Baby registry must haves!
As a third time mom who lost most of her baby stuff to hurricane Milton, here is what I deem the most important things to have on your baby registry!
This will be our last baby and so I don’t want to spend a ton of money on baby items that will only be used by one kids. So I’m being picky this time around. Let me know your thoughts!
*Some of these links are from my amazon associates account. You do not pay any extra money, but it does help me support my babies when you purchase through my links.
All of my babies have loved their bouncers and I love having a safe spot to put them down for a moment. This one is a great knock off of the beloved BabyBjorn, but less than half the cost. It is the Baby Delight Alpine Portable Bouncer. It is also super easy to travel with and to bring to grandma’s house for the afternoon.
I was so sad when our baby swing was destroyed by the hurricane last year! We had a super nice swing, but since it will only be used by one baby, I did not want to spend a lot of money this time. Well, I might actually like this LAREX Baby Swing even more than my previous swing! It works so well, has so many settings, and it doesn’t take up a ton of space.
Some kind of play pen is a must! This is the one that I am getting this time because she won’t outgrow this as fast as a pack n play and it is still budget friendly. A must have if you have any pets or a sibling that might harm baby if they are playing on the floor.
I like to buy a separate mat to go inside of the playpen for extra comfort. Here is the playpen mat that I am using with it. It is soft vegan leather and easily wipeable!
This portable chair is my favorite thing to put my babies in once they have enough head control! They love sitting up and watching all the action around them. They will sit in this way longer without fussing than a bouncer at this age. I can actually get a load of laundry folded!
I cannot stress this enough, get the spray diaper rash cream for those newborn nights! It’s definitely not a must have, BUT saves my sanity at 3am! This is always my go to baby shower gift because no one realizes how convenient it is. During the day, I just use regular diaper rash cream.
My secret weapon! If you are breastfeeding or pumping, please keep sunflower lecithin on hand! I take it from the moment I give birth until my milk supply is steady to reduce clogs! It is magic! It doesn’t affect your supply, but it makes your milk thinner so that it doesn’t clog. I used to have SO many clogs before I discovered this.
Alright, not another must have. BUT another must have to save my sanity! A bottle washer! With my other two babies, I would dread the time spent handwashing all my bottles and pump parts! I like the MomCozy and it frequently goes on random sales, but there are other brands that you can look at.
A little controversial, but I think that moms spend way too much money on diaper bags. You do need a good quality diaper bag, but you do not need a name brand when it is just going to get gross with baby fluids. Things to look for are wipeable surfaces and an insulated pocket for bottles. If this is your first kid and you know you will be having more, go ahead and splurge on a top brand. However, I am going for a budget option that honestly is just as good!
A rocking chair or glider that RECLINES! This is my biggest splurge for the new baby. My chair for the other two babies did not recline and I regret it! You will get nap trapped or have nights when your child is sick and will only sleep with you in the rocking chair. Trying to rest/sleep sitting straight up and down was horrible. Also as a third time c section mama, I will probably sleep in this chair for the first week after surgery because it will be more comfortable than getting in and out of bed.
Let’s talk bottles and pacifiers. Ugh. This is so hard to prepare for because every baby likes different things, especially if they are also breastfeeding. My first baby was so picky and would only take Dr. Brown’s bottles (a pain to clean, but definitely helped with his gas and reflux). He would only take only type of pacifier. My second baby would take almost any bottle that I would give him, however only one type of pacifier and of course it was a different brand than his brother.
My advice for bottles and pacifiers is to get sample packs (links for a few options below) and then sign up for all the free registry gift boxes. Those will normally give you one or two bottles/pacifiers to try with your baby. Then once you know their favorite, buy a larger pack.
Master trick: even if you do not have a baby registry on Baby List, make one and add random things on it. Then purchase the sampler packs off your registry and you automatically qualify for their free baby box! By far, the best box of freebies that I received!
