- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
May 2016 Moms
jaguilar526
member
Registry do's and don't
jaguilar526
member
Hi Ladies,
This is mainly for STM's and up or if the FTM have gotten opinions from other mommies, feel free to comment too. I find out what I am having tomorrow and was wondering about the registry.
What are some things that you purchased or was gifted that you barely used? So far, I've read that the diaper genie and a bassinet is a waste of money. Anything else out there I can save my moolah on? Any help would be great to help narrow down the registry.
thanks!!
Jen
This is mainly for STM's and up or if the FTM have gotten opinions from other mommies, feel free to comment too. I find out what I am having tomorrow and was wondering about the registry.
What are some things that you purchased or was gifted that you barely used? So far, I've read that the diaper genie and a bassinet is a waste of money. Anything else out there I can save my moolah on? Any help would be great to help narrow down the registry.
thanks!!
Jen
Re: Registry do's and don't
Eta: We never used special baby detergent. All of our laundry gets washed with Tide free & gentle and we've never had any sensitivity issues. We also didn't use a barrage of baby skincare products. Coconut oil has done the trick for everything so far.
I love my munchkin diaper pail, the graco lounger and PNP, my k'tan and mai tai wraps, the fisher price kick and play piano, lots of books, and the safety first magnetic cabinet locks we got. Some of these are definite extras but they got daily use throughout DS's 1st year, and things like the locks, pail, and books are still getting daily use. The others will get pulled out of the attic when DS2 is born.
Eta: I liked having a separate baby bath too because my routine for dishes is to do them after bedtime, meaning my sink wouldn't be clear for a baby in time for his bedtime routines. Some people just use the kitchen sink. We always used a baby tub in our tub.
The one thing I do want to splurge on is a bassinest, which is a pretty cool bassinet. I know lots of people think bassinets are a waste of money, though. We may also splurge on a fancier convertible crib, since they convert to a toddler bed and then a full sized bed. I don't mind spending a couple hundred extra on a bed that could last us a long time.
Oh and clothes! Our parents said don't spend a ton of money on clothes, since they outgrow them pretty quickly.
Great:
Pack N Play with the elevated level (not the "bassinet" or changer additions). This is where DS slept for months in our room. And it had use beyond that as a play yard.
Rock N Play was a life saver! I could take it downstairs/into the bathroom while I showered/kitchen while prepping dinner/family and friends houses etc. Baby sits at an incline which helps with gas/reflux and they can see what's going on.
The swing worked well for us too, though that varies by baby.
My husband especially liked the changing table/dresser. The organization was great and he's tall, so not hunching over our bed/couch etc was nice. Pro tip from years as a nanny, get one with draws/doors that is NOT attached to the crib. If it's open the minute baby can crawl they pull everything off. Same with standing in the crib.
A good rocker/recliner for the nursery. Besides being great for feeding, it's a nice quiet place to calm baby if they get over stimulated by family/siblings, read to baby, and it's somewhere comfortable for you! Eventually baby will get sick, for this reason I recommend a recliner as opposed to the wooden rockers because you will spend sleepless nights in the chair!
A baby bath tub. I'm not a fan of washing baby in a sink. Our tub had a little insert for the newborn age and he used the baby tub until he was big enough to go in the actual tub.
If you are formula feeding a formula pitcher to mix larger batches (about a days worth) was great. You have it read to go and it doesn't have all the bubbles (read:fewer gas issues).
The boppy. I didn't use it to feed, but did use it for tummy time, to prop baby up and to sit on myself when we got home from the hospital (labor and delivery is no joke!).
A carrier both you and hubs can wear. When you're home it can calm a crying baby, when you're out he can carry the baby and bond.
Useless stuff:
Warmers (wipes, bottles, whatever). Baby will be fine with a cool wipe, just hold it in your hand for a second. If you need to warm pumped milk/formula bottles just run it under a hot tap or fill a large measuring cup with hot water and set the bottle in there for a minute.
Diaper genies. Just get a small (preferably metal) can with a lid for baby's room and change as needed. Genies end up stinking eventually (plastic absorbs the odor) and the refills are costly.
