Hooded towels..how many do I need?

[new_mommy25]

I actually have more than one question, and I'm going to combine them if thats okay.
My aunt threw me a baby shower on the 4th of July and it was great. Now that I need to do some shopping to make up for what I didn't recieve.
First, I got about 6 hooded towels and 10 washcloths. I did a search and read that about 3 was all you need. Baby bargains recommended the same amount. Should I exchange a few of these towels (luckily I have gift recipts) or do you think I may use this many? I know I will probably use all the washcloths so I will keep those. In my search I also read that most people prefer Carters. I have a Tykes (from Target)which is Carters, a pooh towel, and 4 Gerbers. I opened a package of the Gerbers and they seemed thin, but comparable to the Tykes. Of course I don't have a baby yet so I don't know what is best. Should I exchange the Gerbers for a different brand, or do you think they would do the job okay?
I also got about 10 recieveing blankets. Is that too many?
Last question. My sister gave me this adorable little bunting, or at least we think its a bunting. it's classic pooh, polyester on the outside with a cotton lining. It has long sleeves and a hood, and the buttons up the front reveal a zipper. There are no legs, but at the bottom there is a slit in the front and back. Neither of us could figure out what it is or what it's for. I thought maybe the slits might be for sliding a car seat buckle through or something? However I know you're not supposed to wear buntings in car seats, because its not safe. (I read that in baby bargains. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, could they tell me exactly what its purpose is, and where it is approriate to wear. I tried to find a picture online but couldn't.
Sorry this is so long, and thanks in advance,

[votre_ami03]

I would keep the washcloths, I have some in with the baby's bath stuff & some at the changing table, for extra cleaning & from what I hear, they come in handy when changing boy's diapers. :)

I have about 3 towels & think that is a fair amount. You could always buy more if need be. I also received a baby robe, which is too cute for words. :D

The bunting sounds cute, maybe you will need it in cool weather? I live in Phx, so definitely don't have that issue. You are right, it definitely won't work w/the car seat.

Christy
EDD - 7/26
Boy! Nolan

[sarasprings]

With all of that baby stuff, we usually went through a couple of weeks of needing about twice as much as we did for most of the time during the first 6 months. DH and I ended up going back to the store to buy some of the things we returned.

We used about 6 towels, but we always swaddled ds in a wet one (to make is sort of womb like), so we went through a lot.

For the washclothes, we have about 40 -- all cheap. For baths, I actually prefer the little polyester ones because they suds up well and I can get into all of ds's little parts without the mass of the nicer cotton wash clothes. We use (at 14 months) 2 a night because ds likes to suck on one while I wash him. Then, for clean-up at meals, we go through 4 cotton ones a day between 3 meals and a snack.

We needed at least 10 receiving blankets for most of the early days. Two were usually rolled up and put next to ds when he was sleeping so he didn't roll, a couple were in the diaper bag, a thin and a thick one in the stroller. Plus, there were a couple of weeks when we just needed a whole lot more for "digestive" reasons.

[Momof3Labs]

The other items are pretty well addressed, so I will tackle the bunting.

I would return it if I were you, for the reasons that you mentioned. We had a fleece "snowsuit" type bunting for Colin (with legs); it also had foldback hand and foot covers - a necessity, IMO. The fleece was thin enough for the car seat, and it wasn't overly warm. The bunting will be too warm for baby - unless you will have him/her outside a LOT in the winter. Or live in Antarctica. Lands End carries fleece buntings like we used.

(And yes, the slit is for the car seat buckle.)

Another popular item goes over the infant car seat, so you don't have to mess with winter outwear at all. Kinda like this:

http://store.babycenter.com/product/gear/car_seats/carseat_toys/4488

[Karenn]

Hi,
I have never used all of my hooded towels. I have only ever used my two favorites, and that seems to do us just fine. I'd probably have one or two more "on-hand"

I think you're right to want to keep all the washclothes. A girlfriend of mine once said "Oh, you can NEVER have too many of those!" And she was so right! I use them much more now than I did when Colin was a little baby.

My experience with Gerber products is that they don't hold up as well, so I'd probably exchange them, but I'm sure they'd "do the job okay."

I had an insane amount of receiving blankets and only used about 5 of them. HOWEVER, I didn't know which ones would be more useful until after the baby arrived. You might hold on to all ten until after your little one arrives and then return the ones that seem like they may not work.

And the Pooh outfit, sounds like a bunting to me. The slit probably is for the carseat. One thing I've discovered is that people are allowed to market all sorts of carseat products that most carseat experts recommend against. So, while I wouldn't use it in the car seat, we did have similar product that I used with Colin when we were out in the stroller in the winter time. It was great and kept him nice and cozy. HTH.

Have fun shopping!

