This post was inspired by my best friend Erika who is about to become a mother for the first time. Last weekend I asked if her and her husband were registered anywhere and she said, “No! I have no idea what to even put on it! ” Seeing as how I am a relatively new mom, prepping to become a momma to another in about four weeks, all of this is fresh in my mind so I started to put together a list of items we found most helpful as first-time parents. There are the basics, yes, diapers, on diapers, on diapers and WIPES! But after that, new parents are left wondering, what will I REALLY need?
- Breast Pump/Formula: Your breast pump should be purchased or ordered through your insurance, for free, well before baby’s arrival. Get familiar with how it operates, the pieces and how to clean them in advance so once baby is here and your milk is in, you can get a jump start on pumping. Breast pumps come in electric and manual but I went with electric, Spectra S2, as I figured it’d be easier and more efficient and for me it was. I might get another one with this child but my Spectra S2 is still in great condition and I’d be fine reusing it. If you are forgoing the pumping route, go ahead and start researching formula brands. It doesn’t hurt to have some on hand for babies first day home.
- Milk Storage Bags: If you plan on exclusively feeding your baby formula go ahead and skip to number three. If you plan on providing breastmilk, milk storage bags are a staple. I used a variety of bags but leaned more toward Madela bags as I felt they were more durable. Other brands I tried leaked and if you don’t know yet, breastmilk is like liquid gold. You may have to pump for 30 minutes straight just to get 4 ounces. So make sure you get something durable.
- Bottles: Whether your baby is exclusively on breastmilk or formula you will need bottles, even as a backup method to store pumped milk. There is an overwhelming variety of bottles to choose from and I can’t begin to tell you what’s best. We probably overstocked on bottles. Everything from AVENT to Bare and our son showed absolutely no preference to either; the kid just didn’t like bottles. It really is trial and error so do some research on what you are looking for in a feeding utensil (anti-colic, BPA free plastic, glass etc) and ask friends about their experiences.
- Basic Onesies: Expect a blow out a day. Get the ones with reinforced shoulder panels. Why? Because blow-outs happen, often, and the last thing you want to do is pull a poo soaked onesie over babies precious head and face. With reinforced onesies, you can maneuver the suit downward, off the babies shoulders and down their body. Babies grow fast so get a variety of sizes and look for non-irritating fabrics for their delicate skin. These from primary.com are low-cost and “100% combed cotton rib, OEKO-Tex Standard” ***
- Gripe Water/Infant Gas Relief Drops: You will really appreciate this when your newborn has gas she can’t pass and is inconsolable. We always kept one bottle in the kitchen and one in the diaper bag. We started with Infants’ Gas Relief Drops which were amazing but then we switched to an alternative, Little Remedies Gripe Water. There are many reason your little one may have gas and cry but when they are so new and can’t tell you what’s going on you just want to remedy them the safest way possible.
- Baby First Aid Kit w/Nail Clippers and Thermometer: Babies grow extremely fast their first few months and their nails even faster. Infants have nothing on Wolverine and it still blows my mind how fast Parker’s nails grow at 21 months. Keep an eye on their sharp baby nails and do your best to keep them low. Another item you are likely to find in a baby toiletries kit is a thermometer. If an infant runs a fever it can be life or death. I’m sure you will be fawning over your baby so be sure to have one of these on hand should you notice any out of character behavior.
- Baby Swing: We loved our Graco® DreamGlider™ Gliding Swing and intend on using it again with our second child. This is an item you want to have ready and put together before baby’s arrival and is suitable for up to 6 months or 30lbs. Its soft, has a 5-point harness to keep baby secure in place, multiple reclining positions, speeds and song/sound settings. Parker absolutely loved it. On a side note, it’s easy to put together and operate which is greatly appreciated when you are a sleep deprived newbie.
- Playard w/Bassinet: We purchased the Baby Trend® Lil Snooze Floral Deluxe Nursery Center Playard and we kept it in our room next to the bed. Why do I suggest a playard with a bassinet? If you are or think you’ll be an anxious new mom the way I was, having your baby sleep in a bassinet that his bed height is just what you’ll need to ease some of that anxiety. Being able to roll and reach over, in the middle of the night, to make sure my baby was still breathing then lie back down was great. When we were hanging out in the living room he was in his glider swing and my parents had the same playard at their place so there was no need for us to pack up the playard for transport. There are some playards that are automated and put themselves together for you but, if you plan on keeping yours stationary, this one will suffice. I have to admit, the few times we did break it down to move it, it was no easy feat and seemed clumsy and difficult.
