The Registry Thread

firsttimespartanmom

All things registry! When I was creating mine (FTM), I wondered if babies honestly need half the stuff that’s suvvested. 

So, STM+ moms, what are you happy you registered for? What did you use, not use, didn’t need, etc. Any and all advice welcome! 

runningyogimama

I just put anything on the registry we planned to buy, so it was there was an option for people, or else we could use our completion coupon (and eventual gift cards, since we got quite a few of those) on them.

Registering for multiples brands of bottles and pacifiers is an amazing idea, and saves a possible midnight trip to the store at some point. You don’t have to open them all, but then you have them should your baby be super picky, and you can always return them.

It makes it easy for people to put together gift baskets if you have other little stuff like breastfeeding supplies (lanolin, bags, breastpads, and these are amazing, whether or not breastfeeding works out: https://www.lansinoh.com/lansinohr-therapearlr-3-in-1-breast-therapy).

 My kids both used and loved all the things - swing, bouncy seat, and rock n play, and we found it nice to have them throughout the house. 

A boppy (whether or not breastfeeding) and baby monitor). You could always add your car seat/travel system/stroller. Pack n play. Baby carrier. Receiving blankets (I’m a big Aden n Anais fan and love both the Muslim and bamboo blankets). Towels and washcloths.

I learned not to add any even basic clothing items, because people completely ignore them and buy the clothes they want anyway, lol. 

I’ve actually started a registry for this baby just for my own keeping track of randoms we need to buy. 

BabyBoyH92016

Loved
Swing-I couldn’t of survived without this- We had a fisher price one.
Boppy Newborn Lounger
Miracle Blanket Swaddles 
Glider. We actually never registered for one, but one week after he was born, ended up buying one off of Amazon 
Rock and Play
In the hospital they gave us kimono long sleeve shirts that had bulit in mittens and I LOVED them. It was nice not having to pull shirts over his head. We took all of them from the hospital and immediately ordered more online.
Halo Muslin Sleepsacks 
Baby carrier 
Sound Machine (we love our hatch and still use it with our 20 month old)
If you plan on breastfeeding- My breast friend nursing pillow (also brought it to the hospital with me) I had a boppy as well and liked using My Breast Friend better. It just provides more support. 
Tub with built in scale- I was surprised how much i liked this item. I nursed, and in the early weeks/months it was nice seeing his weight gain and knowing he was gaining weight consistently. 
Pjs with zippers (no snaps...zippers) Hated snaps when changing diapers at night, and also once he got older and squirmy. 
Phil and teds lobster chair. We used this a TON. If you dine out frequently (which we do, especially when we lived in Chicago) it really comes in handy. We actually got a lot of comments about it from people wanting to purchase it for themselves or a friend/family member. We still prefer to use this over the restaurants highchair. It folds up really nicely, so it’s easy to just keep in your car or throw under a stroller. Also useful when going over friends/family homes for brunch or dinner. You can attach it to a table or kitchen island. 
Silicone bibs with food catcher pouch. These are amazing.

Hated
Bouncer -He hated it
Bottle sanitizer (medela has these microwave bags that you can sanitize items in and we ended up using that instead of our bottle sanitizer)
We ended up with too many bibs. After he started solids, we quickly discovered the silicone bibs that have a pouch (for catching food) and never used cloth bibs again. The cloth bibs would get so gross and the silicone ones were easily washable.
Pjs with snaps. I ended up buying pjs with zippers only.
Overall we had too many clothes. There were lots of things my son never got to wear.
We also ended up with tons of blankets and stuffed animals. Not that I dislike blankets, because we use some of them, but overall they are just very popular gifts that people seem to give you, and we have too many. We loved Muslin blankets 

wildrainbow

The RNP is a lifesaver, plus it's super convenient for traveling. I never really used my PNP and I wish I hadn't gotten it. I got muslin burp cloths from someone and they are my favorite. They are big, which is awesome if you have a baby with reflux, larger area of protection. They are super absorbtant as well. 

