Registries?

westcoastfoodie

It's still early, but it's fun to plan... Where are you all planning on registering? If you're not a first time mom, what do think are registry must haves? Could do without? Or wished you had registered for?

We're registering at Babies R Us,  and I just recently discovered Buy Buy Baby - which is the sister company of Bed Bath and Beyond - so I already love it!

westcoastfoodie

@PCOSbaby - You had mentioned on another thread you were torn between Babies R Us and Amazon... why not both? Do Amazon registries offer incentives? 

OrangeEv

@Julia70286 is Buy Buy Baby an online thing only? I need to look!

westcoastfoodie

@OrangeEv They opened a store near me in LA not too long ago, so I think they're expanding! 

fafa1111

I've heard great things about Buy Buy Baby, so probably there. I think you can use Bed Bath & Beyond coupons so friends and family are always happy about that!

PeggyOlsonFTW

Registry must-haves: 
diapers

bottles

pacifiers

swing

bouncy seat

stroller

car seat

video monitor

swaddlers (I LOVE Halo swaddlers)

plain white onesies in a variety of sizes (no one will buy these for you unless you register)

white noise machine

rock n play (The white noise machine and the rock n play saved my life. DS is 2.5 and we still use his white noise every time he sleeps)

Ergo 


Do withouts:
clothes (everyone is going to buy you clothes and it's hard to find specific clothes in store, so if you want an outfit, just buy it yourself)

breast pump (get it through your insurance)

pacifier holder (waste. you'll never use it)

baby food maker (if you have a steamer and a blender, you're fine)

wipe warmer

fancy baby tub

shoes (until your kid walks, there's no need)

fancy blankets (people will buy you these whether your register or not. DS has about 9000 blankets and hated them all until recently. And even then, he only sleeps with one specific one)

changing table (get a long dresser and slap a changing pad on it)

diaper stackers

PeggyOlsonFTW

Oh! Also, food for thought: my friends and I discovered that those of us who knew the sex of the baby before the shower got a ton of clothes and things we didn't register for and missed out on registry items we really wanted, while those of us who didn't know the sex got wayyyy more stuff from their registry.

MrsHudson2014

I will probably register at Target and Amazon...I would love to do Buy Buy Baby, but the closest store is 45 minutes- an hour away. 

I also happen to work for a retailer who owns a baby furniture store, so I will probably just buy everything I want from there myself. 

westcoastfoodie

@PeggyOlsonFTW I never thought about that with finding out the sex of the baby... that makes sense! That is definitely some food for thought! 

PeggyOlsonFTW

Julia70286 said:

@PeggyOlsonFTW I never thought about that with finding out the sex of the baby... that makes sense! That is definitely some food for thought! 

Generally speaking, if people know the sex of your baby, they get super excited and just buy a ton of adorable, gender specific stuff whether you registered for it or not. So if you're having a girl, be prepared for tons of frilly dresses and ruffle butt pants and if it's a boy, lots of blue and "tough guy" shirts.

von1976

We're going with Target and Amazon. I'm insane, so I plan to cloth diaper, and a minimalist, so we only plan to register for the essentials. Our registry will have mostly diapering supplies, essential clothing, and essential items, with very few pieces of furniture. Although I do plan to splurge on a glider!

We're also Team Green, so bring on the registry stuff!

OrangeEv

@PeggyOlsonFTW so much good information, thanks! If you do not need a baby bath, what do you use, just the sink? Or did you just mean not a fancy baby bath

I am going to enjoy strolling down the baby aisles and making a list

artcheese

Rock and Play for sure.

Baby Tula (like an ergo but way cuter and a little bigger so they last longer).

Sound Machine

Baby exersaucer-  The Baby Eintsien one is awesome.

Swing or Mama Roo

Walker - some people are against these, but if you aren't an idiot and allow them to scoot around in one upstairs with no baby gate, they are legit. It was perfect for him to scoot around in, in the kitchen while I cooked.

A good stroller - don't buy the super cheap ones. 

Swaddles - Halos and Swaddle Mes


 

PeggyOlsonFTW

@OrangeEv I do think a little tub is necessary, just not the $50 ones with all the bells and whistles. It doesn't need to vibrate or change colors or have jets! 

