September 2008 Weddings
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Moms: Registry questions
I'm posting from my phone so I can't post lists of questions, but would you mind telling me your most useful baby items vs. least useful. What do you wish you'd left off? What was your favorite thing? Should I bother with putting things like a jumperoo and an exersaucer on there, or just wait and try and get those on Craigslist?
Re: Moms: Registry questions
register for everything. there was stuff I knew we could find later if need be but I wasn't going to pass up the chance that someone else was going to buy it!
we love the sleep sheep (we have the travel size one) and the Rock-n-Play is a must have (can replace getting a bassinet if you were planning on one of those and is more practical)
I don't think there's really anything I wish we didn't register for
I don't see anything wrong with registering for saucers and such. You could always return it if you find one in nice shape on CL or something.
If I could do it again, I would totally get Rock and Play Sleepers. Would have saved me a lot of stress about babies sleeping in boppys.
We were handed down a Bumbo and used it like once. I think it is so weird, and the PT said they're not useful for developing the core muscles anyway. I'd skip that. I also see no need for an infant tub - its just more "stuff" taking up space - we have one of those sling seats and it was fine.
Get a Seahorse, and a white noise machine
ohhh and they're starting to dislike the saucer a little but ADORE the jumper still, so if you only get one I'd get the jumper.
things we could not have survived without:
-Rock N Play sleeper - we had my old bassinet (was also my mom's, etc)...but Ada only really slept in it for like two weeks. Then she refused to sleep flat on her back for more than 20 min and we got the RnP. I could have done without the bassinet, although when she got a bit older it was a good place to stash her during showers as she loved to look at the floral pattern on the liner (I had it custom made).
-Wubbanubs - the only pacifiers Ada every liked were the soothies like what you get in the hospital (take as many as you can get your hands on). The wubbanub has a little animal attached to it and she really liked those and it helped keep the pacifier in her mouth. She's over the paci now though thankfully
-Swing - only way to get her to nap!!!
-Carrier - I liked the Moby and I have a Beco Gemini which was great early on. Recently I got an Ergo from a friend and we prefer that now. It is just faster/easier to put on in my opinion and just as comfortable as the Beco. I bet we'll try the Beco front facing soon though and then I'll be back to that. I like that the Ergo has a zippered pocket for my phone/keys for walks too. The Moby was great when she was tiny and the Beco too b/c it does not require an infant insert
-Jacques the Peacock. This is like the one toy she seemed to like when she was tiny. She would stare at/talk to it for hours
-Play Mat - Loved the Fisher Price jungle one. I just packed it up as Ada is more interested in trying to crawl now, but it was a lifesaver as she'd spend hours under that jungle talking to the animals, then it also lights up and plays music.
-Snap n Go or other stroller frame - great for early days! I think more practical for the trunk than a car seat adapter for a stroller, but we've talked about this
-Bouncy seat - I do NOT recommend the snug a bunny. I couldn't get BRU to take it back. It might be comfortable but there's nothing cool for them to look at and Ada kind of hated it all along. She still loves this old school Fisher Price bouncy seat we got as a handme down as it has toys right in her face including a mirror. Get the one with the best/flashiest toys.
Things we love now - jumperoo, doorway jumper, exersaucer - love. I didn't buy a single one, they were all hand me downs. I see them on CL a lot and am glad we didn't spend our own money on them. The swing was a handmedown too, just about to give it back to SIL for her sister's new baby due in May. Ada has been done with it for a while.
I had registered for some of this stuff but never got it, and we decided not to spend our own money on it b/c we weren't sure we'd need it or we figured we'd get it when we did need it.
Ada also now loves Sophie and crinkly toys. Even with all the teething she doesn't love those teething things.
Oh, I would get a bottle warmer. We never really do bottles but on the times we've tried it is easier. Again, I inherited one, I guess I would not have paid money for it.
Pack N Play - they say in Baby Bargains the newborn napper things are not safe, so we just got the Chicco Play yard with the changer, which is great. Also good for travel, and I have it still set up in the living room as another place to change her and really more for toy storage for now.
Also if you have hardwoods, or maybe even if you don't, I like these foam playmats http://www.amazon.com/Step2-24-Inch-Playmats-set-mats/dp/B000067QXC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334952926&sr=8-2 I put her playmat on top of it and it's a good place for her to play as I don't worry about her bonking her head :-)
I guess I would not stock up on diapers, wipes, ointments, wash, etc until you see if LO has sensitive skin, which diapers fit/work best, etc etc.
You will need a bath tub too. I think any one is fine really.
You'll get tons of clothes. Try to find pants with feet built in, socks are a joke the first few months. I still feel like I spend 90% of my day putting socks back on. SO glad it's warmer and we can just skip them for a while!
A sunhat!
I don't know. I'm probably rambling. :-)
oh yeah, we never registered for the bumbo, we got one anyway. I find it useless. You can't leave them unattended in it, and she kind of hates it. Try a friend's or something before buying one. I guess I'll hang onto it in case we have another baby and s/he loves it, otherwise I'd dump it on CL. I have a bebepod at my parents' house that my friend gave me.
I actually think the tub is useful although it doesn't fit in the sink...I think it depends on where you plan to bathe baby - if it's in the big tub or you have a nice deep kitchen sink a sling is fine. If you want to do it on the counter, the tub is good to have. At my parents' house I use the sling in their laundry tub.
Although really my preference is to bring her into the shower with me. So much easier.
We have a sleep sheep but it only runs for 45min. At an online sleep seminar I "attended", it was recommended to get some other machine that runs longer with continuous sound.
I am not a huge baby product person- I didn't want a lot of junk... I got an arms reach cosleeper from a friend and a used exersaucer. We bought a swing which was great for a bit but DD lost interest pretty quickly in it. It was magic for about a month. We have a bouncer but I thought it was an "infant to toddler rocker". I wish I had that instead.
We used:
- 1pkg of receiving blankets (used for swaddling & for carseat blanket)
- 1pkg of bamboo A+A swaddling blankets & 2 muslin A+As
- boppy more for propping DD than nursing
- PNP
- bathtub (would get a Puj next time I think)
- moby & beco
- foam floor mat (wish we got this earlier!)
- playmat (I had one but wish it was larger... it's rectangular & the ones now are better)
- 2-3 pkg cloth diapers for burp cloths
- socks (we had to find socks that fit her... all the ones I received prior were huge). Claire mentioned pants w/feet... I found DD fit into her 3mo pants from Carters at 5mo so those never worked for us.
Never used:
- mitts for hands
- bumbo (don't even have one)
- changing pad
I found that my BFF and a few other people gave me some good insight into things that weren't necessary so I didn't register for things that were 1 use items... I like things that can be repurposed.
Toys- the only toy I feel like has been a godsend was the Winkel. Other than that, i feel like she makes her own toys (the edging to the foam mat is her favorite). I could do without half the stuff in our house!
I am currently on the search for a music table on craigslist... I feel like most of the toys can be purchased there!
oh yeah, we went and bought some of those hand mitts the day before the babies came and never used them.
I love the pants with feet - we still have trouble keeping socks on, now because the pull them off, but in the beginning their ankles just rattled around in the socks - but they mostly wear/wore sleep and plays.