The pregnancy test says “PREGNANT”, and your life is forever changed. The weeks and months ahead are a crazy journey. From pregnancy sickness to exhaustion to never ending to do list and so much more! There are days of celebration and days of tears. There are moments of excitement and moments of fear.
The good news is you are not alone in this! There have been millions of moms before you to share their own stories, tips, and struggles. And you will be able to do the same thing for those coming after you.
With my first, I felt like the registry was one HUGE hurdle I never wanted to tackle, but knew I needed to. I was so overwhelmed with what I needed/ wanted/ didn’t really need/ etc. As soon as I finally figured out what was important, it felt like each item had a thousand different options. I remember walking into BuyBuyBaby with my husband. After an hour’s conversation with an employee solely about strollers, we left there with NOTHING on the registry and went straight to get ice cream (emotionally eating the stress away hahah).
To hopefully make your life a little easier in this season, I wanted to put together a Registry Must Have List for you or any other mama in your life that is expecting.
BREAST PUMP: There are a million options out there! Often your insurance will assist with a breast pump so definitely check there first. From my research, the two best (that are double electric pumps and can be hands-free) are the Medela and Spectra. If you are looking for a cordless hands-free one (to pump on the go), I suggest the Elvie. Its more expensive, but great for working moms or moms with multiple kids. There is also a hand-pump option to keep with you while you are out and about.
STORAGE BAGS: Check with your insurance, because they often provide these as well. There are a lot of kinds so you can’t go wrong. We often just used what was on sale, but here is one option you can check out.
STROLLER: I’m pretty sure I about had a heart attack when I walked through the stroller section for the first time. All the options can be so overwhelming! Jogging stroller? Travel system? Umbrella stroller? Lightweight stroller? Double stroller to go into?… There is no right or wrong answer here. The key is to find something that works for YOUR family and your needs! We chose to go with the travel system by UppaBaby Vista. Yes, its expensive but it had most everything we needed and would be great for a second kid as well. This time around we are set with a great stroller system that can hold both kiddos so I am looking into a double running stroller.
CARSEAT: We got the carseat that went with our stroller. Again, I do love the travel system because you can move the car seat straight to the stroller without having to take the baby out.
BABY CARRIER/ WRAP: This is definitely a must. I used this ALL the time for months. Whether I was out on walks or in the house trying to cook, having the baby close and you hands free is amazing! I used a wrap starting out, because I felt like I could get the baby more snug and secure. Once the head was more stable, I switched to a carrier that could face in or out.
MONITOR: The big decision here is if you want it connected to wifi or not. Typically those with wifi connect to your phone or another device. Its great because you can check in on your kiddo anytime/ anyplace. However, the two downfalls are having it on a device and if the wifi ever goes out. On the flip side, there are ones that have their own monitor but you have to stay close by. This is great for sitters and you don’t ever have to worry about wifi, but you can’t check on them if you are outside of the house. There are great options for both! We have used this one for the past two years. It doesn’t have the best night view (we keep the room practically black) but has served us well!
SOUND MACHINE: We love our Hatch! It can be controlled from your phone which is amazing and has some great features for when the kids get their big boy bed. A portable sounds machine is really important too! This is great for walks or car rides.
BASSINET: Our stroller came with a bassinet so we were set here. But here is another great option. You really can’t go wrong with this so pick something you like.
SWADDLES: We attempted regular swaddles for the first couple weeks! The Solly ones are soooo soft! However, we weren’t the best at swaddles so we switched to velcro swaddles and had a great experience with these.
DIAPERS: We love pampers! Have not had any leak issues for the past 2 years! However, that doesn’t mean other ones aren’t good as well.
WIPES: Water Wipes are my go-to! Again, there are a million wipes out there and some that are cheaper so make the best choice for your family. We have also used the Kirklands brank (Costco) and had a good experience with those as well.
CHANGING PADS: We are big fans of polyurethane changing pads. They are water resistant and so easy to clean. There are several options but these are the top two. Keekaroo and Bumbo. Having some disposable changing pads on hand is great too.
DIAPER CREAM: For this you want something powerful yet without extra dyes and such. This is a great option and pediatrician recommended.
DIAPER GENIE + BAGS: I definitely recommend a diaper pail that is hands free! Just stepping on it and being able to throw the diaper away is wonderful. We use THIS one but I’m sure there are other great ones out there.
DIAPER BAG: Yet again, there are a million options and you can’t really go wrong. Something I do love with my diaper bag is that there are pockets on the outside (and inside) plus the top opening is really big so I can easily see most everything inside the bag. This is something you will use A LOT but there are good ones at all different price ranges! You can do something like this or something a little more expensive like this!
BATH TUB: Depending on your set up and needs, you might want something different than I recommend. We had a small sink so just put the tub on the counter and filled it up beside the sink. We got a tub that was 3 n 1 so we could use the same one for several months. Here is an idea of something I would recommend.
BATH SUPPLIES: To go along with the bathtub, make sure you get some shampoo, washcloths, a towel, and toys (for later in life).
BOTTLES: Again, there are lots of options out there!! Some babies are more picky than others. We started Nathaniel with Avent in the first few weeks of his life (my husband would give him a bottle at night while I pumped so they could have some bonding time and get N used to a bottle). We had a great experience with these, but every baby is different. I’ve heard great things about Comotomo as well.
BOTTLE BRUSH: Can’t forget this!
BOTTLE DRYING RACK: This one takes up less countertop space but has plenty of space for drying lots of baby items.
BURP CLOTHS: I actually forgot to put these on my registry but luckily a friend got me some and then we bought more! This is something you will use A LOT so get plenty 🙂 There are a ton of options out there so get something you like and are soft.
ROCKER/ SWING: Having a safe seat like this one is great for when you just want to put the baby down for a few minutes. If you want to invest a little more, I’ve heard moms love this one!
PACK N PLAY: This comes in really handy for traveling. It also comes in handy to have another safe place to let your kiddo play in the house. Something like this is perfect for both!
NOSE FRIDA: This is definitely a must and recommended by most pediatricians. Helps clean out the nose when they don’t know how to blow it themselves.
DIGITAL THERMOMETER: I love the ones that come with color temperature monitor as well.
INFANT TYLENOL: Great to have on hand, because little ones are destined to get a temperature at some point and you want to be prepared.
TOYS: Having some toys that are black and white early on are great for helping your little one with tracking during tummy time. After a few weeks/months they will enjoy more colorful toys and toys that make noise.
INTERACTIVE PLAY MAT: You can’t really go wrong here (expect not to have one). I would say having something that hangs while they lay on their backs and having something that makes music are a must. Something like this will definitely keep them entertained in their early months.
I sure hope the information above was helpful!
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