PeggyOlsonFTW

@von1976 We cloth diapered DS!

ETA: I'm so excited to get all that adorable fluff on a new little tushy!

von1976

@PeggyOlsonFTW Which brand did you use and how did you like them? I'm looking at the Thirsties Duo Wraps with the Osocozy hemp prefolds. I know the convenience of AIOs might be nice, but it seems expensive and a lot of washing on top of that.

They make really cute patterns, but I think I'm just going to go with white. I figure most of the patterned ones will show throw light clothing, so I thought white would be safer.

PeggyOlsonFTW

@von1976 I didn't start CDing him until he was 6 mos and we did  mostly pockets. I wanted it to be as easy as possible for DH and the grandmas.

For cheapies, I really liked my Kawaiis - the elastic held up well and they were a good fit for DS (he was a chubby baby with big thighs). I also really liked my Rumparooz and Blueberry. BumGenius were ok. The prints are adorable, but I didn't think the elastic held up as well as my others. When DS was around a year old, I got rid of all our microfiber inserts and started using flour sack towels. They're the best. Super cheap, super absorbant and don't really hold onto stink or stain. For overnights we did an Sbish overnight bamboo fleece fitted and a wool cover. He never ever ever leaked in that combo. Sbish fitteds are the shit! When he outgrew the Sbish and it wasn't in the budget to get a new one, I used our Kawaii overnights with a trifolded hemp fitted stuffed in the pocket. He rarely leaked in those either. I hated my Grovia AIO and my Charlie Bananas. I just could never get a good fit with them. 

CDing a newborn will be a whole new game for me. I don't know if we'll buy newborn AIOs or fitteds or just do sposies til the umbilical cord falls off. I have no idea!

Oh! and as for prints, they didn't show through the colored onesies, just the white ones and DS was rarely in a white one with nothing else out in public. Plus, the prints are soooooo cute it's almost a crime to cover them up! In the warmer weather, he'd usually be in a shirt and diaper, sans pants.


ETA: AIOs take more time to dry, but not more time to wash. If you haven't checked out Fluff Love and CD Science on Facebook, definitely do! They saved me from quitting cloth.

kmalls

Something to think about if you're planning to register on Amazon: most places (BabiesRUs, BuyBuyBaby, etc) offer a 10% "registry completion" discount, which means you can purchase everything remaining on your registry (that wasn't purchased for you) at a 10% discount just before your due date. I found with Amazon there were a TON of exclusions to the completion discount so we weren't able to take advantage of it at all. BabiesRUs was wayyyy more accommodating, plus if you sign up for their rewards program you get $10 back on purchases over $50, which for us ended up being a lot! 

freckledlemonade

I agree with others that recommended a Rock n Play.  We started off in the pack n play bassinet and DD didn't seem to like it.  Switched to a Rock n Play and she slept in 4-5 hour stretches right away, and slept through the night starting at 1 month.  But, it was a pain to transition her to the crib from this, and I've heard that's a common complaint.  When they're newborns though you'll do anything to get them to sleep well though.

https://lucieslist.com/  is a great resource for comparing some of the more popular options.  I also read that there is a bundle bottle back you can get with a variety of bottle brands to try out (1 bottle of each brand).  I bought a ton of Avent bottles when I was pregnant with my first, and she ended up not liking them, so we bought a different brand.  This goes for pacifiers too.  I wouldn't stock up on one brand, but a variety...you'll likely be trying out several and seeing what baby prefers.

If you have a Buy Buy Baby, I highly recommend going there and "test driving" their strollers.  They have a ton of them, and it really is a personal preference what works best for you.  Going off Amazon reviews might not necessarily get you the things you need/want in a stroller.

Something I think we could've done without was a high chair.  They take up a lot of room in a smaller kitchen, and just aren't that necessary.  We ended up selling ours and bought one of those chairs that attach to an existing kitchen chair.   Worked perfect, and when she was big enough it was easy to just remove the tray and let her use the table.

