Unsolicited Advice - Vol. 3: Baby Gear - part 1 - The Baby's Room

I bought a baby shower gift for a friend this morning, but almost everything on her registry was discontinued, so I just bought stuff that I thought she would need/like. Not the basics (like diapers, wipes, etc.), but the stuff that you might not even think of until you are in the moment. This, of course, got my mind whirling again. Thought I would pass some ideas on to you.

First of all, don't register until about a week before your baby shower invites go out. This morning was a case in point. Almost half of my friend's registry is no longer available, yet it was all the good stuff that she will need (crib sheets, fun decor, blankets, even a cute changing pad and bouncy seat!). Unfortunately, her shower is tomorrow, and according to the registry, I think she has received one item. And I bet her husband bought it the night they registered. It's some action video. So, if you want to get the stuff you register for, don't register too far in advance. I know, you will be DYING to register, but try to hold back.

Also, please register where people actually shop. I know there are some great little boutiques out there, but the average person won't want to spend $20 on a burp cloth. Target is your best bet. I know that when I find out a person is pregnant or just had a baby, I hop online to see their registry, then go to the store to make my purchase. Of course, in a little town like mine, WalMart would be a good choice, too (probably just for the basics, though).

So what kinds of things will you need? So glad you asked! This is the fun part! I'm going to have to break this up a bit, though, or this would be a really long post.

The baby's room:

Crib: I was given a crib (that was up to code!), which was awesome for a young couple with no money. However, if I could do it over again, I think I would splurge a little bit. I would have liked a wood-tone (boyish) sleigh style crib that converts into a full size bed. So, my advice is to buy a nice crib, especially if you plan on having more kids. You will see that crib every day for years, so you might as well like looking at it. If you do use a borrowed crib, you should REALLY make sure it is up do current safety standards. Do a google search to find out.

Bedding: Bedding has to be the cutest part of a baby's room. Unfortunately, it is not always the most practical. For example, the SIDS Alliance (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) says to keep all soft objects out of a baby's crib, including stuffed animals, pillows and blankets. So, that adorable crib blanket that you want is better off being hung on the wall. Oh, and the SIDS Alliance also recommends against a crib bumper, which is the second cutest part of baby bedding. Why? Because a child could press their face up against it and stop breathing, or they could get caught under it. Grant got caught under his a few times and it was a little scary. Besides, if you change baby sheets as often as I did, you will find that it is a royal pain to work around a crib bumper. I had one with Grant (until he started stepping on it and threatening to launch himself) and didn't have one with Cole. Do not despair, though. I think manufacturers are figuring things out and have come out with MUCH cuter crib sheets and dust ruffles. So, for baby bedding, I would recommend at least 2 crib sheets and waterproof mattress pads and a cute dust ruffle. Sounds boring, but if you hang that blanket on your painted walls and sprinkle a few pictures around the room, it will be very cute. (By the way, I tend to lean toward overly cautious when it comes to preventing SIDS because my little sister died of SIDS. That is a topic for another time.)

A comfortable chair: I understand that some babies share with siblings and there might not be enough room for a chair, but if you have the space, keep the chair in the baby's room. When the baby wakes up at night, you should NOT leave their room or they will start to think it is time to party. In my opinion, this is the reason most parents are up all night. They made the mistake of taking the baby out of the room for feeding time. If you bottle feed, make the bottle before entering the room. If you nurse, close the door, get used to the light and feed the baby in the dark room sitting in your comfortable chair. With both of my kids, I used a nice, little hand-me-down upholstered chair with low arms (perfect for resting my elbows) that had a gentle rock. The back was just low enough to rest my head back and catch a few Z's while taking care of business. I would recommend against a traditional rocking chair because they are terribly uncomfortable and the arms are way too high to rest your elbows while holding a baby. I have found gliders to be comfortable, but again, the arms are way too high. If in doubt, try it out (with a real baby in your arms, if possible).

A low dresser: Not only will you fill it with clothes, you will also provide yourself with a great surface for a changing pad and storage for diapers. Cole's room has a long dresser with a changing pad on one end. We keep his diapers in the drawer just under the changing pad. It is a perfect height and very practical.

Wall Hooks: SUPER helpful. Great for hanging diaper bags, sweatshirts and towels.

Clothes hamper: Because you will need it. Often.

Diaper pail:Some people keep dirty diaper pails in the baby's room. We did for the first couple of months until it started to smell terrible. Soon, we found ourselves keeping it in the garage. Yes, they are super nice to have. We bought the Diaper Champ (not the Diaper Genie) because it does a great job of keeping the smell trapped, you don't need to shove your hand down into the recess, and you don't need to buy any special bags. Just your regular kitchen trash bags will do. We still use this and keep it right next to the trash can in the garage. Why don't we just throw the diapers in the big trash can? Because it smells to high heaven every time you open it. We just open the diaper pail on trash days, remove the offending bag, spray the inside with odor neutralizer (Sol-U-Mel) and put in a new bag.

What you don't need:
A table lamp:, Save your money. What would you use the table lamp for? Are you planning to read a book during your midnight feeding? If you turn on that lamp, expect to be up with a wide-awake baby all night. Now, a super dim night light next to the changing table is helpful for midnight diaper changes, but make sure it is super dim. I just cracked the door a little instead.

I really can't think of other things you don't need because that was all I really had. Hmm. Maybe others can chime in on this topic.

Stay tuned for more unsolicited advice.