Registry Tips...PLUS: My Top 10 Favorite New Mommy Items So Far!

The first thing many moms-to-be get excited about when they find out they are expecting is getting to pick what they want for their future baby! How they want the nursery to look and a theme (will there even be a nursery?), Crib or Bassinet? Will they try to breastfeed? What bottles will they have on hand? Will they use a pacifier and if so which brand would they first want to try? Cloth or Disposable Diapers? What do you really need? What is just a gimmick?

Choosing the Right Registry

Of Course, THE first and biggest question around all of this is, "Where do I make my registry?" There are many places/options to choose from when it comes to registering both physical stores and websites. Some people make several registries in different stores they like and others use websites like MyRegistry or BabyList to combine items from many sources/stores into one HAVE-ALL Registry. Many stores offer free goodie/gift bags for anyone who registers at their store as an incentive/thank you and the stuff you get is actually helpful to have on hand (I keep samples in my diaper bag too)! I started and closed a few stop registries just for these perks and to gather in person ideas then in the end I used BabyList and I HIGHLY recommend it! It was easy to use and adding items was also just as much of a breeze as it was fun! (I had items from Amazon, Walmart, Target, and BuyBuyBaby). Click the Babylist icon below to go to the site to check it out for yourself!

It can be totally overwhelming when you register or shop for things for you new baby, especially if you go to several stores and walk around with the little gun scanning items. Don't get me wrong its a right of passage into parenthood as well as exciting and fun, but in the end you manage pretty much all your registries online to keep them updated and add or delete things as time goes on. Of course, You do YOU and have fun and enjoy this exciting time of your life however you choose to do it!

The Goods (Products)

A. How Do You Choose?

I am sure by now you are aware there are a bazillion items on the market targeting new and expecting moms. Some claim to be safe and many are in-fact safe while others are totally unsafe yet still being sold to those who don't realize their dangers. I recommend everyone always do their own research whether online or word of mouth or ask a medical professional such as a pediatrician when you interview one for your child. (I will have another post about medical questions I had when expecting and choosing our pediatrician later on). Some items have a satisfaction guarantee and are well know in the parent world while some may be best kept secrets you have to dig a little to discover! As you begin your registry and try to choose what to add, you can go about it a couple ways, One, you check out product ratings and reviews and two, ask people close to you their experiences with a product and their likes and dislikes, but understand that it is totally true when they people each pregnancy, baby, and preference is totally different. Ultimately you have to decide what is right for you and your baby and eventually your baby will decide what he or she likes or dislikes (unfortunately this is usually found out the hard way with trial and error).

B. My Top 10 Favorites (So Far, 3 Months Into Parenting...)

1. For Moms - Mamaroo Swing: I will say when I was looking at this I got very mixed reviews. Some moms told me their babies hated it and refused to sit in it and others said they loved it and it was a lifesaver. I took the gamble because we found a realllllly good deal on one and instead of getting a basic swing for close to the same price we decided to try it. And let me tell you, Kelia loves it! She doesn't stay in it long periods, but swings aren't meant for long periods and safe sleep studies recommend they don't sleep in them without being supervised. I love that it has different settings for ways it moves and swings and that it offers soothing sound choices. Its is also great that it works from an app on my phone so I can control it across the room! For us it is a win!

2. Infantino Baby Carrier: This bad boy is sturdy, snug, and reliable! It can be used and baby worn in it a few ways and as baby grows too! I love using it when I don't want to push the stroller around hen we are out and about. It keeps Kelia comforted up against me and I can cover her with a blanket to keep her concealed from germs and weather. We love it! I struggle once in awhile with user error when it comes to putting it on because of all the clicks you have to click but once it is on its perfect!

3. Doc-A-Tot Lounger: Great for baby to lay in either on the couch when we are downstairs watching TV or folding laundry as well as on top of the table in the kitchen when I am meal-prepping or cooking, doing dishes, or putting groceries away. Sometimes she naps supervised in it, but rarely.

4. Vibrating Bouncer Seat with Removable Toy Bar: We recently got this one (see below) from a friend and Kelia LOVES it! I think the vibration is comforting and keeps her relaxed (sometimes she falls asleep but is always right with us)! I use it on the floor during game nights with family, during movies, while we eat so she's safe and happy, and even if we are sitting by the fire so she has a safe place to lay by it too!

