When I first found out I was pregnant I felt so unprepared. We had planned getting pregnant sometime that Spring or Summer but I couldn't believe the two lines I saw. By the next day I has purchased What to Expect When You're Expecting and a large bottle of prenatal vitamins.
Within weeks of finding out we were having a baby I started to feel overwhelmed about all the things I was reading and all the advice I knew we'd be getting soon. I didn't know if I wanted a moses basket or a bassinet or did I really NEED both? What kind of pump should I get? What bottles are the best? Was this monitor worth the money? I was afraid I'd forget a item or brand I liked so I decided to start my registry so I could keep track of everything I at least liked then I could get rid of it later if I found something better (or found out I didn't need it).
I used Babylist! I absolutely loved it. Instead of registering at Target, Amazon and multiple other places you can add all your items in one place. It's easy for people to buy, for you to keep track of and send thank you notes.
Babylist will break down your registered items into categories for you. I'll go through each category and item I registered for as well as if I loved it, or found out I didn't need it, had too much/too little of it.
Bear Gear
You'll want some sort of rocker/bouncer/seat. Personally I only wanted one of these. Most of the time people only want one is due to space or money. My preferences on multiple usually have to do with clutter. But like me, I'm sure if you're a newly expectant mother you're not sure about which is best. Well unfortunately like most baby items there isn't always a right or wrong answer. All babies are different, so some might like be rocked over bounced. I debated between a Babybjorn ($199) and a Charlie Crane ($249). I really wanted the CC rocker because its so beautiful but a lot of mamas told me they're baby didn't stay in it past 6-8 weeks... That seemed like quite a lot of money to me for just a short period of aesthetics. Most if not all moms said they loved the BBJ and their babies over a year still loved it. At first I thought I could get both since the BBJ is better for when they're older and portable. But I didn't receive either as a gift so I decided to buy just the BBJ. Sophie didn't really like it as first because she just loves being held but now she'll sit in it for increments of around 30 minutes which is perfect when I need to make/eat dinner or do a few chores.
I love our baby lounger! We do not co sleep but I know a lot of parents will use theirs for sleeping (even tho they do not recommend using for unsupervised sleeping) We keep ours on our couch so it's another great space for Sophie to safely chill or take a nap in while I'm reading/eating or doing anything while in close proximity. If you have a smaller space or tighter budget I wouldn't say a Snuggle Me ($99) is a MUST HAVE but its definitely sometime I love having. I also prefer Snuggle Me over DockATot ($199) simply because of the way it looks not to mention the price difference... But a lot of my friends had a Snuggle Me so I registered for that before I had even heard of DT.
I thought I'd use my nursing pillow a lot more than I actually do... I brought mine to the hospital but ended up leaving it in the car. I used it only a handful of times in the first weeks. I can imagine if I had a harder time nursing I would have used it more. It's a great tool/item to have when you're learning how to nurse and need the extra support. I don't think Boppy's are an absolute MUST either but they're not expensive and they can definitely be used for lounging/play time later on. **You'll definitely want some sort of cover for your pillow because there will for sure be spit up, dried milk or a blow out on it at some point. My cover is from Ebb and Tread but you can of course get a cheaper option from Amazon or Target.
Although it's not necessary to add a play mat to your registry you may want one at some point when playing on the floor becomes regular. I found a really cute foam mat ($80) that's like giant puzzle pieces so you can easily set it up/break it down and change the size.
I love love baby wearing! I registered for one Solly Wrap ($65) and one Wild Bird ($79-$124) ring sling. I now have multiple of both which is not a must but its definitely nice to have one at home and one in the diaper bag/car. I wrote an entire blog post about the wrap vs. the ring sling.
You'll definitely want multiple swaddles because they will spit up/have a blow out on them (unless you're doing laundry multiple times a day). I love using my Solly Swaddles ($23) at night time and then having muslim swaddles for cuddling/during the day. They're also great to lay on the ground for tummy time.
Sleep Sacks are used after you transition your babe out of a swaddle. They come in different weights depending on what time of year your baby is born/needs them.
