Baby Registry & Must-Haves

 

As a first-time mom, navigating the waters of baby gear, carriers, breast pumps, and pack ‘n’ plays can be overwhelming! We’ve spent a lot of time researching and asking for our friends’ opinions, and we wanted to share our baby registry with you! Hopefully it will help some other first-timers, as well some veteran moms! Please weigh in and let us know your favorite pieces and must-haves!

Sleeping + Soothing

• Fisher Price Monkey Deluxe Bouncer – My baby only deserves *deluxe* bouncers, doesn’t yours? For the life of me, I can’t pick just ONE bouncer or swing or napper or whatever, so I’m trying to weigh between swings & bouncers and then specifics in each genre. Help! Oh, and make sure you add some Duracell AA batteries to your registry for this bouncer.
• Ingenuity Portable ConvertMe Swing-2-Seat – This is really cool, because it’s both a swing and a bouncer! I’ve already had a long swing vs. bouncer debate on Facebook with no clear winner. It’s up to the baby, they say! So this piece of gear really covers all the bases without doubling your gear footprint (’cause our house already seems packed with baby stuff, and we have months to go!). Make sure you register for Duracell D batteries for this 2-in-1.
• Fisher Price My Little Snugapuppy Cradle ‘n’ Swing – This is probably the most popular swing and got great reviews both online and from my friends. If I were to get a swing, it’d probably be this one, but I still just don’t know! Help!
• Tranquil Turtle – In the words of a veteran mom friend, “None of our baby’s have been able to resist it for long.” And that’s exactly what I’m looking for–give in to the sleep, baby! Give in! Make sure you add Duracell AA batteries to your registry for this little guy.
• Angelcare Movement and Sound Monitor – This monitor makes me a little bit sad, but I love the peace of mind I can imagine it provides. The baby daughter of a friend of mine passed from SIDS, and it was simply devastating. Preventing SIDS at pretty much all costs is a great priority for me, which is partly why we’re co-sleeping (in the same room, not same bed) for  a few months and will use this movement monitor in the crib. If the baby doesn’t move for 20 seconds, there’s an extremely loud alarm that goes off! A few of the most recent reviews include parents who feel they actually saved their babies with this device. Overkill? Meh, maybe? But worth it, to me. Make sure you add Duracelle AAA batteries to your registry to power this monitor.
• Arm’s Reach Ideal Arc Original Co-Sleeper – I can’t wait to use this! Seriously, this is one of the products in my little daydream visions of the baby–half-asleep, looking over to the baby next to our bed when s/he starts fussing, pulling baby over to me for a middle-of-the-night feeding. Did you know that co-sleeping (same room, not same bed) drastically reduces the rate of SIDS? I love that about this cosleeper, as well as how easy it makes mid-night changings and feedings! What’s also cool about this is it turns into a pack-n-play later on, and I am ALL about the multi-use products.
• mybaby HoMedics SoundSpa On-the-Go – Ocean sounds on the go? Yes, please. Make sure you register for Duracell AAA batteries for this!
• Miracle Blanket – Anything with “miracle” in the title and plenty of 4- and 5-star reviews, I’ll take it. We definitely plan on swaddling and love how easy the miracle blanket makes the cocooning of the baby. If swaddling is anything like trussing a chicken, I’m gonna need all the help I can get.
• Duracell – 400 pack. Seriously, all of the amazing bouncing and vibration and white noise and ceiling stars and carbon monoxide-detection (omg)? All of these things help soothe baby and get that little one to sleep, which helps mama sleep and relax, so I’m their biggest fan. It all takes batteries, which makes most items so much more portable than relying on just an AC-adaptor, especially since I work at home, and baby will often be napping nearby for at least a few months! We love Duracell because they *last longer in 99% of devices vs. the next leading competitive brand –so we can stock up and not worry about it for ten whole years!

