Baby Registry's are Overwhelming

Creating a Registry.  I found this totally overwhelming.  I reached out to Temper and she helped me figure out what to get.  I took her email list and added to it.

Most of this stuff we'll be handing down once we're through that faze.  We'll also be donating some stuff to our nanny who will eventually have them at her house.

In addition to this list 

OBVIOUS MUST HAVES:

• Cribs
• Crib Sheets
• Stroller(s) (I like having one that the carseats snap into.  I have a snap-n-go and totally dig it.)
• Car seats (The snug rides fit in the snap-n-go so we did that.  I found them used on Craig's list and got extra bases so we didn't have to move them from car to car.)
• Bottles, nipples & sippy cups - Temper used Dr Browns bottles and liked them. She doesn't think it really matters. They're all BPA free now, too, so that shouldn't be an issue. There are 4 stages of nipples, just means a bigger hole so as the baby gets bigger she can get more quicker. They''ll let you know when she needs to go up a stage. You'll need lots of the first three stages of nipples. She did, anyway.  We currently are still using the bottles and nipples from the hospital.  We'll have a bunch to hand down through.  We also inherited a box of sippy cups.  UPDATE: At maybe 5 months our girls quit bottles and only nursed so I'm glad that I got used bottles and nipples for about $10.)
• Places to put babies:
• Bouncy seats 
• Swings - We have one downstairs, one in the living room and one in the dining room.  All were hand me downs.  One sways and doesn't rock.  They seem to like all of them. 
• Bumbos - We used these for a couple months...it was a cute thing to put them in to sit up before they were better at sitting on their own.
• Boppy lounge pillows etc. I LOVE the double boppy for the girls. They use it on the sofa as their sofa.  As they've grown we've put them in there to sit up in and recline in.  I also have a single Boppy upstairs on the bed so I can have one in it to feed her or just hang out in while I breast feed the other one.
• Pack-n-Play - Temper got one called Joovy - it's a big square, so there's more room for both of them.  I have a hand-me-down one that has a bassinet insert.  I have this bedside and they are currently sleeping there at 12 weeks. UPDATE: We had to get a newer pack and play for the basinet because they kept rolling into the middle and smacking each other in the faces while they were sleeping. So we needed one with a divider.  
• Health & Grooming kit - thermometers, nasal bulb syringe, nail clippers!!!!!  Their nails grow ridiculously fast.
• Diaper Genie/Champ - if you plan to use disposables at all, get one. Temper likes the Champ cuz it uses regular trash bags and I don't have to buy the special refills.  Currently we have 2 diaper genies but are still just throwing diapers on the trash in the kitchen.  Apparently once they start eating solid food the poops stink a lot worse.  Update: we are onto solid foods at almost 9 months.  I still just use a little trash can with a grocery bag in it and take it out every day or so.  I keep it in a small plastic square bin and put another bag in there and I put the gdiapers to be washed in there...so far it's not too stinky.
• Bath towels & wash cloths. (people love buying towels!  we got SO many and they are very cute. :)
• Safety stuff:
• Outlet plug covers
• Baby gates
• Door handle locks
• Cabinet locks, etc 
• A good baby monitor.  Dave got one of these  and it's really cool because you can watch them on your smart phone through the web or an application and you can send family a link with a user name and password so they can watch them too.  Update: still love the baby monitor and we set it up over the pack and play so family can watch them play
• Changing table & Mattress - I wasn't going to get one but ended up finding one for $10 on a FB group.

CANNOT HAVE ENOUGH:

