@Mango517 100% agree with @namestolen on the Lotus Guava. That's what I'm registered for. It's something like 13 lbs and folds into a little backpack (think of one of those folding chairs for watching kids sporting events or camping with the strap over one shoulder). This might be overboard, but right now, we plan to have the crib in the nursery, the pack n play in our room as a permanent fixture (for the first 6-12 months) and the lotus crib in the living room and for all travel w/ overnights (car, plane, etc.).
@Mango517 I'm a PNP user because it's a solution from newborn to 2.5ish (depending on the kid). I'd be worried that Chicco one could only be used for a short time and then you'd get a PNP to keep them contained when sleeping later.
@namestolen my friend was just selling hers of that same exact crib/playard. When I asked her about it, she said she just "had to have it" but it was a huge waste. She said they used it like twice.
@AdvoCyndi30 I see no storage on that stroller/car seat. When I need to use a stroller, storage is a must. I liked how they show her getting a grocery bag but then not putting it anywhere on the stroller???? May be good for some but personally not us.
***TW in Siggy*** Me: 34 / DH: 33 Married: Nov 2011 TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014 TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
@AdvoCyndi30 I have to agree with @bumpybump about the stroller. Im a FTM, but I went to a baby expo in Boston a few months back, and they had that (or one just like it) at the event. We watched the talk, and someone asked about storage, and they said that there isnt any. You also cant put too much weight on the handles, becuase its not balanced the same as a stroller, so tipping is a big concern. I would look for something that has storage for your things, and that might be able to grow with your child. This one only works if you have a baby that fits in the infant seat.
**TW Loss/pregnancy mentioned** Married: 7/21/12
BFP: 5/30/16 and MC on 7/6/16 BFP: 12/4/16 Due 8/8/17 -- Its a boy! Born 8/14/17 BFP: 5/19/19 and MC on 5/27/19 BFP: 6/24/19, MC on 7/24/19 BFP: 10/24, no heartbeat on 11/27, D&C 12/2 Officially diagnosed with Secondary infertility and recurrent miscarriage IVF started Feb 2020 retrieval and PGT testing: 18 retrieved, 17 mature, 16 fertilized, 9 to blast, 8 PGT normal. Transfer #1: June 14, 2020
Mommy to a super cute havanesse puppy and baby boy!
@Mango517 I'm also Team PNP and besides using it as a bassinet for the first several months, it's other main use for us is traveling. There are several different models that are lightweight & easily portable, and there are a ton of extra features to choose from. We take ours with us to hotels/resorts/vacation condo/etc. I'll be a 4th time mom, and we've used a PNP extensively for each baby.
@AdvoCyndi30 Agree with @bumpybump and @littlebug2010 that storage is a must for a stroller. Where are you going to put the diaper bag, your purse, drinks/snacks, cell phone, etc?
This may be an early UO, but I would never purchase a crazy expensive stroller. In fact, I've never spent over $200 on one (including joggers), and we use them quite frequently with no problems.
Both of my kids hated the PNP. They hated the crib too so it isn't surprising that the PNP didn't cut it. The changing table attachment was helpful, but I barely got any use out of the rest of it. I'm not really holding out hope that this baby will be different, but I'll still set it up in our room again and try it. Any tips to get DC to sleep in a PNP or crib? We tried so many things to get DS1 in a crib and they all failed miserably.
We have a glider on our registry but I don't love it. I've only tried them at BRU and Buy Buy Baby and most weren't comfortable IMO. Would STMs or FTMs who've already purchased/chosen one recommend a furniture store instead or just stick to what's at the baby stores?
I guess for us, as a family of (soon to be) 5, we are ALWAYS on the go, especially with a 9 and 5 year old. They are active in extra-curricular stuff and I volunteer test at their school a lot.
I'm a backpack gal! I keep everything in a backpack, and I've learned what is essential for us and what isn't. We have a pretty good system down (for our family) and this would totally fit.
The clip-on accessories seem perfect if we're out longer than normal.
Of course, everyone has different lifestyles and things that will and won't work for their families.