General

• WubbaNub – I mean, it makes sense, an adorable little stuffed animal attached to everyone’s favorite pacifier. All I know is I’ve been commanded to register for this by my mom friends and I dare not contradict them
• Ingenuity 2-in-1 Baby Booster Seat – A good friend of mine regularly plopped her baby in this when she was old enough and we’d feed her and play with her and generally prevent her from pulling pots on top of her head while we were cooking. This one got better ratings than the Bumbo, was a little cheaper, and radder-looking.. so it won my battle.
• Levana Ayden Digital Video Baby Monitor with Night Vision – Some people claim their house is small enough they don’t need a monitor as they can hear baby if he’s up. Um.. so? I need to watch that child AT ALL HOURS. I can’t imagine how much comfort this gives!
• Maya Wrap Ring Sling – I went to a local birth collective class all about baby wearing, as I plan to rock that baby like the cutest dang accessory while I’m shooting and love the skin-to-skin. They convinced me that a ring sling is most versatile and would be their #1 choice, and this one is gorgeous with great ratings.
• aden by aden + anais Swaddleplus Safari Friends Muslin Swaddle Blankets – A simple must-have, aden + anais muslin swaddle blankets are revered by mamas! So versatile, too, not just for cocooning baby!
• NoseFrida the Snotsucker Nasal Aspirator – I know…. so gross and so Swedish. But I’ve been convinced, and this is way easier than using a gross bulb syringe. Whatevs, motherhood is gross to begin with.
• JustBrill Digital Baby Thermometer – I can already imagine how many times I’m going to use this thing, panicking with my cheek against baby’s forehead, calling O claiming that she has ebola. I think this might appease my psycho, and it’s way easier to use than a plain infrared thermometer (babies are squirmy) and seems pretty versatile for what works that day.
• Sophie the Giraffe Teether – Another do-not-question-just-buy, the Sophie teether is a classic. You gotta have one!

 

Out and About

• Skip Hop Chelsea Downtown Chic Diaper Satchel – I’m all about a diaper bag that looks like a purse and is packed with pockets and other goodies. I love this one and have heard awesome things about Skip Hop’s diaper bags.
• Britax EZ-Cling Sun Shades – Sun in the baby’s eyes? Nah.
• Brica Baby In-Sight Mirror – Did you know babies are supposed to ride back-facing for FOUR YEARS? Holy. If you’ve ever ridden with a baby in the car, you’ll know you have to constantly look back to check on them, so this mirror helps tons for those four years!
• Tula Ergonomic Carrier – Ah, Tula, queen of baby carriers! I went back and forth on this but ultimately decided that a ring sling + soft structured carrier was the way to go for baby-carrying. I’m going to be doing a lot of it–that’s the plan at least–so might as well invest in something that mamas love! And Tula’s are just so dang
• Chicco KeyFit 30 Carseat – This carseat is both popular and pretty stylish. It being popular helps you in finding adapters and stroller bases, and I know tons of mamas who’ve used it and loved it.
• BOB Revolution SE Stroller in Black – Ever since before I was pregnant, I’ve been obsessed with strollers. Obsessed! I tried to convince myself I really, really needed a Bugaboo or Stokke, but we really just don’t. Since we live in a more car-based city, we’ll be driving with baby mostly, and wearing him/her on walks. O is a huge runner, so he definitely wanted a jogging stroller and a couple of our friends use the BOB exclusively. We’re getting an adapter for the Chicco carseat, turning it into a travel system. Voilà!
• BOB Carseat Adapter for Chicco Carseats – Yep, that’s the one.

 

Bathtime

• The First Years Infant to Toddler Tub with Sling – Another one I went back and forth on.. I wanted to want one of the super sleek fancy tubs, but this one has amazing reviews and is so affordable. Why not!
• Honest Company Sweet Orange Vanilla Shampoo & Body Wash – No artificial crap and it smells like a creamsicle. Sign me up! We already have a bottle on our dresser in the nursery. Sign up for Honest Company’s emails and you’ll definitely find a great sale — that’s what we did.
• Skip Hop Moby Bath Kneeler – I’m in pain freaking just cleaning the bathtub, so a cushy kneeler is a must. And this one’s just sooo cute, non?
• Baby Aspen Lobster Hooded Towel – You want to know why I titled this post “Baby Registry + Must-Haves”? Because of the non-must-haves, like this lobster hooded towel. You don’t need it, but you need it.. ya feel me?

