Must Have! On Your Registry

This is not a comprehensive list, just some specific recommendations.

My Breast Friend- I highly recommend this as opposed to the boppy for nursing. I love the boppy too for tummy time and early sitting but My Breast Friend fits well around you and clips so it doesn’t slip away. Also it provides a firm shelf for you to perch the baby on for feeding so that you can have one and sometimes two hands free.

Miracle Blanket- this is an intense swaddler that I found, after much trial and error, works the best. Now, I’ve had friends say that their baby didn’t like being swaddled. I kind of think all babies like being swaddled, they just have to get used to it so I say swaddle. They might squirm around at first but we just held the baby and patted him on the back until he calmed down and then would go to sleep and could be put down. After just a few nights of that it didn’t bother him at all being swaddled and he slept through the night earlier than most babies.

Diaper Changing Gear- do you need a changing pad and covers? Do you need a diaper caddy or stuff to organize all the diaper changing necessities? We just put a diaper pad on top of a low chest of drawers and had a little diaper caddy basket next to it. It works great. We have a plush cover on the diaper changing pad and then we put a waterproof pad on top of that so when accidents happen we just wash that pad rather than the whole cover.

Baby Saline Nasal Spray- Remember, congestion happens. A squirt of this in each nostril at every diaper change helps clear up that inevitable congestion.

Lots of burp cloths, terry cloth bibs, and soft wash cloths- especially a necessity if you have a spit up baby.

Play Mat- preferably interesting to look at on the bottom and things hanging above. Great for tummy time and back time on the floor. Helps encourage reaching, rattling, etc.

Diaper Genie and bag refills- we prefer the elite. Really just a diaper disposal unit.

Bath Sponge- you know those big ones that you can lay the baby on- for the first several weeks, we just laid that by the sink and just used a washcloth to bathe the baby.

Bath Tub- we got one that fit in our tub and had an infant side where the baby could lay down and then a toddler side where he could sit up (once that was an option). It worked well. See the bath time= slippery trouble blog.

First aid and hygiene necessities- Johnson and Johnson cleanser- we use it for hair and body and it works just fine. Thermometer (hate to tell you but the pediatrician says that rectal thermometers are the most accurate- everything else isn’t reliable), soft brush, nose sucker (consider the NoseFrida if you can stand the thought of it), baby clippers, nail file, baby Aquaphor (works like a charm on chapped face or dry spots), and diaper cream of your choosing- Boudreaux’s has worked great for us.

Wearable Baby Carrier- we have an Ergo and a Bjorn and like both for different reasons. I never really got into the slings and wraps but know moms that have loved theirs.

Diaper Disposal Bags- carry these in your diaper bag and don’t feel so embarrassed throwing diapers away in public bathrooms, people’s houses, etc.

Mirror that attaches to the seat headrest behind the carrier so you can see the baby- I didn’t have one of these in my car until the day the baby mysteriously stopped crying all of the sudden while I was driving and I couldn’t see that he had just gone to sleep. The baby (you know when it can see more than a foot from its face) also finds this fun to look at. Ours is a monkey.

Video Baby Monitor- I was totally against this before the baby. This was my husband’s decision and good thing it was. The baby sleeps in his room, literally 20 feet away from my husband and I. I just figured we would be able to hear him and it would be fine. The nice thing about the video is that you quickly learn what it looks like when the baby is just stirring and will go back to sleep and when they are really in distress. This not only helps you avoid getting up with the baby constantly but this also leads to the baby learning how to put itself back to sleep better since you aren’t intervening constantly.

Baby Swing- Most babies like it at some point or another and it can give you a place to strap the baby in and get things done.

If you have some Must Have!s add a comment!