Stuff for baby (FTM)

[catepelose]

Okay, I'll preface this by saying I'm crazy and have read a million lists of what you do/don't need for a baby however I still have some questions. I'll also say that we live in a small apartment and move frequently and like to take the minimalist approach to stuff in general. So here are my questions and thanks in advance!

Swaddle Designs Ultimate Receiving Blanket (flannel) or Aden + Anais Swaddle Wraps (muslin)? Or both? Our baby will be born at the end of February so it'll still be very cold.

Onesies? We will be cloth diapering with prefolds & covers. Would kimono snap t's, infant gowns, and sleepers be more practical? I had read something about onsies putting pressure on the diaper area and causing wicking but I could always make some fleece liners to prevent the moisture from being directly against the babies skin... Also I've read that onesies and cloth diapers don't make the best of friends because of the bulk of cloth diapers but does it make a difference if we're using sized pre-folds (green mtn) and sized covers with Carter's onesies (apparently more stretchy than other brands)?

1 or 2 wet bags for when out & about? I only registered for 1 and we don't really go out too often (we're big homebodies) so i was thinking that it's probably not necessary but don't want to be without if it is.

1 Hooded towel? Is this sufficient? My SO and I only have a towel each (actually I have a terry robe and a towel since I have longish hair). I would assume a baby wouldn't need more than 1 especially since they bathe much less often but my mom seems to think I'm crazy for only registering for one.

Nasal Aspirator: Should I have 2 in case I can't find one when I need it? I was going to go with the nose-frida style. I'm not sure how often I really need it or even if I'd lose it (our apt is pretty clean most of the time since we don't have a lot of stuff).

4-pack waterproof pads: We're not getting a changing table/or mat, I was thinking I could use these for that. I've also read that they're great for putting under you in bed in case of breast milk leaks and I could throw one on the floor for naked butt time as well. Should I go for 2 4-packs or should the one 4-pack be sufficient?

Baby Brush & Comb Set: Is this really necessary or just a little used luxury? I have thin straight hair but my SO has thick curly hair so presumably our babe will have wavy to curly hair if that makes any difference.

8 Pack Washcloths? Seems like overkill already but maybe I'll need more than that... I just don't know!

Diaper covers (I might need to ask this on the cloth diaper board but in case you can help...): I was thinking of going with 6 newborn sized covers (they have an umbilical scoop), and 4 one-sized covers for when the baby gets past the newborn stage. Both of these covers are able to be wiped out between uses so they'll only need to be washed when they get poo on them. Would you say that's about the right amount?

Sorry, I know it might seem like I'm over thinking all of this but I want to both be prepared but not over-prepared and I might have too much time on my hands...

[Knitting Mama]

1. We love SwaddleMe swaddlers over here. It's so much easier to swaddle a baby when there's Velcro!

2. We did prefolds and covers for the first few months, and had no problem with onesies. Children's Place are our favorite. That said, I think sleepers are the way to go in the winter. Again, TCP's rock.

3. I like having two wetbags so I can throw one in the wash and still have one. You never know what's going to happen when the baby comes-- my daughter absolutely hates being inside for too long. I, too, am a homebody but I find that our days are SO much smoother when we go somewhere at least once a day.

4. I hardly use towels for Cecilia. I use a very, very soft bamboo velour blanket instead. She loves it!

5. One Nosefrida should be fine.

6. I would die without my changing table. It's SO convenient for us. Ours is an attachment on a dresser; that may be a solution for you since you have limited space.

7. Cecilia has enough hair to use a brush sometimes. I don't think it's 100% necessary though.

8. We use washcloths as cloth wipes here, so we have a million and ten.

9. That sounds like plenty of covers to me. I'd go with 2-3 dozen prefolds too, at least one orange edge and one of the next size up. Be sure you either boil them and then wash and dry them or wash and dry them several times before usage. I boiled mine and washed and dried them 3 or 4 times. The drying step is important; that's what helps to get them more fluffy and absorbent.

[wishin'&hopin']

With the covers...it depends on how often your baby poops!  We go through 3 or 4 covers a day b/c they get too damp or get poo on them LOL! 8 seems to be our comfortable number if we do the wash every other day.

we couldn't stand the aden and anais swaddles--WAY too big for our newborn and seemed to get "ropey" too easily which didn't seem safe--we liked the velcro ones and had 2 in each size b/c sometimes pee happens.  

