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Maryland Babies
Current Moms: Poll
What did you get for your shower (or purchased yourself) that you did not use or found it a waste of money?
What did you NOT get that you wish you had?
AND what unexpected gift did you get, think you would never use, but used all the time.
Thanks!
K
DD#1-Lillian (Lilly) Grace
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Current Moms: Poll
The whole shower/registry thing seems kinda silly in retrospect, most of its just plastic junk that you can totally live w/o and you spend half your time figuring out WTH to store it.
We got a ton of towels and washcloths - you only need a couple, I do laundry like twice a week and two towels works for us (we had like over 10 given to us).
I wish we would have gotten a swing. A friend lent us one when my DD was bigger - it is amazing.
miscarriage on 11/26/09 at 5w6d
I will say, even the things that we didn't use (Miracle Blanket, swing, etc.) that we bought/were given for DS, we just figured that another LO may love, so we didn't worry too much... if we were planning on DS being an only, though, then our feelings on things would've been much different, I'm sure!
... every single day of forever.
I bought the "Ultimate Crib Sheet" and it was the ultimate waste of money. I swaddled my baby for the longest time and although there were blowouts, the benefit of having the extra sheet cover was NOT worth all snaps involved in that thing when changing sheets!
I also wish I would have gotten a small portable high chair that fits onto a chair rather than a full sized high chair. This way we could take it to relative's and friend's homes if needed.
ditto - I didn't actually buy it b/c I kept looking at itand going - I don't get it - what's this for? DD turned 2 last month, we've had to change her sheets quickly in the middle of the night MAYBE 5 times since she was born - and that entailed me waking up DH and flipped the mattress, put the spare mattress pad down and clean sheets.
ITA! I really wish that we would not have registered for a bassinet bc I was too paranoid to use and he slept in it seriously maybe 2-3 x not worth the $100 that was spent on it. I wish that we would have had an Ergo and a Moby wrap from the beginning. I did use the ring sling but I would have preferred a Moby. (If you are having a summer baby you can get breathable fabric). Never used my boppy for bf really but I did use it for elevated tummy time. I LOVED our Little Einstein Play Gym. We bought our son the aquarium themed one and he absolutely ADORED it. I wish that I would have registered for cloth diapers as we started CD when my son was 4 months old.
We didn't get much we haven't used. I was careful not to register for a highchair, travel system or anything we'll need months down the road. We haven't used the glider rocker or crib yet though, they're just taking up space. We have a 2 br apt so space was important. I was lucky and didn't get a ton of items I didn't register for at my shower. I wasn't overwhelmed with toiletries or things, just too many washcloths.
I wish I would have gotten the swing and the breastpump at my shower. I ended up buying them myself with giftcards and the BRU coupons so it was fine but I would have taken those items over the thousands of washcloths and outfits we got.
Things I can't live without: the Cozy Cover for the carseat. I got it myself at Walmart for $15 and it has been a lifesaver, soo much better than the bundleme if you're having a winter/early spring baby. I also bought the Medela sterilizer bags and love those way more than the big sterilizer for pacis and bottles. My manual breastpump has also been something I use way more often than I thought, I take it on roadtrips and pump in the car while DH drives.
Francesca Pearl is here! Josephine Hope is almost 3!
Things we got at the shower that we love: Cloud B Sleep Sheep, PNP, bottle warmer, pacifier wipes, bright starts bouncer, sleep sound spa, dirty diaper bags, gas drops
Things we got and hated (wasn't registered for): crib bedding set, bouncer that's basically a chair, summer infant video monitor with the TV, summer infant baby bather deluxe (still can't figure out how to use the darn thing!), cheap socks (they just fall off!), first aid kits (most of the stuff in those are crap)
Things we've bought on our own and love: Fisher Price Zen Swing (get a swing that PLUGS IN! Swings eat batteries like crazy!!!), aden & anais swaddling blankets (I want to buy stock in these!!!), Medela freestyle breast pump, simple wishes pump bustier, boppy, car seat poncho
A hot waste of our $: Wipe warmer, Munchkin car window shades (they don't stick even when wet), small receiving blankets, sling, ear thermometer
Things that I still want but haven't got yet: bumbo chair (don't know why I'm waiting, I just need to do it!), Sophie the Giraffe teether, eating accessories
Note: I registered for most of the stuff we bought ourselves. No one really looked at my registry, so I mostly got a bunch of stuff I didn't want. I really hope people go off of yours or get you gift cards! I was grateful for being blessed with so many gifts, so I didn't want to seem ungrateful. But, I was somewhat upset that I put so much time into a registry that no one bought off of. So, keep that in mind! Good luck!
