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Creating a registry = overwhelming! Help!
I am so overhwhelmed looking at brands, reviews, critics, gadgets...I can't get myself organized! Registering for a wedding was fun and the items were things I am familiar with. I am totally out of my element now!
My question is--do you have any raves or "don't bother buying" suggestions? More specifically:
Strollers (travel systems?)
High chair
Bouncer and/or Swing?
Breast pumps and accessories?
Anything you registered for that you never used?
Thanks so much for ANY suggestions. I know this question has been asked before and I unfortunately didn't pay close enough attention.
Thank you 
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Re: Creating a registry = overwhelming! Help!
I TOTALLY know what you mean!!!!
My top "must buy" equipment... play mat, bouncy chair (just to put baby in when you take a shower, etc.), swing of some kind (hope your babe likes it!).
Strollers (travel systems?) We have a travel system and LOVE it. We are "on the go" a lot and love that it lays back for recline/nap time. But the Snap and Go is also VERY handy to have for quick trips (when babe is little and still in the car seat - which Andrew is). We have a Graco. But again... which one... won't really matter.
High chair Ack - we STILL don't have one - and need one desperately!
Bouncer and/or Swing? Yes to both. Brands, types, etc... really unimportant
Breast pumps and accessories? I have the Medela Pump in Style. And liked it a lot.
Anything you registered for that you never used? A "tummy time" mat. he used a blanket or his play mat more.
Other tips... don't register for too many of one type of thing (bottles, burp rags, clothes, blankets, etc.). You will find that you'll end up liking one over the other... as you try things out. And you don't want to be stuck using LOTS of one thing that you have that you don't like.
Raves: Car seats that snap in and out of bases and are compatible with strollers. When it comes to strollers, pick what you like and see which car seats that it is compatible with. A lot come with an adapter bar these days. The ones that snap in and out of the base, there are usually frame strollers that are light weight that they snap into that are convenient until the kid outgrows that first stage of seat.
High chair: Not necessary for the first three months but when you do get one, it was sure nice to have one that reclines for when the kids are smaller. If you don't have a lot of extra space, you can get a booster but then I wouldn't use it until they can really sit up on their own..
Swing is a must have right away. Bouncer we started using after 4 months.
We rented a pump from the hospital. It was a higher grade of pump and our insurance covered the cost.
Slings give you your freedom to have a life.
The pack n play was useful because we used the bassinet before the crib (for easy access for breast feeding while I was recovering so I didn't keep having to run across the room).
do you have the book baby bargains?? Its really helpful!
I figured I wouldnt bother with Convertible sar seat, high chair, or a jumper. I waited until the baby was bigger for those purchases.
But I did register for lots of other stuff -
a Swing
baby carrier (sling, moby, etc)
Bobby/Breastfriend?
boppy cover (2-3)?
Sheets (3)?
Burp Rags (cloth ciapers)?
Pack & Play
Bouncer seat
bathtub
Bottles, Nipples, Bottle Brush
Car Seat?
Snap & Go Stroller
Thermometer
Cool Mist Humidifier
?Sleep sack
Blankets
Crib
.... oh man - i forgot how many things there are to get for a new baby. heres a list to use:?https://babyproducts.about.com/od/preparingforbaby/a/baby_products.htm?
?
Oh it is sooooo overwhelming. When DH and I went to Lullaby Lane the first time to register, I walked out feeling dizzy. And DH was absolutely no help...I wondered if I was making a big mistake having a child with him.
This is what I did...luckily I had 3 close girlfriends who didn't know each other who were all having babies within a few months of one another. So I just essentially copied their registries (tweaking according to my own research of course). Do you have anyone close to you whose registry you could use as a jumping-off point?
Do you have a copy of Baby Bargains? That is a must-have IMO. It was a huuuge help.
To answer your questions about those specific items:
Stroller - we started out with the Graco Snap-n-Go and the Graco Snug Ride carseat. We bought a Peg Perego Pliko P3 when E was 7 mo.
High Chair - We registered for a fancy Svan high chair but no one bought it for us. So we ended up getting a Fisher Price Space Saver high chair. The space saver attaches to a normal dining chair which ended up being great for us b/c we have very limited space.
Bouncer and/or swing - We got a hand-me-down vibrating bouncy chair from a friend. Can't remember the brand or model. But it was what E napped in almost 100% of the time until she was 3 mo. So yes on the bouncey chair. I didn't like either of the swings we had. But I do think a swing is a necessity.
Breast pump - I used the Ameda Truly Yours b/c it was less expensive than the Medela models. I didn't have any problems with it.
Strollers (travel systems?) We didn't end up with a travel system but got both a graco stroller and an infant seat. It weighed about 5 lbs less and that was important to me. (Try to close them with one hand....and then lift into your trunk. Also try to steer with one hand. And the best piece of advice I got wsa from my sister: make sure you can get into the basket while the seat is fully reclined. Nothing like shopping and needing to get in the basket while the LO is asleep)
High chair: I personally think they're all the same - we ended up with a chicco which is what I wanted but the graco my mom got me would have been fine. I think the real decision is do you have room for one? If not, go for the fisher price space saver one.
Bouncer and/or Swing? Both...we couldn't live without the swing but the bouncer was handy too. Both of ours are old but will work just fine (I hope).
Breast pumps and accessories? I have the Medela backpack - hand-me-down from my sister. It's gone through 3 kids and still works great. You have to replace hoses and things like that but they're cheap enough at target or BRU. For the storage bags, it really is a preference thing. Just get a few of each kind and see what you like best. Same with breast pads. Everyone has a different opinion.