5. Swaddles! (These save my sanity!): Initially we used the ZipdeeZip per a recommendation by my sister-in-law who's daughter is just a few months older than Kelia. We used it while we were still in the hospital after birth even and it was a lifesaver! As she has grown we have also been using the velcro style called the SwaddleMe Organic and these make my mama heart so happy! These are what I believe to be the main reason we get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep lately! We have a little routine of bath, lotion massage, warm bottle with a little nighttime gripe water (see next item on list) with probiotics and pjs with a swaddle then bedtime! She is out by 9:30 and up between 5-5:30! MIRACLE I tell ya!

6. Drool Scarf Bibs: These save me from having to change her clothes 10 times a day! They keep her from getting drenched in milk that leaks or dribbles while she's drinking her bottles. (Maybe its just my kid but formula is messy!) They are and soft and stay on and in place too!

7. Pacifier Clips or Nookums Pacifier Holders: Within the first week of mom life I learned that unless attached to something bright or big, pacifiers go missing left and right and this can lead to a crisis! Behold the power of the paci clip or Nookums! The pacifier clips attach right to baby so when they spit it out it doesn't go anywhere. Nookums are like the popular Wubbanub where its an animal (many choices on Amazon) so you cant lose it (but make sure your real dog doesn't carry it off LOL). I prefer the Nookum over Wubbanub because you can remove the pacifier part to wash the animal and sanitize the pacifier separately unlike the Wubbanub which never comes apart. You can also use any type pacifier that fits in the holder not just soothe brand (although thats what we use anyway).

8. Haakaa Breast Pump with Stand and Lid: During my short breastfeeding journey this thing was GOLD! It doesn't really pump, but it collects the liquid gold from your breast on the side baby is't nursing on that would normally leak while the baby is latched to the other side. You can then save it in fridge or freezer for a bottle later! It is basically a suction so be careful because I cried over spilled milk a few times! Actually thats why I recommend the lid and stand so you avoid spilling your prized boobie juice! Voila! (I used it more than my double electric pump to be honest!)

9. Bottle Brush with Tools for the Little Crevices: Now that I am formula feeding this comes in super handy! It helps get all the nasty film from the fat, built up powder that didn't dissolve all the way and everything in the little pieces of each part of the bottles. I use Dr Browns and Tommie Tippie Bottles and they are both Anti-Colic and have lots of little pieces and they are small and hard to clean by hand. (I do use the dishwasher a lot too though! (Get a dishwasher basket for baby things as well if you do go dishwasher route!)

10. (Last, but definitely not least) GRIPE WATER!!!! - This stuff is literally a game changer! They make an original version and nighttime version. They are all herbal supplements for tummy related troubles and they calm and relax super quickly too! The only difference in the two versions is the nighttime one has a couple additional herbal supplements in it that the daytime one lacks but both work great! I love this brand and use them for most products so far "Mommy's Bliss" and their Gripe Water has been the only one of a few we tried that works for us so far. You can give it with the included dropper or put in with a bottle. I usually put it in her bottle. Lately, I do a dose of the nighttime one at night in her last bottle with her few drops of probiotics and helps get her settled for bed. I don't know if this helps her stay asleep longer as well but she is doing great lately and most nights sleeps 8 hours then bottle/diaper and sleeps a few more hours!

EXTRA EXTRA -Read all about it! (A Few Extra Things That Work For Us)

1. She loves her crib monitor we use over the bassinet because it has lights, sounds, and even a ceiling show which we turn on at night and she watches it until she falls asleep and it goes off automatically. Her particular one is a space theme with astronauts and space ships and planets. We usually play the ocean wave sound and a red light (they say thats one color they know first). 2. We wind down at the end of the day with a little Disney+ lately. Some people don't do screen time and we respect that, but for us she loves loves loves watching things and gets excited so we don't do it for too long and we do some toddler educational shows don't just relive Disney movies and cartoons from our childhood with her LOL. Singing songs and playing music is also fun with her! 3. We usually heat her bottle with the bottle warmer when she is super fussy and her last bottle at night to help her relax and feel comfort. Most bottles during the day I use room temp water, but occasionally I warm it and she seems to love it!

I hope this was informational and helpful. Remember what works for some parents or babies may not work for others, but I wanted to share part of our experience so far. A lot of these things I learned from other parents as well! I have learning that some of parenting is being educated from others and part of it is learning by experience and teaching yourself as you go!

-With Love,

Alana