I registered for multiple kinds of pacifiers just incase she didn't like one. She ended up only taking the ones the hospital gave me for the few month or so. Now she will take any of them. The pretty ones are Ryan & Rose ($12) and Bibs ($14.99 for pack of 2). These are an item I recommend not opening until you need them just incase your baby doesn't take one (because you can return items that aren't opened) **Pacifier clips aren't really needed until they're older.
Transportation
We love our Evenflo ($250) car seat and stroller because its super easy to use/set up and it's not really chunky or big. I really wanted to get an Uppa Baby ($900+) but couldn't justify the price. We didn't register for the car seat she'll need when she gets older just because I wanted to register for what I mostly needed when she was born/I didn't want to store that in my unfinished basement. Some people also register for jogging stroller as well.
You'll want a rear facing mirror so you can see your baby when you are driving.
We got a car seat cover because she was born in the Winter time. You don't really NEED one if you're having a Summer baby. But if you think you'll want one for the upcoming Winter they're another item that isn't too expensive to add to you registry.
If you plan on breast feeding you will want a nursing cover which also functions as a car seat cover (which you will need if you want your newborn or sleeping baby not to be disturbed by people wanting to see/touch them) These covers can also function as a cover for a swing at the park or the seat of a grocery store cart.
Clothing & Accessories
How many onesies are enough? Again, having a newborn in the winter you'll want more onesies because you'll need to layer them at night. I registered/bought three packs of three or four in newborn in both short and long sleeve white onesies. At two months old she can still fit into the newborn size even though she's in 0-3 in other clothes. I ended up taking back a pack of each. So she has about 6-8 of long and short sleeve which works out pretty well with our laundry schedule and the amount of blowouts/puking sessions.
Most likely your baby will new little gloves when they're first born. The hospital gives you a great many things but gloves are not one of them... So bring these to the hospital. Sophie only scratched herself a handful of times because we mostly had gloves on her (or an outfit that had gloves built in) for the first several weeks. I registered for two packs and only ended up using one.
You can't really have enough socks for your bebe. You think adult socks disappear like crazy just wait!! These are a thing you will just end up with whether or not you registered for 1 pack or 100. People love giving you outfits, matching socks and blankies.
Baby tights are hard to come by!!! They're usually 3-6 months or 1-2 years... I was able to find some from a few small shops. They're not absolutely needed but some outfits don't work with pants and you can't let those little feet and legs get cold.
I got two winter hats for Sophie. I also recently bought her some summer bucket hats for pool time this year.
Does a baby NEED shoes? Of course they don't need them but I loved having little slippers for her to add another layer to her little feet (especially the first few weeks when they're so little and cold) Baby shoes are another thing people can't resist buying so I'm sure you'll end up with a few pairs whether or not you add them to your registry. Who can resist buying those little shoes??
I definitely over registered/over bought outfits for Sophie... I bought & registered for mostly 0-3 months. I ended up needing to get more newborn outfits because she was tiny... But you never know so that's why I didn't buy many newborn outfits to begin with. For all I knew she could have been 9 pounds and never fit into any newborn outfits (or diapers) However I did not register for enough pjs for her! People told me the knotted gowns were the best but I actually didn't like those the first few weeks because like needed to be stripped down to eat because she was so sleepy (which is super common). Changing a newborn every 2ish hours (especially when you're half asleep) is hard enough in itself so zippers and button onesies are the way to go. I ended up with 4-6 pjs for her so I could do laundry every few days. I had so many outfits for her but at first most of it didn't match or work together. I needed more pants, tights or a sweater with that outfit. You will end up with TONS and tons of clothes from your shower and when you come home. And most of it will not be from your registry or even close to what you'd like to dress your baby in... You'll figure out what you need more of/don't need by the first week of dressing your baby.
I got multiple bibs as gifts from small shops and haven't used a single one yet!! She doesn't' spit up very often and is only beginning to drool. I got some of the cute cloth ones that she may end up using when she starts teething. I also received many silicone bibs with pockets that will be great when she starts eating solid foods.
Feeding
You can apply for a breast pump through your insurance company. **I highly recommend buying a breast pump bra so you don't need to hold the flanges every time you pump. I purchased mine through the company I got my pump from. It was a $30 add on.
