Baby Registry 101: The Best Baby Registry List…Part 1

Feeding

• Nursing Pillow – My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow: If you are planning on breastfeeding, you MUST get the My Brest Friend
  breastfeeding pillow. 1) It is flat. 2) It has a big surface for your
  infant to be comfortable but in a sturdy position. 3) It belts around your waist for secure wear. People always raved about The Boppy, but it’s really only good for propping up your baby for tummy time, pictures, etc. The Boppy, in my opinion, was not the greatest for nursing. However, all of these nursing pillows can sit pretty low, even if it is belted around you. If you have a C-section like I did, you will not want to
  deal with constantly having to hunch over. My solution was to put a flat pillow
  underneath the My Brest Friend for extra height. This makes for a perfect nursing pillow. The My Brest Friend even has a pouch to hold extra bibs or a water bottle. 
• Nursing Stool – Kidkraft Nursing Stool in White: This is a necessity for breast-feeding. It all depends on where you nurse your little babe, but you’ll want to prop your feet up to help bring your baby closer to you.
• Nursing Cover – Bebe au Lait Chateau Silver Nursing Cover: If you plan on nursing in front of people and are modest, register for one of these. I was always at home when I nursed so this was never a necessity for me. But I did have one.
• Breast Pump – Ameda Purely Yours Double Electric Breastpump: When looking for a breast pump, I wanted something sanitary and functional, as well as easy to carry around since I would have to use this thing at work. I went with the Ameda Purely Yours because it is a closed system (meaning milk does not get into the contraption’s inner-workings), and it was decently priced. It also runs on batteries if needed. Loved this pump. I used it from birth until 13 months.
• Ameda Store N Pour Breast Milk Storage Kit: You’ll definitely need storage bags if you pump. I used these bags because they took up less room in the freezer and were super easy to defrost.
• Bottles – Dr. Brown’s All In One Gift Set: I registered for this gift set because it came with all of the bottle essentials. You’ll need the infant and regular sized bottles, along with different nipple sizes. The smaller the nipple size, the slower the flow is. If you are nursing, too, the lowest flow nipple is ideal when your baby is a newborn. I had to supplement with a bottle when Charlotte was first born and had to learn all of this very quickly. We ended up using Dr.
  Brown’s bottles because they are known to prevent gas issues. Charlotte took to these particular bottles very easily, so naturally we loved them. There are a lot of different parts to these bottles but we did not find that to be an issue, because Char had very minimal spit up from use with these. She was a reflux baby (meaning she spit up ALL the time), so we thought these were a heaven-send when the amount of spit up lessened. However, you may not want to buy a ton of the same bottles until you know what your baby wants or likes. My recommendation
  would be to order a few individual bottles from different brands for a
  trial run. Then if you have a huge stash of a certain brand that you don’t
  end up liking, you can return it and exchange. Make sure whatever bottles
  you get are BPA free. 

• Dr. Brown’s Dishwasher Basket: You’ll need this to fit the Dr. Brown’s bottle parts exactly to put in the dishwasher. You’ll also need a bottle brush, but if you get the set, it’s included. Alternative bottles that I’ve hear great things about are Playtex Drop-Ins, Tommee Tippee, and Philips AVENT.
• Baby Spoons & Bowls: You can start on rice cereal at 4-6 months if you so choose and it is approved by your pediatrician. I started out solids by introducing cereal at 4 months, and then baby foods, fruits and veggies, close to 6 months. Here is what you’ll need to get started:
• NUK Gerber Graduates Rest Easy Spoons: These spoons will be what you start out with when first introducing solids. You’ll want a spoon that is small and soft to feed your baby his/her first solids. 
• Munchkin 5 Pack Multi Bowl: We often made Charlotte’s baby food using our juicer or food processor or blender. You really don’t need anything fancy to make baby food. We would freeze her homemade baby purees in an ice tray and then transfer the cubes to Ziploc baggies. And you really don’t need anything fancy to put the baby food in, making these bowls perfect. They even can be suctioned to a highchair tray when your baby is ready to start feeding him/herself, making them a ‘grow with your child’ type of purchase. These types of purchases are the best.
• Bumbo Floor Seat & Play Tray Set: This was not all that useful for
  us for a long period of time, but it was helpful. These come into use
  when your baby is strong enough to hold his/her head up (for us that was right around 2 months). Once Charlotte
  started rolling around becoming a wiggly worm, it kind of became useless.
  We only used our Bumbo when we traveled and needed a chair to set Charlie
  in. It was also a great starter seat when we started rice cereal after she
  was 4 months. The tray included in this set also is a great place to put suction toys that make noise and light up. 
• Portable High Chair – Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster Seat: Once Charlotte was eating baby
  food after most nursing sessions at 5 months old, this chair was our go-to. We still take this with us when we travel (she’s 15 months old right now) as her portable high chair. Love this seat!

