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Setting up a registry is overwhelming, especially for a first time mom. You want the cute little things that you looked at and admired but the reality is, you won’t use half of it and you will end up with registry regret.
I honestly wished that I only registered for diapers and wipes! They are the only constant thing that you will need!
When we were setting up our first registry it was hard for me to create a list or even share it because of all the emotions that went along with it. I was not only creating a list for my adopted son but for the baby that I was carrying that would be born shortly after we became a family with James. I was also scared because I was afraid I was going to jinx it all and have to cancel it like I had to in the past with failed adoption placements and our babies becoming angels. The point is, there are a lot of things I wish I knew and wish I had registered for (some are off the wall).
These are items/products that we use/used almost EVERY DAY! No fancy stuff, no frills or pretty things, the baby basics that helped us function!!!
I now own two of these! The Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair is exactly that! A space saver! We live in a small home and I will admit the idea of having two highchairs made me have space anxiety! This high chair attaches and detaches to your existing chairs and convert to a booster seat! With removable trays and adjusting settings it really is a must have!
We used Dr. Brown’s Original Bottles, 8oz for both babies and loved them. They both took well to them. They are a little more work to clean but they were actually suggested to us for Madison’s colic and indigestion from his pediatrician.
The Dr. Brown’s Original Bottle, 4 Ounce, 4-Pack is a great size for newborns and traveling. They fit a lot better in diaper bags (can later be used for water sippys).
Don’t forget the nipples! You need to change the nipples out as your little one grows! Dr. Brown’s Original Nipple, Level 2 (3m+), (6 Count)
And for when your little one transitions to water or is wanting to be independent and hold their own bottle, The Dr. Brown’s 100% Silicone Standard-Neck Baby Bottle Handles is awesome! It is something I didn’t know that I needed but it is so handy!
These sippy cups are great! I have tried several but these are truly leak proof! The NUK Learner Sippy Cup, Blue dinosaurs, 5 Ounce are a great transitional cup to start your little one on after bottles.
When eat training, these little guys are great! They hold food on the spoon better and are the perfect grasping size for little hands. NUK Gerber Graduates 2 Piece Learner Spoons
Again, I have tried a lot of baby spoons (it is all preference and everyone is different) but these were my favorite! The Munchkin 6 Piece Lift Infant Spoons works for newborns, growing infant and toddlers!
Once your little one decides they want a little more independence or you get brave and start venturing out more, these reusable food pouches are great! You can put yogurt, apple sauce or pureed baby food in them and re-use! 12 Pack 7 oz Owl Reusable Baby Food Squeeze Storage Pouches
The Baby Fresh Food Feeder/Fruit Feeder Pacifier was a lifesaver for teething. I put yogurt, bananas, strawberries, etc. and froze them and then let my teething little one go to town on them! They love them!
The Munchkin Bottle and Cup Cleaning Brush 4 Piece Set with Key Ring has the neatest tool attachments for cleaning bottles, sippys and even toys!
The Munchkin Stay Put Suction Bowl, 3 Pack work great for food storage and when feeding your littles. The Munchkin Stay Put Suction Bowls stick to their high chair and they can begin learning to eat with utensils.
We were advised to use the Dr. Brown’s Formula Mixing Pitcher to help with our son’s colic and acid reflux. It makes making multiple bottles easier.
We use the Baby Bowls for Toddlers for food storage and feeding as well. They come with lids which is great and the suction well to surfaces.
The Munchkin Snack Catcher, 2 Pack are great for you little independent eater. They are great around the house or on the go!
We didn’t start out using a bumper (we were told you couldn’t) but after our little one kept getting stuck and pacis were falling out I researched more and found these BreathableBaby Classic Patented, Safer for Baby, Anti-Bumper, Non-Padded, Breathable Mesh Crib Liner.
The Safety 1st 360 Degree Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier helps with allergies, sinuses, colds and overall safe breathing for your little one. We were advised for our adoption home study to have one and also by our pediatrician. We now have one in our room because we saw such a huge improvement in our breathing.
You can buy cute and pretty sheets but either your child isn’t going to sleep in their crib at all or they are going to poop, pee or spit up on them so, get the generic, affordable plain ones! Trust me! The EVERYDAY KIDS 2-Pack Fitted Crib Sheets, 100% Soft Microfiber, Breathable and Hypoallergenic Baby Sheet is a great buy!
This monitor is on the upper end of the price range but it comes with two cameras and large monitor with a split screen. With two babies we consider this a necessity and it has really neat features! MoonyBaby Split 50 Baby Monitor with 2 Cameras, Split Screen Wide View, 5 Inches LCD Video, Long Range, Automatic Night Vision, Temperature Monitoring, 2 Way Talk Back, Power Saving, Long Battery Life
Another tip: I know that you want an adorable nursery with all the bells and whistles…trust me I did too. But your baby won’t spend much time in their crib in the beginning if at all and you can use the money somewhere else! The Delta Children Heartland 4-in-1 Convertible Crib is affordable and looks great!
My first born had some complications when he was born. We were afraid anyways being first time parents, adopting and being so far from home. He had a resting heart and it was a little terrifying in the NICU watching how low his heart rate would get. We did’t have ANYTHING when we got to AZ to get our son but we did purchase an Owlet Smart Green Sock Baby Monitor and gave us both our sanity and comfort.
If you want an affordable monitor, the J-Deal Baby Monitor, Wireless Video Monitor with 2 Way Talk, Digital Camera 2.0″ LCD Display Screen Baby Lullaby Night Vision Temperature Monitoring, Baby Pets Surveillance for Home Security is a good affordable choice.