Nipple butter is a life saver and you NEED NEED NEED this! There are many brands that are edible so you won't need to wipe your breasts off before each feeding.
I registered for reusable nursing pads but ended up buying disposable ones instead. I leaked so much I needed to change them every few hours in the first week or two. Reusable pads only come in a pack of 2-8 and are about $15-$20... So if you ended up needing to change your pads multiple times a day you will be doing laundry every day to keep up. Disposable are more absorbent than reusable as well. There's nothing worse than sitting in a cold wet bra...
There are never enough burp cloths!!! You'll want to change your burp clothes once a day or sometimes twice a day depending on how much your baby spits up.
All my friends told me to register for a Haakaa ($13) but I had no idea what it was... My mom and all her sisters and friend think its a hand pump. If you are breast feeding it is an absolute must have. When your milk first comes in you boobs just leak and leak and leak. The Haakaa catches all the extra milk and helps you start a supply without even pumping. It's one of the greatest inventions for mothers.
I went back and forth on bottles SOOO much! Which brand(s) should I get how many do I need? A lot of baby's try multiple bottles before finding ones they actually like... Bottles aren't the cheapest things so it's frustrating having to buy multiple kinds. Babylist however does have a sample pack thats a greta option if bottle feeding is making you anxious. I couldn't decide for the longest time so I ended up waiting a month before she was born to buy a single bottle. I ended up choosing Mason bottles because you just add a nipple to a mason jar! Super easy and affordable.
I love having a bottle drying rack but its definitely another luxury item thats not needed. You can definitely just use a kitchen towel if you don't have the room to store one/don't want one.
I haven't used my baby food maker yet but I'm really excited to make my own for Sophie. I also got disposable packs so I can make my own squeeze pouches. Prepared baby food have so many add ins and they're really quite expensive when you think about it. Another thing you can buy later.
I registered for on the go snack storage, and a suction plate and bowl set.
Bath Time
Baby washcloths (one pack is plenty)
Baby towel
I also didn't get a baby bath until a month before she was born because I wasn't convinced I needed one. I ended up getting more of a bath pillow she could lay in while she's still tiny.
Wooden brush set (great for helping prevent/take care of cradle cap)
You of course need baby body wash, lotion & diaper cream. I have multiple brands of all these things... I use Young Living essential oils so I have the entire Seedlings baby line. I love Tubby Tod's line as well (15% off your entire order with my link). The All Over Ointment is life saving if your baby has super dry peeling skin, acne or eczema.
Diapering
I also went back and forth if I needed a diaper pail... Diaper Genies kind of gross me out how you just leave them there for days and day and they smell "good." My cousin told me about Dekor ($25)and I just love it. It comes with one continuous bag which you just tie off and cut anytime you want to take out the trash.
Everyone tells your their favorite brand of diapers. I will do the same... But I'm sure you'll find the one you love. I register for Seventh Generation but ended up HATING them! First of all I don't like that they're yellow or their patterns. They leaked every single time, they felt really crunchy and poor quality, they fit larger than all other diaper sizes and they were expensive. So I don't recommend them. I loved Pampers Pure! They were just the right size, super cute patterns & very absorbent. I'm currently patterning with Parasol diapers but they don't carry a NB size so I used Pampers Pure until Parasol fit. Parasol is a diaper subscription that will deliver to your house. They are amazing quality, super affordable and who wants to do a diaper run when you realize you're out... They're VIP subscription come with free wipes too.
I use multiple kind of wipes too. I don't know if you've noticed I liked getting multiple things incase one doesn't work out (and Sophie is exposed/used to many things) I registered for Water Wipes and love them. They're natural and pure unlike most wipes that are out there. Because of my job with Young Living I also using the Seedlings Wipes which are heaven on earth. They smell amazing and are super gentle. I also use Parasol's wipes because of my partnership with them, I also love these. I was gifted many kinds of wipes, soaps and lotions at my shower but returned them all because I didn't like what I saw on the ingredients list...
You will want some sort of changing mat for your diaper bag! I love my Gathre ($22) one because its super easy to wipe down.
