I present to
you my LABOR (get it) of LOVE. And it is a LONG one. I’ve been working on this
for weeks now because I remember feeling so overwhelmed when it was registry
creation time for our first baby. All of these products are ones we’ve known
and loved and used twice through and would 100% recommend. I did not include nursery furniture, though I can absolutely help with this if anybody has questions, but typically these pieces are purchased outside of the registry. Speaking from experience, you
get PLENTY of clothes and blankets (these tend to be VERY popular gifts, either
during the shower itself or after the arrival of your little bundle), so I
would hold off on registering for any. Personally, I would only stock up on
basic white onesies (either short or long sleeved, depending on the season),
some zippered sleepers (more on these later), and a coming home outfit from the
hospital, which was always special to me and something I wanted to take time in
choosing and purchasing myself. I also want to note that this registry is
geared toward breastfeeding, because I was able to do so with both of my
babies. I used a Medela pump (Pump in Style Advanced), which was provided by
insurance (and should be for all of you as well, so no need to register for one!), and everything recommended
below is tailored around that. A quick note here: sometimes you get a few
options to choose from when selecting your pump from your insurance company,
but I highly recommend Medela because ALL of its corresponding pieces and parts
can be found at nearly any store (Walmart, Amazon, Target, etc.) Some of the
lesser known brands, while sometimes really well reviewed, don’t have
replacement or extra pump parts readily available at your local store. I don’t
have experience with formula feeding, so I’m not able to recommend anything in
terms of bottles, types of formula, etc. I’m sorry! This guide is the best
advice I’ve got, and I sincerely hope that this is helpful to some of you new
mamas (and dads!) out there.
Step one: Choose
a place (or two) to register. I highly recommend creating an Amazon baby
registry for oh-so-many reasons, but first and foremost because their pricing
is almost always the best (meaning you’ll get more of what you need at your
shower) and their return policy cannot be beat. I had a glitchy monitor that I
returned a YEAR later, no questions asked, for a full refund. You’ll also find
things that work for you, and things that don’t, along the way, and Amazon is
so good at accepting back nearly anything. You get a 10% completion discount (15%
completion discount for Amazon Family members, more on that later) and
unbeknownst to most, their registries are universal, meaning that you can add
items to an Amazon Baby Registry from ANY site if you don’t find what you want
on Amazon alone. I’d also recommend choosing one brick-and-mortar store for
grandparents or those weirdos out there (just kidding...kind of) who aren’t as
comfortable shopping online and want to pick something out in person. You can
start your registry as soon as you want, and just keep it visible to you, so
you can add things along the way leading up to your shower. As soon as you’re
ready for the world to see it, you can make it public and searchable for your
guests.
Step 2: Go
shopping! A trick of the trade: I’d also recommend adding items for the toddler
years and beyond to the registry (potty seat, childproofing equipment, baby
gates, plates, spoons, sippies, booster seats etc.) with a lower “priority
setting”, which you can customize on your Amazon registry, because these items
then also become eligible for your registry completion discount. You can scoop
these up 60 days before your baby’s arrival date and up to 60
days after (I’d use gift cards received to cross some of these items off the
list). If anybody needs ANY recommendations here, please do not hesitate to
ask. I live in a toddler paradise. If you’re a second time mom and reading
through this, I’d also recommend a registry for YOU, because you can create
one, keep it visible to only you, then shop from it yourself with the registry
completion discount since you’re likely not having a shower the second time
around. You can also sneak some things on there for big brother or big sister that will also get discounted. Win-win.
