We're such animal lovers, so it's hard to imagine anything more appropriate!We've been instructed to register before Christmas, and were curious to know what some of you may have registered for that you never used. And what are some of those things you registered for that you couldn't do without? Leave a comment and let us know!
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12 comments:
Don't register for bottles with liners... They quickly become FAR more trouble than they are worth. Also, no matter how cute a diaper bag is, it should only have one handle. Mine had two and I hated it (and I've heard this from other moms). If you register for clothes, make it a variety of sizes, or you'll only get 0-3 months. And make SURE you get a Boppy... I think that's all. ^_^
I love your choice in bedding - totally adorable!
I wish I could offer some tips but Brittany is almost 12 and I am afraid I don't recall what was good and what wasn't. Technology has made life so much easier now than twelve years ago.
Our wipe warmer was a waste..it ruined wipes and really--they are used to the cold clothes on their hinnies...
I'm gonna echo what fancy said - It's been so long and things have come so far I wouldn't begin to know what you need and don't need any more. I will agree with Michelle and say make sure you register for bigger sizes. Babies outgrow their clothes so fast, and since they're sometimes bigger these days, if you're not careful you'll end up with so much 0-3 that they won't even get to wear it before they've out grown it! I do remember loving having a bouncy baby seat - I hear Boppy makes a bouncy one. It was great for moving the kids around the house with me and for naps and feeding... used it forever. And a front pack. Get the best one you can find, and TRY IT ON first to make sure it's comfy for you. Get one that lets you breast feed while wearing it - so great if you're out in public and in the middle of something.
And fnanlly - be sure to tell us where you register!!
My two suggestions:
-- Changing table pads (the woven kind). Without them, you'll be changing the covers all of the time.
-- Sippy cups. The only two kinds worth anything are Playtex and Gerber. We've tried all of the rest and they all leak.
Both our sons wore the night "dress" for the first month or so. You are changing so many diapers and pants are a pain! Plus newborns curl their legs up (as in womb) and the night "dress" allows for this. Make sure to get ones that have attached "mittens" on them to prevent baby from scratching his face. Also, get plenty of cloth diapers to act as burp cloths. Lightest weight stroller you can find. You will be hurling that thing in your trunk many times sister! Also, should be able to collapse stroller with one hand- you will be holding baby with other hand, especially if you have another. O, I use my grocery cart seat cover ALL the time. I even use it to cover high chairs in restaurants. Babies put their mouths on everything! Plus it has loops to hook toys onto, babies also like to throw things for cause and effect. Great game at your expence. I agree the front carrier is a must! I have baby bjorn carrier and it was my life saver with both boys. Allows you to carry little tot and clean house, they like to hang on front of you while shopping for groceries (so much to look at), cooking, cleaning, great walks with extra weight (exercise), just about everything. Probably my #1 must have.
Either pick up the changing pad covers or register for at least 3 cloth covers, we had many #2 accidents in the middle of the night and had to strip off the cover and put on a spare. I have also heard wipe warmers are a waste, but we did use the warm in seconds bottle warmers a lot. We dropped Ella at Papa's house all the time, and would give them frozen breast milk, so these bottle warmers were great. You should never microwave baby bottles, it can cause hot spots in the milk and also kills delicate nutrients found in breast milk. We registered for very little clothes items at all, and stuck to registering for bottles, pacifiers, bathers all the usual stuff and we still got tons of clothes in all sizes.
Love the bedding, so, so cute! Can't wait to see the finished room!
Funny you should ask... I just started compiling a list of things we couldn't live without! Top of the list are Kiddopotamus fleece swaddle blankets (tried other brands that didn't work nearly as well) and gas relief drops (buy the generic... they're a quarter of the price of Mylicon). I've come to the conclusion that the #1 baby fuss is about gas in their little bellies. After Schaefer's last feeding, we swaddle her up tight, give her gas drops, and at two months she's already sleeping long enough that we have to wake her to feed her! (Could be that we just have the world's best baby...)
