it’s pretty crazy to me that we are now officially in that place in life where people are haaavin’ babies. babies! and amazingly, we already have one of our own! i find it to be pretty mind blowing every time i realize that we are already nearly 18 months into raising our first child. first time around: pregnancy, crib choosing, gender finding, birth, infancy, shots, first teeth, first steps, first foods, words, birthday… done done done! i mean, that is crazy crazy stuff in my mind! i pretty much still feel like i’m 11.
anyway, as we’ve headed down the road of baby-raising, i’ve made sure to take note of what i would consider to be my baby must-haves [and naturally, created a few must-have lists for postpartum, the first 6 months and second 6 months of baby!]. at this point, after a year and a half, i definitely know a lot more about what i would and wouldn’t register for if i could do it all over again. although, i feel like my preg brain did a pretty good job the first time around, if i do say so myself!
[getting so many goodies at my baby shower before m was born!]
so, since hindsight is 20/20 or something like that, i’ve put together some baby registry tips and suggestions here for anyone planning for a new little bambino. because first of all, i really can’t resist a good list-making! but also, when i was registering for baby products for the first time i felt pretty clueless about it all, and i absolutely scoured the internet for ideas. there’s so much you need! there’s so much you don’t need! there’s so much to choose from! there’s just… so much!
and! i’ve used the wonders of the baby registry BabyList to create a whole new inspiration registry of what i’d register for if i were to do it over knowing what i know now. and ps. BabyList is the coolest thing invented for soon-to-be mamas. it’s a terrific service to use to create a master baby registry with items from anywhere and everywhere! i used it to make my own huge list when i was pregnant, but now! now they have an iphone app! you can search through all kinds of items using their in-app catalog, or access things from their browser. it’s pretty fun. like, way too much fun. i have now spent many nights clicking through it on my iphone, and umm, i am obsessed with adding items my inspiration list.
here are some things to keep in mind while registering for baby!
-there is a lot of sweet snuggling, as well as crazy poopying, spitting up, and outfit changing going on in the first months of baby lovin’! so, think about what’s necessary. like… mass quantities of burp cloths and basic onesies!
-when registering for clothing items, make sure to keep in mind what age/size your baby will be for what season. m pretty much lived in her white side snap shirts and little diapers for weeks since she was born in the summertime!
-a stroller might be something you want to look at in person or at least watch a detailed video of. i thought ours would be good for infants based on what the info on it said, but it actually requires the same brand’s car seat clipped in for infants, which we don’t even have. i didn’t want her in her car seat that much, anyway, because it’s not the best for their spine development. ideally, i’d have loved a stroller with a bassinet option and that reverses to face me. also consider your strolling needs! are you going to want to fold it up easily and throw it in and out of your car all on your own, or do you walk everywhere from home? now that m is older, i tend to keep our big stroller at home for walks around the neighborhood, and a tiny little umbrella stroller in the car for errands!
-the stroller/infant situation didn’t really end up mattering so much for us, because babywearing was something that was important to me and really really good for both me and the babe. i wore that girl like crazy, out and about or just getting things done at home… first in the moby wrap for 6 months, then in the ergo carrier. we loved loved loved every second of it! [we still use the ergo, it’s just not quite the necessity that it once was!] so, really, we didn’t even need to stroll that much until she was older.
-i have to say, i do not totally understand the whole sleep sheep craze. it’s super cute… the noises are okaaay… but then, they only last 45 minutes… and don’t most babies sleep longer than that? i mean, i don’t have that much to speak on the napping matter, because maybe my next baby will love naps? 😉 but i say, just get a good white noise machine, and you’ll have it and love it forever. the marsona, although a little bit expensive, is my faaaaav noise machine of all time. and a good nap is worth all the gold, right!
-look for a little baby care kit that includes baby nail scissors, not just those weird, bulky clippers. those things are impossible to use on the tiny fingers, if you ask me, but the scissors are great!
-we decided to wait on registering for a high chair, and when the time came, we got a super inexpensive, space-saving booster chair and i. am. SO. glad!
-we also didn’t sign up for honest company diapers and products until m was a bit older, and i totally wish we had done it sooner! i first thought it was mostly hype and good marketing, and i felt satisfied with the chlorine-free diapers we were getting… but then we tried honest, and i really do love all of the products that i’ve tried so far. plus, the fact that they deliver right to your door could have saved me numerous trips to the grocery store for emergency diaper purchasing! in those early days, the last thing i wanted to do was load up a carseat-hating infant just for some dang diapers!
-initially, i wasn’t convinced that a diaper pale was any more necessary than a trash can… but hey, once the smell of baby poopoo starts to take up permanent residence in your nose… you’ll appreciate that pale!
-for bath time, i first tried bathing m in the big bath tub using an infant bath seat, but it was just too overwhelming for her and too challenging for me. looking back, i should’ve used some kind of sink insert right off the bat! because once i started bathing her in the sink, bathtime was a magical thing!
well, i think that’s all this here mama brain has on the topic for today, but everything i would register for knowing what i know now is on my BabyList inspiration registry, if you’re in need of ideas!
and seriously, i’ll be the first to admit that i’m obviously not any kind of expert here. i only have one baby, i like to keep things pretty simple, and there’s just a whole lot that i have no clue about! for example, i have never used a breast pump. all i know is that pumping sounds terrible. also, we’ve never had a rock ‘n’ play, or whatever those contraptions are, but maybe they’re magical? i don’t know! and best pacis?? don’t ask me, baby girl never took one! oh, baby monitors? we’ve always just used a web cam that connects to our iphones/ipads/computer. but hey! i do know what i know and i hope it is helpful to someone! it all takes work, [and almost unusual amounts of research!] but being a mama is the very best thing i have done so far!
hugs and good luck to all the new mama’s diving into babyland!
*and thanks so much to the wonderful BabyList peeps for sponsoring this post!
Gaaaah – I am so overwhelmed by pregnancy/baby stuff. That's not in the near future for me, but I feel the need to memorize everything I read about what works so that I don't have to hunt it down in the future! I'll just remember to come back to your page.
-Amy
Yayyy this couldn't have come up at a better time for me! I've been researching my little heart out and your list is helping! 🙂 Thanks for all the good tips, girly! <3
xo
Pregnancy stuff and baby stuff can be so overwhelming. This is so perfect and timely for me!!! I love your parenting philosophy, so I'm totally into all your recommendations! XO
Love this lady!! how gorgeous were you pregs with lil Maddo!
First can I say you looked stunning while pregnant. This is a great post! x
Great post! I have to ask where did you get your dress ? It's beautiful!
Love the tips! And um, you kinda look like a celebrity in that baby shower pic!
Thank you for these little nuggets of gold! I love simplicity!