If you are wanting to baby wear, get a Moby wrap for the early months, then get a SSC like Tula or Ergobaby. Baby wearing is awesome because you don't have to lug the seat around, or a stroller. I wore ds everywhere, and it was so much easier. 

If you are planning on bf, register for some nipple cream, like Earth mama. Don't forget to register for a cover, boppy pillow, and some breast pads. I know it seems weird, but if anything, you can get a discount on it through your registry. 

I would register for diapers through at least size 2, this way, hopefully, you get all sizes and it will last a while. Same with wipes, register for the big boxes, you will use them, promise. 

As far as sleep sacks, swaddles, etc. Ds hated them so we never used them. It is an individual thing for baby. Some babies love them, some hate them. I would maybe register for two and you can see where your babe falls. As far as blankets, muslin blankets are where it's at! They are big, lightweight, and just all around amazing. We used ours for everything from a car seat canopy while ds slept, to floor time, to emergency spit up remover, to a towel. 

As far as towels go, you really only need like a pack of three. Baby shampoo, only like 2 bottles, that stuff lasts forever. For bathing, we bathed ds in the sink and used one of those flower things. I can't remember what they are called. They work wonders for the newborn bath, because they cover the whole sink and baby can lay back saflely. Plus, if your babe has an upset tummy, warm baths help relax them and the sink is so much easier/faster to fill up than the tub. 

We used a swing, which ds loved. He also loved the activity mat, he would lay on it for a while and look at the toys hanging. To be honest those are the major things we used. Don't register for clothes, you will get them regardless. Sorry this is so long, I didn't realize it would be when I started, haha. 

offtoneverland

Yay, so excited to see this thread! 

I think I'm the odd one out in that I absolutely hated the Aden and Anais blankets. I couldn't get the swaddle to work in them for the life of me, so we never used them. 

I also did not like my glider chair. I had wanted to use it to breastfeed DD, but it was so much more comfortable for me to sit on the couch. It might have something to do with my short torso...it was just too much to try to prop my elbow up on the arm rest while supporting DD's head. 

I also wished we had not bought one of those cute crib nursery sheet sets, the one that comes with a matching comforter and all that. DD has never used that comforter (well, we tried a few times once she was big enough to have a blanket in her bed, and it wasn't cuddly enough for her). Just get a couple of fitted sheets and you'll be good to go! That's really all you need.

Necessities for us are things that a lot of people usually complain about, but DD spit up a TON, so huge stacks of receiving blankets were a lifesaver for us. We had tons of bibs as well, and it was great. Whenever I put DD on the ground, couch, etc, I would put her on top of a receiving blanket because she was pretty much guaranteed to throw up all over the place. Another tip is that Gerber cloth diapers (the plain white cloth squares) work wonders as burp cloths (we never used them for CDs). They are much cheaper than the cutesy burp cloths, and they're much bigger and absorbent.

Other ideas to register for that we loved (I put stars by the ones that are my favorites and biggest necessities):
-**Bottle warmer (I breastfed DD only for a little while, then switched to pumping, so we loved having a bottle warmer to warm up the cold milk). Even if planning to bf, you may need a bottle warmer eventually for when the babysitter comes over or when you've been drinking and have to use frozen milk.
-**Folding bath seat, instead of a huge bathtub. We have a small house and did not have room for a big bath tub insert, so the folding chair was perfect.
-Thermometer (we used rectal and still do because it's so much easier)
-Sound machine
-**Crib soother (light up sound machine that attaches to the side of the crib. DD was obsessed with hers from a very early age and still uses it every single night at 3.5 years old).
-Safety kit (socket plugs, cabinet latches, etc).
-**Sleep sacks, the kind that zip up the center, not the bottom. The one with the zip on the bottom was way too hard to put on.
-A few small toys for a little later--stacking cups (the best!), rattles, Baby Einstein radio thing (almost all the babies I know have one of these and love it), etc.

runningyogimama

Oh!! I almost forgot my favorite — sound machine!!! Serious necessity 

lifesabeach85

You should have some *thing* to set baby down in/on safely in every room of the house where you regularly spend time. So, maybe the swing in the family room, the bouncy chair in your bathroom, a playmat in your bedroom, the pack n play in the kitchen etc. It's hard to know what baby will love (DD was medium on the swing and hated the mamaroo but she loved the Rnp), but you'll still want to have an option in each room.

