Best Baby Registry Ever: Cloth Diapers Edition

Daytime Diapers - There are several types of cloth diapers and many, many brands of cloth diapers. It's way too much to get into in this post. Therefore, I'll do a post later next week on types of cloth diapers. Promise. Whatever you choose, plan on having enough to make it through at least two days before you have to do laundry.

Overnight Diapers - If you choose to do cloth diapers for overnight, you need to change the diaper each time Baby wakes. You're going to need something with more absorbancy, so go with a pocket diaper (Don't worry. I'll explain what pocket diaper means in that post next week.), a good insert, and a liner. Now for some mommy-to-mommy honesty... Do you like changing diapers in the middle of the night? No? Then use disposables just for nighttime. You don't have to change them each time Baby wakes, and that makes it easier for both of you to get back to sleep.

Wipes - Choose some nice, soft flannel wipes. I like these by Punkin Butt. Weird confession: I enjoy folding the wipes when they come out of the laundry. It's relaxing in an odd sort of way.

Wipes Warmer - This Prince Lionheart model works great with cloth wipes. Also be sure to register for the "Everfresh Replacement Pillows".

Wipes Solution - I love, love, love Washy Wafers Wipes Solution. They're little wafers that dissolve in warm water. For convenience I keep a measuring cup and spoon for mixing on my changing table. When you've got it mixed up, you just pour it over the wipes in your wipes warmer.

Diaper Pail - All you need is a tall garbage can with a flip-top lid. That's it.

Pail Liner - You'll need two of these so that you'll have a spare to line the pail with while you're doing diaper laundry.

Pail Powder - Pail powder is optional and gets sprinkled in the pail to help cover up any lovely smells that might escape. There are some recipes on the web for making your own, but I'm too intimidated by essential oils to attempt it. Perhaps you're braver than I. We use the Rockin' Green powder, partly because I love that they name their scents after bands that I loved in high school. For example, Smashing Watermelons.

Wet Bag - If you're adament about having a wet bag for your diaper bag, I've used these, and they're great - and very cute. My problem is that I always forget to put them back in the diaper bag (which I keep in the car) when I take them out of the laundry. If this sounds like something you might do, Munchkin/Arm & Hammer make a fine little product that dispenses little bags. Target sells it, although I couldn't locate it on their website. It's very similar to a doggie pick-up bag dispenser. Also good for holding spit-up casualties.

Diaper-Area Ointment - Cloth-diapered babies tend to get less diaper rash, so my babies are still using the same Magic Stick that we started out with. The beauty of this product is that it's hands-free. Because a person should only have to touch so much butt. If you're a twin mommy or twin mommy-to-be, you'll need one per butt. Note: Don't use regular diaper ointment creams because they can build up on your diapers, which could lead to them repelling stuff, which is the last thing you need your diapers to do.

Detergent - Some people do okay with the regular detergent they wash all of their laundry in. Not my kids. The rashes looked rather painful. I've used both Tiny Bubbles and the Bumgenius detergents, and both work great. They're specifically designed for cloth diapers, so they don't contain any fragrances or anything that will build up on your diapers that would cause you to have to strip them. The not having to strip them thing might be reason enough alone to go with a cloth diaper detergent.

And now I feel the need to write a post about cloth diaper laundry...

Best Baby Registry Ever: Health and Beauty Edition

Thermometer - Those thermometers that scan the forehead and the ones you stick inside the ear are pretty cool, huh? Well, your pediatrician won't be very interested in what they have to say because they're not accurate on babies. Get two regular digital thermometers. Then get our your Sharpie and label the first one O/A (Oral/Armpit). This is the one that you'll stick under Baby's arm. It's not entirely accurate, but add a degree to what it tells you, and you'll get an idea of whether or not Baby is running a fever and whether you should proceed to the second thermometer, which you're going to label R. R stands for Rectal, and I know that probably freaks you out. But after the first time, it's not a big deal, and it's the most accurate way to get a baby's temperature.

Nasal Bulb - Don't buy one. The one the hospital gives you is perfectly fine.

Baby Nail Clippers - Get something simple - no magnifying lenses and no lights. It's hard enough to see what you're doing without the extra stuff getting in the way (even if it claims to help you see what you're doing). Since most of the parents I know have a story about cutting off the tip of their baby's finger (I'm so serious), put them away for as long as you can. Baby fingernails are so thin that they can be bitten and/or peeled off for a good long while.

Infant Acetaminophen Drops (a.k.a. Tylenol) - The dosing for tiny ones isn't on the box, so ask your pediatrician at your first visit so you'll know for future reference.

Infant Ibuprofen Drops (a.k.a. Motrin) - Ibuprofen is better for teething pain because it's an anti-inflammatory

Mylicon - These are anti-gas drops that some people swear by and some people think are worthless. You'll never know unless you try, and if you have a colicky baby, you'll TRY. ANYTHING.

Gripe Water - This is another remedy that works for some and does nothing for others. It seemed to help our kids. I've also heard of some brands working better for some babies than other brands. If this is the case, you might have to experiment.

Probiotic Drops - These are expensive, so hold off unless you actually have a colicky baby. We tried them without success, but they do help a lot of babies.