• BURPCLOTHS - you'll always be reaching for one, and you'll stash them everywhere!  
• Bibs 
• Diapers & wipes (duh)
• Temper like Kirkland wipes - they're big, strong and biodegradable. We are using Up & Up (Target brand) wipes and they don't seem to bother their bums.  They've been using a Huggies refills...so keep a couple of hard wipe containers if you want to be able to fill them later.
• We are going to do gDiapers (you can put in cloth or disposable inserts).  I have used them some already (managed to clog my toilet once already. :P)  You'll change about 8 diapers a day...so about 240 a month.  You'll need a lot of diapers.  We have disposables from lots of folks and apparently places are good about allowing you to trade in one size for another if you they outgrow one size and you haven't opened the box yet.
• Hats - whether it's winter or summer I usually put them in a cute hat...for warmth or for shade.
• Diaper Bag:
• Temper has a Diaper Bag problem. She could never find the right one in the beginning, and she still buys them hoping to find like the perfect thing. Ha! She still has one that she like that's more of a backpack, so she's hands free, but it's not 100% comfortable. She has 4-5 diaper bags that she keeps handy, and she'll pack whichever one will work best for the particular outing they are going to
• I'm feeling the same pain. So far I have 3.  Maybe it's a twins problem.  I saw Hulick just used a back pack.  The one I use the most is just a big canvas bag with leather straps.
• What I keep in my diaper bag:
• Diaper clutch/tote: I have a Changing Station that holds diapers and comes with a wipe holder and has a changing pad.  (I need to buy another portable wipe holder for the other changing station I have.
• A change of clothes for them
• Burp clothes
• A blanket for them to lay on the floor on
• A protein shake and other snacks that don't go bad including peanut butter
• A container that holds bottle nipples, binkies and nipple shields
• (I now keep in my car and Dave's car a change of clothes for me...learned that the hard way. :P)
• UPDATE: I have a big purse that I usually just throw in the Diaper Clutch Tote w/Changing station and a change of clothes...I throw a burp cloth in their car seat...that's it. 
• Ice packs - Temper uses these all the time in insulated bags for bottles and sippies.
• Laundry detergent - Temper likes Rockin' Green powder (great for cloth diapers) & Dropps (packs).  I haven't bought different detergent than what we already used.  Some babies end up having ultra sensitive skin and need special detergent.  I guess I may need separate special detergent for the cloth diapers too...but IDK yet.  UPDATE: We just use the seventh generation stuff...had no issues so far.

MUST HAVES THAT I NEVER KNEW EXISTED OR DIDN'T KNOW I NEEDED:

• ZIPPERED pajamas - dude, snaps and buttons suck. Zippers are where it's at.  I had no idea I could be outsmarted by snaps.  It's like a cruel test.  Can you snap all these in the right order to the one across from it while a kid is screaming at you, you are sleep deprived and it is the middle of hte night? 
• Dishwasher baskets - if you're OK with machine washing your bottles, etc, use these for all the little parts.  We've got 4 of these so we can just keep them in rotation.
• Bottle drying rack - Temper had TWO and it still wasn't enough ;)  We've got one of these right now and it remains full.  I do bottles at least before I go to bed at night and at least one other time during the day.
• Humidifier & baby chest rub - you can't give babies cough medicine. These work great. (Don't have these currently... hoping we don't at all.) UPDATE: still don't have them.
• WATERPROOF EVERYTHING:
• Mattress covers (for their beds and yours) (I have a waterproof, allergen mattress cover on all mattresses.  For your bed spend the $100 bucks or around there for a good one. You don't want to hear your mattress cover.)  Both children have peed the bed (through their diapers) multiple times.  
• Changing pad covers (like a fitted sheet)
• Other changing pad and crib covers to keep things dry:
• They make some that are really big and you can cut to fit spaces you want covered
• Sheet savers - Tie them onto the crib, on top of sheets, for drool and spit up and stuff, so you can change these more often, and you don't have to change sheets so much. We also use one downstairs to change them in the basement if we don't want to go upstairs.
• Sleep sacks - wearable blankets. They make swaddling ones, too. All the Temper kids loved them.  We currently just swaddle with blankets. You'll be a pro really quickly.  Babies like to have their hands restrained.  (They may not like it at first but then they go to sleep. :P)
• Along that vein we did a smaller swaddling blanket and then a larger one around it...the interior blanket it helps to have with some stretch to it so you can get it snug.  
• Wet bags, all shapes and sizes - big ones are great for lining pails for cloth diapers, small ones are great for stashing puked on/pooped on clothes while you're out and about, etc ... I still use them all the time for all of us.
• Stack & store snack things - can store formula, cheerios, whatever, and they snap together and you can toss them in your bag. (Here is a link to one kind, it's not the kind I have, but I can't find that one right now).
• Bath tub - I am on bathtub number two.  We are thinking about just using a cooler. :P UPDATE: Gave up months ago, I get in the tub and wash them one at at time...
• Kneeling pad for bath time (still don't have one of these yet)
• Suction cup mesh bath toy storage bag
• Travel Booster Chair - Temper has a folding booster seat that I leave in the car - it's got pouches to store bibs and stuff too. (It's like this one.)
• Doorway jumper - babies LOVE to jump. These are awesome.
• Ice cube trays with lids for homemade baby food - Temper would puree a ton once a week, pop them in the freezer, then thaw a few cubes out every meal, easy to mix it up that way too.
• Food processor - for baby food, of course - you don't need one of those baby bullet things, just a normal one will work fine. I picked up a Baby Bullet at a yard sale for $20 it came with the freezer trays in it already and stuff.
• Sun shade for car window - my windows are tinted, but they're still too bright when the sun is shining hard. Get the suction cup kind - the "stick on" ones don't stay on
• Temper's sis in law recommends something called a Ba - its so babies can hold bottles by themselves. She never had these but probably wished she did.
• Ergo (baby carrier) - I LOVE ours we use them all the time.  They are comfortable and you can use them until they are 5 or something crazy.
• Moby (baby carrier) - This is basically a big piece of fabric.  It's really a cozy way to hold your baby. I picked one up on a FB group for $10
• Not a high chair: I got a pair of these to clip to our table so we didn't to use a big ass high chair.
• For derby bouts I got them ear muffs
• Baby gym

