baby registry essentials

[Deleted]

community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/48871822.aspx?MsdVisit=1

[rex]

That's an awesome list!!

Lucies list is also good, especially for reviews.

[Deleted]

My notes on Cville's thing:

Our boys needed bibs b/c they were spit-uppers.

So far we haven't needed a piddle pad or anything for the car seats.

They didn't like the swaddle mes but I always buy A+A blankets now. They are a MUST! Even if the kid hates being swaddled. We still use them to cover on warm days when asleep in the stroller.

If you have a small place I rec the FP space saver swing and seat. It was awesome. We used it until they were like 9 months? I don't remember. As a swing until 6 months but our boys were big.

Instead of a baby bath I rec the gigantic sponges from BRU. $5. We bathed them first on the changing table w it, then in the tub.

Everything else I agree with. We used Breastflow bottles but it doesn't really matter -- just don't buy a ton of any 1 kind b/c kids are picky buggers.

[Deleted]

Yes, get some of those flannel blankets that everyone and their mother has (you know, Carters, Gerber, the 4 packs) b/c they're good to layer.

I'd rec a bundle me but you know about the car seat safety part of that. It's super thick though, you can just use the top part w/o zipping it together in the beginning.  ETA you're in a city right?  If you walk more def use the full bundle me in the car seat as a stroller.  Just remember you have to take the back part, that goes behind the straps, out before using it in the car.

Probably bunting? We never had it, we just piled on blankets.

[pinkflats]

The only thing we had for winter was the shower cap style car seat cover like this one:

www.amazon.com/JJ-Cole-Seat-Cover-Khaki/dp/B003ZUXQXU

The one that sits through the seat is bad because it can inhibit tightening the straps properly...or so I read. You can use a blanket though if you need to. Hats are pretty important too to keep the warmth in.

[liverandonions]

Steal the hospital blanket when you deliver because it's the best for swaddling IMO. I hated my bathtub we registered for and have the Summer Infant bath seat now that she sits on and it just goes in the tub. But, my most favorite thing that I recommend to everyone is my Graco Sweetpeace Swing-if you also get a Graco car seat the seats can be changed out. The benefit to this is if baby falls asleep in the carseat you can come in, pull the swing seat off and pop the carseat right on. No waking baby! But, it's not for small spaces unfortunately.

Don't get a bottle warmer or wipe warmer. They are a waste and when you have to use cold wipes on your baby after using warm ones they'll hate you. Or maybe just get a little upset, but why risk it?

[Deleted]

Yeah it's easier IMO to add than to subtract.

[sewf]

We had a Jan. baby, and we got the shower cap cover thing for the carseat. That thing is amazing at keeping him warm. And dry if it rains.

This is the one we got
www.amazon.com/Jolly-Jumper-Sneak--Infant-Carseat/dp/B001LPNH2G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369936237&sr=8-1&keywords=Shower+cap+carseat+cover

Also, cloth diapers to use as burp cloths. They are way more absorbant. Plus, we use them to lay between us and him if we think he's trying to poop for added protection. We also lay one on top of the changing mat, because if you do get poop on that, it's a lot easier to pick that up and toss in the laundry while holding the baby, than to take the changing mat cover off.

[Deleted]

Oh gawd I'm getting all verklempt for you.

[sewf]

Oh, YES to the nail clippers! H calls Malcolm's nails talons if we goo to long between clippings.

[julez]

The best thing we got for DD was our video monitor. We added it to our registry because we thought that maybe, maybe we'd buy it as our one extravagant thing with the discount at the end, but someone bought it for us. DD has always been a fussy sleeper, and it is super, super helpful to be able to peek in on her without going into her room. When she was littler, if she cried but was laying down, she would go back to sleep. If she was sitting up, it was all over. It was nice to not have to walk up to or into her room to see if she was sitting up or not. Now she is 3.5 and we still use it. She like to bang stuff on her headboard, and we can jut peek to see if she's in bed banging a book or something, or if she's up and about tearing apart the room. It has been a lifesaver.

[sewf]

May 30, 2013 12:57:45 GMT -5 sameoldash said:

May 30, 2013 12:55:43 GMT -5 @fucksticklegit said:

Oh gawd I'm getting all verklempt for you.

lol! i was until sewf said they needed added protection between them and the baby for poop protection. as though the diaper and clothes are not enough. !!!! lololol oh i soooooo have no idea what i'm getting into.

Well, keep in mind, we do that if he's just wearing a onesie. Pants do the same thing.

but I have been pooped on. A couple times. Where do you think the term 'blowout' came from?

[Jalapeñomel]

Well this just post just overwhelmed me.

[jssymom14]

I really like my carseat canopy that attaches to handle. Google for free codes and pay s&h $20 bucks or so for an easy coverup.

Also highly recommend rock n play and the playmat with the piano to kick with their feet(target carries it for sure). Addy will kick for up to an hour on that thing and it helps her with passing gas and poop if she is constipated.

[Tacocat]

I had a Dec baby so I got a fleece zip up thing from babies r us. It was perfect and not too thick. Then we'd just throw a blanket over the top of her carseat when going to and from the car.

I also recommend getting a Halo swaddle sack. They had DD in one at the hospital and we got 2 from Target when we got home. It's awesome because you can swaddle their arms in or out, so it's good for transitioning when they're ready to stop swaddling. DD busted out of any other swaddle we put her in. She is actually still swaddled at night and she is 5 1/2 months.

