Hellobee

A lot of people around me are having 2012-2013 babies and have been asking my opinion on Baby Registry recommendations.  Instead of saying the same thing over and over, I created a Google Doc of “Ultimate Baby Registry” items.

If I knew then what I know now… – Ha, story of my life.

When I created my own registry, I missed so much.  Since I was the first of my friends to have a baby, I didn’t have many people to ask.  I looked online, but everyone had a different opinion and there wasn’t a comprehensive guide I could just look at.  I mainly browsed Amazon and just started adding the most popular items with the most reviews.  I totally regret putting things like “black and white board books” while missing out on some of the essentials.  If I had this registry, I would’ve been one happy mama for a good two years!

These were my favorite baby products:

1) Ergo with Infant Insert – LOVE!!  Used this from newborn to 14-months, then she got too heavy and long for me to carry her all the time. You’ll need the infant insert if you plan on using it on your newborn… otherwise you’ll have to wait until your LO is at least 3-4 months old to use your Ergo.

2) Motorola Digital Video Camera – I don’t care what anyone says about not needing a baby monitor – we absolutely loved having one.  It gave us peace of mind being able to see how our baby was doing without having to go into her nursery.  She’s 18-months now and I still love seeing what she’s up to.

3) Gerber Prefold Diapers, pack of 5 – Use these as your BURP CLOTHS!!  Much better than actual burp cloths, and cheaper too.

4) Aden & Anais Muslin Blankets, 4 pack – Best swaddle blankets made of a great muslin fabric.  There are so many uses for these – you can swaddle, use it as a carseat cover, as a light-weight blanket, and even as a nursing cover.

5) Halo Sleep Sacks – I recommend 2 so you can alternate while the other one is in use.  I stopped swaddling cold turkey and started using sleep sacks when my baby was able to roll over both ways easily (around 5 months).  By this age you don’t really need more than 2 because the explosive poops and spit-up lessens a lot.

6) Summer Infant Contoured Changing Pad – Still using this to change my DD. Can easily put this on top of any dresser instead of having to buy a new changing table.

7) Carter’s Changing Pad Cover – To put over your changing pad, just like a crib sheet to a mattress; Boppy Changing Pad Liner – These go over the changing pad cover for additional protection.  Newborns leak a lot so this made clean-up easy!

8) Dexbaby SafeLift Universal Crib Wedge – Our LO had some reflux and we put this under the mattress sheet to help elevate her.  It really helped her sleep better at night in her own crib.

9) Crane Hello Kitty humidifier –  LO had sensitive skin when she born, so this was great for our dry, California winter.  Of course I chose to get the cute Hello Kitty one.

10) JJ Cole Car Seat Canopy – Great for keeping out noise and the sun’s harmful rays when out on walks or when she was just sitting in the backseat.

11) Woombie – This was my swaddle of choice!  Of course there’s plenty of options out there including the Miracle Blanket and Swaddleme.  I had at least 3 in the newborn size (5-13 lbs) and 3 in the big baby size (4-19 lbs). Newborns explosively poop, drool, and spit up a lot so you’ll be doing a lot of washing.  The last thing you want in the middle of the night is to not have a clean swaddle to put baby back to sleep in.  I liked the woombie because it allowed our LO to move within the swaddle so her hips and joints weren’t restricted, and it was difficult for her to “escape”, though she managed to sneak a fist out one or two times.

12) Travel Sleep Sheep – If not this one, get at least one white noise machine.  It’s soothing to newborns.

13) Baby Bjorn Travel Crib – Easy to setup and tear down!  We took this with us when we stayed longer at other people’s houses but needed a place to put LO down. It also doubled as a playpen until she started crawling… that way I was free to do other things and have her in a contained space.

1) Medela Pump In Style Advanced Backpack – I’d recommend renting a hospital grade pump before buying your own… it really depends on how well breastfeeding works out. You may find you might not even need a pump.  If you do get one, the Medela is great and has the best reviews.  It never failed me.

2) Munchkin Soft Tip Infant Spoons – Still using these and going strong. The soft-tips are gentle on gums for our toothless little ones.

