BABY MUST-HAVES/REGISTRY ITEMS
Well it’s only taken one year to get this together for you all. Because, well.. MOM LIFE. Hard to believe Brody is a year already! Boy oh boy have we learned a lot together in this past year. I get requests daily from my followers on what baby items are must-haves, can’t live without and things that are not worth it.
I’ve put together a list of baby items that have been worth having. Every baby is different and it’s a lot of trial and error, but here is what has worked for us! Whether you have a baby on the way, planning on pregnancy or becoming parents, or purchasing a gift for someone who’s having a baby, this post is for you. Enjoy!
Before Brody arrived I put together my wish list items and registry items on BABYLIST. I found this to be the easiest registry for those who wanted to gift us something and for me to keep track of what items we needed to purchase.
NEWBORN ESSENTIALS
SWADDLEME SWADDLES / / These are so much easier to use! Rather than trying to figure out how to swaddle your baby, these make the job much easier. He used these in the snoo for the first four weeks of his life.
COTTON MUSLIN SWADDLE BLANKETS / / We did not use these for swaddling but they came in handy. They are great to use as a blanket, car seat cover, laying down to change on the go etc. We keep two in his diaper bag at all times for the first few months.
BURTS BEE’S ORGANIC BURP CLOTHES / / Be sure you have lots of these. We went through several a day during the first few months. We keep a few in his diaper bag at all times too. Great to have nearby during and after feeding.
KNOTTED GOWNS / / Brody lived in these for the first several weeks. It made it so much easier to dress him and change him and they are so cozy and soft. He also wore their hats too during the newborn stage.
ZIPPERED SLEEPERS / / You want your little one to be comfy when they sleep. We found these to be the best. They wash the best, hold up the best and they are the most comfy for their delicate skin. They also have hand covers to keep them warm and from scratching their face.
TUBBY TODD OINTMENT / / We tried several! And this hands down has been our favorite. We use it on his entire body/face every night before bed. We also use their body wash for him as well.
OWLET SOCK/MONITOR / / The only baby monitor to track heart rate and average oxygen as Sleep Quality Indicators—all while streaming HD video right to your phone. Not only did this give me a peace of mind every night it was great to see his sleep quality report. We stopped having him wear his sock at 11 months but we still use the camera part and can see him while at work during his nap time.
PACIFIERS / / We had trial and error with these and finally found ones he loved. Every child is different but sharing ones Brody loved.
DIAPERS / / We have used the Coterie Diaper from the time we brought him home and we still do. They have been amazing. Ever since he started sleeping through the night we put him in nighttime diapers. These have been our favorite with zero leaks.
WIPES / / These are the best baby wipes. For the bottom and the face. There are no others that compare.
DIAPER CREAM / / Luckily we didn’t have to use this much but this has been our favorite to use on Brody.
BABY GEAR
SNUGGLE ME LOUNGER / / We loved having this available to lay him in while we were in bed watching T.V. or lounging around on the couch etc. We never left him unattended in it and he didn’t sleep overnight in it but we used this a lot during the first few months of his life. Plus it’s so cozy.
SNOO / / Prior to having Brody I did a ton of research as to what I wanted him sleeping in for the first several months. With my anxiety around the fear of him rolling over and us not knowing it was the only bassinet I felt comfortable with until he could roll on his own back and forth. This keeps the baby swaddled all night and there is a slight rocking motion you can have on or off. We left it on the lowest setting. I loved how the Snoo app keeps track of their sleeping cycles as well and you can control the settings from your phone.
UPPABABY VISTA V2 STROLLER / / Again, with all lot of research strollers. We have not regretted this one at all. I love the fact that as we grow our family another seat can be added to it! The best was the bassinet part that we used for him the first month or longer. We bought the carseat adapter from Nuna so we could click the carseat into the stroller. Found here. We have taken this this stroller with us on several trips/flights and its done great! We check it right at the gate and its been nice to be able to push through the airports. We pack it in this bag before we board the flight so it stays protected. The accessories I bought that I think are worth it are here and here.
DIAPER BAG / / I feel like there are so many functional diaper bags out there. I will share with you the two we’ve used and loved this past year. Here and here.
NUNA PIPA LITE CARSEAT / / Again, I research endlessly for a good carseat that was safe and light! We used this until he was 7 months old and my tall boy needed a converted over to a convertible carseat that he will remain in until he is in a booster! Which won’t be for a few more years.
TRAVEL BUG BACKSEAT MIRROR / / Love having this mirror that straps onto the headrest and it makes it so much easier to keep an eye on your baby in the car and for peace of mind. (Side note: it’s shatterproof!).
SOLLY BABY WRAP / / I loved having him close to me the first few weeks in this wrap. It was comfortable for both of us and loved taking short walks with him tucked into this wrap.
ARTIPOPPE BABY CARRIER / / The Solly wrap is great for tiny babies or around the house, but once your baby is a little bigger or you want something more comfortable for them the Artipoppe carrier is a must-have. They are beautiful and we still use his even to this day with him.
FISHER-PRICE BOUNCER SEAT / / Brody loved this seat for the first 4 months of his life. It was how I got ready most days and how I was able to cook dinner! We used this one over our Baby Bjorn one.
PLAY GYM/MAT / / This was probably the most used thing for several months. He loved all the sensory parts of it.
NURSERY ESSENTIALS
CRIB / / We’ve been very happy with this crib, quality and the fact it coverts to a toddler bed!
