What we picked
Registering for baby gifts wasn’t as crazyawesome as I anticipated. When we registered for our wedding, I was all about it- planning out our dinnerware and serving dishes, decor, kitchen.. Tom just sat back and watched me live it up. The only thing he requested was a wine fridge, which we got, so he was very happy 😉
For baby registry, I feel weird.. like I’m asking for gifts. I’m already getting the most incredible gift ever and we’ll get presents on TOP of that? How does that even happen? It’s funny too, because I’ve been pretty chill about the whole thing, considering there are a boatload of items we really do need and a crazy variety of options for each thing. This weekend, the *bug* finally hit me, so I started researching and really planning our registry (instead of my mental images of “oh, that’s cute”) since we’re more than halfway there.
We finally finished our registry, but I will say the best thing about it was spending time talking about baby stuff with my husband. The “stuff” doesn’t matter- but I do hope this list may help out some of you who are planning out your registries, or shopping for a bun-in-the-oven friend or relative.
What we have already:
-bedding
-some clothes (newborn-12 months)
-swaddling blankets and muslin sleep sacks
-Ergo baby carrier
-Orbit Baby G2 Travel system(it shipped today!) – we ordered it with a promo, so we’ll be getting the bassinet for free, too [LOVE this]
Plan to pick up in near future:
-glider
-crib
-changing table (will probably use a regular dresser and add a changing pad to it)
-diaper pail (I want to make a silver one like YHL’s)
As far as the registry goes, It’s quite a bit of stuff, but we registered for pretty much everything we need. This way, even for the more expensive items, we’ll be able to buy them at a discount with a registry completion coupon.
A couple of tips I read online:
-Don’t register for clothes- people like to buy what they think is cute. [I did anyway, so I can use the completion coupon later]
-Don’t be afraid to register for big-ticket items. Sometimes group of people like to purchase a bigger gift together, so it’s nice to give ideas of what you like.
-My biggest tip: do your research. It’s hard to figure out the differences between everything that’s out there. Amazon.com was a lifesaver, because I would read the reviews for each item I liked before registering for it.
Bathtime:
Health and Safety:
Mealtime:
(The price of the breast pump surprised me, but a good friend promised that it’s the best)
(love this high chair and the fact that it can be adjusted to grow with the child, and that they can sit at the table to participate in mealtime)
Diapers:
(We decided to do disposables for the first couple of weeks until we get into a groove and then transition to cloth if possible)
Books, toys and playtime:
Carriers:
Extra:
(Tom wanted this timer. There’s probably an app that does the same thing, but I think it will be helpful for new parents like us)
(The elf onezie is pretty much amazing. I want one for me! Haha)
It’s definitely a lot of stuff. Anything that you see missing?
And, totally random, but does anyone have experience with this?
I registered for it and have heard mixed reviews. Some women say they’re amazing (and rave about the Belly Bandit), but others say they do nothing. I think my hips will probably go back to their home after the baby, when the relaxin decreases back to a normal level, but apparently this will help ease them along? Am I falling into a gimmick trap here? I know nothing about this, haha. 😉
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oh and the “my brest friend” pillow is WAY better than the boppy. you strap it around you so you get a much better fit for you and the baby. i bought it 6 weeks PP and wish i got it sooner.
I second that”! I got a MyBrest Friend pillow at 3 months don’t know how I did without it!
I couldn’t live without the Miracle Blanket – the A&A muslin swaddlers were great when she was first born, but it didn’t take long before she was busting out of them. She never escaped the Miracle Blanket.
Also, if your hospital/insurance doesn’t offer a discounted breast pump, the cheapest place to buy one new is LactationCare.com.
I don’t know if you’ve seen all the videos about the Stokke high chair – apparently they are really prone to tipping over? We have friends that have the Stokke and love it, but I’ve seen their kids push away from the table very forcefully and thought they might tip themselves over. We opted for a Keekaroo which is the same concept as a Stokke but a little different design (plus it’s cheaper). I also liked that the Keekaroo comes with a tray so you can use it with it or without it at the table.
I think you have a great registry – I didn’t register for enough because I wasn’t sure what I would actually need/use so I ended up buying a lot of things myself after she was born.
ohhh good to know- thanks friend!
Delurking to say that the breastpump IS the best! I went through two before I decided to invest in the Medela. I wish I would’ve saved the money and bought the Medela in the first place. It’s awesome!
good to know! thank you!
Do you guys have any Soothie pacifiers for when she is a newborn? I’ve found them so useful and the best when working with tiny babies!
