Confession: Baby Registry

musictchr25 · October 2014

Confession - I've already started (actually, before I was pregnant!) a baby registry and it has everything on it except for gender specific items, like clothes and different color cloth diapers.

Has anyone else already started a registry, or at least researched some items? What are your must haves?

Mine is the BOB Revolution SE stroller - I'm obsessed.

AngieL610 · October 2014

I love this! I haven't started it yet, but I'm definitely looking at cosleepers, Moses baskets, breast pumps and car seats!

I've been obsessing over breast pumps and bed sheets! I'm letting DH take charge of the stroller... He requested that task!

acethebase · October 2014

I'm a 3rd time mom so I pretty much have all I need besides diapers and some more clothes, I'm pretty much good. I will say that most things people "say" you need, you don't. There is so much stuff I didn't use and wish I knew before.

dkleid · October 2014

I have a "wish list" on amazon that is private that I started adding to over the summer right after we started trying. I should probably share it with DH so that I can show him what I like.

Mama-Bear · October 2014

Before I was pg with DS1 I was scoping everything out.

ksimo6 · October 2014

Along with what @MrsRed09‌ said (100% agree with her entire list)... Diaper genie, baby mitts, any clothes besides sleepers in 0-3 months, dis endearing bottle thing for the microwave....

The three things I swear by... Gas drops, nose Frieda, and sock ons.

[Deleted User] · October 2014

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acethebase · October 2014

My list of useless things:
-wipe warmer
-the swaddle/Velcro blankets ( he always escaped these, ask me when it's closer and I'll show you how to swaddle and they can never escape it)
-too many bottles ( I bought weird complicated ones then ended up using the medela ones that came with my pump)
-crib bedding sets ( you should only be using/need a crib sheet)
-never used the boppy
-too many clothes ( they grow out of them so quick, especially the newborn size)
-too many bibs
-hate baby towels, they are so small!
-diaper genie/ pal
-blankets (you only need a couple)
-baby bathrobe
I'll stop there, but there is more...

hilsy85 · October 2014

Also a 2nd time mom, but I think the list of "must haves" is really dependent. I love our diaper pail, and couldn't have gotten by with just a regular garbage can (I need something that locks so LO can't get into it!). I also loved velcro swaddle blankets, hooded baby towels, our swing, the moby, and some sort of breastfeeding pillow.

My list of some must haves (which I"m sure others will disagree with): side snap little shirts (short sleeved for us I guess?)--the longer you can avoid pulling anything over the bobble head, the better; zip up sleepers (no one wants to deal with buttons in the MOTN); cloth diapers as burp clothes (way more absorbant); video monitor; and obviously a good carseat and place for baby to sleep. And YES to the nose frida + saline drops--best thing ever (and weirdly satisfying!).

OMGTree · October 2014

Second time mom here. I cloth diaper do don't have to buy diapers. The only thing I'll need is some boy clothes if it's a boy and a blue blanket. Will also need a new bouncer seat because our DD wore out the vibrating button on the other one. I swore by my wipe warmer. One because I use wash clothes as wipes but saki because cold wipes woke DD up. I also LOVED swaddle blankets. My list of useless items would be a bassinet, I just used a PnP. Glider, just by a recliner. Bedding set. Shoes before they are walking. I'm sure there is more.

LuLuBelle89 · October 2014

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but Lucie's List is a great resource for deciding what you really need and breaking down different options based on how much you want to spend. I spent way too much time on her site yesterday

willowprincess · October 2014

It really varies from mom to mom what you'll use. I couldn't get enough receiving blankets for my crazy spitter. Burp cloths didn't cut it at all. I LOVE our diaper pail. It's not going anywhere any time soon. I also used everything that came in the bedding set. Laid the quilt on the pnp mat since that was the only way dd would nap in there.

My kids have all hated being swaddled, so those swaddle blankets were a waste. I ended up not being able to use sleepers until my 3rd baby. DD would only sleep if she could have her hand on her belly, so we had to use 2-piece sets. DS1 had clubbed feet so we couldn't use anything with feet.

Honestly though you don't need much for baby. DD was born before we had a chance to buy ANYTHING. When I was in the hospital with her, dh bought her some clothes and diapers, my parents got us a pnp for her to sleep in (although we ended up bedsharing), and my in-laws got us a carseat. That's really all we needed at first.

Although now I definitely couldn't get by without babywearing. A good carrier or wrap is priceless in my book!

BostonGayGal · October 2014

There are also a few neat products that will come to the market over the next 8 months so don't buy too soon! I know there is a self-rocking rock n'play or something but stuff just keeps coming out.