Step 3: Become an Amazon Family
member. I’m working on a post on what is worth buying on Amazon, price wise,
and spoiler alert: it’s most things baby. If you have Amazon Prime, you can
also add on an Amazon Family membership free of charge. Otherwise, you’ll have
to sign up for $99 year, which gets you free 2-day shipping, just like Prime,
AND 20% off diapers, baby food, and more through subscribe-and-save. We
subscribe-and-save to diapers, wipes, baby food pouches, baby wash, and lotion,
all arriving on our doorstep at different intervals (most once a month), in
addition to toilet paper, paper towels, several cleaning products and cosmetic
products. This keeps the bulk out of our shopping carts during weekly grocery
runs, the products are typically cheaper, and nothing is more convenient than
delivery to your door. If you find that baby is growing quickly and sizing up
in diapers, you can change the subscribe-and-save size at any time. If you find
that you have plenty of baby wash on hand, you can click a button to skip a
month. Eligible baby products are an automatic 20% discount, but if you
subscribe and save to 5 products total, per month, the additional products are
also marked down 20%. I could talk all day about this, really, but the
convenience of this service is absolutely worth it, 100 times over, let alone
the 2-day shipping for all of the things in your life that you’ll accidentally
forget about but don’t want to leave the house to get with a new baby.
Step 4: Have baby! You’re about
to embark on the most amazing roller coaster that will test you in ways you
can’t even imagine, and there’s nothing more incredible in this world than
creating a new life. You got this, new parent. Just know that your instincts
will almost always be right, everything is a phase, and by the time you Google
and try to figure out why baby is crying, not sleeping, spitting up, or
whatever the case may be, the phase will be over and you’ll be on to the next.
You were MADE to be this baby’s mama (or dad), and there is NOBODY that can
take care of them better than you. You are a part of them, always, and they are
a part of you. Together, you will navigate these uncharted waters and grow
together beyond your wildest expectations. Happy adventures, new parent. You will
be great.
Infant
Optics Baby Monitor: We have used 4 monitors. Not because we are crazy people,
but because so many are glitchy and several have just stopped working all
together. Which brings me to the DXR-8. This is BY FAR the best monitor we’ve
owned. You can adjust the view with the arrows on the monitor, both
side-to-side and up-and-down (great for when the camera gets accidentally
bumped out of place so you don’t have to physically go into the room to adjust
it), it has the ability to add up to 4 cameras (for any future babies), has an
exchangeable wide-angle lens that allows you to see the whole room for those
toddler years when they tend to get up and out of bed, has a temperature indicator
to show how warm or cold it is in baby’s room, and has 2-way talk so that you can talk to your kiddo
through the monitor (when they are a little bit older) to tell them to get back
into bed, or to settle down, or to please, please, please sleep FOR JUST ONCE IN YOUR LIFE.
Sorry. Venting. Moving on.
Baby
Bjorn Cradle: This gives me
all of the nostalgia of my babies sleeping in this beautiful bassinet. I’m a
big proponent of keeping baby in your room for the first 4-6 months of life,
mostly because you’ll be feeding all through the night anyway, and it makes
life easier to have baby at arm’s reach instead of getting out of bed every
time. I also liked having my babies close to me, especially in those early
weeks, just to be able to roll over and check on them every so often. This
bassinet is really a beautiful piece of furniture with breathable mesh siding,
and can be gently rocked to get baby to sleep. You don’t need the pricy Baby
Bjorn cradle sheets to accompany this. This set, here,
fits just as well and is much cheaper.
Itzbeen
Pocket Nanny: This little
gadget turned into one of my most used baby items, but everybody is different
in this department. I mostly (99% of the time) used it for nursing, to time our
sessions and to keep track of which side I nursed last on (for anybody new to
nursing: you always begin with the side you last nursed on). You can also use
this to track how long baby sleeps, how long between diaper changes (which you
will need to monitor those first few weeks), or anything else of your choosing
with the additional button. Some of my friends just used their phone timers,
but I really liked this gadget and kept it in a little basket next to my glider
with nipple cream and a big tumbler of water—nursing essentials.
