Mega List of Baby Registry Must Haves: PART 1

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My pregnant friend recently posted on her Facebook asking for recommendations for must-have baby products that she should put on her baby shower registry. It made me think back to creating my own registry, and how overwhelming the process felt. I had never even HELD a baby before my daughter was born… How the heck was I supposed to know what I would need to care for an infant?! 

There are just so many baby products on the market now that sometimes it seems impossible to narrow anything down. So looking back at Josie’s first year, I decided to make a list of all the things that came in handy for me as a new mom. This list is huge, so I am breaking it down into two separate posts. You can find Part 2 HERE!

Baby Registry Must-Haves: Sleeping

• SwaddleMe Velcro swaddles

My number ONE recommendation for new moms is to get your hands on lots of swaddles that are easy to use. Personally, I love the SwaddleMe brand because I suck at swaddling. These things make swaddling a breeze, especially when you’re changing diapers in the dark at 3 am.

• Copper Pearl swaddle blankets

Copper Pearl is another really nice brand if you prefer traditional swaddling. I love the fabric and the patterns are adorable. I bought a few of these swaddles just to use as baby blankets because they’re so cozy and sweet. 

• Zipadee Zip

After my daughter started hating the swaddle, I switched her to the Zipadee Zip, which I ADORE. Currently, Josie is 19 months old, and we still use the Zippy every naptime and night!

• A good bassinet

The Snoo is obviously my dream bassinet but I could never afford that thing. There are some others that are great for a more reasonable price. I actually used my old vintage bassinet for Josie, which both my mother and I also used when we were infants. For my next baby I’m planning on purchasing a Halo bassinet. The most important thing is to make sure it’s easy to clean, and it helps if you can rock it. One that pulls right up beside your bed is the best so you can reach over and grab baby when she cries at night. I know a lot of people use Pack ‘n Plays too. Those are awesome because they’re portable and can also be used as play yards.

• Waterproof mattress protectors

I bought several waterproof bassinet and crib mattress protectors. It’s good to have spares for when baby pees through her diaper in the middle of the night.

• Extra bassinet sheets and crib sheets

In addition to having waterproof covers, make sure to buy a few extra sheets so you have them in the wee hours of the morning when you really need them.

• Hatch Sound Machine/ Night Light

This thing is so cool! It has a ton of different sounds and you can control the color and brightness of the light. For middle of the night feeds, I used to set the Hatch to emit a dim red light so that Josie would stay sleepy.

To this day, I use the Hatch to play white noise while Josie sleeps in her room. It really helps her relax. And the best part is that you can control all these settings from an app on your phone.

• Blackout curtains

I purchased a set of grey blackout curtains for Josie’s room from Target. They match Josie’s grey glider perfectly, and they work well to block out the light from her window. Before I purchased these, Josie was having a very hard time falling asleep for her naps. The room was just too bright and she kept getting distracted. After we bought these curtains, naptime got a lot easier.

Baby Registry Must-Haves: Feeding & Nursing

• Lanolin

If you’re breastfeeding or pumping, lanolin is great for keeping your nipples from cracking. I kept a tube of this on hand next to my breast pump.

• Disposable nursing pads

My milk was constantly leaking everywhere so I stocked up on nursing pads. Specifically, I used the disposable Lansinoh brand. I know it’s not very eco-friendly, but I tried these BabyBliss Bamboo reusable nursing pads and then I had a thrush scare and threw them all away! The disposable ones just felt more hygienic to me, but that’s totally personal preference. 

• Pump strap or bra

Again this is a personal preference thing but I used this pump strap while pumping. It made exclusive pumping so much easier because I could be hands-free to eat, use my phone, etc. There are also a lot of excellent nursing and pumping bras on the market. I actually bought my nursing bras at Target because it was affordable, comfortable, and actually fit my swollen boobs!

• Vitamin D drops

Since I was giving my baby primarily breastmilk for the first 5+ months, the hospital had me give her Baby Ddrops every day. That’s because breastmilk actually doesn’t contain a whole lot of Vitamin D. Josie in particular really needed it while her jaw bone healed after jaw distraction surgery.

• Infant multivitamin

The NICU recommended that I give Josie a liquid multivitamin daily upon her discharge. I give her the NovaFerrum Multivitamin with Iron every morning in her milk. You can also add it to a bottle of breast milk or juice, or even mix it in baby food.

• Microwave sterilizing bags 

These bags make sterilizing bottles and pump parts way easier. (Unless you have a dishwasher, then I’d say just use that!) I used Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags.

• Milk storage bags

If you are planning to pump at all, these Lansinoh Breastmilk storage bags are perfect for storing milk in the freezer. I marked each bag with the pump date/time and amount, then froze them flat so they were easy to stack. When I was ready to thaw a bag, I always placed it in a bowl to catch any leaks, but luckily I never experienced leaks with this brand.

• Grass counter top drying rack

I used these grass drying racks for drying EVERYTHING and I freaking love them! They are SO much better for drying small items than traditional drying racks.

• OXO Tot dishwasher basket 

If you have a dishwasher, this OXO basket is essential for washing small bottle/pumping parts.

• Dr. Brown’s formula mixing pitcher

If you give your baby formula, the Dr. Brown’s formula mixing pitcher is a real game changer. Every night after Josie went to bed, I used this pitcher to mix a batch of formula for the following day. Then I would pour it into individual bottles as needed. The pitcher made this process so simple and quick, and it really worked well to break up any clumps of formula powder. 