For those that mention baths, some hospitals give you the bath that they bathe baby in at the hospital, so that's something to consider too.  You may want to check with your OB/hospital before you bother with buying one.  They are usually those big plastic ones with the net sling for newborns, so if you're looking for something different this might not matter to you.

freckledlemonade

Oh I almost forgot!  Another thing I wish I hadn't bought: a bunch of newborn clothes.  We ended up unexpectedly having a large baby (ultrasound estimates were off by about 2 lbs) and newborn clothes literally fit for a week or 2.  Same goes for newborn diapers.  Might be best to focus on 0-3 with a couple newborn outfits and then go from there once baby is born and you know what you need. 

Love the idea @PeggyOlsonFTW had about getting more of your registry if you don't know the sex.  That was totally true in my case.  We found out we were having a girl and got loads of girly clothes.  I loved them, but to be totally honest I never dressed DD in dresses and frilly outfits as a newborn.  She just wore onesies and a swaddle blanket or elastic waist pants.  I didn't want to bother with all the cutesy clothes when we were just hanging out around the house (which was 99% of the time).

artcheese

Ohh also a boppy or a mothers breast friend! So useful when breastfeeding!!!

PCOSbaby

@Julia70286 Amazon offers a 15% completion bonus for Prime Members.  They also have a larger selection of items.  If I want, I can add items from Babies R Us to the Amazon registry for those that wish to purchase in the store. Once they are purchased in the store, they can be marked off the Amazon registry. 

I'm still undecided though...

PCOSbaby

@kmalls Thanks for your input on Amazon.  It helps to get an opinion from someone who has used the Amazon registry before. 

_darth

I'm not doing a registry (cultural reasons) but I am commenting so that I can find the list of must-haves to buy later.

PeggyOlsonFTW

@DarthFuriosa You might want to make a registry and not share it with anyone just so that you can get the completion discount. Not sure if the registry itself is part of the cultural reasons, or sharing it with others is, but I just thought I'd throw that out there!

_darth

PeggyOlsonFTW said:

@DarthFuriosa You might want to make a registry and not share it with anyone just so that you can get the completion discount. Not sure if the registry itself is part of the cultural reasons, or sharing it with others is, but I just thought I'd throw that out there!

Good call, thank you! It's not the registry itself, but the asking for gifts part that is considered rude(or something), but there's absolutely no reason I can't make one for myself, for discount AND organisational benefits.

cbamama641

I got a book in the mail from target yesterday and you get a $20 gift card for creating a registry.. sooo, even though this is baby #4 I completed just a small private registry to get my $20! lord knows I spend enough of my money there!

PCOSbaby

Thanks great to know! Thanks

PeggyOlsonFTW

@DarthFuriosa You can also set the due date on your registry earlier than it really is so that you get the completion discount coupon earlier and aren't running around at the last minute trying to get stuff

PCOSbaby

@cbamama641 Do I need a code to receive the $20 gift card?  I was poking around on the site and I didn't see any mention of it.

cbamama641

@PCOSbaby  it came in the mail on one of their flyers.. like the normal little coupons they sent out at the holidays and such.. I'm not sure how they knew to send it.. maybe because I purchased pregnancy tests there? 

hellopartyof5

Soooo I'm totally lurking because we're thinking of 2.0 and I figured I'd tell you guys my regrets:

- If you are even thinking about having 2 close together, get a stroller that can convert to a double.  I would personally recommend a City Select, but there are plenty to chose from.  I stupidly registered for a single and guess what? I now have to buy a double.  Sigh!

-Skip the baby food maker, chances are your kid won't even like it. Mine always preferred little chunks of our food anyways.

-I personally think Tulas are overrated.  They don't forward face which is a dealbreaker in this house.  We have one and now that LO is a year we prefer the Ergo360 soooo much more.  BUT for tiny babies get something like a k'taan or moby or a ring sling.

-Once you've picked your stroller, get the car seat that works with it.  I have a baby jogger (the brand) stroller and a Chicco car seat.  I SHOULD have gotten the Britax infant bucket seat because they have an easier adapter.  

-For babies that hate swaddles, the Aden and anais easy swaddles are amazing.  No velcro, just snaps.  You get it right every time.  It took me way too long to figure this out and i was kicking myself for it.

