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s/o what did get that you didn't need/use?
Dh and I are starting the registry process to figure out what we need for our first baby. All I have is these registry lists from places like BRU and I am wondering if they are really accurate. H figures they overestimate how many clothing items and put stuff you don't need on there because they are just trying to sell you stuff. So if there was something you got and it was completely useless (or alternatively, absolutely essential) please share!
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Re: s/o what did get that you didn't need/use?
We didn't register for any clothes, because we had very generous friends that gave handme downs, and we anticipated (and received!) lots of clothes at the shower.
I just peeked at my registry, and the things I never used are:
Travel sleep sheep (regular size worked just fine)
ANY of the bottles I asked for - turned out, she only liked Nuks
Swaddlers - she hated being swaddled
Cool mist humidifier...maybe I'll use it this winter
Ultimate Crib sheet - i actually thought it was MORE work to change in the middle of the night!
The things I never received and didn't miss are:
car window roller shades
pullover shirts
Mittens
Itzbeen Baby Care Timer - I used an app on my phone
Conversely, I use daily:
Swing, bouncer chair, bumbo, Baby Bjorn, Flatfold diapers as burp cloths, pack n play, carseat, dishwasher baskets, bottle brushes, spin and dry bottle thing, audio baby monitor, glider/ottoman, changing pad, crib mattress and sheets, stroller and health/grooming products
Don't register for clothes since everyone and their mother will get you clothes. The things i LOVED and hadn't registered for were the Aden and Anais swaddle blankets - as long as you're willing to learn how to swaddle the 'traditional' way, they're fabulous. I haven't used any of the 'swaddle me' blankets (or variations thereof) but people have raved about the miracle blanket, which i don't have.
My pack n' play has been useless - it's better for storing stuff than for the actual baby. I've used the Fisher Price Rock n Play ad nauseum instead (i can't say enough good things about the RnP - it's portable from room to room and the baby loves it). If you do get a pack n play, don't get one with all the fancy accoutrements. We didn't use any of them.
I didn't use any wipe warmers and i didn't bother with getting bottles or anything that goes along with bottles until i figured out how breastfeeding was going to work. I also would not recommend that you get a breastpump until you know you'll be committed to breastfeeding - it's a big expense and you don't need one for the first couple of weeks (unless you EP due to latch issues - that's a whole different story).
We were lent a motorized swing and i'm glad that i didn't buy one because my kiddo doesn't like it - but i think that's baby dependent.
Those are the things that i can think off the top of my head - my favorite ideas were the Moby carrier, the Aden and Anais swaddles, the RnP (and obviously a good car seat and stroller). There are others but my brain is failing me right now.
With swings and bouncers, see if you can get one on loan rather than buy. You don't want to be out the cash if it turns out that your baby hates the swing.
Ditto pp suggestions - don't register for breast pump or bottles unless it's a sampler pack. Babies can be finicky about which bottles they take. DS preferred the cheapo Gerber ones to fancy Dr. Browns. If you need a pump, you can rent.
What we didn't use:
-Bumbo (see post below - that pretty much sums it up)
-Dr. Brown's bottles. C wasn't picky about bottles and these have entirely too many parts.
-Mini-diaper bag for DH. He has no shame and just takes mine.
-Ultimate crib sheet. We didn't have a ton of middle of the night crib changes and this seemed overly complicated and expensive.
-Baby bath robe. So cute, so useless.
-Wipe warmer.
-A regular, no frills bouncer.
Luckily, Buy Buy Baby has a fantastic return policy.
Little things that we DID use a ton:
- Baby Bjorn. We (and C) liked this better than the Ergo in the early months.
-Plain short sleeved white onesies (Carters, NOT Gerber)
-Old school cloth diapers for burp cloths.
-A glider that took the place of both a bouncer and swing.
-Basic, hand-me-down bassinet that it right next to our bed.
Our swing was worthless, because M hated it. But I know other people swear by the swing, so it's hard to predict whether your kid will love it or hate it. We've used our PnP while traveling, but we really didn't need it when he was a newborn.
I did not register for clothes or blankets, and I received plenty as gifts.
Honestly, I feel like we used everything. I did get some Ultimate Crib Sheets but I didn't like them. I thought they were more complicated to change than a regular sheet, but some people swear by them. I returned those.
I would register for different pacifier brands. We got about 3 different kinds and DD only took to one, so it was nice not to have to spend money on a bunch of pacifiers.
I would say don't wash all the clothes you get until you're absolutely sure your child will wear them. I washed everything before DD was born and I wish now I hadn't since there were some clothes that she outgrew before she had a chance to wear them and it would've been nice to still have the tags on them to return or consign. Also, I got waaaaay too many small fleece sleep sacks, which DD wears but they're all too small for her now. I didn't think about that when she was born. She was swaddled up until she was 3 months and then it was summer so I had to go buy lighter sleep sacks for her to wear. Just something to keep in mind if you register for those. The Aden & Anais sleep sacks are awesome for summer time and their swaddle blankets are the best. I wish I had registered for those because they're not cheap.
