Baby Shower & Registry..

Well I sold my diaper changing table because I never used it. When my son would do his duty I would change him on the floor or closest table. I will tell you that there is a tub that I got and I think that is one of the best gifts I got. I didn't use my boppy too much but my girlfriend uses it all the time. I didn't use my pack and play that much either and those are expensive. However I got a swing and its great. Try to get one that is portable because then you could use that as a swing and also a seat. I had the fisher price vibrating bouncing seat and it helped. I would put my son in it while I soaked in the tub or while I did laundry etc. I would recommend going to consignment shops to see if they have things also. But never buy a used car seat. I learned that lesson from a girlfriend. I also didn't buy a diaper bag. You get free ones from the hospital or you can find a bag cheaper than an actually diaper bag that they sell in the baby sections of stores. I hope this helps if I think of more I will write more. Oh I just thought of something, that diaper warmer is a waste of money. It dries the wipes out. Also the diaper genie, I still could smell the diapers so I put them in a plastic bag (that I get free at grocery store) and set it outside by the trash.

Are you ready for my huge list...okay.

1. Stroller: Graco Quattro stroller system was a great asset. The infant carseat snapped right into the stroller. The only thing you need to know about that is that you will need to buy a larger carseat when you baby grows out of the infant size. (convertible - meaning one that faces backwards and forwards) And don't buy the base. You don't need it. It cost $99 more but you can strap your baby's infant seat with just a seat belt through the strap things...sorry, I don't know what it's called but you'll see it. It goes across the baby and the seat.

2. I bought or recieved the bassinet, the sleep nest, the crib, the Papasan Swing and matching vibrating bouncer, Gerber

I used all of the above except the sleep nest and the fancy bouncer. My girlfriend borrowed it and loved it but my daughter didn't fancy it so much. When she slept with us, it was usually right up against me or right in the bassinet. You can use a portable play pen with a built in bassinet if you have one. I barely used the play pen too. We had our daughter sleeping in her room in her crib at 3 months with a monitor so the sleep we would get would be as uninterrupted as possible.

3. Monitors come in real handy. The Graco ones work best. I had more than one set.

4. Swing: I used the side to side Fisher Price Papasan swing all the time. ALL THE TIME! It was so nice. She would sleep in it and it was battery operated so it would go for a long time.

5. Formula: I kept all the formula samples and as it turned out, they came in very handy when breastfeeding could no longer continue....I got a concussion and was taking too much medication to continue. I had a great experience with Similac mostly.

6. Bottles: I swear by the Platex Nurser System with the wide silicone nipple and disposable liners. Never had a problem with gassiness. She had mild spit up problems but that's what babies do. When my M.I.L. would sneak behind my back and give my daughter some generic bottle, she would come home screaming from gas pains and spit up everywhere. Most of the time my daughter wouldn't even finish her bottle because of it. All babies are different so try several to see what works. Don't waste your money on Avent or the angled ones or the air vent ones. The don't work well. That's just my opinion.

7. I used the 3 separator formula canisters by Munchkin all the time.

8. I used Gerber bottles (the cheapy kind that are like $3 a pack) to gently heat the water in the microwave and then to shake and mix the formula. I would then pour it into the Playtex bottle...minus the bubbles to avoid gas. It worked well. Don't waste money on a bottle warmer. Anything quicker is better when that baby starts screaming

9. Pacifiers: I used Gerber silicone Nuk Pacifiers. Still do. They break down less and the don't taste as bad as latex. Bring on infant size pacifier to the hospital or the nurses will shove in a size 2. Yikes.

10. Wipes: My favorite wipes are the Lanolin wipes. I think it's 3-4 a pack but you they separate easy for one handed changes and they have a moisturizer in them that really seem to help prevent rashes. They are by the bottle, nipples, and breast feeding supplies because they are meant for breast fed babies. Loved them. Hate Pamper wipes....greasy. Huggies are good too especially for hand and face clean ups. Oh and wipes clean up spit up stains pretty good too.

11. Clothes: Plain white cotton onesies are the best. My favorite were Just One Year by Carters. Multi packs at Target. They hold up well to washing over and over. The buttons are easy. They are perfect for many changes and if they get all stained up, you don't feel so bad about tossing them. Plus you can bleach them.

