Baby registry question.

[Jalapeñomel]

I need the opinions for those of you have done this before, so sorry for invading ML.    I'm registering early, because my mom wants to throw a shower while I am in Arizona before I settle in NYC. 

Anyway, I don't have a freakin' clue what I am doing, so two quick questions on essentials.  Do I need a changing table? And since I plan on cloth diapering, how many diapers do I register for (I think it's something like 30-40) and do I register for a couple of different brands or stick with one type (there is some controversy on this, LOL)?

[kristie]

We had a changing pad on top of the dresser. Then when she got big and fought and rolled with every diaper change, I changed her on the floor with a blanket so I could pin her down with my legs. I don't see the need for a separate piece of furniture. Not sure about cloth diapers....

[VeryViolet]

I was just told yesterday that my registry sucks so I will refrain from giving too much advice. I am not doing a changing table because our nursery is small (which I imagine yours will be as well in NYC). I am going to do a changing pad on top of the dresser which I have been told is perfectly fine by people who actually have children.

[alzi]

I have a changing table bc we have a chest not a dresser so it's too high to put a changing pad on. I can't wait till we don't need it though bc it takes up precious space in a small room.

Can't answer re: cloth diapers.

[luckyval]

We also did a changing table on top of the dresser and that works well.

I'm not sure about cloth diapers - we only used them for burb cloths

[revolution]

changing table: I never had a real changing table for either kid. I did have a pack-n-play that had a changing table thing you could attach and when they were newborn, I changed them on there. Otherwise, I just changed them wherever I was.

Can't help with cloth diapers.

[Jillaroo]

My dd doesn't have a dresser, but she has a hutch cabinet from ikea that has an optional shelf you can add to turn it into a changing table.
And we cloth diaper at home and have around 20 diapers. Infants go through a lot more diapers than my dd who is almost 7 months old. I do diaper laundry every other day or every 2 days. We have 3 different brands (kawaii, charlie banana and fuzzibuns) but they are basically all the same because they are all the same type. For a nb I would have more than 20 just so you aren't overwhelmed with laundry.

[KKD]

We did the changing table on top of the dresser too.

[sleepysloth]

I liked having a changing table but I don't think that it is a necessity. Our changing table has baskets where I kept all of the burp clothes, diapers, wipes, blankets, and breastfeeding supplies. It was nice to have everything in one spot.

I didn't use cloth diapers but I did get a couple of the Gerber Premium Cloth Diapers at Target to use as burp clothes. They worked wonderfully and were easy to use for breastfeeding.

I'd be happy to recommend some of the others things I liked if you are looking for more items.

[mala]

No on the changing table. As for cloth diapers, go ask the April 2012 moms board. We have quite a few ladies using cloth diapers.

[Deleted]

if you're going to be in NYC, will you have a washer/dryer in your apartment? if not, i'd take the # of cloth diapers generally recommended and add about 50%, since you may not get around to washing as often. newborns use a TON of diapers.

as for the changing table, no you don't need one. we have one, but it also doubles as "everything else" storage since it can fit 6 large baskets (that's where the diapers, bed linens, books, baby carriers, etc. are all stored. anything that isn't clothes).

[usuallylurking]

What kind of diapers are you looking at? "They" say to not buy a bunch of one kind until you know they work for your baby. I didn't really heed that advice, but aside from my prefolds (what we use in the newborn phase) I bought my stash used via diaperswappers so if they didn't work I wasn't really out money and just turned around and sold them again. The only issue we came across was that DS1 was sensitive to microfiber found in the BG pockets, so we just switched to all BG organic's.

Changing table is really a personal preference. There are loooots of places to change a baby! Couch, floor, your bed, etc. it is not at all necessary. We had one because DH is a woodworker and built it. Otherwise I find that a dresser with a changing pad on top works just fine.

[Deleted]

Changing pad on top of a dresser, absolutely.

CD your way, seriously. It was easier for us to stick w one brand b/c the cost was more controllable (every piece worked w each other sort of a thing). People get craaaaazy w this and it's seriously nuts. If you want to try a few types before committing do that. They're super cute and people will like buying them for you.

Here is our "stash." We do a rinse every night and full load twice a week. We have 14 covers and probably about 50 inserts. These are Flips. We use the Bumgenius liners, too, since we have shared laundry. At this point the boys go through 1-2 covers a day but most days it's 1. When they were little it was 2-3 covers. I like these b/c we can just change the inserts w/o changing the whole thing.


