Baby Registry Must-Haves | Equipment & Essentials

When I was pregnant, I researched and researched and researched all over the internet the different items you will need when these babies arrive.  I picked my friends brains that have kids and read lots of different blogs and amazon reviews to come up with the items that I registered for.  I'm certain I went overboard; but so far, I love everything and feel so blessed to have all these lovely items to help soothe the baby, keep him alive, and/or maintain my sanity and make life a little easier.

When registering for baby equipment, I was a little anal about the fact that I wanted it all to be as "disguised" as possible.  We are in the middle of building our new home and I did not want all this bright/mismatched baby gear all over our newly decorated home.  I know that sounds terrible, but it's the truth.  It makes a difference and I love everything we chose. 

Fisher-Price Cradle and Swing - I can't say enough about the swing.  I know they are slightly big and can be an eye sore, but this is a must in my opinion.  It is the one piece of equipment we have that will actually put the baby to sleep.  I love this one.

*Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30 - We love this car seat and it is very easy to use and I like the looks of it because it is very simple and plain.  The one complaint we have which I already knew when we purchased it, was that it is a bit heavy (21 lbs).  I had heard several other people say this but it gets wonderful safety ratings and at the end of the day, all of them are heavy once you stick a baby in it.  So I just look at it as its helping me get rocking mom arms! If I was buying a carseat now, it would definitely be this one. 

Uppababy Vista Stroller - AMAZING stroller.  So far we have only used the bassinet in the stroller as well as the uppababy adapter for my peg perego car seat.  It is so smooth, easy to use, sleek and light for not being an umbrella stroller or snap n' go.  It has a big basket also to store all your extra things.   I spent a lot of time looking at strollers.  I knew I wanted to make this my big purchase.  I was very interested in the idea of a stroller that could grow with my family.  I knew we would probably have two kids close in age and I wanted to stroller that could accommodate that.  You can see purchase a rumble seat for the stroller and make it a double! I loved that idea.  The other stroller I was really looking at was the Orbitbaby.  It is beautiful too. I love the 360 degree rotation and the look of it.  I had read reviews that complained about the comfort of the carseat especially for larger babies and that plus not being able to convert to a double is probably what ultimately changed my mind.  Its also more expensive and and to purchase an extra base for the carseat was an extra $250 or so.  I loved that the Uppababy came with a bassinet also because we have already used the heck out of it.  You can buy a stand for it and the babies can sleep in the bassinet if you want too. 

*4moms MamaRoo - I love this as an alternative to a bouncer.  It is sleek and seems to blend in with the house well and is great to entertain him for a little while.  It has five different settings for movement and you can plug your ipod into it for music.  It does not put him to sleep well like the swing does, so to me, this does not replace the swing; but still effective.

*Graco Pack N Play Vance - I chose the pack n play with the bassinet and changing table because we are in a two story house and his nursery is upstairs.  It has worked out great for us because we keep this downstairs and we have a place to change his diapers and a bassinet to lie him in when we need.  The little storage place on the side has been crucial because it's given us an organized space to keep diapers, swaddle blankets, wipes, change of clothes, burp clothes, etc downstairs where we spend most of our time.

Fisher-Price Rock N Play Sleeper - Our baby slept in this next to our bed for the first month.  It seemed to work great for us.  I couldn't ever decide if he seemed to prefer sleeping a little upright in this or if he liked being flat on his back better where he could stretch out.  Regardless, this is what we used and he slept well in it only waking up once or maybe twice at night during the first month.

BOB Revolution SE Single Stroller - We have not used this stroller yet, but hands down it gets the best ratings and reviews for an excellent jogging stroller.  I have given it a test drive and it rides so smooth.  I also purchased the adapter to utilize this stroller with his car seat and I can't wait to try it out.

:: UPDATED INFO ::

*I still stand by this equipment list through and through, but their our two changes I would make. I would NOT buy that car seat. I love the all black, but it's SO heavy. There are better ones out there now and I would definitely have purchased the Uppababy Mesa Carseat now.

*I also don't think the Momaroo is worth the money. I prefer a regular bouncer that is easy to move around the house and outside. We used this Bjorn bouncer for Madelyn and loved being able to move it outside with us. 

