[CAToso]

So my sister talked me into creating a full scale baby registry even though we are not even finished with our home study yet. (I admit it didn't take a lot of convincing!)

However, I'm in such a decluttering mode the last couple of years (after moving 3 times in a little over 12 months!) that I'm finding it hard to justify adding much to a baby registry beyond the big-ticket items like crib, stroller, high chair, etc.

What items, gear, toys, etc., do you find are your must-have items or items you always gift at a baby shower because you loved them so much yourself?

~Courtney

[Stormster]

DS is two and STILL loves his fisher price Aquarium (latches onto crib). I would invest in a waterproof, unisex diaper bag that has an insulated compartment....Toys R Us has a great one we still use. I would't do the hamper again, I'd just do one of those squishable baskets and carry to laundry....
wouldn't do the expensive organic wash clothes .
Would use the cloth diapers for burp clothes.
Wouldn't waste money on fancy swaddle blankets.

I'd save about a zillion dollars if i could do it again.

OH the big must for me? A really good mobile. With lots of shapes, color and classical music! Oh and we couldn't have done without our Bjorn bouncer (has three heights so a real life saver in case of reflux!)

So i'd save maybe a little less than a zillion!

[yehudit]

We still use our Boppy -- it's meant for breastfeeding, but is great to rest your elbow when bottle feeding too. Also offers great lumbar support.

Changing table organizer or small bins you can use to stack diapers, onsies, etc.

Baby carrier or sling. I have a baby Bjorn and it's good, but I hear Ergo is the best. My baby did not like the Bjorn when she was a newborn as she was smaller than 8 lbs for a while. I also use a Moby wrap and I like it but it can get complicated.

Don't bother registering for clothes as youwill get tons of those anyway and no one will care what you picked out (or is that just in my family?)


Good luck with everything!

[Fran27]

Good swaddle blankets
Like Storm said, crib aquarium/jungle thing by fisher price (we still use it also!)
Good mobile
Swing
Bouncer (some kids only like one of them but both were useful at one point or another in my house)
Breathable bumpers
Plain sheets (didn't see the use of spending a ton on fancy bedding)
Sleep sacks (just not the newborn ones as swaddles work great until 4-6 months)
Waterproof pads to change the baby everywhere
Activity gym

What I should not have wasted money on

Changing table (we used our bed or the floor)
Exersaucer/Jumperoo (barely used them as it's not recommended to use them much anyway)
Those tiny 30x30 receiving blankets
Boppy
Bumbo


All I can think of right now!

[arkansas parent]

Baby A loves the Fisher Price ocean wonders aquarium (I think it is the same one Stormster recomended). I loved our co-sleeper (the kind that goes in your bed). Baby A loved his bouncey. We also had a all in one bassinet/changing table/playpen. It is great if you dont' have much space.
I wish I hadn't wasted money on a bumbo. He never really liked it.

[momraine]

I would suggest putting some lower dollar stuff on there. I remember looking up a friends registry when she was getting married once and all the stuff on there was hundreds of dollars. I was not able to spend that at the time and felt bad that I could not get her something she wanted. So add some little things, maybe socks, hooded towels, burp clothes (cloth diapers are the best!). You might find other fun things, like crib sheets, picture frames or onsies.

[CAToso]

Thanks for the feedback so far! I agree about putting lower priced things on there, but I also totally agree with Yehudit that for clothes, my family will probably go hog wild crazy, and they won't particularly care what I've picked - they'll just get what they like. LOL

I added a Moby sling and a couple of SwaddleMe blankets. Also put a gDiaper starter kit and several packages of cloth diapers on there. This baby registry thing is kind of addictively fun, but it's taking my mind off the impending home study visit on Sunday afternoon, so that's good!

[mumofone]

With our first, we bought extras we definitely didn't need.

We had a diaper genie...really not a necessity.

We borrowed a swing for our first....didn't use it long because of the weight restriction.

I've never wanted a change table. A bed or the floor do the exact same thing.

I used the little flannel receiving blankets for burp cloths.

Lots of music is a necessity. lol All of our children loved their mobiles, and the aquarium Stormster mentioned is beautiful.

They don't recommend exersaucers/jumpers etc. until the child can physically sit up on his own, so I wouldn't worry about it. And, once they start to walk, you can't use them anyway.

I loved having a bassinet. It was so convenient for naps. We also thought our playpen was invaluable, especially for travel, etc.

Activity blankets are great for tummy time.

[Saya]

A good diaper bag was for me a must-have, and can be a nice mid-range thing on your registry.

One big ticket item that we loved/still love and wouldn't want to do without is a slider chair or a rocking chair. We used it for feeding for ages, and now we still use it for stories at bedtime.

Crib sheets - and unless you really want a matching ruffle and window dressings, there's really no need to get one of those expensive crib sets. They are really the most ridiculous money-grabbing scheme.

[Bnoll]

Hi Cat!

You've gotten some really awesome suggestions! I would also add a bottle sanitizer to my list. We found it invaluable when we were stuck in a hotel for 2 weeks waiting for ICPC. It was awesome - simply stick in a microwave and magically you have sanitized bottles!

I also found myself hurridly running to Target almost daily picking up small items that I overlooked. Nail clippers, thermometer, and aspirater were all very important during the first couple of weeks. I remember taking my poor DD's temp every couple of hours the first week because she wouldn't stop crying at night. Yay for colic!