@kvh22 we have a Best Home Furnishings swivel glider that is fully upholstered. They used to be available at Buy Buy Baby but I no longer see them as an option online through them. We bought ours, practically brand new, off Craigslist for like $150. I really like it and it's lightweight so we can move it from our bedroom to the nursery easily. This is similar to what we have https://www.besthf.com/best/Furniture/Chairs/Swivel-Glide/HAGEN
***TW in Siggy*** Me: 34 / DH: 33 Married: Nov 2011 TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014 TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
@PinkPrincessPiper Thanks! For some reason, my kids weren't big fans of being swaddled and one of them would move around and cry until he could get his hands free. Of course having his hands free meant startling himself and waking up. I'll definitely try it again since all babies are different. As long as this one doesn't want to be held 24/7 like DS1, I'll be happy and wil deal with the potential lack of fondness for the PNP and/or crib. It would be nice to have a crib sleeper this time though.
Thanks for all the PNP/Sleeper advice....lots to think about before we register.
I've heard that some of the standard pnp mattresses are quite terrible and require purchasing an additional mattress for comfort. That would be fine for a pnp at home or one that stays at a grandparents house but for traveling I really don't want to be toting around an additional mattress.
I'm just starting to think seriously about registering sometime in the next month, so apologies in advance about the many FTM questions to come
Together: January 2002 Married: May 2008 Baby: August 2017
Clearly we like to rush along at lightning speed...
@kvh22 +1 to the Best Home Furnishings chairs. I wanted a recliner/glider with no ottoman since the nursery isn't that big. I ordered the Kersey style from BRU after going in to see the different fabric swatches that were available.
@Mango517 The pad in the pack'n'play is a little sad but DD didn't seem to mind it for sleeping so I'd say it really depends on the baby for the extra mattress.
Agree with @Nxy, DD slept fine on the PNP mattress that came with it. I probably hated it more than her because every time she moved it made a "thumping" noise. But she was fine.
***TW in Siggy*** Me: 34 / DH: 33 Married: Nov 2011 TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014 TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
Same as @Nxy and @bumpybump DS slept in the mini pack and play till 6 months with just a waterproof pad and sheet with no problem. He slept in a bigger one when we traveled after he turned one.
Definitely agree that it depends on the baby. I was unfortunate enough to have a baby that was picky about it. He never slept in the bassinet attachment despite my attempts and only successfully slept in the main part when I added the extra mattress.
Thanks for the Lucie's List suggestion - so helpful!!
What age do they start using those exersaucer/Jumper things? I mean even if the can't jump in it do they still like sitting in it- keeps them entertained? Am I ok to leave it off my registry and then just ask the grandparents to get one for Christmas when he'll be 3 mos?
@Kaityrj please do not just put your LO in the jumper/exersaucer to hang out if they don't have the correct muscles built up for it yet. For some reason, 3 months sounds early to me (I'd have to go back and look what age DD used it). So, you'd be fine asking for it at Christmas.
***TW in Siggy*** Me: 34 / DH: 33 Married: Nov 2011 TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014 TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
They have to be able to sit up on their own and hold their head up. I just looked back at my pictures and DS was in his at 4 months, but I remember it being a controversial topic in my bmb. They were dubbed death traps, a term I still use today.
@bumpybump@taylormarie923 that's what I was wondering- thank you so much! I definitely won't worry about getting one before he arrives, or maybe even at all!
@Kaityrj this are used for such a short amount of time, that if you don't get one, see if you can borrow one or buy one used. We were loaned one and bought one used (looking new) for $20. Most people are willing to loan them out because they just take up space in storage!
I bought the Britax convertible carseat/ stroller set. When do you buy a carseat that doesn't connect into the stroller/one that will grow with baby into toddlerhood? Is this something I should put on my registry?
@tova24 We got DD's at about 9-10 months. She was just getting too heavy to want to carry around in the infant seat. I didn't register for it but you could if you wanted to.
My answer to why we got the things we got with DD is almost always "becuase it's what the BX had on hand". We were in Guam at the time and no one would ship a carseat to us and even if they did a package that size would have gone on a cargo ship and taken 4-6 months to get there.
We got the Graco size for me 65 becuase it had the highest rear facing limits for what we had available to us. It also had awesome reviews. So far we've been very happy with it. I wanted a "better" brand originally but after some reading to better understand carseat safety standards felt better about the Graco.
We also have a extra seat we use for when we carpool or take DH's car or fly places. It's a Cosco convertible that was like 30$ new. Light as a feather.