Really this is so subjective. Some of the things my friends babies hated my DS absolutely loved and vice versa.
My personal favorites that i received were my breast pump and milk storage bags and other accessories, b/c that stuff is expensive and it definitely got used.
I agree with PP about I wish I would have gotten a smaller portable high chair, but honestly I didn't even register for stuff the baby would need down the road because I didnt want it sitting around my house taking up room.
something I ended up using all the time that I didn't expect to? Those little mesh feeder bags. DS loved eating frozen fruit out of them.
What did you get for your shower (or purchased yourself) that you did not use or found it a waste of money? Fancy highchair- yes we used it, but I ended up preferring a $25 one from Ikea- MUCH easier to clean. The big Eddie Bauer one we registered and got, gets filthy and is a PITA to clean.
What did you NOT get that you wish you had? Ergo carrier- ended up buying this myself. Can be used longer than the Bjorn (which I registered for and got, wish I had known about the Ergo.)
AND what unexpected gift did you get, think you would never use, but used all the time. Not a gift, but a hand-me-down, the Moses basket. We used it a ton with DD- not as much w/ DS, but it was super handy with DD.
Also ditto Kathryn on the swaddle/sleep sacks. Ended up buying 4 of these ourselves- DD liked the swaddle much more than DS, but they got lots of use overall.
I registered for and got a big boring black nursing cover- that is nylon/polyester, never used the thing, it looks like a burqua- I wish I had known/registered for one of the cuter covers (again something I ended up buying myself.) Also I wish I had registered for nursing tanks- since I basically live(d) in them for the first 2-4 months of my kids' lives. I wear them as a base layer because then you can nurse modestly in just about any top/shirt.
The most useful thing I got that I didn't register for was a picture frame with a hole for every month. I'm not the best at remembering to take pictures so the frame is a great reminder every month that I need to get the camera out.
As for the gear it seems to depend on the situation.
Oh also add cloth diapers to what I had wished I had registered for- and the cheapie diaper pail.
I definitely recc'd borrowing/accepting hand-me-downs of "infant" stuff, like swings, bouncy chairs, bumbo, bassinet, etc. I bought a floor model travel swing and a 19.99 bouncy chair- both got a lot of use and I was happy to have them, but I am glad I didn't spend more (or have other people spend more) on them.
Things I couldn't do without:
I'm sure there are more things but I'll have to think about this a little more.
A lot of it depends on the baby, so if you can, borrow the big things and see if your child likes them. We borrowed the pnp, swing, bouncy seat and barely used any of them. The pnp was handy when we travelled but if we have to buy one, we'll get a very basic model, not the one with the bassinet and all that fancy stuff.
We got hand me down exersaucer and jump up and she LOVED them. These were the two things that I was against buying but since we didn't have anywhere to put her down (since she hated the swing and bouncy seat), I was up for anything and it worked.
I never used our changing table for a changing table, she was always either changed on the floor, on a water proof pad, or on the bed, on a towel. My mom randomly gave me the waterproof pad, which would probably the one gift that I didn't ask for but use daily.
I didn't think to register for toys and probably should have, I went and bought some when she was about 2 months old with gift cards from the shower.
1) I just had to have a pnp that matched the stroller. Well, LO hated the thing and it was NEVER used. I asked H to get it out of the attic fo the summer, he never did.
2) I wish someone had purchased a breast pump for me with everything I would need. I also wish I had a book or something about breastfeeding. Although I got a lot of information from tb, I wish I had another avenue
3) Nothing I can think of really.
Let me say, we received 4, FOUR, bath tubs at our shower. I returned two and just regifted another one.
What did you get for your shower (or purchased yourself) that you did not use or found it a waste of money? bottle warmer, waaay too many pacifiers and teethers, and knitted baby items. Like Odessa, not many people bought items off of my registry, so I got a ton of multiples on non-necessities, like pacifiers and teethers and baby shoes. (Baby shoes are stupid IMO, just another thing to lose, other than dressy ones for special occasions like Christmas.) I also got a ton of NB size clothes which fit DD1 for about two weeks. I hope your people go off the registry a little more.