That's all I can really think of right now.  Have fun registering! 

anna.oskar

BuyBuyBaby for registering.  Here is what's already on ours there:

• 
  • Safety 1st® Window Blind Cord Wind Ups
    
    
• 
  • Safety First Deluxe Press Fit Outlet Cover
    
    
• 
  • Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Drop Shape Humidifier in White
    
    
• • Safety 1st® Tot Lock Magnetic Key
    
    
• 
  • Summer Infant® Complete Nursery Kit in Neutral
    
• 
  • North States Supergate Ergo Gate in Espresso
    
    
• • Safety 1st® No Scratch Mittens in Green
    
    

• 
  • OXO Tot® Bottle Brush with Nipple Cleaner & Stand in Green
    
    
• 
  • Bumkins® Dr. Seuss Bibs (Set of 3)
• 
  • Keekaroo® Height Right High Chair Mahogany with Chocolate Infant Insert and Tray
    
    
• • Boon CLUTCH Dishwasher Basket in White/Green
    
    
• • Boppy® Luxe Pillow in Fox and Owl
    
    

• • TL Care® Organic Terry Hooded Towel Set in Celery
    
    
• 
  • Blooming Bath™ Bath Tub in Yellow
    
    
• 
  • SoapSox® Scorch the Dragon Bath Scrub
    
    

• 
  • Graco® Travel Lite® Crib in Cascade
    
    
• 
  • BreathableBaby® Mix & Match Breathable Mesh Crib Liner in Sage Mist
    
    
• 
  • Burt's Bees Baby® Honeybee 100% Organic Cotton Fitted Crib Sheet in Sky
    
    

• 
  • Chicco® Bravo® Trio Travel System in Empire™
    
    
• • Chicco® Bravo® Stroller Cup Holder Tray and KeyFit® Infant Car Seat Adaptor
    
    

• 
  • Graco® DreamGlider™ in Sutton
    
    

• 
  • SKIP*HOP® Treetop Friends Activity Gym
    
    
• 
  • Melissa & Doug® Wooden Animal Nesting Blocks
    
    
• 
  • Wonderworld Rainbow Sound Blocks
    
    
    
• 
  • Vulli® Fanfan the Fawn Soft Rubber Teether Toy
    
    

• 
  • Pearhead 3-Piece Milestone Block Set in Blue
    
    

• 
  • Runaway Bunny Board Book by Margaret Wise Brown
    
    
• • Ten Little Ladybugs Board Book
• 
  • No Matter What Board Book
    
    
    
• • Diaper Dekor Plus Diaper Disposal Refills in White (2-Pack)
    
    
• 
  • The Planets 101 The Solar System Unfolds Book
    
    
    
• 
  • Touch & Feel: Dinosaur Book
    
    
    
• 
  • Dekor Kolor Plus Diaper Disposal Pail in Sage
    

PeggyOlsonFTW

anna.oskar said:

BuyBuyBaby for registering.  Here is what's already on ours there:

• 
  • Safety 1st® Window Blind Cord Wind Ups
    
    

Just FYI, we had these and they suck. They pop off constantly. It's much easier to just tie the strings up.

anna.oskar

PeggyOlsonFTW said:

anna.oskar said:

BuyBuyBaby for registering.  Here is what's already on ours there:

• 
  • Safety 1st® Window Blind Cord Wind Ups
    
    

Just FYI, we had these and they suck. They pop off constantly. It's much easier to just tie the strings up.

Good to know!  Thanks!

katylady09

I won't register this time, since it is baby #3, but with my first I registered at Target, Babies R Us, and this little baby boutique in my town. 

