Let me start by saying I am no expert when it comes to things you or your baby need. But I do know how helpful reading blog posts were for me while making my registry, so I thought I’d make one with a little review of our favorite things so far! We did our registry through Amazon and bought all of our furniture through Wayfair. There are so many options out there, but we just thought this route was the easiest.
So let’s dive right into it, shall we?!
Pregnancy:
Pregnancy Pillow - This first link is the pregnancy pillow I used, but this second link is the one I plan to try for future pregnancies. I did enjoy the pillow I bought because I thought it gave great support on my belly as the baby was growing, and I liked that you could use it as a pillow as well. However, I did not like how big it was because traveling with it was not ideal, and it was very difficult to turn from side to side in bed. D makes the joke that he felt like he was on a ship in the middle of the ocean while I was pregnant because I’d make the whole bed shake when I turned with the pillow. I've heard really great things about the second pillow I linked, so I'm excited to try it in the future. Side note: Koda absolutely LOVED the pregnancy pillow...see picture below :)
Raspberry Leaf Tea - Some believe this will cause contractions or soften and ripen the cervix. Some believe that this will make your uterus stronger so that labor will be shorter. All of the evidence out there does not support these claims necessarily, but I figured I’d give it a try.
Evening Primrose Oil - Some believe that this will ripen the cervix, but no research supports this. Again, I just figured I’d give it a try.
Bath
Cradle Cap System by Fridababy - Hunter had really bad cradle cap when he was born. Within one time of using this brush, it made a HUGE difference.
Bath Tub - I really like this bath because it grows with babies. There are four different positions you can put your baby in so you can use it for a long time. I also enjoyed it because the first few weeks, it was small enough to fit on our counter, so I didn’t have to bend down to give him a bath. It now fits in our tub perfectly and dries easily. Hunter seriously loves bath time.
Towels - Before Hunter was born, D told me that we didn’t need cute towels for him and we could just use ours. I disagreed, so I put them on our registry, and I’m so thankful we did. They are so dang cute and worth every penny, haha.
Washcloths - I don’t have much to say about these other than I really like these! They dry easily, and Hunter has extremely sensitive skin and they don't bother him.
Tubby Todd Shampoo, All Over Ointment, + Everyday lotion - I’m not kidding when I say I tried everything on Hunter’s skin. He had such a bad rash all over his head and neck for months, and nothing seemed to work (aquaphor, vaseline, lotions, etc.). Within a few minutes after using these lotions and shampoo, his skin cleared up and is INCREDIBLE. I seriously could not recommend this enough.
Health
Rectal Thermometer - I never thought I would use the rectal thermometer, but it’s by far the most accurate, and Hunter doesn’t have a problem with it, so I do highly recommend getting one.
Forehead Thermometer - We also have this thermometer. I used it a lot at first, but it honestly gave me a lot of different readings, so that’s why I switched to using the rectal one more often. I like it for the middle-of-the-night feedings when I'm not necessarily changing Hunter’s diaper, but he felt warm.
Baby Nasal Aspirator NoseFrida the Snotsucker - This thing is life-changing. There is truly nothing worse than when your baby is sick, but this made a huge difference and made it, so Hunter was able to breathe. Now I will warn you, your baby will probably HATE it, and you will most likely have to pin their arms down when they learn they can swat you away, but it really does help get the mucus out.
Saline Nasal Mist - This is really helpful to spray up your baby's nose before using the NoseFrida. It loosens the mucus up before you try to get it out! Another warning - your baby will probably hate this part too, but it’s worth it.
Gas Relief Drops - You can do whatever you feel is necessary and will receive zero judgment from me. But, our goal is to only use medication if absolutely necessary. These were pretty useful on days when we had NO idea what was wrong with Hunter, and we thought he had a belly ache.
Infants' Tylenol - I do recommend adding this to your registry just in case you need it!
Motrin - I added this to our registry in case Hunter has a really bad fever.
Wellements Organic Baby Chest & Foot Rub - I use this when Hunter gets sick. I rub it on his chest and the bottoms of his feet.
Nail Clippers - this works really well. Hunter is fascinated by the light and typically sits really still when I file his nails (which is way more often than I ever thought would be needed! haha).
Diapers
Diapers - I recommend getting diapers in all sizes! We had a diaper party along with our shower, and people were so generous and brought so many with them. To be honest, we’ve only had to buy a few diapers since having Hunter. You'll figure out which ones you like best/fit your baby best, but Pampers is by far our favorite!