Like others have said people will get you a gazillion blankets, so you usually don't need to register for many of them.

I'm gonna try to think of some lesser known items you might not know you need:

- The best crib sheets in the world are the Quick Zip sheets. Sooooo much easier than picking up the mattress to change the sheet.

https://www.amazon.com/QuickZip-Crib-Sheet-Set-Zip/dp/B000RJ9TCY/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1526751885&sr=8-3&keywords=quickzip+crib+sheet&dpID=318dNJ%2BWxkL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1

- a bath kneeler can be nice for your knees when bathing baby

- Nail scissors are way better than nail clippers at not cutting your baby's teeny tiny little hands. Their nails grow fast and they scratch!

https://www.amazon.com/Simba-Toddler-Safety-Scissors-Yellow/dp/B00Q5I38XM/ref=sr_1_6_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1526752043&sr=1-6&keywords=baby+nail+scissors&dpID=41yweD8G9kL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

- If you live in a city or think you will need to take your baby in a stroller no matter the weather there are stroller rain covers and this stroller blanket that they can't kick off. A stroller fan is also a good idea for hot days.

https://www.amazon.com/JJ-Cole-Urban-Bundleme-Infant/dp/B0009RG8WS/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1526752196&sr=1-1&keywords=urban+bundleme&dpID=51KRew7XRHL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

- A backseat mirror for the car will let you see a rear facing baby so you can see if they're sleeping or if they're fussing you can see that they're ok. Also being able to see them in the rear view will decrease the likelihood that a sleeping baby might be forgotten (I know we would all never forget our babies but still)

- A drying rack because bottles, pump parts, and plastic baby cups and bowls always come out of the dishwasher still wet

blue2mango

I to hated the muslin swaddle blankets. We used some Carters stretchy ones and they were amazing.

I got an ingenuity booster style seat with tray from a friend and it was my ABSOLUTE favorite. It was 5000x better then the bumbo and the tray fits in the bottom. It is sturdy and was better for my sons fat legs. I kept it on the counter in our kitchen. Thats how sturdy it was. Then it coverts to like a highchair by strapping to a chair.

I had like 4 nursing pillows. (Kept one upstairs, downstairs, in mine & DH cars.) I loved the mombo best. It was harder and sturdier on one side and softer on the other. 

My favorite carrier was my Beco Gemini. 4 positions, can criss cross straps on my back for a more secure feel. It works birth and abovr.

lostarz14

I didn't nurse for very long but I liked the My Breast Friend pillow for nursing more than the boppy. It's more sturdy. We used the boppy later for when she was starting to sit up.

The Boppy Lounger got way more use than I thought it would, loved that thing.

We also loved the RNP. We took it with us whenever we went to people's houses.

The sit me up floor seat was also well loved as was the Jumparoo.

A friend gave us a swing (we didn't register for one) and DD really liked it.

If using bottles, a little "cage" to hold pieces and parts in the dishwasher was great to have, and a drying rack for the counter, this was my fave

https://www.target.com/p/munchkin-high-capacity-bottle-drying-rack/-/A-13955647?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Baby+Shopping&adgroup=SC_Baby&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=m&location=9016810&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuYTYBRDsARIsAJnrUXAp_g7NtxuHmwG3qAPBujQEGa_XHT7Vw9u7Ck7XtzPcIKhPGjkrupQaAi7LEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

We never used the changing pad on the dresser, like wish I wouldn't have registered for it. We just changed her wherever with some washable changing pads. I highly recommend having a little basket or tote or something in a different room (such as the family room) with all the diaper changing necessities in it. Then you can take it wherever you need it. We rarely changed her in her actual room.