12. Detergent: I used Dreft but hated the smell of it. I preferred All fragrance and dye free for sensitive skin. I started using that as soon as I ran out of Dreft but you'll probably get Dreft anyway as a gift so try and use it.

13. Bibs: Oh...the cheapy pack of bibs. It's like max pack at Walmart with the plastic back and the velcro. I wasted tons of money on cute cloth bibs that shrunk in the wash and stained too easy. Don't waste your money on tons. Buy a few for special occasions but use the cheap ones with plastic on the back. They work the best. Oh and do have lots of burp clothes. I actually prefered to use large receiving blankets as a burp cloth. Baby's can spit up alot and those little ones were finished in one spit up.

14. Don't waste you money on a diaper warmer. It's nice in theory but it dries out your diapers and you have to keep buying more. Warming them by hand works good too. Oh and Boudreaux's Buttpaste works good for bad rashes. Desitin seems to burn for bad rashes but it's easier to apply for minor irritations.

15. Don't waste money on tons of baby towels. They are so thin and so small. Buy one or two large fluffy white towels to really bundle your baby up for bath time. I used the tilted back tub. That was nice to have but you need counter space for that. I barely had room. Do have plenty of wash clothes for covering baby and get a few cloth bathing sponges. They are the easiest to clean the baby with. I loved Baby Magic hair and body soap too that you pump and it foams. It's hard to find but they have it still at the .99 cent store and a few places. It's so easy to use with one hand.

Trust your judgement. I wish I had been more confident than I was. There comes a point when you stop taking advice and you just do it. It's pretty cool. You'll know what you need and what you don't. If you have it and don't need it....sell it on Ebay.

Oh, when you go to the hospital bring...YOU and maybe music or some pictures for during labor, your favorite pillow, earplugs for the noisy nurses and cleaning crews, very comfy clothes for after, camera and or video camera (record the birth even if it's from shoulder view...my sister recorded the weighing in and the first bath since I couldn't see it...It's nice to have), a water proof folder or binder for all the official papers you will get...mine got wet, cell phone and chargers and that's pretty much it. Of course the carseat should be in the car. Dad should bring some cash for food and a blanket and pillow too in case he gets the chair bed...not comfy. Everything else is not needed unless you intent on walking around for natural childbirth which them you mind want a robe and slippers. I packed the world but didn't use any of it. I wish someone had told me.

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

I'd have to agree with most mothers on here. The most important things that you'll need are diapers, wipes, onesies and socks. You don't need a diaper genie they're a wat of money. Receiving blankets and cloth diapers are great for burp cloths, the burp cloths they make for babies are too small. I actually use the Ventaire bottles for my daughter and she hasn't had any issues with gas. I tried the bottles with disposable liners and they're a pain. You have to get all of the air out of the liner, besides when you run out of liners you have to buy more. The Bouncy Seats are great because you can put your baby in it while you take a shower or make dinner or lunch or breakfast. The ones that vibrate are great because it can sometimes soothe them to sleep. Pacifiers can be great too, not all babies will take a pacifier though. My daughter likes the Avent ones and they come in different sizes so be sure if you're going to try them with your daughter to bring one to the hospital. Also Hats are great for the winter months when it's cold and you have to take your baby out to go to the doctors or grocery shopping. I don't recommend you put baby formula on your registry because every baby is different and you may have to try a few different kinds or brands before you get one that really works for your baby. Swings are great for infants, most infants like them but there are some who don't so I would suggest going to Other Mothers to get an infant swing or any second hand store that specializes in baby furniture or items. Convertible carseats are great if you're trying to save some money because you'll have to buy a bigger car seat once your baby grows out of the infant sized ones. The only down side to buying a convertible car seat is that you can't take the baby and the car seat with you. So you'll need to buy a stroller for grocery shopping or doctors visits unless you have an extra hand when you take the baby places. The car seat/stroller combos are great because the infant seat fits right onto grocery carts and you don't have to disturb a sleeping baby once they fall asleep in the car. But be sure to budget for a larger car seat once baby grows out of the infant car seat. Cribs or Bassinet/play yard combos are a necessity if you want to keep your sex life somewhat normal after the baby is born. You can find these for a fairly good price at second hand stores and the plastic baby mattresses are perfect for the crib and sometimes they come with the crib depending on where you purchase the crib. Anyways, that's all I can think of right now for things you need. You can never have too many diapers, wipes, onesies or socks. But be sure to put different sizes of diapers, onesies and socks on your registry so that you don't end up with all newborn sizes and nothing for your daughter to grow into. People will still buy you cute little outfits for your daughter and make sure that you get pictures of her in the outfits to share with the people who bought them. They'll be glad to see that she got to wear the clothing at least once. The great thing about second hand stores like Other Mothers is that they'll take gently used baby clothes and give you in store credit to buy more clothes. I hope this helps.