CRIB MATTRESS / / I wanted to be sure we had a mattress that was fully breathable. We moved Brody into his nursery when he was 4 months old. He surprisingly did very well going from the Snoo to the crib. This mattress is 100% breathable and washable with a waterproof lining. For the first several months we used their crib sheets until I felt comfortable with him sleeping on his stomach and being able to turn his head. Sheets found here. We then used these sheets and have LOVED them! They are so soft and plan on using them until he grows out of his bed. Be sure to get a few of them for late night bed changes etc.
ROCKING CHAIR/GLIDER / / I can't count the endless hours we’ve spent in this chair together. Rocking, book reading, snuggling, feeding. Many wonderful hours in this chair. I love that it’s electric and quite for reclining and you can even plug your phone into it!
DRESSER / / We love love this one because it has a ton of storage room and the top is great for a changing table. The quality is great too and we plan to use this for many years to come in his room.
CHANGING PAD / / We love this one because it’s easy to clean and it’s large so your baby will grow with it. We still use it for our very tall one year old.
HATCH SOUND MACHINE / / We love this and love that it acts as a sound machine and nightlight if needed. It also can be controlled via bluetooth from your phone.
BABY MONITOR / / We use and love the Vava baby monitor. I love being able to cary the monitor screen around the house and outside and be able to hear and see my son. Definitely a must! We use this mount to attach it to Brodys crib.
HUMIDIFIER / / A must especially when. you have a sick baby on your hands. We run his every night.
HAMPER / / It’s so nice to have a hamper in the nursery to throw the many outfit changes into. We like this one because it’s slender but large and fits into the closet well.
CLOSET HANGERS / / We fold and put most everything in the dresser but his coats and nicer outfits we like to hang up in the closet.
BLACKOUT CURTAINS / / I find Brody sleeps so much better with his room fully dark. These are hands down the best curtains and you can take it with you while you travel.
MILESTONE PROPS / / This is something I didn’t do with Brody and wished we had (we even had the props). Goal for baby number 2 is to do this. I love these and this.
FEEDING ESSENTIALS
BOTTLES / / Unfortunately I was not able to breastfeed (we tried hard for 5 weeks) and I was not prepared for that. It was a mad rush to find formula, bottles etc when we got home from the hospital that I learned my lesson. For our next baby I will have everything ready incase I am not able to breastfeed again. We loved these bottles for him and have used them the entire first year and have changed the nipple size throughout the months. They are great for babies with colic too!
FORMULA / / This was a journey for the first 6 weeks. We went through 4 different formulas before we found one that Brody tolerated and did well on. Every baby is different but he did great on Bobbie. Another option that is more affordable that has “good” ingredients is this one.
SILVERETTES // These are a must to soothe and protect your nipples between pumping and/or breastfeeding.
NURSING PILLOW / / This one isn’t the most glamours looking one but I tried a few different ones and this was by far my favorite one to help with breastfeeding.
BABY BOOSTER FEEDING SEAT / / This was our favorite booster seat because it can be placed on a chair you already have and it doesn’t take up a ton of space in your kitchen or at the dinner table. It can also be placed on the ground.
BREAST PUMP / / If you plan on nursing or pumping you will want to get a breast pump. Lots of insurance companies will cover one for free but if not this is the one that we used and recommend.
BREAST PUMP MILK STORAGE BAGS / / These are the ones I use and they worked great!
BOTTLE DRYING RACK / / | I used this for all his bottles, bottle parts and pump parts during the first several months.
BOTTLE BRUSH / / We loved using this to clean out his bottles. Worked like a charm!
BOTTLE STERILIZER / / We never used one of these but after doing my research this was going to be the one that I was going to use.
BOTTLE WARMER / / We love this one. With one click of a button it will put the correct formula and water in the bottle. Especially for those middle of the night feeds when you can’t see straight.
BIBS / / We tried several different bibs and these were the ones that held up the best with washing.
HIGH CHAIR / / We’ve been very happy with our Stokke high chair. It’s easy to clean, its lightweight. After following some of my mommy bloggers a lot have raved about this one as well. It goes from high chair to booster seat to play chair. You can find it here.
BATHING ESSENTIALS
BATH SEAT / / We used one of these until Brody was able to sit up in a bath without assistance.
SHAMPOO/BODY WASH COMBO / / We loved this one by Tubby Todd. It’s nice that it can be used for the body and for his hair and it’s gentle on his skin.
BABY BATH TOWEL/ROBE / / We have three of these and we still use him to this day. They are so cuddly and soft. Especially after being warmed up and used after bath time.
HEALTH/WELLNESS ESSENTIALS
ELECTRIC BABY NASAL ASPIRATOR / / Forget all the others out there. This hands down will be a life saver when your babe/child gets sick. It’s the closest thing to hospital grade nose suction you can find. One of our must have items in the medicine cabinet.
INFANT DYE FREE TYLENOL / / Having this on hand has saved us many times. From teething, to not feeling well, to having a fever. (Always check with your pediatrician before administering medication etc).
MYLICON GAS RELIEF DROPS / / These work wonders for a fussy baby!
GRIPE WATER / / We used this for the first several months.
DIGITAL THERMOMETER / / I love this one because it’s a no-touch thermometer which is great for when they are fussy or sleeping and you don’t want to mess around with the probe one. For when they are really little and if they are running a fever the most accurate thermometer is a rectal one. It’s good to have this one on hand for those cases. Just be sure to lube it with a bit of Aquaphor.
FINGER NAIL CLIPPERS / / These work great and they don’t cut their skin!
AQUAPHOR BABY OINTMENT // We use this for many reasons! Good to have on hand.
TRAVEL MUST-HAVES
SLUMBERPOD / / The SlumberPod goes everywhere with us. If fits over most standard cribs and pack and plays. Discount code for 20% off THEBEAUTYNURSE$20