When I was pregnant and approaching my baby shower, I scoured the internet on what I needed to put on my registry. Being a first-time mom, I had no idea what I needed other than the obvious bath, bed, and clothes. So like any millennial mom, I googled it. And I put whatever Google told me to put on my registry. Looking back on it now after surviving [yes, surviving] the first six months of motherhood, I can now tell you…Google lied. I did not need nearly as much as I thought I did, and to my surprise, I forgot essentials. YES, ESSENTIALS!
So I thought I would go ahead and create a 100% real and honest list of what I believe are must-haves for any baby registry list, minus the typical car seat, stroller, bath, etc. For my fellow moms, let me know what has been your must-have! As always, a registry list is going to look different for each mom, so be sure to customize yours to your needs.
Bassinet
A bassinet is a MUST HAVE for moms and luckily there are several options to choose from. I personally used the HALO swivel
There is also the option of safe(r) co-sleeping products like the Dock-a-Tot. I’ve heard amazing things about this product, but for me personally, it was a bit too expensive.
Swaddles
This was one of those products that I was not prepared for. Before Owen arrived, I had a ton of cute swaddle blankets with the most precious patterns. Swaddle blankets are cute and all…but not necessarily functional for those of us who are terrible at tightly wrapping blankets *cough cough* me. When I thought I did a good job wrapping Owen, two minutes later he would be wriggled out of it. So we quickly resorted to the HALO sleepsacks, which luckily were given to us by the hospital and after the first week we went and bought a few extra.
When Owen was about 3 months he began
White Noise Machine
This is one that I saw on Pinterest, but thought to myself “No, I don’t need this. This would be useless.” I now know that if I want Owen to take a good nap, or sleep through the night, a white noise machine is a MUST. We live in an older house with creaky floors, and every time I would tip-toe out after putting him down, I would startle him awake with the noise from the floors. I knew we needed something to drown out that noise so the next day we bought a white noise machine for his nursery. Now he can’t sleep without it…well he can, but definitely not as long! [TIP: If it’s a midday nap, there are a ton of apps on your phone/iPad you can use.]
We use the Hatch Baby Rest Night Light, which I like because you can control the light and sound from your phone. It also allows you to set a bedtime/wake-up schedule for when they get older. But there are a ton of different options with varying prices.
Suction Baby Toys:
These toys have been a lifesaver for when we go out to eat and Owen gets antsy in the high chair. I know if I give him a teether, it’s going to end up on the ground and being a first-time-mom I need a full-on sanitize before giving it back to him. Now, with the suction toys, I simply place them on the table and he is entertained the whole time and I don’t have to worry about germs. I’ve also heard that they are great for traveling. You can suction them to a tray table on the plane allowing them to play while on your lap.
These are awesome! I’m surprised they’re not as popular. The most frustrating thing about baby toys is when your baby is playing with one and every 5 seconds it drops on the floor of a restaurant, plane, or even around the house. These toys allow the baby to play, but suction to a hard surface so they don’t drop *mind blown.*
FridaBaby NoseFrida
Let me start by saying, this product is a true godsend.
Now some of you may be grossed out at the thought of sucking all of the snot and
These are just a few products I’ve been so thankful for these first 6 months. I know that as time goes on and as Owen grows, this list will change, and when that happens I’ll make a pt. 2! If you are a mom-to-be or have a baby shower coming up, these are wonderful gift ideas! I’ve included links to each product to make it easy! Thanks for reading!
Cimarra Pierman
Nose frida saves lives lol. Everyone thought it was gross but it’s SO EFFECTIVE
Morgan
I honestly don’t know what I would do without it!
Carmen Underwood
I was a total sucker for what the internet said. All the fancy must haves… The hoppy new born lounger was definitely a favorite of Isla when she was tiny! I’m so glad i had that. I ended up with some basic fleece sleep sack with sleeves from Carters and it was fantastic. We got lucky with night time. The Shusher def cane in handy when she was little. But now she can sleep without noise (or with noise).
Don’t get me started on toys… this girl will play with the box, not the toy 🙄🙄
I love your posts && you ❤️❤️
Morgan
HA! Yes! Definitely the newborn lounger, it was Owen’s favorite too! We get sooooo many toys and they play with the box it came in!
Thank you!! I love you more <3
BATMomma
An emphatic, “YES!” to all of these items. For the winter baby, a car seat cover was a must-have. And a boppy pillow. A microwave steam sterilizer and good drying rack for bottles and parts made our lives so much easier.
Morgan
Oh yes, definitely a car seat cover for winter babies!
I’ve never tried the microwave steam sterilizer, but I may look into one! That sounds so easy and convenient!!