registry tips

htwedding · July 2012

My husband and I are about a week away from finding out the gender of the baby. We didn't want to start a registry until we knew the gender. Do you have any recommendations on gear or other things that really helped you out as a first-time mother? I will be breastfeeding too so any advice on that stuff would be appreciated!

SLHurst11 · July 2012

I really like the Boppy pillow for nursing. Halo sleepsacks are great, too. We had a car mirror that was mounted in front of DS while he was rear-facing so that I could see him with a quick glance in the rearview, it was great for peace of mind.

kcave21 · July 2012

you can take a look at mine if you would like you can find it at amazon or babies r us under katy cave houston tx

but some of the things I would recommend is:

putting a couple different types of bottles on there bc you dont know what your precious is going to like

pack and play is a must those are amazing...

padded quilt sheets

baby swing and bouncer

baby gym and play mat

grooming kit

lotions, shampoo, medicines, diapers,

changing pads and covers

DIAPER GENIE and refills

baby boppy

SWADDLES heard those are a life savor so I have a bunch of those on mine

breast milk storage

breast pump....

When putting your breast pump on there I would contact your insurance bc my insurance covers my breast pump as long as it is needed!!! or recommended by a doctor.

burp clothes and bibs

pacifiers

crib and bedding..

Strollers Graco fold DLX travel system is amazinggg

I wouldnt worry about putting anything on there expensive bc you never know who is going to buy what!!! or putting to much on there either

SLHurst11 · July 2012

I was told to get tons of sheets. We got about 8. DS was not a spitter or a blow-out diaper baby, so we actually still have 3 sheets that are still in the package. I would recommend 3 mattress protectors and 4-5 sheets for starters, you can build from there if necessary.

Cotton prefolds are great burp cloths. Though most people don't agree, I really liked our wipes warmer too. A diaper stacker is cute, but seems a waste to me. Cloth books are great to start with... new babies seem to suck on board books a lot and end up wrecking them.

SLHurst11 · July 2012

I thought the Diaper Genie was a waste. We just put pee diapers in the regular trash, and bring the poop ones right out to the garbage bin outside (it's about 10 feet from the back door).

kcave21 · July 2012

SLHurst11:
I thought the Diaper Genie was a waste. We just put pee diapers in the regular trash, and bring the poop ones right out to the garbage bin outside (it's about 10 feet from the back door).

its nice if you live in an APT and dont have the luxury of putting your trash outside!!! the Diaper genie hold all smells. Our outside trash is on the other end of the parking lot about 100 or more yards away!!!

drpayne · July 2012

This is something I typed for my cousin. It's long but hopefully helpful...

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Baby Registry ?Must Haves?