Baby Saline - When Baby has a cold, the saline helps loosen up the snot so that it's easier to suction out. Also useful for the dry indoor heating of winter.

Humidifier - A humidifier works wonder for a baby with a cold. Again, also useful for winter dryness.

Dandruff Shampoo - Huh? For a baby? I wouldn't actually put this on the registry, but just be aware of it. Chances are that your baby will have cradle cap at some point (both of mine did), which will make your baby resemble the weird, flaky kid who sat in front of you in 9th grade. I found dandruff shampoo to be effective at holding it at bay. For when it gets really bad, you can slather baby's head in olive oil, massage, and then slough the flaky chunks off with a comb.

Comb - I wouldn't even bother with a brush.

Best Baby Registry Ever: Breastfeeding Edition

Pump - For appointments, date nights, building your supply, expressing milk for mixing with cereal, and building a freezer stash, you'll need a pump. If you can afford it, get a double electric. I'm a big fan of the Purely Yours from Ameda. Ameda has a patent on their tubing system, which is designed so that milk can't get up into the tubes. Is it expensive? Yes, but if you do a little looking around on Ebay or Craigslist, you'll find that they hold their value pretty well. (Translation: If you resell it you'll make back a good portion of your moolah.) I think the best deal out there on a new one is through diapers.com. If you've never ordered from them, you can get a promo code for 10 or 15% off. Oh, and don't buy the more expensive package with the carrying case. That's what I use the bag the formula company sent me home from the hospital with for (bwa ha ha ha!!!).

Breast Pads - For wearing around the house when it doesn't matter if you're lumpy, get some washable cloth pads. For leaving the house, I recommend Lanisoh disposables. They're absorbent and are smooth enough so as not to inspire curious strangers to stare at your chest.

Nipple Butter - I have a lanolin allergy, which led me to seek out lanolin-free Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter. In nearly a year of doing twice the normal amount of breastfeeding, I've never had a problem with chapping or cracking, so that should tell you that it's miraculous stuff. I've also used it as baby chapstick. At $14ish for a tub, it seems expensive, but that little tub lasts a good while.

Milk Storage Bags - Lanisoh wins again. Their bags are reasonably priced, non-leaky, easy to seal, and easy to label.

Breastfeeding Pillow -Make sure you choose something that lifts Baby close to your boobs without you having to bend over. This will a) save you a lot of back pain and b) free you up to do other stuff like reading this fine blog.

Nursing Bras - Check into Bravado. They make 'em in a nice range of sizes and have some pretty cute non-underwire bras, which is no easy thing to find. They are a bit pricey, but if you check for promo codes or sign up for their e-mails, it's not hard to get 20% off. They're also available on Target's website and diapers.com.

Nursing Tops/Dresses - Nursing tops would be a nice thing to have, but if you find yourself breastfeeding during the summer months, you MUST get yourself a nursing dress. Take a second to think this through... What do you do when it's time to nurse? You lift your shirt up... can't do that with a dress, dear. And every gal has to have a cute sundress. Milk and Expressiva make some adorable ones that no one will be the wiser about.

Best Baby Registry Ever: Bath Edition

With the end of my first year of mommyhood on the horizon, I've been reminiscing a lot. Some of the memories make me teary. Some of them make me grin. And some of them are just so darn educational that it kills me a little to think about all of this hard-won knowledge going to waste. So I bring to you, pregnant friends and Google stumbler-upon-ers, The Best Baby Registry Ever. These are the choices I would make if I had it to do over again.

Today, Bath Edition.

Trukid Bath Products - The Environmental Working Group keeps a list of products in their cosmetics database with toxicity ratings on a scale of 0-10, with 10 being the most toxic. Trukid's shampoo, body wash, and lotion (all products we use) rate a 2. Compare this to Johnson & Johnson No More Tears Shampoo and its rating of 5. The Trukid product isn't "tear-free", but considering that the "no-tears" effect is achieved by adding a chemical that numbs the eye, I'm okay with that. Furthermore, the Trukid products smell terrific. You know how natural/organic products can have a certain... *smell* about them, but Trukid has a yummy citrusy fragrance.

Real Towels (Not Baby Towels) - One of the best baby shower gifts I received were big, thirsty white towels with washcloths sewn on as hoods. Baby towels get outgrown awfully quickly and just don't absorb very much.

Thin baby washcloths for the bath - It's a lot easier to get into all of those tiny creases and folds with a thin washcloth than with a thick one.

Thicker baby washcloths for cleaning up after meals - When you're trying to wipe off layers of goo from somebody's face, you want something cushy and absorbant. Keep these near your feeding area.

Bath Seat or Infant Tub - We used a seat instead of an infant tub. The pro of this is that now I sit it outside the tub and use it as a holding area of sorts for moving babies in and out of the tub safely. The con is that when they were at the pooping in the tub stage, it meant having to drain and clean the entire tub instead of just the infant tub. Whatever you choose, I wouldn't invest much money in this item.

Bath Toys - Our favorites include the letters that stick to the side of the tub, squirty things, stacking cups, and bath books.

Bath Mat - When Baby starts sitting in the tub without a seat, you'll need a mat to keep too much slipping and sliding from going on. Seriously, you need one of these. It's a safety issue.

Veteran mommies, what did I miss?