Postpartum Part 3: registry

I want to talk about my baby registry: what was on it, what we bought and what we have used. We ended up getting most of what was on our registry, either as gifts or we bought it ourselves. Some items we were able to find used and other items we bought new. One mistake I made was deleting items that we bought instead of just marking it as purchased. Luckily I transferred the registry items to a google sheet early on, so the entirety of the list was preserved.

Memberships

Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens
LA County Arboretum
Costco Membership

Colleagues at work bought us the Zoo and Costco memberships. We have our Arboretum membership but I think it expires in June or July. Unfortunately the coronavirus has made it pretty unfavorable to go out and use any of these. I am hoping as Albert gets older and as we emerge from this pandemic that we will be able to use and enjoy these memberships.

Baby Gear

Pack N Play (with bassinet and changing table)
Glow in the dark Pacifier (2 ct)
Cradle n' Swing
Pacifier (3 ct)
Batman Walker
Pacifier Clip
Pacifier Holder
Lillebaby Airflow Carrier

A pal gave us a pack and play but without the bassinet and changing table. Once our baby was home from the hospital (we live in a two story condo) we realized that we really needed a bassinet and changing table on BOTH floors. We had a bassinet and changing table on the second floor near our bed that we got secondhand. I guess the secondhand pack and play will probably live in the van so that we have it when we visit family.

The only pacifiers we have used so far are the ones that we got free in sample boxes. They're working well so far. We also got some pacifiers as gifts at baby showers. We got a couple of pacifier clips from a friend. I thought I would not use pacifiers but it turns out Albert loves them so I guess those ideals are out the window. He also loves his swing. We got that secondhand and my mom kindly figured out how to take it apart and washed all the fabric parts so it was nice and clean for Albert when he came home from the hospital. As far as I can tell, the weight limit is 15 pounds and he's already 11.5 pounds, so we're definitely getting our money's worth now while we can.

The Batman Walker is something my husband wanted to get and one of his bros bought and shipped it to us. So I'm glad about that. It's currently sitting under the TV in pieces. I guess we'll put it together when it gets closer to the time when Albert is able to use it (when he can hold his head up). The baby carrier issue is something I want to cover in a separate post. Let's just say for now that this particular carrier we picked out by going to Buy Buy Baby and trying all of them on. This one was comfortable for both my husband and I. It went on sale and I rode the bus to Hollywood to buy it. Then we ended up getting 4 more carriers as gifts so it's now just one of many that we have.

Transportation

Graco Modes Stroller
Avocado Stroller Toy
Infant Car Seat
Seat Mirror
Thule Yepp Mini
Scamp Kids Bike Helmet
Weekender Bag

The stroller and car seat we definitely love. We haven't got the bike seat or bike helmet yet. We might get a trailer for the bike. We didn't buy a diaper bag because I found that I had a vintage bag that works perfectly. A friend gave us another stroller, and we only used it for the first time this past week, but I almost had a panic attack because the baby was so tiny and exposed in there, and heaven forbid we left without covering the stroller up. I was freaked out that he would get either sunburned or sick (or both) so we turned around and went back home after less than a block. So I would highly recommend adding a stretchy carseat cover or two. We got one from a friend and use it daily!

Clothing

Gown (2 pack)
Halo SleepSack Swaddle

It's a good thing we didn't buy too many clothes. I had hardly any "newborn" size stuff because I thought there would be a chance that my baby would be born too big for them. We bought footed PJs in newborn size after he was born and we realized that he'd be needing those. He had enough of them in the 0-3 month and 3-6 month size, which we had received as gifts. Also, we learned that Albert likes to have his hands free, so he would have hated the swaddles.

Feeding

Aden Little Bibs
Rocking Chair w/ Footrest
Stokke High Chair
My Brest Friend / Boppy
Burp Cloth (Burt's Bees)
Baby Brezza Bottle Warmer
Baby Brezza Sterilizer
Medela Manual Pump
Breast Milk Bags (100 ct)
5 oz Bottle Set (3 pack)
8 oz Bottle Set (3 pack)

We were gifted more bibs than I know what to do with since I keep forgetting to put one on him. Although people have told me that he might start drooling more as his teeth come in, so the bibs may be more useful in the future. We do use the rocking chair, which we found secondhand at Goodwill for $15. The high chair we will start using when Albert starts eating solid food and can hold his head up. We definitely use the breastfeeding pillows every day. I got the Boppy free for joining First 5 LA and we found the Brest Friend secondhand in Burbank.