[Deleted User] · October 2014

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mamahawk12 · October 2014

Yep - agree with the others. 3rd timer here and it's incredible how much we've downsized on the crap. You're much better off for only registering for the few big ticket items you want so people know those are high on your list and they can plan on doing group gifts, etc. I promise, people aren't going to naturally gravitate towards the $400 jogger. And let's face it - most people will buy you clothes (or whatever they want) anyways

ETA - another reason to keep a small registry: I promise you won't really know what you "need" until the baby is here - everyone is soo different in terms of "must haves" and "total waste". So you'll be better off with gift cards to stock up on things you actually need later.

ElleJDubs · October 2014

STM here, there's a few things I wish I had that I want this time around- arm's reach cosleeper (vs bassinet), moby, breast pump (had to rent one last time), and a double stroller. I'm putting them on a registry and will definitely buy them myself but the in laws are big gift givers so I know they'll want ideas of what we need.

Katerina&Baby · October 2014

My sister's baby is 6 months so my list of must-haves really stems from what baby K can't live without. The 2 items I know I will be buying are a travel system car seat (snaps into a base for the car or onto the stroller for on the go so you don't have to try and move a sleeping baby from one to the other) and the Fisher Price cradle 'n swing (every mom I know IRL swears by theirs and baby K has been obsessed with his since day 1).

Dlockjj · October 2014

I actually like the wipe warmer especially with having a boy and also the gowns with the elastic bottom verses button up sleepers b/c it made it easier to change at night.

CMDD · October 2014

i love this

and am totally overwhelmed about what products we actually need and which specific versions of each.

i am away from everyone we know so probably won't have an in-person baby shower- do i still need a registry?

willowprincess · October 2014

CMDD said:

i love this and am totally overwhelmed about what products we actually need and which specific versions of each.

i am away from everyone we know so probably won't have an in-person baby shower- do i still need a registry?

Always do a registry. Even if no one buys from it you get lots of freebies and coupons. Plus a completion coupon right before you are due for anything still left on the registry. I added the kids' Christmas gifts to my registry last time so I could use the coupon on them (ds2 was born in December)

veggiemo · October 2014

The one thing I really wish I had the first time around was a video monitor. Before my first, I thought they seemed overkill, but honestly, it would be so nice to check on the baby without having to open the door and enter the room. I'll definitely be getting one this time, but I need to do some research. I have no clue what brand to get yet or how much to spend.

Off the top of my head- things I couldn't live without: my sling (K'tan), boppy for nursing and a nice robe with pockets to lounge around in while recovering and constantly breastfeeding.

CMDD · October 2014

Awesome info! Where do you do your registries? Amazon, Target?

maroongolf · October 2014

veggiemo said:

The one thing I really wish I had the first time around was a video monitor. Before my first, I thought they seemed overkill, but honestly, it would be so nice to check on the baby without having to open the door and enter the room. I'll definitely be getting one this time, but I need to do some research. I have no clue what brand to get yet or how much to spend.

Off the top of my head- things I couldn't live without: my sling (K'tan), boppy for nursing and a nice robe with pockets to lounge around in while recovering and constantly breastfeeding.

Completely agree about the video monitor. I am definitely getting one this time.

willowprincess · October 2014

I think a video monitor would actually make me more paranoid. I'd be checking it all the time. Plus the hacker thing freaks me the eff out!

We actually don't have any monitor at all which is good for me. Kind of forces me to relax.

veggiemo · October 2014

I did mine at a local baby boutique. I liked the fact that I was supporting local business and if I had any questions it was much more pleasant and personal than the big box stores.

For this baby, I'm probably going to make an amazon registry, mostly as a list of things I need to buy! Although, I'm sure that my mom and other family members wouldn't mind taking a peek at it

willowprincess · October 2014

I generally do Target and Babies R Us because I like the packets they give, plus they are easy access for us.

poppyc8 · October 2014

Here were my must haves for DS1

-Aiden and Anais blankets
-Swaddled me Velcro
-Newborn Tops w kimono side snaps so you don't have to lift a shirt over a bobble head
-Kimono side snap onesies.
- Pull on elastic waist footie pants
-white noise sound machine
-a portable bouncy seat lightweight moves from room to room easily etc
-sleep sheep
-pack n play
-infant bath tub and infant shampoo and lotion
- large yoga exercise ball ( I would sit on it and gently bounce DS to sleep when he was a newborn. He loved it. It was also cozy to bounce on it in my third tri.
- ergo baby carrier
- a huge plush rocking chair for the nursery . It got me through the rough newborn nights and now DS loves reading books in it before he goes to sleep.

Things I would pass on

- baby bath robe
- baby bath towel. we just used regular towels
- fisher price swing DS didn't like any type of mechanical swing.
- ergo infant insert. I just folded up a little towel at bottom of ergo and it worked the same.
-boppy DS never liked laying in it and it made breast feeding awkward.

