Registering for baby things was both exciting and exhausting. As much as I loved doing the research & determining what items we liked and didn’t like, there were SO MANY OPTIONS so it made the process lengthy & a bit stressful! Now that we’re about to enter into Micah’s third month (so crazy!), I thought I’d share the essential registry items for those first 60 days with a newborn!!
Before I begin, let me share a bit about our mindset when it came to the baby registry & our home:
Matt and I are not minimalist. I like to think our home is “comfortable” and “friendly” with a style that leans more Fixer Upper-esque vs. modern industrial. We like to feel cozy & be surrounded by things we love. We don’t mind baby things that look like baby things, however I’m not a fan of primary colors & therefore selected items in pastel tones & that would work for either a boy or a girl (to have for future children). We both like to be prepared; I wanted to have a variety of items for our baby, yet I also didn’t want to have too much & therefore have a home that felt cluttered. While we absolutely registered for things we didn’t “need”, I can honestly say that I don’t think we were excessive. We ended up with a great variety and while some may not consider everything on my “essentials” list a true “essential”, this is what worked for our family & I’m glad we had them on hand!!
In no particular order, here are the 25 Newborn Essentials we’ve loved the past 60 days (and I’m also going to include a list of Mama Essentials that have helped me with life postpartum!)
25 Baby Essentials
Boppy Lounger: this is by far our most used baby item!! We have LOVED this thing!! We can take it from room to room easily & travel with it. It sits him up a bit so it’s great for after feedings, too, in case of reflux. I highly recommend & my only complaint is I wish you could take the cover off to wash it, instead of just wiping it down.
Muslin Swaddles: we use these as blankets! I love how soft they are, and because we have a summer baby it’s nice that they aren’t too thick.
Owlet: I’m so happy we have an Owlet! I had a lot of anxiety over Micah sleeping the first few weeks, and knowing we had this helped put me at ease. We did struggle to get it to stay on his foot for about a week (he was a small baby) but haven’t had any issues with it since then!
Vaseline: Because we chose to circumcise him, we used this A LOT! Definitely a must-have if you’re having a boy! 🙂
Diapers: Obviously this is a necessity, but let me tell you are favorite brands for newborn life: I thought I’d love Honest (hello adorable patterns!), but Honest newborn size were big & didn’t work for him(plus they don’t have the handy-dandy blue line wetness indicator!)We ended up loving Pamper’s Swaddlers for newborn diapers,
Wipes: I never thought I’d be picky about the wipes we use, but here I am critiquing them! Even though we love Pamper’s for diapers, we didn’t love Pamper’s wipes; they were very “wet” & when you pull one out you end up getting several (super annoying!). We found that we like Amazon Sensitive the best; great texture, really easy to open and close, you typically only get one at a time when you grab one & a great price!!
Gowns: Newborns love to keep their legs up close to them; they don’t really know how to “stretch out”. Micah kept his legs by his chest & looked silly wearing footie pajamas; my MIL had given us 2 gowns & we used them over & over again! While they are harder to get on, he was much more comfortable in them, so we used those + socks for the first few weeks.
Nail Clippers: Micah’s nails were SO long when he was born! He didn’t really scratch himself very much, but he scratched me A LOT when we were feeding!! Matt’s become the expert baby-nail-cutter and he likes this nail clipper the best.
Dockatot: Every family is different & every mom has their own opinion on bedsharing & co-sleeping. For us, the dockatot has been a lifesaver (this coming from the girl who never thought we’d get one!). Early on, Micah went through a stage where he wouldn’t sleep unless being held. We began bedsharing out of sheer survival. Now, we’ve found that it works for our family & we all sleep better! The dockatot has traveled all over the state with us, and I love knowing he’s sleeping safely & comfortably near me.
Solly Wrap & Baby K’tan: I have worn Micah a lot! I love both of these wraps – my Solly is light & perfect for walks or hot days. My Baby K’tan is faster to get on when he’s screaming his head off! 😉 I keep one in my diaper bag & one in our home.
Burt’s Bees Burp Cloths: My favorite burp cloths! They are thick, a great size & I love the simple patterns.