• Formula – Similac Advance Newborn Formula Bottles Ready to Feed: The hospital where we delivered and our pediatrician recommended Similac. We used these particular ready to feed bottles when we were in the
  hospital because Charlotte had a full pound after she was first born. Because of her rapid weight loss, I nursed and then supplemented with these. These little ready-to-feed bottles were so easy to use. 
• Burp Cloths & Bibs – I actually got a ton of these,
  but my favorites were some handmade bibs made by a friend. They were thick
  and would hold a ton of spit up. You will see more spit up than you ever even knew was possible to see, and it will not faze you. You will become desensitized for sure. Store-bought options of burp cloths I loved were:
• Babies R U Flannel Burp Cloths: I loved the thickness of these. And they are pretty much indestructible. Definitely built to last. They were washed all the time, and they are still in perfect condition.
• Aden + Anais Bib Burp Cloths: I just found these when doing a quick search for bibs, and they look to be
  like another great option. You cannot have enough burp cloths and bibs! I
  promise.
• Bumkins 3 Pack Waterproof SuperBibs: These by far are my favorite bibs when feeding solids. You can rinse them, hang them to dry, and then they’re good to go. Easy clean-up. Easy decision. 
• High Chair – Boon Flair Pedestal High Chair with Pneumatic Lift: We didn’t start using this high chair until Char was around 6 months old. We used the Fisher Price Portable High Chair out of convenience since we hadn’t purchased a high chair up until that point. But once she was pretty much a big kid, we decided it was time to move to the big girl high chair. We researched and ended up going with the Boon Flair because of its sleek design, its ability to roll around, and the pneumatic lift function allowing her to sit at that table. 

Sleepytime

• 3-in-1 Bassinet (bassinet/moses basket/changing table) – The First Years Carry Me Near Sleep System: This was the very first place Charlotte slept. We picked this for the functionality and the cuteness. Make sure to
  register for the bassinet bedding that goes with whichever bassinet you find (usually sold separately). This bassinet stayed right next to me at night until we moved her into her crib at 5 months. 
• Swaddles – Summer Infant Cotton Knit SwaddleMe: I love this brand and swaddle. I highly recommend swaddling, and this specific version makes it super easy. After many sleepless nights, I read the book, The Happiest Baby On The Block, in hopes that it would give me answers on how to get my baby to sleep. Swaddling was one of the five suggestions, and it soon became a necessity and stayed a necessity until she knew how to roll over around 4.5 months. Swaddling was seriously a
  life-saver! It took Charlotte a little while to get used to it, but it
  definitely was one of the contributing factors to her sleeping so safe and sound at night, not to mention it added an extra two hours of sleep to her night sleep when she was 7 weeks old, making sleeping through the night a success. I mean, just look at that little face. 