And I hate to say this, because I do appreciate the time and effort people put into these things, but all the knitted baby items were useless too. DH's aunt and my co-worker are into giving hand-made items, but one of them didn't even use yarn that was machine washable. I washed one of the knitted hats and it looked like crap. I never bothered with the several pairs of booties, shawls, or bottle warmer. And the knit blanket that I used, as sson as DD1 found her fingers, she learned to poke her fingers in the holes and it got stretched out and ruined.
What did you NOT get that you wish you had? pack n play
AND what unexpected gift did you get, think you would never use, but used all the time. Swaddle blankets, glider, and a My Brest Friend BFing pillow
Thanks everyone-this has helped-even though some of you liked things and others didn't it;s nice to get opinons since we are first timers. I figured though that's what receipts are for so if we do get a lot of stuff we never use we can always return it!
I've already received a few home made hats and they just seem so itchy to put on a childs head. I am guessing they will have to be used over a cotton one.
K
What did you get for your shower (or purchased yourself) that you did not use or found it a waste of money?
The sheer number of towels, washcloths, receiving blankets and onesies that we were gifted was staggering. And with each one, the gifter said "you can never have too many!" Yes. Yes you can. And we did. We've been using regular washcloths and towels on DD for as long as I can remember - there's just no need for the tiny versions. We used receiving blankets as changing areas (to protect the couch or carpet), but I still didn't need eleventy-billion of them. And I hated onesies. She lived in layettes - those long gowns with the elastic to gather at the bottom.
I also regret the giant highchair (Graco) and travel system (Graco). The highchair took up too much space and I wish I'd gotten a travel one to fit on one of our regular chairs. It's what we used at my Mom's and it was great. We did use the infant carrier for the first year of DD's life, so I don't regret that, but the giant stroller was a PITA and ended up used very few times.
I don't know why I bothered with a matching crib bedding set, either. I didn't use the thing.
The bottle sterlizer someone gave us was a waste. We have a dishwasher so things got sterilized in there.
What did you NOT get that you wish you had?
I wish I'd thought to register for the next-step carseat. As I said above, we used the infant carrier for the first year, but it would have been nice to have the next one ready to go.
I also wish folks had given more diapers, particularly in larger sizes. That's another thing that just would have been nice to have on hand when we needed them.
And a glider. I wish I'd had the money to purchase one or had been able to ask for one from someone (but they're so pricey). We ended up getting an old recliner from my Dad that we put in her room, but it was too big/bulky and not comfortable. If/when we have #2, I'm definitely getting one.
AND what unexpected gift did you get, think you would never use, but used all the time.
Not so much unexpected stuff, but the most valuable things I had when DD was younger were
Exersaucer - purchased at a yard sale for $5 by my sister and she loved it
Travel-sized swing - it was great when she was really little, less-pricey and space-consuming than the full-sized one, and easier to move around the house with me
PNP - she slept in the bassinet insert in it in our room for the first few months then it went to my Mom's for naps/spending the night there - it was used heavily until she could climb out of it
Munchkin three-compartment formula dispenser - we had two - one lived in the diaper bag and one moved from the kitchen counter to my nightstand so that I could put together bottles in my sleep
Munchkin feeding set - it had about 12 small bowls with lids, 12 small cups with lids/spouts and 12 small spoons. We didn't use the cups so much (they weren't leak-proof), but those small bowls and spoons were amazing. I'd load Cheerios and puffs in them, toss them in the diaper bag, and always had a small spoon on hand for when we went out to eat and I needed to feed her.
Baskets that went into the dishwasher to hold small pieces - bottle parts and pacifiers
Baby bathtub - we used it in the kitchen every night until she outgrew it. I found that setting it up on the counter was easier on my back (or DH's) than bending over the actual bathtub, and it was lightweight enough to move around easily and just stick in the corner of the dining room between uses.It's true...every baby wants something different. DD loved pretty much everything and of course, everything in spurts. First it was the swing, then bouncer, then exersaucer, and now none of that...and she is only 10 months old and they are all getting retired down to storage in the basement. I did register for some stuff for later on...bowls, spoons, car seat, high chair, etc. and am happy we did.
We definitely needed the Halo Swaddle Sleep Sacks and they saved us those first few months...thanks to recs from the veteran mommas here! And we pretty much are still in love with our Aden and Anais blankets...they serve so many purposes and are much better than any other blanket we received. And our temporal thermometer is pretty darn cool.
Totally didn't need the bottle sterilizer, bottle warmer, little towels, a shitton of bibs, and a bunch of other crap I am forgetting.