Our little guy doesn't have much hair...but the soft baby hairbrush has been nice to use for his little bit of cradle cap and he really likes how it feels on his noggin :)

2 wetbags...for the wash rotation.

We have a giant baby and cloth diaper...onesies have been fine!  We've only had onesie wicking once, ever (he's 8 months).

1 towel is probably fine!

I like to remind people that stores and the internet will still exist after the baby is born...if you need something someone can deliver it to your house the next day if you need them to!

[Knitting Mama]

I have had good success with rinsing a cover out and letting it air dry if I am nearing the end of my stash.

[northerngirl]

• We used the Miracle blanket for DD2, I loved it, and she slept very well in it. I did buy 2 flannel swaddler blankets on etsy, but never used them as such. I did not care for the swaddlers with velcro, they do not wrap very tight, and in the middle of the night the velcro can be loud.
• Onesies and prefolds works for us. We just use the target carters brand. Maybe one size up.
• You could get away with 1 wetbag...you could always just use a plastic shopping bag in a pinch.
• We do use hooded towels, 1 would be sufficient, ours is pretty big and will be used for a great while, bought them at the thrift store in good condition.
• I would spring for the nose frida, that thing is friggin awesome. Works WAY better than any bulb thing.
• One 4 pack wp pads should be enough. If you find you need more than that, get some more, or a towel or 2.
• If you have your baby in the hospital, they'll possibly give you a brush, as they did with DD1. Or you could get a nice wooden one with soft bristles for about $10. Not sure what a comb would be for with a baby.
• We use a lot of wash clothes around here. As wipes, for bath, for faces/noses, spit up when dd was younger. I bought a 10 pack of nice thick ones from TJ MAX discount store, we use them all the time. Are you using cloth wipes?
• We had 4 newborn covers. We used Motherease at that time. It was sufficient. We only wash if poop gets on it or if it just smells after a period of time. We're using bummis super bright and thirsties right now. We have a total of 4 covers now and it works for us.
• Also, we got a wipes warmer this time, and I'm so glad we did bc it's nice to just get a warm wipe and not have to run the wipe under the faucet, and the baby definitely appreciates the warm wipe.

[Courtney-Ostaff]

• Flannel! Winter = cold, Flannel = warm & soft
• infant gowns, and sleepers -- I didn't cloth diaper, but she lived in these for the first few months anyway. So easy!  Plus, don't worry -- your baby will have accidents, including shooting poo up out of the back of the diaper, no matter what you use! ;)
• 1.  If you're worried, get some ziplock bags.
• Towels are handy for all sorts of craziness.  I use them to mop up gunk, clean the floor, etc.   If you're not a big towel user, just one nice, soft one.
• Nasal Aspirator - 1. Rarely used, but when you do use it, you'll use it frequently and not lose it.
• 2, 4 packs.  They're great for changing (tho I usually just used towels, and then the pad underneath), but also when you want to let them roll about naked (best for diaper rash prevention), they'll stop that inevitable pee/poo soaking into the surface of whatever they're rolling around on.
• Baby Brush & Comb Set: never, ever used it, and my daughter came with LOTS of hair. I have thin straight, husband has thick curly, daughter has thin straight. ;)
• 8 Pack Washcloths? Never used our 4-pack because we used tons of wipes. Tons. 
• Diaper covers -- no clue, used disposables.

I'm with you on preparation! But, like anything, it's all up to how you'll use it.  I tell you what we did eventually break down and buy was a wipe-warmer.  It made all the difference in the world!! That and the diaper genie were our must-haves!

[no5no5]

1.  We didn't swaddle (DD hated it).  But we had about a dozen cheap blankets (mostly gifts) and we went through them.  DD was a puker, though. 

2.  We didn't like onesies, and they did wick like crazy.  But we didn't have the most leak-proof diapering system in the world (by choice).  Honestly, I pretty much just hated them anyway.  When DD did wear them, I never snapped them.  Plus, with a newborn you have bellybutton issues, etc. 

