I have worked long and hard on my baby registry, and it is finally finished. Basically. I think I will be tweaking it up until I go into labor. Registering for baby showers is so much harder than for wedding showers because it’s a whole new world. I don’t have the first clue about what I need, what product is good, and what is a waste of money. It was all a little overwhelming.
Thankfully I had some friends that were willing to help. The first time I set foot in Babies ‘R’ Us I brought support, and I’m so glad I did because otherwise I might have just wandered aimlessly before breaking down in tears. Instead, however, I became excited after we methodically walked the aisles discussing nearly every product. The next weekend I took another good friend to fill in the gaps, and with their help along with much internet research and emails (mostly from my blog friends), I feel like I have a good list.
There is so much stuff out there, and I know I don’t need most of it. Some of it I won’t be able to choose until after I actually have the baby, so I left that off. I don’t want a lot of clutter, and I want people to buy me the things I really need instead of a lot of extra stuff. I’ve already accepted a bunch of hand-me-downs. So in the end, my registry doesn’t contain a ton of items, but there are several expensive things.
Thoughts on some of the products I’ve chosen:
>I’m going for a convertible car seat from the beginning plus a stroller somewhere in between the huge travel system and the umbrella stroller. (Plus a cheaper jogging stroller…because I have high hopes!)
>I plan to do a lot of babywearing, if she likes it, and I already bought an Ergo from Babysteals and I’m going to make my own Moby wrap. The only thing I registered for is a ring sling.
>We’re doing cloth diapers, and Fuzzibunz have come highly recommended to me by the most people. I also chose against the one-size in order to get a better fit, and we’re planning to use these for future children anyway.
>I chose a decent black diaper bag since my husband will be doing a lot of the work, but I also chose a super cute and really nice one that I’d love to have for myself.
I registered at Babies R US, Amazon, and Nurtured Family, a local store. Click the links to see my lists, and let me know what you think! I’m still totally open to opinions and advice. :)
From Becca:
Hi!
I have a green ring sling you can have if you want? It is a grassy green.
I also have a bunch of cloth diapers I need to start using once again. They are one size bum genius 3.0. Like em alright. I have way too many. I think I’m going to sell some…
Baby registering can be tough! But it is good to have it done!
From kapachino:
We’ll definitely take the sling, thanks so much! I like your new blog, by the way! :)
From Elizabeth:
It looks like you’ve thought things out really well! I wear Hannah all the time–we have an Ergo, ring sling, and K’Tan–and it’s an amazing feeling. It looks like the sling you picked has pleats on the shoulder, which has helped so much. We registered for BumGenius one size diapers, so we have a full stash of those, but I like the few FuzziBunz we’ve picked up here and there a smidge more, so good choice! Ditto the Britax convertible carseat from the start. Everyone tried to tell us we would regret not having a bucket seat, but so far we’ve been just fine.
I’m still so excited for you!
PS We LOVE and NEED our Nosefrida! It seems so nasty, but it’s really just the best little gadget!
From kapachino:
Wow, you have just reassured me on so many things! Thank you! I have spent a lot of time on it, but I still feel like I have no idea what I’m talking about. :)
From nic:
I’m wearing James in a hava sling right now. :) Got it at Nurtured Family – love that store!
From kapachino:
Aww, baby James! I want to meet him! I went to Nurtured Family for the first time a couple weeks ago and I can tell I’ll be back! They’re the ones that recommended the Hava sling to me. :)
From Glam-O-Mommy:
I didn’t see a Boppy on your registry…that was my must-have item as a mom. My little girl actually still likes to lay on it now that she’s a toddler, so I think you would get a lot of use out of it!
From kapachino:
Oh my sister-in-law has given me a ton of things already, and a Boppy is one of them!
From jessica STRUBLE v.:
good thing u had company that knew about baby things. i remember being over whelmed the first time i went there,
honestly (and im sure ur friends would say the same) its amazing that there were a lot of things i got..that i ended up needing.
my #1 must have…no matter if u are caring a full term baby….for the first few wks, all the 0 month old clothing is usually to big. get a ton of the bag sleepers (ull be changing diapers nonstop..and these make changing them easy. also i had to buy a few primey onesies,,and both my babies were 6lbs+
From Becca:
Looks like you made some good decisions. I think you will be happy with what you have picked out. And just so you know, the third time around, it can still be kind of overwhelming sometimes. You are in GOOD company!
From alisa beth:
Just to throw in my two cents: I can’t recommend Rockin Green laundry detergent enough! I know you already registered for your diapers, but the Fuzzibunz store sells the soap and it’s always free shipping. Also, after trying out a few wetbags, I cannot sing the praises of Monkey Foot Designs wetbags enough. Such an exciting time for you! I hope you have a fabulously fun shower(s).
(I read Johanna’s list, too, and definitely second her recommendation of California Baby products. If you only get one thing, get the Calendula cream. My husband and I call it the magic cream, because it is just that: magic! And, a Bumbo seat has saved my life! We started using the Bumbo right before Simon turned 3 months. He absolutely loved being able to sit upright. We think the Bumbo might be part of the reason he was able to sit up on his own and unsupported at 5 months.)
From kapachino:
Thanks for the recommendations! I’ll definitely check them out. A friend of mine is letting me borrow her Bumbo when I need it so that’s one less thing I need to buy!
From Nora:
I have no idea what’s good or not good for babies either but I’m sure you did a great job. Follow that motherly intuition and you’ll be just fine :)
From Elizabeth:
Hi! Your registry looks great. A few things I didn’t see that I couldn’t live without- a swing, a bouncer seat, bumbo seat, play “gym”. Also- I told you on FB, but that Fisher Price Rock and Play Sleeper is my FAVORITE baby item by far. It’s small, portable, and great for napping. Also, the only thing I would say about going with a convertible right away-a lot of times when they fall asleep in the car and with an infant seat, it’s so easy just to pop them out and take them in the house without waking them up. And I have a snap and go stroller that is so easy to use- especially for quick errands where you don’t want them to be disturbed. Just my opinion- ha! I am about to start cloth diapering- we’ll have to compare notes! I bought the Rock and Green soap and have heard it’s the best way to go.
From kapachino:
Thanks Elizabeth! My sister-in-law gave me a travel swing, a bouncer, and play gym, & a friend of mine is going to let me borrow her Bumbo when it comes time for that. She also told me how to make your own detergent for cloth diapers from a combination of OxyClean, borax, and washing soda (if I remember correctly). She says it works great and is lots cheaper so I think I’ll give it a try, but if I get lazy I’ll check out the Rock and Green soap. :)
From Vanessa:
Your registries look great.
This may be TMI but I saw that you have registered for disposable nursing pads and while those are very convenient, I found the washable nursing pads much more comfortable. The disposable ones can cause irritation which is why I tried the washable ones. You can even buy washable ones that come with a little mesh bag to keep them from getting lost in your washing machine =)
You may have already addressed this but I also recommend having a least 2 or 3 fitted sheets for the crib. I know that seems excessive but trust me, if for any reason you need to change a crib sheet in the middle of the night, you don’t want to run out of clean ones =)
From kapachino:
Funny you say that about the nursing pads because I have had several people tell me the opposite, that the washable ones were terrible for them! I guess that’s just a personal preference thing, and I’ll have to find out for myself. :)
As for the crib sheets, I definitely need to get some of those but I just haven’t picked colors out yet!