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Help! I need to register and am clueless
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Anonymous
| I am having a small, last-minute shower and I need to set-up a registry. This is my first child and I have no idea what I really need. The online registries are overwhelming with a hundred items that I'm sure I do not need. I'm hoping to breastfeed and possibly use cloth diapers so that rules out a lot of feeding/diaper items. My husband and I plan to purchase or have already purchased all of the large ticket items, including all of our bedding. Anyone have ideas on what smaller items, besides clothing, would be appropriate? Thanks so much! |
Anonymous
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We were in a similar situation (i.e. not knowing what to register for with your first). My sister-in-law came with us which was helpful. We haven't bought a thing (due in late June) and did put on bedding and big ticket items (car seat, stroller...). So for smaller ticket items we put on items such as an infant bathtub and a few bath toys, bibs, swaddling blankets, sleep sacs, bottles, newborn pacifiers, breast pump, breast feeding pillow, baby Bjorn, toys and books for young babies, mobile, bouncy seat, swing.... hopefully this was helpful. Good luck. We found Buy Buy Baby to be a bit less overwhelming compared Babies R Us, and the staff more knowledgeable. |
Anonymous
| Check our rookiemoms.com--they have a smallish list of "essentials" that seems to be really well thought out. Too bad I didn't see it before I registered and had my baby shower last year! |
Anonymous
| If you have time, the book Baby Bargains is incredibly helpful in providing advice on what to register for. |
Anonymous
ABSOLUTELY! Get this before you buy/register for another thing. They should hand this book out in OB offices. It's not just "bargain" items - it helps you make decisions based on your lifestyle, budget, preferences etc. As an alternative to registries, I highly recommend a book and music theme. Ask people to bring their favorite books and/or music from childhood. Sure, you'll end up with 12 copies of Very Hungry Caterpillar and Goodnight Moon, but you can always donate extras to a charity or other expecting parents. It's kind of nice to see what people will bring when they're given more latitude than "pack n play gingham sheets". Congratulations! |
kshorelevin
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Member Offline
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Hi there! First off, congratulations on your pregnancy! I just wanted to let you know that I have recently started a baby consulting/concierge service called Nursery Know-It-All that caters to the needs of expecting parents. I am a mom of three under the age of 4 and I know how overwhelming it can be with all of the baby supplies and gear out there. My goal is to provide personalized service to help expecting parents select the items that they really need and not waste time and money on things that they don't. Please take a look at my website at www.nurseryknowitall.com if you would like.
Good luck, Kim P.S. I got approval from Jeff Steele to post this message about my business. |
Anonymous
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I am still working on my own registry. Like you, my husband and I have bought all the big ticket items ourselves and we really don't want too much stuff.
I looked up "minimalist layette" and found this link http://www.peapods.com/graphics/may03newsletter.pdf It looked like it might be useful for someone like you and me who hopes to breastfeed and use cloth diapers. I've created my registry at http://thethingsiwant.com/ since they allow you to add items from any website. The only down side would be if you have people who don't use computers like some older relatives and need for them to be able to access a list at a bricks and mortar store. But if everyone is online, I think it's a very easy way to go. Plus there is room for comments. I wrote in the comments box for the onesies on my registry that I don't really care which brands or colors I get. I just want about 7 in each size. You could cruise other people's registries and see what they're adding to their lists. With this registry you could add one of those diaper sampler packs from Nikki's Diapers or Cotton Babies or Jillian's Drawers. I saw which particular diapers were popular by checking out other public registries. And I had to add the following to this thread since someone had recommended this site as a resource for new moms... http://www.rookiemoms.com/peruse-porn-for-new-moms/#respond |
Anonymous
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Showers are fun. Don't let the stress of registering diminish that. And this is just my opinion, but the personal shopper/concierge service is a complete waste of time and money. Kim charges 100.00 an hour to tell you what to buy and where to buy it. Get the Baby Bargains book, and have some fun with your husband.
You can get completely swept up with the consumerism that is part of the baby industry. You will be okay with a few essentials, and can work on the rest when you need it. |
Anonymous
| I'm the original OP. Thanks to all for your great suggestions! We have a small house and I'm trying to focus on essentials but it's hard to sort out what is really important from the fluff. Really, I don't care about the gifts at all -- I'm just looking forward to catching up with close friends and family before the baby comes -- but I know that people will ask where I'm registered. |
Anonymous
Great approach OP. As you say, think about spending time with your friends, sharing stories, etc. Advice and good times will probably help you out as much as the gear. 
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Anonymous
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Wow, this is Kim. That was rude. I offer a service, just like a cleaning service, wedding planner, lawn care service, psychologist, etc. It's not for everyone. Do you begrudge anyone that uses a wedding planner? Some people find the process overwhelming. I am simply trying to help people focus on what they really need in a timely, effective manner. I remember when I had my first, I spent hours and hours researching online, with Baby Bargains, at the stores, etc. You know what, I ended up with a lot of crap that I didn't really need and spent too much money on things that I shouldn't have. For busy people, it can be a helpful hour or two to get information. This is not the only thing that I help with, it is only one element.
To the OP, good luck and enjoy your shower! Kim |
Anonymous
| To Kim- The PP simply stated that in HER opinion, using your service was a waste of time for this woman. She has already purchased her large ticket items, including her bedding. How is it rude to state an opinion based on the facts given by the OP? |
Anonymous
| there isn't supposed to be solicitations on here anyway.... |
Anonymous
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Hi OP,
If you have a lot of time (maybe print it off for metro reading or check out one night when heartburn keeps you awake ) check out my post from a few months back called things to have on hand when bringing baby home (or something like that). I received pages and pages of really helpful replies and every single one was helpful. Caveat: some people swore by certain things (baby wipes warmers, for instance) that other people said were a patented waste of time. But for the most part, the posters said why they thought things were / were not helpful. I still haven't had my kiddo yet, so I can't weigh in, but it was a great start for me. Happy shopping!
Faye |
Anonymous
| I loved Baby Bargains... great resource. I poured over that book! I'd recommend a car seat, bouncy seat (and/or swing -we got the portable boppy swing bc it takes up less room) - great to hold the baby when you want to take a shower, pack and play, snap and go (If you get an infant carrier), high chair (they have the ones you can just connect to a seat). For the bath, someone gave me this great stand thing the baby lays on in the tub - it's basically a frame with cloth on it. Love it. I just looked it up and it's called a bath sling. I'd recommend the Bundle Me too, but that's mostly for winter. |