Registry Help

HOLL1WOOD · September 2012

Hey ladies! I'm hoping to register within the next month or so and I have no idea where to begin. I've been looking around in stores and online and I'm completely overwhelmed by the amount of baby products out there (not to mention all of the different brands, styles, etc.)!! I'm hoping you all can help me narrow things down a bit. What items are on your "must have" list? And which items do you think are unnecessary? If you could recommend your favorite brands/styles, that would be great too (for things like car seats, strollers, bottles, or anything). TIA!

anonsouthernbell · September 2012

Are you planning on working after you have the baby? Personally, I think a good wrap/ carrier is essential in the beginning (ergo, moby, becco NOT Bjorn or infantino). for car seats, I really like the chicco infant seat. (you could also register for a convertible for later - the graco my ride or their new 70 version as it has a tall shell for longer RFing).

HOLL1WOOD · September 2012

Thanks for the suggestions! I will be working but since I'm a teacher, I'll always be home during the summer.

anonsouthernbell · September 2012

Are you planning on bfing? If so, then you need a good electric pump.

HOLL1WOOD · September 2012

Definitely planning to bf. A friend recommended just renting a pump from the hospital instead of buying since they typically have the latest and greatest...thoughts?

SarahKate31 · September 2012

I have a registry advice post on my blog - https://skdecoratethis.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/baby-registry-advice/

I wrote that when Caelan was about 4 months old and I think I still agree with everything I said!

The thing I always recommend to people is the SwaddleMe Velcro swadlers. Caelan was in them 24/7 until he was 3 months old.

Probably a lot of the advice you'll get will be conflicting - everyone has different must-haves but don't worry, you can't make "wrong" choices here and you can always change your mind later good luck!

SarahKate31 · September 2012

Renting a pump can be a great idea because hospital pumps are supposedly great, but if you're going to pump for a long time (and/or have more kids) It might be better just to buy one. But I never pumped so hopefully someone who did will chime in

anonsouthernbell · September 2012

Just a little something but I loved this and so has everyone that I have purchased it for:

https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3211997

You should def register for a tub too. I personally liked the one that "converts.". It has a pad for sponge baths, a sling type thing for intermediate and the infant tub too. Another small item is a nail kit. Oh and def a monitor. I personally can't stand the Sony baby monitor we have. Really you need to think about what kind of parenting lifestyle you want to have....I say this in all seriousness. First baby I used a stroller, had a crib, which we rarely used, etc. this baby the stroller is still in the attic ad I gave the crib away. So you really can get by with as much or little as suits your lifestyle.

ras26 · September 2012

I'll post more when I'm not on my phone, but a huge x2 on the swaddleMe Velcro things. We loved them. I don't know the details of renting a pump, but I and literally 5 other fulltime working moms I know have been happy with the Medela pump in style advanced for multiple times per day use, for 812 months. It's popular enough that when I forgot my power adaptor, I was able to find another mom in the building at work to borrow one from for that day.

anonsouthernbell · September 2012

Some kind of baby containing device for when you are going to take a shower, etc my go to one is a bouncer as not all babies like swings. And the swaddle mes that the pps mentioned are great. They were especially wonderful w DS as he couldn't stand to have his legs swaddled. And so we were able to customize it. (dd can't stand to be swaddled but I know that she is in the minority of babies on that one). You can also register for your high chair. My friend had one where the tray was three pieces. I thought that was a wonderful feature as she automatically had a clean tray for breakfast, lunch and dinner and could wait until the evening to wash them. ( I so would have bought that had I known about it before hand).

2PuppiesHon · September 2012

Try getting Baby Bargains - they have it at most libraries or I got mine from a used book store - they have great recommendations in different categories!

salc21 · September 2012

I started off renting a pump from AAMC, but I quickly ended up getting my own Medela since it was so much easier to transport and move around in the house when needed. BFing didn't work for me, but I did pump for the first 2 months and I am glad I had my own. But, it worked out renting for the first week to try it out and make sure it was going to work.

