There are a lot of lists of “must haves” for raising a baby. The people who make baby products think you need everything, many people who come to your baby shower think all you need are cute outfits and cozy blankets. And everyone and their sister will be offering up advice as soon as you announce that you are pregnant. One of the best things that I did when I setup my baby registry was have a friend (who was a mom) look over my list and give me some practical advice. So, here is my practical advice to you.
Health
• Skip the ear thermometer – the doctors never seem to trust those when used at home. Get a regular thermometer and get used to taking the baby’s temperature under their arm (or rectally if you are comfortable with that). Skip the pacifier thermometers that are out there too – they look like a good idea until you realize they have to stay in for 3 minutes!
• Skip the Tylenol, Motrin, and other medications too – it isn’t recommended to give it to them until they are several months so you might as well buy fresh when you need it.
• First Aid Kit – The best kit is the one with the little safety nail clipper, the nose sucker, and comb. Those were the three things we used the most. The baby will need their finger and toe nails clipped frequently to prevent them from scratching themselves. The nose sucker will come in very handy since babies (and even small children) can’t blow their nose.
Feeding
• Bottle Warmer – in my opinion – it is best to get the kid used to room temp or even slightly cold drinking. It is a huge pain when you are out to find a place to warm a bottle. If you want to serve warm bottles, you can easily place the bottle in some warm water or run it under warm tab water.
• Feeding Seat/High Chair – I personally like having a feeding seat rather than a high chair. They take up less room and are more portable. If you think you will be traveling around a lot with your child (going to grandma’s, etc), then I would recommend one that folds – such as the Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster Seat.
• Breast Pump – This is necessary if you plan to breast feed – especially after you go back to work. They don’t recommend getting these used – but I bought one from a close friend and replaced all the hoses.
• Nursing Bra, Pads, and Cream – You may not want to register for these, but it is something you will want to consider if you plan to nurse.
• Formula – Even if you plan to breast feed, I recommend signing up at each formula company’s website so they will send you a free sample. I was so glad to have formula in the house when at my home visit they found that my daughter had lost too much weight and I needed to start supplementing with formula. If you end up not needing it, you can always give it to a friend or donate it to the local food shelf.
• Nursing Pillow – Some women love these – I personally didn’t. The one thing I did use this for was to prop my daughter up for pictures or while she was playing.
• Bottles and Nipples – Some babies are very picky about what bottles they will take and others will take whatever you stick in their mouth. So, I personally wouldn’t stock up on any one brand or style of bottle. Bottle nipples do have different “sizes” for different ages – so make sure to register for the youngest age in the style you want.
• Bottle Sterilizer – I would put this in the “skip” category. You can use the dishwasher or boiling water to sterilize your bottles.
• Bibs and Burb Rags – You will want some cloth rags or bibs for feeding your little baby. Just remember that formula stains – so don’t worry about getting the most pretty bibs and rags.
• Spoons, Sippy Cups, and other accessories – Babies will live on breast milk or formula until 4 to 6 months old, so you can hold off on these other things until later if you want. I personally loved The First Years Take-N-Toss line because it is cheap and you won’t fret if you leave something behind at a restaurant or drop one down the garbage disposal. Take note that there are smaller size spoons for infants and then slightly larger spoons for toddlers.
Clothing
• Outfits – I personally wouldn’t register for many for clothes – everyone will buy you cute outfits because that is what people like buying for babies. As a mother, I would stick with outfits that button in the crotch since they provide much easier access to the diaper than taking off pants when they are little.
• Gowns – I loved these things – they keep them warm and you have very easy access to change their diaper.
• Socks and Hats – Your little one will need to keep warm – especially for babies born in the winter. Actual socks tend to stay on baby’s feet better than baby booties.
• Mittens – I would skip the little mittens that are meant to keep the baby from scratching their face. Most babies won’t keep them on so instead you will need to get used to clipping those tiny fingernails.
• Snowsuit – Even for babies born in the winter, you really won’t need a snowsuit. For keeping them warm when you go outside – it is easier to use a blanket or car seat cover instead of taking them in and out of a snowsuit to go outside.
Nursery
• Blankets – I wouldn’t register for a lot of these unless you want some that specifically match the nursery. Just like outfits, people seem to love to buy or even make blankets for babies.
• Glider/Rocker – If you only put one thing in your nursery (besides a crib), make it a glider or rocker. It is great for feeding the baby, rocking a fussy baby, or someplace to sit to watch your baby sleep. I do wish that it had an ottoman with my glider so I could put my feet up.