3.  One wetbag was plenty for us, but we did have to use a plastic grocery bag as a backup once or twice.  Personally, I don't think that justifies buying another one, but to each her own. 

4.  We never used hooded towels at all; we just used regular towels (but we had a bunch).  We washed towels with diapers, daily, but I'll admit that there were times when she did need more than one bath a day (accidents happen, yk?). 

5.  We thought the nasal aspirator we had (the bulb kind) was useless.  Perhaps the nose frida is better, but I'm personally not convinced.

6.  I can't imagine why you'd need more than 4 waterproof pads.  I also sort of can't imagine wanting to sleep on something like that.  Perhaps a towel might work better?  That's what I used, and I had serious overproduction.  Likewise on the naked baby time; a towel might be better as it would be more absorbent? 

7.  If you have a brush, I think you can handle it.  But my babe was mostly bald. 

8.  Are these going to be used for wipes?  Because, yeah, you need waaay more than that if they are.  If not, what will you use them for?

9.  The number of covers sounds good.  Though personally I'd recommend trying a few different kinds rather than doing all one.  I found that I hated some of the covers I thought I'd love and I ended up loving some of the covers I wasn't so keen on at first. 

HTH. 

[SeattleRain]

1. I have both A+A's and large flannel recieving blankets. I had a summer baby so the A+A's were fantastic, but if I had a winter baby I bet I'd probably use the flannels. I would get one of each, personally. In the beginning, Daniel spent a lot of his day swaddled, including meals, and he frequently ended up with milk all over it or pee on it so we washed them alot. It's nice to have a back up or two just in case. Besides, you sort of need a lot of blankets as the days go on. You'll use them on the floor to put baby down, wiping up faces, nursing under in crowded places where baby is too distracted to eat, and covering the carseat. You should have between 2-4 blankets.

1.5. We have used pretty much every swaddling device imaginable. We used the miracle blanket (great, but spendy and runs short so it can only be used if you have a teeny baby), SwaddleMe (has been great, we've been using it the longest and the fleece is really nice and warm) and we're now using the Woombie (just got it today so I'll tell you how it goes!). I'd get a SwaddleMe, but I'd see how your baby does with the blanket swaddle and then see if you want a "swaddler."

2. We like Carters onsies. They're cheap and you don't feel bad if a poo-tastrophe causes you to need to throw one away. Gerber ones suck. If you're looking for long sleeve baby t's, I'd look at american Apparel. We like their shirts.

3. One towel is for sure enough, but you don't even need a baby towel. Just use a regular towel. Same with baby washcloths. We don't use baby washcloths, we just went to Costco and bought a big pack of washcloths. You need a nice amount of washcloths later on. I use them to wipe down Daniel after he eats so they get very dirty.

4. Skip the nosefrieda, or the comb and buy yourself one of these. I got one and it's great. You've got a comb, brush, thermometer, some of those baby mittens that some people like, nail clippers, medicine dispenser, and a nose aspirator. I can't tell you how many of those things I've needed RIGHT NOW and I've been able to dig around and get it. Use the nose aspirator and see how it goes, if you feel like its not doing enough, get the nosefrieda.

5. We also love the Children's Place! Their sleepers are so nice and snug! Winter babies definitely wear a lot of nice fleecy sleepers. Carters makes nice fleece sleepers, with snaps which are easy to change while keeping baby warm.

My "must have" for new moms is the book Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Karp. It's great for learning good baby-soothing techniques. Better to get it now than later is what I've heard from all my firends. We were so happy we knew that stuff right off the bat and felt confident when we brought our baby home. Everyone says that our baby is a mutant who never cries, so I feel like I've done something right.

[Asiago]

Less is more and truly you will find that you won't need that much when it comes down to it (save receipts for returns).

I could have saved so much money had I known I would primarily need just breasts and a baby carrier or sling. I would highly reccomend you add one of those to your list actually and view the videos online so that you are famililar before baby comes. Oh and the baby gowns were great (on your list already). They make changing diapers easier in the middle of the night! I could have done without the hooded towels, and we never did need the nasal aspirator. Regarding prefolds I made the mistake of ordering newborn (which fit for about a week!). The covers were adjustable though. I now realize that I am much more an all-in-one person though, perhaps order one or two- just to see if you like them. Whereas I didn't discover them until my son was a year but by then I'd invested a bit in prefolds and covers.

