Now that I’m on round 2 of being pregnant and have had time to really figure out what we love and don’t love… I want to share some of our must haves items that I believe every first time Mom should have on their registry! If you think you may use it… go ahead and put it on your registry! We used babylist.com for our registry and I would highly recommend it. It is easy to use, you can add items from any store, and it keeps track of who buys what for you.
FOR GOING OUT
Stroller : we bought the Uppababy Cruz from a friend but wish we would have bought the Nuna Tavo Next. I would try to buy the same brand as car seat so you don’t have to have any extra attachments. We regretted the Uppababy because we had to have the extra attachments for the Nuna car seat and that was very annoying. If you plan to have more than one kid, I would also consider if you want a side by side or tandem stroller. Some single strollers can be transformed into tandem strollers (the Uppababy Cruz cannot).
Car Seat/Base (if applicable) : we bought the Nuna Pipa Lite LX. We love that it is light and on the smaller side! The only negative is you can’t install it without the base, so if you plan to travel a lot you will always have to take the base with you. Here is a comparison chart between all of the Nuna car seats.
Car Seat Toy : we have this one. Rowen hated the car for the first couple weeks and this toy was the only thing that would get her to stop crying.
Car Mirror : this one isn’t anything fancy, but we love it!
Travel Sound Machine : we honestly didn’t use our travel sound machine that much but I’m glad we had it just in case.
Baby Carrier : I used this one ALL THE TIME! When Rowen wouldn’t nap I would carry her around in this and she would go right to sleep. It’s super comfy and you can get things done with it on! We also bought this one to have more of a outdoor/structured carrier.
Changing Mats : you will find these everywhere in our house. We rarely changed Rowen actually in her nursery so we wanted something to put her down on that was easy to clean up, and it protects the surface in case of messes. We also have these in our diaper bag for when we have to change her on the go!
Diaper Bag : we bought this one off of Amazon. It is a great diaper bag for the price! I also bought a Petunia Pickle Bottom bag from our neighbor and have loved using that. It has a ton of storage and looks amazing. If you are wanting a smaller bag that is still very functional, I would recommend this Freshly Picked bag.
FOR BABY
Onesies : we love 2 way zip onesies! It makes diaper changes quick and easy especially at night! We also love these! They aren’t 2 way zip but run a little big so they are great when your baby is between sizes.
Stain Remover : so many blowouts… so you want to have something that can take newborn poop out of clothes. I’ve found this to be the best.
Diaper Cream : Rowen thankfully never had really bad diaper rashes, but this diaper cream seemed to do great when she did get a little irritated.
Butt Spatula : you don’t want to get diaper cream under your nails… and it’s kind of gross to have to put butt paste on with your finger, so we highly recommend getting one of these! We even have one in our diaper bag!
Tubby Todd : we use this for any skin irritation! It works wonders! We even used it when she had a little bit of cradle cap when she was a newborn.
Diapers + Wipes : we learned that it was better for people to give us gift cards for diapers and wipes vs buying us the actual thing. We used Huggies at first with Rowen, but once she was a couple months old they didn’t fit her as good as Pampers did so we swapped and were left with a ton of Huggies diapers in all sizes!
Burp Cloths : make sure to register for a lot… we have over 10 burp cloths all around the house. They are great for so many different things and you don’t want to have to wash them constantly.
Bath Seat : we never found one we absolutely loved, but this one did a good job. We also used this one when Rivie was a newborn.
Bouncer : this was the only seat type thing that Rowen would sit in. She hated the swing, she hated the mamaroo, but she would let us put her in this and bounce her. It also made showers and getting ready possible for me. I also think one of the cheaper options would have been just as good, like this one.
Toys : Rowen loved lights and music when she was a newborn… and still does! This one was HER FAVORITE toy! We could lay her under the lights and she would stare at them for so long and loved it. Once she was able to hold herself up she loved to bounce in this. Of course she also loved teether toys and rattles!
Medicine : this kit has most of the baby meds you will maybe need with a newborn! We only ever used gripe water and occasionally gas drops. I also highly recommend these probiotic drops that you put in their bottle! I believe they helped decrease the amount of spit up and gas Rowen had when she was younger… we still use them!
Nail Clippers : I originally thought the nail trimmer that spins would be the best option, but newborn nails are so soft that the trimmer didn’t do anything. These nail clippers have a window that allows you to see where you are cutting. I have yet to cut Rowen with them *knock on wood*.
Thermometer : we rarely used a thermometer, but if we did we have this one.
Velcro Swaddles : highly recommend velcro. It doesn’t take 10 years to swaddle and diaper changes are super easy, especially in the middle of the night.
