I’m doing something new today and linking up with Kaitlyn for her “Preparing for a Little One” series. It’s meant to help moms-to-be get ready for their little bundles, so I wanted to contribute some of my new-mom experience!
Registering for baby items can be very overwhelming- you feel like babies need a million different things, and then there are a billion different brands of each thing to choose from. Well, truth be told, babies don’t NEED all that much! As long as a baby has love, warmth, food, and diapers, she’s probably going to be just fine. That being said, there are some items that definitely make life with a baby easier!
When I made my registry, I meticulously tried to to calculate how many outfits of each size we’d need. What I didn’t know was that people LOVE to buy baby clothes (and a LOT of them), so if I had to do it over, I wouldn’t have worried about putting clothes on there at all. You also tend to get a lot of blankets, towels, and washcloths without having to ask for them. Here are a lot of the “bigger” baby items I’ve found useful!
1. Tiny Love 3-in-1 Rocker Napper– This little seat came in so handy, especially in the early days. It reclines into 3 different positions and will vibrate if you put a battery in it (don’t be fooled though, it doesn’t rock by itself). Before we had Kaya, I thought I wanted her to sleep in her own room from the get-go. However, once I brought that tiny princess home, I wanted her to be close by so I could hear her better if she needed me. Thanks to my mom, we already had this seat, so we used it in the “napper” position at night for the first three weeks. I also put her in it and drag it into the bathroom when I shower so that I can keep an eye on her.
2. Boppy pillow– I actually sewed my own boppy pillow, and it’s held up really well in its six months of constant use. Even if you don’t use it for nursing, it comes in handy for helping baby sit up later on. Kaya also preferred using it for tummy time as opposed to just being face-flat on the floor.
3. SwaddleMe blanket– This worked like magic when it came to helping our baby sleep. It has velcro to secure the swaddle, so it seems a lot safer than just swaddling with a regular blanket (and it’s harder to break out of it!).
4. Diapers- We use Bumgenius 4.0 cloth diapers (which we love), but even if you’re using disposables, go ahead and register for them! You can never have too many diapers.
5. Pacifiers- You might be unsure of whether or not you want to use a pacifier with your baby, but it doesn’t hurt to have them. Motherhood is surprising, and you may find yourself doing something you didn’t think you would (like using a pacifier when your baby is only 2 days old)! All babies are different, but we like the Nuk pacifiers.
6. Infant tub– I know a lot of people are pros at bathing baby in the sink, but I have just never felt comfortable enough to do it myself (even now that she is bigger and stronger, I still feel safer using the infant tub).
7. Ergo baby carrier– We didn’t get one of these until Kaya was about 5 months old, but I LOVE it and wish we’d had it sooner. It’s so comfortable to wear, and I prefer it over using the stroller. When Kaya was younger, she would only nap if you snuggled her, but I bet she would have napped if I wore her, and then I would’ve had my hands free to get some other things done!
8. Exersaucer- Kaya got this one from her grandma for Christmas. It is one of her favorite places to play! She loves jumping in it, and I think it’s definitely helped her legs get stronger!
Hopefully this helps someone out! If you have anything to add, leave it in a comment 🙂
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There isn’t a photo, but don’t worry- there was definitely ice cream (and a LOT of it)! Kaya also met some of her second cousins, which was an adorable sight to see, but there isn’t a photo of that, either (guess I was slacking)!
