Funny thing, this list started when we met a couple in January 2012 who were expecting their first baby. They were at the same point we were about 6 years ago when we were pregnant with Tommy and had no idea what any of this baby crap was that we needed to register for. Seriously, we had NO idea. Our first visit to Babies R Us ended with me leaving in tears because I had no idea what anything was.
But then we asked advice from a bunch of people and we ended up taking our moms to Babies R Us to register with us. Seriously, at 30 years old we had to take our mommies to help us because that was how out of the baby loop we were.
Anyway, gave this lovely couple my email address and said email me if you have any questions. This woman was on it and emailed me about a week later and said she found a "list" of sorts on a woman's blog and wanted my opinion on it. So here is the original blog posting: http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2011/08/motherhood-mondays-what-to-register-for.html
This mom was brilliant and definitely did a great job compiling her list! So I just referred to that and then let my new friend know what I liked on it, what we used and what we did not use at all. Here is my response to the blogger's list:
Books:
I did have * The Happiest Baby on the Block (both the book and DVD) about how to calm a crying baby. Dr. Karp's tips work like MAGIC.
And it was good. If you have a fussy baby, I recommend reading it (although as you know I had the fussiest baby in history and it did not necessarily work like magic for us, but I think for the general public it is a good resource).
I did not read any other books prior to having the kids…I had a book called Babywise, but did not read it and did not use it. But I did have a friend who used it and it worked for her.
Onto the baby stuff:
1) Infant car seats…I agree with any of the Graco. We had the Peg Perego Primo. We thought because it was the most expensive, it was the best…not necessarily true. I also found it was heavier than the Graco which is important when you are trucking it around with the baby in it. We had an extra base for the car seat so Tommy could ride in both cars and that worked well, so you did not have to have it reinstalled when you needed to switch cars.
2) Crib – we had a convertible crib (which basically means you can have it be a crib, a toddler bed and a full size bed). We love that aspect because both Tommy and Morgan have used the crib and toddler bed and now we are getting ready to put Morgan in a full-sized “big girl bed.” As far as where to buy one, we went and found our crib at Goodnight Room (in Bridgeport Village and I think they have a store in NE Portland)…but they were pretty expensive and we found it elsewhere for cheaper, but it is a fun store to walk around and look. We ended up buying our nursery furniture from Segals for Children (which just went out of business, but I would bet you could find almost anything on the Internet).
3) Crib Mattress – we received ours as a gift but they bought it at Goodnight Room. Any children's store will know that a firm mattress is key, so I would get the mattress where you buy the crib. The nice thing about our mattress is it is “plastic” on the outside, so if anything soaked through the sheets and mattress pad, it did not stain the mattress.
4) Crib Mattress Pad – again I think we either registered for this from Babies R Us or just got it from the store we bought the furniture from. We got a waterproof quilted one to give the mattress a little bit of softness.
5) Fitted Crib Sheets – this is where Mike and I splurged…we bought really expensive sheets/bumper (which you are not supposed to have anymore), bed skirt, etc. Looking back on it, it is really not necessary. I do agree that having 3 sets of the sheets is good, but I would just find something that you like at either Target, Babies R Us and go with that…I would not go with the super expensive (like at Goodnight Room). We also had these things called waterproof pads and put those in the crib because Tommy was a spitter upper…so I would put his head down on those waterproof pads and then if he spit up, it was just on those pads and did not require I wash the sheets. With Morgan I never used the waterproof pads, so I would wait to see if your baby spits up or leaks through diapers easily.
6) Noise Maker – We did not have one…I think it could be a good thing, we just never used one. And now Tommy sleeps with a fan running in his room and Morgan does sleep better when she has a humidifier going, so we will probably do a fan in her room as well.
7)
8) Baby Monitor – We originally just had a sound monitor…then when we met some friends down the street (when Tommy was 9 months old) who had a video monitor and honestly it is one of my favorite baby items. I was constantly stressed out not being able to see Tommy and so I would open the door and then it would wake him up. With the video monitor, you can see what they are doing. I HIGHLY recommend the video monitor.
9) Stroller – we started out with a stroller that our infant car seat just snapped into. That was good for the beginning, but if I knew what I know now, I would recommend getting a BOB stroller. They are amazing! You can get an infant car seat adapter for it too. I still have my single BOB stroller and when Morgan was born and up until September I had the double BOB stroller (for my Stroller Strides activities). It really is an investment, but if you plan on running, walking or getting out with the kiddo on a regular basis, the investment is worth it. They are great strollers. They seem really large, but really fit everywhere you need to go. REI has a sale on these strollers in May-ish and in September-ish. That is probably the best place to buy them. You can also get them off of Craig's List quite frequently. But I recommend the BOB stroller over any other stroller out there.