One thing a friend of mine told me which ended up being totally true…don’t even bother registering for thermometers and hair brushes – you’ll get them in the hospital 🙂 I always tell my expectant friends that the only things you really need in the first few months are: DIAPERS!!, wipes, bottles/nursing supplies, blankets, DIAPERS, a few packs of onesies, A&D and/or Destin, and pacifiers. AND (I can’t believe I almost forgot about this one….) A SWING!! We had the Fisher Price cradle swing and it was a life saver!!! It’s a little big and bulky but totally worth it!! Bouncy seats are awesome too. I opted to go “fancy” with the baby papasan chair…total waste of time. The regular ones are great. Hope this helps!
If someone already mentioned this ignore me! My friends have all asked me Not to get them newborn clothing because in less than a month they’ll be fitting into 0-3 month clothing, Get a couple of onesies and maybe a couple of sleeper outfits, but otherwise start with 0-3 month clothing, they’ll be into it – and out of it in the blink of an eye.
Gripe water is the best for upset tummies/gas!
I LOVED my Medela–Same one you registered for. Two more books I recommend getting are You Are My I Love You by Maryanne Cusimano (my husband brought that home for our baby one night about a year ago and I still get all teary every time I read it) and I Love You So by Marianne Richmond. Both very sweet books. Also, my two cents about the stack of books that you said you were reading: skip what to expect–I think it just adds to prenatal freak out and instead read the Mayo Clinic guide to a healthy pregnancy. Gives facts without making you crazy. And for after your little one is here, I liked Caring for Your baby and Young Child by the american academy of pediatrics. You also mentioned a convertable bed vs a crib. Little girls are just so much fun. Mine’s hair is just long enough now that I can do little pigtails and she can’t leave the house without me pinning a fresh flower from the garden in it. It makes me happy.
Not sure if someone has commented about this before… But, check with your insurance about the breast pump. Mine covered 90% of the cost, I got the same one as you- love it, so it ended up costing me less than $40. All that my insurance required was a prescription from my dr. and I had to buy it at the medical supply shop at the hospital and they billed my insurance. Hope you can save some money too!
My baby is almost 6 months old and I have a lot of the same stuff on your registry- I love the grass drying rack, BG 4.0s, Vulli tethers, Ergo carrier, and I don’t think I’d get a wink of sleep without the Snuza! The only thing that i havent really loved is the MobyWrap- which i was so excited about but it was just way too hot for the summer here. I may try to use it again now that it is getting cooler. The itzbeen timer was helpful for the first few months but once your baby starts to get more of a schedule you may not use it so much. I also used the What to Expect app on the iPhone, because it kept track day by day and when I went to the pediatrician I knew exactly how many times he was feeding, how many wet and dirty diapers there were, what kind of sleeping he was doing, etc. I used the other timer more like an alarm clock for feedings or if someone was watching the baby while I ran out. In all honesty though, I’d probably just get a kitchen timer and save myself $25.
One thing I didn’t see on your registry was a paci clip and you should also get some steam clean bags for your pump parts, an extra set of breast shields for pumping, and the milk storage bags by Medela if you plan to freeze milk (then you don’t have to buy a bunch of the bottles to store milk in and the bags defrost a lot faster).
Also, in addition to the BG diapers you should check out the GroVia diapers. They are one size like the Bum Genius diapers so you will be able to use them for a while. I have the all in twos which are a cover and a removeable insert (soaker pad). It is a little less laundry than the BG because you don’t have to wash the cover every single time- you just remove the soaker and put a new one in unless it gets dirty. I usually go through 2-4 soakers for each cover. The only thing that is a minor hassle is that the soakers take a while to dry because they are thick and it is humid where I live- but other than that I love the GroVias! Also, they make biosoakers which are a disposable and biodegradable/compostable insert that you can toss- which may be helpful for your first few weeks or if you plan to travel and don’t want to carry around dirty dipes. Also, I find that it is easier to attach the Snuza to the GroVia diapers. It was easy with the BG newborn insert but now that I’ve switched to the larger insert it is just a hair too thick and I don’t want to force it on there.
Oh my, I had no intention of writing that much! I was just trying to think of the things that I wish someone had told me. Hope that you get lots of the items off your registry!
Looks like you have all the bases covered! I’m pretty much a minimialist so lots of the stuff on your registry I don’t think is very necessary and just ends up taking up space. I would suggest that you keep all the packaging and if you don’t use something, take it back.
I never had a wipe warmer or kept track of diapers or feedings. I don’t know, I guess I just didn’t want to over think things? It shouldn’t be so stressful to take care of a baby! It’s hard in our culture to say you don’t need every baby item available. Some are nice, yes, but most of it is just marketing!