The water proof bed pads were helpful for leaking breasts and baby diapers http://tinyurl.com/33yvl9n

[Knitting Mama]

Yes, I highly suggest you get a wrap. Wraps are wonderful for newborns! I used a Wombfruit gauze wrap, and love it to pieces. She also has great demo videos on her site, so I learned how to wrap before Cecilia came, and when I started to wear her at just under 2 weeks old I had the idea down.

[Ruthie's momma]

I have an almost 3.5 year old little girl and a 2 week old little man.  My DH and I are also somewhat minimalist in our approach to possessions.  Of course, we have applied this to our LOs ;).

1)  Neither.  I have used/use conventional flannel receiving blankets.  My daughter was born during the summer and was put to bed in a diaper and a receiving blanket.  My son was born during the winter and is put to bed in a diaper, gown, receiving blanket and fleece sleep sack.  I like that flannel receiving blankets have a lot of uses; blankets, lap pads, changing pads, nursing covers and cleaning cloths (after baby has outgrown the need for them, of course!).  A fleece sleep sack can be used for a rather long period of time (several months). 

2)  I think onesies are just fine (as are sleep n' plays, gowns, etc.).  I never experienced any wicking issues with DD (DS is not yet in cloth diapers).  I happen to like gowns, a lot.  Apart from being super cute on little babes, they can also be used for a rather long period of time. 

3)  I liked having 2 travel wet bags with DD.

4)  No hooded towel.  We simply used/use our bath towels (they are far better quality than any children's towel that I have ever seen).

5)  No nasal aspirator.  Never used one with DD.  I found that a cool mist humidifier and saline spray was more than sufficient.  

6)  No waterproof pads.  I just used/use a flannel receiving blanket.

7)  No brush/comb set.  I just used/use my own natural bristle hair brush and/or comb.

8)  No washcloths.  Like the bath towels, we used/use our own.

9)  Yes, that is a sufficient number of diaper covers.

[sssheri]

I was the same way you are. I read every list and thought we "needed" so many items. Luckily I got a lot of stuff at yard sales, but here is my best advice: get the minimum or keep all receipts and packaging for the stuff you buy. Every baby is different and you don't know what he or she may like or take too. Some babies love swings, some hate them, some need to be swaddle, others can't stand it. etc. There was a lot of things I wished I could have bought dd, but because I spent the money on stuff we didn't need, I couldn't. That said, let me try to answer your specific questions.

1. The muslin swaddle blankets are good, but really big. We used them to swaddle maybe once, and now just use them for blankets. I highly recommend the Miracle Blanket for swaddling. Saved our nights. Now that she is bigger, we are using some swaddle-me, but she slipped out of them when she was newborn and she was average size at 8lbs 8oz. If you go with muslin, only get one package. If you need more you can get more. A lot of people bought us this and we are swimming in muslin!

2.I love onesies because they don't ride up. My dd lives in onesies and babylegs. It makes diaper changing easy and I haven't had any problems with wicking. (We use prefolds and covers). The cloth diapers are bigger than disposables, so she usually wears a size bigger onesie. Unless you get them as gifts, don't go overboard on the clothes. It is amazing how quickly they grow out of them and only wear something once or twice.

3. We only have 1 wetbag and get on fine. Again, get one to start and if you find you could use a 2nd get it then.

4. We are using our bath towels for her. 1 towel will be fine.

5. We have never used our aspirator. The nurse at the hospital warned against overusing it, so it is still in its box.

6.Waterproof pads are great. I think I will get some more or these actually. We use them for naked time on the floor. (Cloth diapers are so bulky, this gives her time to stretch her legs and move without the added weights). I use them under our sheets for leaks and baby spit-up. 

7.  A baby brush may come in handy if you lo gets skull cap, but again, something you could pick up if you needed. 

8. with 8 you will probably have extra washcloths, but that's no big deal. Good for daily sponge baths and spot cleaning under the neck.

