shape
carat
color
clarity

Home baby registry help!

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.

gingerB

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Sep 1, 2009
Messages
296
Our shower got moved up (crazy schedule issues...don''t ask) and now I''m getting pressure to get a registry together ASAP and am panicking! I have NO idea what to do. I know the very basic of having a wide price range but that is the extent of it. I don''t want to over register and end up with a bunch of stuff we''re not going to use and just clutter the house. But I also don''t want to not register for stuff I''ll regret later. HELP?!

1)How many places should we register at?
2)Please tell me what to register for!!!!! I have no idea what is acceptable to register for and what is not. And specific product suggestions very VERY much wanted.
 
I would only register at BRU (or Buy Buy Baby if you have one of those). If you look on the baby must haves I TGal reposted by detailed list in the first few pages. Good luck and have fun! Try not to get overwhelmed!
 
ginger, thanks for starting this thread. we''ll need to start working on our registry too and it just seems way overwhelming! i''ll be following this thread for other''s imput
 
Ginger, the following is a newborn checklist I found online that I find to be a good guideline. This is the list I'm going to use as a basis for my registry, modified a bit, when it comes time to create it. Hope it helps.

Tooling around
_____Car seat.
_____Stroller.

Beds and linens
_____Crib.
_____Crib mattress.
_____Bassinet/cradle (if you don't want to put your baby in a crib right away).
_____Two to three fitted crib sheets.
_____Four or more waffle-weave cotton receiving blankets for swaddling baby
_____Two mattress pads.
_____One to two waterproof liners (for crib or bassinet).

Diaper duty
_____Diapers. One 40-count package of newborn (under 8 pounds) or of size 1 (over 8 pounds).
_____Diaper pail (with refills or bags as needed).
_____Diaper bag.

Dressing baby
_____Four sleeping outfits or one-piece sleepers with attached feet.
_____Six side-snap T-shirts.
_____Four to six one-piece undershirts that snap around the crotch.
_____A small baby cap (although the hospital will probably give you one).
_____Six pairs socks/booties.
_____Two to three soft, comfortable daytime outfits. Get only a few items in newborn size. Then, go for clothing in the 6-month size--your baby will grow into it quickly. But don't buy baby sleepwear
that's too big--it's a safety hazard.
_____Cotton sweater or light jacket.


Feeding time
for breast-feeding:
_____Three to five nursing bras.
_____A box of washable or disposable breast pads.
_____Breast pump.
_____Four small baby bottles with newborn nipples for storing expressed breast milk.
_____Bottle-drying tree.
_____Bottle brush.
_____Insulated bottle holder for diaper bag (the hospital may give you one).
_____Three packs of cloth diapers or burp cloths.
for bottle-feeding:
_____Six 4- to 5-ounce bottles, plus nipples, rings, and a dishwasher basket if you use a dishwasher.

Bathing/Grooming
_____Plastic infant bathtub.
_____Three soft hooded towels.
_____Two packs of baby washcloths.
_____Baby body wash that doubles as shampoo.
_____Baby-sized nail clippers.
_____Zinc-oxide-based diaper rash ointment.
_____Soft brush and comb.
_____Mild laundry detergent.

Medicine chest essentials
_____A pain-and-fever reducer recommended by your baby's doctor, such as Infant's Tylenol.
_____Cotton pads/swabs.
_____Nasal aspirator.
_____Digital rectal thermometer.
_____Rubbing alcohol.
_____Petroleum jelly.

Keeping baby happy
_____Pacifiers.

Extras: Nice but optional
_____Baby monitor.
_____Changing table.
_____A rocker or glider.
_____Sling or strap-on soft carrier.
_____Boppy, a doughnut-shape pillow designed to make holding baby during breastfeeding or
bottlefeeding easier.
_____Nursing coverup. Attaches at your neck and allows for private breastfeeding when you and your
baby are in public.
_____Infant swing.
_____Bouncy seat.
_____Night-light.
 
A list of must-haves:

1. Lots of onesies - baby will go through probably two or more a day, plus they''re comfy. The Gerber ones run small on sizes and the Carter''s ones are a bit bigger - you can get the Carter ones at Kohls.

2. Diapers and wipes - my son was small when he was born (6#7oz) so we used newborn size first. If your baby is bigger though you can probably skip to a size 1 right after birth. Plan on using 10 - 12 diapers per day the first few weeks. We used Pampers until recently - now we''re too cheap for that and use a store brand
2.gif


3. Bottles and formula if you are not breastfeeding. We used the ready-to-feed at first then switched to powder. We like the Dr. Brown''s bottles since our son was very spitty-uppy and also used the Enfamil AR formula. If I did it over again I''d go with generic (store brand) formula and save the difference.

4. A few swaddling blankets/receiving blankets - can double as burp cloths too. We got a 12-pack of Gerber cloth diapers and used those as burp cloths. We also got a ton of the Koala Kids (BRU brand) receiving blankets.

