Registering for Baby Help!!

Congratulations!! My husband and I were so clueless when we started stocking up for the arrival of our daughter (she will be 16 months old this month).

1) Register for onsies or clothes in the older baby sizes... like 6 months+. We got a TON of infant stuff, but ran out of clothes around the 6 month mark.

2) Don't just register for the small stuff! We registered for one big gift (the stroller/carseat system) and a bunch of our friends chipped in together and bought it for us. That's something to consider doing.

3) Other items you'll need:
Lots of extra bottles (if you plan to use them)
Extra blankets (we love Baby Gap blankets... they're soft and stretchy)
Extra bibs

4)One last tip: babies grow out of everything so fast, so we found it very helpful (financially) to shop at children's consignment stores. Are you in Houston? We LOVE Young & Restless, a shop near 610W and Ella!

Hey B.,

First, congrats on the upcoming amazing event in your life. I have two children under 2, the youngest being 2 months old. You already have plenty of great advice. I read through most of them and the only thing I would add is, when choosing "play/comfort/transport" equipment like swings and bouncers, strollers etc, what you buy may depend on whether or not you plan on having any more kids. I knew I wanted at least 2, so I wanted to purchase products that I thought would last. I read a lot of reviews on Babies R Us when making decisions on just about anything, but ultimately some things will or won't work depending on your babies preferences which unfortunately you don't find out until after she's born. For example I bought the Fisher Price Papasan seat which doesn't bounce or rock, but vibrates, has soft music, is very comfy looking but my son hated it, didn't like vibrations so spent most of 'out of arms' time in his carseat which would rock. My daughter, however loved to take naps in it until a couple of weeks ago as she grew too heavy for it (big baby). She now loves to sit in her Oceans aquarium bouncer as it sits the baby quite upright which she prefers to being reclined and loves to watch the lights and fish show....bottom line....if you can, keep the boxes, gift receipts in case you need to return items because your baby simply doesn't like it.
Both of my kids love the Fisher Price Papasan swing which has 2 seating positions, and 2 rocking motions....very versatile.
Did I mention rechargable batteries!!! Everything has batteries these days!
I wish I could hook my toddler boy up to some type of generator...would save us a fortune on batteries, power bill etc.
Onsies with snap ons down the middle are a life-saver...don't have to wrestle so much with slipping them over the head and much easier to navigate those little arms into the holes!
Oops, something else (so much for adding just one more thing to your list), I absolutely could not do without baby sleeping bags. No worries about bedding slipping off during the night and so much safer...highly recommended by SIDS foundations.
I bought the european "grobags" (www.grobag.com)which have only just become available in the states. They are expensive but worth the peace of mind, not to mention long lasting as my daughter is now using the ones my son used and they still look great. A tog 1 is all you need all year round. I bought 2 of each size...in case of middle of the night mishaps. These are widely used and very popular in Europe. There are some American copies but they just don't have the quality and a lot are made from polyester instead of cotton. A natural, breathing material is absolutely essential to prevent overheating. Sleeping bags have also prevented my toddler from being able to climb out of his crib and when he is in a big boy bed, he'll have to do some amazing circus maneuvers to make it to our bed.
Hope I haven't overwhelmed you even more. Good luck!

C.

I second that advice to get the books "What to Expect When You're Expecting", and "What to Expect in the First Year". They are invaluable. When your baby is born, you'll be hit from every direction with advice - some designed to scare us to death. (SIDS, anyone?) Follow your instincts, and don't worry if you think you won't have good ones. They come with the baby. I also agree with the person who said a Diaper Genie isn't necessary. There are cheaper diaper pails that do not require the special bags (just use regular trash bags), and don't stink up the room as long as you change it often enough. I used mine through two kids, two years apart. Plus, they make scented trash bags, which work great. One more thing - the car seat. It's so important. I agree - do research to find the safest, and decide whether you want a car seat that will convert to a toddler seat, or an infant carrier you can remove without waking the baby. Personally, I wouldn't have traded my infant carrier for the world. My kids always fell asleep in the car, and slept through shopping trips, making them much easier. When you're sleep-deprived, NO ONE wants to wake a sleeping baby. So try to find a carrier you can carry comfortably with one arm. You're going to get some killer biceps carrying it around - it will be clunky and heavy, but will be with you for a long time. (Until your baby can sit up in a stroller or shopping cart by him or herself.) Congratulations!!

M. B

Check out the pregnancy boards on Babyzone.com. There you will find other soon-to-be moms that are in the same month of pregnancy as you. It is a big help when you have questions such at this....and, you'll make some great online friends too.