9. We skipped the newborn cloth diaper covers and went to size 1. She was is disposables until the cord fell off (1 week). It saved us about $100. I suggest getting a variety of differnt brands of covers for the first stage, that way you can see which work best for you and your baby before you buy size 2, which they will be in for longer. We like bummis and thirsties with the leg gussets, but find some work better for overnight and some for the day. I think you could get away with fewer covers, or reverse the amount of newborns to size 1 ones you are going to get. We have 36 prefolds and do laundry on every 3rd day. We have 6 covers and have never run out of them. 

Good luck with everything! Don't worry too much about what you need. Your LO has you and that is plenty!

[akind1]

Swaddle Designs Ultimate Receiving Blanket (flannel) or Aden + Anais Swaddle Wraps (muslin)? Or both? Our baby will be born at the end of February so it'll still be very cold.

I love our A+A muslins. they are huge, and babe will not be tiny forever! I found they work great as a nursing cover if you need it in a pinch, because they are light and breathable and didn't bother DS much. There are times when I like to have a cover - not as much now, but when he was under 6 months or so, he would pop on and off alot. Often what we did is use a gymboree receiving blanket (I love them, they are cute, durable, and warm!) to swaddle and the A+A as a double swaddle to secure it. Personally I am not a big fan of swaddle blankets, I like ones that are dual or multi purpose.

Onesies? We will be cloth diapering with prefolds & covers. Would kimono snap t's, infant gowns, and sleepers be more practical? I had read something about onsies putting pressure on the diaper area and causing wicking but I could always make some fleece liners to prevent the moisture from being directly against the babies skin... Also I've read that onesies and cloth diapers don't make the best of friends because of the bulk of cloth diapers but does it make a difference if we're using sized pre-folds (green mtn) and sized covers with Carter's onesies (apparently more stretchy than other brands)?

I have had no problem with onesies. I think wicking may be more of an issue if you are doing fleece or wool covers, because of compression. In the winter, I often layered onesies under a shirt so that his tummy or back wouldn't get cold if the shirt rode up. As far as brand, as long is it isn't Gerber, you are probably fine. that brand is cheap -as in cheap fabrics, not durable -, and runs super small.

1 or 2 wet bags for when out & about? I only registered for 1 and we don't really go out too often (we're big homebodies) so i was thinking that it's probably not necessary but don't want to be without if it is.

I have a wetbag, but I have still a whole lot of those disposable diaper sacs (they have green ones that are biodegradable) that I got as gifts. I use those, TBH. I found with the wetbag, somehow the smell STILL got out. onto the other stuff in my diaper bag. plus I like that if I have a poo, it is contained in one sac. We go out nearly every day, and I love these! I also use them at home if we have a non-ploppable (as in easily dumped in the toilet) poo and I am not doing a wash immediately.

1 Hooded towel? Is this sufficient? My SO and I only have a towel each (actually I have a terry robe and a towel since I have longish hair). I would assume a baby wouldn't need more than 1 especially since they bathe much less often but my mom seems to think I'm crazy for only registering for one.
 

I have a ton of hooded towels. DH and I use bath sheets which seem way too big for a baby. What I want with the next baby I saw at Buybuybaby is a towel apron. see here now why didn't I think of that? If I had one or two of those, it would be great! We have a lot because we got them as gifts. Needed, no. If you have regular sized bath towels, it would work fine. FWIW, DS hates having his hood on after a bath, so the hooded bit is not useful.
Nasal Aspirator: Should I have 2 in case I can't find one when I need it? I was going to go with the nose-frida style. I'm not sure how often I really need it or even if I'd lose it (our apt is pretty clean most of the time since we don't have a lot of stuff).

only need one. you will use this plenty! especially when they are teething and get super snotty.

4-pack waterproof pads: We're not getting a changing table/or mat, I was thinking I could use these for that. I've also read that they're great for putting under you in bed in case of breast milk leaks and I could throw one on the floor for naked butt time as well. Should I go for 2 4-packs or should the one 4-pack be sufficient?

for poopy diapers, something down is a must. You can use a towel. we did use a changing mat for the better part of DS's first year. explosive poo requires floor/surface protection! for the bed, I just used a prefold or flannel blanket under us. it is soft and comfy.  We have a low dresser and just put a changing pad on it for DS's changing table, which we used . . . maybe 1x per week? sometimes more sometimes less. The floor is easier for me.

