This has the potential to be the most daunting blog post I'll ever pen. I could go into vivid detail about every single item on my baby registry. Afterall, the reason I started the blog in the first place is because I keep an ongoing Amazon wish list called Baby Registry Recommendations, which I send to all expectant mothers in my life. I love to sit down with each mama and explain the rationale behind each item. But I don't have the time, and you don't have the attention span for a post like that. So I'm going to try to simplify my list and maybe go into detail in separate posts.
Up front, let me say that the items listed below are products that I actually used and liked in real life and that have lasted through multiple kids. I wouldn't necessarily call this a list for minimalist moms, neither would I call it the list of EVERY item you'll EVER need for EVERY baby. But Amazon baby registries include a checklist for all the basics, and I encourage you to use it! If you haven't started your registry yet, click the banner below to get started!
Let me briefly sing the praises of the Amazon baby registry. It includes a welcome box, a checklist of essential items, suggested products for different kinds of moms (fashionable, sustainable, minimalist, etc), and best of all, you get to use the 15% completion discount to clear your list of items you didn't receive at your showers. Many registries claim to be a one-stop shop for products from many stores, but in my opinion, they're just more trouble than they're worth, especially for people buying off of them. Take it from someone who has tried multiple registries from multiple companies: Amazon is the most convenient for both you and your loved ones.
Please note, as an Amazon associate, I receive commission from qualifying purchases. But I've been recommending the Amazon registry for MUCH longer than I've been an associate.
Back to my list. Aesthetics are fun, but I'm more about function and durability. Baby registries can certainly include décor and toys and cute clothes, but you know what you like in those arenas. For my purposes (and for your benefit), I'm including the must-have practical products I use on a regular basis and products that, even if they're only used a few times, are priceless for those circumstances. Most of these don't need explanation, so please enjoy the quick list format, while I reign in my tendency to over-explain everything.
For mama
Check out my list of comfort tools for pregnancy
Check out my list of postpartum essentials
Keep an eye out for my list of hospital bag essentials
For the nursery
Sound monitor or closed-loop video monitor (we bought this budget version, and it's been great. You can also buy a fancier one like this)
Crib (buy the crib that fits your aesthetic and your budget)
Crib mattress: If you can afford this nice nontoxic one, do that, but you can also buy a basic mattress and cover it with more affordable organic sheets. Either way, you're doing a great job!
At least 2 mattress protectors
Sleep sack for each size and for summer and winter, depending on baby's due date
We are not hardcore swaddlers, but we do like these weighted swaddles for newborns. For us, they were worth the splurge
Sound machine (I promise this one is worth it. It gets so much louder than other machines, and it has several settings to choose from. It's great to block out noise and also as a sleep cue.)
As a note, I know some people swear by the fancy Bluetooth sound and light machines like this Hatch machine, so if someone will buy it off your registry, then by all means go for it! They became popular right after my first baby was born, so I missed the registry opportunity for it and didn't want to pay to replace what I already had.
For room sharing
Halo bassinet and sheets and mattress cover (I did not room share, so I cannot personally vouch for this, but every other mom I know who did room share loves this bassinet)
For travel
See my car seat post for all my whys!
Stroller with integrated travel system (This is hands down the best stroller, but check Marketplace and garage sales for a good price on a used one if this is out of your budget, as it was for me ha)
Ring sling (I tried multiple soft, wrap-style baby carriers, and I hated all of them. Then I bought this ring sling, and I SWEAR by it. It is easy and cooling and comfortable, and it works from newborn through toddlerhood, without having to perform origami to get it in place.)
Diaper bag: Get whatever matches your style and budget, but I definitely prefer a backpack so I can be hands free! This is a great budget option, and I love this one for cute and practical splurge.
Pack-n-play with sheets
Car caddy (for backup diapers, wipes, plastic bags, outfits, ring slings, blankets—and later, coloring books and crayons for road trips!)
Baby camp chair (Someone bought this for me, and I thought I'd never use it because we don't camp, but I ended up using it as a travel high chair on every vacation and even to take to friends' houses for dinner and to other parties and events. We used this thing until it was completely destroyed, and then we bought another one ha.)
Wet bags (A lot of my babies' clothes end up wet or dirty while out and about, and these keep odors and moisture on the inside.)
Check out my list of essentials for road tripping with kiddos
For diapering
Changing table and pad if you'll use a dedicated changing station (We just change on the floor)
Diaper caddy and changing pads if you'll have a traveling changing station (I buy at least 9 pads because they get so dirty so fast)
Disposable or reusable diapers in each size
Disposable or reusable wipes
For feeding
Muslin blanket or nursing cover, if you want to cover up
Bottles with multiple nipple sizes (Note, bottles are not one size fits all. Different babies and mamas prefer different bottles. My only recommendation is to stay away from glass bottles because I witnessed one shatter on my friend as she was twisting the lid on.)
Breast pump and accessories (Check with your healthcare provider or insurance to see if you qualify for a free one!)
High chair (You won't use this until baby is 6 months old, but it's a nice big ticket item to check off your list early on. I love this space-saving, easy-to-clean option! For other feeding essentials, check out my upcoming dedicated post.)
If you're planning to breastfeed, click here for my list of breastfeeding essentials
For bath time
Puj for infants
If you want extra bath tubs or kneeling pads or sit-up bath chairs, by all means add them, but we were fine without them
For "play" time (Experts recommend letting babies rest and play and do tummy time on the floor to help strengthen their muscles and avoid container syndrome and plagiocephaly. For this you could buy a fancy mat or you could do what we did and spread a blanket on the floor. But also, sometimes you have to set the baby down in a place that will make them comfy and happy so you can do important things like shower or cook dinner. And to those ends, I am happy to recommend the following products.)
Mamaroo or Rockaroo (someone handed down this swing to us when I was pregnant with my first, and while it was a great swing, the footprint was huge, so I was so thankful when my sister-in-law found a Rockaroo on clearance and grabbed it for me!)
For health and safety
Boogy bulb (Listen, I know most people absolutely swear by the Nose Frida, but I don't care what anyone says, I think it's disgusting, so I can't recommend it haha. I can however say, that my sister uses this electric aspirator and loves it!)
For comfort
You can obviously supplement this list with all the cute things you could possibly desire for your bundle of joy! By all means, go crazy with nursery signs and frilly onesies and baby shoes that make you happy! There are also so many other fun and helpful little things you can add, and for those items, you can browse the Amazon registry recommendations and checklist!
But make sure you come back to this list for the simple things that you will use for real life :)
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