Diaper Genie ?we have the Diaper Genie Elite II and love it but you have to purchase ?Diaper Genie Bags? which can get expensive (but I don?t see a better option). A Diaper Champ will work with any bags but the reviews I read were not as good as far as ease of use and smell control.
Pack n Play - Ours has a diaper changing table attachment which is convenient but we used that part VERY rarely and all of those pieces are more to store later. I recommend buying one that has a bassinette attachment ? that?s the only accessory I?d get if I were shopping for one now.
Pack n Play sheet - I would really recommend getting a quilted sheet for the mattress because it is really thin. Carter?s makes a quilted velour one ? can get on Amazon
Crib sheets - Recommend the velour ones, also got on Amazon. I wish they made these in queen size J
Breathable Bumpers ? used for a while, eventually just took them out. Will go bumperless next time. I think even these are discouraged now.
Fisher Price Rainforest Bouncer?Used this for a LONG time. It stayed in our bathroom in case we needed to bring him in there while we are getting ready.
Fisher Price Rainforest Play Mat
Bouncer (the stand-up kind) ? we got a Baby Einstein but took it back; even on the lowest setting he couldn?t reach the ground (and he?s not small). Would probably buy a different brand next time.
Bottles?We got the Playtex Drop-ins and never needed to try anything else. I guess some people don?t like the waste and having to buy the liners. It?s worth it t to me to not have to wash bottles every night. All I have to worry about are the bottle nipples. Don?t get a ton of any one brand to start with.
Diapers ? We used the Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive from day one. Didn?t try anything else because I loved these. They aren?t the cheapest, but he?s never really had diaper rash. I compared the cost per diaper to the Costco brand and if you use Subscribe and Save/Amazon Mom, the name brand Pampers were a better deal. Edit: Ended up switching to UP and Up (Target) brand diapers and wipes when Amazon changed their discount. SO much cheaper (even cheaper that Costco). Will use these from day one next time.
A & D Ointment ? once baby is sleeping longer, you can use this to prevent diaper rash and not have to worry about middle of the night diaper changes. We now put this on after his bath, followed by an overnight diaper and he?s good until morning.
Boudreax?s Butt Paste ? I was reluctant to try this because a friend said it made her kids? diaper rashes worse. The few times ours has had diaper rash, this worked when Desitin didn?t. I think it depends on the baby.
Vaporizer ? Mixed feelings. I read mixed opinions on whether they circulate harmful things into the air. We started with the Vicks cool mist one. If we didn?t clean it daily it got really gross. The vapo-pad refills are really pricey (like a dollar each). We switched to warm mist one ? the cheap kind that you just pour the vapo liquid into ? I honestly think it works better. You just have to make sure it?s out of reach.
Car seat?After a TON of research, we got a Chicco Keyfit 30 infant carrier. We got an extra base so we would have one in each car ? it just clicks in. We now have a Britax Boulevard convertible seat that goes to 70lbs ? there are less expensive ones that are highly rated, we just happened to get a good deal on one and like it the best. Edit: we also have a Cosco Scenera ? no complaints. Great value.
Baby Grooming Kit?nail clippers, comb, aspirator, etc. Highly recommend the NoseFrida ? works WAY better than a bulb.
Nasal Saline spray (use before NoseFrida). Also, ?Boogie Wipes? saline wipes ? I thought these were a total joke/waste of money at first but his nose is always snotty and we use them all of the time.
Baby soap ? I like California Baby wash. It?s pricey but lasts a long time. We?re still using the same bottle 7 months in. J&J puts a bunch of junk in their products. When his skin was dry our pedi suggested Cetaphil. Read labels. Google ?parapbens? and you?ll see what I mean.
Bath Tub? Someone gave us one that has a little sling and big froggy sponge that you can put in it. It works well. We got a ?Shampoo Rinse Cup? ? works well.
Stroller?Really recommend the Baby Jogger City Mini (despite the name it?s not for jogging). Again, I did a ton of research and it?s one of the few things my husband got really excited about as far as baby gear goes. You can buy an adapter bar for it so you can just snap the infant carrier into it until baby can sit up in the stroller. Most people I know recommend NOT getting a travel system ? too bulky. We have the jogging version of the same stroller and it?s okay, too. It was given to us and we are having issues with one of the tires losing air ? maybe that?s something you run into with any true jogging stroller.
Evenflo ABC 123 Jump and Go? This is the one that hangs in the doorway. LOVES it. It?s currently in our bathroom doorway. The stationary one was too big to move from room to room. (I?m not even sure it would fit through the doorway.)
Something I didn?t get and survived without, but would have liked having- recliner or glider with GOOD back support for nursing or bottle feeding. Personally, I wouldn?t get a nursery glider. I?d get something you?ll use after baby, too. You will spend hours here! Also, will want a night stand or table next to the rocking chair to put stuff on.
Books ? I read just about every baby/sleep book out there. Some are very rigid and some are very ?attachment parenting?/baby-driven. I don?t think you know your style until you meet your baby. I swore ours would never sleep with us but he did for almost a year for at least part of the night. He had colic and reflux ? we did whatever worked.
DVD??Happiest Baby on the Block??don?t know what we would?ve done without this DVD to reference .
Lullaby Music for Nap times?we downloaded some from iTunes.
Sound machine ? I have a Homedics Soundspa and we still use it. We actually bought a second one for our room J We had a baby-specific one Baby Dex?) but it?s didn?t get loud enough. We also downloaded sounds from iTunes (vacuum cleaner was the only thing that calmed him down)