Hi, I'm a 24 year old 1st time mom as well. My son just turned one year a week and a half ago. There are a few things that I found to be an absolute necessity regardless of the sex of the baby or whether you nurse or formula feed.

Blankets with silk edges - my son still loves them. He won't take any other blankes as well. He loves to rub the silk all over his face. Even if he has one in his hand, he will take as many as he can find.

Fisher Price Aquarium swing - I had one & gramma had one and it made us through some pretty rough nights. When nothing would work in the middle of the night when he was colic or crabby (including a car ride, which is what everyone tells you to do), I would put him in that swing & he would spend the rest of the night there just sleeping away.

Onzies and jeans in all sizes and colors. You have those and you can make hundreds of adorable outfits by mixing and matching, and you don't have to spend a fortune on the pre-hung matching outfits in the stores.

Also, I got a ton of adorable shoes, but once my son started putting on the weight, I couldn't get any of them to stay on anymore due to his chubby ankles. I know they're adorable, but I never used size 2-4. I found they are much more useful now that he is starting to walk.

The ABSOLUTE best thing we did for the baby shower was to have door prizes for anyone who brought a pack of diapers. I almost started crying when I saw that people were all coming with mega packs of diapers. My sister got the little body lotion baskets and we gave those for the prizes. I tell you what, I didn't have to buy diapers for months!!! It was great!

I hope this helps a little & feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.

R.

K.,
Congrats on the new baby girl. Okay here are just a couple of things I thought of that might help you and you need to ask for alot of... DIAPERS, WIPES, and FORMULA oh and baby burp cloths. Nobody realizes the stuff that you will need, everyone will buy you alot of cute clothes. Make sure you also get a couple of crib sheets in case the baby has an accident or throws up. Sign up for the pediatric medicine bag which has alot of the baby medicine in it and also the baby grooming kit which has nail clippers, syringes, medicine measure. The one thing not to get is the baby GENIE that is diaper trash can and when you empty it it smells so bad and sometimes the bags break. Just a few ideas. Good luck!

Ang

DIAPERS, WIPES, FORMULA, and Burp cloths

I know this might be a little late of a response, but hey it's great....There is a video called...The Happiest Baby on the Block..Here is the website.

http://www.thehappiestbaby.com/

This video is wonderful. It tells you the 5 S's. Shushing, swaddling, I can only remember the two. Sorry, but it is worth watching it....

I had a C section too, I didn't use the changing table, used the receiving blankets for burp clothes, used Huggies for the first year about, then I am changing over to White Cloud (Wal-Mart brand). Yes the clippers are a must and don't worry about hurting them...you'll be fine. I do advise a new car seat....used ones you don't know how well they were taken care of. I would just start off with two pacifiers, but if you are breast feeding they recomend not giving them a pacifier in the first few days because of the whole learning process of you feeding them and such....that's what I did though. There is just soooo much....oh Butt Paste....yes that is the name of the product..is the best diaper rash stuff ever. Hats too.

Ok - good luck- let me know of course like all of us if we could help...T.

register for larger size clothing like 12m+ everyone gives you newborn and smaller sizes but you dont get very much larger sizes. Dont waste money on shoes, you kid isnt gonna walk any time soon. If you cant resist, again get larger sizes. Socks (at least for me) were a waste since A) I had my son in the spring and it was hot and B) he had lots of outfits with feet on them. you can also try registering at websites that let you register at many stores like kaboodle.com so that you can pick what you want from each store. Sears and Target have AWESOME clearance sales (not on registry, only in person) where I have literally bought a ton of outfits for 95 cents, $1-$3 and the close is so cute, I even found baby crocks! if you are gonna bottle feed I would get a started kit like avent (target) those work perfect and you really dont need that many bottles. If you are gonna breast feed I dont reccomend buying a breast pump even if you are having trouble, rent it from the hospital. it will save you tons! another tip for saving money is check out craigslist.com for free or cheap baby products. freecycle is a good place to get free stuff. I hope this helps, I too went/ am going through a tough time through my pregnancy and my childs infantcy.