[new_mommy25]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I will hang on to the hooded towels for now. I'll just keep a few in the packages and see how many I use after DS is born. If I don't use them all I'll just exchange later.
As for the bunting, thanks for the advice. We figured that the slits were for the car seat but we just couldn't be sure. My sister is older than me but has no kids yet, so we are both mystified by the world of baby items, lol! You are also right, I don't think it is cold enough in Seattle for the thick bunting, a car seat cover like the link you showed me is a better option. I also got another fleece bunting from my aunt that has legs. I'll prpbably keep that one because it seems more useful. I grew up In Hawaii but my somhow a lot of my family ended up in Arizona and Southern California. Therefore they are all convinced that I live in the ice age. You should see the amount of cold weather clothes I got, although most of it will be useful. I tried to convince them that its just as cold at night in Arizona during the winter but they are in denial. Oh well.
Again, thanks to all of you for the advice.

edited to say that I meant I got a fleece snowsuit from my aunt, not a bunting.

[new_mommy25]

Karen, thanks for adressing the Gerber issue. I've heard from several different people that Gerber does not hold up well. Thats why i was wondering if I should exchange. Maybe I will just return them for a store credit and then buy more towels down the line if I need them. I feel as though I'm obsessing over a minor issue. My husband looked at me like I was crazy when I suggesting returning them. He's like, just keep 'em, who cares. But I don't want to keep something that may be useless, when I can exchange for something better. Oh well...

[millerpjm]

I have 3 hooded towels, and so far it seems just the right amount. I have about 14 washcloths, and I think I need to buy more... it seems like they keep disappearing (well, into the laundry basket anyway). My hooded towels are Tykes and JCPenney brand, which are both nice. Gerber seems thin to me.

I would second getting just a cover for the carseat and returning the bunting- I had a Bundle Me that I really liked. It goes under and over the baby so it's almost like a "sleeping bag" in the carseat. There are several covers to look at - check out Babies R Us or Baby Depot or someplace like that.

Jen

Proud mama to Thomas (5 months old)

[Karenn]

Angelita,
IMO, you're pregnant and allowed to obsess over all issues, big or little! :) BTW, I live near Seattle too, and the thing "similar to a bunting" that I mentioned was a fleece snowsuit like you and Lori were talking about. :) We spent a few days over the Christmas holidays downtown and the fleece snowsuit was the perfect thing for Seattle winter weather. It kept him nice and toasty warm when we were going between shops or waiting outside the Cheesecake Factory for lunch!

[jubilee]

I have three hooded towels, and it seems to be the perfect number. I have too many washcloths, I believe the perfect number (for me) would be 6. I keep one tucked behind the headrest of the carseat for the minor spit-up while out, the other washcloths are for the bath. As for receiving blankets, I never swaddled the baby, so only 2-3 would have been necessary and only for covering him up in the carseat.
Just my opinion,

[new_mommy25]

Lol, you are right about waiting outside the Cheesecake factory. It's cold and you have to wait a long time. :)

[mam615]

From the other end of the spectrum...

Now that Dorothy is eating solids and taking a bath every day, I go through TONS of wash cloths and a fair amount of towels. It's probably overkill, but I wash everything after one use. For wash cloths, I use 1 after each meal and 2 for the bath, so that's 5 per day minimum. Since I do laundry twice a week, that means I need at least 20 wash cloths. And believe me, I see the bottom of that pile more often than I would like! (same with bibs)

I use 2 towels per bath (I put one over my shoulder before I pick her up, and use one to cover her). I always wash them too in case she pees in them. So eight would be ideal, but I manage to get by with 6 (I guess I usually end up taking one night off from the bath).

[peanut4us]

i just wanted to weigh in on the gerber issue... tryutn them. dd hated the towel; it was scratchy snd nonabsorbant. we also have a pack of gerber washcloths... they are not remotely soft anymore and they are falling apart. So if you got any gerber brand washcloths, then I would return or exchange them too.

[new_mommy25]

Thanks for the advice. I am definetly going to exchange the gerbers I have.

[Magda]

I just have to weigh in on this. We own no (yes, I mean zero) baby towels or washcloths. Our regular towels have always been fine. I really feel they are non-essential items. As for recieving blankets, we got through the first 12 months with about 5-6.

elaine

[KMommie]

Towels...I use 2 hooded towels (1 for right out of the bath, to dry her off quick and then I switch to a dry one while we make sure all her folds are dried and "air out" a bit) and 5 washcloths (3 wet-- 1 for her arms, 1 for her body, 1 for diaper area and 2 dry-- to pat dry her folds) per bath. I also use each only once, so in addition, I go through about 4-5 more washcloths per day. I periodically wipe her hands throughout the day, and every morning and night I wipe her down, if we aren't giving her a full bath. Plus, I've heard on the boards here that using a damp washcloth kept in the refrigerator is a good teether--- that's a couple more I'm going to try out now. So, I go through A LOT of washcloths! I have 5 hooded towels, and a TON of washcloths. I would agree to exchange the Gerbers for a different brand.

Receiving blankets...check to see how large they are. They can be different sizes. Some of the ones we got were way too small to wrap DD once she started to kick. They would come undone so quickly. I preferred the thin cotton flannel ones (but I found the Gerbers to be scratchy, didn't like 'em) when we were staying home a lot, to wrap DD up in but now I love the thicker cotton ones for travel, they can be thrown on the floor, used as a sunshade, etc. and easily fit in my diaper bag. DH and I keep one each in our cars for "just in case".

Good Luck!!

Jeannie
mommy to Kiki 4/18/03