Infant Tylenol Drops ? can?t use Motrin until 6 months.
Snack Traps w/ Lids
Sippy cups ? Just bought a Playtex First Sipster ? recommended by a friend. We went straight to the straw kind.
Thermometer?we have a Vicks digital rectal (most accurate and what the pedi will likely ask you for if you call in saying baby has a fever) one.
Hooded Towels. I?m sure regular ones would work as well.
Boppy Pillow and Slipcover ? lots of uses; didn?t use it much for breastfeeding but used it for other things (helping him sit, tummy time, etc.)
High Chair?we happened to get a cheapo one on woot.com that serves its purpose just fine. We also have that portable one you saw at my parent?s house. The cushion lasted a few months until I just threw it out because it got so gross. If I were getting one now, I?d get the antilop one from IKEA ? easy to wipe down. Trust me.
Swing ? I guess some babies don?t like them but ours slept in his for 4 months. Couldn?t have lived without it.
Magic Bumper ? I swore I?d never have baby sleeping with us but we were desperate. If it happens, check Amazon. It let me keep baby out of the center of the bed. He always stayed between me and this thing. Will also use when transitioning to big boy bed.
Crib (of course). Check Wal-Mart online, mattress is often free with the crib. They run specials all of the time. I would recommend a foam mattress. As light as this thing is, it?s still a pain to lift when changing the sheet. I can?t imagine how much worse that would be if it was a heavy spring mattress.
Burp Cloths (we use cloth diapers) ?LOTS OF THEM! We have 50. Literally. But our kid also had reflux.
Monitor- We got a good deal on Motorola Video Monitor on woot.com and like it. Battery kind of sucks but it works ? we just keep it plugged in. I do like having the video feature. We also have an Angelcare monitor that monitors breathing. Had he slept in his crib at all in the first few months I would have used it. Now, we just use it as a sound monitor.
Breast Pump?I have a Medela Pump in Style. Like it. Nothing to compare too, though. I have two because they were given to me ? kept one at home and one at work, which was nice.
Breast pads for leaking ? I made the mistake of buying a ton and never needed them (didn?t leak) so I gave them away. I liked the Lansinoh ones best. Others were scratchy.
Bibs-many people recommend buying bibs that you can wipe down. We actually really like the cloth ones that we can throw in the washing machine. He now wears one every day for drool. Edit ? the rubber Summer Infant one with the food catcher turned out to be great when he started feeding himself. It catches a lot of what he drops and is easy to rinse.
Summer Infant Place Mat ? This thing is awesome. Suctions to table for when you go out to restaurants and has a lip on it to catch food.
Light-weight swaddle blankets. Aden + Anais. Worth the money, promise. They make great car seat covers and nursing covers. Perfect weight and size.
Miracle Blanket for swaddling. We have two and used them so much that they have holes in them ? Our kid was swaddled at night and for naps for 5 months.
Baby Safe Feeder 2+2 Starter Kit-let?s baby eat fresh fruit/veggies/ice without choking.
Organizer for bath toys ? We got a Boon Pod one and liked it but didn?t stick to our tile so we returned it. Got a KidCo one (it is basically a basket that stretches across the tub) and it?s cheaper
Sleep Sacks/wearable blanket ? we got the Halo brand. Safer than blankets in the crib once baby is no longer swaddled. He is one and we still use these.
FP Seahorse ? Not a necessity but he happens to love this thing.
Gripe water ? Helps stomach issues and hiccups. Best price is on Amazon. Mother?s Bliss brand does not have to be refrigerated but the others do. Edit: Still using at 15 months for hiccups.
Carrier ? We got an Ergo and love it. Bought a baby K?Tan and he hated it. Sent it back.
Bottle brush ? I like the narrow blue Avent one, probably depends on the width of the bottles you choose.
Milk storage bags (if you plan to pump). Get the Lansinoh brand ? way better than Medela because they store flatter and have 2 zippers instead of one. Medela ones are bulky an only have a single zipper.
Lanolin (if breastfeeding). By the way, this stuff stains!!! For pumping I switched to olive oil (put on inside of flanges.)
Pumping bra ? (if you will pumping). I could not have pumped for 6 months without this. I made one by cutting holes in a sports bra initially but it was such a pain because I had to take my shirt off to put in on (not practical at work). The strapless ones work better. SimpleEase brand is great ? check Amazon (yeah, expensive but not many alternatives)
Bumbo seat ? came in handy for a short period of time.
A couple of toys with suction cups ? works well on Bumbo tray or high chair tray.
Diaper bag ? ours stays in the car. I just got a bigger purse and keep a big ziplock it there with a couple of diapers, diaper disposal bags, travel wipes and disposable changing pads since public changing tables are pretty gross.
Shopping cart/high chair cover ? I thought this was unnecessary but someone gave it to me. It allowed me take him to the store much sooner because the padding helped support him when we wasn?t quite sitting.
Car window shades ? wondered if these were necessary but it turns out the sun in his face really does make him unhappy.
Sassy link rings (or similar) ? great for attaching toys to stroller, car seat , changing table, etc. so things aren?t always falling on the ground.
Sippy cup strap ? keeps him from dropping/throwing his cup on the ground. We also use these on snack trap handles.
Baby food freezer trays - OXO ones are great. I am not super mom and there is plenty of baby food I will never attempt to make but some of it is SO easy. Two steamed sweet potatoes make two full freezer trays of food. Once the cubes are frozen you can pop them out and put them in a ziplock bag. Another thing that?s easy: any frozen veggie that comes in its own steamer bag (peas, green beans). Microwave, throw in a blender/food processor, freeze. You can thaw cubes as needed. We got a baby food maker and took it back after realizing our food processor works just was well.

