Must Have Items For Your Baby Registry
I’m not kidding when I tell you I have twenty pregnant friends right now. I’m super excited about it because more friends for Tanner! I know being a first-time mom is super hard. There is a ton of advice and misinformation out there. I researched and researched a million baby products before I made my registry. Don’t get me wrong I have plenty of pointless items, but I have plenty of items that I seriously recommend and I hope it will help out all of my mommy friends. Whether you want to add to your registry or use these items as a starting point, I am here for you!
The Baby Brezza
This was a must for our family, and I can best describe it as the formula Keurig. At the top of the Brezza, you insert you baby formula. On the left hand side you fill the water tank with distilled water. The water tank heats the water to a perfect temperature for baby. Not too hot and not too cold. There are different settings for different ounces you can make that range from 2 oz. to 10 oz. You select your desired preference and BOOM it makes you the perfect bottle in about thirty seconds. You shake it up and then it is ready for baby! When you are stumbling downstairs at two and four a.m. it is a must have. It’s so quick and easy and you never have to worry about the bottle being too hot! It has made my nighttime feedings a breeze.
The Brezza is sold at all baby stores and is $179.00
The Owlet
I like to call this the “Paranoid Parent.” However, if you are a first time mom, the odds are that you are paranoid! The owlet measures your babies heart rate and oxygen level from the smart sock that goes on their foot. It reports to an app that you have on your phone! There are set levels which the heart rate and oxygen fall under and if your baby gets out of that range it sends you a blaring notification to your phone, and to the base! The base is meant to be kept in your room so you can see the bright green light that means your babies levels are OK. If it is red, then the baby heart rate has dropped too low or too high, or their oxygen is too low! If the sock slips or is having trouble reading your babies levels. There is no way to say if this device can prevent SIDS but it will alert you if your baby is choking or suffocating. Tanner spent a week in the NICU and had a little trouble breathing, this device gave me a huge peace of mind when he was sleeping. It also helped me aware that he was having trouble breathing. When I took him to the doctor he had RSV and we caught it really early! RSV can be really dangerous for babies and helping him clear out his nose early made all the difference.
The Boppy
The Boppy is a newborn lounger that Tanner spent a lot of time on for the first two months. I would lay the pillow over my c-section scar to help with the pressure and feed him this way. We set it up on the couch and never left him alone or unattended in it. You are not supposed to let the babies sleep overnight in any newborn lounger. When ever he was sleeping we made sure we were close by and awake to watch him!
Mama Roo Swing
Tanner has loved these two swings! Both at different times. Lately he has liked the Mamaroo more. This swing is powered by bluetooth that comes with an app you can control it from your phone. It imitates a car ride, a tree swing, kangaroo bounce, and two other various patterns. It also has an AUX connect where you can play your own music of the music provided for you on the app!!
Crane Ultra Sonic Cool- Mist Humidifier
Let’s face it. Your baby will get sick and the best way to keep the air moist to help with their congestion is a humidifier. It helps keep moisture in their room and improves their nasal passageways. My pediatrician also told me it will help my babies skin stay moisturized in such a dry climate! I have this exact one and it’s fantastic! One thing you will need to keep on hand is purified nursery water to fill it every couple of days. You have to also make sure you clean it every week to keep it clear of bacteria and mold.
Pack and Play Lil Snooze Deluxe by Baby Trend
This was one of my must have items on my registry. It is so versatile and you will use it for years! This pack n play had a changing station, an infant sleeper, a bassinet, and the bottom turns into a play yard and sleeper as well. It is easily assembled and is ideal for travel with your little one. It even has a side pocket where you can keep diapers and wipes. Baby uses this from the beginning and you can literally take it anywhere!
Dock-a-tot
I would consider this more of luxury item and not exactly a “need.” A lot of the newborn loungers all do the same exact thing and this just happened to be the one that was gifted to us! As Tanner has gotten older I use it for him to nap on the couch while I am getting work done on the computer or watching TV. I know a lot of moms put their DockATot in the crib but this is not recommended by the manufacturer and to be honest, he sleeps just fine without it. I bring it to my mom’s house as a “bed” for him and he really does love it. I could see this being used as a replacement for the pack n play if you are traveling!
