I received a notice from one of the many baby registries I signed up for when I found out I was pregnant with my first. It said, "Come on! If every item is purchased off your registry, you get a special thingy! DO IT!!"
Tempted by special thingies, I looked at my registry, which had collected dust since the last time I had checked. After all, having two boys, you don't need a whole lot of things. Also, people don't WANT to give you more stuff. They feel as if they paid their dues with number one, which is understandable. We have all the boy clothes we will ever need until they reach pre-school. I'm drowning in patterns of trucks and cars and puppies and blue. I have to admit, I sometimes long for the overpriced pink baby hair clip that will be lost in two seconds flat. Enough to have a third? NOT BLOODY LIKELY.
My registry, from just a glance, was pretty well bought out. There were the straggling items, which I still need (HINT HINT GO BUY IT) and there were the things that I definitely appreciated getting when I did. All in all, I covered the basics, the cool things, the organics, the unnecessary but oh-so-adorable-I-must-have-it things that every person who has a baby should have.
So here's a list for all my pregnant friends who are expecting or will be soon (Hurry up. I need playdates.) These are the must-haves on my baby registry that made my life so much easier. These are the items we used for a newborn/infant, mind you. The toddler stuff is a much different list!
The Diaper Genie
Refills for the Diaper Genie
The Munchkin wipes warmer (made night time changes way less traumatic for everyone and has a night light button)
Pampers swaddlers diapers. Sizes nb and 1. When we moved to size 2, we changed to Huggies, which was cheaper and better for boys, it seems. No leaks.
Pampers sensitive wipes, which we used until the baby was 3 or 4 months old.
Contoured changing pad for the changing table (Non-slip bottom, bolts to the top of a dresser)
Changing pad cover
Changing table pads, at least six
City Mini Stroller
Rain cover
Console (for holding drinks, snacks, etc.)
Belly bar (for when they're a sitting up and engaging with stroller toys.)
Child tray (for when they're older and want to have a sippy cup.)
Infant car seat bar
Pack and play
Swaddle Designs ultimate receiving blanket (We have two.)
SwaddleMe Swaddlers (in all sizes)
Petunia Picklebottom blanket (super soft and huggable. My son can't sleep without his.)
Newborn pajamas (which you never get as gifts, because everyone buys you the larger sizes because babies grow "so fast.")
Newborn undershirts (short sleeve or long sleeve, for cold nights.)
Gumdrop pacifiers. Love them. (I start with the round kind.)
The Binky Bungee (super soft)
The Sleep Sheep (white noise machine. Also comes in mini sizes and other animals.)
For Crying Out Loud (or any white noise "music" cd)
The Happiest Baby on the Block (a "how-to" manual for new parents)
What to Expect When Your Expecting (a tad alarmist, but still chock-full of information)
What to Expect the First Year
Angelcare Baby Monitor (the one that comes with a non-motion detector and also doubles as a night light)
Levana video monitor (saved us many unnecessary walks to the baby's room to check on squeaks and growly noises. Also has night vision and a lullaby feature, which we never used, but was nice to have)
Petunia Picklebottom diaper bag (oh so chic and cool. And expensive. We got ours as a gift)
Kiddopotamus Snuzzler (also known in some parts as Summer Snuzzler. I got two...one for the car seat and one for the bassinet stroller)
Ergo (universally comfortable, baby faces you)
Ergo Sucking Pads
Bjorn (better for daddy frames, baby faces you, but as he/she gets older is faced away from you)
Kangaroo carrier sling (discontinued, but can be found in discount sales on some mommy sites and at used baby clothing stores like Chloe's Closet in Bernal Heights)
Breastflow bottles (sizes 1, 2, 3)
Medela breast pump-in-style
Hands-free breast pump bra
Ameda ComfortGel Hydrogel Pads
Hooter Hider or Bebe au Lait nursing cover
Nipple shields (Only if you choose this route or if you're in pain while trying to nurse. There are pros and cons to using nipple shields. Talk to your lactation specialist about it if you're unsure.)
Washable Breast pads
Mother's Milk nipple cream (slather it on)
Gerber's hot and cold pads for sore breasts. Also, hot water in a diaper applied to the breast will give you that wet heat you need to encourage milk flow.
Sterilizer (for microwave) (Although I still recommend washing in very hot water before putting your pumping equipment in. Of course, boiling is the only sure-fire no-doubt method for sterilizing. But I do love this sterilizer. It's cheap and it seems to work well.)
Drying Rack
Bottle Brush
Boppy
Boppy organic cover
Baby nail clippers (No matter what brand you get, you will have a slight heart palpitation every time you clip their teeny tiny nails. You can file them, which is what some recommend, but I chose to clip. I would wait to clip until they are at least six weeks or two months, however. My son had nails that were basically fused to his skin. When I clipped, his finger bled and I was mentally scarred for life. I cried far more than he did.)
Mustela foaming shampoo/body wash for infants (Easy to squirt on their little heads, cry-proof, dual purpose. It worked well for our sensitive boy, who was allergic to Johnson's and Johnson's shampoo.)
Washcloths (We have at least a dozen strategically placed all over the house. They're great at bath time, for both washing and to soak in warm water and place over the baby's body so he doesn't get too cold.)
Bibs (Many, many, many bibs. Preferably water-resistant, like Carter's. The drool and spit up is impressive, especially around two to three months of age.)
Nose Frieda (This worked so much better than the bulb to get the snot out of little noses.)
Waterproof crib mattress pad (We have two, to switch off in case of accidents.)
Grobag Egg Nursery Thermometer (Nice to have, although the temperature is often shown on some monitors. But it was cool!)
Braun Ear Thermometer (Some doctors have said the ear thermometers are not as reliable, but we loved this gift. It's so easy to use, and my husband has been able to take my very active son's temperature while he was asleep without waking him.)
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