DD didn't like to be swaddled but we still use the muslin blankets to this day. They're big and lightweight and just good to have.

I really liked this bathtub too

The First Years Sure Comfort Deluxe Newborn To Toddler Tub, Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000067EH7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8exaBbF3WHSTX

middleschoolmommy

Ds had projectile vomiting due to reflux and SpaSilk burp cloths are the most absorbent thing on earth. I've bought them as a gift to every new mom I know since having DS.

Spasilk Baby-Girls Newborn 3 Pack Burp Cloths, Pink Baby, One Size https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U47JM08/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_QByaBbBZXCWTH

I spent a lot of time researching crib mattresses while pregnant with DS and ended up with this one (since it was the best, affordable option). DS is still using it, toddler bed now, and it looks the same as when we first put it in his crib. It's amazing. No sagging or cracking after 4 years. 

Sealy Soybean Foam-Core Infant/Toddler Crib Mattress - Hypoallergenic Soy Foam, Extra Firm, Durable Waterproof Cover, Lightweight, Air Quality Certified Foam, 51.7”x27.3 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001N4LE5M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_FCyaBb2P70EX8

Also, SwaddleMe newborn pods (wearable blankets). I used these with DS for a couple months. 

SwaddleMe Pod 2-PK, Baby Bows (NB) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0107CYIWQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_2zyaBbGAV7SYR

lifesabeach85

+1 for the plastic dishwasher box that holds bottle and pump parts.

https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Dishwasher-Basket-Bottle-Accessories/dp/B0771FFJ21/ref=sr_1_5_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1526829767&sr=1-5&keywords=dishwasher+basket&dpID=5173OQFewgL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

I BF for a year, EBF for six months and I didn’t use the boppy. It worked just as well to use whatever pillow on the bed/chair/couch I was sitting on, and I didn’t feel like dragging the special pillow around everywhere. 

- Nosefrida or some other sort of nasal aspirator. They haaaaaate this but it’s necessary. 

- A humidifier! But you need one that emits COOL water. Anything that heats up the water is dangerous.

https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-HCM350W-Germ-Humidifier-White/dp/B002QAYJPO/ref=sr_1_3_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1526829723&sr=1-3&keywords=germ+free+humidifier&dpID=31hq1CTj8nL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

- If you're on the go a lot there is a portable sound machine that clips into stroller

https://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Sleep-Sheep-Travel-Machine/dp/B000J6CDY6/ref=sr_1_2_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1526752289&sr=1-2&keywords=sleep+sheep&dpID=41kvHg8p9BL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1

-  if you travel having bags that you can put carseat and stroller in when gate checking are nice, not just to protect them but because they often have straps that make lugging them through the airport easier. You will likely also want an umbrella stroller when baby gets older, so much easier to travel with!

https://www.amazon.com/VolkGo-DURABLE-Stroller-Bag-Airplane/dp/B072F2MV3K/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1526829669&sr=1-4&keywords=carseat+and+stroller+bag&dpID=51Cjh-JmLPL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

offtoneverland

Great recommendations from the others that I forgot about.
@middleschoolmommy Thanks for the rec on the bibs. I'm definitely going to buy some of those since DD spit up all the time and it was awful. 
@blue2mango You're the only other person I've met who hated the muslin blankets. Good to know I'm not alone! 

+1 for the plastic dishwasher box and humidifier. 
+1 to having something in each room of the house to set the baby down in. This is what I really liked about the rock and play--it's super small and light, so you can carry it around the house easily. We did not have one with DD, but borrowed one from a friend, so it was on my must have list for this baby (I bought one for 30% off at Toys-R-Us last week). 
+1 to the backseat mirror. I've heard a lot of people say they didn't find this essential, but for us it was, since like I already said, DD spit up a lot, so if she started making coughing sounds, I could look back and see if she was just coughing, or if she had spit up everywhere. 