5. Baby wash and a couple of super soft washcloths for that adorable first bath. We like the Johnson&Johnson Bedtime Bath (purple container) but also use the regular Johnson&Johnson baby wash. We got so much from our showers that we haven''t bought any - and our son is 15 months old.

6. Some "sleep n play" type outfits. My son wore these all the time as an infant - easy, cute, and comfy. Gerber makes these, as does Carters. I like the ones that zip more than the ones that have the snaps.

7. Somewhere for the baby to sleep. We kept a bassinet in our room but our son slept in his infant carrier for like 6 weeks
23.gif
Then we moved him to his crib. My parents/in-laws went in on our crib and dresser. Spent too much but the furniture is a nice style. We got it at BRU - we got a dark finish that is scratched already
14.gif


8. Carseat. We got a travel system from my best friend and used that until my son outgrew it. We currently have two seats - his main seat is an Evenflo Symphony and the other is a Britax Roundabout.

9. Diaper bag - find something cute that you''ll want to carry around. I have two Vera Bradley ones.

That''s all I can really think of off the top of my head for a newborn. Most newborns sleep more than they''re awake so you won''t need much. When your baby gets more alert then you can get some toys or a bouncy seat/swing.

Hope this helps and congrats on your pregnancy!!

ps - I bolded my brand/personal suggestions
1.gif
 
ugh i had a huge post and lost it.

the jist:

-I registered at Target and PB kids to give people options
-Target gift cards are more useful to me than BRU which is just kiddie stuff as Target sells a ton more of ''general items''
-I loved Target''s online interface, tells you how many items you have in certain price ranges, makes recommends based on what other people have added to their registry and tells you how many items have been purchased when you log-in on first screen
-TG''s list was a great place to start
-Have a few experienced Moms look at your list and make recommends
-I did mine over a wkd entirely online, both of them
-For bottles and diapers I didn''t really add much as people kept telling me they are too personal and you don''t want to stock up on one brand only to have your kid not like it...get one or two of a few brands and then test them out, then use gift cards to buy more
-We tried to keep things minimalist but keep a watch on it as people start buying, add if you need to (you can always return)
-If I had to add another one I''d add Baby Gap (lots of options there) or Land of Nod but no stores avail for them in my area and you can only use gift cards at LON not CB
-Suggest lots of onesies in diff sizes (my kid will live in these, not cute clothes); and also those newborn sleep sacks, every Mom tells me they are indsipensable. they have a ton of diff types but i put both thinner ones and thicker (halo) to cover the bases as seasons change
-Lastly think about when your baby will be born. Ours is in the middle of winter...so I have a good 2-3 months of ''cold'' so I got a lot more long-sleeve onesies and the long pant sleeping things than shortie summer ones.

You can also find ''starter'' lists online at like baby center and fit pregnancy. They have minimalist and luxury lists so you can see both. While I didn''t use the brands they recommended (too exp), it was good to see what was on there.
 
mara - i thought about registering at target because i love target, and like you said you can get other things besides baby stuff with the cards. but then i remembered all the horror stories about the target registries. have you had any problems with the target registry and returning items?
 
jcrow, i haven''t tried to return anything yet but i know about 3-4 people who have had target who never had issues ...i''m afraid to ask but what horror stories? hehee.
 
I registered at Target because we don''t have a BRU in our town. The horror stories have to do with their new return policy. If you don''t have a gift receipt (and not everyone gives those with their gift unfortunately) you cannot return and sometimes their registry doesn''t get updated fast enough so you can end up with duplicates right off your own registry. We really didn''t have any issues thank goodness.
 
gotcha, i googled it also. seems like in 2009 there have not been as many issues as in 08 when the new policy went into effect. also sounds like they made some changes to make it better in 09, allowing you to print from the registry log to show a receipt/purchase. i noticed on the registry it says to users they really should get a gift receipt, but i also added my own note that said PLEASE get a gift receipt for duplicates, and that Target''s online and offline sync''ing is not working very well. so guess we''ll see!!

logging in i saw someone bought our baby bjorn. i am so excited to try it out on GREG!
9.gif
 
Thanks for the list, Mara! I registered at Babies R Us because it was super easy to do online. I couldn''t do that for my wedding registry at The Bay, so I definitely wasn''t going to go back there for the baby registry!
 
mara~Glad things are improving and def. a good idea to remind your family and friends to include gift receipts.
 
DO NOT REGISTER AT TARGET! They are horrible about taking returns EVEN if it is on your registry. Also the hospital will most likely give you a nasal aspirator and
digital rectal thermometer.
 
hehe guess i'll report back on how registering at Target works for us.
3.gif


not sure who has actually registered with them in 2009 but again, it sounds like from what the online forums and threads said, people didn't have issues returning things in this year, 2008 sounded really bad.


oh and i just got one of those health kit basic things, they are like $20 and it has everything in it in case your hospital does not give you one or the other.

i did the same for the johnson and johnson basic bath kit. i didn't feel like dealing with piecemealing all that stuff.

oh and random Q but for the mom's chiming in, what detergent did you use to wash baby's stuff? i have to get one and i am torn between dreft or the downy one?? or there is seventh generation too. we just use Tide but they don't make a sensitive or baby one.
 