• Video
  monitor – Motorola MBP43-2 3.5″ Color Video Monitor with Pan/Tilt/Zoom: We love this monitor. The version I’ve linked to is actually the new and improved version of what we currently have being that it’s wireless. This monitor is in color and has black & white night vision, pans, zooms, tilts, and has two-way communication. Did I already say that I love this monitor? 
• Angel Care Movement and Sound Monitor: This was probably one of my favorite registry
  items. This detects if your baby is breathing or not, and it can be hooked up to a bassinet, crib, or Pack ‘N Play. Peace of mind saver for sure!
• Pacifiers – Register for several types because most likely, you won’t know what your baby will like. The hospital will actually give you a couple to try if you choose to use one. Every hospital’s preferred brand is different. We opted out of using one since I had read they could interfere with nursing. So when we did want to try using a paci, she wasn’t very receptive. Charlotte wouldn’t take a pacifier at first, but she finally took to the Philips AVENT Soothie and only used it when sleeping. She used a paci from around 3 months to 5 months. I’m very lucky that I didn’t have to fight the pacifier battle.
• Graco Pack ‘N Play Playard with Reversible Napper and Changer: This is actually one of the items that I stayed gender neutral with the design. We started using this when we started to travel out of town, and it’s really the only time we use it. Charlotte has had no problems sleeping in this. When she was smaller, I kept her in the bassinet portion. Once she could pull herself up, I put the mattress all the way down to the bottom. If you register for the Pack ‘N Play, don’t forget to get a fitted sheet or pad for it (sold separately). And if you are crunched for space in your home, you could totally get by the first few months with this instead of a crib or bassinet. 
• Crib & Nursery Furniture: We bought our nursery furniture at Pottery Barn Kids and Baby’s 1^st Furniture. If ordering from places such as these, it’s probably a good idea to order as early as possible. It took us 12 weeks to receive our crib, changing station system, and glider. However, Babies R Us has great furniture as well (they also have great sales, furniture in stock at their warehouse, cheap delivery and
  setup). Wherever you get your furniture, I do recommend  a convertible
  crib, meaning it can transform into a toddler bed and/or twin/full size bed. Be sure you purchase the rails for the toddler bed and twin/full-size bed in case they discontinue your furniture in the future. I didn’t purchase the full-size bed conversion kit and regret it because they stopped selling it. 
• Crib Bedding & Mattress: This is truly a personal decision because it’s your own nursery vision after all. More than likely, you can register
  for bedding at any of your registry locations. We went with Pottery Barn Kids. Babies R Us also has some adorable options that are cute and inexpensive. Just know that you’ll need a mattress, a couple of fitted sheets, a waterproof mattress cover, a crib skirt, a toddler blanket that your baby won’t use inside the crib (it’s purely for decoration for the first couple of years), and crib bumpers (however that is totally up to you…we went with bumpers and have had no problems…just do your research and trust your judgement.). 
• Glider: We LOVE our glider. It was custom made at Baby’s 1st Furniture. I’ll be doing a nursery post soon, so if you’d like to see a picture of ours, be on the lookout for Nursery 101. Pottery Barn Kids also has some great options. Babies R Us has some reasonably priced gliders as well. 
• Lamp: Again, this will be a personal choice, but you’ll definitely need a lamp for the baby’s
  room.
• Sound Machine – myBaby SoundSpa Portable: A sound machine is another must-have and game-changer. Charlotte loves listening to the ocean waves, and the sound alone put her to sleep many a times. You’ll find out what sound your baby likes most. Some sound options are the womb sound, heartbeat, rain, and ocean. One thing about finding the perfect sound machine is finding one that DOES NOT shut off. You want this puppy to run until you shut it off manually. This one does the job. We actually use our iPod and have an ocean sound app; we use our Bose Sound Doc as her sound machine. Before I figured out that I needed a sound machine that would not shut off, Charlotte loved her Cloud b Sound Machine Sleep Sheep. 
• Footed Pajamas: My favorite footed baby pajamas are from Baby Gap and
  Carter’s. You want to go with footed PJs to keep your baby’s little toes warm. And you definitely want to choose the zip-up version, because during those middle of the night changes, you don’t want to have to figure
  out buttons and snaps!  

• Fisher-Price Deluxe Newborn Vibrating Rock n’ Play Sleeper: This is the new and improved version of what we had. It now has a vibrating device, which these babies absolutely love as newborns. Charlotte only slept in this for a short period of time, BUT it was a great place to set her down. When she loved it, she LOVED it. That definitely made it worth the purchase. It was also easily transportable; we used this when we went out of town and needed a place to set her down and be safe.
• Swing – Fisher Price My Little Lamb Platinum Edition Cradle ‘n Swing: This swing is fantastic! It definitely became a best friend in our house. Charlotte started to sleep very well in  this since she had bad reflux. There are other similar options, but this design was our favorite. I also loved that the position of the swing was moveable. 
• Fisher Price Deluxe Bouncer: This little seat is also great to have on hand. This is another easily transportable baby seat. Charlotte would nap here several times a day. Again, the vibration movement soothes babies to sleep. You really can’t have enough of these items when you have a newborn. Just like shoes, you always need options. 
• Books to read about baby sleep before your baby arrives (and to refer to continuously once your baby is born): 
• Happiest Baby on the Block: I cannot say enough about this book. It discusses
  colic and how to keep your baby calm and happy. I was at my wits end when I read this book, and it truly was a life saver. Truly. An absolute must read!
• The SleepEasy Solution: Y’all! This book is the reason Charlotte
  started sleeping 12 hours after her 4 month sleep regression. Yes, you read that right: 12 hours! We sleep
  trained at 5 months, and I definitely attribute her being such a good sleeper to this book’s techniques. This book is another life saver and game changer. 

This concludes Part 1 of Baby Registry 101. We’ve gone over the best items to have on your registry for Feedingtime and Sleepytime. Is your head spinning yet? Don’t worry. It will all come together in no time. Be sure to check back for Part 2 next week when we’ll cover Traveltime, Playtime, and Essentials. Take it easy, beautiful mama! See you soon, and thanks for reading.