Below I am going to list the items that I received with Ethan, or items that I have bought, that I absolutely love. As I have said before though, we are all different and so are our babies so just because Ethan and I loved these products doesn't mean it will work for you and your baby. Take a look at the list and if you find some or all of it helpful, great! If not it may just guide you to another product that does work for you, which is also awesome.
Jeff and I had decided that neither one of us felt comfortable co-sleeping with the baby, we're both really heavy sleepers and I have rolled over our cat and our dog numerous times while sleeping with them. This bassinet allowed a great alternative though, we were able to attach it to the bed with the wall down so that the baby was arms reach away but in his own space. I absolutely loved using the co-sleeper, and it was very handy during all of those late night nursing sessions.
These muslin receiving blankets are part of my top 5 favorite gifts I received. You may look at the price and think, wow that's a lot for a blanket, but I had 6 of these and they were the only receiving blankets I needed and used. They're light weight, large, come in gorgeous prints, and are very sturdy. I had a summer baby so the muslin was perfect for swaddling during those hot summer nights.
This handy little device does exactly what it sounds like, it sucks snot out of your babies nose (the picture on the box is a great depiction). I know it sounds gross but something I had never thought about before having a baby is that when babies get sick they don't know how to blow their noses. I'm sure you've seen those snotsuckers that look like a green ball, but I tried using that and I realized that there is no way to clean it (so the snot just accumulates in the ball), and they're not very powerful. The snot sucker is really strong and you can take it apart and wash it after each use.
I always joke that they sprinkle crack on Sophie because I have no idea what it is about this giraffe but babies absolutely love her. At first I thought she was overpriced but at one point we were on vacation and realized we had forgotten Sophie and I was ready to go to the store and buy another one, that's how crucial she was to keeping Ethan satisfied. As soon as he was able to grasp toys this was the first one we introduced to him. He's used her so much that almost all of her spots are gone!
When I first registered I registered for the SwaddleMe wraps. They worked when Ethan was a newborn but by the time he was 2 weeks he would break out of them, and then his nap time would be completely thrown off. I found the miracle blanket and figured it was worth a try. It's really snug and he was never able to break out of it, after a few weeks when I'd go to put it on him he'd even smile. I found this to be the best swaddling option for us.
- Babywearing Carrier
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| This is the Kinderpack, my favorite Soft Structure Carrier. |
As I'm sure you've realized from my Babywearing posts (Ring Sling, Soft Structure Carrier, and Wrap Conversion Mei Tai) I'm a big fan of babywearing. There are so many options out there that it's hard for me to pick a favorite. If you're registering at Babies 'R' Us or Target I recommend you register for the Ergo and Infant Insert. Although I don't love the Ergo I've talked to a lot of moms that absolutely love it. If you are doing one of those registries where you can pick from any store on the web though I recommend you visit http://www.hipmommy.com/. It's owned by a local Ventura County mom who's a certified babywearing expert, and she's amazing. All of her products are top of the line and she is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful (she's the one that's taught me about babywearing). I also recommend visiting https://mykinderpack.com/ the makers of the soft structure carrier pictured above. This is definitely my go to carrier and anyone who's ever tried mine is always sold because of how comfortable it is not just for baby but for the wearer also.
- Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper bag
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| This is the Downtown Tote, my newest purchase and ultimate obsession. PPB has so many styles to choose from though, you're sure to find something that fits your style and needs. |
If you would have asked me before I had a baby, I would have said that I would never buy a designer diaper bag, that it was ridiculous, and a waste of money. So when I registered, I registered for whatever brand they had at Target. Three months into using it it started to fall apart. For my birthday my brother gave me a Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag (his girlfriend was the one that told him about it). The quality of my Target bag to that of the Petunia Pickle Bottom bag was so noticeable I couldn't believe I had ever thought it wouldn't make a difference to buy a cheap bag over something of higher price. What's even cooler is that Petunia Pickle Bottom is a local company. It is located in Ventura, California (just half an hour from where I live). For moms not in my area you can either buy from their online store: http://www.petunia.com/ or search to see if any stores near you carry the bag.
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We have a Dutailier glider and although I like
that it reclines a few months into using it it started
to squeak. Bottom line, it's very comfortable,
but it squeaks.
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I had a few friends opt for a rocking chair or a regular chair in their nurseries because gliders are so expensive. After sitting in mine they always end up telling me it would have been worth the money. I love how comfortable the gliders are, especially when nursing. Jeff and I have also spent many hours rocking a teething, sick, or upset baby in our glider. FYI, all the research I have done on gliders says that you get what you pay for. So if you buy an inexpensive glider you're probably going to get a low quality glider.
I won't say too much on the pump, you can read all about my pumping experiences through my Pumping Journey Part 1, but I found the Medela Pump in Style to be a great option for a busy working mom, and I used it for an entire year without any problems (I did have to replace the hose and valves once but that is to be expected). I also know of a few friends whose insurance covered the purchase of their Medela pump so make sure to check with your insurance before purchasing.
*No goods,services, or payment was rendered for my recommendations. These are all products that I purchased or received at my baby-shower from friends and family. They are products that I have found to be of great quality.
If you will be pumping and warming your breastmilk the AVENT bottle warmer is a great option. Breast milk cannot be warmed in the microwave or directly over the stove. I found this bottle warmer easy to use and very reliable. It is also a bit larger than some of the other ones and fits the Tommee Tippee bottles great (not all bottle warmers are large enough to accommodate the Tommee Tippee bottles).
I know this post is super long already but for any mom's that need help finding some extra things to put on their registry I'll list things I had, or wish I had registered for that were really useful without commentary.
- Temporal Thermometer
- Video Baby Monitor
- B.O.B stroller (with infant car seat adapter), or at least some brand of jogging stroller. We bought 3 different types of strollers and they were all really bulky and hard to maneuver. The B.O.B is the only one that's withstood the test of time and I really wish it would have been the only one we would have purchased. They're also a dime a dozen on Craigslist so don't even bother buying one in store (we got ours for $90 on Craigslist!)
- Nursing Cover
- Cool Mist Humidifier
*No goods,services, or payment was rendered for my recommendations. These are all products that I purchased or received at my baby-shower from friends and family. They are products that I have found to be of great quality.
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