Baby Brush & Comb Set: Is this really necessary or just a little used luxury? I have thin straight hair but my SO has thick curly hair so presumably our babe will have wavy to curly hair if that makes any difference.

We got ours as a gift. DS plays with it, but his hair is really fine and not really plentiful. it isn't needed, I see no reason why you couldn't use a small regular comb. with curly hair, a wide tooth one. the soft brush is nice though.

8 Pack Washcloths? Seems like overkill already but maybe I'll need more than that... I just don't know!

If you are cloth wiping, these work great! you will want lots. We use disposable wipes, but that is b/c we didn't switch to CD until DS was 7 months old and we have tons of them. Also, I used the very thin ones after my c-section in my skin fold with cream to keep that area dry. maybe TMI, but they work great for this purpose if it comes to that. (a surgical birth was not in my birth plan! but hey, it happens)

Diaper covers (I might need to ask this on the cloth diaper board but in case you can help...): I was thinking of going with 6 newborn sized covers (they have an umbilical scoop), and 4 one-sized covers for when the baby gets past the newborn stage. Both of these covers are able to be wiped out between uses so they'll only need to be washed when they get poo on them. Would you say that's about the right amount?
 

Well, I would be more comfortable with 8-10  newborn covers, possibly twice as many, depending on how often you will wash. I don't mind wiping a little of DS's poo of the covers now and then, but explosive newborn EBF poo .  . . I think might require a wash, not a wipe. DS had what I called the suck, squirt reflex. He pooped everytime he was put to the breast for the first 6-8 weeks. and pooped sometimes inbetween feedings. Then he got to the stage where he only pooped ever 2-3 days and these were massive poos. this lasted really until we started solids around 6 months. I didn't see it on your list, but will you pin or snappi? this will help contain the pooo alot better than just trifolding the prefold and laying it in the cover.

You didn't ask, but a couple other must haves for me: sleep sacs and zippered sleepers. I try to avoid the things with a dozen or more snaps running from neck to toes. zippers are faster and way easier any time of day. For some reason, zippered footed sleepers are harder to find than snapped ones. and for that newborn stage, anything with feet (footed pants, sleepers, rompers, etc) b/c socks are impossible to keep on baby's feet.

HTH!
 

[Friday13th]

I was in a similiar situation when I had DS1 and I'm a BIG list maker.  We ended up with way to much stuff. 

I suggest dual purpose stuff, get a dozen bigger prefolds to use for changing pads (and later for dipes).  Receiving blankets work as spit rags and swaddle blankets.  I hated the velcro swaddle blanket, even the smallest size was way to big was DS1 was a newbie and I'd rather just have a large square that will last longer.  DS2 hated being swaddled so the half dozen aden and anais blankets I bought were useless.

I almost never use a nasal aspirator but it's nice to have now that he has a cold so I think one will be plenty.

I never had onesie issues with cloth diapers and they're really nice as a base layer in the winter.  We used a lot of footies but I actually preferred snaps, you can unsnap just as far as needed to change a dipe rather than unzipping all the way down in the middle of winter.

For covers, I'd get something like 6 newborn size (love Bummis Super Brites- leg gussets are important) and 2 or 3 Thirsties Duos in sz. 1 (they'll fit a newborn and my 17lb 6 month old is just outgrowing them)

One towel and a pack of washcloths will be fine, we didn't bathe DS1 much until it warmed up.  And it's one of those things, if you're bathing the baby every night and they're pooping/peeing/barfing on the towel you can always go buy another to save yourself the urgency of doing laundry.

So much is personal preference, both yours and the baby's and I know I got stuck in the "I have to have the what-ifs for every conceivable situation" but really, there will still be stores once the baby is born and if you find you must have something you can send someone or go get it yourself, it's really not a big deal.

Good luck!

[catepelose]

Hi Ladies, thank you so much for your replies!