• Lamp – It is nice to have a little side table and lamp near the glider/rocker in the nursery. This is nice for reading or may also serve as a night light when the night light bulb suddenly burns out.
• Night Light – Get a couple night lights. I would recommend taking one along when you travel as well.
• Changing Table – We used a dresser that was also a changing table. It was really nice because the clothes were all right there within reach.
• Changing Pad – You will want a water proof changing pad to place on the changing table. It is nice and padded, screws into place, and has a safety strap.
• Hamper – Little babies go through a lot of clothes so it is nice to have a hamper right in the nursery.
• Bumbo Seat – This is a seat that babies can sit up in before they can sit up on their own. I personally loved this thing while we used it – but honestly it is a very short time that you can use it so it might not be worth the price tag.
• Wipes Warmer – I would put this in the “don’t waste your money” category. Yes – sometimes the wipes can get a bit cold, but a warmer tends to dry out the wipes.
• Ointment – I like Balmex – it is cheap and works well. I would register for some “Boudreaux’s Butt Paste” – it is pricey but works really well on bad rashes.
• Wipes – Don’t get the cheap ones! We use Pampers or Huggies – you wouldn’t want to use cheap Toilet Paper every day would you?
• Diapers – Pampers Swaddlers brand work great when they are little but once they are a bit bigger it might make sense to switch to something cheaper. We use Luvs and love them – they are cheaper and have never leaked for us. There are big differences though – sometimes one brand will leak for one kid and won’t ever leak for another. I didn’t like Walgreens brand but Target brand was okay for daytime use (they leaked overnight).
• Diaper Pail – There are many on the market, but we actually stuck with our little garbage can that had a tight lid. We were able to use plastic shopping bags instead of buying special diaper pail garbage bags and the lid kept the odor under control.
• Dimmer Switch – This maybe isn’t something to register for, but definitely something to consider. If the nursery doesn’t have a dimmer switch on the lights – I recommend putting one in there. Some times the night light isn’t enough light and sometimes you need some light when you go in to check on the baby.
• Humidifier – If you have a very dry home, you may want to consider getting a cool air humidifier. You will want to make sure to keep the unit clean and change the filter regularly.
Toys
• Books – I would stick with mostly board books for any kid under 1 1/2 or 2 – even if you read to them, they seem to reach for and rip the pages. The best ones for little babies are the sets of board books that are 2″ or 3″ square – they fit perfectly in little hands. As the child gets older, they should enjoy books with simple and colorful pictures or things with texture (touch & feel books). Around 12 -18 months, many children start to enjoy short story books. Keep the stories simple and easy to read.
• Exersaucer – We loved ours! It is a stationary version of a walker (many people think walkers are unsafe because of the hazard of falling down stairs while in a walker). We used it from about 4 months up to just over 1 year. It allows them to be up and play but still be contained.
• Bouncy Seat/Swing – Many babies live in their bouncy seat or swing and others (like my child) will hate them. I would recommend either a bouncy seat or swing that folds up – both for travel and storage.
• Car Seat Toys – These toys clip onto the car seat and come in handy when you are using the infant seat. They can’t get lost since they are clipped on. Stick with soft toys that have bright colors and make noise. I also recommend a clip so you can keep a pacifier clipped to the car seat – very useful!
• Music – A couple baby lullaby CDs will probably come in handy to sooth a fussy baby. As the baby gets older, they may enjoy the more upbeat toddler tunes.
• Video – I like the Baby Einstein series of videos. I would skip over some that are meant for the 0-3 month range and get more that are meant for the 12 month range. My child loved the videos with puppets.
• Rattles/Teethers – These are good to have around. I like the soft rattles. For teethers, make sure to check if they have been recalled.
Necessities
• Car seat – If you are getting an infant car seat that you carry – I highly recommend getting an extra base (if you have two cars). Then you can have a base in both cars and don’t have to worry about keeping the car seat base with the baby. When we switched to the toddler car seat, we also bought two of those.
• Stroller – Get one that the car seat will snap onto (Graco makes some great strollers). Another thing to consider is the storage space underneath the stroller – I like that I can get a diaper bag and purse underneath and still have some room for other things. I also like having the seat be able to fully recline.
• Portable Play Yard (aka Pack-n-Play) – I would put this in the must-have category. They can be used for naps or sleep when traveling – we even used it as a crib during the summer so our child could sleep in our only air conditioned room. Ours came with a changing station which I loved – when she was little we didn’t have to go all the way up to her bedroom to change her – we could do it right in the family room – it sounds lazy – but they pee a lot when they are little.