I'm a new first time mom. My daughter is 3 months old. When I was pregnant people told me to start buying diapers everytime I went to the store starting at about 7 mon. and get different sizes. They said the brand didn't matter. It does!!! Pamper swaddlers are great because they rap around and are snug no matter what size. I had a small full term baby and swaddler new born were the only ones that fit. No other newborn diapers worked for awhile and now I'm addicted to them. Also my husband got an infant car seat(evenflo) and his is to upright. The one for my car I love its a Graco and the matching stroller is wonderful. I would also suggest regestering for a bouncer that is in reclining position because I only regestered for a floor swing which is great for 3 mon. but not for newborn and I had to go buy one.

First off congrats!

you will definatly need a carseat to bring your baby home in. the hospital won't let you take her without one.

I would get lots of cloth diaper rags. the gerber ones are really good. they will save your shoulders from the spit up.
recieving blankets, not the really heavy ones, just light ones for swaddling. you can never have too many of those.

I had registered for a diaper genie but never used it. I know some swear by it but i felt it was more trouble than it was worth. plus the refills are expensive! I just used a traditional trash can type diaper pail with regular trash bags. I would spray the pail with lysol and never had a problem with the nursery smelling bad. (plus I empty all the trash cans in my house twice a week anyway so it never really has a chance to get stinky)
We couldn't live without our vibrating bouncy seat. both our boys spent lots of time in them.
and get a Diaper Duck for your diaper bag. my son is 3 and i still use it. (it is a dispenser for disposable plastic bags for stinky diapers. they keep your car from smelling when you have to do changes on the run)
again, you can never have too many crib sheets.
lots of white onsies!
I always used the gowns that are open on the bottom when they were very little, just made diaper changing easier, didn't have to worry about snaps.

as far as choosing a stroller or carseat, i would do a search online first and see how many re-calls a manufacturer has had before choosing a carseat. I can tell you that I have an eddie bauer one i LOVE! (it's so easy to clean) I don't remember the name of the other one i have (it has a jean material cover) but it has been great too.

& I almost forgot, a Baby Bjorn! (imho) the best carrier! so easy to use! they can get a little pricey but i couldn't live without mine when my son was little.

Have fun shopping!

Don't waste your time on a diaper genie. They are a pain to change and the first few months only hold about 2 days worth of diapers. To save having to buy so many refills (which are kind of expensive) my husband and I started just putting the poopy diapers in it, but once Jayden started on solid foods even the step 2 refils didn't hold the smell. Now poopy diapers go out to the garage and the pee diapers go in the garbage. It is convenient to have a pail in the baby's room, but I would recommend just a normal garbage can with scented bags.

congratulations is first in order! how exciting! and i also registered at babies r us and online they have ratings on practically all products (safty, assembly, etc..). also, i was completely overwhelmed by the wall of bottle/nipple products and would recommend registering for sets of beginner bottles. (playtex airvent was a personal favorite.) hopefully, this has been some help.
E. a.

Congratulations on your first.
Well, I have read all responses so far and this is what I have to add that is not already here....
For the big & crucial purchases, always try to do some research on items and find out how people have rated them before you make your final selection. Which means, when you go in the store, have about 3 choices that you "like" and then go online and see how each item is rated and what people might complain about. This really helps.
Now, with the small purchases, you just kinda pick what you like. Your husband might want to help in this area so that he feels "included". This is an area where my husband sometimes thinks "he never gets to decide".
You will have a ball, but be prepared to spend about 3 hours or so looking and selecting for all of those small things.
Later,
J.

Here are a few more "must-haves," that you can't ever have too many of -

Onesies - in different sizes as they grow fast
socks
washcloths
first aid stuff - clippers, thermometer, etc.
baby shampoo, baby wash
Formula keeper for on the go (if you will use powdered formula), look in the feeding aisle at Babies R Us
Packages of cloth diapers - for burp cloths, they are the best!

One thing I highly recommend if you don't already have it is the "What to Expect When You are Expecting," book - I used mine so much it was worn out after 2 children.

Bless you are your baby!

Dawn is right, B.... we would only confuse you further, but I'll try a short list for you of ABSOLUTES for raising baby, so start here:

Stroller
Car Seat
Baby Carrier - with any luck you can get all three of these in one set!
High Chair

Bed
Playpen
Bottles, Bottles, Bottles
Diapers, Diapers, Diapers
Wipes, Wipes, Wipes
Diaper Genie - trust me on this, you'll NEED it!

Cover your basics, then just stroll leisurely through the aisles and choose things you think will be helpful. You can do this. Just go slowly and take your time and ENJOY IT!!

Congratulations on your new life!!

Did I mention diapers?