Water Wipes - these are our favorite wipes. I feel really good about using them on Hunter’s sensitive skin!
Diaper Cream Spatula - I laughed when I saw people recommend this, and I thought I’d never use it, but I literally use it almost every single day. Any time I have to apply diaper cream, I use it!
Earth Mama Diaper Balm - I really like this diaper cream. Even if Hunter doesn’t have a rash, I try to use it to prevent one!
Destin - this works wonders if your baby does get a rash.
Changing Pad - I love this thing because you can easily take your baby’s weight, and it’s so easy to clean! We use it as our changing pad every day.
Travel Changing Pad - this is really convenient to throw in the diaper bag and travel with.
Diaper Bag - I love this bag because it’s easy to keep things organized, and it’s manly enough for D to carry around as well haha.
Diaper Pal - This works really well! It stops the diapers from smelling up the room. It’s also easy to change the bags, and it fits a ton of diapers. I usually only have to change it once per week. Here is the link for the refills as well.
Sleep + Nursery
Hatch Baby Sound Machine - I love this thing! Hunter is six months at the time I’m writing this blog, and we still use it every time he sleeps. It’s so easy to use because it connects to Bluetooth, and there are a lot of sounds and colors, so you can play around with what your baby likes best. Hunter likes the wave noise the best, and we typically don’t have a color on when he sleeps.
Portable Sound Machine - If your baby likes white noise, I recommend getting this because it’s easy to travel with. When our in-laws watch Hunter, we bring this for when he naps.
Baby Monitor - This is the monitor we have. It works great, but I wish I knew that it didn’t connect to wifi, so you have to carry the monitor around with you vs. having an app on your phone. For future kids, I plan to get this monitor. I’ve heard incredible things about it.
Pack 'N Play - Hunter only slept in our room for three months because he was a very noisy sleeper, and I wasn’t getting much sleep. But when he did sleep in our room, he slept in the bassinet attachment in the Pack ‘N Play instead of buying a separate bassinet. It worked really well for us and definitely saved us money. To be totally honest, I went back and forth between buying an actual bassinet. I actually ordered one from amazon because I heard it was helpful having one side zip down so you could easily grab your baby, but when I ordered it, I noticed it was no different than the Pack ‘N Play, so I returned it.
Pack ‘N Play Sheets - I like these because they are waterproof and easy to wash.
Baby Lounger - Hunter LOVED laying in this for the first few months. On nights he wouldn't sleep, we put him in this on the couch next to us so we could easily put his pacifier back in his mouth. I would carry this everywhere the first few weeks so that I could put him in it on the ground next to me! It was definitely one of our most used items for the first few months.
Crib - I honestly love our crib! D assembled it, and he is pretty handy, but he put it together quickly and said it was easy. No complaints so far haha.
Dresser - I really like how this turned out. It’s a nice height and wasn’t hard to assemble.
La-Z-Boy Chair - Derrick’s aunt and uncle own a local furniture store, so we got our La-Z-Boy from them. I absolutely love it and highly recommend getting one for your nursery. I tried a lot of different ones and made sure the one we got wasn’t too deep because it’s more comfortable to nurse sitting upright. I highly recommend getting one that is extremely comfy, though, because you most likely will be spending a lot of time in it. I went back and forth on getting an electric one, and especially after having a C-section, I do wish we went that route. It would have been really nice to recline vs. having to bend over and pull the handle.
Crib Bed Skirt - We got this so you couldn’t see what was in the drawers under the bed.
Swaddle - Hunter didn’t love to be swaddled, but I ended up taking the Taking Cara Babies newborn course after 3-months of really bad sleep, and I think we were doing it wrong. By that point, it was too late because he was starting to get close to rolling. I do recommend buying a bunch of different ones, though, because you never know which ones your baby will like! These are the ones we got - SwaddleMe Easy Change Swaddle, HALO 100% Cotton Sleepsack Swaddle
This is the swaddle we bought for his arrival announcement pictures! Definitely not super easy to use, but it is so cute.
Transitioning Swaddle Sack - This is what Hunter slept in for the first three months. He seemed to really like it, but I’d take anything I say about sleep with a grain of salt because he’s definitely not the best sleeper haha.
Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit - When Hunter was big enough, around three months, he started to sleep in this! I liked it because it’s thick enough that he wouldn’t wake himself up when he moved.