Good luck with your home visit. Don't sweat it - it's really nothing. I freaked out for ours. Professionally had the carpets cleaned, both cars detailed, even completely set up the nursery. She barely glanced in each room.

[robandjulie]

Rather than a changing table we've always used/found a nice dresser that puts them at the right height for easy changing. Generally they're 6-drawers side-by-side in 3's so top left drawer is PJs, top right is socks/onesies, lower 4 are outfits that fit, outfits that should fit soon, a drawer for stuff that's just recently outgrown to be sorted and stored away later, etc. On top you can put one of those curved diaper changing pads or--since we're cheap--I just buy a small rubber-backed soft kitchen throw rug thing and put that down, cover it with a waterproof pad and put one of those tiny receiving blankets over it. SUPER easy to change out when there's a mess. Once the kids are potty trained it's a big deal to them to get to put the rug next to their bed where they climb out and put some pic frames and such on the top of the dresser. I have tower of clear plastic drawers next to the dresser with a basket on top and on the floor and that holds everything we need for the diapering age and once they're potty trained it literally just lifts up and moves out of the room. If you don't already have a dresser, there are some nice ones that are sold at baby stores that can be used as changing tables, but really any low-top dresser that feels like the right height is fine.

We loved the diaper champ: lets you use regular kitchen trash bags or if you're doing cloth diapers you can put in a vinyl laundry bag.

No fancy hampers for us. Each kid has an open nice looking laundry basket next to the dresser and stuff just gets tossed in there.

We had the wipes warmer for DD and didn't use it much. DS we did cloth diapers and wipes so we didn't use it.

Boppies still get used a lot around our house. At 4 & 2 they use them as pillows when laying on the floor looking at books.

So much of the gear will depend on what you and your child end up preferring and it's hard to say what you'll like or not until you have a baby there. For example, some families swear by the big sink-sitting bath tubs. Some prefer to co-bathe or co-shower. We used just a little pop-up seat that sat IN our large kitchen sink and folded very small/flat to store under the sink and basically rinsed DD off with the sprayer and cups of water. Same with use of pack-and-plays vs. gating off a room vs. kids that are happy to hang out in a swing/bouncer/exersaucer. We bought a ton of Baby Einstein DVDs but then decided we didn't like having our kids watch any TV and dont' turn it on so they don't get used.

Generally good purchases:
Bibs - drooly ones for constant use if the kid is a drooler (some aren't so get a few but don't go overboard) and a few feeding type ones that are easy to wipe clean.

A crib toy or two: kicking piano, a nice mobile, and the fisher price aquarium were good for ours.

Bedding is necessary, fancy bedding is not. Pick your level of crazy there. We just did plain yellow sheets and a dust ruffle and then did the curtain in a theme we liked. The comforter isn't really useful (no soft bedding in the crib; too $$ and cute to feel right tossing it on the floor so it often becomes a wall hanging in nurseries)...I'd recommend not getting the super $$ packaged sets.

The little blankets are pretty useless unless you want to use them as changing pads and big burp cloths. They're also ok as lightweight covers over the car seat. As baby gifts I always buy a bunch of baby flannel at the craft store which comes 45"-60" wide and I buy it in 45"-60" units and make huge squares. Much better for swaddling, covering a sleeping toddler, tossing on the floor for a good-sized play space, etc.

[mommytoEli]

PACK AND PLAY!

good portable bed, great for travelling, great when you need to shower but keep them nearby. when they are older(toddler), it is a great SAFE place for a short time out or break.

[Whirled_Peas]

The book "The Baby Book" by Sears. It answers EVERY question that you might have during the first couple years.

A baby sling is essential. Your baby wants nothing more than to be carried and this is a safe, easy way to do it.

An ergo or other soft structured carrier for when the baby is older.

You can find sling and ergo advice at thebabywearer.com.

Cups with straws are better than sippies as sippy cups promote an immature suck.

Stay away from swings. playyards and other devices that keep you from holding your baby. A baby that is held more is happier and has less chance of developing colic. Baby brains develop when they are touched, so you're doing your baby's IQ benefit when you touch them.

A bouncey chair is nice for when you have to go to the bathroom.

[4everwaiting]

Our must haves were...

The aquarium thing storm talked about.

A swing (the kind they can sit up in) the lay down type worked great for about three months, then she only wanted to sit up.

Cloth diapers for burp clothes

Large receiving blanket, the others are just too small

My family brought TONS of clothes (mostly newborn or 0-3 months) if you do have clothes on the registry opt for larger ones such as 6-9 months or bigger. We have two closets and a dresser filled with newborn 0-3 month size, so many she never wore the same suit twice and many still were not worn, before she grew out of them.

a good carseat with handle for carrying them shopping, restaurants etc...

backpack diaperbag to keep your hands free for carrying other things.

mei tie or bjorn type baby carrier, the wraps are nice once you get them in, but it can get to be too much taking them in and out to feed, diaper etc.

playpen with changing table attachment

at 4 months her baby einstein activity center

attachment toys for carseat that strecthes acrossed the handle.

ok, this is all i can think of for right now

hope this helps!

Edited to add she hates her Bumbo! Loves her Boppy!

[tweetybirdus]

I second the boppy. My almost 2 year old still uses it as a pillow on the floor to watch tv (no flames please) or rest with her Tigger and Banka (blanket).

I also absolutely love my Fisher Price Booster Seat.