I found it easier to just take a bath with my son rather than try to bathe him in a sink or on a pad in the tub. Plus it’s fun and little babies (even toddlers!) are easier to wash all around if you hold them in your lap. My husband and I both dislike all the baby towels we got. We only use one and it’s a full size regular bath towel with some ribbon and a little hood sewed on. I agree with other comments, the My Breast Friend is better than the boppy. My son didn’t like the Bumbo seat – we borrowed one and he sat in it about 3 times. Never had a travel crib or regular crib, he sleept with me, one a crib mattress on the floor, and now on our regular queen size guest bed.
Just my two cents 🙂 You do what you are comfortable with, I just wanted to give you my experience and let you know that there are different ways of raising a baby out there!
Hi Gina! I LOVE your blog, but this is my first comment:) I have a one-year old boy and from my experience I think your registry seems pretty good and complete (I love baby girls clothes:)). Since you have asked about the hip band, let me tell you my experience: I had a very healthy pregnancy, and put on 30 pounds (I’m 5 11 and slim), so I wasn’t worried about weight gain that much — I knew I would go back to my pre- pregnancy weight after a couple of months. BUT when I came back from the Hospital I saw my hips and they were HUGE, it was a shock!! I got so freaked out that I asked my husband to immediately call every maternity-related store in town and find this hip band (I had seen it on a magazine) and to go there and get one. He found one (@ a pea on the pod, I think) and I have to tell you that it’s pretty uncomfortable and it doesn’t really stay on, so I didn’t really use it:) BUT my hips went back to normal size, after 1-2 weeks…So, I don’t recommend the hip shrinker:) In my opinion, there’s no need for it. Sorry for the long comment and thanks for all your helpful posts:)
good to know! because my hips have spread quite a bit :/
I’m in Phoenix and used a wipe warmer. Sometimes it’s worth that $20 or so to have the baby a little less awakened during a changing. I figured if it was my butt, I’d appreciate a warm wipe!
Nice registry!
I never took a rectal temp and I don’t think a dr. ever did, either. I had the digital ear one from the start, and all the pediatricians seemed to use that sort, too.
good to know. the thought of that freaks me out just a little
Hey there, I didn’t read all the comments so not sure if this was mentioned, but I just bought a belly wrap thing from Walmart in the fitness section for $8 to $10. (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Gold-s-Gym-Waist-Trimmer-Belt-with-Hot-Cold-Pack/12167843) I looked into the expensive belly bandit, but went with this because it’s so much cheaper. Anyway, I LOVED it! For my first pregnancy, I didn’t wear anything afterwards, but for my second one (twin pregnancy), I wore this band. I wore it 24 hours a day for 5 weeks. I only took it off to shower. It worked. I got back into shape and my belly went “back to normal” WAY faster than with my singleton pregnancy because of this. I highly recommend it. I even give it to friends after they have their babies. So check it out! 🙂
awesome 🙂
I know you mentioned above that you like th Puj tub, but I just ran across this super cute cushy tub, and thought it would be perfect for a little girl http://www.bloomingbath.com/ 🙂
omg i like that even better!
My grandmother has always wrapped everyone in a TIGHT sheet after having babies. She swears by some kind of tourniquet type wrap after birthing!
Someone might have already mentioned this, but register for different types and styles of bottles because some babies have a preference and as much as we wanted to avoid it the bottle warmer has become our best friend (read: the only way my little lady will take a bottle) now that I’m back at work. Good for you on doing your research! I was way too laidback about registering and followed all of my sister’s advice and ended up returning alot. Also, check your area for twin resales or large consignment sales. I just went to one in my area and scored BIG time.
We live in Scottsdale AZ and our daughter was a preemie. I swear the wipe warmer, swing, and bassinette saved us! Being that our daughter was a preemie, I was scared to death of her not breathing during the night. I don’t think I slept much those first few months…anyways, we thought the “movement monitor” was our answer. Please, do yourself a favor and take that off your list. That lovely device gave us more than a few heart attacks at about 2am. It would have “false alarms”. We would go barreling down the hallway into her room only to find her happily awake, looking right at us. The single one thing we so could have done without. We took A LOT of our shower goods back when we realized we just would not use them. You will figure it out. We all did 😉
Also, my grandmother specifically told me that “back in the day” they all wore girdles right after giving birth to get everything back into place. I thought at the time she was crazy, ummm now, not so much. It took me a good 8 months for my hips to go back. All my weight fell off (again we had a preemie which was very stressful) my hips however, had other ideas. They did go back and my entire metabolism changed ( faster than ever before) and stayed that way. Perhaps just becoming a parent? Anyways, my preemie is now 9 yrs old, and it still seems like yesterday we brought her home!
Our registrys are very very similar 🙂
lots of good stuff 🙂