I suggest registering for a wet bag or two as well.

ETA we didn't CD full time during the day until they were 4 months old.  Newborns will go through a LOT more diapers.  I suggest, if you get the newborn size, getting more than you think you'll need unless you have FT access to a w/d.  Our bucket-rinse system works great for us w shared laundry.

[ginap]

We did a dresser and didn't bother with a changing table.
Regarding the cloth, what kinds are you looking for? Are you going to do the AIO's or prefolds and covers or pockets? That will really help you decide how many to get. We used prefolds and covers for the first like 4 months and then did Kawaii pockets when she got a little bigger. We also had a diaper service for the first 12 weeks and were using 80 diapers a week (so about 11 a day) and there were a few weeks that I had to wash diapers before the service picked up because we ran out. The cloth diaper board on the Bump is a really great resource. If you have a store near you that sells cloth diapers and does classes that will help you decided what brands you like and don't like as well. I was a researching fool so if you have any general questions I will certainly try and help you out.

[snipsnsnails]

We didn't cloth diaper until ~8 weeks when the kid got big enough to fit. I had 24 for my first kid and that was fine. I did laundry once every 3-4 days. With 2 in diapers now, I added about 4 or 5 more, but really, 24-25 is fine.

I use both Bum Genuis and FuzziBunz - two popular brands - and they're a-ok!

[sawyerthedestroyer]

We only had a changing table because we got it for free. BUT it turned out to be a blessing because I ended up having a C-section and getting up and down for floor changes would have been horrible.

[Jalapeñomel]

We have this kind on our registry: Bum Genius  and Thirsties.

Ok, I am going to get rid of the changing table. 

[AlpineSlide]

I've heard 24-30 cloth diapers (just the inside diaper part, not covers too) is enough especially if you can do laundry every other day. Depending on the ones you are going to use, you can have fewer covers (like 8-10) b/c they won't need replaced at every changing. Just depends on if you are doing the all-in-one type or not.

[hymen]

We got a big dresser from ikea (the hemnes, the 8 drawer one) and just put a changing pad on it. Worked well and eventually we just ended up changing on the floor anyway.

In terms of cloth, I wouldn't buy too many of one type because you may find you don't like them. For the newborn stage I bought a few AIOs in the newborn size and ended up not liking them. We then switched to pockets and ended up with about 30 bum genius and kawaii one size. Those have worked for us but I'm going to try some different brands and types (fitteds and prefolds with covers, I think) when we have #2.

Also, what worked for us really well in the first year and a half hasn't worked so well now that he is bigger and pees a lot more at one time. It's frustrating, I will admit, and I should probably start looking at some other cloth options, but I don't want to spend a ton of money at this stage since he is 2 now and we will be hopefully potty training soon.

[livinitup]

This is my advice for a baby registry:

Put a variety of items on your list a various price ranges. If you have a sense that these folks are $20-30 gift-givers, then click some items in that range. BabiesRUs and Target and all the big stores makes this very easy. They have all kinds if lists and extensive suggestions. The type of stuff people like to buy and you may want are:

Baby Swing
Bouncy
Car Seats
Infant Floor Mats
Toys
Books
Games
Music
Breast Pads and Pumps
Diaper Bags
Bedding
Clothing

Then, and this is controversial, I make the recommendation that you return MOST of it. Especially from folks in Arizona who are celebrating so early. People want to buy you stuff, but it is near impossible to know what you will need or what the baby even wants (some prefer swings to bouncy). At my baby shower, I got the most generous baby car seat (delivered to my house, it wasn't even at the party), but it was a year later when I actually needed to use it - because it was 3 months before I gave birth and another 9 months while I used an infant car seat system. So, it was too late to return it when I realized it was the wrong color (no big deal) and the wrong size (not by much - but I would have chosen differently). And 5 years later, I only used it for 4 years, but it was reaching the end of its recommended life.

So, for this, and many other reasons, I highly recommend you put lots of things with different price points, and then return it all for store credit and then buy back at your own pace. 

I really wish I did.


 

[circa1978]

We did a topper on the dresser and it worked really well. I would say 25 cloth diapers is a good number. We had more and really didn't use some of them at all. If I had it to do again, I'd go with all BG 4.0s. They worked really well for my baby and have held up beautifully.