3) The First Years Bottle Drying Rack – To give all your bottles, soothies, etc. a place to dry.  I liked that this had two-tiers.

4) Boppy – I liked the Boppy because I always breastfed on our glider and it fit better (for gliders/rockers) than the My Brest Friend (which is wider and bulkier).  However, the My Brest Friend is great if you feed on the couch or ground because it straps around your waist so you can literally stand up and go grab something while still breastfeeding your baby. The Boppy also doubles as a good tummy time tool!

5) Bumkins Waterproof Bib (4) – This is a feeding bib (as opposed to typical drool bibs).  These are my favorite!!  They catch food really well in that little pocket and it’s easy to clean.  It folds down small too so doesn’t take much room in the diaper bag when you’re eating out.

6) Fresh and Freeze 2 oz Baby Food Container – A great way to freeze baby food.  It’s the same size as the jarred baby food you’d find in markets.

7) Fresh Baby Baby Food and Breast Milk Trays – You won’t need this til baby starts solids around 4-6 months, but these trays are awesome if you want to make and freeze your own baby food.  Each cube = 1 oz.

8) Playtex Lil Gripper Straw Trainer Cup (2) -We didn’t do the transition from bottle to sippy cups.  We skipped sippys and went directly to straw cups.  This one is easier for babies to learn to suck through because you can squeeze the base to help the liquid flow up the straw.  She has taken to this cup very well!

9) Simple Wishes Hands-Free Pumping Bra (2) – This was great!  I could go online, do other things while pumping and not worry about leaking.

10) Fisher Price Healthy-Care Deluxe Booster Seat – You can use this instead of a high chair that would take up so much space. We use it every time we go to restaurants and it’s awesome!!  She stays securely seated and happily eats off her tray.

11) Honeysuckle Breastmilk Storage Bags – If you plan to breastfeed, these were my favorite storage bags.  They were much better/sturdier/more leakproof than the popular Medela or Lansinoh ones.  The last thing you want after all your hard work pumping is to find a hole in your bag!  Yes, that’s happened to me a couple times.  They’re eco-friendly and biodegradable too.

1) The First Years Infant to Toddler Tub w/ Sling – I used the sling when she didn’t have proper neck support, and felt secure bathing her that way.  Then once she got bigger I just took off the sling and it was the perfect size for her growing body.  I stopped using it altogether around 10-months when I started washing her in a regular bathtub.

2) California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo & Body Wash (2) – LO had eczema for the first 8-months, so we used California Baby.  It’s known to be great for delicate baby skin.

3) Vanicream – Moisturizer is important and this is thick, moisturizing lotion that has no fragrance.  Perfect for delicate baby skin!

4) Diaper Genie – Some people don’t think it is necessary, but we looove ours.  It contains nasty diaper smells well!

5) A&D Original Ointment – It’s always good to have some diaper rash cream on hand to moisturize that little baby butt and keep rashes at bay.

6) Diaper Genie Refills – The sucky thing about the Diaper Genie is you will need to get special refills for the poopy diapers – you can’t just use any ol’ trashbag.

7) Lansinoh Lanolin – For those cracking, bleeding nipples… it helps.  Also great for chapped lips!

1) Tiny Love Classic Mobile – This kept LO entertained for a looong time until she grew too old for it (around the 5 month mark).

2) Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo – LO started playing in this around 5-months and LOVED it!!  She was able to entertain herself for 30-min at a time while mama did other things. 

3) Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes –  Anything that plays music and has flashing lights is a winner.

4) Sophie the Giraffe – This is almost every baby’s favorite teether.  It was the first toy LO picked up on her own!

5) Fisher Price Little Superstar Classical Stacker – Plays music and lights up.

6) Tiny Love Deluxe Lights and Music Gymini – Great for tummy time practice.  Kept LO entertained before she could roll over or crawl. The hanging toys come off too so you can take one or two to-go in your diaper bag if you need to.

7) Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Music Table – It grows along with your LO.  When they’re younger just put the table on the ground, as they start to stand you can attach the legs to it.

Stay tuned for some of my not-so-favorite things and registry regrets, as well as my research on car seats, strollers, and baby carriers!

What would you add to this list?  Do you agree or disagree with any of my dream items?