A Game-Changer in the Box: Worth Every Penny, but Is It Really Worth It?

I'm still buzzing about the gift box I got from Governor Alexander Beglov. It's even more packed than the ones you get in the capital. My girls and I in the maternity ward were laughing about how 'I had her for this.'

How to get it? They hand out the box along with the birth certificate. By the way, they make it in just 10 minutes at the ZAGS office, and they hand it out right away along with the box. It's pretty funny - at first, they collect all the info in a completely serious, mundane tone, then they hand out the certificate, and right after that, they give this big, congratulatory speech about the birth of the baby.

If you come to the ZAGS office with the baby, you won't have to wait in line at all - they'll call you right away. It's super convenient.

The most convenient way to get the birth certificate is to get it all together with the other documents when you're discharged from the hospital. But, we had our babies on a Friday evening, and we had to get discharged on a Tuesday morning, and they only accepted the documents after lunch on Monday. Our info couldn't make it to the ZAGS office and back in time. Ideally, they should give you the birth certificate, the box, the St. Petersburg birth medal, and the medal from the specific hospital where you gave birth (at least, the ones at the Military Hospital and the First Hospital have those).

Documents. Along with the box, you need to sign a document confirming you received the gift and sign the invoice with a list of contents.

Contents. The box itself is made of thick cardboard, pretty big, about a meter long and 50 cm high with convenient handles. I'm currently using it to store things.

The box is packed with all sorts of useful stuff for babies all the way up to the lid (everything is compactly arranged, so every centimeter counts).

Here's everything in the box at once (excluding the towel, which went straight into the wash and use):

Honestly, out of all this stuff, I really only needed the video nanny. Our previous one was a top-notch Motorola, and we couldn't be happier with it, but unfortunately, the baby managed to break it. This camera from Baby go is okay, and if it was the first one, it would have been perfect for me. But, I'm used to good quality, and I had a lot of questions about it. The picture quality is good, the sound is accurate. If there's even the slightest noise or rustling, the sound turns on, and the screen lights up. The charging device holds the charge really well, so that's not a problem for me.

I have to say, using the camera isn't super convenient. It's on a stand, not a ball, so it's best to put it on a flat surface - although technically, you can attach it to the crib. But I don't have a smooth surface where I can see the crib and the baby. I have a convertible crib attached to a big adult bed, and putting it on the mattress every time is the best idea.

So, with a flat camera like this, there's no up-and-down rotation, only side-to-side. Attaching it to the crib makes no sense, and the baby might not be in its field of view.

And to make matters worse, it doesn't have a charging dock, it's always on a cord. Just pick it up and move it to another room - not so easy.

As a result, we're basically not using the one thing we were expecting (and paying for) the most.

Attivio Nightlight was a must-have for me too. First, it looks super cute, second, my older kid collects nightlights, and third, a weak nightlight is better than using bedside lamps, which would wake up my husband. It has a soft, gentle glow, perfect for the job. But, it only worked for one night. If you believe the indicator, the battery is charged and full, but the light just won't turn on. When we got the package, we were told we could just take it to the local baby store without any receipts and they'd replace it. But, this nightlight is sold everywhere, how do you prove it's from the gift? We never made it to the store, never figured out what to do with it.

At first, I thought the sterilizer was unnecessary. I thought I could just replace it with something else. But, as it turned out, it's the most-used item in the whole set. My older kid was exclusively breastfed, no bottles were planned, and he wouldn't even let me get the pacifier near his mouth.

My younger kid is a regular user of these accessories, and the sterilizer works like a charm. It's simple, plastic, compact, and gets the job done quickly. Of course, you could use the microwave like we used to, but with this one, there's no hassle at all. It's also from Baby go.

The bottle warmer seemed completely unnecessary to me. We haven't even used it, and probably won't. It would be nice to keep the bottle at 37°C all the time.

Humidifier is pretty basic, but that's exactly what I needed. My air purifier, Boneco, does the heavy lifting, but I wanted a classic humidifier. I don't have a hygrometer, but it seems to be working. The LED light is nice, and it's great that you can use it as a nightlight.

But, of course, nothing's perfect. After a week of use, one of the 'sticks' fell off while it was working. Luckily, I had turned it off for the night, or it might have burned up. Now, only one side of the humidifier is working. There are spare 'filters,' but I'm hesitant to use them.

It costs 1299 rubles.

Music mat. It's a nice thing to have, but it's no substitute for our air purifier, Boneco, which has a lot more features. When the kids get older, the music mat will be too simple for them. I was also surprised by the price - 1799 rubles for a mat with a few buttons and a simple design.

I don't have a photo of it in use, as it's at my grandma's house.

Towel with a corner. It's a useful thing, and it's been getting a lot of use. It's a neutral color, and it doesn't have any strong smells. After three months, it still looks pretty good. However, after the first wash, it started shedding. I'm not sure what to expect in terms of price, but similar towels start at 650 rubles in the children's store.

Zebratoys rattle toys. I couldn't find these exact toys in the children's store, but similar ones cost 899 rubles. They look very nice and would make a great gift, even in a gift box.

Unfortunately, we can't use them yet. The toys are too heavy and large for the baby to pick up. They might be more suitable around a year old, but will they still be interesting then?

The bath book and twisty snake from Baby go are now 319 rubles each (on sale, usually 399 rubles).

I've got to say, Zayka Aililo is a game-changer. It's the real deal, not some cheap replica. And the best part? It's actually worth the money. My three-month-old baby is already showing interest in it. Right now, it's priced at 2795 rubles in Detsky Mir.

The My Story album with my baby's diary is a great addition. It's where I record all the important milestones and stick in photos. It's got all sorts of useful info, like what benefits I'm eligible for and when they're due, plus stickers for photo shoots. You can't buy this separately, it's specifically designed for newborn boxes.

Now, let's calculate the total cost of this bundle:

The music mat is around 1700-1800 rubles, the video nanny is probably 6999 rubles, but I managed to snag it for 4299 rubles at the beginning of the year (maybe that was a temporary price hike). The nightlight is 1000-1100 rubles in Detsky Mir, but you can get it for 700 rubles on marketplaces. The sterilizer is 2798 rubles, the warmer is 1299 rubles, and the humidifier is also 1299 rubles. The onesie is 650 rubles, the rattle is 899 rubles, the Baby Go toys are 2 x 319 rubles, and Aililo is 2795 rubles (you can find it cheaper). The total comes out to 20170 rubles at Detsky Mir prices.

Pros and Cons.

+

It's nice to get it as a gift; The cost of refilling is over 20000 rubles; It's easy to get; -

Not everything is included; Not all the items (especially the tech stuff) turned out to be of good quality; Verdict. Of course, I wouldn't go through childbirth just for this box, but getting it as a gift is a lovely surprise. I couldn't say it saved me any money, I would've just bought some things separately and gotten better quality ones. What's frustrating is that some of the items, like the humidifier, nightlight, and others, only lasted a few days.

I spent a while trying to decide on a rating. The gift itself is great, but it makes me think about the quality of Baby Go's products.