(hi cck, tmomalo and jersey!)
For them I made a candid registry must-do.
Mamas out there? Add your must haves.
At least two of the three of them are heading to do the cold sweat registering this weekend.
If you recall (and I'm sure the archives will show you), I HATED registering. I did it half ass. My awesome sister signed on to my account and added things I never knew I wanted or needed. Then there we things we wanted and things we needed.
I am copying and pasting an email I sent to one of these friends. Please help!
- Register for a variety of bottles. Not all babies like all kinds. We've had best success with medela and playtex ventaire.
- We still use our boppy daily.
- Register for a pump if you are planning to breastfeed. And for all the implements. Breastfeeding SUCKS AND HURTS. But is so worth it if you can to help the baby. Don't give up too soon if your supply is good!
- Don't register for blankets. You will get too many.
- Register for a 12 pack of cloth diapers to use as burp clothes.
- Register for and/or buy only ZIP-UP jammies. Makes life way easier.
- Bottle spin drying rack.
- Don't forget to register for a couple toys. We didn't. The winkle rocks. Rattles too.
- Get a bundle-me for the carseat, esp if you are up north.
- For a highchair, we love ours that straps onto a normal chair at the table. Not a stand alone. (it's the fisher price space saver).
- If you can get at a consignment shop, get an extra boppy for the family dog/cat. Daisy loves "hers".
- At the hospital, take a receiving blanket the baby has been in home to put in pet's bed. It'll help prep her for the "pack".
- Our swing plugs in instead of running on batteries. It saves lots of dinero and time by not having to replace expensive D batteries.
- Don't register for clothes. You will get lots of them.
- Don't FORGET to register for socks. You will never have enough of those.
- We got an electric nail file last week. Love it. Cutting baby nails is the worst..
- Register for several tubes of Desitin. You won't need it easy. You will go through it quickly later.
- Register for a diaper bag that BOTH of you are comfortable carrying. SkipHop has some nice ones. Make sure you can wipe out the interior.
- Get a 12 pack of cheap-o bibs. Babies spit up. Lots.
- Splurges? The damn Sophie the overpriced giraffe. And the Baby Bullet if you are thinking of making your own food. It has been a lifesaver.
- An extra pack and play from a consignment or garage sale for each grandma's house!
- We LOVE our foam tiles for the floor now that we have a thinking-about-crawler. Costco has them. BRU has them. Register for them.
Robbie says he can't wait to meet all the new babies!
Love it! I can't get enough real-mom recommendations!
ReplyDeleteSusann covered most of my must-haves (she finally listened to her sister after all these years!) but I wanted to add a few (at her request!) I'm on my iPad so forgive the typos!
ReplyDelete- Miracle Blanket - if there is one thing I couldn't live without as a mom, it'd be this... Get two... One is bound to get spit up on at 3 am...
- Fischer Price Seahorse - make it a part of your bedtime routine. Kay baby down, turn on seahorse and eventually it will become the indicator to their sweet body that it's time to sleep. Music will start and bebe will be OUT!
- Medela Steambags - easiest way to santitizebottles and it's quick! Don't worry about the "use only twenty times recommendation" I use each bag until it fades or warps (about 50 times). Register for two boxes and it should last a year http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2735035
- don't forget to register for the things you will need six months to a year down the road - spoons, starter cups, plates, convertible caraway. It'll save you then
- make sure to get a tiny diner. Easy cleanup at restaurants and suctions to most tables when you are out for easy feeding. Fits easily in diaper bag. Your waiter will thank you. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2908461
- Do not register for the following: nipple cream (take the samples from the hospital. One small tube lasts almost three weeks), clothes, blankets, loveys (will be given anyway and you end up with a ton), gift set of toiletries (register for shampoo, body wash, and lotion separately... that's all you will end up using)
- Register for, but do not open breastfeeding things. Make sure you are able to feed for a week before you open. I've seen many moms waste hundreds of dollars on a pump because they either were not able to nurse or had to rent a hospital grade pump
- Crib rail covers- something you don't think you will need but when your 12 month is teething and starts eating paint chips off their $2000 crib, you want QUICKLY! I recommend cloth covers so they don't stick to the paint. We love our http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3521414
- Register for at least three sheet savers. Put one over your changing pad cover, one in the crib, and one extra. When baby spits up or pees in bed, rather than taking apart sheets and remaking bed, you just have to put on a new sheet saver! http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3613456
- I highly recommend the Diaper Champ instead of others on the market. For Diaper Genie and many others, youhave to purchase their bags. For this diaper pail, you can just use any kitchen bag (use one with odorizer!)