The burp cloths are something that I sent dear husband out for just after baby was born. We didn't get them as a gift so we bought them at regular price ourselves. But they have been absolutely fantastic. We have 12 and I would say that is a good number. I was on the fence about the Baby Brezza, actually I was leaning towards not getting it, but once we had to put the baby on a bottle it became quite useful quite quickly. I also didn't fully understand the purpose of the breastmilk freezer bags, but when you have an oversupply then you can save it for 5 weeks. Then when baby is going through a growth spurt (and is hungrier), bam! You can pull extra supply out of the freezer. I had a "freezer stash" built up that we exhausted during Albert's 3-week growth spurt and I am currently building up a new stash for his 6-week growth spurt.

I was worried (and still am) that the composition of the "good stuff" in the breastmilk is altered by refrigeration and/or freezing then defrosting, but I'm trying not to get too paranoid about that. I guess if we can take enzymes and freeze them at -80 deg C and then defrost them for an assay and they still show activity, then what am I worried about? See, this is why I write. So that I can process what I'm worried about and talk myself through it.

A friend brought over a 15 gallon storage tub full of breastpumps and pump parts and bottles and pacifiers and baby spoons. It was overwhelming to me prior to Albert's birth, but when my mom arrived, she helped me sort through it all and put out the bottles and nipples that we would need. We did purchase a few more of the size that is working for us now, but having an assortment to get us started was super helpful. We also had a set of six matching Avent bottles that we got free from Motherhood Maternity every time I went shopping there, so we use those for formula. I will write a separate post about the breastpump and parts and schedule etc.

Pump Parts

Tubing
Breast Shield
Membranes
Valves
Car Adapter
Connectors
Nursing Bra

Nursing Pads

The thing I will say is that the nursing bra has allowed me to pump hands-free and this has been completely liberating. I have used an infinity scarf that a friend gave me as a way to cover up the pump parts while I'm pumping. It also keeps me warm if I get chilly. The washable bamboo nursing pads really are everything. We have definitely used the car adapter. I have an apron-style nursing cover, but it's black and I haven't used it yet. Being that we're in Southern California, I'm more worried about getting too hot rather than being too cold. I don't have a lot of black things in my wardrobe, but I'm certainly accumulating them. It's like my mom outfits are either black or dark blue. I don't know why that is because dark colors seem to show the spit-up more obviously, but hey, I'm not designing the clothes.

Bath Time

Puj Tub
Ducky Thermometer
Hooded Towel
Bath Sponge

We have definitely used the tub, hooded towel and washcloths (which came as a set). Never got the sponge. Definitely use the ducky thermometer. A popular gift at our baby showers was baby body wash and shampoo so we have about 80 oz of that. Someone also got us the cutest bath spout cover that looks like an elephant. I don't know how we ended up with an elephant theme for our baby's stuff, but I'm not mad about it. I can't wait for this pandemic to ease up so we can take a walk at the Zoo.

Diapering

Disposable Diapers size 0 (36 pack)
Disposable Diapers size 1 (196 pack)
Disposable Diapers size 2 (37 pack)
Dy-Dee Diaper Service
Toilet Sprayer Kit
SprayMate
Diaper Backpack
Diaper Genie
Diaper Genie Refills
Cloth Diaper (style A)
Bum Inserts (6 pack)
Cloth Diaper (style B)
Wipes

We have been using disposable diapers. They get you started at the hospital and it's hard to switch to something else when what you're doing is working. So we did end up buying two boxes (194 count) of size 1 huggies little snugglers. We've used a whole box. The weight range for huggies size 1 is 8-14 lbs. We sized Albert up from newborn size due to his hernia. When it's enlarged, the newborn diapers were too restrictive. He weighs 11.5 lbs today and according to the growth chart, he should be able to use those for about another 1-2 months. Huggies size 2 has a weight range of 12-18 pounds. We did get some size 2 honest diapers this past weekend, but I heard they run a bit small. It says that their diapers fit babies from 12-18 pounds, I guess, same as huggies.

