
*Invest in a good, comfortable baby carrier (or two)
I make wraps like the Moby because of the variety of positions you can wrap
baby in and the fact that you can use it from birth up to 35 pounds. But I have used and love the Maya wrap. Not only is it SUPER simple to use but it seems like the little tots love it! For older children, I have friends who swear by the Ergo. As I said, I don't have children, so I can't say which I prefer but I do know what I won't be buying! Don't buy a carrier because of name recognition. The front, forward-facing style carriers have been found to be extremely uncomfortable (not to mention the risk of hip dysplasia...look it up!). I have heard of local birth centers occasionally hosting a baby wearing night where you can go and try on several styles of carriers to see which is most comfortable for you. Check and see if you can find something like that in your area! You won't regret it.
*Nurseries are over rated Yeah I said it! Let's be honest here. Truth is, your child will more than likely be next to your bed (or in it) for the first six months of his life. If you're planning on having baby in your room, don't stress about the nursery. Baby won't be mad at you because his crib isn't set up yet, his nautical themed decorations have not been ordered or because his walls aren't painted the right color which coordinates perfectly with the staining of his crib (which is still not set up).
* He will have outgrown those newborn clothes by next week
I know they are so cute and tiny, but you will hardly get any use out of them (unless you have a darling little premature babe on your hands <3). Register for bigger sizes. People who don't look at your registry are going to gravitate to the small sizes so go ahead and register for the big ones, even up to the 12 month size. That will get you to his first birthday party!
* Go gender neutral as much as possible
I won't both to bore you with my opinion on "pink for girls, blue for boys"...not to mention I don't want to make my readers angry in my 2nd blog! I know that there are a lot of parents who believe that every little girl has to have her bows and pink, frilly dresses and every little boy needs his baseball hat and blue jeans, but there are so many things that you can buy in neutral colors. Do it! Then you have less to buy next time around. (Plus you'll keep strangers guessing and let the child determine their gender..."Oh what a beautiful little....um....uh....CHILD you have there!" [guess I couldn't keep my opinion to myself...oops!])
* The person who invented baby sleepers that snap all the way up and down was not a parent
Get the zippers. You'll thank me later.
* Diapers, diapers, diapers
So you think buying diapers is a boring present? Yes....it can be. But they are so expensive and are a never ending expense (if you go with disposables). If a mom is cloth diapering, it can be more fun because you can pick out fun designs! Cloth diapering mommies can register for diapers! Register for several sizes, focusing on the bigger sizes. Newborn diapers lasted us for about two weeks before you will find that you have to move up to the next size. In conversations that I have had with some diapering moms who use disposables, they have said that their babies spent the most time in size 3 diapers, so stock up on those. For a cloth mommy, register for diapers, liners, cloth wipes, laundry detergent and all other diapering supplies.
* Standard sized receiving blankets won't swaddle my BIG TOE!
If your baby likes to be swaddled, the ones that you receive from the hospital or similar sizes are just not big enough. Find some extra big ones or have someone make you some large, lightweight blankets that you can use for swaddling and beyond. However, please keep in mind that you should learn the proper way to swaddle and as soon as baby learns to roll over, you should immediately stop swaddling.
* You really don't need 15 bottles of baby lotion...or baby powder...or diaper cream
I can count on one hand the amount of times that I have used these things on a baby in my care. I don't like how it makes them smell and they really don't need it, as long as they are not bathed too much or with harsh chemicals. Coconut oil can be used as an all natural moisturizer if needed. If your baby gets a diaper rash, then you can worry about the diaper cream. Don't register for a ton of cream just because Aunt Diane said it's the best. If there comes a time when you do need it, go to your local grocer and get some after you've decided what is safest and best for your baby's skin. Register for the things you know you will need!
* Register for good quality nursing bras and tanks
These can be pretty darn expensive but can make a HUGE difference in how you feel day in and day out. Find a brand you
love and register.
As you can see...you don't need very much! And as I said before, this blog is a summation of the items that I have seen get the MOST use from family and friends. If you have things that you couldn't live without when you brought your baby home, please feel free to add them to the comments! I want to know! :-)