TOP 10 REGISTRY MUST HAVES
f you’re approaching your registry as a first-time mom, you may be a little overwhelmed at all the options, brands, opinions and suggestions on items you need. It can be hard to sort through the clutter.
Keep it Simple
I am a 2nd time mom who likes to keep things simple and practical. In approaching my registry, I used a standard list but through trial and error included the following must have items. These were so effective the 1st time, that I used these again with my 2nd along with new items I found the 2nd time around.
1. Disposable Changing Pads
Having a newborn means there are boundless messes. I had the cute, quilted cotton changing pad covers, but quickly found out how often they would make it to the almost daily laundry pile. So instead, I found these disposable changing pad liners and they were a lifesaver! I just placed them on top my existing cotton liners and always had a spare underneath for inevitable accidents.
2. My Brest Friend Pillow
The all-familiar debate over which breast-feeding pillow, the Brest Friend or Boppy? For me, it was the Brest Friend all day, every day, especially for a 1st time mom who is just learning to breastfeed. The Brest Friend is more compact and slips around your waste quickly and securely. The foam material is firm and comfortable for baby to rest on making breastfeeding so much easier. Since pillow wraps around you, the thick padding is also in back and benefits you by giving you with padding when you’re resting against a chair or couch. The front has a convenient small storage pocket to keep creams, shields, burp cloth, etc. Because this pillow is firm and broad enough to support baby, it made nighttime breastfeeding when you are so utterly delirious easier. When I was half awake I was able to quickly slip the pillow around my waste and effortlessly latch the baby, there was no need to reposition of fluffing needed to get the pillow just right.
3. Extra Wide Burp Clothes
Babies and spit up are inevitable. These extra-wide burp cloths are amazing because the width helps catch the spit up that unsurprisingly manages to always make it onto your shirt. My curious baby would turn his head side-to-side when I was burping him and his spit-up regularly landed on my shirt and sometimes even my pants for big ones. It wasn’t until I got these wide cloths that I wasn’t changing my shirt after each feeding.
4. Pocket Bibs
There are bibs for every need and eating is one! These pocket bibs are great. They help catch food that would otherwise land on baby’s shirt or lap (hello laundry bin) and instead land conveniently in the pocket for an easy clean up. We used these bibs when our baby was starting solids and as a toddler when eating independently. My 2nd didn’t like the weight of these, so we got these waterproof pocket bibs.
5. Baby Sink Bath
I cannot say enough good things about this sponge baby bath. We have a small home and storage is a commodity. I didn’t want a plastic tub that would take up more space. I also read tons of plastic tub reviews and blog posts where babies regularly cried during bath time. Instead, the sponge bath is soft and comfortable for baby. Both of my boys loved bath time and we never had any issues. I also really appreciated the ease for cleanup where I would simply hang it in the tub using the plastic hook and it was dry and ready to go within a few hours.
6. Electric Baby Nail File
I have a love and hate relationship with electric baby files, but I do prefer them over a standard emery board. Babies are always moving their little hands and feet around making an emery board challenging to use. Instead, the electric file spins and all you need to do is hold it to baby’s nails and you are done in no time. In my experience there is also no way you can hurt your baby and ran it across my own skin to test. Now, as a con, there is a learning curve to rounding the nails, so you don’t have any sharp edges.
7. Gift Card
Even though you have a list of registry items, its ok to add a gift card option too. A gift card is helpful to pick up any leftover items not purchased from your registry. Also, there will be all sorts of little things you didn’t realize you needed or that you left off your registry. Having a Visa or Amazon gift card goes a long way.
8. Hatch Sound Machine
A sound machine is a must have to help baby sleep and can be as simple or fancy as you prefer. However, I regret not adding the Hatch sound machine to my registry. The Hatch is pricey, but one of your loving guests is bound to gift it to you, and it’s worth every penny. The Hatch is not only a high-quality sound machine it has an app you can customize many setting. Additionally, and the source of my regret is that the Hatch has a time-to-rise function (well after newborn stage) which is a duo light (different colors for sleep vs wake) so they know when they can wake up or get out of bed.
9. Bottle Brush
How does a bottle brush make it onto a must have list you may be wondering? Well, when you feel like an around the clock bottle washer and want cleaning to be easy and quick, you’ll completely understand. I learned this through trial and error until I discovered the OXO brush. The biggest plus are the soft bristles that efficiently get all around the bottle angles including the nipples. The handle is sturdy and unlike other designs, there is a button on the handle to release the nipple tip cleaner. In other designs, the nipple attachment, just detaches from the bottom which annoyingly comes off when you don’t want it to. The OXO brush also comes with a drying stand so that residual water slips into the base. The brush and stand are easy to clean and have held up to hundreds of bottle washes.
10. MAM Bottles
When researching bottle types, glass stood out to me as the clear winner mainly for the safety of not using plastic. However, I decided that glass was not practical since they take up more storage space (cant stack) and pose a safety hazard if you drop a bottle. You may think, well I won’t drop a bottle? I cannot tell you how many I have dropped, from falling off the rocker to my now curious toddler grabbing (and dropping) everything. Instead, I was gifted these MAM bottles and fell in love with their practicality, safety, non-colic design, and color options. MAM bottles are BPA/BPS-free and anti-colic (neither of my boys had colic) so that alleviated my concerns. Also, in comparison to other bottles, MAM have minimal parts to assemble AND a removable bottom which made bottle cleaning quick and easy. This is so important when you literally wash bottles all day long. There are two sizes (5oz & 9oz), and the tops, bottoms, and nipples are compatible with each size. They have a neutral color design and I use a different color for each so that each of my boys always get their own bottles.
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