10) Stroller Blanket – I just used some of the heavier blankets that we had…many people like to give baby blankets as gifts, so I would see what you get and see if you need to buy a specific stroller blanket. I have LOVED these two types of blankets (they have been our favorite) - http://www.swaddledesigns.com/lc/Cozy-Blankets-Stroller-Blankets/SB00/CategoryStrollerBlankets.html and http://www.littlegiraffe.com/catalog/categories/categories/blankets/chenille-blanket/
11) Stroller bundle bag – I did not have one of these…they look cozy and if you are planning on being outside a lot in the winter, then maybe, but I got by with just a blanket or two.
12) Baby carriers – I totally agree on the Ergo…it is the best carrier that I tried. I had the baby bijorn and the Ergo and hands down the Ergo was the best. My friends also really like the Moby wrap, but I never used it.
13) High Chair – we have a Graco high chair and LOVED it. It folds down pretty small. Similar to this one http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4039003 It worked well for both kids. Also before they were old enough to sit in it (3-5months) we put them in Bumbo http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2324072 and had them sit with us at dinner and/or fed them in that. It also is nice because it allows them to sit up (but you have to be careful because Morgan liked to roll out of it – Tommy was too chunky). Then when they got older and were wanting to sit at the table, but not quite ready to do that on their own we got the portable high chair http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4282469 which was great to take with us to friend’s houses and stuff. They can sit on the ground in it and eat or they can put it on a chair.
14) Diapers - We just went with Huggies or Costco’s Kirkland brand. Whichever was cheaper at the time. The Costco size is nice because you aren’t buying diapers every week.
15) Wipes – We buy huggies wipes as well…I tried Costco’s and I found I was using a ton more of them vs. the huggies, so we have just been Huggies wipes people (which you can also buy at Costco).
16) Diaper Genie – We have the Diaper Genie Elite II and it works well for us. I have not used the Diaper Dekor, but I think as long as you have something closed to put the diapers in, you will be good.
17) Diaper rash cream – we used Desitin, but I think you can use just about anything. I tried to use Burt’s Bees on Tommy and it did not really clear up the diaper rash, but definitely get some sort of diaper cream.
18) Maxi Pads – YES, YES, YES – one thing they do not tell you is you definitely bleed after having the baby, so have a supply of Maxi Pads.
19) Changing Pad- we used the top of our dresser as well with the changing pad. It worked well.
20)Changing pad cover – you can get these at Target or anywhere…again Mike and I bought ours to match our crazy expensive sheets, but I would get 3 so you have some when accidents happen and you have to change it out.
21) Cloth diapers – I never used them, but I have heard great things about G-diapers
22) Diaper bag – I had several and switched out if I was feeling the need to change things up, but definitely need a diaper bag. I loved the petunia picklebottom bags http://www.petuniapicklebottom.com/collections/index/bags/ , but that is totally personal preference.
23) Storage bins – that totally depends on what your nursery looks like. We have pottery barn kids baskets…but again it is just what you want the nursery to look like.
24) Saline Drops – never used them…but they probably work.
25) Aspirators – I had several of these around the house because I never wanted them to have goopy noses…I have also heard of one that you stick in and then suck on a tube and it gets most of the junk out. I have not used it, but many of my mom friends swear by it http://www.amazon.com/Nosefrida-The-Snotsucker-Nasal-Aspirator/dp/B00171WXII
26)Baby Nail Clippers – definite must! Really hard to cut their nails, but their nails grow like crazy.
27) Thermometers – I just have a bunch of underarm digital thermometers throughout the house. The digital rectal thermometer is something I never had/never have used.
28)Baby acetaminophen – good to have on hand
29) 3 thin, soft blankets – I loved the swaddle blankets at http://www.swaddledesigns.com/lc/Swaddling-Blankets-Ultimate-Receiving-Blankets/UR00/CategoryURB.html because they were big enough once they started to get larger to keep them swaddled if we needed to. Also they were great for using as nursing covers, laying them down on the grass, changing blanket in a pinch. I LOVED them!
30) 3 swaddles – this is addressed above and I did not really need any other blankets but the receiving blankets from the swaddle designs.
31) 6-8 tshirts and 6-8 onsies – this depends on the season as to when your babes will be born, but I think it will still be pretty warm, so you should be fine with shirts and onsies – I also really liked putting some sort of pants/skirts/shorts on…I don’t know why but I could not just go diaper and shirt.
32) Pajamas – I definitely needed more than two pair of pjs. I LOVE Carter’s zip up footie pjs (the snap pjs are a pain in the rear – especially in the middle of the night). There is a Carter’s outlet that is down in Woodburn and it is a great place to visit after you have had all of your showers so you can buy just good basics at a great price. If your child does not like to be swaddled or they are getting too big but you feel like they need a little more than just pjs, I loved sleep sacks. And of course these were my favorite http://www.swaddledesigns.com/lc/Wearable-Blankets-Sleep-Sack-zzZip-Me-Sack/ZS00/CategoryzzZipMe.html (PS the temperature of your baby is one of the hardest thing to understand…are they too hot, too cold, just right? I heard once that if you check their hands, ears and toes, those are good indicators. If those areas are warm, they might be too warm, if they are cold, they might be too cold.