*We ended up buying this travel crib or pack-n-play with Brody and am still obsessed with it. I liked the pack N play linked above at the beginning because it was nice to have a changing station downstairs when the baby was young. If you don't need that, I would suggest just purchasing a travel crib that you could set up at home if you need, but is also really easy to take on trips!

Ergo Baby Carrier - We have actually not used this on yet because Brody is still a little too small, but I can't wait until we can.  This carrier gets incredible reviews and I know a lot of people who love it.  The recommended weight is 12 to 45lbs and they do offer an infant insert that you can purchase for babies starting at 7lbs.  This carrier will be great for outdoor use, traveling, etc.  

Solly Baby Wrap -  We use this wrap now and wear around the house.  It is soft and easy to wrap and supports an infants head when they don't have good neck control.  It is really comfortable and I am working on getting Brody to be comfortable in it for longer periods of time.  

Fisher-Price Jumperoo -  He is still too young for this, but I think these jumperoo's seem essential for older babies that are getting ready to strengthen those legs to begin to walk.  Again, this one got rave reviews and seem to entertain the little rugrats for long periods of time.

Fisher-Price Rainforest Deluxe Gym - We started lying him on this around 2 weeks old and it was so much fun to watch him on it.  Over the last 2 weeks he spends longer and longer on it and starts to raise his hands towards the hanging toys and is much more engaging. 

Storksak Diaper Bag - I really love this diaper bag and it comes in some great colors! I have the one pictured but they also make one in gray that I absolutely adore.  I had such a hard time choosing.  I've already received a lot of compliments on it and it is so functional.  It has tons of pockets on the outside and then even more all along the inside.   It makes it great to compartmentalize things.  

Aden and Anais Bath Towel - Most babes seem to love bath time as long as you can keep them warm and these towels certainly do the trick and they are also real cute.  But they make lots of adorable baby towels out there, so just take you pick.  

Aden and Anais Wash Cloths - I thought I had way too many wash cloths as I received a lot as gifts, but it turns out that I have been using two for every bath- one that stays on his belly to keep him warm and the other to wash him, so I seem to go through a lot.  It seems you can't have too many!

Blooming Baby Bath - I received this as a gift and we have loved it! It is functional, cute and comfortable.  I had read a lot of good things about the puj tub which people love and are easy to fold and travel with as well.  I don't think you could go wrong with either.  

Moms On Call Basic Baby Care Book - I have several friends in Atlanta with kids and they have all utilized the service of "Moms on Call" which is where the company originated.  It gives a ton of great information on basic infant care and also discusses a plan or routine, if you will.  I know this isn't for everyone, but it's worth taking a look at.  I read the book before Brody was born and have referenced it many times since he's been born.  It helped my husband and I be on the same page as far as Brody's needs and questions we had and within 3 days of following the "routine", we have been incredibly pleased with his progress.  We did not start it until he was 4 weeks old and within 3 days on the program, he slept for 10 hours straight.  That sure makes for a happy Mom and Dad.  

Happiest Baby on the Block DVD - This was also a gift and was so great for learning ways to soothe your baby.  I recommend the DVD because they actually show you how to do all the things that they discuss.  It is based on the idea of the 4th trimester and how to reenact the womb during the first 3 months.  This is a great video to watch with your husband and grandparents that might be around a lot too.

Aden and Anais Swaddle Blankets - perfect weight and great for so many things...swaddle, car seat cover, blanket, etc.  I really don't think you can have enough of these around the house.  We love them. 

Gum Drop Pacifiers - So far these are the only pacifiers that he will take which suits me fine because I think they are the cutest!  Every baby is different, so you may have to try out a few different ones. 

Withings Video Baby Monitor - we are an Apple family and so I knew I wanted this all along.  I took a chance with this one because some of the reviews that I read on Amazon were not the best, but we love it.  It works with multiple iphones and iPads or itouch and you can view it from anywhere.  So Matt can be at work and see him taking a nap or we could be out for the evening and see him sleeping! It is password protected and you can play music on it from your phone, take pictures and actually talk to him if you want.  It's crazy and so cool.  The only downside that I have found so far, is that you need to make sure your phone is charged at night.  If your phone dies, then that means you no longer have a monitor.  