Did Not Need

Microwave steam sterilizer ? I concluded that soap and hot water work just fine (unless you have a premie). We do have a couple of little dishwasher baskets that are good for bottle nipples and pump parts.
Bedding set ? Total waste of $$, since you can?t use the blanket or the bumpers.
Bottle drying rack ? thought about it, have survived without it but we use drop-ins so the only actual bottles we washed were from pumping.
Wipe warmer ? You can warm a wipe in your hand if you need to.
I got a couple of different milk storage/pumping things. One was a Playtex thing that attached to the pump and let me pump directly into the drop-ins. I didn?t end up using it because the measurements on the drop-ins are way off. It was also messy. I just used the small Medela bottles to pump into and either dumped into a drop-in or freezer bag.
?Ultimate Crib Sheet? ? seemed like a great idea but just as hard to change as a crib sheet and I thought they were stiff and cold.
Bottle warmer ? Cup of hot water works just as well.
Baby mittens ? I realized they use their hand to self-soothe and they?ve had access to them for months so why cover them up?
Nursing cover ? I have a couple but the material is scratchy and hot. Those Aden + Anais blankets made the best covers (big and breathable).
Teethers and pacis ? our kid just never wanted either
Baby Food Maker ? food processor works well (We like our Ninja.)

______________________________

Amazon Prime is worth the $80/year. You get 2-day shipping on so much stuff. Amazon has the best prices on almost everything and saves LOTS of trips to the store. (We are now on very friendly terms with our UPS driver.) Subscribe and Save saves you even more and you can adjust/cancel the subscription settings at any time.

www.woot.com has a kids section and sometimes has great deals.

Consignment shops are great for some things.

Namebubbles.com is a great site for laundry-proof labels. Great for stuff you send to day care. I wish I'd just used our last name... since #2 is on the way already

Grease pencils are great for labeling bottles, food containers. We just wrote on stuff with a Sharpie at first but it wears off pretty quickly.

www.wholesomebabyfood.com is a great reference for starting solids, recipes, etc. It?s helpful even if you have no intention of making anything yourself.

www.kellymom.com is another really helpful website. It mainly focuses on breast feeding but there is a lot of info there on other topics.

bakerygal654 · July 2012

SLHurst11:
I thought the Diaper Genie was a waste. We just put pee diapers in the regular trash, and bring the poop ones right out to the garbage bin outside (it's about 10 feet from the back door).