If you're planning to nurse, I would highly reccommend planning an appointment with a lactation specialist within the first week home. I won't go into gory details, but I haven't been able to nurse since week 2 -- just pumping and feeding breastmilk -- and I think that could possibly have been avoided if I'd seen a specialist before day 14 (you know you're in trouble when a member of the La Leche League tells you you have to stop nursing!). Also, if you end up being super sore and sensitive, Lansinoh "Ultra Soft" nursing pads are by far the best -- and I tried 'em all! You can purchase them at Babies'R'Us or online at Diapers.com (another great resource). Babies'R'Us is the only place I've found the Kiddopotamus swaddlers, too. A bit pricier for both items, but well worth the money. I like Lansinoh milk storage bags the best, too. Oh, and Medela microwave steaming bags are a great time saver for sterilizing bottles and pump parts.
Okay, supposed to be working while baby is sleeping, so I'll stop here. :) Love ya, girlfriend!
Shannon
Several things.......
Purell-use for everyone wanting to hold the newborn, also antibacterial wipes-keep 'em handy, you'll use 'em. Bottles-Avent, easiest to get and keep clean. Sippy Cups-Gerber and Playtex-the best. Diapers-Huggies or Sams brand, both are great. Bottom cream-Desitin Overnight Relief and Triple Paste (expensive but worth it). Johnson's baby products or Aveeno-body wash, lotion, etc. Diaper bag-we loved our back pack diaper bag the best, it holds everything and doesn't get in the way when you are shopping or carrying the baby. Baby Einstein videos utilized with the swing or bouncy seat can calm the baby and is a great learning tool too. Onesies and Old Navy socks are awesome, the onesies stay in place and help keep baby warm and the Old Navy socks stay on and are cost effective. The Boppy is great for breast feeding, bottle feeding, and holding baby too. Enfamil formula is less constipating than the other brands. Carter's receiving blankets were our favorite. The Tot Shop in Independence is a great place to buy gently used clothes at a reasonable price-they outgrow clothes too fast, also find someone to pass hand me downs-that is even more cost effective. Ta Ta for Now (Pooh is great too). We love you all!!
a Bumbo
a Boppy
Pamper Swadlers
a Booster seat instead of a highchair to save room
Dr.Brown's bottles -reduce colic and spit up
not too many spit up rags
lots of clothes in lots of sizes
if you will use formula we get it at Sam's Club and it's cheap!
Congrats again you two! I know I used my Boppy all the time. I think that Dr. Brown's bottles are really good. They help reduce colic and spit up and gas.... that's what I used for both my boys. I didn't use nearly as many spit rags as I have.... you only need a few. Yes, I agree with Michelle... try to ask for clothes of more the older sizes.... they grow fast and will only be in 0-3 for a little bit and then you won't have anything for that cute kid to wear. Diapers of many sizes is good too and we used Pamper Swadlers for both the boys. Huggies never worked!
We also have a diaper Genie that doesn't really work.... you might as well just put the stinky's in a plastic bag and take them to the garbage in the garage and get used to the fact that you have a pooping baby around and the garage might stink for a few years.
One more thing.... we use a booster chair instead of a highchair. Highchairs take up a lot of room and a booster seat goes on the chair at the table. We used a Bumbo for the first several months.... a must have.
I used very few bottles since I nursed, but when I did need them, I liked the drop-in liners. They are easy to use and then you don't have to worry about so much washing. The old liners, though, were a pain--drop-in is the only way to go.
Another item that was indispensible with my second baby was a sling. (I tried it with my first, but couldn't figure it out or else he just didn't cooperate.) The sling is basically a wide strip of cloth that wraps your baby to you. It keeps him close, warm, safe, and your hands can be free! I believe it facilitates bonding and makes baby more secure and happy in the long run.
I loved it for shopping (no lugging around the enormously heavy car seat), for cooking (just stay back from the stove), for eating (baby was happy being close to me and my hands were free), and for nursing (with a nursing top and a sling you can nurse anywhere, anytime, and no one can even tell). My favorite story about my sling is that I would take Alexia to church every Sunday in the sling. She liked the singing, but as soon as it was time to sit down and listen to the sermon, she would be ready to eat. I could sit in church and nurse her in the sling and no one even knew. One Sunday after church I was nursing her in the foyer, all covered in the sling, of course. The minister asked if he could see her. I said, "well, she's nursing right now." He was a little surprised!
Congratulations on a boy! Moms and boys have a special bond--you will be amazed. I certainly was.
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