Bottles : Rowen would only drink out of the Dr. Browns bottles. We tried the same with Rivie but she did better with the Philips Avent bottles.
FOR HOME
Crib : we love this one because it transitions with your baby into a toddler bed!
Nursery Chair : we have this one, but I don’t LOVE LOVE it. I wish it would recline back without having to put the footrest up. Other than that… it’s great.
Mattress : we have this one and love it. It is breathable, so when she started sleeping on her stomach around 3 months old we had peace of mind.
Dresser : I would highly recommend a wide dresser so you can change diapers on it. We bought a changing table instead and haven’t used it once. We usually change Rowen on the floor.
Bedside Bassinet : we bought one that didn’t have wheels and regretted it. We ended up using our stroller bassinet a lot so we could wheel it in and out of rooms without waking Rowen. After many sleepless nights we caved and got a SNOO and it was a game changer! We used the SNOO until Rowen moved into her room.
Pack n Play : we love our graco pack n play! It is super easy to set up and take down and has everything you need.
Sound Machine/Night Light : we have this one and love it! I swear it works wonders… as soon as I turn it on Rowen goes right to sleep.
Monitor : we originally had a wifi monitor but after reading horror stories we swapped. We have this one and love that it has an actual screen and doesn’t connect via wifi. You can also connect more than one camera and has great features.
FOR MAMA
Boppy Lounger : I used this all the time when I was breastfeeding. You can also use it for tummy time and as a lounger for your baby!
Diaper Bag : this one on Amazon is a great affordable option. It has a ton of pockets and you can put everything and more in it. It is a great diaper bag for the price! I also bought a Petunia Pickle Bottom bag from our neighbor and have loved using that. It has a ton of storage and looks amazing. If you are wanting a smaller bag that is still very functional, I would recommend this Freshly Picked bag.
Nursing Bras : these nursing bras are very comfy and are easy to move when breastfeeding.
Breast Pump (battery powered & handheld) : I used this breast pump as my main pump. It is hospital grade and you don’t have to be plugged into the wall. I also love this handheld pump for when I had clogged ducts. I also kept one in the car just in case I was out and about and felt like my boobs were going to explode. I used this one (similar to the haaka) on the other boob I wasn’t pumping or feeding from to help collect extra milk for my stash. You can also get milk catchers like this one that doesn’t have any kind of suction. You can put them in your bra and they will catch any leakage (you just can’t do anything and everything with them because they will spill). I also bought this handsfree pump with Rivie. I thought it worked great and I loved being able to move around while pumping.
Sunflower Lecithin : if you are breastfeeding I would have these on hand just in case you experience clogged ducts! They were the only thing that would relieve my clogged ducts without pain…
Nursing Pads : I preferred the washable ones over the ones you through away. These are super comfy and I never had a problem with being able to see them through clothes.
Postpartum Underwear : I found these to be very comfy and covering. You kind of want granny panties when you are healing…
Postpartum Healing : dermoplast, tucks pads, peri bottle, colace. I used these EVERYDAY while I was healing. While I was bleeding very heavy I also liked wearing women’s diapers instead of the massive pads.
Nipple Butter : if you are breastfeeding this is another must. Put this on your nipples after every feed and even before pumping and it makes them feel so much better. This one is safe for baby so you don’t have to wash it off before feeding them.
FOR THE FUTURE
Sleep Sacks : we love Kyte Baby sleep sacks. We transitioned Rowen from a swaddle to this when she was around 3.5 months old. We use the 1.0 tog and Rowen is in a M at 10 months old.
High Chair : we use this one. We love it because it has 4 wheels which makes it easy to move and it is easy to clean! It also comes with extra things that grow with your child like a booster seat.
Plates/Bowls : We tried the rubber plates and bowls and unless you want your kids food to taste like soap… get the plastic colorful ones.
Cups : we love these straw cups!
Plastic Bibs : these are way easier to clean than the fabric ones! They also catch food which is very nice.
Baby Gates : we love this one for the bottom of the stairs and bought this one for the top. The top will attach to the wall and the bottom is just a pressure mount.
SHOP EVERYTHING
POPULAR ITEMS I NEVER USED
Mamaroo : Rowen hated it… but every baby is different.
Snuggle Me : Rowen hated it… but every baby is different. Rowen preferred the bouncer.
Owlet : expensive and we really hated how the app was set up…
Nanit : expensive and we loved our monitor so there was no need for us to get it.
Doona : some people rave about this but we didn’t regret not having it.
As always, all opinions and text are my own.