Halo Swaddle Sleep Sak - these are so great that I actually just ordered another one in a bigger size because he is going to grow out of the newborn size pretty quick.  I use these during nap times and sometimes during bedtime but I really like the Moms on Call swaddle blanket the best for night time sleeping. These sleep saks are also great for dads and grandparents that might not be the best swaddlers because these are pretty dummy proof.

Conair Sound Machine - my baby loves to fall asleep to white noise and not all sound machines have the white noise.  We received a sleep sheep as a gift but I don't find that it gets loud enough and it only has four sounds and white noise is not one of them. It is also battery operated and set to a timer and I prefer this Conair because you just plug it in and it will play all night long.

*Update*
We loved this life nest with both of our kids.   It gave me a wonderful since of security when my babies were sleeping in their cribs.  If they roll over on their own, their is a netting that allows them to continue breathing just fine.

Dr. Browns Bottles - I would recommend getting a few of different types of bottles because every baby is different.  Dr. Brown and Avent's seem to be very popular and I've also heard that the Tommee Tippee are great for breastfeeding moms because it really mimics the nipple.  Lifefactory are expensive but supposed to be great for glass bottles also.

Boon Grass Drying Rack - this is so cute and very functional for all bottles, nipples and breastpump supplies.  There are several different little accessories you can use for it as well to give you more space. 

Burp Cloths - You can't have enough of these and they are nice to have all around the house.  These by Aden and Anais are great because they can also be used as bibs.  

Boppy Pillow - Me and the baby love this pillow equally. It makes breastfeeding so comfortable and he is so snuggly and sleepy when he is lying between me and the pillow.  This is an absolute must in my opinion.

Medela Breast Pump - the pump I have pictured is actually the Medela Freestyle, but I actually ended up purchasing the Medela pump in style.  I have been extremely happy with it.  The lactation specialists in the hospital really stood by this pump over the freestyle and even though I thought I had my heart set on the freestyle, I took there advice and haven't looked back.  The freestyle offers you the flexibility to be mobile while pumping because you don't have to be plugged into an outlet, but I really haven't found this as an inconvenience yet.  The freestyle is smaller so if you want something small and convenient that you can take back to work with you or travel with, I can see this being easier.  However, the pump in style does come with a nice carrying case and is not too bulky in my opinion.

Aden and Anais Bibs - obviously I love all the products that aden and anais makes and the bibs are no exception.  Their fabric is so soft and lightweight and I love it.  

Bella B Nipple Nurture Cream -   great for sore, cracking nipples.   Don't hesitate to start using this before your baby is born.  This was a lifesaver.  I have loved it and it is organic and safe for babies.  

Bumbo - my babe is still too small for this yet, but his good buddy came over and gave it a test ride and loved it!  It is great to help the babes learn to sit on their own as well as a great feeding tool when they get a little older.
HighChair -  I did register for a highchair and did not get one.  I didn't put a highchair on this list because you really don't need one until maybe 6 months plus and it turns out that I am happy I didn't receive or purchase one yet.  I think I will change my mind numerous times between now and then plus it is one less thing for me to have to store!

** Update**

I have to share one more baby item that we loved with baby #2.  We borrowed this from my sister-in-law and it was a lifesaver for the first few months.  It's called the Leachco Lounger and is better than the Boppy Lounger.  

I still love everything listed above here! We use it all still with baby #2. The only thing that has changed is our baby monitor. While I loved the one above while it lasted, it only lasted one year before it broke (it was an older version than the one linked up now)! I now use this Summer Infant monitor and love that we can have multiple cameras and the big screen is awesome.

The last thing I will leave you with is a gadget that I thought was so cool at first and then wasn't sure if I loved it or not. I wanted to make sure I used it for a couple of months before I shared my honest review with all of you. It's the Baby Brezza Formula Pro. It's like the Keurig for baby formula. It makes the perfect bottle at the perfect temperature with the press of a button. It's been a TOTAL life saver. The only thing I will say is that you have to remember that it's still a gadget. It requires cleaning and care to make sure it runs at it's best ability. It's not a down-side, but it's just a reminder that it needs attention too!

 

What were some of your baby registry must-haves?  I love hearing what works for other people and what other products are out there.  

You can read about what my pregnancy must-haves were as well as what I packed in my hospital bag for me and for the baby.

You can also find an updated registry information and some of our favorite items for baby #2 here.