Hello K., congrats on your first baby.

I found the swaddle blanket to be a waste of money, we received one as a gift tried it once and didn't like it. A blanket works much better. The sleeps sacks were a must for us durine the winter once are daughter started turning and moving. Sleeping with a blanket is not safe, I love the sleep sacks and give them as a gift to all my prego friends.

L.

Congrats! I just had my first baby in July 2006. It seems everyone always wants to buy the "cutsie" things and not the really practical things. I got so many outfits at my shower that my son never got to wear because they were summer outfits and by the time he fit into them, it was too cold. Anyway, here's a list of things I couldn't live without.

Onesies~Plain white ones are best since you can bleach them. I didn't care for the Gerber ones. He outgrew the length VERY quick. I like any made by Carter's. Just One Year from Target and Child of Mine from Walmart.

Burp cloths~I didn't think I'd use them, but I use them all the time!

DIAPERS~You can NEVER have enough! I like Pampers and Huggies the best.

BABY WIPES~You can never have enough of these either!

Soft blankets~Who doesn't like soft blankets? My son nuzzles his head into them when I rock him.

Accessory kit(thermometer, nail clippers, nasal aspirator, etc)

Snugli or carrier of some sort~My son hated his carseat, so having a carrier made grocery shopping easier.

Boppy~It's great if you plan on breastfeeding! It also works great for tummy time and propping baby in when she's learning to sit on her own but still to wobbly to balance herself.

Electric swing~My son would sleep in his for hours and hours. Fisher Price has the electric ones, they also run on batteries if need be.

Bouncer seat~makes taking a shower easier because you can just bring the baby in the bathroom and put them in the seat while you shower.

Changing table (I had a C-section, so this SAVED my life!)

Baby monitors

Breast pump~If you plan on breastfeeding. Manual ones work just fine if you aren't going to go back to work. I use mine all the time. Especially if my son sleeps though a feeding.

Infant tub that transitions well

Here's my list of not very useful things:

Receiving blankets (I have a TON and never used them but maybe a few times)
Diaper Genie (horrible! I have a small diaper pail with a step to lift lid. It takes 4 gallon bags. You don't have to worry about the smell because it fills up quickly, therefore emptied quickly too.)

Be careful of clothes! Make sure people buy you season appropriate ones. DO NOT put formula on your registry. You never know if your little one will need a special formula, like soy.

As you can see, there is a lot of useful stuff! If you have any other questions, feel free to send me a message. I hope this helps! Once again, Congratulations! Being a mom is so awesome!

Oh! Gift Cards are great too!

You can definitely live without the baby wipe warmer. And the boppy pillow, although I am sure other mothers will swear by it. You also don't need a lot of receiving blankets. I received 12 at my shower and could have gotten away with two or three. My daughter didn't really like the swing, but I know some kids love them, so maybe that is something you could pick up second hand, or after you know your daughter will use it. Ebay is a great place to get items, we have bought a ton of clothes from there and sold items also.
Good Luck!
S.