This exactly! Our Diaper Genie broke after just a few months and no matter how much baking soda I used I swear I could always smell the diapers.

rnfromtn · July 2012

We loved our sleep sacks. Baby Oxy clean spray for babies clothes. I don't know if I would say 5-6 sheet sets. We have done fine with 3. Wipes warmers can dry out wipes, thereby wasting them. If you want to warm the wipes, rub them between your hands for a few seconds. Mittens for newborns. In hindsight I wouldn't buy another "grooming or safety kit" just the brush, aspirator and the nail safety first nail clippers. All of the other stuff was pretty much never used. PNP was very handy, especially the changing table on top. We never had a swing, but loved our bouncer.

Oh, and DON'T register for blankets. If your friends and family are anything like mine you will end up with quilts and hand made blankets galore, not to mention, people buy the blankets on their own. With DS we ended up with 7 hand made crocheted blankets, four small quilts, 6 receiving blankets and five extra soft fuzzy blankets. We only registered for a pack of receiving blankets.

drpayne · July 2012

Also, check out safemama.com before registering for shampoo, lotion, etc. There are ingredients in some things that are banned in other countries. It's appalling (and not regulated). Johnson and Johnson is one of the worst, including the "naturals" line.

tiffmatt · July 2012

Recommentation for when you register, not what to register for: Make sure DH is well fed before you go. You def don't want a hungry cranky husband in tow, it can be as difficult as a fussy toddler. I recommend grabbing lunch then going.

newtonk · July 2012

2 things that are not a must but are a fantastic spoil:

Summer Video Baby Monitor, LO is 2.5 and we use it every day!

Noise Machine/Image Projector all in one. This runs between $20 and $30 and is SO worth it!

mAnYaSha · July 2012

LOL @ feeding SO before starting - that's an awesome advice !

Wow @ drpayne.

We also fell in love with HALO swaddles (DH even asked if I am getting those this time)

Never used Boppy for bfing, only for support and tummy time.

Bumbo was a huge waste for us.

Our PNP was basic and we used it a LOT including when travelling

Make sure to bring baby clippers/emory boards to your place of delivery. DS sliced himself up badly before we got him mittened.

Bottle and wipes warmers were a waste for us.

Pacifiers were a waste.

We also only used the drop ins and were happy with them.

We have Rainforest bouncy and swing, swing was more useful to us.

NB size clothes were a waste. He was 8 lbs at birth and jaundice, so was mainly sleeping naked by the window until he grew out of NB size, I think he wore his NB clothes once each.

Kingston54 · July 2012

I read the book "Baby Bargains" and it was a lifesaver! Really helped me decide what I wouldn't and wouldn't need and what to register for right away and what could wait.

As far as breastfeeding... Check with your insurance to see if they cover electric breast pumps (for reimbursement) as part of durable medical equipment....

Also check with the hopsital to see what they give you. My hospital gave me a nice manual Medela pump, nipple shells, and Lanisnoh cream. I didn't use the Lansinoh cream because it has parabens but if that isn't something that bothers you, you might not need to buy a HUGE tube of that stuff. I only used it for 2 weeks.

Other things that help for breastfeeding: cold packs, leak pads(I used washable organic cotton ones), a BOPPY (huge), nursing cover for when people come over, and #1 for me was the book "So That's What They're For". DS's pediatrician recommended it and I read it when he was about a month old. Had I read it before he was born, I would have been drastically better prepared!

Good luck!

lisastro · July 2012

The best advice I can give you is to buy the Baby Bargains book. It is a life saver. I would have been lost without it.

NovBaby2012 · July 2012

This was really helpful, thanks so much for posting!

htwedding · July 2012

Thanks for the advice everyone! I am excited to start the registry and get things that will be helpful to the baby and me.

blondie42107 · July 2012

I'm expecting my second but with our first...

Pack and play, swing, bouncer (borrowed from my sister), Dr. Brown bottles (we tried four other kinds - these worked the best for us), Medela pump supplies (insurance covered the pump), multi-use waterproof pads, sound machine, space saver high chair, bibs/burp cloths, diapers/wipes (we only registered for a couple to show our preference in brand), love BabyGanics products, basic white onesies are wonderful, larger receiving blankets (like aden & anais), a few different style pacifiers if you plan to use them (LO would only take the soothie ones), travel system or infant carrier and snap & go stroller, extra carseat base, convertible car seats, sheets for the pack & plan and crib, waterproof mattress cover, Moby wrap (I loved it), bath tub, etc.

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