Comments on: Baby registries and other ramblings from a mom-to-be

By: Olivier @ Avent Isis Breast Pump

Olivier @ Avent Isis Breast Pump — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:44:37 +0000

I once read a joke that a couple spends $300.020 in their 3rd month of pregnancy: 20 dollar for a nice toy for the baby and 300.000 to buy a new house because the mother finds that the one they have is too small.
Sooo true

By: Daddy Files

Daddy Files — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 03:09:16 +0000

Hey Jane,

This is from a dad’s perspective so take it for what it’s worth…

People will buy you so much stuff it’s not even funny. You won’t have room for it all. You’ll end up donating baby clothes that your baby NEVER WORE because he/she will have grown out of them and you had so many. So don’t focus on outfits or toys or anything like that. Just get the basics: a crib, bassinet, breast pump, changing table, etc. And people have a tendency to buy outfits, but you’ll want TONS of onsies and socks. You can never have too many of those. And if you have really great family and friends, they’ll stock up on diapers for you. So many diapers.

When you go to Babies ‘R Us to register, do it with a friend who’s recently had a kid. That cuts down on all the superfluous stuff you really don’t need. And for the record, I’ve never washed my kid’s toys before. With two dogs and two cats that kid’s ingested more fur in his short 10 months than I care to admit. But it’s all good and part of the process.

Just enjoy it.

Daddy Files’s last blog post..Pass the Geritol Please

By: Jane

Jane — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:31:35 +0000

@Jennessa – Thanks for the info on Freecycling and the soothie. I’ll definitely look into them. Sounds like a great thing to do and a great way for people to help others out.

@E – Wow, such great advice, thanks! Yes, I will have a shower and I imagine I’ll get tons of stuff through that. Funny about the practical gifts you give – I would have never thought about that, but I’m sure that those moms do appreciate how much they need those items. What a good idea!

@Mrs Kitty – Count me in for the cleaning lady! I’m so glad to hear that you find it all overwhelming too! I feel like I’ll start to think about that stuff after week 25 (of course, I just picked a random week). Hope you are doing good in your pregnancy!

@Katie – Thanks for all the websites and great information! I’ll definitely look and see if I can find similar things for the Houston area. I like the lurking/posting idea on the other sites too! It always helps me to know that the things I’m going through or worried about are similar to what other people are going through too. It’s reassuring!

@Jackie – So glad that you are loving our blog! As for the tv thing, how cool would that be?! Wow, 4 kids under 5 years old. You must be crazy! Only kidding. I bet you have tons of fun with all of them. It certainly would keep your life interesting and and probably a bit spontaneous! Thanks for posting your comment and I’m glad to “meet” you!

By: Jackie

Jackie — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:06:30 +0000

Hi Jane,

I follow you on twitter & got to your blog. I LOVE IT!!! The best part I love is your husband replying to your blog post w/ the dishes & you replying back to him about the clothes & underwear – you guys are HILARIOUS! You should be on TV!
Anyway, don’t sweat it! I have 4 kiddo’s 5years and younger. To say the least I fly by the seat of my pants. I’m not a planner and when you have allot of kids you can’t be believe me I’ve learned the hard way.
Cleaning toys I’ve NEVER once cleaned a toy – Sad to say but when it was looking gross I would just chuck it and tell them to get a different one! Between Christmas & all the other holidays & B-Days we could fill 3 rooms with just toys so to clean them all would be something I would not do. My kids aren’t sick becuase of it. People just get to germ scaried sometimes.
As for the baby items you need it will come don’t worry & freat everyone has there time with shopping for baby items. Some like to shop earlier than later. I wish you and Tarzan all the best of luck w/ your new addition to your family. Jackie

By: Katie

Katie — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:42:42 +0000

Hi Jane,

I totally agree that all baby needs is a warm body and a couple of boobies. Trust me – I am a postpartum doula and I can not tell you how many first time parents I have worked with who have there house covered with baby crap and hardly touch any of it. And honestly what you and Tarzan and baby will need most is stuff that can’t be registered for or bought anyway – support, love, help, meals, breastmilk – you get the idea.

I wanted to give you links to a couple of great online groups. The first is for the Arizona Birth Network. Their website is http://www.azbirthnetwork.com. They also have a very active yahoo group – www.http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/phoenixbirthcircle/
They have regular meetings where moms, moms to be, doulas, midwives, and other birth professionals meet and talk.

There is also AZ Mamas – http://groups.yahoo.com/group/azmamas/

Both groups are great places to lurk or to post questions about anything.

La Leche Leagues website is http://www.lllofaz.org. The meetings are awesome and they love pregnant mamas.

Good Luck!

-Katie

I wanted to

By: Mrs. Kitty

Mrs. Kitty — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:31:12 +0000

Wowzers. I'm 15.5 weeks pregnant and I'm not cruising down Baby's R Us yet. In fact, all the info, all the choices, and all the different equipment I'll need and need to learn is way overwhelming. We could be the same pregnant lady. Let's pitch in and get a dual cleaning lady for our dishes, k? Mrs. Kitty’s last blog post..natural childbirth

By: E

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:43:10 +0000

Everyone is going to tell you something different, information is going to conflict and you are going to be overwhelmed. The best advice I can give you – #1 do what feels right to you, most of the time it IS right. #2 Seek out family/friends with children that you really are impressed and/or like the way the children behave – ask those parents for tips and advice. #3 make sure you talk to family/friends with MULTIPLE age children in one family – this is where you will get the best advice on juggling everything – they have been there done that multiple times and are living with juggling various tasks daily for each age range. TRUST ME you will get the most practical and great advice from them, they don’t have time to waste, lol.

Also, if you have a baby shower you will most of the time get lots of baby things. I am one of those weird people who gives practical things as well as the baby things – huge maxi pads, nipple pads, hemorrhoid cream, ibuprofen etc – yeah it is all “unmentionables” but most mom’s I have given those to have come back to thank me, lol. No one ever thinks about those they are so caught up in baby land. Hopefully you will get someone like me, if not – remember gift cards can be used for purchasing your “post pregnancy survival kit”

GOOD LUCK!

By: Jennessa

Jennessa — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:03:41 +0000

I forgot about the “soothie” yes its a pacifier but it is shaped like a bottle nipple with no hole. I liked them because if baby feel asleep they fall out. The traditional pacifiers have a nook in them they are designed to stay in the babies mouth. Again this is only if you decide to use one.

By: Jennessa

Jennessa — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:59:36 +0000

Ok I am so excited to hopefully introduce to you Freecycle! It is a Group about Recycling items that you may give away or throw away because you dont know what else to do with them. I live in Colorado so my group is based out of the city I live in. I am in it through Yahoo groups. (I found it by typing in Freecycle and my city on google) It works simply like this : other members post items they are giving away and other members respond, or vice-versa. Since I feel like I have to much stuff I keep getting rid of stuff. If you by chance do get something, you may have to go to someones house and pick it up. But again it is usually in your city so you dont have to go very far. Hope this helps!! (I have seen people get a running car just because they asked and someone had one to get rid of)

Oh yeah and about spit up on onsies you can wipe it off with a babywipe and they are good as new!

By: Jane

Jane — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:38:43 +0000

Hi Julie,

Well I know that I will be able to provide a ton of love, cuddles, boobs, and some clothes, so it looks like I’ve got it made! Thanks for the short, but honest advice. I really think the whole parenting thing is something that you can never fully prepare for until you step into that role. Then you learn as you go and in the end, things end up just fine. Thanks for your comment!