A year has passed, and we now have a toddler! There was so much preparation that went into Jack’s arrival that I chatted up my mama friends nearly every day asking, “What do I need?” I headed over to Babylist to get started. Keep in mind this is a working list, as I’m sure I’ll continue to add as we grow. Those newborn stages have quickly passed, and I am totally missing fresh wrinkles and coos, but I’m still thankful for many of those key items.
Before I breakdown the registry favorites, I want to emphasize that Babylist is awesome! The registry site allows you to register for items from multiple stores, including Amazon, Target, BuyBuyBaby etc., and links you directly to that site for purchase. Creating your baby registry is quick and easy, and having an aggregate shopping tool keeping all items in one place just made sense for us. Also, you’ll love the sweet “Welcome Kit” that comes with a bunch of goodies you’ll use early on. Babylist also gives you real candid item reviews from mom’s and dad’s. Here are some of our favorites and are sleep-savers too…You’ll need all the sleep you can get!
The Boppy
We used this for months as a safe place for Jack to have some daytime lounging (with us next to him). This was so helpful for feedings and propping him up. I found it easy to clean after spit-ups or spills by just tossing it in the wash (no agitator). It held up its shape with multiple washes and was fine after the dryer too. There is no removable cloth, as it is just one piece, kind of like a pillow with a sewn on pillow-case.
The babybrezza
The brezza is kind of a luxury item, but totally splurge-worthy. Retails for about $199 and sometimes you can snag a code from their site. I was breastfeeding and also supplementing. I wasn’t producing enough breast milk, and with going back to work full time after a few months of maternity leave, this worked wonders for us. The 2 a.m. feeds seemed less daunting when you could hit a button and voila, perfectly mixed WARM formula was done in seconds. Only downside was how often it needed to be cleaned. It has a few parts, that if not cleaned properly, can possibly grow bacteria/mold, but you can get 4-5 bottles before a cleaning is required. It’s like a Keurig for formula!
The Graco Sense2Soothe Swing with Cry Detection
This was a sooo helpful! This swing played the sweetest tunes, and anytime it detected crying it gently rocked him back to snoozeville. It has 8 soothing motions with 3 swing speeds, and 15 songs and sounds. Jack grew out of this pretty quickly since he is a longer chunkier babe, but we got 4 months of use from this swing.
Bovina Glider and Recliner
We live in Brooklyn, and space comes at a premium. This chair took me months to find because it squeezed perfectly into a small nook. I searched all over for something that glided and reclined, but everything was too big for our space. This comes in a few different neutrals (we did the light gray), it’s functional, and won’t break the bank.
The Baby Einstein Play Gym Nautical Friends Mat
We used this daily for hours. Jack practiced so much tummy time here and used the whale prop pillow when working on head lifts . There are different ocean sounds, hanging teethers, a mirror and flash cards. There’s also a detachable starfish that plays classical melodies. Jack still loves the tunes and brings the starfish everywhere…such a good stroller toy too! The mat is machine washable and we use it when we travel for him to have a clean play-space on the floor.
The Nest
There are a few really good cameras on the market, and we have a couple of them, but the Nest is great if you want a view of the entire room. The 130° angle in 1080p is awesome and without any camera fuzz. All accessible on your phones connected via wi-fi. You even receive activity alerts when you’re not in the room or at home. If you’re not keen on Wi-Fi cameras in the nursery, we also use the infantoptics camera. It’s perfect for close-up over the crib and tells us the room temp. We like both options, but we do have a part-time nanny, so the Nest helps us look around the house at all times.
Swaddles
I was NOT a good swaddler. I was terrified of folding to tight or having it not be tight enough. We also had the SNOO (which should be a whole other blog post), and that came with swaddles. For the moments he was not in the SNOO we used SwaddleMe velcro swaddles. They are super soft and the velcro allows you to gauge if it’s too tight or loose.
Comotomo
This was the easiest transition bottle for Jack when I went back to the office because it feels like a boob! These are so easy to clean with limited additional parts. The air vent design also aides in digestion to avoid any extra gas. You’ll want the deluxe box that has a variety of sizes.
Tubby Todd
We learned about TT after Jack arrived. He had major skin issues and we applied everything you could think of. We started using the creams and washes with a recommendation from a friend, and watched his cradle cap clear up in just few hours. You can also gift it to yourself for those post-partum itchies around the belly. It worked wonders for me, and kept Jack’s soft baby skin in tact.
Books
We opted out of receiving cards for the shower and asked guests to bring a book. Everyone left a sweet note in the jacket or opening page. It’s always fun during story time to start off remembering a loved one who thought of us that day.
Blooming Baby Bath
We loved this thing! The plastic tubs for sinks or small spaces just scared me. I was too worried about having a slippery infant in a body of water on a plastic surface. This is a soft cloth bath mat in the shape of a lotus flower. It fits fully into most sinks so each side of the sink is covered, and you can gently place the baby without worrying about slipping. It is cloth … so each time you will have to squeeze the heck out of it and drain it. We tossed ours in the dryer after each use just to avoid mold or any smells.
UppaBaby Vista
It took me a while to digest spending nearly $900 for a stroller or having someone gift this to us, but it was worth it. We’re urbanite’s and I don’t think a lot of other strollers could withstand the terrain we take this thing on, and the undercarriage basket is HUGE which is major for us. This is the larger stroller of the product line so if you decide on a second little human in the near future, the adapters attach to the bassinet and/or additional rumble seat. You could also attach the Nuna Pipa lite with the adapter and some other car seats as well. Another highlight was the ease of use taking Jack in and out of the car as the car seat pops right into the stroller…we have the Mesa, part of the UppaBaby line. He’s moved on to the rumble/toddler seat and has so much room to grow. So, this does have a long-life span, and you will use it for the next kiddo in line.
BabyZen YOYO+
Another pricier stroller but soooo worth it! We travel a lot. This has to be the most compact one on the market that is wearable! Yes, wearable. There’s a strap that you can put over your shoulder (like a purse) or carry it like a backpack with the travel bag. It fits into most overhead compartments for air travel and is super light. It is compatible with infant car seats, but adapter’s are required. It has multi-position seat recline for nap time and decent sized storage basket considering the size of the stroller. We love it!
Nursing Cover
Milk Snob covers come in adorable prints and are multi-functional. I was sensitive about breastfeeding in public and wanted something that had coverage but was breathable. You can actually slip it over your head for both baby and mom coverage. The material is really soft and stretchy, and can be used as a car seat canopy or blanket.
Ok, Mom’s this is the part where you put a little something for you on the list!
Belly Bandit
I had no idea what to expect from postpartum recovery, but I am so happy I bought this. I did not have a c-section but really needed the extra support in my tummy region. My skin just felt stretched along with rest of my tired body. I wore this almost every day for about 4 weeks, and felt tucked in nicely. It also helped my posture depending on how tight I made it. There are cheaper options out there on Amazon that I’ve tried with latches and it was an exercise getting them on… not for me. The belly bandit works.
Nursing Robe
The one I’m wearing is from Milkmaid Goods, it looks like they discontinued the bee print, but there are so many options on Amazon that are super soft. You’ll want to have the softest items on for baby and mom snuggles, especially if breastfeeding.
Nursing Bra
The Kindred bra line has to be my favorite. They have tanks that are also breastfeeding friendly. Their organic cotton options are buttery soft and breathable. I love that they don’t have underwire and are pull-aside adjustable, making feeding time much easier.
I hope this was helpful!
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