@Nxy Makes sense. I can't imagine living in another country and paying international shipping fees/worrying about if they would even ship it. I'm glad I got time to look into this and it's not marked as a high priority.
@tova24 we moved our DD to a rear facing convertible seat when she was 11 mos old. DD was, and still is, a bit of a lightweight so carrying her in the infant car seat didn't bother me. We felt that she was uncomfortable in it so we bought the convertible for a long (10 hr each way) trip. We did have the convertible on our registry but no one bought it. A great car seat resource is the "Car Seats for the Littles" page and group on Facebook (also have a website). They can help you figure out the right seats for your child and car.
***TW in Siggy*** Me: 34 / DH: 33 Married: Nov 2011 TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014 TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
@tova24 DS has always been big, we had to adjust the car seat straps before leaving the hospital because he was too big for the smallest setting. He outgrew the newborn insert pretty quickly as well. We moved him to a rear facing convertible around 5.5 months. Our infant seat was a Chico, but we went with a britax marathon for the convertible. We had registered for one but didn't get it. He turned 5 months at thanksgiving and I found a britax on kohls.com during their black Friday week long sale and got an awesome deal. Not the best color as it's lime green, but it's safe and that's what's important. I have a small SUV (rav4) and he's been in the middle, but we'll move him to the side and turn him next month when he turns 2. My mom has a Rav4 as well and can fit his and my niece's britax marathon seats in the back as well as a marathon and a Chico infant carrier. I second what @bumpybump said about Car Seats for Littles. When I was researching I found it to be the most comprehensive information without being overwhelming.
@tova24 chiming in on convertible car seats, we switch DS over around 9 months because he never enjoyed staying in the carrier so I rarely pulled it out of the car and we were getting ready to go on a 12 hour car trip. Car Seats for the Littles is a great resource and I believe they have a FB page where you can post questions about your specific car. Crazy Car Seat Lady is also a really great resource.
I ended up getting a Diono and I've always been very happy with that decision, especially now that I have to fit two more car seats in my car. It's pretty large, so fitting RFing in smaller cars can be difficult, but it has really high RFing limits. The FF and booster limits are crazy high, so it is the only car seat he will ever need for the rest of his life. For me personally, this article was all I needed to see when shopping around: https://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?90385-Radian-Car-Seat-Survives-Building-Collapse
I am not a car seat expert by any means, but was also going to chime in with a recommendation for a diono. We fit 3 across and do extended rear facing and they are great for this. We also got backpacks straps for them and carry them through the airport and have DD1/2 use them on the airplane - they fit great in the airplane seat.
We are also team pack n play. We travel a lot to visit family etc and one kid or the other has been sleeping in our pack n play for five years now. The basinette component of it was never hugely successful for us though.
@donehue aside from being super heavy, I loved the travel capability and always had people ask me about the seat while going through airports. Then one flight, both straps broke! Now I fly with the lightweight evenflo from DH's car and check it.
I won't bore you with details of our bathrooms' layouts but we literally can't store even a plastic baby tub. When Baby is tiny she's getting bathed in the kitchen sink. Can you carefully bathe a baby at any size in a sink or regular bathtub without some sort of contraption or are the contraptions one of the "helpful" things the Baby Product Industry has told us we all "need?"
@DeansGirl14 I'm going to say it's a need. Until they can hold themselves up, especially. Babies are slippery little creatures, especially when wet and soapy. You don't want to drop your baby in the water.
Re: Baby Gear Questions and Suggestions
@namestolen my friend was just selling hers of that same exact crib/playard. When I asked her about it, she said she just "had to have it" but it was a huge waste. She said they used it like twice.
@AdvoCyndi30 I see no storage on that stroller/car seat. When I need to use a stroller, storage is a must. I liked how they show her getting a grocery bag but then not putting it anywhere on the stroller???? May be good for some but personally not us.
***TW in Siggy***
Me: 34 / DH: 33
Married: Nov 2011
TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014
TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
Married: 7/21/12
BFP: 12/4/16 Due 8/8/17 -- Its a boy! Born 8/14/17
BFP: 5/19/19 and MC on 5/27/19
BFP: 6/24/19, MC on 7/24/19
BFP: 10/24, no heartbeat on 11/27, D&C 12/2
Officially diagnosed with Secondary infertility and recurrent miscarriage
IVF started Feb 2020
retrieval and PGT testing: 18 retrieved, 17 mature, 16 fertilized, 9 to blast, 8 PGT normal.