Halo Sleep Sack
The nurses in the hospitals are swaddling experts. Each time I swaddled Tanner it would come undone and I would freak out. So I heard about the velcro ones that the baby can’t break out of. He has slept better being swaddled from the beginning. If we didn’t swaddle him, he would wake up in about 30 minutes. I like this one from Halo the best because it zips from the bottom. During late night feedings when you change a diaper, you can change it without getting him fully undressed. You just have to unzip the bottom. Now that he is older and can roll, I just use the sleep sack aspect of the swaddle. I leave his arms out and just Velcro around his body! It keeps him warm and I’m not up worried about loose blankets in the crib!
Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine
Tanner never slept well in silence, and according to every baby book I read, not a lot of babies do. They are used to the loud noises in the womb. Enter the Sound Maker! I love this one because it can be programmed and changed from your phone! It plays a variety of noise such as white noise, nature sounds, ocean sounds, and static. You can change the color of the orb to whatever “mood” you would like that illuminates like a night light. The use of it never requires you to get up or touch it. The enter base is controlled from your phone. It even serves as a “wake-up device” and will rise your baby at whatever time you choose!
Boon Lawn Drying Rack
It’s not secret that you will be washing A LOT of bottles. The baby eats every 2-3 hours!! We were constantly washing and drying his bottles in the first couple of months. The boon lawn is meant exclusively to hold all of your bottles in one spot for drying. This is another of the items that aren’t necessary but very convenient! I wanted to keep all of his stuff separate so I knew it remained sterile. If this is something that is on your mind too the Boon is great.
Braun No Touch Thermometer
Everything is scary those first couple of weeks. You and your baby don’t speak the same language and it’s challenging figuring out what they want. Tanner was born in the winter and I was terrified of him being sick! I took his temperature every day, which in hindsight is super extreme, but this made it so easy. You simply point it at their forehead and it gives you an accurate temperature and turns red if you are in the danger zone and should be concerned. I could do it easily without waking him and it is super hygienic and didn’t need to be cleaned a bunch!
First Aid Kit
It’s important that every adult has a first-aid kit but it’s more important for you to have one for baby! This kit came with so many essentials and it’s under $20. It has a comb, brush, toothbrush, medicine dispenser, nail clippers, thermometers, bulb string, scissors, and a mirror. I don’t think I have to explain why you need each of these items haha! Must have!
Infant Seat and Stroller
There is a lot that goes into choosing the stroller and car seat that is best for you. Honestly, I was overwhelmed with all of the good options. We chose to get the UppaBaby system because of the outstanding safety ratings and sleek light weight design. Our stroller is so easy to cart around and open and close! Uppababy products are a bit pricey but I didn’t mind paying more for a little peace of mind!
Fisher Price- Snug Baby Bouncer
I used my bouncer as my portable baby sitter. Each time I was in the shower, or needed to put clothes away, or did the dishes, I would move the bouncer into the room with me and Tanner would chill in it until I was done! This one has music, vibrations, and a mobile to keep baby entertained. We are still using it four months in, and I don’t see a true end in sight.
The Nose Frida
There’s really no way to say it. This is just literally a device to suck snot out of our kids nose. Yeah, it’s gross but it’s also AWESOME! Seriously. When we took Tanner to the ER for RSV, they just did suctioning treatments. This is the exact same thing but you can do it at home and it helps your baby tremendously! The kit even comes with saline drops that “loosens up” the mucous and allows you to suction more from their nose. It helped clear up Tanners cold sooooo fast and I promise it is hygienic. It comes with hygiene filters that prevent any snot from getting into your mouth when you suck it out. It may not be the ideal way to help them feel better but I swear it works!
The Diaper Genie
I remember when I was registering for items everyone has told me that this was a waste of money. I obviously disagree. We keep it right next to our changing table and we never smell poopy diapers! You buy the bag inserts that hide the smell completely,
Ergobaby Carrier
There are so many versions of the baby carrier and if you don’t choose ErgoBaby I still highly recommend getting one! I use mine to around the house when I’m cleaning, at the mall when I don’t feel like bringing the stroller, and at sporting events! Tanner loves being carried around and it makes it super easy for them to nap while you are on the go as well! This one is easy to clean and so comfortable. I can wear him all day and have a lot of support!