- 4-in-1 high chair: They grow with your kid so, ideally, you have one and you’re done. When shopping for a high-chair we already knew we wanted one that transitioned and that we could use with multiple kids. Ultimately, we went with the Graco® Blossom™ 4-in-1 High Chair Seating System. This specific type of chair transforms from a “functional high chair to an infant feeding booster, a toddler booster, and finally a youth chair” So that means Parker will be able to use the toddler booster seat while our younger son uses the infant feeding booster. SCORE! You won’t need it until later but its good to have on your registry because some places give you a discount for shopping off your registry so go ahead and get that discount! We kept ours boxed up until Parker was about 4 or 5 months.
- Travel System Stroller: These can cost a little more upfront but travel systems come with an infant carseat that is compatible with the frame. Nobody has time to be matching up accessories when your main priority is keeping your baby safe and alive. Most travel systems come with convertible stroller which means you can swap the infant carrier for the toddler seat (included in travel system) and change the direction each faces. Look for one with a large canopy for sunny or rainy days. We bought the Graco Modes Connect LX. I love the tight turning radius, that you can fold it with one hand and that its lightweight (very important when we lived on the 3rd floor in the condo). It also has suspension wheels that make for a smooth ride for baby 🙂 “It is 3 stylish strollers in 1 and provides 10 versatile riding options. The reversible stroller seat allows baby to face you, reclines to create an infant carriage and then converts to a forward-facing toddler seat.” When we were researching strollers, aside from safety, what we kept in the forefront of our minds was that we planned on having multiple children and wanted something that was durable that would withstand being passed down. *Side Note: The hospital, at least in Virginia, will not let you bring your baby home unless you have an infant carseat properly installed.*
- Back Seat Mirror: When it came down to selecting a back seat mirror, we opted for a simple mirror like this BRITAX. It provides a view of your rear-facing baby at any angle while allowing installation to adjacent vehicle head restraints. The shatter-proof, extra-large mirror is convex to reflect a head-to-toe view of your child. Having a back seat mirror is already distracting enough when you have a beautiful baby sitting back there. What I still like about this mirror is that is has vertical and horizontal straps that provide a snug fit to the headrest and that it rotates on a ball-joint kind of thing so you can angle it any direction. Even if your kiddo is strapped in to the middle of the backseat, the mirror can be attached to either side headrest and rotated inward. When deciding on a mirror, I’d suggest looking for one that is crash tested and shatter-proof as well.
- Diaper/Baby Bag: The factors considered when deciding on our bags (yes, we got two different styles) were cost, quality, efficiency. Our current bag in rotation is our Eddie Bauer backpack. It’s spacious, lightweight and has been my go-to now that I am 36 weeks pregnant and always have a wiggling 21 month in tow. Being able to throw this baby on my back to free up my hands is everything and low-key, it helps me keep my balance now that I’ve entered the waddling phase of pregnancy. A couple of things that really stood out to us for this bag is that the wipes are accessible from an outside cut-out (you don’t have to open the bag to get the wipes), it has an insulated outside pocket on the other side of the bag and it comes with stroller clips. The other bag we have is a Kate Spade baby tote. It looks like your average, fashionable oversized tote but comes with extra pockets and a plush changing pad inside! This was probably my go-to when Parker was an infant as it has room for a baby blanket and toys in addition to all the basic newborn items you carry around. It’s nice to have a nicer baby bag for when attending formal events. Being a new parent doesn’t have to be drab.
**BONUS – Nursing Pads: For the breastfeeding mommas Sometimes your milk ducts leak before baby gets here, sometimes after and sometimes only when breastfeeding. I received so many of the disposable nursing pads and blew through them. I had no idea that 1) breastmilk comes out of multiple openings at once and 2) the breast opposite the one you are nursing from will spring a leak and start spraying wildly or just soak your shirt. After I ran out of these I used baby washcloths in my bras but starting out, it’s good to have a solid supply of these. You can get the disposable nursing pads like I had or reusable nursing pads which I will probably use this go round. It is totally your preference.
***OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified means that our fabrics have been tested and are free of over 300 chemicals and known irritants. It’s a higher standard that is better for skin, better for the environment, and better for parents’ peace of mind.
L. Bradley 