BABY REGISTRY: WHAT YOU ACTUALLY NEED

A little confused on what to put on your registry? I was too, but now I got you covered.

For first time moms it gets a little overwhelming figuring out what the heck you actually need before baby makes his/her debut.  I remember doing late night googling right before my baby shower as I was adding stuff to my registry, and all I could find was extremely long lists filled with EVERYTHING. I mean, at one point I even registered for baby mittens. 

All of the registry websites provide you with a checklist, but let’s be real here… you really don’t NEED all of that stuff.  Sure, it would be nice to have a million guests at your shower who just feel like buying you every little thing in the world, but the reality of it all is that if you’re going to get gifts, at least let them be things you’re going to use.  Now that I’m 7 months into this whole mom thing, I felt it was my DUTY to share with you guys what you need as you prepare for a new family member in your life. I’ve divided them into 3 lists: must haves, nice to haves, & extras. Also, if you have any questions or if I forgot something, please let me know! I wish I had someone to ask questions to beforehand so I know the feeling.

So when I say ‘must have’ I mean these are probably the things you need right when you get out of the hospital.

+ carseat

+ a place for baby to sleep (bassinet/crib)

+ stroller (preferably one compatible with your car seat)

With that said, I do think it’s really important to get a Pack ‘n Play for when baby gets older.  Now that’s definitely not something you immediately NEED right off the bat, but I figured I’d talk about it here in case you’d prefer to save money on the bassinet and go straight for that. It’s a great thing to buy simply because it acts as a play yard, a bassinet, and a crib all together. 

Alright so this is absolutely my favorite section because I use all of these items all of the time. They aren’t MUST HAVES by any means, but they are just wonderful, wonderful things to have to make your life a hell of a lot easier. Below you will find that I linked many different products, but only ones that I either own or have done research on.

+ a swing (4moms by Mamaroo is Taleen’s favorite)

+ a breast pump + accessories if you’re nursing (don’t forget nursing pads)

+ a crib + all accessories (mattresses and crib sheets come separate!)

+ boppy (this helped a lot in the hospital so a good thing to take with you in your hospital bag)

+ baby monitor (Project Nursery is our favorite)

+ diaper bag

+ bath tub

These are they WHY THE HELL NOTS.  Things you should definitely register for buy by no means is it a must have.  All of the items included on this list are things you will probably buy eventually so it’s just more convenient to have them already.

+ a bouncer (Our BabyBjorn has turned into a must have. It travels well and we take it EVERYWHERE)

+ activity gym

+ bottles + bottle brushes (if nursing)

+ onesies

+ baby carrier

+ thermometer

+ diaper bin

+ swaddles (Taleen was swaddled until 4 months old!)

+ hooded bath towels

+ gripe water

+ Fridababy kit (has so many essentials!)

+ diaper rash cream 

(shop more below)