Onsies and sleepers are a very big needs but request most of them In 3-6 months and 6-9 months you want to cover the first year if you can. also diapers. ask everyone in the invatations for diapers but request size 1 and 2 not new born becuase you might not get to use them at all. Also bottles but ask for one spacipic brnd and stick to that brand because babies don't like change in that way. I suggest anything with a big soft nipple becuase those are more like the breast if you are going to be breast feeding also. and formula. can't get anough of that stuff. also wipes. and changing pads to safe guard the couch. burp cloths for your clothes but they did'nt matter to me because I still got stuff on my shirt. you learn to deal with it belive me. and bibs. need those alot from the first month on because of drool when teething. lots of blankets. babies need lots of warmth. get a bouncer seat but when you pick it out get one that does not sage too much and looks way comfy and not too many things around it. if there is alot of stuff then make sure you can remove it. stoller and car seat. you can get those real cheap in a used store. I know of a GREAT used kids store on Sahara and Durango. It's called Kid To Kid and you can't miss it. it's on the right if you are going west on Sahara, just before durango in the plaza. they are the BEST in town. I love that store and they always have the biggest used selection with cheap stuff but good quality. i used to work there but the owner sold the place to another lady and this lady is so smart when it comes to this stuff. she always has a full store of things and you always want to check it out. they get new stuff every day. I really suggest you go there before you make your list.
now as for the things you'll never use. Highchair! I used the bouncer seat to feed until they were too big then when about 8 months used a high chair so wait on that. a changing table and crib. I only used by table a few times. the couch was eaisier. as for baby's crib. you can request a play pen and use that as a bassanett and a crib for later. Never used my crib at all. It ws a waste of $150 to me. And a mobile. if you get a crib then thats fine but my kids hated them.
never gonna use the wipe warmer. unless the baby has really sensative skin but you can buy that used somewhere later if that happens and real cheap too. no diaper pals just save your grocery bags and tye them up after the diaper is inside. your gonna need a bumper pad if you do dicede to get a crib but I think it's a waste of money. babies only sleep in it for a year and then they are in a toddler bed so i'd just ask for a play pen with the bassanet and use that.

Don't spend a lot of money on clothes. Trust me, they don't even get to wear them all! Don't even put clothes on the registry other than onesies and socks-people will get cute clothes for her to wear outside anyway.
If you get a swing I'd suggest getting a portable one that you can take from room to room (my son liked to fall asleep in his while I took a shower).
If you breastfeed you don't need a boppy-just use a pillow. If you are not sure don't go buy a bunch of bottles. Maybe have one or two until you decide what bottle to use.
You really don't need activity type gyms or many toys until they are older.
Most stores have a suggested registry list. Good luck to you in this exciting yet scary time.
Do, Get ONE Baby Einsten DVD!
I agree Diaper Genie type things are a waste of money plus you have to buy special bags when you run out. Just take the trash out more often.

You can go to Target to register, they have a baby registry and their prices aren't to bad either. Another thing you can try is seeing if any of your family or friends who have children have any things that they have left from when their babies were little. The things that I would ask for are diapers, blankets, and onsies are a must juring the summer. My kids lived in them.

My sister had a baby girl last August and now our youngest sister is pregnant with a girl and since my one sister got so many clothes and other little items that her baby never used she is sending them to my other sister

I see there are a TON of responses on what you should/should not get, so I will respond about your budget:

There is a group on Yahoo called Freecycle where you can request (and recycle) needed, used items. I always see baby items offered on there that people want to go to a good home. It's worth checking out!

Congratulations first off. Thing I used, hmmm Burpe cloths, a car seat, diapers and cloths. Aside from that you will need a crib, sheets, water proof matress pad, a stroller and probably a boucy seat. Other then that you can really improvise the rest. I have two kids and I didn't have a swing, an exersaucer,a changing table, or even a dresser the cloths went into the closet.
If you can nurse that keeps things really cheap. But other wise you could even ask family for gift cards to baby places that sell diapers and formula, I bought my diapers at costo and they were pretty cheap.
Just remember kids need "you" not alot of other stuff to play with and when they are first born, they really don't need anything but clean pants, food and love.

Oh and a couple of nice snugglie blankets are always a plus!!!!

Hope this helps,
H.

Hi! K.:
Congratulations! I am pregnant with my second child! Since you have gotten so many responses I will try to keep my short!!
The best items we got our the changing table(easy on the back and if it has shelves you can get baskets and use it also as a dresser), Dr. Brown's bottles(the best ever), cloth diapers as burp cloths(their thicker and bigger), onesies(especially since your baby will be born in the summer) and soft, soft blankets(don't register for a bunch of receiving blankets as their too thin and work better as a burp cloth).
Register for everything you can think of because you never know what people will get you! It amazed my husband and I that we got all the BIG stuff we registered for! I don't know where you live but I highly recommend registering at Babies R Us because they have absolutely everything you will ever need and their prices are good. The registry staff is really helpful.
Best of luck to you!!