I know there will be stores once the baby's born but... we're poor and since my family is insisting that we have a shower I figured I might as well make a registry with the things I feel we really need. That said, I'm not putting anything on the registry I wouldn't buy myself (well, maybe a few things... but I get buyers remorse really bad even with little stuff!). For instance, what isn't on the registry:
*Swing
*Baby Gym/Activity Mat: we'll just throw a blanket and some toys on the floor
*Bouncy Chair: I did, however, register for a baby rocker that can be used from infancy to toddlerhood
*Diaper Pail: Instead, registered for 2 large wet bags that can hang on a door
*Highchair: We did register for one of those Fisher-Price Healthy Care Boosters though
*Wipes Warmer
*Baby Bathtub: I did register for a $5 "bath sponge" they lay on for the early months and then the baby can just take a bath with me
*Crib, Playard, or Bassinet/Moses Basket: At first I was thinking of getting one of these but after reading a million and 1 people say how they have just become a giant cat bed and/or laundry basket/toy box, I decided not to register for any of them, I was planning to cosleep anyway just thought I might need it for "emergencies" or something along those lines.

The majority of the items on the registry are small (read: "cheap") but necessary items (butt thermometer, cloth butt wipes, 3 bottles, cheap manual breast pump, grandma el's diaper cream, nasal aspirator, etc). Oh, and of course I registered for a couple slings, a Moby and a Babyhawk (I would do a ring sling but I already have pretty big boobs so I'm scared it'll kill my back), a convertible carseat, and a bunch of prefolds (which I see as a great investment since I can keep them for future babes). All in all I'm pretty happy with my list even though I'm sure I could make do with even less (and probably comfortably so).

One thing I did decide on (after reading everyone's awesome advice) is to throw everything we get in a closet and only open/remove tags/wash as needed, then later return what wasn't used. It's going to be hard though as we haven't bought anything for the baby yet ourselves (waiting to see what we get at the shower) and I want to nest!!! Or at least feel like we're really having a baby (it seems so surreal without some tangible signs)... all we have now is 1 cute little baby hat I knit and one on the loom, and a few pairs of "babylegs" I made out of women's socks, and I'm due in 2 months and a week!

SeattleRain: I actually "rented" the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD from the library and made my SO watch it with me, kind of cheesy infomercial production, but I will definitely use his tips!

sssheri: I loved your comment, "Don't worry too much about what you need. Your LO has you and that is plenty!" I have been thinking about those words throughout the day and kept smiling to myself.

Another question I thought of in the mean time: To all you cloth-diapering mamas, what laundry detergent do you use for your cloth diapers? I usually make my own laundry detergent with grated soap, borax, & laundry soda, but if I shouldn't be using that do you have any suggestions? Thanks again!

[Knitting Mama]

Although it took Cecilia until she was 3 or so months to like it, our swing is absolutely indispensable here. She still sleeps in it at 8.5 months (she is on the small side and it goes up to 25 lbs).

I use the same homemade detergent (with Fels-Naptha soap) with our cloth diapers, and it works fabulously. No issues here!

[snoopy5386]

I think the biggest problem is just never know what you might need. I'll admit we have just about everything - and we have used it all at one point or another. Things that were invaluable with DD1 are not the same things that were invaluable with DD2. I say go ahead and put that stuff on your registry if family is willing to buy it for you and you won't be able to afford it yourself, then register for it! The swing, the bouncy chair, an exersaucer, good stroller are all big ticket items that you might end up loving in the end.

With DD1 I just registered for a travel swing, I figured it was small enough that I could carry it from room to room and use it in lieu of bouncy chair. That sooo didn't work and I was at Babies R Us 3 weeks post partum buying a bouncy seat. We used that seat every single day multiple times a day until DD1 could crawl at 10.5 months. With DD2 it has become even more invaluable. She doesn't often nurse to sleep, isn't content to be rocked to sleep and hates the swing, but she LOVES the bouncy. I use it to bounce her to sleep at least 1-4 times a day.

Velcro swaddle blankets - I didn't have these with DD1 and couldn't do a regular swaddle to save my life so we just gave up swaddling after a couple of days. With DD2 I got a couple of swaddlemes and a Halo swaddle sack and used them every day several times a day for 7 months.

To answer your original questions, I find onesies to be better than t-shirts with little babies, especially in winter. When you pick them up in a t-shirt it immediately rides up and exposes their little bellies to the cold air, onesies prevent this problem.