Aveeno Baby Lotion: Babies have so much dry skin!!! I would cover him in lotion multiple times a day. Plus our pediatrician said that some babies have a reaction to Johnson’s so she prefers Aveeno.
Changing Pad Clutch: Loved this registry item!!!! I have it in my diaper bag & can easily grab it when I’m out & about changing him!
Diaper Bag: I knew I wanted a backpack diaper bag before Micah was born. I did some research and stumbled upon the Freshly Picked diaper bag; it’s been PERFECT! I originally looked at Fawn Designs however my hesitation was it’s lack of “handle”. I wanted to be able to grab it by a shorter strap, not just the long shoulder straps. This bag has a handle, backpack straps and a strap for over the shoulder. My laptop also fits which I’m sure will come in handy when we fly later this year! It was a splurge, but I love that it doesn’t “look” like a diaper bag; since I’ve been using it in lieu of a purse, it was worth it to me to have something I truly loved the look of as well as the functionality!
5-in-1 Cover: I love my Copper Pearl cover! I actually have 2 – one just for the carseat, and another I keep in the diaper bag for nursing. It’s stretchy, not too thick and I like that it covers my back, too.
Snap-up Romper: These short sleeve romper’s have become our favorite because we don’t have to pull them over his head! We can get him changed faster which means less screaming (he hates being naked). I wash the two that we have a lot & can’t wait until he moves up a size (since we already have more of this style in the next size up!).
Swing: Even though it takes up a good bit of space in our living room, I can’t imagine not having it! Micah loves the swing and even if we just get 15 minutes of hands free time, it’s worth it!! (I’ve learned to accomplish A LOT in a short amount of time!)! We like that you can change the speed, swivel it in a variety of ways and he really loves the music (we could hum it in our sleep, I think!)!
Travel Noise Machine: This little guy is amazing!! I love how small it is and the hook feature; I’ve hooked it to my wrap when wearing him, or onto the swing & at night we hook it to the handle on the dockatot. It holds a charge well and is great to travel with!
Swaddles: We started with 1 Halo, 1 SwaddleMe and 1 Love to Dream. I recommend NOT buying more than 1 of each kind since you don’t know what your baby (and you!) will like! Because Micah was so small when we first came home, the Love to Dream was the only one I felt comfortable putting him in so that was all we used! (The others had more fabric that would come up higher on his face, so I worried about suffocation.) Now that he has gotten bigger, we’ve started using the Halo Sleepsack and we love it!! We aren’t fans of the SwaddleMe, but that’s just our preference.
Medela Calma Nipple: We had to start supplementing formula when Micah was 2 weeks old; this nipple was super helpful to avoid nipple confusion! It’s shaped more like a breast than a regular nipple and requires him to really “suck” to get the milk. I have a slower let-down so it worked well for him & he has been able to jump between breast & bottle without any issues. (After I wrote this post we began having a few issues with the nipple “clogging” and him not being able to get any milk. Not sure if it’s a fluke or a long-term problem, but I did want to make note of it for all of you!)
Graco Pack n Play: We have a two story home, and Micah’s nursery is upstairs. I knew we wouldn’t want to climb the stairs every time he needed to be changed so we opted for the Pack n Play with the changing pad feature. I am SO glad we did!!! While we haven’t actually use the Pack n Play yet (ha!), we use the changing pad a dozen times a day!! Definitely worth it if you have a home layout similar to ours!
Gripe Water: Micah gets the hiccups every morning, religiously. And, unfortunately, they can get pretty intense and you can tell that they upset him. That’s where Gripe Water comes in handy! I swear this stuff is like magic! Within 30 seconds of giving it to him, they stop!! It’s a miracle!! He doesn’t seem to mind the taste and I love that it works so quickly!
Baby bathtub: For the first month, we bathed Micah with wash cloths on our changing table. However this past month we’ve been doing a true “bath” in the tub and we LOVE having this tub! Even though he’s small (not yet 9 lbs.), the tub isn’t too big for him. It sits him up at a great angle, and he loves it! We also added a hook in our shower so we can hang it after each use. You definitely don’t need a “fancy” baby tub – this one works perfectly!!