I thought of a few other things, but now I can't remember. I'll have to come back later!

firsttimespartanmom

All of these comments are honestly so helpful! I was feeling totally lost and had no idea what we would need when this babe comes - I know we have time but I like to plan, usually when I’m bored at work thank you all so much for the recommendations! 

msb11182018

The sleep sacks with the velcro were a lifesaver the first couple of nights at home when I was still new to wrapping a swaddle tight enough. Was the only way DS would sleep at night the first week or so. 
I also had a friend that gave me a bouncy seat and swing, I find that putting these things on a registry is unnecessary because you can find an abundance of them on fb sites and at garage sales for so much cheaper and in like new condition. Save the registry for things you would not buy used like bottles, carseats, diapers, wipes, lotion, diaper cream, shampoo, etc. I found that most of my shower guests ignored the registry and just brought baby clothes and blankets.

tessiesmom26

I am so sad that I didn't find this before I went to Target to start my registry on Saturday. I had a meltdown at Target (thanks pregnancy hormones!!) I felt so overwhelmed, but this is so helpful! I wrote down a ton of ideas and will continue to follow this!

What is a RNP? I see a few of you mentioned it. 

firsttimespartanmom

@tessiesmom26 rock n play  

mamabee1113

For me, all of the baby option are sooo overwhelming! I love this thread and I love you S+TMs more for sharing your experiences and recommendations with everyone. Everything on here is so helpful!

BabyBoyH92016

I agree with @msb11182018 regarding Facebook virtual garage sale sites. I recently joined a few local to my area and I find some great deals. Since all babies like different things, buying some items second hand will save you $$$$. 

lostarz14

+1 for the Nosefrida!  Best thing ever!

ginny_203

I have nothing to add but just wanted to say thanks so much to all the S+TMs for giving us your insights Super helpful.

lostarz14

So I'm a nerd and made a spreadsheet when a friend of mine was having a baby so I figured I'd share. Some things I never bought/used but they were things I came across while putting my registry together.

herewegoagain3rd

Here is my two cents from last time. I did NOT like a crib with attached changing table. I couldn't change the room around and it was so big (I am only 5'1) that sometimes it felt like I was dropping DD into it. I am getting a really simple one from IKEA this year.

Also, if you have a consignment shop/sale near you, get all your clothes from there. They are usually a dollar each and some are brand new!

Skip the wipe warmers and bottle warmers. I never used either and my daughter didn't even notice. 

herewegoagain3rd

Oh and +1 on the plastic bibs. The cloth bibs did nothing!

smulrich16

@tessiesmom26 I'm glad I'm not the only one. I stopped short of a meltdown, but every time I go into a baby section to look/register for things I get incredibly overwhelmed. To be honest, I do that with any store that has too many options (Ulta, DSW, etc.). I've learned if I go in focused on one or two things it helps. So, we've gone to look at car seats and strollers on one trip, then cribs and crib accessories on another. It helps me immensely. 

Thank you, ladies for all your great tips!!

susan112118

@lostarz14 Your spreadsheet was super helpful. Thank you!

highsteaks

i found lucie’s list insanely helpful during my last pregnancy.
https://www.lucieslist.com/baby-registry-basics/

lostarz14

highsteaks said:

i found lucie’s list insanely helpful during my last pregnancy.
https://www.lucieslist.com/baby-registry-basics/

Yes!  It was my go-to!

charliesmommy6

+1 for Boppy Lounger and for not registering for any clothes/blankets.  People will buy you clothes anyways and if they don't its much more fun to buy clothes yourself than burp cloths or bottles, etc.

As a STM I've still made a registry for the completion discount and to keep track of the things I want/need to get before baby comes.

lifesabeach85

@tessiesmom26

https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Auto-Rock-Sleeper-Stone/dp/B00NEO5UTU/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1526926834&sr=1-4&keywords=rock+n+play&dpID=51D5kSPpA1L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

This was a lifesaver for us.