Changing table basket! This item really was so unneeded but I use it a lot for photos. Most of the time I end up just changing her in my room on my bed. I think it'll be used more once she sleeps in her room and I change her there more often.
I have 3 diaper bags... Yes 3! A few wonderful companies sent me diaper bags as gifts and I love them all. My favorite diaper bag in this season of life and that I would recommend to all new moms is the Kinwell diaper bag! Its huge but not bulky or heavy. It has so many sections and pockets. It's every new moms dream bag. I have a blog post about what's in my diaper bags during newborn season.
Health & Safety
You'll need nail clippers but won't use them for the first few weeks. The hospital gave me a nail file for her and I used its twice... So definitely don't need to buy one.
Get a baby thermometer! You may be paranoid in the middle of the night and if your baby is squirmy at all the digital ones are amazing!
I registered for a pair of baby bulbs but the hospital gave me some... And I haven't even used them yet. A lot of my mama friends say they love the Baby Frida Nose Sucker which I will most likely buy later on when she needs it.
Another recommendation was to get Gripe Water which is another life saver.
Nursery & Decor
We love our crib from Ikea! It was super easy to put together and it turns into a toddler bed later. We got a pack of two for her crib sheets. You'll obviously need a mattress and you'll want a mattress pad cover.
We ended up getting a moses basket from Dua Design to have Sophie sleep in the first few months in our room. Its absolutely beautiful and comes on a stand to easily rock. I was originally going to get a mesh bassinet because moses baskets are not safe for overnight sleeping but Dua Design release their Malaika basket that was designed for overnight sleeping so I decided to go with that.
You'll need something to put all your baby clothes and things in. We got a dresser from Ikea that was not easy to put together (took about 3 days). Its quite big so it'll definitely be her dresser for life.
You will want some sort of rocking chair or glider. At first I thought why do I need one I'll probably just nurse her on my couch or in my bed during the night. People were right tho, its very uncomfortable to nurse in the bed every single time. Sometimes you are so exhausted to get up and nurse but a rocking chair is definitely the way to go. I got a cute little rocking chair a while back from Facebook Market place (that's in our room) and I got a rocker from Wayfair (that's in her nursery). **Getting a little table to put you pump on, glass of water or whatever you may need during feeding times.
The sound machine is another life saver you'll love! I also recommend downloading a sound machine app on your phone so you use it when they're fussy on the road.
We registered for a baby monitor but didn't get it! Since she staying in our room I decided to just wait to purchase it when she moves into her room/crib.
You'll need baby hangers if you plan on hanging things in a closet! I also love having drawer organizers for all those little socks and odds and ends.
Toys & Books
I think its really special to have a baby book! I love writing down her weights, little moments and storing her pictures in the As Your Grow Memory Book ($35) I also love having milestone cards when I take her monthly pictures. They're of course not needed but they're inexpensive and super cute.
A lot of people like to ask for books instead of cards at their shower. I personally wanted to register for books so I wouldn't end up with duplicates of the same book with hand written notes inside (unable to return them). I love looking at small shops book list and then finding them on Amazon.
I got Sophie a little wooden play gym ($50) for playtime.
There are so many cute toys on Amazon and other small shops. I got her baby blocks, teething toys, and a few stuffed animals. Toys and cute books are just another things I can't resist.
Everyone's registries are SO different! I was pretty minimal about what I wanted/bought/registered for. No matter what people will tell you things you NEED that you might regret, you might not love your stroller or you may wish you gotten another sound machine... Just remember you can always take it back if its unopened/unused!
Besides the obvious crib, carseat, diapers, clothes etc.
Must haves: Sound machine, extra swaddles and burp clothes, some sort of rocker/bouncer, baby wearer, Haakaa
Love it but don't need it: Baby book & milestone cards, Snuggle Me, drying rack, baby bathtub
Get later on: Highchair, baby food stuff, playmate & gym, pack 'n play, second carseat,
Don't really need but could get it: jogging stroller, boppy
Regrets/don't need: Wipe warmer, Baby shusher, MamaRoo (I know a lot of mamas swear by theirs but I found them to be really expensive for how long you use them for)