Mother
Love Nipple Cream: Pretty sure
childbirth was on the same level as my bleeding nipples in those first few
weeks. Don’t let anyone tell you that nursing won’t hurt if you’re doing it
right, because I worked with every lactation consultant under the sun and made
sure our latch and positioning was spot on every time, and it still brought me
to tears. What people DON’T tell you is that if you fight through it (which
admittedly is one of the hardest things I’ve done the first time around) it
gets SO MUCH BETTER. The pain miraculously disappears the 2 week mark and
suddenly, it’s all worth it. I’ll save all of my breastfeeding thoughts for
another day (and post), but this Nipple Cream was my favorite and applied much
more evenly than Lanolin, which is also good, but sometimes is harder and more
difficult to spread. Apply this after EVERY nursing session, allow your nipples
to be exposed to air for as much as possible, and also apply breastmilk to any
open wounds. This was an absolute must-have product for me.
Medela
Nipple Shields: These will
save you from nipple pain those first few weeks and will protect them under
bras and clothes. My hospital provided me a set after delivery upon my request,
so make sure you ask.
Tucks
Medicated Cooling Pads: Let’s talk vaginas. These Tucks pads will bring you
so much relief after delivery that nobody should live without them. Including these
on my registry checklist because moms need love, too. Sorry not sorry. I’ll
share my pad-sickle recipe (is that the right word) another time.
Pumping
Bra: There is
nothing worse than shoving your boobs into a vacuum 3+ times a day, but these
are the things we do for the babies we love. A pumping bra is an absolute must so
you can do human things while in the pumping room, like scroll your phone, read
a book, adjust your makeup, whatever…all while producing liquid gold for your
little cherub.
5oz
bottles: If you have a
Medela pump, try the Medela bottles FIRST. This way you can pump into and feed from
the same bottle instead of pouring milk back and forth from Medela bottles to
another brand and creating double the dishes for yourself. This set is the
correct size for babies 0-6 months (my experience). If you’re sending baby to
daycare, you’ll start with 2-3oz of milk per bottle, every 2-3 hours.
8oz
bottles: Same bottle
as above but bigger for when baby starts eating more. These also come with
medium-flow nipples, which have a faster flow, but our babies continued to use
to slow-flow until nearly a year.
Spare
Pump Parts: If you plan
to breastfeed, and will be returning to work, just do yourself this enormous
favor and register for a set or two of extra pump parts. There is nothing worse
than going home after a long day, only to have to wash and dry the one set of
parts you have in order to get them ready for the next day.
Sleep
Bras: The little
known facts of breastfeeding, until you’re actually doing it. Your boobs will
leak, and they will leak something crazy. You will now need to sleep in a bra.
Fun times. Since I despise bras, and assuming you do too, I highly recommend
something wireless, soft, cotton, and as comfortable as they can possibly come,
like this little bra here. Line your sleep bra with nursing pads, below.
Nursing
Pads: Again, your
boobs will leak. You will need these to line your bra, both day and night,
until your supply starts to stabilize a few months out. Even then, if you get
off schedule, expect to spring a leak.
Boppy
plus Waterproof
Cover plus Regular
Covers: I’m sure you all know the Boppy. A staple of breastfeeding that you
should take to the hospital with you when you deliver to have the lactation
consultant show you exactly how to position both it and baby. I’ve found that
in the very beginning, it’s easiest to prop the Boppy higher on my lap by
placing a pillow underneath it. Make sure you don’t hunch over when nursing, or
your back will start to really bother you. Anyway, you’ll also need waterproof
covers and then regular covers. Make sure you first put the waterproof cover
and THEN the normal cover on. The more you wash the pillow itself, the quicker
it wears down and falls apart, and the waterproof cover is perfect for
protecting it from the inevitable spit ups or poops that will occur. Boppies
get smelly REALLY fast.
Burp
Cloths: These basic
Gerber rags got the job done just fine and were used constantly to wipe up
messes, dribble, drool, upheaved milk from tummies, etc.
Nursing
Cover: For breastfeeding on-the-go. Keep one in your
diaper bag because babies get hungry all the time.
Babyganics
Wipes: We’ve used
these wipes since day 1 and we’ve never had diaper rash. They’re unscented with
no alcohol, parabens, sulfates,
phthalates, or artificial dyes. I really like the thickness and the strength of
the wipe, which we also use for noses, faces, and hands.