• Bottles

The only recommendation I can really give is for other cleft parents. If your baby has a cleft and can’t drink from a regular bottle, give the Dr. Brown’s specialty feeding system a shot. This worked really well for Josie. (If your baby DOESN’T have a cleft, I’d recommend trying other bottles first. These Dr. Brown’s bottles are kind of pricey, they have tons of parts that take forever to wash, and they LEAK! But I put up with it because the special feeder worked well for Josie’s situation.)

• IKEA cart

Ikea carts are just so useful in a multitude of ways. At first, I kept all my pumping supplies on this cart next to my bed. Later when I stopped pumping, I used it to hold baby food, formula, baby snacks, sippy cups, etc. It is also a great way to create a portable changing station, with wipes, diapers, creams, etc. or a breastfeeding station with supplies and snacks. Pinterest has tons of ideas and inspiration! (If you’re not near an IKEA, Amazon has some similar cart options, like this one.)

• A mini fridge

Okay, this might seem silly, but I depended on my mini fridge for survival! My mini fridge lives in my bedroom. It is similar to this one. I kept Josie’s bottles, formula, and my pumped milk in the mini fridge overnight, as well as any refrigerated medications Josie needed. Then I just grabbed a bottle from the fridge when Josie woke up hungry in the middle of the night. This was particularly helpful for me because I lived in a 2-story house, so I would have to go up the stairs in the middle of the night to get to the kitchen.

• Pear or prune juice

I usually keep a bottle of pear or prune juice on hand in case Josie gets constipated. Another good thing to have just in case is baby food prunes.

• Lots of swaddle blankets and burp cloths

Keep a cloth under the baby while you’re breastfeeding! Josie used to have liquid poops every time she drank milk and it would leak into my lap! I quickly learned to keep a cloth underneath her during feeds to protect my clothes.

• Cloth bibs and silicone bibs

Cloth bibs are great for drool. The cloth absorbs the drool to keep the baby’s clothes and body dry. Silicone bibs are great for when baby starts feeding herself. They have a pocket to catch food!

• IKEA ANTILOP high chair

I like this high chair for 3 reasons: it’s affordable, it’s easy to clean, and the opening is small so it keeps Josie from putting her feet on the tray! It’s also very basic in design (plain white) so it goes well with any decor you might have in your house.

• Baby oatmeal 

Traditionally, parents have given rice cereal to their baby as their first solid food. If you want to give a cereal, I would actually recommend giving baby oatmeal instead of rice because I have found it to be much less constipating. However, I don’t think you really even have to start with cereal at all – I gave Josie plain oatmeal mixed with formula once, but she didn’t really care for it. Immediately, I skipped straight to sweet potato. She much preferred this more flavorful (and nutritious) starter food!

• Baby food silicone freezer tray

I used this silicone tray to make and freeze my own baby food. You can make whatever purée you want, then just freeze it in the tray and put the frozen blocks in a gallon freezer bag for later. By making your own baby food, you can save a little money and you know exactly what is in it. 

• Baby dishes and utensils

I love silicone dishes for serving finger foods. My favorites are the SiliKong Silicone Suction Plate and the Nuby Sure Grip Miracle Mat Section Plate. These plates are more difficult to move around than normal plates, so it’s harder for Josie to pick the plate up and throw it.

I also used Maroon Spoons for Josie throughout her first year of life and I found them to be very easy to use, especially with Josie’s cleft. Now that Josie is older she practices with Munchkin Raise toddler utensils.

For cups, our favorites are the Philips Avent Penguin sippy cup, the Reflo cup, the honey bear cup, and Take & Toss straw cups. (For more info on how we transitioned Josie from the bottle to a sippy cup check out this post!)

Must-Haves: Cleaning

• Clorox wipes 

I always had Clorox wipes in the house for cleaning up poop, drool, vomit, etc. when Josie was an infant. These are impossible to find nowadays though!

• Molly’s Suds Detergent 

I used to wash Josie’s clothes with Tide Free & Gentle, but I decided to purchase Molly’s Suds detergent because it’s a more natural and gentle detergent for Josie’s sensitive skin. It’s unscented, too, so there are no harsh dyes or perfumes that could cause Josie’s eczema to flare. Plus, it’s a lot more bang for your buck, and it cleans clothes just as well as our old liquid detergent (if not better).

• Wool dryer balls

I use reusable wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets because, like the detergent, they are gentle and unscented – better for baby skin. Another bonus is that they are much more eco-friendly than dryer sheets!

• Mesh bags for laundry

Mesh bags are great for washing all those cute little baby socks and stuff that would otherwise get lost in the machine.

Must-Haves: Clothing

• Zipper jammies

I am a die-hard zippered-pajama fan. Attempting to do up a million snaps in the dark while sleep deprived and trying not to COMPLETELY wake up your baby is the absolute worst.

• Cute bows

These bows are just super fun if you have a baby girl. There is a color to match every outfit and they make your baby look extra adorable.

• Little felt hangers 

Crucial for hanging baby clothes in the closet!

This is just PART ONE of my MEGA LIST of new mom must-haves! Part two includes all my favorite products necessary for diapering, bathing, health & safety, playtime, and travel. Click here for part 2 of this post!

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