I think I mentioned a couple of times how much space you will lose when you bring a child home! The Delta Children 4 Pocket Over The Door Hanging Organizer, Dove Grey is great because it can literally go on every door in your home and creates more storage! We use this organizer for diaper and wipes storage, bath towel storage, baby clothes storage and more!
Y’all! This chair is genius and is our most used item we received! We use it everywhere we go and it is so easy to use and portable! Just be prepared for stares and people telling you how cute it is! Summer Infant Pop and Sit Portable Booster
This is a great and affordable diaper bag that dad isn’t embarrassed to carry. The Diaper Bag Backpack, iniuniu Large Unisex Baby Bags Multifunction has several compartments and storage. It was perfect for adoption traveling and is large enough to hold both of our babies needs. It also comes with a changing mat!
The SwaddleMe By Your Side Sleeper was a must for traveling with adoption. We used this for sleeping, playing, bathing, changing EVERYTHING! We were living in a condo miles away from home for 28 days and this was a lifesaver!
The Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Car Seat is a great, safe and comfortable car seat. It comes in a lot of different colors and grows with your child.
We used this car seat for both of our boys. It has great rating and we have enjoyed it with both boys. Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat – 1 Layer Impact Protection
Perfect for being on the go. The Philips Avent Powder Formula Dispenser & Snack Cup fits nicely in a diaper bag and hold 3 servings.
This Angelcare Baby Bath Support is light weight if it needs to be transferred and is comfortable and allows accessible bathing. I love that it allows water to reach the baby without me having to refill a tub or basin.
Something I definitely didn’t think to register for! The Infantino 2-in-1 Bath Mat & Storage Basket is a great and essential for bath time safety!
That’s right! A handheld vacuum! Baby’s and toddlers are messy! I remember the first shower I went to when one of these was gifted and I though GENIUS!! This little baby will come in handy when your little one starts to eat…trust me! BLACK+DECKER dusbuster Handheld Vacuum, Cordless, Flexi Blue
The Fisher-Price Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat is a lifesaver! It is light weight and can go with you to any room! It helps baby practice strengthening their muscles and can be use as a on the go high chair if needed!
There are a lot of slings, wraps, shirts, etc. that you can purchase. I loved my Infantino Together Pull-On Knit Baby Wrap Carrier. I used it when we were traveling home with James and it worked great for the airport and flight and then I used it A LOT when we brought Madison home. I liked how secure it felt and the material was comfortable for the babies.
My poor Madison goes through a ton of burp clothes daily (acid reflux). I have tried several brands and these are my favorite. They also have clasps so they work as a bib too! Muslin Burp Cloths Baby Burping Bibs 100% Organic Cotton 5-Pack Large 6 Layers Thick Soft Absorbent Cloth
I did not get a bouncy entertainment center, mainly because we didn’t have the room. The Bright Starts Playful Parade Door Jumper can easily be taken down or put back up and gives the same amount of entertainment and is more affordable.
This is great when baby firsts gets home. The Boppy Original Newborn Lounger keeps baby cozy.
I didn’t breastfeed so I didn’t use the Boppy Original Nursing Pillow and Positioner as a propping pillow, however it is an amazing little tummy time pillow and also great to use for support when your little one starts sitting up on their own. Boppy Original Nursing Pillow and Positioner
A friend gave me the Raw Baltic Amber Teething Necklace for Babies and I had no clue what it was. Both my babies wear one now! The first night I put one on my baby, he slept for 6 hours!!!
These swaddles are really the only ones that I ended up using out of all the ones we were gifted or purchased ourselves. SwaddleMe Original Swaddle Pack of 3, Criss Cross Polka Dot, Small (0-3 Months, 7-14 lbs)
We pack this thing everywhere! The Safety 1St Ready, Set, Walk! Dx Developmental Walker, Spotlight Teal, One Size is lightweight and small and perfect for smaller spaces.
We were given the Evenflo Exersaucer Bounce & Learn, Zoo Friends as a gift and although it is a bit larger than I would prefer, both of my kids LOVE it. It is more affordable than most exersaucers and it is easy to move from room to room.
I am speaking from my personal experience…this is only an opinion! My journey to motherhood was unconventional. We had several angel babies and failed adoptions which made us cautious when registering or purchasing baby items. We are minimalists not only because of the size of our home but because half the stuff we registered for or were gifted we didn’t use. Hopefully this list will help you in making the ultimate registry for you and your growing family!
Frilly and expensive nursery decor and bedding: your baby will most likely sleep in your room in a bassinet the grist couple of months so that bedding and giant crib will most likely not be used. There are still affordable and cheaper nursery ideas that are too cute that you won’t have to try to sell later for half of what you paid for it!
Different bath tubs and trinkets: You can buy a sink bath, a tub bath and a separate bath but in all honesty, the sink bath didn’t fit comfortably, the flower bath was awkward and the only one we really used was the cheap tub insert. We rolled up towels and put them in the kitchen sink and it worked so much better and when I was done I just washed them or just tossed them in the dryer and didn’t have a giant flower to figure out where to put it. We also got a hair washing whale thingy…We actually just started using a cup!!!
Think about space: After the baby comes you are going to get and buy a lot more things that you didn’t get at your showers or as gifts. Think about whether or not you really need 5 entertainment centers/exercisers, activity centers, decorations, toys, walkers etc.