There were SO many things that we never used, but here are my must-haves:

-Good swaddle blankets--both of my kids still use theirs, they each have 8. (One of mine was a total Linus with his.)
-White noise machine. Still use them. Couldn't live without them.
-Snap N Go--So much easier than a full on stroller when you taking the carseat everywhere (which gets really old.)
-Carseat Cover-- we will all need these with October babies! I got one with my second (my first was a summer baby) and it was a life saver. It was one that had elastic around the edges and fit on the outside of the carseat. We could velcro it closed when needed.
-Some type of baby wearing sling. We have a Moby Wrap BUT I am considering something else for this one. 
-Nursing cover if you plan to nurse. And make it cute--you will walk around in public with it all the time!
-SIMPLE Baby Bathtub--we have a little fold up one from Target that is great for storage and for travel. I also got a really elaborate one that we never used and couldn't take anywhere.
-Some type of bouncer--it needs to vibrate. Babies love the vibrating feature and it's sometimes the only way you can shower or nap or walk around the house.
-Pack N Play, especially if you travel a lot like we do. 
-Pumping Bra--It looks SO ridiculous, but if you pump it makes life a lot easier as you can work on the computer or whatever if you need to. 
-A basic set of fingernail clippers, brush, comb. You really don't need more than one of each.
-Find your faves of shampoo, lotion, cream, and diaper rash cream and stick with them. It's easy to get an overload of those things. 


You will get a million blankets, BURP CLOTHS (oh goodness), bibs, towels, wash cloths, little toys, onesies, stuffed animals and books. You can return duplicates and things that aren't as sentimental for diapers (that's what we did.) Also, people that came to my showers were big on baby food makers and storage. Never used much of it, to be honest! I use one set of the baby food storage cubes and that's it. I also didn't use any of the bottle brushes, sanitizers, dryers, warmers, etc. Too much! You learn to keep it simple for sanity.

katylady09

nauticallife said:

Soooo I'm totally lurking because we're thinking of 2.0 and I figured I'd tell you guys my regrets:

- If you are even thinking about having 2 close together, get a stroller that can convert to a double.  I would personally recommend a City Select, but there are plenty to chose from.  I stupidly registered for a single and guess what? I now have to buy a double.  Sigh!

-Once you've picked your stroller, get the car seat that works with it.  I have a baby jogger (the brand) stroller and a Chicco car seat.  I SHOULD have gotten the Britax infant bucket seat because they have an easier adapter.  

AMEN! Oh my goodness, yes. I got a different brand infant seat than fit my jogger. Such a pain to buy a special adaptor. BUT I usually only used my Snap N Go because it was a thousand times easier anyway. Also, the single jogger is now sitting collecting dust because I had to order a double after we had two. Live and learn!

cbamama641

My must haves:
*muslin swaddle blankets - they don't have to be the Aden +anais ones- I got several from tj maxx, my daughter loves them, and they make great nursing covers in the summer because they are bigger than regular blankets.  They're also not super thick so it makes everyone more comfortable.

*some sort of grooming kit.. bulb syringe (you'll probably get one from your hospital as well), nail clippers, etc.

*a GOOD thermometer. We have a collection of crappy ones plus one nice one.. a good one saves the day!

I'm really all about less is more.  There are a lot of things that you'll register for that just are not necessary! I'll try to think of more, but right now I just cant!

Lauren0216

Ha, is it bad that I just want to register to get some free stuff for this baby?  My DD is only 22 months so we really won't need anything other than a double stroller and some new bottle nipples and clothes if baby is a boy.  I went into a Buy Buy Baby the other day because one just opened by me and was so bummed that we didn't have one of those sooner.  I like it so much more than Babies R Us.  The lady was so sweet and took the Contours Elite double stroller down for me to look at and put my DD in and try out.  

First time moms check out https://www.lucieslist.com for some great registry reminders!

cbamama641

Lauren0216 said:

Ha, is it bad that I just want to register to get some free stuff for this baby?  My DD is only 22 months so we really won't need anything other than a double stroller and some new bottle nipples and clothes if baby is a boy.  I went into a Buy Buy Baby the other day because one just opened by me and was so bummed that we didn't have one of those sooner.  I like it so much more than Babies R Us.  The lady was so sweet and took the Contours Elite double stroller down for me to look at and put my DD in and try out.  

First time moms check out https://www.lucieslist.com for some great registry reminders!

Nope.. this is #4 and I'm creating a registry because I'll get a $20 gift card from target for doing so! also the contours stroller is the shit. 

westcoastfoodie

This MAY have already been said, but I thought I'd throw it out there... Check with your insurance before getting a breast pump. Sometimes they'll cover it.