[Jalapeñomel]

Jul 1, 2013 13:29:34 GMT -5 livinitup said:

So, for this, and many other reasons, I highly recommend you put lots of things with different price points, and then return it all for store credit and then buy back at your own pace. 



 

This sounds like a giant pain in the ass though.  Also, I have no idea where the closest Target or Babies R Us will be when I move to NYC.

[Deleted]

Jul 1, 2013 13:33:23 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Jul 1, 2013 13:29:34 GMT -5 livinitup said:

So, for this, and many other reasons, I highly recommend you put lots of things with different price points, and then return it all for store credit and then buy back at your own pace. 



 

This sounds like a giant pain in the ass though.  Also, I have no idea where the closest Target or Babies R Us will be when I move to NYC.

seriously.  i was very worried about space issues, so i only registered for stuff i was sure i'd use (i had a small baby shower anyway).  well, as sure as you can be before a kid is born.  and anything that looked too big or annoying, i didn't register for.  i think i ended up with things at different price points, but they were all pretty low-medium price (as in, i didn't register for a swing or a crib or anything like that).

a lot of people got me bears and blankets and stuff, but that's okay.  i'd rather that than a car seat i have to store for a year and/or return it immediately.  ain't nobody got time for that at 9 mos pregnant or with a newborn.

[livinitup]

Jul 1, 2013 13:33:23 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Jul 1, 2013 13:29:34 GMT -5 livinitup said:

So, for this, and many other reasons, I highly recommend you put lots of things with different price points, and then return it all for store credit and then buy back at your own pace. 



 

This sounds like a giant pain in the ass though.  Also, I have no idea where the closest Target or Babies R Us will be when I move to NYC.

Maybe you'll get lucky and these folks will get you gift cards and money. But what were you going to do will all of the presents anyway? If you haven't even moved yet, were you going to move with the gifts?

[Deleted]

Amen Cville!!!!

Mel, when you get down to it, if you need suggestions for apartment-friendly things let me know. I know we talked mini cribs. I also loved the FP space saver swing/seat.

[fivechickens]

I say no to the changing table. I changed the girls where ever we were in the house and usually in the floor. I had a hanging pad that came with a diaper caddy I got for really messy diapers or when they were really young and peeing when the air hit them. Now I don't even use that.

I also took a friend who had kids with me because I did not want to register for things I didn't need. If you can do this I recommend it.

[Jalapeñomel]

Jul 1, 2013 13:42:37 GMT -5 ninjabridemom said:

Amen Cville!!!!

Mel, when you get down to it, if you need suggestions for apartment-friendly things let me know. I know we talked mini cribs. I also loved the FP space saver swing/seat.

I will take any advice you are willing to give out!

livinitup My mom is going to ship everything to me as well as fly it as extra baggage.

[Jalapeñomel]

Jul 1, 2013 13:37:09 GMT -5 cville said:

Jul 1, 2013 13:33:23 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

This sounds like a giant pain in the ass though.  Also, I have no idea where the closest Target or Babies R Us will be when I move to NYC.

seriously.  i was very worried about space issues, so i only registered for stuff i was sure i'd use (i had a small baby shower anyway).  well, as sure as you can be before a kid is born.  and anything that looked too big or annoying, i didn't register for.  i think i ended up with things at different price points, but they were all pretty low-medium price (as in, i didn't register for a swing or a crib or anything like that).

a lot of people got me bears and blankets and stuff, but that's okay.  i'd rather that than a car seat i have to store for a year and/or return it immediately.  ain't nobody got time for that at 9 mos pregnant or with a newborn.

I basically followed your list that you gave to @booby when I registered.

[livinitup]

Jul 1, 2013 13:47:28 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Jul 1, 2013 13:42:37 GMT -5 ninjabridemom said:

Amen Cville!!!!

Mel, when you get down to it, if you need suggestions for apartment-friendly things let me know. I know we talked mini cribs. I also loved the FP space saver swing/seat.

I will take any advice you are willing to give out!

livinitup My mom is going to ship everything to me as well as fly it as extra baggage.

I can't imagine that that is less of a pain than returning it to the store before you fly back.  

[Deleted]

I have no advice to add about your questions, but you should look into a Stokke sleepi crib if you haven't already. It's great for small rooms albeit pricy.