Pampers
Swaddlers: These have
always been our go-to diaper. Small babies pee such a small amount that you won’t
be able to tell when they are wet. Swaddlers have a line that turns blue when there
is moisture, which will save you useless diaper changes when they don’t really
need it. As baby grows (and pees more), it will become more obvious when a diaper
change is needed, and you can transition to a cheaper make, like Target brand
diapers. After 4+ months, you’ll also need overnight diapers, which are bulkier
and retain much more moisture for longer stretches of sleep.
Contoured
Changing Pad: This one
seems to be everybody’s go-to and is a universal size.
Changing
Pad Covers: I like these
prints. I’d make sure to have 3-5 changing pad covers on hand.
Changing
Pad Liners: These little
liners are so handy for teeny tiny babies. It’s so much easier to just toss
these liners in the wash than to remove the entire cover, especially when
you’ll need to wash them nearly every day during those early poop-splosion days.
Ubbi
Diaper Pail: Here ye here
ye. If you’ve listened to nothing I’ve said so far, LISTEN NOW. Do NOT register
for a diaper pail needing ridiculously expensive and custom sized garbage bag
liners. You will go crazy with both the spend and the inconvenience of needing
refills so often. This diaper pail contains smell so well because it’s made of
STEEL, not plastic (which tends to absorb smell), and takes any garbage bag you
want to use. It’s also sleek and neutral, and comes in a variety of colors.
It’s so good that we bought two, one next to each changing table in our home. It’s
a littler pricier, but the investment pays off.
Milestone
Cards: The sweetest
little cards you ever did see to document baby’s milestones with a picture.
Closet
Size Dividers: These are
especially handy for the first year when you tend to receive a lot of clothes
as gifts in various sizes. They keep everything organized, neat, and tidy.
Baby
Hangers: I really like the velvet because they are non-slip
for all of those teeny tiny little outfits.
Zippered
Sleepers: Another subject I’m passionate about, right here. Do you
know how many times you’ll be waking to feed and change, new mom/dad? Every
hour or two, all through the night. If not more. Repeat after me: do not waste
your time with anything that isn’t a zipper. Who wants to be buttoning pajamas
at 3am? Not me. Anyway, we really like this brand, and these sleepers are the
softest and coziest ever. I’d register for 5 different sleepers. Two newborn
sized and three 0-3 months sized.
Miracle
Swaddle If you want any resemblance of sleep in those first few weeks and
months, this is your new best friend. You’ll later graduate to sleep sacks, and
we really love these
for summer and these
for winter. This miracle swaddle seems a little tricky, but watch a few Youtube
videos to get the hang of it. You’ll get it in no time. August
slept snug as a bug in this thing.
Owl
Sound Machine: This little guy is the best because he creates white noise
all night long, and also has a little nightlight. Most sound machines turn off
after 10 minutes or so, but whose baby falls asleep in 10 minutes? Not mine.
Pacifiers: Babies are picky about pacifiers, but
ours both loved MAM. These are orthodontic, meaning they don’t mess up baby’s
pallet for proper alignment of teeth, and also have breathable sides for
sensitive skin. I’d register for a few and try them out with baby before buying
any more.
Baby
Bjorn Bouncer and Wooden
Toy: Life saver,
right here. This chair went EVERYWHERE with us, and is still used to this day.
August sat on counters in this thing while I was cooking so he could remain eye
level with me. He sat in the shade outside in this during the spring and summer
months. We took this for 4th of July fireworks for our 3.5 year old
to sit in without the infant harness that buttons off. This is one of my
most-loved baby products and I recommend this to everyone.
Activity
Mat: Perfect for baby to learn to swing, bat, grab, and
eventually roll. My love of elephants runs deep, so I had to choose this one.
Jumperoo: This is great for ages 6 months +,
when babies gain more head control and like to be upright. Everything on the
jumperoo makes noise, lights up, or is engaging to play with, and the whole
seat pivots 360 degrees.