Waterproof Crib Mattress Protector - I just feel like this is necessary because your baby is gonna have blowouts and spit up in the crib haha.
Pacifier - this took a lot of trial and error. We registered for a few different kinds (Philips AVENT, Tommee Tippee) but Hunter ended up only enjoying this brand - MAM
Curtain and Curtain Rod - I think these look really nice in our nursery! The curtains are definitely not completely blackout, but they do keep it really dark during the day.
Humidifier - I started to use this when Hunter got his first cold and have continued to use it every night since. It’s really easy to use!
Hangers - Depending on how you plan to organize your baby's clothes, hangers may be necessary. Hunter has two closets, so we do hang a lot of his clothes so I can see them all. These hangers work well, and these hangers work well for pants.
Clothing Dividers - I’m all for organization! I liked how these looked, and they have worked well.
Snuggler blanket - Hunter likes this because it’s easy to hold, and he loves chewing on it!
Baby Monthly Milestone Blanket - trust me, you are going to want those monthly pictures.
Eating
Bottle + nipples - I obviously only have one kid, but I’ve been told every baby is different, so I’d recommend buying one of a few different bottles and nipples. Hunter is extremely picky and will only drink from this bottle, but these are the other ones we registered for - Tommee Tippee, MAM
Microwave Steam Sterilizer - We registered for this and got it but honestly have only used it a few times. It works well and is easy to use. I just felt like we never necessarily needed to use it after washing everything.
Bottle Brush - these brushes make it really easy to wash bottles. I didn’t love the idea of using the sponge we wash everything else with on bottles, and I feel much better that I only use these on the bottles.
Bibs - these are fantastic because they catch any food and water that misses your baby’s mouth (and trust me, it’s a lot haha).
Spoon - I love these because they have a tiny handle, so it’s easy for Hunter to grab and put in his mouth.
Open Cup - I took the Feeding Littles course, and they recommend starting with an open cup when you introduce drinking. This cup has worked really well for us. Hunter actually loves drinking water and bringing the cup to his mouth!
Straw Cup - We have not introduced this to Hunter yet, but we registered for it!
Teething Toys - we are just entering this new phase, but having something Hunter enjoys biting has been a game-changer so far. This banana from Walmart is also one of Hunter's favorites.
Haakaa Baby Fruit Food Feeder - Hunter enjoys this because it allows him to taste the food without having to worry about the texture and gag. I will say it definitely makes a mess because it makes things sticky, but so far, we love it.
High Chair - I like this one because it has a tray that you can easily remove to clean. I also think it’s just aesthetically pleasing compared to straight plastic ones haha.
Bottle drying rack - this is nice so that you don’t have to put your bottles in the same drying rack as all your other dishes.
Burp Cloths - Luckily, Hunter doesn't spit up too much. But these clothes are fantastic!
Travel
Car Seat - The car seat we have has worked really well. Honestly, I have no complaints. It’s easy to use, and I love that it clicks right into our stroller.
Car Seat Base - We bought three of these. One for each of our cars and one for Derrick’s parents. They are extremely easy to move from car to car though, if needed.
Grows4Me 4 in 1 Car Seat - We put this on our registry, so we don’t have to buy another car seat when he grows out of the current one!
Jogging Stroller - I love this stroller because the car seat snaps right into it. We also go on a walk every day, and it’s great on different terrains. We have used it on a dirt road, out in the field, and in snow, and it’s worked wonderfully in everything.
Fan - This is extremely easy to attach to the stroller and works well.
Car Mirror - I love how this lights up so you can view your baby when it’s dark if needed!
Ergobaby Omni 360 Carrier - this is by far one of the most used items for us. It’s so easy to put on yourself. We used it a lot in the early days when Hunter struggled to take naps. Now, we put him in it facing out when we are doing things around the house or even when I have to take a work call or personal train a client. We also use it when we go on walks, and it’s really cold outside.
Moby Wrap Baby Carrier - It took me a while to get the hang of this one, but I actually really liked it, especially post-c-section. I had to YouTube how to wrap it a lot, but it ended up being pretty easy.
Osprey Carrier Backpack - We haven’t used this yet, but I literally cannot wait!
Play
Activity Mat - We use this every single day. Hunter loves all of the colors and attachments.
Activity Center - this is another one of our absolute favorites/must-haves. Hunter uses it every day and loves the attachments on it.