Hi there! I had my first child in January and my husband and I were pretty lucky with selecting what we did for Luke. One thing that I thought was pretty smart was selecting the Fisher Price Ocean Wonders/Aquarium series of products: bouncy seat, play yard, travel swing, stand up swing, bath tub, mobile, monitor, high chair, and probably a few other things that I cannot think of at the moment. By doing this I feel that I'll be able to resell them easier. Regardless, a bouncy seat is a must as is at least one type of swing. We noticed that the swings with the mobiles were a hit with our baby as with others we have talked with. Register for bottles even if you plan to breast feed...Avent is a wonderful brand with awesome reviews. Also, we have a wedge that keeps his upper body elevated in his crib. I think that when it comes to "stuff" I have everything under the sun for my baby. Feel free to ask my opinion on specifics. I was just at BabiesRUs in Austin last weekend and there are a lot of new products and I will definitely be researching a few for my new baby (due March 2007). Good luck!
J. Davis

Congratulations on a very exciting time! I know how you feel about registering. I was so excited when it came time to do it but then I got extremely overwhelmed by it. If I had it do do over again, there are a few things I'd have done without. The swing being one of them. I know some people swear by them but my baby almost never used hers. If you do get a swing, I would recommend a small portable one. I'm all about space saving (after the fact). Also, I'd have done without the big high chair and gone for a booster that straps into a dining chair. I saw a neat one this weekend in a toys r us flyer. It reclines too for the younger babies.(3 months thru toddler) It was less expensive than the big chairs too. I wish I'd have seen something like that when I registered. My baby loved her bouncy seat. (Leap Frog) I'd have done without the big bulky entertainers too. My little one liked to have lots of floor time and freedom and I believe that's what made the difference in her reaching her milestones early. As far as what you do need; onesies, gowns, diapers, wash cloths, towels, burp cloths, bibs, blankets. I wouldn't register for lotions or baby wash. You don't know what your baby may be allergic to and most are too harsh for young skin. Also, you will get so much of that stuff anyway, you'll never be able to use it all. My daughter is 16 months old now and we still have bottles and bottles of it. Hope this helps some.

I am a first time mom of a now 9 month old. When I was pregnant, I went crazy with buying everything I could get my hands on only to find out that a lot of the things I bought...I NEVER USED!!!
My advice is stick to the basics. If after the baby is here and you really need somthing that you don't have...then buy it.
Although, I do recommend Diaper champ from Toys R Us. Diaper Champ is better than diaper genie in that you can use any kind of bag with it. You will probably get clothes and blankets out the wazoo at your baby shower. Buy personal things for your nursery decorations and leave the other stuff for showers.
Register for a variety of sizes in socks, onsies, night time clothes!!! They grow so fast and before you know it...you're in the next size. Try a variety of the shampoos and lotions and other stuff to see which ones you like.
Go to the store websites and see what people write on how they feel about car seats and strollers. I did that on Target's website. I do recommend the universal stroller that will hold any car seat. It was a godsend for me. We also bought a cosco car seat from target and it's worked fine for us. I also recommend a convertible bed that changes in stages---crib to toddler bed to twin/full size bed.
Good luck and remember to breathe. Congratulations on having a girl!!! They are fun!!! Mine is Rachel Madison.

I have a daughter that will be 16 months old next week. I was also overwhelmed as she was my first and I can tell you the things that I used the most.

Onesies
Desitin Creamy Nighttime worked best for her. I go through it very quickly.
Baby Bath - I prefer Johnson's
Baby Lotion
Wash Cloths
Bottle Warmer..I don't know if you will use a bottle but if you do, get a bottle warmer. They are GREAT!!!
Register for Diapers, Diapers and more Diapers.....
Baby Wipes

Those are a few things that I went through the fastest. There is so much when preparing for a child. I understand where you are coming from.

Just remember, if you get something you don't want or can't use, take it back and exchange it for something that you can.

I hope this helps.

First of all, congratulations! I was as overwhelmed as you are and reading the Consumer Reports Guide really helped me out with suggestions on baby products. They provide ratings as well. You will find the book in any bookstore. Also, check them out online as well. Good luck to you!

M.

I know exactly what you're going through. The first time I walked into Babies R Us I was overwhelmed too. They run through how to use that thing to add stuff to your list and they give you this long list of stuff you need. Makes you wanna turn around and say this baby just ain't coming out. My husband and I were big on name brands and having the most expensive stuff. Well you really don't need to go through all that.

Start off with the basics and go to Walmart. You probably won't get a lot of use out of all the extras for a few weeks. That will give you time to see where you could use a little help. Get plenty of t-shirts, a place for your baby to sleep, and decide how you want to feed your little girl. For the most part everything else is to make ourselves feel good.