Swing: Truly and honestly, I do not think I
could have survived without a baby swing. This is what both boys snoozed in
during the day and during especially sleepless nights. Make sure you get one
that plugs in, like this one. Otherwise, you’ll need to invest in about a
million dollars worth of batteries.
High
Chair: We have this
one and really like it. It’s neutral and wipes clean (don’t ever get a fabric
highchair), and folds away super easily. The tray is also dishwasher safe.
Bucket
Carseat and extra
base: We have the
older version of this carseat and it’s served us really really well. I like
what you get for the price point you get it at. If you are a two car family,
you’ll want an extra base for the second car. The bucket seats clip in and out
of the bases, which are more permanently installed. Our boys transitioned into
a convertible car seat, below, around 9 months old.
Stroller: This is the stroller that complements the bucket
seat, above. Meaning that you can clip the car seat on top of the stroller
until about 6 months or so, when baby can transition to the stroller with harnesses.
You can technically register for the complete travel system, which includes the
car seat and stroller, for cheaper than they would be individually. However, it
may be nice to keep them separate so you're more likely to get both at your
shower, since the travel system is a high ticket item. Up to you!
Convertible
Carseat: We have this
one and cannot say enough good things about it. It’s a little more oversized,
so if space is super tight, this one might not be the perfect choice for you. For
any of you SUV or minivan parents, look no further. It has two cup holders, one
for drinks, one for snacks, harnesses that adjust SUPER easily, and a
customized recline for rear-facing babies (they’ll stay rear-facing until 2, at
which time you can turn them to face the front if they meet height and weight
requirements). If you are a two car household, you’ll want to register for two
of these, since they are more permanently installed in your car.
Baby
Bjorn Pack n Play: Lots of schools of thought when it comes to the pack n
play, I’ve found. Some parents are into the napper/changing table that clip on
top of some pack n plays. For us, we preferred a separate bassinet and a
changing table farther away from a sleeping space. Which led us to this Baby
Bjorn. It is the LIGHTEST and easiest to fold pack n play out there. It is so
simple to travel with, and we’ve taken it everywhere. It folds up in about 30
seconds, and is assembled even quicker. We really love the carrying case that
the pack n play fits into (also very easily, I might add), which can be checked
as luggage if you’re flying with baby. This one was a homerun choice on our
behalf, and I’m confident that you guys will love it too.
Bathtub: I have no strong opinions here, but this is what we
used. We used the sling until the boys outgrew it, then removed it for more
independent sitting.
Burt’s
Bees Baby: We’ve used
this from the very beginning and purchase through the subscribe and save
option.
Washcloths: Self-explanatory as to why these are
needed. We really like the Aden and Anais brand. These washcloths have held up
so well after infinite washes and are so soft with cute patterns. I’d get 2
packs of 3, which will serve you just fine.
Lotion: The best we’ve used for our boys’
eczema prone skin. It’s gentle, fragrance free, and keeps their skin soft.
Temporal
and Ear Thermometer: This one is great because it has gauges for both the
temple and ear. Temple is a winner for when they’re sleeping and you suspect
they’re sick, so they can stay asleep as you swipe their forehead to take their
temperature. An ear reading will back up your temporal reading. And finally, you’ll
also need a rectal thermometer. Fun!
Brush,
Comb, and Nail Clippers: A convenient little set that gives you all of the
essentials.
Crib
sheets and waterproof
mattress protector: No strong opinion here, other than I really like these
prints! Make sure you register for 3 crib sheets and 2 waterproof mattress
protectors.
Pack
n Play sheets: Also no
strong opinion here, except I really like this company and the prints it
offers. If you enroll in daycare, you’ll need to send in pack n play sheets,
since they typically nap babies in them and the sheet is required to be fitted.
Ergo
Carrier: I LOVED this
carrier from about 4 months and up. I had big babies, and I carried them until
18 months or so in this. I must say, however, the Ergo isn’t great for the
infant stage, and I highly recommend the Solly wrap.
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