There are so many lists out there, so I will just touch on a
few of my favorites that might not be obvious to the FTM (first time mom).
1. Thermos – If you are planning on pumping, you might want an
easy way to warm a bottle on the road. Choose a Thermos with a very wide mouth
so you can stick the bottle down into the warm water for a few minutes. I like
things that are not unitaskers!
2. Lingerie bags – You might be familiar with the mystery of
where missing baby socks have gone. I keep three lingerie bags handy. One for tiny
baby socks. One for bras to keep them from getting tangled up. One for bibs
with Velcro that can tear up your other clothes. I stick the Velcro together,
but sometimes, it just comes apart. I chose the mesh bags with the larger holes,
rather than the fine holes because the Velcro really gets stuck to the fine
mesh.
3. Exercise ball – My childbirth prep class suggested one for a
comfortable seating choice during the third trimester, a tool for early labor
at home, and an option to bounce a fussy baby to sleep.
4. Baby towels - The idea of microfiber is nice, but I find it
to be nonabsorbent and any fingernails that aren’t cut perfectly get caught in
the fibers. (Cold shiver! Gross!) Plus,
they get insanely staticky. (More cold shivers and goosebumps!) I like the hooded towels made out of the
regular old towel material!
5. Sleeping gowns – I loved these amazing gowns! The elastic bottom
allows you to pull the gown up and down quickly for a diaper change. I only
would suggest the newborn and 0-3 month size. After my baby got more active,
she’d run her feet up the inside of the gown and pull down hard, stretching out
the neck.
6. Circo Brand Sleepers – Sold in 2 packs, these zip from top
to bottom, which means that you zip up just as far as you need to in order to
change a diaper, keeping baby’s top half clothed. I’d register for the newborn size all the way
up to the largest size offered!
7. Swing – AKA the only reason I was able to completely get
myself ready for the day almost every morning and do a load of laundry. Look
for these two things: 1. A plug. (Batteries get expensive, and you really don’t
want them to run out of juice in the middle of something.) 2. A high weight
limit. I put my darling in the swing one morning and she was just too heavy. It
stopped swinging, she wouldn’t sleep, and my lovely mornings ended.
8. Car seat – Duh. My husband and I could not agree on this for the longest time. Here’s a piece of handy advice for you: If your husband cares enough to work on the registry with you, respect his opinions! I’m a weakling, so I was looking for the most lightweight car seat. He is a protective daddy, so he was looking for the safest. We went with the safest, and I built up the muscle to carry a sleeping 23 pound baby into the house without waking her up.
8. Car seat – Duh. My husband and I could not agree on this for the longest time. Here’s a piece of handy advice for you: If your husband cares enough to work on the registry with you, respect his opinions! I’m a weakling, so I was looking for the most lightweight car seat. He is a protective daddy, so he was looking for the safest. We went with the safest, and I built up the muscle to carry a sleeping 23 pound baby into the house without waking her up.
9. Dye-free Baby Tylenol – It’s so stressful the first time the
baby gets sick. You want to have this on hand before the baby actually gets a
fever. Be sure to ask the pediatrician for a dosage chart so you know how much
to administer.
10. Nose Frida – I was going to use the bulb the hospital
provided, but guess what… it’s opaque, so I had no idea if it was working! A
Nose Frida gives you a lot of control over the suction and is so easy to clean.
Bonus item: Keurig and Decaf K Cups – Well, maybe you shouldn’t actually
register for this one! My husband bought one for me when baby was two months
old and I needed to accomplish most tasks with one hand throughout the day. Of
course, be ever so careful drinking a hot cup of coffee near a baby!
