I know a lot of first time moms wonder, what do I put on the registry that I will really need. Well, here are my must haves to include on that list. I also have what is not really necessary to have so you can decide what you really need. I want to give you the essential and save you as much money as you can, because having a baby, can get expensive really fast! If you have any questions on an item that you are thinking about comment below! This is my third go around. I would love to help you if you have any questions!
First things first, here is a little tip for all of you moms to be: sign up for an Amazon.com baby registry! It is one of the easiest experience ever as they sell (and you can find) EVERYTHING. A lot of times, the products are discounted or cheaper, which is GREAT!
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Car seat-You have to have one to leave the hospital. Generally it will match your stroller or you can get it as a match set. Aim for something that has the higher weight and height requirement so you can use it longer. We personally have a Combi car seat. We got it because it was the only car seat that would fit in the Mini Cooper that we had when Mason was born. And we have continued to use it with Collin and will use it with Elyse too. It is and will still be under the 6 year limit and has never been in a car accident.
Stroller- Need to get a good stroller, one that could hold your car seat as well is very helpful for the first year or so. We have an older version of this Combi Stroller. We got it to fold to very small so that it could easily be carried around and fit in our very small car we had at the time.
Crib- although you probably won't use it for the baby for the first 3 months it is nice to have set up and ready to go. You don't have to go all out for the crib. I like things that grow with the child. So our is a convertible crib. It goes from a crib, to toddler bed, day bed, then to a full bed. And has lasted us through 2 kids so far for being just at $200 bucks.
Crib Sheets- You don't need to get the whole matching set. To save money just get cute sheets We got our as Little Unicorn for sweet little Elyse. 2-3 is the perfect number. One on the bed, one that needs to be washed and one ready to go clean for easy changing in the middle of the night.
Pack-n-play- We personally use a pack-n-play as the bassinet next to our bed for the first 3-6 months or until the baby is ready to move into their crib. We received one that has the newborn swaddle sleep area, the changing table and the upper setting of the bassinet.
Baby Carrier- like an Ergo baby or a Moby wrap to wear your baby around the house and out and about. Being hands free is amazing.
Breast pump- Check with your insurance to see if they cover the cost of a new breast pump. I have never gotten a pump but my friends really like the Medela Freestyle pump. If your insurance does cover your pump you can still register for the accessories, pads, and extra parts. I have never used a breast pump. I have a manual one that I use at 6 months old to extract some milk for the baby food but I barely get any out of it.
Swaddle Blankets- We love to swaddle our babies. I love the Aden and Anais blankets because they are huge and don't un-wrap very easily. For easy, easy, easy, and my husband's personal preference, get the Summer Infant Swaddle Me adjustable infant wraps. They have velcro on them and it is just so easy to use.
Baby Tub- You could use your sink, but it is nice to have a safe place made just for your baby to clean them up! I love the sling style ones like this First Years Sure Comfort. Perfect for newborns to keep them in place!
Baby Monitor- We still have the old sound monitor but honestly if we could get a video monitor, yeah, that is on my list with this baby. It would be so nice to have and just put me at ease! Check out this Summer Infant In View Digital monitor.
Rocking chair- a good quality one. These are more expensive but ours only lasted for 1 child. Honestly, if you can get the actual couch like chair I think that would last you longer. We had one of the rockers and ottoman sets that had springs in the butt, under the cushion that broke and it creaked too much right from the get go. It literally got used to death. Which is good, but it would have been nice if it lasted for longer than 1 kid for the price that it cost (around $250) Oh and choose a darker fabric. There could be spit up or poop or other things that make it onto the chair. Get something dark so that stains or spots aren't easily seen after a quick wipe off.
WHAT YOU DON'T NEED
Fancy nursing pillow- Boppy pillow will do just fine nothing that will cost you an arm and a leg. You can accessorize with a cute cover, but that will just cost more money. Keep in mind these get milk all over them. Make sure that it has or you get a washable cover on it though so that you can wash it easily.
Crib bumper and special bedding sets- Bumpers aren't recommended to be used anymore in the cribs, and we only have used it for decoration. You don't want it on there in the early days for fear of the baby getting stuck against it and heaven forbid, suffocating in it. And then as they start standing or getting curious about climbing they will use it to climb up on and climb out the crib. (Mason did that one.) We never used the bumper for Collin.
Nursing cover- These might be great as a first time mom in the beginning but really, they are/can be difficult to use. The baby gets super hot under them, it is hard to see and make sure they have and keep a good latch. And as they get older, the baby will take it off anyways. A large blanket will do trick for modesty in the beginning, but at some point, nursing will become second nature to you and covering up won't be a big deal.
Bottle Sterilizer- Nope don't need it. Get dishwasher safe bottles. It is easier to throw them in the dishwasher and let it go.
Bottle Warmer- Nope takes up space on your counters.
Designer Burp Cloths- Although they might be nice and have cute sayings on them. Invest in a single plastic style one or get 2 so you can have one that needs to be cleaned and one that is ready to go. We love the Baby Björn. Easy to clean and fits many sizes of children.
Wipe Warmer- We still have one that was for our first child, who is about to turn 5, that I registered for thinking I would use, and it has never been used. So...I am thinking it might be good to use this winter, however, the warmer will dry out the wipes. That is why we never used it. That was the number one thing I was told. Wipe warmer dries out the wipes and wastes money.
Bassinet- Don't have to have one of these specifically. The baby will grow out of it in the first 4 months. We borrowed one from a friend for Mason, and actually had it downstairs so that he could nap while I was in the kitchen cleaning or cooking. We use the pack-n-play as our bassinet. Which can be used later as a safe place to put your baby when you are doing things around the house as they get older.
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