• Baby Monitor – A baby monitor is also a must have. I love the Sounds & Lights monitor with 2 receivers. You can have the sound turned down but still see the baby cry because it lights up. I love having 2 receivers and sometimes wish we had more. We always have one in our bedroom and one in the family room.
• Baby Gate – These are also a must! Putting up a baby gate is pretty much the only thing we did to baby proof our house. We had one at the bottom of the stairs so she couldn’t climb them and one so she wouldn’t go down the hallway into the laundry room. Consider how your home is setup – some gates will not work in some places so you may have to find other options.
• Auto Mirror – These are little mirrors that attach to your rear view mirror. They didn’t do much when the baby faced backward, but they are absolutely necessary when the baby turns forward.
• Diaper Bag – There are many diaper bags on the market. You could spend as little as $10 or as much as you could imagine. What is essential? You should be able to fit 5-10 diapers, travel size of wipes, at least one toy, and at least 1 bottle in the bag. It should look like a diaper bag or be a neutral color so dad will not be embarrassed to carry it around. I also prefer the ones with the plastic lining and an easy clean exterior fabric. Our $10 bag lasted almost 2 years of very heavy use.
Sleeping
• Bassinet – If you have a Pack-n-Play – you really don’t need a bassinet. When a baby is small enough to sleep in a bassinet – they will actually sleep almost anywhere. Save your money (and space) and let the baby sleep in the car seat, on a blanket on the floor, or in the crib. I would also skip those cute little sleeping baskets for the same reason.
• Crib – Cribs aren’t cheap! I like the ones that convert into a toddler bed down the road. I also liked that ours did not have a drop side. I would recommend reading reviews of cribs online to help you make your choice. If you buy used, make sure to check the current crib guidelines and also verify that the crib hasn’t been recalled. You will also need a crib mattress. Make sure to verify that the size of the mattress is correct for the size of the crib.
• Mattress Pad – I would get one that is water resistant (or water proof) but is made of a soft fabric that doesn’t make a lot of noise when you lay on it.
• Sheets – You will want at least 2-3 crib sheets so you don’t have to wash one and immediately put it back onto the mattress.
• Bumper Pads – This is probably up for debate. We did use them for quite a while. Others say you should never have them in the crib. I am not going to offer any advice on this one since I am not a professional.
• Sleep Positioner – I put this in the “skip this” category. They are completely unnecessary unless the baby has certain health issues (reflux, etc) – which you won’t know until later anyway. If you plan to have your child sleep in your bed with you, then I would look into specific accessories meant for that use.
• Sleepsack – We loved this thing! This is a sack that the child wears instead of using blankets. It is like a sleeping bag with arm holes – I actually wish they made them in my size.
• Mobile – Our crib was designed so it was tough to get a mobile that fit. So, instead we used a projector that strapped to the side of the crib and projected a scene of birds on the ceiling. It also had some music that played along with it. Our daughter loved it.
Bathing
• Bath seat – I like the bath seats that have one side for the infant and the other side is upright for when they can sit up on their own. You can use it for quite a while and it saves you from filling up the entire bathtub with water. Some parents bathe their babies in the sink, but we didn’t have a sink that was the right size for that.
• Baby Wash, Lotion, etc – I like the little bath kits from Johnson & Johnson. They contain all the bath products you need – baby wash, lotion, and usually a sponge or toy.
• Vapor Bath – This is a baby wash by Johnson & Johnson that smells like Vicks Rub – it works really well when they are stuffed up.
• Bath Tub Toys – They make little foam letters, rubber ducks, and other toys for the tub. The important thing to notice is if the toy will get filled with water, then mildew will grow inside the toy. So, stick with toys meant for the bath tub.
• Washcloths and Towels – I would register for at least one pack of baby washcloths. These are slightly softer than most adult washcloths. Hooded towels are also great for babies because you can wrap them up and keep them warm on the way from the bathroom to the nursery to get them dressed. They also make for some cute photo opportunities.
I hope that helps you register for your baby shower and get ready for baby to arrive. I remind you that this is still the advice of just one mom, so I recommend that you seek out specific advice from your mom, your trusted friends, your doctor, or even trusted websites on the Internet. For product reviews, I like Amazon.com. For recall information, check out the Consumer Product Safety Commission at cpsc.gov. I would also recommend you register your products to be notified if a recall does occur. I also like the message boards at BabyCenter.com. There you can ask questions and get advice from other moms all around the world.
