Completely overwhelmed at Babies R Us!

Yellow_Daisy

OMG we went to Babies R Us today and it was completely overwhelming.  We had to leave because we were so overwhelmed with baby stuff.  I think I really need to start reading my Baby Bargains book so that I won't feel like the stupidest person ever the next time I walk in that store. 

The only thing we did find and loved was this glider, I could have fallen asleep in it.  I don't know if this is the one we will get, but both of us really liked it and that is very unusual given our height differences (5'3" vs 6'2").

Any advice for how to make the baby stores less intimidating?  I have no idea how we are going to register, we don't know anything about babies!  LOL!

periwnkl10

I'm stressing about the registry process too, but I know I'll want to get started as soon as we find out the sex. You're ahead of me because I haven't even gotten a Baby Bargains book. Do I really need it?

Right now I have about 10 stores I want to register at Guess I need to narrow that down.

MyShellyBelly

Baby Bargains is a HUGE help! I'm glad I listened to the ladies on this board and bought it Good luck!

schoolsoutbride

BRU has a list of suggested things to register for.  We started with that and eliminated stuff that seemed dumb.

For brands and stuff, I relied on what people said about Baby Bargains on the nest.

hall_ky

The baby bargains book gave me a lot of good insight. I went through and highlighted things that I liked or wanted. I think that makes it easier once you know what you are looking for. And not only does the book give you reviews but it also gives advice on what's pratical and what you really don't need. I need to make a trip up to that babies r us as it is the closest one to me but so far I haven't made it. But on the positive side I have a LOT of time. I hope you are doing well!

nikinikinine

registering is a giant pain in the ass.

Do yourself a favor and do a *LITTLE* at a time.

Read baby bargains. But pick two things/items you are going to read about at a time - highlight your top choices based on what you see in the book. Look at them online. Once you have a short list of things that you have narrowed down (i.e. strollers, car seats, high chairs and jumperoos) go to the store (BRU, BBB, wherever) and try them out/see them in person. Make a selection, add it to your registry and then leave again.

You'll be able to quickly bang out all your big ticket items that way and not be too overwhelmed. Unless you really need people to buy things for you, don't stress about the weird little shiit like stuff for solid foods, potty training crap, etc. Just focus on the stuff you know you need for the baby (i.e. a car seat, a stroller, a bouncer, etc.) and what you know you want for them (i.e. a bumbo, a miracle blanket).

Don't worry about clothes either, people will buy you a crap ton of clothes and diapers and receiving blankets, even if you don't register for them.

Ask lots of questions on here too hon, a lot of us are at the end and have figured things out Or kind of figured things out. LOL.

Here's a link to my registry too, granted it's for two kids, and I've since purchased more stuff that I haven't added to the list, but maybe it'll help you xoxo

https://nikinikinine.blogspot.com/2010/12/our-registry-and-birth-plan.html 

 

ams8099

Start reading Baby Bargains. I paid extra attention to cribs, car seats, strollers, and mattresses.Bedding and clothing is a good section to look at too.  I skimmed through the rest, but I did highlight anything that stood out to me as really important. I also used post its on some pages for reference. 

Go a few times without even thinking about your registry. Look around and see the different things that they have for babies.

Next time you go to work on your registry, take somebody with you that has had a baby. My SIL has a 4 year old and a 2 year old. She was SO helpful. She knew everything that was a must have, a be nice to have, and everything that is useless. I would have been so lost without her.

HTH! 

 

Yellow_Daisy

Thanks Niki!  I am going to check out your registry list.  I am sure I will have oodles of questions in the next few weeks.

Yellow_Daisy

hall_ky:

The baby bargains book gave me a lot of good insight. I went through and highlighted things that I liked or wanted. I think that makes it easier once you know what you are looking for. And not only does the book give you reviews but it also gives advice on what's pratical and what you really don't need. I need to make a trip up to that babies r us as it is the closest one to me but so far I haven't made it. But on the positive side I have a LOT of time. I hope you are doing well!