 

Feeding

• Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breastpump Starter Set – Whoo! Get that milk factory goin’ with this double breast bump. Excellent for while I’m working and baby is being watched by grandma. What’s super cool is that the Affordable Care Act pays for breastpumps! Heck yeah.
• Simple Wishes D Lite Hands-Free Breastpump Bra – Look, ma, no hands! Pump hands-free.. I don’t get how you’d do it any other way!
• Kiinde Breastfeeding Starter Kit – I love the portion sizes and that they’re reusable. We’ve become even more environmentally-conscious since getting preggers (Where’s our baby going to live?! Will there be water?! AVOCADOS??Oh man)
• Boppy Pillow with Peaceful Jungle Cover – You can nurse without a pillow, but I figure I’d make it as easy on myself as possible in advance. I might not use it a ton, but I might never nurse without it when baby’s young! And this one is affordable and so cute!
• Monky Moo Soft Silicone Bib – Easy to wipe and catches the fallout, win-win.
• Kiinde Foodii Squeeze Starter Kit – Make your own baby food pouches! We definitely plan on making our own baby food, and these pouches are perfect portions and eliminate the need to stand hunched over baby scraping the food off their chin with a silicone-dipped spoon.
• Boon Lawn Bottle Drying Rack – Perfect for drying bottles and all the bits and pieces, once that time comes.
• Comotomo Natural Feel Baby Bottle – Heard great things about these bottles, once baby’s old enough to have one.

 

Diapering

• BumGenius Elemental All-in-One Cloth Diaper – Oh, cloth diapers.. how overwhelming and confusing a world you are! Since this is our first, we decided on a combination of all-in-one diapers (designed like a disposable diaper) and hybrid (diaper covers with removable inserts). We’ve heard great things about this AIO’s (all-in-one) and already have a few hanging out in our cloth diaper stash.
• Flip Cloth Diaper Cover – At this point, we’ve decided on the Flip diaper system for our hybrids. I love that the covers are one-size, and they offer organic and disposable inserts in addition to cotton. We can also use pre-fold diapers with these covers!
• Flip Organic Cotton Inserts – You’re gonna need a lot of inserts. We’re focusing on organic, which we’ve heard is easier on baby’s skin.
• OsoCozy Indian Cotton Pre-fold Diapers – Old school! A few cloth diapering veterans have recommend pre-folds as inserts
• Summer Infant Contoured Changing Pad – Because you’re not changing your baby’s diaper on the top of a garbage pile in an alley. OR ARE YOU!?
• Petit Armour Baby Changing Pad Cover – Something cute to cover your changing pad, of course.
• Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail – Contain the poo; contain the poo smell! We love that this one is a sturdy steel and airtight.
• Planet Wise Reusable Diaper Pail Liner – The Ubbi diaper pail doesn’t require any sort of special liner, so we’re opting for a cloth liner to extend our environmental-friendliness even more. And it’s more economical, too!
• Bumpkins Flushable Diaper Liner – This is pretty nifty… when baby poops, you just lift the liner out and flush it! That makes things a lot easier, no?
• XVL Sprayer for Toilet Brass – This sprayer attaches to the toilet water supply, so you just spray off the diaper or liner into the toilet and then throw them in the wash. Definitely calling my handy, handy father for installation of this one, though.

 

Nursery

• Babyletto Hudson in White – Can I even TELL You how much I love this crib?! It’s so affordable, comes with the toddler conversion kit, materials are sustainably sourced, paint is nontoxic, and it’s so stylin’. We’ve already got ours put together in the nursery – check it out! I couldn’t recommend this crib more (yet!).
• My First Mattress Memory Foam Crib Mattress with Waterproof Cover – All I can really say is this.. seems like a good mattress? Great reviews, and love that it’s memory foam.. and waterproof cover!
• DeLonghi 1500-watt Fan Heat – A couple friends of ours just had a baby and recommended we keep a little space heater near the changing station! Newborns especially hate being cold, so we think this will help calm the fussiness around changings. I like that it’s small and turns off if tipped.
• Crib Sheet – I need teal tigers on the crib sheet. Well.. once we find out the sex, we might change this up a little, but TEAL TIGERS. Etsy has some amazing choices, and I think crib sheets are definitely one area to get really creative with.
• Marpac DOHM-DS Natural White Noise – The mama of all white noise machines, this will also help drown out O’s snoring later on.. according to the reviews!
• Baby Giraffe Little Darling Print – These are a total must-have in nurseries. Could they be any more adorable?!
• Kidde KN-COSM-BA Battery-Operated Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Voice Warning – Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Another peace-of-mind necessity, I love that it detects both smoke and carbon monoxide and let’s you know what’s up with a voice, rather than an insane beep that you could work into any dream as some deranged alarm clock.. you know it. I also love that you can’t mount it without batteries installed, so you won’t accidentally forget them! Pretty critical part, eh? Make sure you register for Duracell AA batteries for this piece.

Affiliate and partnership disclaimer: I partnered up with Duracell to bring you this post, but all opinions are my own! Most of the links above are affiliate links as well, but they’re all included on my actual baby registry.

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