Best of luck to you all. There will never be a better thing you can do in this world than being a great mom and you've joined a great group for help and advice.

Buy a bassinet that does not rock but has music mode and vibration mode. It helped soo much after having my 15 month old daughter. It also got her used to sleeping by herself later and gave me and my husband time to our selves "when the time came". My 15 month old now sleeps every night in her crib which by the way later turns into a full size bed also another great item. People freak out because she can fall asleep on her own with out me having to cradle and sing to her. Yeah that is part of being a mother loving your baby but believe me babies get that from us even when we don't realize we are doing it. You and your husband will appreciate that you two can share some time in bed alone because you won't have a baby in the middle and later on a 3 or 5 year old still wanting to sleep and take up all the room with you every night. I know, I have a four year old and I had a time getting her to finally accept the fact that she can not sleep with us. Another great item, is a pacifier. Yes it is good for them when they are just new borns. It not only calms them but prevents them from choking. I read that in th Parenting magazine, another great item to pick up. Subscrib to it. I t helps out alot. This is just my opinion but it works for me.

Here's wishing you the bestm in your search,
D.

I admit i felt the same way.First if your bottle feeding/breast-you'll need avent bottles
I personally hate pacifers,i love huggies diapers they don't leak.Wipes i always buy unscented.

Gotta, gotta, gotta have a wipes warmer.
Cold wipes on a warm little hiney.....Ouch!

Get the kind that warm the wipes from the TOP down. With my first son, I had an older model that warmed from the bottom up and the wipes were dried out half-way through the stack.

Congrats on little Abigail Lee--she already has a good mommy. :)

Hi B.,

For car seats and strollers I did research on Consumer Reports. They regularly report on which car seats did better in crashes, etc.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/child-car-...

Good luck with everything.
A. K

Oh, girl; I feel your pain! I am a Newborn Specialist and parenting coach, with a private consulting business. One of the things that I help parents with is that OVERWHELMING task of registering for baby stuff. Please email me if you're interested in my services. I will give you MY list (which is more detailed and more thorough than BRU list) AND I will accompany you to the store to actually do the registry (or I can even go FOR you if it's just too much for you....but most moms enjoy doing it; they're just overwhelmed.) I will steer you TOWARD the good, high-quality items that you really need and that work; and I will steer you AWAY from the useless items that don't work well or that you don't need. Call or email me! www.NannyForNewborns.com (rated on Mamasource)

Dear B.,

As for Babies R Us type stuff, one recommendation I have is to stay clear of American made strollers like Graco, Evenflo, etc. We got a Peg Perego (after ditching our American made one) and love it. Perhaps you could search http://houston.craigslist.org/ for a reasonably priced used one.

Also, use caution when loading up on expensive items which promise to 'comfort' baby. I've found that money spent on swings, bouncy seats, exersaucers etc. was a waste. Baby will most likely want YOU instead of a plastic holder, and I've learned the hard way that that is a good thing! : )

I encourage you to get a copy of Dr. William Sear's book "The Baby Book" which was invaluable to us. It opened up a whole new way of parenting which has paid off tremendously.

Our family business is a website (www.NurturedFamily.com) offering our favorite baby items. We do have an easy gift registry, if you'd like to check it out. I'll let you in on my favorite items - SlingEZee is my favorite baby holder (and I am available anytime for babywearing help - slings are not intuitive - but oh are they worth it!), Japanese Weekend "Hug" bra is my favorite nursing bra (for smaller busted women)& Bravado is my favorite for larger busted. The lambskins are wonderful for baby to sleep on. Amd lastly, we love the ease of using the pocket diapers (Swaddlebees, FuzziBunz, Happy Heinys, or Mommy's Touch). No dunking, bleaching, etc... like you think of regarding 'old fashioned' cloth diapering. They really are as easy as disposables - plus you save about $2500 per child. It is nice, too, not having to deal with a stinky plastic diaper pail full of throw away diapers. Now, everything goes in the wash (including the bag holding the dirty diapers) and everything comes out clean and fresh.

Just remember - all your baby REALLY needs is your arms & your breasts (and some diapers! : ) so don't get swept up in all the "stuff!"

Congratulations!! and Blessings,
R.

Supporting you as you nurture your family.
www.NurturedFamily.com

Research is the only way to decide what may work for you. Check out those lists online and put some thought into how you plan on diapering and feeding. I always bought one package of newborn size diapers and several packages of size ones. I preferred gowns to sleepers with feet. I LOVE onesies. I could have never had enough onesies. I bought travel size baby products to see if my babies might have a reaction before getting the reg or large size. As far as brands, money was always an issue so we took that in consideration as oppose to brands. Of course, there are always things you will by for the brand no matter the money. SPIT UP RAGS...something else I loved in surplus. Cloth diapers work great for this purpose.