Sit-Me-Up Baby Chair - we like this because it's easy to set on the kitchen counter while we cook. We also found the more seats we had, the better because when he got bored of one thing, it was nice to be able to move him to a different one!
4moms mamaRoo - To be totally honest, this was something I was most excited to use, and Hunter never really loved it. At six months, I learned that you could tilt it back so he wouldn’t have been sitting as straight up, and I think that would have made a big difference. I’m excited to try to use it on future babies haha.
Jolly Jumper - Hunter loves this! It took him a little while to get the hang of it, but now he truly enjoys it. It’s nice because you can move it around easily. I’d say the only downside is it’s tricky to get your baby out of it.
Sit to Stand Learning Walker - We haven’t used this quite yet, but I’m so excited to try it when Hunter gets big enough.
These are a few of our favorite toys - Winkel Rattle, Smily Mia Penguin
Lovevery Subscription - We started these at three months, and they are worth every penny. You don’t have to think about buying any toys. The boxes come with just the right amount and are developmentally appropriate. They also are great because they make it easy to clean up every night. We play with our boxes every single day.
Books - We had people bring books as cards for our baby shower, and I loved it! People wrote little notes inside the cover, so now, when we read the book to Hunter, we can also read the note.
Clothes
Pajamas - Highly recommend ones that have a double zip (one towards their neck and one towards their feet). It makes diaper changes so much easier!
Honestly, with clothes, make sure you think about how old your baby is going to be in what season. Now, this could vary depending on how big or small your baby is, but we didn’t get to use a lot of the short sleeve cute outfits Hunter got for 3-6 months because it’s winter and freezing. We also didn't register for many clothes. A few items we did register for were hats and gloves.
For Momma + Breastfeeding
Robe - I’m not exaggerating when I say I lived in this thing for months after having Hunter. I still sleep in it because it’s really comfy and easy to breastfeed. I love that it has pockets as well, so I could carry my phone or the baby monitor around easily.
Breast Pump - Check with your insurance! Mine covered a lot of different ones, and I went with the Spectra S2. I really like it, but a friend told me that she got a Spectra Pump that holds a charge for ~5 pumps. I’m definitely going to look into this one for future pregnancies because it would be very convenient to travel with vs. having to plug it into the car.
Boppy Nursing Pillow + Cover - this made nursing so much easier for me. It was actually an item that I even traveled with, if possible. I do recommend having a backup cover just in case your baby spits up on the one!
Haakaa Manual Breast Pump - I used this almost every time I fed Hunter during the first few months. It was really nice because it allowed me to freeze and build up a stash of breast milk. It’s also extremely easy to use. However, because it stimulates your other breast, it makes your body think you are feeding two kids, so it definitely led to me overproducing.
Haakaa Ladybug Breast Milk Collector - this is nice to have to catch milk from the other breast.
Breast Milk Storage Bags - I liked these because they were easy to get the air out of them and really great to keep organized in the freezer.
Nursing Pads - I was terrified of having a letdown and leaking everywhere in my early days postpartum. These pads worked really well.
Nipple Butter - There is nothing worse than cracked nipples that cause so much pain in those early postpartum days. This worked really well to prevent that from happening.
Nursing Bra - My favorite one was the Auden Nursing Seamless Bra from Target.
Silverette - To be honest, I heard really great things about these, but I wasn’t a fan. I actually felt like they made my nipples itchy, so I only wore them twice.
Lactation Massager - this is extremely helpful if you have clogged ducts. I’m so thankful that I only experienced a few, and I caught them before they got worse. Anytime I felt a clogged duct coming on, I would use this in the shower, and it worked really well.
Sunflower Lecithin - As I mentioned before, I didn’t have many clogged ducts, but I took this as a preventative measure.
Weighted Heating Pad - I used this to encourage my letdown to happen faster.
Hands-Free Pumping Bra - Oh my goodness, this is truly a game-changer. The first few times, I would hold the phalanges up, and it was so inconvenient. This bra made is so much easier to pump.
Breast Pump Car Adapter - I used this all the time when we were traveling. I didn’t buy a portable pump, so it made it possible to travel long distances without having to stop.
Comfortable Underwear - I loved these because they were nice and high and didn’t press down on my c-section incision.
Wow, okay! I know that was A LOT but I hope you find it helpful. As a reminder, this information is based on my opinions! All babies are different.
I hope you enjoyed reading it!
xoxo,
Ash
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