Thanks, I am going to get reading.

I am also going to head to Goore's once I get my head on straight.  I have been there once and they had a really good selection of strollers on display that Babies R Us didn't have, as well as other things.

A store employee told us the same thing as Niki, to do a little at a time and start with the necessities that gender doesn't have any bearing on.  She took pity on us given our deer in the headlights, glazed over eyes look.

CarrieB.

I think the first time I went into BRU I almost had a panic attack. I prefer registering online. lol. 

Dragonfly1226

Yellow_Daisy:

 I think I really need to start reading my Baby Bargains book so that I won't feel like the stupidest person ever the next time I walk in that store. 

Any advice for how to make the baby stores less intimidating?  

Baby Bargains is my advice

When dh and I went to register, I had Baby Bargains, and he had Consumer Reports Baby. We just went from area to area, looked in the books, and chose the big items based on the safety reviews.

Before we registered, I had two friends with young children make lists of "Baby Essentials." The lists really helped us to figure out what we needed and what we didn't.

After we were done with the "rough draft" of our registry, I had friends look at it and tell me if there was anything they thought we missed or anything we had that we probably wouldn't need. 

Good luck! 

Temp893722312503334

I agree with all of the advice on here....start with big ticket items and then add the small stuff later, online.

The things that helped me the most were:

1. going with a friend who has a 1 yr. old boy

2.  going several times

3.  doing as much online as possible

4. going to small, boutique type store to look at some things (strollers, carseats etc.), less crowded more help, then buy them or register for them elsewhere.  

5.  BABY BARGAINS was our bible!  I had post-it flags etc. and took it with me.   

wiscgirl95

It completely overwhelmed me as well.

Baby bargains was very helpful, but I emailed some friends and my sister and first asked what items I could borrow (one perk to being the last to have a baby!), what items could they absolutely NOT live without, what items were flat out unnecessary and any other tips.  I looked over those lists and went from there.

I scored a swing, infant car seat with 2 bases, stroller frame for the infant car seat, bumbo chairs, bouncy seats, sleep sacks, swaddlers, boppy, my breastfriend, wipe warmer.  My sister had some good suggestions too:  you may want more than 1 boppy and more than 1 bouncy chair.  She had 1 for each floor since she hated having to lug it up and down along with a baby all the time. 

dulcinea03

We were completely deer in the headlights too. We ended up initiating a registry, scanning 1-2 random things on it to get it saved, and went home as I was about to have a nervous breakdown. Over the next few nights we went over their "must have" list, and realized we didn't really need 75% of what they said we did. So we highlighted the things we thought we really would need, especially right away. We then went back and looked at just those items. That made it much more managable.

I also got great advice from my BFF and SIL who had recently had babies as to what they actually used. They recommended some items we probably wouldn't have gotten on our own, and also told us not to bother with others.  We also got quite a few hand me downs from them, which helped as well.

mrskenny2be

Great advice on here!  Here's my 2 cents:

1. Baby Bargins is great....I read thru a section at a time and created a spreadsheet of things to register for from that book and suggested brands, etc.  Crazy....I know...but that's me!  I'd offer it...but it's on our laptop that died...boo!
2. I researched a ton on-line and registered for most of the things online....the store was just too overwhelming.  Advice from SAIF girls was golden.
3. My experienced mommy girlfriends reminded me:  baby needs a carseat to come home in, a place to sleep,  diapers, food (bottles, etc since I didn't BF), and a blankie and some oneies to wear.  They don't do much for those 1st couple of weeks expect eat, sleep, and poo. 

Good luck, Cindy!  Have fun......

ohiostategal

Ditto everything pp said.  We did the baby bargains thing and I had most big items decided on before I ever went into a store.  Then I was able to go in and make sure that is what I liked.  I got very overwhelmed in the bottles, breastfeeding area so we skipped that the first time.  Then I went back this week with a friend who had 2u2 and she helped me with what all I needed there.