The all-in-one (AIO) cloth diapers we got from a lady at UCLA came in newborn (4) and size one (8). We have lots of cloth diapers in the one-size-fits-all (OS) which Albert isn't quite big enough for yet (33 pocket, 7 AIO, 16 PUL, 16 Sloomb and 122 inserts of various fabrics). I guess we'll go into those when he's fitting into them. Some of these we bought and some were generously gifted to us by friends.

We are currently using two PUL Diaper Covers (PUL = Polyurethane Laminate) that we use with 100% cotton flour sack towels (FSTs). We have 28 FSTs that I have folded into the kite newborn fold. We have about 12 snappi fasteners and an assortment of diaper pins. Doing diaper laundry every-other-day we end up washing about 8 FSTs and the 8 size 1 AIOs. So far, so good. Albert definitely cries more often in the FSTs than in the AIOs, most likely due to the microfiber liner in the AIOs that doesn't let him feel the wetness as intensely.

We haven't used the sprayer kit, but we did install it. It might come in handy as a bidet if the pandemic stretches out and there is really a toilet paper shortage. The SprayMate also has not been used yet. The need arises after the kid starts eating solid food (around 6 months). We decided to skip the diaper service and just get a stock of our own inventory and wash them ourselves. I think this is how the diapering category of our "actual" spending became the largest slice of the pie (see chart at the end of this post). We calculated that we would only have to cloth diaper for 6 months to "break even" with disposables. So if we can do it for longer than that, we will save money. At this time, when people are hoarding disposable diapers and wipes, it is good to have an alternative.

Nursery Decor

Crib
Crib Mattress
Crib Mattress Protector
Crib Mattress Fitted Sheets (2 pk)
Changing Table
Changing Pad
Changing Pad Cover
Bassinet
Crib Mobile
Nightlight

We were able to find a changing table used, which saved us some money. Our colleagues at work pooled their money and bought us the crib, mattress, mattress protector and sheets. One colleague got us the mobile. We got a free nightlight at our doctor's office. Another nightlight we found at IKEA. We ended up adding a cosleeper. The deluxe model comes with a sound, light, and vibration unit which works well for getting our baby to sleep in 30 seconds or less, on vibrate. The baby is also getting fascinated with mobiles, particularly on his swing, so when we transition him into his bassinet, he will probably enjoy the Trend Lab mobile that we have.

Health and Safety

Brush and Comb set
Medicine Dispenser
Hydrocortisone
Gas Relief Drops
Infant Tylenol
Rectal Thermometer
Nail Clippers
Nose Frida
Nose Frida Filters (20 ct)
Babyproofing Kit (46 pc)
Safety Gate

We got a comb at the hospital, the gas drops came with a medicine dispenser. We bought the nail clippers after baby was born. A friend gave us the Nose Frida. We haven't bought the safety gate yet, but we will. We bought the thermometer and other medications. The only thing we don't have so far is "gripe water" and we also bought probiotics after our baby was having a lot of reflux and gas.

Toys and Books

Mortimer Moose

We haven't bought this but we got a lot of toys as gifts from friends and family. We got a bunny that sings. We got a lion and a monkey. My mom tried to buy a snuggly toy, but the recommendation now is that baby has nothing in the crib with them, so I don't understand when the kid is supposed to play with the toy. I am guessing we'll get a Sophie la Girafe Teether and maybe a Skip Hop Farmstand Avocado Stroller Toy and maybe Mortimer Moose. We did register for some books: All Aboard National Parks, Quantum Physics for Babies, and Planting a Rainbow. We got some other books as gifts and others we bought at the used bookstore.

For the Parents

Bed Pad
Birth Ball
Exercise Ball Plugs

These items we bought for ourselves, but they have definitely been useful. The bed pad was something I used while waiting for my water to break. The birth ball I used every day while pregnant and I use it still now to calm baby and as a substitute for a chair. A friend gave me two peanut balls and a smaller exercise ball, but none of them had plugs. I found a pack of plugs on Amazon, which made them viable again. I felt very proud about that.

Forecast

Actual

In summary, the projected total amount of items on our registry was $3,500. The amount we saved was $1,200 which we accomplished by exploring consignment shops and Facebook marketplace. The amount we actually spent was $1,300 and the rest of the items we got as gifts.

https://www.mother.ly/love/to-the-moms-who-gave-my-kids-their-hand-me-downs-thank-you