We used Dreft or Tide free and clear (no dyes or perfumes). If I remember correctly the hospital has to give them to you or throw them away for sanitary reasons. I am sure you are billed (insurance) and paying for it anyways. A regret I do have is washing everything before she was even born (I was excited) b/c I could have tried to return for larger sizes or regift the cute clothes. I have a huge box full of clothes she never wore.
 
yeah tacori i want to wash everything just to be ready but that is my other fear re: not wearing everything. though, i would still regift if it was new but washed...it's the thought and i am too practical to not. for the clothes she never wore, i do see a lot of baby lots on ebay... not sure how much you'd net but if you want to get rid of the box, it's a thought!

i didnt know tide had a free and clear, have to seek this out. we also need the HD version and i know not all of the manuf's make that yet.

one thing i did put on my registry which seems sooo frivolous to me is the breast pump which is the medela hands free. i plan to get it myself (i see them on ebay new for $200) if no one gets it for us, but i figured well why not just in case. but it's like $400. it just seems silly!
 
we also used dreft or tide free and clear and they both have it in the HD version.

RE: breast pump, i registered for my breast pump and back then, 2 years ago, it was $350, but 2 friends chipped in and got it for me. that was the most expensive thing on the registry though. and honestly, i wasn''t expecting anyone to get it, i just put it on there as a reminder for myself to get it.
 
I literally took the baby bargains book, flipped to the sample registry, and copied it. LOL
 
oooof...thanks for all the info. i kind of started playing around on the target site, for the same reasons mara and jcrow stated, and it''s just so readily accessible for most people. i think i''m just going to have to sit down this weekend and sort through allt he info and just do it. for some reason i''m terrified of registering for the wrong thing! we didn''t have a wedding registry so this is my first crack at it and it''s really intimidating!

keep the suggestions coming please! the more info the better
1.gif
i like to be well armed.
 
The baby bargains book is wonderful.

Tacori posted a very helpful list some time back, reposted by TGal in the Baby Gear thread towards the front. I used that to get started.

I also posted a list in that thread a few weeks after I had my little guy (maybe April 2009)?

If you have the time, read thru that thread - I think you''ll find it very helpful even though it''s very long now!

I would not register for clothes. You''ll probably get tons of those as gifts whether you register or not.

No matter what you register for and what you buy, you will probably get home from the hospital and realize CRAP! I need a ton of stuff! and send your DH out for a massive Target run. I know we did! We also had a few things that we thought would be so useful and turned out not to be. I researched everything so carefully so I was really disappointed that it happened to me - but it''s impossible to predict some of these things!

I have never in my life been one to buy things secondhand, but it can actually make sense for kids stuff. A lot of the stuff is like new or maybe the parents bought it and never even used it! I have found a few things at the local children''s consignment shop that have been like new and less than half of the full price. Just wanted to mention, in case you still need some of the big stuff after your showers.
 
Just wanted to chime in on the whole Target issue.

My husband just took up some gifts we received when we thought the baby was a girl (this was from about 14 weeks ago). He had absolutely no problem turning them in for a Target Gift Card. We didn''t have a receipt or anything for them.
 
Date: 10/9/2009 5:13:45 PM
Author: Mara
yeah tacori i want to wash everything just to be ready but that is my other fear re: not wearing everything. though, i would still regift if it was new but washed...it''s the thought and i am too practical to not. for the clothes she never wore, i do see a lot of baby lots on ebay... not sure how much you''d net but if you want to get rid of the box, it''s a thought!

i didnt know tide had a free and clear, have to seek this out. we also need the HD version and i know not all of the manuf''s make that yet.

one thing i did put on my registry which seems sooo frivolous to me is the breast pump which is the medela hands free. i plan to get it myself (i see them on ebay new for $200) if no one gets it for us, but i figured well why not just in case. but it''s like $400. it just seems silly!
Mara, Costco has a Kirkland free and clear. That''s what we used. Dreft is just ridiculous marketing, IMHO.
 
Ginger,

I registered at Babies r Us & Burlington-Baby Depot, I live in California. Babies r us staff are very friendly and helpful & provided me with a checklist on what I should consider and might need for the bebe.

I advise to also include that you would like Gift Cards (ie. American Express) so that you can choose and pick what you would like. Put the most important items on there. I registered for the travel system stroller, diapers, breast pump, etc. I am obviously not counting that I will get everything but at least you have an idea of what you need and purchase it later.

Babies r us gives you a 10 percent off coupon to complete your registry. So, the stuff that you didn''t get, you can purchase using this coupon! So, that''s good! Good Luck!
5.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Top