CopperBoom86

Just say Yeeeesssssss to the Boppy Lounger. It was seriously our favorite and most used baby item. Love that thing!

runningyogimama

I also had a meltdown going to Target to register as a FTM! I also ended up doing quite a bit of returning/exchanging after my shower and later. You just never know what baby will like for a lot of things until they’re here!

josie12367

So how exactly do you get the registry completion coupon? I've done a registry twice now through Amazon, and have never figured it out... mostly cause I didn't have the energy afterwards. But it would be super helpful this time as there's no baby shower this time, and my entire family is having money issues so we're not even telling our families we need anything

ginny_203

@lostarz14 thank you so much for sharing the spreadsheet! A girl after my own heart with the spreadsheet, seriously. 

lostarz14

ginny_203 said:

@lostarz14 thank you so much for sharing the spreadsheet! A girl after my own heart with the spreadsheet, seriously. 

You're welcome.  I love spreadsheets

mockingjay1

@josie12367 - I didn't register through amazon with DS, but both target and babiesrus sent me the completion coupons a few weeks before I was due. I didn't have to do anything to get them. I'm not 100% sure how amazon works, but I thought it was the same. 

lostarz14

@josie12367 I want to say that their checklist has to be complete before they'll send the coupon.  You don't have to add EVERYTHING to your registry but I want to say you have to have one thing from each category or something?  And I think you can check it off yourself.  The earliest you'd get the coupon is 60 days before the due date and I think it's just a pop up at the top of your registry.  I feel like it's kind of confusing.  You could probably contact the Amazon customer service about it, hopefully they'd have a better answer.

susan112118

@josie12367 - @lostarz14 is correct. It shows on my Amazon registry which items are completion discount eligible. When I hover over that text, there's a box that pops up and says it the completion discount will be available 60 days before babies arrival. Here's a link with more info: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201936860

linz36

Hi everyone...I need opinions! I’m working on my registry and picking out car seats. I found a super nice car seat that is convertible (so technically newborn until they don’t need a car seat) that I love. However, it doesn’t work as a carrier. Should I get two car seats (well I guess 4 since it’s twins lol); one for infancy so I can carry them and click them into place (and onto the stroller) and the convertible? Or do people really use the carrier system? I was hoping to wear the babies (my husband and I would do this together) so I don’t know if we’d use the carrier system. But these are our first so I don’t really know what to expect.

runningyogimama

@linz36 I know some people skip infant carrier, but I can’t imagine skipping them (especially with 2 and the logistics of that, especially when one of you is going somewhere alone with both babies). It’s just so much easier to snap them out of the car, while still sleeping, instead of disturbing them every time to unbuckle them, and then to be able to snap that into a stroller, or carry it inside the house, store, etc. We only used the infant carrier for maybe 4 months with both kids, but it was 100% worth it!! 

With infant carriers, you also only need an extra base for each car - with a convertible seat, you’ll realistically need a seat for each baby for each car.

offtoneverland

@linz36 I agree with @runningyogimama. We actually used our carrier with DD for 11 months or so. Babies aren't really supposed to sleep in carseats for long, but it was really nice to leave her sleeping in it for a little while if she fell asleep in the car. You can just snap it out and carry it inside. It might be especially nice with twins--I'm sure you'll want to take advantage of the time that they're asleep, lol! It also sounds really difficult, to me, to try and wrangle a newborn into a convertible carseat, but I've never tried it so I can definitely be wrong.
We had a carseat product spotlight thread a while ago, and I think some people asked about this same issue. I can try and bump it up for you. 

lifesabeach85

@linz36 Never had twins, but I am assuming what I have to say goes double for double the babies. I can't imagine not having the click in travel system. You can still wear your babies a lot, but when one or both babies are sleeping, you really will not want to wake them up to pull them out of the seat and put them in a carrier if you don't have to. Also, you will probably want to take your babies on walks in the stroller by yourself every now and then (I'm assuming your husband won't be home with you all the time), and you'll need the travel system to make this work (newborns can't sit up in the stroller). There are a lot of activities that are just harder to do with an infant strapped to you, as opposed to having them in the stroller. Anyway, yes I would consider a travel system a must have, even though I wore DD a whole bunch too.