Best of luck ladies! So happy for you!!
Emilie
For baby 3 I finally broke down and got the My Brest Friend nursing pillow. It puts the Boppy to shame. It makes breastfeeding less painful since it aids in proper positioning. The Boppy is majorly flawed for the purpose it was intended for but has many other uses.
ReplyDeleteI am in the process of compiling a list of things for a friend of mine who is also expecting in June. There are a few things that I SWEAR by...
ReplyDelete- The Miracle Blanket. Swaddling at night allowed my son to sleep for extended periods of time, but he HATED being swaddled at first and wiggled right out of them (swaddling blankets). When we finally invested in the Miracle Blanket, he could NOT wiggle out of it and eventually he started smiling when I would swaddle him at night. It was beautiful.
- We like the Avent bottles. We started with the 4 oz-ers and then graduated to the 9's.
- Agree with the Boppy. Our kid is almost 4 months, and he STILL lives in his.
- Our kid slept in the Fisher Price Rock and Play sleeper for over 3 months, next to my side of the bed. It's MUCH cheaper than the Nap Nanny, which puts baby at an incline for reflux purposes, and makes them feel snuggled in and sleep better (at least for my kid).
- BIBS (and lots of them). You can never have enough of them. And baby wash clothes. Trust me.
- The Bumbo is pretty great when they're holding their head up pretty well.
- Oh, and when my kid is crying, the only two toys that will make him stop are the musical Baby Einstein toys...
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Einstein-Take-Along-Tunes/dp/B000YDDF6O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328669939&sr=8-1
and
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Einstein-Press-Play-Panda/dp/B003P9UX78/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1328669939&sr=8-16
Oh, and DIAPERS!
That's a lot, I know, but all of these things are worth registering for. And yes, you get PLENTY of clothes, blankets, etc. The foam play mat is great. An activity mat/gym is GREAT for 3 months+. Hope that helps!
And Congrats!
Must caveat, these are all my additions to the generic "you must register for" lists. Things you never knew you needed.
ReplyDeleteAlso, every night in the hospital, "lose" the baby nasal aspirator that is in the drawer and put it in your suitcase. You will need 3-4 of those.
Breastfeeding shouldn't hurt and suck. :-( I'm sorry it did for you. Register for an infant car seat cover for the cold that is shower cap style only (elastics over the seat) for safety - nothing should go behind the baby or between baby and straps. a good baby carrier - a moby or a sling - is vital!!
ReplyDeleteEncourage people to go in on meals, postpartum doula time or housekeeping after the baby. The "stuff" is nice, but those things are NEEDED!
Thanks Susann, Emily, and everyone else. TJ and I havent registered yet but I have done a few practice runs to Buy Buy Baby, Target, and Babies R Us just to look and read about everything. Most stressful is the bottles and breastfeeding accessories. But I now have a good list to go on. You Rock!
ReplyDeleteI would also add a baby carrier - a Bjorn is great for when they are small and we love our Ergo carrier (though haven't tried the infant insert). Both of our girls loved being snuggled up next to us. Also, with two kids, having a hands free option is great.
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming the Miracle Blanket is the same as a Kiddopotamus - we loved those swaddling blankets.
Agree with Emilie on NOT opening up any breastfeeding items. If you don't get one through your registry, wait to buy a pump until you see how it goes. If you have issues early, they will send you home with a hospital grade rental anyway, and you can see how long you want to pump. You can always rent, if you plan to stop when you return to work.
I just wanted to thank all of you ladies for the suggestions. I actually survived registering at Buy Buy Baby this past weekend - and I am sure that trip was meltdown free becasue I was very prepared thanks to all of your advice.
ReplyDelete