for us, it made sense!

    It doesn't work for everyone but I'm glad it worked for you. My sister loved her and tells everyone they need it. I used a bouncy seat for DD until she got to big then I had to go but a high chair
  • I had a small apt --1bed with our first and we stayed a year. We had a small folding mesh bath seat, no baby tub for space and minimalist reasons. I don't think you need all those blankets. I'd return half of each. We did use our receiving blankets as burp cloths and for public changing tables...very nice because they're easily washable. People vary on wipes warmer, to me totally unnecessary. But I loved my high chair, it's great for feeding, containing, rolling around so they can see the action on stuff. We also had a portable booster high chair but we used that to go places vs. nasty/unpredictable public high chairs.
    Bumbo we got as a hand me down, we did use and like it but its not a definite keeper per say...breast feeding pillows often do about the same for double duty.
    We lived in Marin at that time and putting blankets over baby in stroller/carseat works just fine for keeping them warm on foggy/winter days.

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  • I maybe used my bumbo 3 times so that gets my vote to ditch. Maybe also a pkg of receiving blankets and swaddling blankets can go but I would keep everything else.
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