If anyone asks you what you would like...practice saying this "gift cards make an excellent gift!" LOL They really do.

Babies grow so fast that you will find they are growing out of outfits before they get a chance to wear them.

I love my swing that I can change the direction the baby swings-my girls were able to enjoy their swings before my boys were.

Congrats!
A.

My husband and I have a 3-year-old and when we went into Babies-R-Us to register we nearly fainted!!! Who knew there were 8,000 different kinds of bottles and 5,000 kinds of passifiers?! So we followed their list and registered for everything (most of which I donated unopened a year later). Here is my must have list:

a few passifiers (don't get too many in case your daughter doesn't like them).

"onsies" (the soft little outfits that are cheap enough to be disposable when the poop/spit up is just too yucky to wash out)

the baskets that go in your dishwahser for passifiers, bottle parts & sippy cups later

lots of barcloths (you can get those at target) for spit-ups and other mishaps

carseat (or 2 if you and your hubby have 2 cars - it's a pain to have to move the seat every time)

Hmm, well that's really all I can think of off hand. So much of the stuff seems so important while you're pregnant and turns out to be superfluous. For instance, we never used our stroller. We found it to be too burdensome to load & unload all the time so we just carried our son until he was old enough to ride in a wagon which we pulled everywhere for 2 years. Now we use it for gardening! Bottom line is, many of the things that turn out to be indispensable will be bought along the way, often on impulse. Don't stress too much, enjoy!

B.,

Congrats! I have a 3 year old girl and remember one of the best things was a Graco carseat that had 2 bases so I could leave one in my car and one in my husbands and the seat just snaps onto the base. I also had a stroller that went with it that the seat snapped onto. The seat also snapped onto shopping baskets. It was really handy!

Hi B.,
Congratulations! Just wanted to add something else that may be of help- once you narrow down the items that you want to buy (looks like you got a lot of good suggestions)- There are two sources that I used and find invaluable to finding the right brands and tips on where to purchase.
Buy a copy of "Baby Bargains: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Baby Furniture, Equipment, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear, and Much, Much More!" by Alan Fields and register for an online subscription to Consumer Reports (www.consumerreports.org)

It really can be overwhelming when trying to pick out which brand- and both of these sources have either tested or have had consumers test products- so its very reliable.
Good luck!
Adla

Great book....Baby Bargains. Good advice on all baby products and ratings. All the "what you must have" and all the "don't bothers". Congrats and good luck!

i felt the same way when i was pregnant. i walked out of the store after i saw the list! everyone gave really good advice. i bought the book "a girlfriends guide to pregnancy" and that helped me tremendously. it was real down to earht advice as if your friend is telling you. good luck and congrats.

The babies r us list is a good place to start. If we all told you what you should have... you would be even MORE confused. Do you have any friends who have children that could go with you to register or at least look at the list and mark what you need? As far as brands... do your research on line...those things are also a personal preference.
Also do you have a pediatrician yet? If not, start looking and interviewing... if you do... then ask the peditrician or one of their nurses to go through the list with you.
Good luck and congrats!
***************
OH>.. take a look at this website... I looked at it and iI agree!!! It doesn't have all the extra stuff that Babies R us is just trying to sell.
http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/essential-baby-products...

Congratulations! I understand about being overwhelmed when it comes to registering for the first time. I think I may have cried! My best advice is this. By far the most intimidating aisle is the feeding aisle with all the bottles. If you plan to breast feed than I would register for 2 different types of bottles with varying sizes. Definitely get the Dr Brown's bottles- they are kinda high maintenance, but worth the trouble for a fussy baby! A lot of them have starter kits which are pretty useful. I did not successfully breastfeed and as a result went through about 6 different bottle styles before I found one that my daughter latched onto well.
The rest is mainly personal. I would suggest registering for things even if you are not sure you will need them. If you end up not using it, then you can always return it. Remember that if you don't have enough on your registry, people will start guessing what you need and you may end up with some strange gifts. So, register for more than you think you will need, but keep it all in packages until you go to use it for the first time. Good luck!

Hi B.,
I hope you received everything you needed for your new baby! Babies R Us is VERY overwhelming! As a mom of 2 kids, I totally understand. If you need any help on any finishing touches try http://joyleschber.mybabysplendor.com. Baby Splendor is a unique in-home baby boutique. Let me know if I can assist you in any way!
J.