Looking back at my own baby registry I included so many of the “typical” new baby items that ended up being epic failures – a swing (my child hated), a nursery chair (that wasn’t comfortable for nursing), a wipe warmer system (still in its box four years later).
I started to think about what I actually used in those first few months with my children. I thought about what products actually helped my child and supported our family. If I had to make my newborn registry again – what would I include to help new families?
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First, sound machines! The Conair Sound Therapy Machine with the essential “white noise” setting. Nothing helped my baby sleep like white noise and this machine was a permanent fixture in her bedroom.
The next level of sound machines is the rechargeable and totally portable white noise machine from Dreamegg. This little guy is amazing – clips to the car seat, stroller, or just next to the crib when napping away from home. It also has a little night light which was a lifesaver to my family on one memorable trip when we forgot my toddler’s night light at home. The Dreamegg is on Amazon but worth its weight in gold.
All new parents know how essential sleep is in the first few weeks. For those of us who never mastered the perfect hospital swaddle, I found that the Happiest Baby 5 Second Swaddle was the perfect swaddle for my child. This swaddle has soft velcro and a zipper to keep your little one snug and comfortable for deep sleep. It really works in 5 seconds! Happiest Baby is the creator of the infamous SNOO bassinet but for those who don’t want to pay the SNOO price tag the 5 Second Swaddle has so many of the same benefits.
Make sure to prepare your baby’s nursery with blackout curtains. I cringe looking back at pictures of my daughter going down for a nap in a sunny room – no wonder she never slept! Babies like to nap in the dark and once I figured that out my daughter slept much better. I highly recommend floor to ceiling black out panels like these. Over 13,000 five star reviews can’t be wrong!
“Always have a place to put the baby down!” I heard this sage advice from countless parents when I was pregnant. And guess what? They were right. A classic registry will probably have a Dock-A-Tot, a Mama-Roo, and maybe even a baby bouncer. All good things to include! But what I found most helpful was putting a Pack n’ Play in my kitchen. This is mine – it has an infant setting and converts to a toddler play yard. Plus, it has wheels on two sides so it can be moved around the house. The Pack n’ Play was so helpful when I needed to put the baby down and when she got big enough to remove the infant setting it was even more helpful as a safe place to put her when I had to do things like cook, answer a phone call, or even go to the bathroom in peace.
Here’s a “mom” secret passed down in my family about newborn toys – the toys are not for the baby – the toys are for you. Your newborn isn’t going to hold a rattle on day one or snuggle up with a precious lovie. But you will definitely need a noisy rattle to put on a show and distract your baby from crying. And you’ll very soon find yourself putting on a puppet show for a newborn as a perfect distraction and a way to entertain yourselves. I personally used these noisy rattles with both my kids and thought they were high quality and had a variety of wonderfully distracting sounds.
Lastly, I want to recommend the products that are crucial to the less glamorous side of parenting. When your kid is sick or constipated you’ll do anything to help them feel relief and being prepared with the Snot Sucker and the Windy will save you so much time and headaches later on. Is it gross? Yes. Is it worth it to help your baby? Of course. Add these now and save the stress later.
Let us know what you wish you had added to your original baby registry in the comments!