Rock N Play!!!

[Deleted]

the most important thing to remember when buying baby crap is that, unless you live in a yurt and travel to civilization 2x/year and are also a single parent with no friends or family AT ALL, anything can be bought/borrowed later. all of those things on my list? at least 1/3 of them i didn't buy until L was home, and many of those not for weeks. and there was no such thing as a rock'n'play back then, or i'd have had one.

and everyone who lauds their swing is probably speaking the truth, but, again, if you're intimidated by large pieces of equipment (i was) you can just NOT get one (or any number of other things people say are essential) and then go out and get one later (that was our plan, and then we just didn't get one later). seriously. if there is a target, wal-mart, or BRU within like 30-50 miles of your house, relax. you'll be fine. at minimum, you can send out your husband/mom/bff/neighbor/boss/mailman to pick up stuff while you cry in the shower. seriously.


also ninjabridemom, my kid was the ULTIMATE spit upper. so bibs were useless. like a band-aid on a gaping sword wound. trust. i just needed to coat all of our respective bodies in gerber cotton prefold diapers.

[natsnow]

oh jeez I just looked at the "customer photos" on the rock n play and I think my uterus just skipped a beat

[Deleted]

Ooooohhhhh see that makes sense to me. I've seen a lot of people do that and have it work well. Actually there are pics of my sis like that. Bibs worked better for us, not the plasticy ones but the ones like towels, cheap, from BRU lol. It was never really volume as much as often, which is why pedi never worried about it -- no gaping sword wounds!

When I re-read that thread I was like "no bibs, Cville, how?!" haha.

[Deleted]

well, my kid had the good sense only to spit up like that sometime within like 30-45 minutes of each feeding. so we had moments where we could remove our burp cloth armor. thank god.

[natsnow]

May 30, 2013 14:47:05 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Here are two of my favorite RnP "user image."





Seriously, this thing is great!

 oh muh guhhh

[rex]

May 30, 2013 13:45:50 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

May 30, 2013 12:57:45 GMT -5 sameoldash said:

lol! i was until sewf said they needed added protection between them and the baby for poop protection. as though the diaper and clothes are not enough. !!!! lololol oh i soooooo have no idea what i'm getting into.

We've had a little poop seep out a leg hole a couple of times, but no major blow-outs. It's never gotten on anything but me.     I guess we've been lucky.

eta: fwiw, we used Pampers swaddlers for sizes nb-2 and then Huggies Snug n Dry after that. In case anyone is wondering. lol.

You are so lucky. I've been pooped on by numerous children who are not mine. Maybe I've earned a non-blowout kid?

[underwaterrhymes]

OMG, tamb! I love how she is all kicked back in that second one.

We LOVE our Rock 'n' Play. Would be lost without it.

[janiejones]

Don't forget about Kijiji/Craigslist. We got our swing ($200+taxes) for $30 and it was in perfect condition. I got the excersaucer for $20. My house looks like a playland threw up on it, but I hear that won't last. The bouncer was amazing the first 10 weeks. It allowed me to shower, and some nights he slept in it next to the couch. We also have a play mat. We still use all four on the regular and expect to pull out the jumper soon too. (We just want to add reinforcement to our doorway before we hang it).

We have the original full back bundle me, and (shock!!) used it in our car seat. It was used by our dear friends who had also had a winter baby a year before us, so maybe it was just packed out and flat? Maybe I just didn't love my baby enough.

Things you might not consider for real are decent nursing bras, nipple pads and not maternity, but bigger than your usual clothes for yourself. I was totally unprepared to dress myself postpartum. I like the bravada bras. I didn't bother with nursing tanks, I live in ON perfect tanks which have a deep enough neck to pull down. In the winter these were layered with long sleeve tees, which was more than adequate because you will still run warm from hormones.

movement monitor. I might be swayed to upgrade to a video+movement monitor, but Freddie hated being swaddled after about 5/6 weeks, so we (shock!) used a regular knit baby blanket for him. I like the security of knowing if he's not breathing. We've had a handful of alarms, thanks to some infant sleep apnea, but all is well. I know the monitor works, and am so happy we got this style. The video may be better later when we want to put him in his room and lave him (maybe for CIO if we do that ever?).

We didn't want a pack n' play, but we given 3 used ones from CWs, our parents CWs and clients. It's amazing how things come your way when a baby is new. We have one at each of our parents homes, and one at MIL's vacation condo. Best part? We don't have to put it in the car ever. We use them all as travel cribs.


Check the clothes as you get them. We had loads, but NO infant pants (which we needed in the end, and bought several carters legging 2 packs), and not enough sleepers. We didn't register for clothes, but keep a list of what you have/will need. Also my 8.5 lb baby wore NB clothes for almost the first month. Don't let people scare you off buying NB clothes.

[jssymom14]

My stock image of rnp

[liverandonions]

This is one of Julia's favorite things right now-she is so funny going backwards only since she hasn't mastered forward. She is right at the dogs level in it too so she cracks up at them, and I swear she checks her blind spots to make sure there aren't any dogs there.

www.toysrus.com/buy/activity/walkers-jumpers/combi-all-in-one-activity-walker-blue-gt-530072-4365356

ETA: photo proof of baby driving happiness

Attachment Deleted

[lolly]

Get this. Trust me.

[SKP82]

Bookmarking!

[janiejones]

OH.
Things we love-
sleep sheep
teething ball
vicks starry night vaporizer/night light