I second the carrier and the Chicco car seat - we have the Keyfit and loved it. We also used our bouncy seat ALL the time that we ended up buying a second one for upstairs so we didn't have to carry it up and down all the time! We also got the Graco Blossom highchair for my shower - and it's awesome - we included that on the registry.

xcjump · September 2012

Lucie's List has been a great help to me. https://www.lucieslist.com/

mrs. remy · September 2012

My personal faves (most have been used for both kids):

Chicco cortina travel system
fisher price healthy care booster
sleepsacks!! and velcro swaddlers for first 3 months or so. must have for both of mine!
def some sort of bouncer seat, I would put my kids in it in the bathroom when I needed to jump in the shower
good pump if you are committed to BFing. I got a Medela PISA and while it was around $300, I have used it for about 15 combined months of pumping 3 times a day so I have definitely gotten plenty of use out of it.
bottles really depends on baby's preferences. both of mine have liked the wide playtex ventaire.

payn0045 · September 2012

2PuppiesHon:
Try getting Baby Bargains - they have it at most libraries or I got mine from a used book store - they have great recommendations in different categories!

I second this! I basically built my registry as I went through the book, and the made a few changes/additions here and there based on recommendations from friends, the internet, etc.

HOLL1WOOD · September 2012

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone! This is all really helpful! Keep the suggestions coming if you think of anything else!

nezwee · September 2012

I was also going to recommend to get the latest edition of Baby Bargains. I used it even after I had DD. Lucies list is a great blog as well. It might also be helpful to bring a friend who is a mom with you while registering. They'll be able to tell you and help you with the different brands and styles of items you look at cause it can be very overwhelming. Good Luck!

shaina1215 · September 2012

Do some research to find out the #1 rated for safety carseat, then take a friend who has recently had a baby and will have a similar parenting style and mindset with you to the store. Your friend can help guide you through what you should register for based on her experience.

And don't feel pressured to register for everything the first day. For some of the bigger things - stroller, glider, etc - you might want to go back and do some research or thinking, then you can add those later.

SarahKate31 · September 2012

shaina1215:
Do some research to find out the #1 rated for safety carseat, then take a friend who has recently had a baby and will have a similar parenting style and mindset with you to the store. Your friend can help guide you through what you should register for based on her experience.

And don't feel pressured to register for everything the first day. For some of the bigger things - stroller, glider, etc - you might want to go back and do some research or thinking, then you can add those later.

This is a good point. We went down to this store in Gaithersburg, Great Beginnings, because they have a HUGE selection of gear out on the floor and you can try everything out - fold strollers, snap in car seats, etc. Also the sales people were really knowledgeable. Highly recommend taking a trip down there once you have read Baby Bargains and narrowed down your options (bring the book with you!). We went to pick out the big stuff: car seat, stroller, pack n play, swing, etc. Once we had decided, we added those things to our registry at Target and BRU.

HOLL1WOOD · September 2012

Thanks! I will definitely get the Baby Bargains book and peruse that over the weekend.

Sarah - Thanks for sharing your idea about going to Great Beginnings. I think we'll do that! It's so hard to make decisions when you can only see things online. It will be nice to see everything and try it out myself before making any decisions.

ras26 · September 2012

My 2 cents, and others may disagree, is that the infant carrier seats that go up to 32 or 35 lbs aren't really worth any extra money. I know it sounds awesome to get longer use out of it, but DD is only right around 19 lbs and it began to be more trouble than it was worth to carry her around in the infant carrier. Maybe it's my weakling little girl arms, but I was getting bruises on my arms and thighs trying to carry that thing around. About a week ago (10.5 months-ish) we switched her over to her "big girl" (convertible) car seat, even though she was still under the height and weight limit of her infant seat (22 lbs and 29 inches). She seems to like it better too.

mrs. remy · September 2012

ras26:
My 2 cents, and others may disagree, is that the infant carrier seats that go up to 32 or 35 lbs aren't really worth any extra money. I know it sounds awesome to get longer use out of it, but DD is only right around 19 lbs and it began to be more trouble than it was worth to carry her around in the infant carrier. Maybe it's my weakling little girl arms, but I was getting bruises on my arms and thighs trying to carry that thing around. About a week ago (10.5 months-ish) we switched her over to her "big girl" (convertible) car seat, even though she was still under the height and weight limit of her infant seat (22 lbs and 29 inches). She seems to like it better too.

I totally agree with this. I was really struggling carrying both around in the carrier as they approached 20 lbs. I can't imagine going much past that. I switched both over to their convertible seats (which they both seemed to love) around 7.5 months.

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