I originally was going to write this post last summer. In fact, it’s been saved as a draft since June 2020. I think now that I’ve been a mom for almost 9 months I have a much better idea of what we really used daily and what we didn’t. I’ll be honest, we definitely had way too many baby things. If I had it to do again I would definite minimize the amount. I’m sharing the 10 most essential things we’ve used that you should consider adding to your own baby registry!
- Boppy Lounger
This is an absolute must have for me. I cannot believe how much we used and still use it to this day! Essential it’s just a specially designed pillow for babies. They start at about $32 and go up to $44 for some of the special prints on Pottery Barn. We have the grey preferred one and it’s great because it’s neutral and doesn’t show dirt as much. You can throw the entire thing in the washing machine and let it dry. It’s not approved for sleeping but if he dozed off on it while I was next to him I allowed him to continue sleeping since I was supervising. Otherwise it’s just a great safe spot to rest them when you need a hands free moment. Do not ever set it on any elevated surfaces even when baby is brand new. Newborns are stronger than you think!
2. Burp Cloths
I vastly underestimated how many of these you use the first few months. I also tried to use the “cute” ones. I have some from Milkbarn and they don’t absorb hardly anything. Get the plain white old school ones from Amazon. I recommend 2 packs and keeping them everywhere in the house!
3. Pajamas
You will live in pajamas especially the first month or so. Zip pajamas or gowns are my recommendation! We personally loved gowns for nighttime sleep. You just whip it up, change the diaper and back down. We did zipper or magnetic pajamas during the day. Do not ever get the snaps. Just trust me. Some brands I like are: Magnetic Me, Milkbarn, Kissy Kissy, Magnolia Baby, and Little Sleepies. They’re all great quality and last through countless washes. They are definitely more expensive than most but I would rather have fewer pajamas and do more laundry. I’m a do laundry everyday person so it wasn’t an issue. If you don’t like doing laundry as much you probably will want more pajamas. I think 5-7 in their size is a good number. We were probably changing 1-2 times a day depending and then a night pair. For more affordable options on pajamas I like: Cloud Island from Target and Burt Bee’s because they both have cute prints and zip up.
4. A Way to Feed Baby
You’ll have to choose what you want to do whether it’s nursing or formula or a combination. We chose formula only so we made sure to have bottles, nipples, and formula before. I wouldn’t buy any formula though because we ended up switching week one but I was able to donate it. The hospital gives you formula bottles as well to take home. We also have the Baby Breeze Formula Pro which I’ve spoken fondly of and is still a real MVP for us but it’s definitely not a must. You can mix a bottle by hand with water! We also have a sterilizer but it’s not essential either. You can wash bottles by hand but it just adds an extra layer of cleanliness.
5. Monitor
You can go old school and get a sound only monitor for around $20 or get a video monitor. Technically this isn’t a must have but it does allow you to let your child sleep without you being in the room with them. I really like the Lollipop Camera since it can be used anywhere. It has a grip that you can mold onto anything so you can move it around your home or take it with you anywhere. It also has a user friendly app that can be accessed from your phone or tablet!
6. Diaper bag
You don’t necessarily have to get a diaper bag but you need to set up a bag with baby essentials. Namely, diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, burp cloths, pacifier, swaddle. I love my Freshly Picked backpack so much. You truly can use a bag you already have if you like! You’ll be the one carrying it so do what you want.
7. Sound machine
It’s not something you have to have but having it is very convenient. Especially once they start going to bed before you. We like our Hatch because you can even control it from your phone. There are also sound machines as low as $10 on Amazon. My husband literally was hammering a drawer in the other night and Turner never woke up. Thank you, Hatch!
8. Car seat
You must have one to leave the hospital and they will check it! Make sure if you get a used one that it’s newer than 7 years old because that’s when they expire. The date is often on the bottom. We love our Nuna Pipa Lite but it’s definitely more expensive than a lot of them. $50 is the lowest I have found for newborn car seat. You want them safe though so it’s worth it.
9. Kick ‘n’ Play Piano
It’s probably the ugliest baby item of all time but it’s perfect for tummy time! Babies love all the colors to look at. Turner would lay under the hanging toys in awe! He still uses it now at almost 9 months and the piano comes off for them to play with when they’re older.
10. Somewhere for baby to sleep
This is totally up to you! It can be a bassinet, pack n play, or crib. A lot of parents like to have baby in their own room at first and the AAP actually recommends it. We did it for 5 weeks and if we were to do it over I would’ve moved him to his nursery the first week. I slept so much better when I couldn’t hear his every move. We used the SNOO Bassinet the first 5.5 months but it’s definitely not necessary. As long as baby has a safe place to sleep you are good to go!
What’s the one thing from your registry you couldn’t have lived without? Let me know below in the comments!