Things I would have done differently
-get a really good infant car seat. We used a graco and the material was not that cozy . DS cried in the car. We ended up paying later for the peg perego car seat and it was worth it.

tiffgarc · October 2014

I started mine also with Baby's R US (it's the easiest and most convinient) whether I have a boy or girl, I want my baby to wear neutral colors (white, cream, grey, green, yellow, etc) just because pink&blues are so predictable. One thing I love about baby's R us (online), they have a checklist of things you need and things that are good to have. So it's really easy, and I'm half way done with my registry !

Trampslikeus · October 2014

So I've spent a lot of time in the Congo, where all women "need" when they are expecting is a few bolts of cloth and a boob. Having experienced this, I just have not been able to bring myself to register, or even look at all that stuff. But my mom and my close girlfriends (the only people other than my husband who know so far) are already emailing me stuff and being all SQUEEEEEEE! and I'm slooooooowly starting to get in to poking around at things and going "awww". Like towels with shark or elephant hoods, and lots of fuzzy things with ears. I have a feeling I'll end up with lots of those :P

whitpadgett · October 2014

Don't register for a breast pump. Thanks to the ACA, it's covered by insurance now. Your doctor will give a rx in the third trimester. And most insurance companies pay for Medela!

Royal14 · October 2014

Hey ladies! FTM here, a friend of mine swears by this iPhone app...I would check it out b4 spending a ton on a video monitor: Cloud Baby Monitor

willowprincess · October 2014

Royal14 said:

Hey ladies! FTM here, a friend of mine swears by this iPhone app...I would check it out b4 spending a ton on a video monitor: Cloud Baby Monitor

Just beware. There's been a lot of hacking issues with this.

CMDD · October 2014

Trampslikeus said:
So I've spent a lot of time in the Congo, where all women "need" when they are expecting is a few bolts of cloth and a boob. Having experienced this, I just have not been able to bring myself to register, or even look at all that stuff. But my mom and my close girlfriends (the only people other than my husband who know so far) are already emailing me stuff and being all SQUEEEEEEE! and I'm slooooooowly starting to get in to poking around at things and going "awww". Like towels with shark or elephant hoods, and lots of fuzzy things with ears. I have a feeling I'll end up with lots of those :P

My husband has spent time in Haiti and with a tribe in Kenya doing medical work and he feels the same way. He's a doctor and only has two shirts, two pairs of shoes, etc and wants the baby to not be overwhelmed with too much shiny plastic "stuff" we don't really need. I'm the opposite, I think the sweet baby stuff on registries is so fun

MrsMonogrammed · October 2014

@musictchr25‌ you're making me want to start one!! And I'll definitely be taking all of the suggestions in this post into consideration:)

musictchr25 · October 2014

MrsMonogrammed said:

@musictchr25‌ you're making me want to start one!! And I'll definitely be taking all of the suggestions in this post into consideration:)

I know! I didn't expect to get all of these great responses! Thanks so much ladies! Your lists are so helpful!!

incir · October 2014

On other BMBs I've seen more registry do's and don't's from experienced moms in the second tri once more people start thinking about it. For me, this time around I want a co-sleeper and can't decide on a video monitor.

Must haves from Baby #1:

wrap (I used a K'tan)

exercise ball (the only way to get him to sleep)

white noise machine

side snap shirts

Every baby is different so its good to start with only a little stuff but a variety so you can find out what works for you.

ElleJDubs · October 2014

Oh! If any of you are looking for a play mat the fisher price kick and play piano mat is amazing. My July 12 group called it the crack mat!

mindaa · October 2014

Wen you registered at Babies R Us, did you have the option of making the Registry private?

I like the idea of starting one to help research and get organized... but would feel bad if someone found it while it was still a work in progress.

mccall35 · October 2014

Our diaper genie has been a must for us. We live in a condo and the place would get pretty stinky without it. Another must were our Halo Sleepsacks, DS loved them. We also preferred the snap PJs over the zipper ones so that DS didn't have to get too cold for night-time changes, but we had and used both!

musictchr25 · October 2014

mindaa said:

Wen you registered at Babies R Us, did you have the option of making the Registry private?

I like the idea of starting one to help research and get organized... but would feel bad if someone found it while it was still a work in progress.

There is no way to make the BRU Registry private. If you want to make sure it's not found, just spell your last name backwards, that way it's "not searchable." That's what I did, and I still get all of the mail delivered to my house, since I used my correct address, but the last name is just wrong, that way people can't search for me on the site.

balderasmama · October 2014

Fourth time mama here! Since I have been hoarding my baby stuff just in case #4 happened (yay me), I don't need anything.
From the posts on here you can tell it's all very personal.
That being said, my favorite things are:
Babyhawk carrier (newborn - 3 years +)
White onsies, so they are gender neutral for the next baby
Cotton sleepers (depending on where you live and how warm it will be on June.)
My kids liked Nuk pacifiers
Diaper bag with backpack option so it doesn't fall off when your leaning over the carrier
And of course, car seat and crib or cosleeper unless the baby will be sleeping with you.
Don't over think it! They try to make you think you need it ALL!

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