To take advantage of this we put everything we could think of on the registry simply so that if we decided to get it ourselves we would have the 10% discount. Diapers do not quality for the discount btw so don't go crazy and put 100 boxes on the registry!!
We kept our list to the basics and the Babies R Us pack has a useful leaflet in it with all the essentials which was helpful.
I think the main 'error' that I made when compiling the list was that I just thought about stuff that the newborn baby needed. I.e. my advice would be to consider other items in addition to the baby basics.
For example, within a couple of months of having had the baby I now realize that she needs a lot of stimulation during the day and I didn't put any toys or books on the list! She is now 3 months old and she likes the following toys and books:
> Fisher Price Fish Mirror and Lights
> Play Mat ( we got the baby einstein Neptune one which has music and lights, she loves it and it is good for a boy or a girl so you can use it for another child afterwards)
> Chime toys (dangly animals with chimes that you can clip on the play mat or on the stroller)
> Polar Bear what can you hear book
> Brown Bear what can you see book
> Counting Cockatoos book
> The Hungry Caterpillar book
> Soft teething rings in different colors
> Soft blanky toy with different textures
> Baby classical music cd
I also didn't list for a bumbo which we have had to purchase for her nor did we register for larger sizes of basic onesies/pajamas or the kiddopotamus swaddle me's (which we are still using for bedtime even if she is 3 mths now, she likes being swaddled at night!). So make sure you think about the 'next phase' or next size up for essential items.
Another point of consideration that I wish I had thought about more beforehand is that babies grow REALLY quickly! I was considering buying the Stokke Mini (we got the Stokke crib in the end) and I am so glad we didn't shell out the additional $400 or so, she would have been in it for a matter of weeks! Same for a moses basket - personally I think going straight for the crib is fine, she has never had any issues with that! The Stokke Crib is actually excellent in my opinion and I am very happy with it; its a great look and shape plus the wheels make it very portable within your home (we needed this as we knew we would move her from our room into her own room a couple of times due to guests visiting). I didn't buy the stokke bedding sets as you don't need any of it except for the sheets for a newborn/young infant (bumpers and comforters are a SIDS danger for babies under 1 year). Instead I ordered the sheets online (cheaper than in store) and then bought the waterproof matress protector for the stokke from buy buy baby. Unfortunately the only negative with the Stokke is that you have to buy their branded sheets as they are oval shaped. I haven't tried using a standard sheet but I imagine it would get very rumpled and potentially be a danger to the child, best just get a couple of oval fitted ones and then use sheet savers from Babies R Us (a godsend, have saved the sheets many a time at the beginning when she spit up a lot!!!).
Also the baby bath was a bit of a waste of money in some respects. We bought the safety first bath that folds up. It has a seat built into it and now her legs don't even fit in so I have to bathe her in the bathroom sink! I think I will buy her one of the bath slings soon so that she can go in the full size tub. To be honest, a new plastic washing up bowl would have probably been just as good for when she was a newborn and at a fraction of the price!
Some of the most useful items from my baby registry?
- Boppy pillow (she likes to sit in it)
- Dreft detergent (get plenty!!!)
- Avent microwave sterilizer is super quick and easy, does not take up much space
- Kiddopotamus swaddle me's
- Babies R Us Basics Sheet savers
- Plain white muslin burp cloths, loads of them
- Bjorn papoose cover for wet/cold weather - this was very useful as it was cold when she was born and we wouldn't have been able to use the Baby bjorn otherwise
I would not bother putting more than one blanket on the list as we got many many blankets as gifts and all my friends did too. I would put practical items on such as the diapers, detergent, baby wash, washcloths etc as people do buy them and you are going to use lots of them so it helps spread the cost out for you!
Happy shopping!
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