Hooded Towel - really none are necessary, you can get by with just using an adult towel and as long as you have a couple of extra towels in the house one towel for baby should be fine.

Nosefrida is awesome and you only need one, it is not something you are going to lose.

Waterproof pads - I'd register for 2, you can always return the extra set. It depends on how drippy you and your baby are - leaky breasts, plus spitty baby = lots of messes. When DD2 was a newborn she pooped and peed nearly every single time we changed her diaper, so we used these pads a lot. I think we have 4.

Hairbrush - both my DDs were born with a ton of hair and we used a brush from the get go.

Washcloths - we use these for everything - bathing, wiping down snotty, spitty, goopy faces, cleaning up after each meal now that she is on solids, etc. We easily go through 3 a day and have since birth.

[katelove]

The trouble with all these things is that it is so much personal preference. Whenever I read the what do you need lists I find my self passionately agreeing with some recommendations and shaking my head in confsion at others and, clearly, everyone else is doing the same thing. No doubt you will end up with some things you never use and some others which you have to race out and get. So, disclaimer firmly in place , here is my response to your list

1. Our baby didn't like swaddling and we live in a warm climate so we just had bunny rugs in muslin, jersey cotton and flannelette. So I have no experience with cold weather needs.

2. I love onsies! Especially for littlies. As someone else said, t-shirts/dresses etc just constantly ride up and bunch under their armpits, I realy don't llike t-shirts until they're walking. We use cloth nappies and have never had any problems with wicking. We also didn't have any issues with her cord. And I don't find it a challenge to undo them to change nappies at night (or any other time really). The only thing we have found is that they seem to be cut with disposable nappies in mind so we have had to use bigger sizes faster than we thought.

3. No wet bags. We use shopping bags or those little plastic bags that you put fruit and veg in at the supermarket.

4. Hooded towels. Nice but not essential. I do prefer baby towels to adult towels as I find the adult towels too thick and awkward for drying little creases. Depends how often you want to bath babe and wash towel. We could have got away with one but we have had a few poo/wee incidents in the towel.

5. Nasal aspirator. Never had one, never needed one. This does seem to be a particularly US thing though. You can get them ever here but IME, not many people have them.

6. Waterproof pads. I love these! We co-sleep and always have one on the bed. It has saved us having to change the sheets several times (although mostly from vomit, not wee). We have three - one on the bed ,one in the wash, one in the cupboard - but you could get away with two if you didn't mind washing straight away.

7. Brush/comb. Don't have either.

8. Washers. Again I like the baby ones as I find the adult ones too thick. We use them as wipes as well so we have 30. If you only plan to use them in the bath then one or two will be plenty.

9. I would personally have a few more of the larger covers but it really depends how often you want to wash. We wash every 3ish days and I think we have 8 covers. We don't always use them all between washes but, some days, we can go through 3-4 covers. Although, at 7 months, J does still have completely liquid poo which is probably a bit unusual.

[1blueheron]

Originally Posted by katelove 

5. Nasal aspirator. Never had one, never needed one. This does seem to be a particularly US thing though. You can get them ever here but IME, not many people have them.

Huh - so what do you do when babe has a stuffy nose and can't nurse well?  

[akind1]

The great thing about big ticket items is that even if you don't use them, the resale value is really good. We got our swing on craigslist, and I am glad we did, as we never used it. We did use the bouncy seat alot though, especially if you have a babe with reflux, swings and bouncy seats are handy. We have since sold or consigned these items, because even though we plan on more kids, I know there will be new/different stuff out when the next one is born. plus we just don't have a lot of space to store items.

High chairs: I didn't register for one because I planned on BLW and we don't  have a table at which we eat (we eat in the living room). I ended up buying one though, because while it is easy to feed DS while in my lap or while he stands at my feet, in order for him to feed himself, he needs to sit down and have a surface to eat off of. Now I don't know how we did without it. I think he was 10 - 11 months old when I broke down and bought one.

What stuff you don't get at your shower, scour Craiglist and consignment sales. I love both! we also got our arms reach co-sleeper there, which we did use alot. I found that I liked having a place to put baby for naps and sleep that I didn't have to worry about him rolling off, or the cats jumping on him, etc. We used it until about 6 months, and then switched to part crib/part co-sleeeping.