33) Gentle laundry detergent – there are a ton of brands out there…most of the ones you want are free and clear of dyes and perfumes. With Tommy all I used was Dreft (probably the most expensive), but then with Morgan I think I used the ALL Free and Clear. You also have to wash all their clothes prior to them wearing them…and you do that for quite a while, so you will need a bunch of detergent.
34) Puj tub – We just used a large plastic tub. It worked well for both kids and then we threw it away. It was something like this http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11587341
35) Hooded towels – we bought a bunch from babies r us, but then we bought a bunch from pottery barn kids and those were nicer quality and have lasted a lot longer.
36) Baby washcloths – yes definitely
37) Baby shampoo and body wash – there has been some stuff about Johnson & Johnson baby soap being not good for babies, so I now tend to buy Aveno baby wash/shampoo, but anything like that will be great.
38) Teethers – Sophie the Giraffe is a must, but you might get that as a present. And that was not a huge teething device for either of my kiddos…but when we got to that stage, I just went and bought something from Fred Meyer.
Breastfeeding
1) Pillow – I used the Boppy pillow…I would go and see what you think fits best around you right now…because that will be your size post baby. And if you have a two story house, buy one for each story…that way you are not running up and down stairs trying to find your nursing pillow.
2) Extra slip cover – good idea and comes with whatever nursing pillow you choose
3) Breast pump – horrible contraption, but necessary if you want to be away for any amount of time to yourself and I did, so I pumped every night with both kids (I also had a bunch of milk, so the pumping helped alleviate some of the quantity of milk I had in my chest). I used a http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10812796 Medela Pump – and the double pump is nice. Also if you don’t want to ask a friend to show you use the pump (which is what I did because I was too embarrassed to ask the hospital people), bring it to the hospital and have the lactation specialist help you figure it out. If you get to that point and need to ask someone how to use it, I can fully help you with that.
4) Storage bags – definitely will need them if you are pumping. And if you are pumping as often as I was, you need to find storage bags that are easy to buy (for me I bought them at Babies R Us that is about 5 mins from my house)
5) Breast pads – these were indispensable to me because I had so much milk…I wore them the entire time I was nursing because I seriously would leak all the time. And I did like the Lansnoh because they were less bulky than the others.
6) Nipple cream – definitely with your first one because you don’t want them to get chapped because then they crack and bleed and that is not good for either of you…and really your baby can definitely drink right off of a nipple that has the cream on it – and it is kind of a misnomer to say cream – it is more like a thick Vaseline.
7) Nursing bras – YES!! I went to Nordstrom right before I had Tommy and bought about 6 nursing bras…they lasted me through Morgan.
8) Nursing shirts – I loved the tanks that Target has. They have them in all sizes and colors. They are like spaghetti strap tanks that have a snap and you can nurse very easily. I am also a huge fan of the hooter hider. I was a VERY reluctant nurser and I was a big fan of being able to be totally covered. http://www.bebeaulait.com/products/hooter-hiders-nursing-covers I also was a big fan of the nursing nightgown because I liked to wear pjs to bed and these were really easy to nurse in – these were my favorite http://www.majamas.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=53&category_id=9&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=55
Others:
1) Play gym is great!
2) Night light is good
3) Formula – once we started doing formula, Costco had the best price
4) Travel Crib – we had a pack and play which is what both Tommy and Morgan slept in our room in (in the bassinet attachment) and then we had the pack and play for when we traveled – we also had a smaller pack and play downstairs so if I was doing something I had somewhere to put the baby (we have a dog and I did not want him stepping on Tommy or anything) when I needed to do something (i.e. go to the bathroom or whatever)
5) Car window shade – liked this and used it!
6) Rearview mirror – definitely a must (if you are like me and wanted to be able to see your kiddo) – you attach it to the back car seat head rest and then you can see them in your rearview mirror
7) Pacifiers – we tried and tried with both kids, but they would just spit them out
Others (in my opinion):
1) A really comfortable recliner/rocker for the baby’s room. I lived in our chair that we had in Tommy and Morgan’s room. I many nights would sleep in it just because it was easier than getting up and going back to my room. So make sure you have something really comfortable to sit/nurse/rock in.
2) Burp Rags – these were important with Tommy – not so much Morgan – so it will depend on whether or not your kiddo spits up, but we LOVED the Aware brand of burp cloths. http://www.babyworldonline.net/store/shop_product.php?UPC=420015701869 We received a ton of fancy ones, but they did not hold the amount of milk that was coming out of Tommy’s mouth. These were awesome!
3) If you are planning on ordering furniture from a kids store – it takes a bit. We ordered about 8 weeks out and our dresser was still not here when Tommy arrived. It was fine, but of course being the first time mom, I was totally freaked out.
4) I would wait until you have your baby, but then decide if your baby is one that likes to be in motion and if so, take a look at swings. Tommy really liked motion and most of all bouncing, so we ended up having to get a yoga ball and then holding him while bouncing.
There you go...those were our opinions on baby stuff!
Cheers to a new adventure!
