boneyjean
Posted : 12/6/2009 11:36:35 PM
My suggestion would be to go to their registry and buy one of the "essentials" (i.e. carset, pack n play, bouncy seat, swing, boppy, monitor, whatever you can afford) from their registry and include a gift receipt with it. If they already got it, or change their mind (which I did 1000 times even with all the research I did!), they won't have any trouble exchanging it if there is a gift receipt. Resist the urge to buy clothes, burp cloths, bibs, blankets, towels etc. They will get tons of those. It wouldn't hurt to ask the mom as gift giving time gets closer what she really wants/needs as well. There were only a handfull of things that people bought us that weren't on my registry that I loved! An overpriced set of socks that I used to their full extent and even generously passed on to my SIL even though I LOVED them (Trumpette was the brand), and some embroidered burp cloths made out of cotton diapers. I did register for cotton diapers as burp cloths but people gave me "burp cloths" instead which were only about 5 inches wide and NEVER seemed to catch the spit up!
Otherwise, most of the things I didn't register for and couldn't exchange ended up sitting in a drawer collecting dust. But I did my research and knew what I needed. This is why a gift receipt is nice b/c if they get a duplicate or change their mind on something, even once baby is here, it is easy to exchange for something they need.
Also, for fairly inexpensive buying in the meantime if you are the type that wants to buy something now before they know the sex, board books are great! I mostly still try to only buy those if they are an option b/c Devin tugs at the pages and chews on the books and they stand up much better and are less of a choking hazard tan paper. I have gotten some great ones as gifts that I never would have even found. Our currect favorites are "Corduoroy" (s/p?) and "I Love you Stinky Face" along with all the classics my mom read to me as a child. Everytime I go to Sams or Costco I check out the books. They often have Dr. Seuss collections in board books which I love as well.
Te very first toy that I got that I loved was a really great mirror with tabs that sang songs. Babies love mirrors and the music is entertaining as well. That was one of the main toys we used for months!
Depending on the parents, if they are the type to wear their baby, I LOVED my Moby wrap for the first 6 or so months and moved to a Mei Tai after that. ( I found a faulous one that I really love that was also very affordable and is the most comfortable one I own.) If they are the type to wear their baby, a good, soft carrier is such a wonderful thing to have and is a wonderful bonding experiece for parent and baby.
When I had Devin, most people bought what they wanted. I can tell you, I really appreciated the gifts off the registry the most, and actually exchanged as many of the clothes as I could. I also really appreciated the gift cards as well. My MIL sent me like 30 "outfits" which was really sweet but total overkill and not even half were worn. My mom asked me what I really needed and got me my breast pump and that has been used almost everyday since Devin was born. The fact is, there will always be things that you want with a baby, but more importantly are the things that you need. We didn't get a bassinet, but instead, Devin slept in the bassinet feature on her Pack N Play for the first 6 months of her life. We use it now when we travel or will be out somewhere late. This is also what my mom has at her house instead of a crib b/c it can easily be stored away.