Registering for Dummies

Kelly,
Trixie says “you don’t really need most of that shit.”
Her advice: Something for the crib that makes you happy because the baby doesn’t care.
Extra sheets and waterproof cover. Don’t buy clothes in sizes 0-6 because you will receive more than you need and baby will grow out of them more than it will wear them. Actually I thought receiving clothes that were 9-18 months was nice because they actually got more use.
THe Avent bottles she liked fine and a good microwave sterilizer is great.
My input: Perrin enjoyed and used the fisher price crib aquarium toy forever and it helped her go to sleep well. Get a sturdy compact stroller and quit using it as soon and as much as possible – kids can learn to walk and when trained to are quite good at it. For toys, save your money and space – keep it simple and quiet! Despite fancy toys we had , the clothes hamper, laundry basket, tupperware and pots and pans were most played with. Save batteries – let the child create sound effects; they’re good at that too.
Spend your money (or ask for is better) on a very good, highly safety-rated car seat with mutiple bases so you can switch cars in a literal snap and on quality room furniture. We never had a changing table and never missed it.
So there I posted on your blog – let hell commence freezing.

Here’s one way you could start your list. Make a spreadsheet with columns for activity, basics/clothing, basics/other, quantity, style/brand/store, own purchase, shower/gift, and then extra/wish list (or some such). Consider and write down each activity the baby will be involved in, daily-weekly-monthly-infrequently. You might want a Mom column, too, for anything you might need for that activity. Now think of what would be necessary to have for each activity. For example, a bath would need (one line each item), wash cloths, towels, soap, baby shampoo, q-tips? clothing needs for after bath…these would go under the basics columns. I would suggest going through as many activities you can think of FIRST with basics (feeding, naps, staying-in/clothes, going-out/clothes, etc). Just brainstorm and write down whatever you think of, you can always edit. You’ll find in some cases, the same items are used, mark them as such somehow. THEN go back and write down (or jot down as they come to mind) extras you think of, things that might be fun but not really necessary and such. NOW go back and write down specific brands/styles/colors of what you like next to the basics as well as the extras. For quantities, just figure say how many times a week each activity will take place, how often you want to do wash, are the items needed reusable or perishable goods. For example, you may give the baby a short bath each day, using a clean wash cloth and small baby towel each time. So try to start off with 7-10 of each. These items are not that expensive so go for it. However, the shampoo and soap should last you a month probably, so figure accordingly. Many items on your list can have several uses. Those wash cloths can be used during the day to clean up the baby’s face and hands after feeding, and you’ll want at least one with you in your diaper bag when you go out. “Diaper bag” should be an activity, simply go through what you’ll be doing with the baby, you won’t need the kitchen sink! It would be a good idea to stock the bag and keep it stocked, no loading and unloading everything everytime you go out, with staples of course.

I know I wrote a short book here, lol! Things kept coming to mind as I wrote :) and I’ve probably left some things out. Well, try it or not, maybe it will help you! You are so organized anyway, I know you’ll get everything figured out! If I can help you, let me know :)
Love you much, Mom

P.S. I love all things Britax. Because when we had an accident(Look under December 2007 on my blog for THAT little gem), my daughter was in one and walked away with nary a bruise.
And I have to second the sleep sack–SWEAR BY THEM.

i also agree about the sleepsack and the miracle blanket is a godsend (2 given to me by my bro) – leo is sleeping through the night now because of this blanket! and the waterproof pads are nice too! and i do like the gerber organic cotton burp cloths and baby washcloths. and a baby swing – leo likes switching btwn the bouncy and swing – and a playmat.

Some things that we couldn’t live without = newborn sleep sacks (not having to deal with zippers or snaps in the middle of the night was priceless), several waterproof pads (good for the crib, changing table, can also keep one in the diaper bag), extra crib sheets, bundle me for the car seat, a baby carrier (I had a baby bjorn that I liked – it did hurt my back if I used it for longer periods of time, but I think every carrier will do that after a while), Dr. Brown’s BPA free bottles (just go ahead and get the 8oz ones and skip the 4oz ones), good absorbent burp cloths (skip the fancy ones and get soft ones that are absorbent – we had some plain gerber ones that I liked), digital baby monitor (digital so neighbors with cordless phones can’t hear you, we have the graco one), a sleep positioner (we used this in the bassinet, I think it made Harper feel more secure and it reassured me that she would sleep on her back), if you are going to breast feed – get a good pump and some lansinoh cream (trust me on that one), ask people to buy you sleepers/onsies for sizes other than newborn (babies grow so fast that you want to have larger sizes on hand), get your diapers and wipes at sam’s club (we get Huggies and they work great and are less expensive).

Some things that I wouldn’t recommend = you don’t need a million baby blankets (5 is probably enough, but everyone loves to give you blankets so don’t buy any until you see how many you get), some babies don’t like swings/bouncy chairs – I would try out a friend’s before you buy one.

Ok, I may think of some other things later. I’ll let you know if I do. I LOVE talking about baby stuff if you couldn’t already tell:)

I feel your pain! I remember how stressed I was when I registered for our daughter.
I found consumerreports.org to be the most useful reference for what products are good. They rate the safety of everything, and often the cheaper things are better. They also have a really great list of what you’ll need for a new baby and that’s what I based my registry on.
Plus their guide on buying for baby.
These are the things I think are worth spending more on:
Clothing wise – since this is your first child I probably wouldn’t register for any since you’ll probably get them as gifts. But if you have to register or buy some go for Carters and nothing else. It’s more expensive than gerber and circo, but honestly the best brand, they are truest to size and don’t shrink.
Diaper Genie – is pretty useful but some people (aka my husband!) find it really hard to use. You could probably skip it.
Baby swing – I found this super helpful as it’s a place baby can hang out safely and if they have trouble sleeping can aid them to sleep a bit, mine is a fisher price.
Bouncer seat – total necessity in my opinion. Baby can nap there and sit strapped in while you eat or shower or whatever, if you get a nice one (I got the Boppy Cradle in Comfort) then it will last ages, my daughter is 18mths old and uses hers as a toddler seat for watching tv
Pack & Play – totally necessary, get a really good one as it’s a safety issue. The ones that have an attachment at the top for baby to sleep higher up when they’re little is super useful. Our daughter slept in it a lot when she was newborn, and now that i’m pregnant again I use it as a portable change table downstairs.
Baby sling/carrier – also super necessary. Most people go for the baby bjorn, but we got a Jeep brand and it’s been really great I have to admit.
I think I ended up writing way may than I intended…OOPS! but if I was you I’d use consumer reports, it’s an amazing resource!