Breastfeeding supplies:

• Nipple shields! These saved my nipples to start out and also helped them to get a good latch. I have one stashed whereever I may breastfeed so I don't have to keep up with one and keep it clean. I don't need them for Zoey any more but we are still working with Audrey and they are needed for her.
• Breastpump: I have a Medela pump.  You can get a free one.  Thanks Obama! If one side loses suction it may need a new membrane.  Make sure you have the right size flanges for your nipples so you don't get blisters.
• Lanolin: I used very little of this.  The babies don't like how it tastes so you have to always take it off before the breastfeed.  Just take some milk and rub it on your nipples after you feed them.  Breastmilk is the miracle elixir.  Have a cut? Put breast milk on it. Have dry skin? Put breastmilk on it.
• Soothie's gel pads: I used these the first few days and it was a very nice relief on nipples not use to being tugged on. I haven't used them since the first month but was great to have at first.
• Cotton pads for the boobies.  I have a ton of these and they get softer the more you wash them.
• Nursing bra: Buy 2 or 3.  I found that Target had a great one and is way cheaper than the Medela ones at Babies'R'Us.
• Brest friend: So far I have had a harder time using this tool but my cousin and a woman in my lactation group swear by them for their singleton's.  You can walk around the house with them on there and it's like having an extra arm.  I'm going to keep trying it with my twins.
• Fenugreek: This is an herb for your GI but it's side effect is increased lactation.  I started out taking 3 610mg 3x a day but now I'm taking 4 4x a day.  You know you've found the right dosage once you start to smell like maple syrup.  :D If you end up having to take morphine and/or other pain killers and/or iron these things all cause constipation.  SO, you may be able to kill two birds with one stone and take this herb.

THINGS I THOUGHT I NEEDED AND PEEPS GAVE ME BUT I DIDN'T REALLY USE:

• Tiny socks and shoes - 
• Temper: yeah, they're adorable, but I dunno, maybe it's just my kids, they never wore them. I stuffed them in footie sleepwear all winter long and called it a day. And Josh's feet wouldn't fit in shoes till after he was walking - too fat!
• I second: dude, I'll hand y'all down a bunch.  They just fall off.  The only one's I really use are the one's that can be loosened and then TIED around the ankle.  
• Pacifiers - 
• Temper: I got TONS of these at showers. The twins used them for like 2 weeks, Joshie never used one. Some kids love them and use tons, so who knows. Just my experience. 
• I have been using pacifiers, I like the one's they used at the hospital but I also am using some other ones.  I use them after I swaddle them and they are upset and fighting sleep. I pop in a binky and bam! Suck suck suck suck sleep!
• Bottle warmer - it takes just as long to set a bottle in a thing of hot water than these things take.  Just get a quart container and add hot water.  It'll be ready really quickly. :P
• Wipe warmer - seriously?
• Bottle Disinfecter

Breastfeeding:

I didn't breastfeed, so I'm not the one to talk to about any of that stuff. But, I do have a tip if you stop breastfeeding for whatever reason and the milk keeps engorging your boobs - which HURTS - use cabbage leaves in your bra ... it smells bad but it basically dries you right up in like two days. (You just change the leaves out as they wilt ... it's so funny.)

Good websites & deals:

Diapers.com - I used to get my gDiaper inserts here - cheapest at the time and free shipping over $49. I get the cases of wipes here too, or at Amazon too, depending on who is cheaper when ...
Babysteals.com - get daily deals emailed to you. Stuff is usually at least 50% off... Also kidsteals.com & shesteals.com ...