"Special" baby detergent. We use Tide Free for all laundry. Baby detergents are heavily scented which can irritate newborn skin, and they honestly don't clean as well.
I'm sure there are a bunch more, but these are what first came to mind. And of course, what works for one baby/family might not work for another. But trust yourself to figure it out.
DD: 05/14/16
I don't know if your shower guests will buy a rocker/glider, but I have definitely pooled my money as a guest to buy more expensive items like a monitor, car seat base, etc.
Must haves for us were the pack n play (lowest frills model), rock n play, car seats and bases, strollers, baby carrier and a wrap for around the house. Swaddles galore as well. We used a bath sling rather than a separate tub and liked that. Non slip bath mat is also great to have once they get bigger. A sound machine and nightlight turtle were really helpful as DS got older.
Easy things to add are baby care items - body wash, lotions etc. We used the mustela shampoo for cradle cap a lot and that stuff is pricey!
ETA: this time around we have also bought a bassinest, since we are in a different house so our needs have changed. I also want a new boppy (ours was second hand and it's not as nice as what's out there now).
If you register for bottles, open one package at a time to make sure baby likes them too! We were given a dozen or so glass Dr. Brown's bottles, but the girls liked the bigger lansinoh nipples, so I returned all but 4 Dr. Browns.
I put a few outfits on our registry to show what I liked and give people ideas. I also put swaddling blankets, swaddle me's, and halo sleep sacks (to be used in that order!).
Hmm what else? We use biokleen detergent for clothes, babyganics bottle soap (love!), and burts bees unscented shampoo/bath soap, and coconut oil on everything!
Mama to Three Girls:
Twins born March 2014 at 26 weeks due to preterm labor
and our 37weeker born May 9th, 2016!
Mama to Three Girls:
Twins born March 2014 at 26 weeks due to preterm labor
and our 37weeker born May 9th, 2016!
DS1:
Refused to sleep in the bassinet, pack n play ended up in our room. Hated swings in all forms. Loved floor toys (those baby play mat things, we had a cheap one that he was obsessed with)
Ds2:
Also just slept in the pack n play. He loved every swing/glider he was ever put in and threw a fit when he out grew them. Hated the play mats.
Both:
Bumbo was a lifesaver, they both loved it. Also loved to sit with/prop on/tummy time with the boppy pillow. We used our travel system ALOT, the stroller that came with it was perfect for what we needed. We also put our convertible car seat on the registry and bought it with the completion discount at the end. We used our exersaucer alot, ds1 liked it much more than ds2. We got a walker as well and that was useless. By the time their feet reached the ground they were already walking.
I will add this too. As a ftm I totally missed the memo that not all babies like the same bottles. As I planned to bottle feed from the beginning, I registered for only 1 type of bottle. Neither of my boys would use it. We were most successful in the end with the Avent natural flow bottles. DS1 was super picky and that's all he would use. If bottles are something you're considering adding, I'd do a couple different brands with different types of nipples and see what baby likes.
Edit to add, my boys also have super sensitive skin...we still use the dreft detergent on all of their clothes and bedding, as well as the spare blankets around our house. The dreft stain spray is amazing, I haven't had to trash any baby clothes I've used it on (and ds1 got bbq sauce all over a white shirt...saved it).
FTM here: We are registering for a bunch of books, diapers and wipes, etc since those are extra additions that people can get if other stuff is gone. We aren't registering for our larger furniture since I want it set up prior to our shower, which is only a month ahead of our due date. We aren't putting clothes on either (except for basic white onsies) since people will buy clothes anyways, even though we have more than enough... We also currently make our own laundry soap (so simple and inexpensive!) so we won't be going with any specific baby kind.
I loved having jumperoos - my kids loved them. The doorway kind don't take much storage space.
Yea, right?! The $800 one had a button you pushed and it folded/unfolded itself. Cool to watch in the store, but jeez, how lazy can people get that they can't even fold up a stroller on their own?
One thing I have on my list that hasn't been mentioned is a bottle sanitizer. I used as a nanny and it was really helpful. Nothing huge just a small one to fit a few bottles/nipples/pacifiers. I also included that grass patch thing for bottle drying and a bottle scrub brush - my BFF is OCD and already bought them for me!