My Breast Friend Pillow: I love this pillow!!! I’ve never used a Boppy so I can’t compare but this one has been great! It has back support, is really wide and for the working mom … you can balance your laptop AND baby …currently writing this post while feeding him!;) It also has a pocket that I use for a burp cloth so it’s always close by.
Sprout App: My first week home with Micah I downloaded a few different baby tracking apps so I could see the interfaces & compare. This one won for me! It’s easy to use, allows me to not only track feedings / pumping / diapers but I can also track his weight, enter in ped appointments & specific questions I have, and also upload “milestone” photos (first bath, first tummy time, etc.). I highly recommend!!
10 Mama Essentials:
Nursing Tanks & Bras: These are my favorite tanks! They are a bit more expensive, but I love the length & material. I pretty much wear them daily and they’ve held up well! These are my favorite nursing bras – super comfortable, I like the light padding & you can catch a good sale, too!:)
Breast pads: I wear these at night since that’s when I have more leakage. There are reusable ones, but who has time for more laundry with a newborn?!:)
Nipple Cream: My favorite kind!! Not too greasy and small enough to carry with you!
Depends: I wore these when I came home from the hospital; I was more comfortable in them then in the hospital pads.
Padcicles: I made these & froze them in my last month of pregnancy – I’m so glad I did!! It was so nice to have them ready to go when I came home from the hospital!
Lactation Consultation / Mom’s Group: I attended a 3-hour breastfeeding class in my final month of pregnancy and it was one of the best things I could have done! The lactation consultant who led the class hosts a mom’s group every Monday night and it’s been such a good source of information & “you’re not alone” community for me! Micah and I attend as often as we can, and I love knowing I have a group of women (and a certified expert!) in my corner!! I would HIGHLY recommend seeking out a group in your area & please, please attend a breastfeeding class if you plan to breastfeed (it’s been one of the biggest challenges even WITH the class under my belt; I can’t imagine not having the class!).
Emily Ley Baby Book + Promptly Journal: I knew I wanted to document this sweet season (and our little boy’s life!) so I loved having these before he arrived!! I was able to fill out what I could pre-baby and now I have a sweet book to come back to at various points in his life! (These two books do overlap a bit but I loved both for different reasons; I plan to blog more about them & how I use them in a later post.)
Hydro Flask 40 Ounce: Because I’m nursing Micah my goal has been at least 80 ounces of water per day, with 120 ounces being a “great” day. I love having a bottle this big to ensure I constantly have water with me!
Lactation Cookies: I have struggled with my supply from the beginning, so I’ve done everything (and I do mean everything) I can to boost it. My friend Emily gave me this recipe and y’all, they are delicious!! I make a new batch every other week (sometimes weekly – #noshame) and it’s a nice treat to grab throughout the day PLUS it’s healthy for my milk supply!! I’ll share the recipe below in case you want to make your own – I usually use butterscotch (my favorite!) but I’ve also done a batch with peanut butter & chocolate chips (yum!).
Grace: Everyone told me this, but I didn’t realize just how much I would need until Micah arrived. Grace on my body, my mind, my heart … Grace for how I would react, Grace for how I would worry, Grace for how much I’d just want to cry for no apparent reason … it takes MOUNTAINS of grace to raise a tiny human so give yourself loads of it, Mama. I promise you, you’re doing just fine.
Lactation Cookies
*use organic ingredients whenever possible*
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil (or butter)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 TBS vanilla extract
2 TBS flaxseed meal
3 TBS of water
1 TBS brewers yeast
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp himalayan pink salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1.5 cups rolled oats
1 cup butterscotch chips (or chocolate chips/m&m’s/nuts/fruit, etc)
In a large mixer cream the butter and sugar
Add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine the flaxseed and water, let them sit for a few minutes before adding to mix.
Add the dry ingredients: brewers yeast, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt. Mix well again.
Stir in the oats and chips.
Scoop onto baking sheet with parchment paper using a cookie scoop. Flatten scoops of cookies on baking sheet before baking (lay wax paper over the sheet and use a spatula to flatten)
Bake for 10 minutes at 350. (Rotate the pans at five minutes so they’ll bake more evenly and let them cool on the pans.)
I hope this has been helpful!! Feel free to comment below with questions or essentials you found to be helpful that I didn’t list!!
xo! kat