I agree with PP's, don't register for clothes, you will get plenty.
Aiden and Anais blankets are amazing and pricey, so register for those. But overall I wouldn't register for a ton of blankets as they are also a popular gift.
We used a lot of waterproof pads at first. We put one on the changing table, this way if there was an accident while changing a diaper we just pulled the pad off and put a new one on and it allowed us to not have to wash the changing pad cover constantly.
We used the swing and the bouncer, but at 5 months the swing is old news and I think the bouncer is getting close to being obsolete as well. So, if you can borrow those items, I would recommend doing so. Plus, if you own them, you have to store them if you plan on having more than one kid and they are bulky.
We used the pack n play more for a it's changing table than anything else. We have a split level house and it was really nice to not have to go up to the nursery everytime we needed to change DD.
Things we didn't use/buy: wipe warmer, bumbo, mittens.
Aside from the basics (crib, changing table, car seat), we definitely used:
Pack and play--J slept in it in our room the first few weeks, and now we use it all the time for trips (and we did use the changing table accessory and other fancy add-ons)
Ergo and Moby
Play mat
Swing (we got a free one used)
Jumperoo (ditto)
Miracle blanket
Didn't use/need:
Wipes warmer
Fisher Price aquarium/other bedtime soothing toy
Mittens
Bottle warmer--we never warmed his bottles
Sheet savers etc. (although definitely get at least one extra set, all that laundry is annoying)
Ditto pp that some kids love swings/bouncy seats and others don't. Rent a pump at first rather than buying--those things are expensive and you can't return them. We also didn't buy any baby-proofing or eating stuff (bibs, highchair) etc. at first since we knew it would be a good six months before we needed them.
Also, make sure not to buy too much clothing in the newborn size, they grow out of that so quickly. We mostly bought onesies in a bunch of different sizes and everyone got us actual clothes.
TTC #2: BFP 12/17/11, m/c 1/7/12 and D&C 1/12/12
baby blog/cooking blog
Ditto this x1000.
my list is pretty much the same with each kid.
never got/used:
wipes warmer
bottle sanitizer
monitor (small house, if the house were bigger and i wasn't able to hear LOs from their room just about anywhere I am, we would have gotten one)
the 3 dozen cheep pacifiers that very well meaning loved ones gave us
pack n play (our house is small, LOs slept in my bed or their crib)
glider (no where to put it)
boppy (had a c/s with the first, the pillow was too firm to be comfortable, used it lots with the second, a vbac)
bassinet (LOs slept in this: https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Rest-Assured-Sleeper/dp/B004J7VHVG/ref=sr_1_23?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1318356171&sr=1-23 until we moved them to their crib, 6 weeks for #1, 4 months for #2)
baby bath tub apparatus
used daily or frequently:
lansinoh - i EBFd and this was super stuff to help with sore nips
breast pump (mostly after i went back to work)
nursing cover like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Bebe-Lait-Cotton-Nursing-Cover/dp/B003RPRDH8/ref=sr_1_8?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1318356397&sr=1-8. baby can see you and breathe. my children hated having their faces completely covered while nursing and would otherwise just tear the cover off. i don't use a cover anymore to nurse though.
waterproof bibs, my children were early and often droolers
bumbo and tray
swing and bouncy seat
changing table. we frequently use this for diaper changes. really eases the strain on your back from bending over to change diapers
swaddle blankets and and sleep sacks
receiving blankets
waterproof mattress cover
safety gates, outlet covers and corner saves (i think that's what they are called, the little things you put on the corner of a table so LOs don't bump their heads)
window treatments for the car. especially important in the summer. we had them but one broke and we didn't replace it right away. all i needed to see was the one time my baby was sweating like a pig in the back seat while i had the a/c on low and the sun was pounding her little body.
play mat and tummy time toys
clippers and other grooming stuff (we got a comb/brush set for DS, but he had no hair until he was 2.5. DD was born with a ton, so we didn't use the set until she was born!)
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we didn't register for specific toys or clothes b/c we knew people would want to pick those things out themselves. we also figured that since we didn't know the gender of our babies, people would mostly stick to the registry, which was fine with us anyway. then we got to pick out the clothes!
have fun!
great suggestions from pps.
For me, I love the ultimate sheet, DS is older now and I've changed it 2 times this week alone! (just ordered a bigger size overnight diapers as he's peed thru them every single night!).
I loved the bundle-me.
I did buy a pump. If you don't open the package you can return it.