As a ftm I'm trying to keep it simple, and figure if we need something we can run out and get it later. There is a BRU a 10 minute drive away so it's not too much of a hassle. Since I'm not having a shower my registry is more of a running list of what I need to get and I will give it to anyone that asks. We bought our own travel system, bouncer, activity may, crib/mattress, changing table and sheets. So what's on my list that I would consider a necessity are the monitor, sound machine, diaper bag, books, bottles, pump and high chair.
I'm jealous of anyone with a glider or rocker. We don't have room for one unfortunately...
Mama to Three Girls:
Twins born March 2014 at 26 weeks due to preterm labor
and our 37weeker born May 9th, 2016!
For me with DD I BF, had her sleep in our room, did lots of skin to skin contact, did disposable diapers, sometimes we co slept, she also slept in her room in her crib after 7 mos, and I also bottle fed.
DOs:
Monitor, diapers (I prefer Pampers Swaddlers from Amazon bc one box lasted us 1 month), wipes, crib sheets, Aquaphor, shampoo, lotion, blankets (if you're going to swaddle I would just focus on swaddling blankets), gowns (life savers!), bassniet (DD would only want to be changed in it...she did not sleep in it), bouncer, swing (DD would only sleep in this for a few months), breast pump (if you're BFing), bottles (only a couple of different kinds bc you never know what LO will take to and they will start out only needing 4oz bottles and slow flow nipples just FYI), passies (get different kinds in these too bc you never know what he/she will take to), wash cloths, baby bath, thermometer, humidifier, Infant Tylenol, diaper bag, stroller, car seat (depending on how many cars you have I would suggest more than one if you have 2 unless you're going to use the car seat carrier with a base. Then I would get 2 bases), lanolin (if you're going to BF), formula (if you're going to formula feed... I'm a big Enfamil fan), I swear by Colic Calm for hiccups/upset tummy/reflux (all natural no meds in it), onesies, carrier cover (you'll love it while out and LO is napping), I swear by cloth diapers (unfolded) for burp cloths, I swore by my Boppy, socks, glider or rocking chair, and pack n play... I'm sure there's more.
DON'Ts (IMO):
Wipe warmer, Boogie wipes (although I love them. I got them for a gift but they aren't necessary), diaper carrier (I used a basket I got at Goodwill for $2), Diaper genie (I've heard they break a lot. We just stole extra bags at the self checkout at Walmart and use those...works just as well), a bunch of changing mats (they usually come in diaper bags and you can use a baby blanket just as well), bottle sterilizers (I boiled mine one a week to every 2 weeks), formula maker (re:formula keurig), bottle warmer, high chair (you won't need it for a while), hand mitts (use socks), changing table (technically it's not a need and I never used mine), and I'm sure there's more.
I left out crib bc it't not a must have. DD slept in hers for maybe 4 mos if that. I plan to have DD2 sleep in the pack n play or swing until her toddler bed. Now, she may need/want to sleep in a crib so I have one but I don't plan on it. That one is a your choice type thing.
ETA: IMO Dreft is overpriced. We use All Free and Clear (same thing essentially...no dyes, hypoallergenic, etc) and it's only $8-10
Been married since 2009.
Unicornuate Uterus (yes I menstruate glitter)
Several MCs
DD born 2013 (our miracle "you can't have babies" baby!)
Also, it was nice to have time to get used to having to do the extra step to open kitchen cabinets. Sometimes those baby locks are mama-proof too! Oh, and get more gates than you think you need. I had one for the top of the stairs, but needed to bring it downstairs every day because my son would try to scale the staircase when I turned my back. So I ended up getting one for the bottom and keeping one at the top. Seems excessive, but after my son took a tumble down the first 5 steps, it was totally justified! I also liked having one at the entrance to the kitchen and playroom (of course, it really depends on the layout of your house).
Lastly, take the time to literally crawl around and see if there are any cords, outlets, door stoppers, loose floorboards, etc that you can't notice from 5 ft up. I discovered that the transition from the carpet in the playroom to the tile in the foyer had some sharp edges that we needed to get fixed before a baby sliced a hand or knee on it.
They have a "help and favors" section in there. Do you guys think it's acceptable to put in things like meal delivery and maid service?