Is there anything better than sitting down looking through endless cute baby items and with one click adding it to your wishlist as a mama-to-be? After looking into different sites that offer baby registries (note: I am not one to use a little gun + pick out baby items in a store, plus than you can’t read the 10,000 reviews for each item!) I found Amazon to be the most user friendly & convenient for both the parents-to-be as well as the shopper. Amazon allows the person purchasing the item to use your prime membership to get the items to your door quickly as long as you have a Prime subscription. You also get a 10% completion discount for non prime members and 15% completion discount for prime members. You can read more about the details here amazon.
I don’t care what anyone tells you about the do’s and don’ts of baby registries, you are always going to add items you may not need and/or things that are not necessary immediately after you bring your little one home from the hospital. This post is more about items IRL that are mama tested (by me) and baby approved.
Here’s the Baby List!
Stroller || We chose the Uppababy Vista V2 stroller in Blue Melange (Gregory). This is the one item I did physically go to the store to test out to be sure it was worth the money (& it 1000% is!). This stroller is hands down one of the best on the market and it rides like floating on a cloud. So far, I have taken it over grass, mud, water, curbs, and gravel with ease. You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to strollers IMO.
Car Seat || This car seat is the same brand as the stroller. I have never used car seats before (FTM problems) so I really have zero to compare it to but it seems to the do the job and is pretty easy to get in and out of the car. We also purchased the seat base which we leave in the car we use day to day. The only real negative I have with this car seat (which I read in the reviews as well) is the weight of it. It is pretty heavy on it’s own without the little one in it.
Cover for Car Seat || We used this car seat cover to bring our little one to and from the doctor’s office. The cover is easy to slip on and off and creates a nice little barrier between the car seat and strangers when you are in waiting rooms, running into a store, etc. Once winter hit, our pediatrician recommended a fleece car seat cover which was budget friendly and did not come with the crazy price tag of the Uppababy line of accessories. We use this every time we leave the house so if your little one is coming during the winter months make sure to check them out and add it to your registry, you’ll thank me!
Baby Car Mirrors & Sun Shades|| These are pretty self explanatory but not something you need right away unless you are tasked with taking the baby to their first couple doctor’s visits alone. I personally sat in the back with the baby while my husband drove for the first month or so and in turn did not put up this mirror until recently. Same goes for the sun shades, for the first two months or so our little one slept every single car ride so the sun really was not an issue. A cool feature to these sun shades are the hot alert system that change colors if the temperature inside the car is uncomfortably hot.
Bassinet || When looking into bassinets I wanted something that was reasonable priced, safe, and accessible. There are so many types of bassinets on the market right now that I found it somewhat difficult to narrow down one that I thought would be best for our little one. You also have no idea what your baby’s sleep behaviors will look like until they enter the world so I didn’t see the utility in buying something with bells and whistles until we knew what she needed. We chose not to attach the bassinet to the bed (see the link for more details) because we have a platform bed and the logistics just did not add up for that. Overall, no complaints with the bassinet and she still uses it today (at four months old).
Portable Pack + Play || If you have a two story home, you absolutely need one of these. We use this every single day for naps and diaper changes throughout the day when we are downstairs in the living room. I really don’t think it matters which one you buy but I linked the one we decided on if you are like me and think almost every single pack and play is hideous! This one is the least ugly IMO but still has all the attachments (bassinet, changing topper) you need when you bring your newborn home. Don’t forget to purchase extra bassinet sheets for both your pack and play + your bedroom bassinet (we did not get these pre baby + had to do Prime to get some ASAP!).
Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine || No words just buy it, you’ll thank me later! We also got a portable sound machine for the pack and play.
Owlet Sock || Honestly, I could probably write an entire blog post around this baby registry item. Personally, we used the sock from day one and was the best “technology” item we bought. I’ve heard so many parents and parents-to-be make comments on being too anxious to use a device like this which I never really understood. What’s the difference between checking to make sure your newborn is breathing every 5 minutes for the first month you are home and using a device that does it for you? IMO, it is a lifesaver, peace of mind item that lets you get some zzz’s in the beginning. Now I mainly use it to check and see if my little one is waking up when she is tossing + turning in her bassinet (I have her sleep vs. wake heart rate down like a science!).
4 oz Baby Bottles || I really had no idea how little newborns eat when they first come home from the hospital. Also, if you have a little one like me, you are still using them 4 months later!
Baby Brezza || Another item you can keep in the box and use if you need it! We overnighted this when we needed to supplement with formula when the baby first came home. Now that she is exclusively formula fed, this is a life saver.
Bottle Drying Rack || Have one of these handy when you first come home from the hospital even if you plan to breastfeed! My plan was to breastfeed but my little one was not latching properly so I switched to pumping by the time I got home from the hospital which meant an endless amount of cleaning and drying bottles, pump parts, and nipples.
Onesies + PJs + Mittens || I am not linking any specific onesies + mittens here (just remember the time of year for long or short sleeves). I swear you won’t put your baby in anything more than onesies and pajamas for the first month! Target + Burt’s Bees is my go to for footed pajamas.
SwaddleMe Original Swaddle || I would recommend this to any new parent who has never swaddled a baby before (raising my hand). These are easy to use + keep your little one nice and snug! I was honestly sad to stop using this baby item.
MamaRoo || Every baby is different so try to have something like this handy to try when you first get home. If they don’t love it return it for a swing and try that!
Baby Wrap || Baby wearing is all the rage these days. Have something like this handy to try when you want to free your hands from holding the baby!
Pacifiers || I made the mistake of buying a bunch of pacifiers + our little one hates them all. I ended up running to target as a last ditch effort to grab a Wabbanub pacifier. She doesn’t even love that one but it’s the one she will tolerate the most and she goes down for naps easier with it. Buy one or two to try and then run out to the store or order some if your little one doesn’t take to them. Or if you are not one for pacifiers avoid them completely.
Diapers + Wipes || We tried a couple different brands (Honest, Pampers, Huggies) and I personally like the Pampers Pure the best. I found Honest was a little too rough + didn’t have the beautiful line that indicates your little one is wet + Huggies didn’t hold the urine odor well (sorry TMI)! We do use Honest wipes because they seem to work fine + we already had a pack of those from our drive by baby shower.
And that is pretty much all the items I see as “must haves”. Of course, my baby registry included things like feeding items, clothing, toys, books, nursery decor, etc. but to seriously survive the first few weeks with a newborn the above is what you need! Check out my post on mom essentials for mom specific items.
Designing Forever Home With Dora 