Transfer #1: June 14, 2020
***TW in Siggy***
Me: 34 / DH: 33
Married: Nov 2011
TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014
TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
@AdvoCyndi30 Agree with @bumpybump and @littlebug2010 that storage is a must for a stroller. Where are you going to put the diaper bag, your purse, drinks/snacks, cell phone, etc?
This may be an early UO, but I would never purchase a crazy expensive stroller. In fact, I've never spent over $200 on one (including joggers), and we use them quite frequently with no problems.
I guess for us, as a family of (soon to be) 5, we are ALWAYS on the go, especially with a 9 and 5 year old. They are active in extra-curricular stuff and I volunteer test at their school a lot.
I'm a backpack gal! I keep everything in a backpack, and I've learned what is essential for us and what isn't. We have a pretty good system down (for our family) and this would totally fit.
The clip-on accessories seem perfect if we're out longer than normal.
Of course, everyone has different lifestyles and things that will and won't work for their families.
***TW in Siggy***
Me: 34 / DH: 33
Married: Nov 2011
TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014
TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
I've heard that some of the standard pnp mattresses are quite terrible and require purchasing an additional mattress for comfort. That would be fine for a pnp at home or one that stays at a grandparents house but for traveling I really don't want to be toting around an additional mattress.
I'm just starting to think seriously about registering sometime in the next month, so apologies in advance about the many FTM questions to come
Together: January 2002
Married: May 2008
Baby: August 2017
Clearly we like to rush along at lightning speed...
DX: Endometriosis - Stage 4, DOR, RPL
03.2016 - Natural BFP - MC 5w4d
04.2016 - Natural BFP - Chemical
10.2016 - IUI w/ Injections #1 = IUI Cancelled (cyst/no mature follicle)
11.2016 - IUI w/ Injections #2 = BFP, EDD 08.2017 - It's a BOY!
TTC #2 06.2019
08.2019 - IUI w/ Injections #1 = Chemical
09.2019 - IUI w/ Injections #2 = BFN
10.2019 - IUI w/ Injections #3 = BFN
01.2020 - IUI w/ Injections #4 = BFN
08.2020 - Natural BFP - MC 9w5d
11.2020 - IVF Retrieval - 3AB & 4BB
05.2021 - FET #1 = BFP, EDD 02.2022 - It's a BOY!
***TW in Siggy***
Me: 34 / DH: 33
Married: Nov 2011
TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014
TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
What age do they start using those exersaucer/Jumper things? I mean even if the can't jump in it do they still like sitting in it- keeps them entertained? Am I ok to leave it off my registry and then just ask the grandparents to get one for Christmas when he'll be 3 mos?
***TW in Siggy***
Me: 34 / DH: 33
Married: Nov 2011
TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014
TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
We got the Graco size for me 65 becuase it had the highest rear facing limits for what we had available to us. It also had awesome reviews. So far we've been very happy with it. I wanted a "better" brand originally but after some reading to better understand carseat safety standards felt better about the Graco.
We also have a extra seat we use for when we carpool or take DH's car or fly places. It's a Cosco convertible that was like 30$ new. Light as a feather.
***TW in Siggy***
Me: 34 / DH: 33
Married: Nov 2011
TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014
TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
I ended up getting a Diono and I've always been very happy with that decision, especially now that I have to fit two more car seats in my car. It's pretty large, so fitting RFing in smaller cars can be difficult, but it has really high RFing limits. The FF and booster limits are crazy high, so it is the only car seat he will ever need for the rest of his life. For me personally, this article was all I needed to see when shopping around: https://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?90385-Radian-Car-Seat-Survives-Building-Collapse
We are also team pack n play. We travel a lot to visit family etc and one kid or the other has been sleeping in our pack n play for five years now. The basinette component of it was never hugely successful for us though.
DD#1: 5/29/12
DD#2: 1/14/15
Baby #3 on the way due 8/19/17
Baby baths.
I won't bore you with details of our bathrooms' layouts but we literally can't store even a plastic baby tub. When Baby is tiny she's getting bathed in the kitchen sink. Can you carefully bathe a baby at any size in a sink or regular bathtub without some sort of contraption or are the contraptions one of the "helpful" things the Baby Product Industry has told us we all "need?"