Anything you registered for that you never used? Bumbo seat (or what ever they're called). Ryan hated it and it's virtually brand new.
Do you have any raves or "don't bother buying" suggestions? Mmm - I loved having a carrier for the baby....a diaper bag with lots of pockets...LOTS of burp cloths/receiving blankets...etc. I hated hated hated our infant tub....we're going to try out a different one this time around (yay for my sister).
This is what I was going to say. I read it, then brought it with us when we registered. It was a lifesaver.
Strollers (travel systems?): Start with a Snap and go! Travel systems are big bulky and over rated IMHO then you can pick the stroller that best fits your needs once LO out grows the snap and go.
High chair: I LOVE mine. It was a hand-me down. It has 3 different trays all that fit in the dishwasher for easy washing. If I had to buy one I would have picked the kind that snaps onto the table since our appt is small.
Bouncer and/or Swing? BOTH! IMHO bouncers are all the same. Pick something you like and isn't annoying with a vibrate feature. Our swing was a hand me down as well so hopefully someone has one they liked and can recommend.
Breast pumps and accessories? My advice is to wait and rent one at first. That way if BFing doesn't go well you aren't out a ton of money.
My other big recommendation would be a Moby. Having your hands free and a happy baby is a life saver.
Big fat ditto!!
Strollers (travel systems?) i love our evenflo aura travel system .. it's a snap and go that's great. try not to pick out a gender specific color - ours is green/gray/black for a reason .. should we ever have a 2nd kid that is one less thing we'll need.
High chair i'm in the same boat as ABC .. don't have one yet but since we started solid food on t-day, it's looming fast the day we'll need one.
Bouncer and/or Swing? BOTH .. we inherited dd's swing from my bil/sil - dd LOVES LOVES LOVES her swing and she's JUST warming up to the bouncy seat at 4 1/2 months. i think it's b/c she can finally grab at the ring and bumble bees that hang off of it.
Breast pumps and accessories? i inherited mine from my sil - lansolih (sp?) .. it's ok. my sister when she had her baby called and asked me about mine .. i told it's ok but call our other sil who has a medela PISA or given our genetic disposition .. get a hospital grade pump THEN downgrade to a medela PISA or freestyle.
Anything you registered for that you never used? now that i think about it .. alot of the stuff we registered for, we actually used BUT it wasn't used right away. i had my doubts about the bouncy seat, originally thinking it was a huge waste until the last few weeks when she's played 'quietly' in it while i did some cleaning up.
the baby registry stuff can be overwhelming .. my sil gladly took me under her wing and we did it together. it was great having an experienced mommy w/ me when i did it - her 2 are 4 and almost 2.
Clearly I have not used everything yet, BUT....
Strollers (travel systems?)
We have the BOB Revolution w/ the carseat adapter, and we have a snap'n'go (for shorter trips or for small space trips). Having the athletic use stroller was #1 on our list...DH and I are very active people and knew that when MM was old enough and had good head control we would want to take him with us when we run. Because we got the BOB we avoided the travel systems....when the Snap'n'Go gets outgrown then we will get a more umbrella style stroller for short tight trips...maybe a mcclaren (after the figure out their problems) or something of that design.
High chair We are choosing to not get one at this point...we knew he would not need it for at LEAST 4 months...probably longer (I suspect we won't try solids until around 6 months). We also plan to get the kind that belt onto a regular chair....saves space and allows MM to feel like he is sitting with us at dinner time. Bouncer and/or Swing?Swing: We got the fisher price cradle'n'swing (little lamb) because all my friends have it and rave about it. I like that it can swing 3 different directions and the size was right for our place and needs.Bouncer...like a jumperoo or exasaucer....we registered for an exa but didn't get it, and since he won't be good to be placed in it until 3+ months we are not going to buy one until then, and then we can place him in them and find out if her prefers a jumproo or a exa...or hates them all together. Breast pumps and accessories?If I decide to buy one I am going to get the Medela Freestyle. But I have decided to rent via Kaiser for the beginning because it is covered by my insurance for the first 6 months....Money Matters The other half's blog.
EJ is growing up too fast!
Ditto Baby Bargains, it's a big help in the daunting task of what you need...
And everyone is different, every baby is different. So you have to kind of go by your gut on a lot of things.
The one thing I think is a must have from early on and still a must have now is a CD player! Or MP3 player, whatever...something to play music for when their fussing when they're little, and something for nursery dance parties when their older.
That's one thing we got right before she was born on a whim...it's something no one recommended (maybe it's common sense, who knows?! ha) and it's the one thing I really suggest.
On top of pps suggestions, we could not live without our sound machines. Both boys have them in their rooms.
In hindsight, I would have also registered for things like Born Free sippies, snack containers- toddler things that add up $$ wise.
High chair - We're getting the Stokke Tripp Trapp because I like that adults can use it as a bar stool. I don't know if your house is like ours, but people congregate in the kitchen so any extra seating is a must. We didn't register for it because it won't get used in the first six months and I'm more concerned about making sure we have enough clothing, diapers, etc.
Bouncer and/or Swing? I've skipped these for now. If we find that we need one, I'll pick one up when it becomes necessary. We're very Less Is More and so I don't want things hanging around "just in case" - especially large things like these. That being said, I've heard the side-to-side swings are better because they better mimic the motion in the womb.
Breast pumps and accessories?We'll probably get the Medela. Do Not Buy This Used.
Regarding your car seat - this site was actually very helpful. You just put in the car you have an it rates the car seats on the market. We ended up with the Chicco Keyfit.
https://www.carseatdata.org/