Now that I have shared my brief list of things that you DO
NOT need to register for, let me share my list of BASIC things you DO
need.
1. Swing: If this is not on your registry, put one on
immediately. We used our swing daily
until Kendall was seven months old. The
only reason we stopped using it was because it was in the place where we needed
to put our Christmas tree. It was our
saving grace and she loved being in there.
Admittedly, she spent a couple of nights it there during that first week
home when she would not sleep for anything.
We used the Fisher-Price My Little Lamb Cradle 'n Swing.
2. Boppy: For those of you that plan to breastfeed, this is
an absolute must! However, the boppy is
much more than just a prop for feeding.
It was also helpful to sit Kendall up, prop her on the sofa with me, and
later practice tummy time. I will never
forget watching her as she learned to push herself up and over the boppy while
on her tummy. She thought it was the
best! Our Boppy.
3. Bassinet: The
first four months of Kendall’s life she spent every night right next to me and
I loved it! I would probably still have
her right next to me if she had not grown out of her bassinet. Alas, she did. Yet I cannot say enough good things about
having her in a bassinet. It allowed me
to check on her through the night, gave her the comfort of having mommy right
near her, and helped to teach her how to sleep flat. Some friends have said that the transition
from the Rock and Play to a crib was difficult because of the sudden shift to
sleeping flat. I cannot speak to that,
but I will say that once Kendall got over the change of scenery moving from our
bedroom to her own, she did just fine. We
used the Simmons Gliding Soothe Bassinet
4. Wipe Warmer: Before registering I too had read lots of
lists regarding what to avoid and what to include. The wipe warmer was typically on the “avoid”
list. So when I received it as a gift
from my brother-in-law I will admit that I was less than enthused. Did I really want to “spoil” my baby with
warm wipes? What would happen when we
were out and those warm wipes weren’t available? Surely, I wouldn’t use it. WRONG!
When Kendall came home from the hospital I did not have her wipe warmer
set up. Yet the first time Jonathan and
I were changing her I grabbed a bunch of wipes, gave them to him and told them
to hold them in his hands to warm them.
It was at that point that I realized I needed that wipe warmer. She never had an issue with diaper changes
and the wipes never dried out. Add it to
your list! We used the Prince Lionheart Wipes Warmer
5. Play Mat: Until your little one can sit up on their own
or scoot around, their play time is pretty stationary. Be sure to register for a good play mat for
them, something that will offer some different sights and sounds that will be
(somewhat) of interest. It also helps to
not only have things hanging overhead, but also lower, as you may be doing
tummy time on this same mat. Luckily,
our mat had some toys that hung at eye level when Kendall would pick her head
up. These are the same toys she first
learned to reach for as well. We had the
Fisher-Price Rainforest Melodies and Lights Deluxe Gym
All of those products are great, but these by far are my favorite!
1. The Miracle Blanket: If you have nothing else for your
child, please be sure to purchase one of these.
It is the greatest invention of all time! My mom had ordered me one of these months
before Kendall was born, yet for some odd reason I didn’t pull it out until she
was a few weeks old. What a
mistake! Jonathan and I agonized over
swaddling her in receiving blankets, fought to try to keep in wrapped tightly,
and struggled with a crying newborn.
However, once I remembered The Miracle Blanket, the fighting stop! It is a cinch to use, wraps the baby tightly,
and stays in place! We were able to use
it until she was about eighteen weeks.
And it wasn’t difficult to wean her from her swaddle, as you are able to
unswaddle one limb at a time for an easy transition. We bought ours here.
2. Blooming Bath: Bathing an infant is no easy task. They are slippery when they are all wet and
soapy, too tiny for a full-size tub, and are hard to maneuver when bathing them
in the sink. However, I found a product
that is AMAZING! The Blooming Bath was
perfect to use in our sink when Kendall was an itty bitty newborn. It fit well in the sink, allowed her to
recline comfortably, and Mommy to bathe her without worry. Once she was too big for the sink, we simply
moved her Blooming Bath over to our bathtub.
She was (and still is!) able to sit on it and not slip or slide around,
again allowing Mommy some stress-free bathing time. I am thrilled with this purchase as it is
something that we are still using, a full year later! I plan on buying these for a few friends who
are expecting and using them to hold other small gifts. There are a variety of colors, so choose your
favorite at http://www.bloomingbath.com/.
3. White Noise Machine: Your newborn is used to hearing all
sorts of sounds inside Mommy’s belly.
Food digesting, blood rushing through your veins, your heart beating…they
are all sounds of comfort. So it makes
sense to try to recreate these sounds to ensure that your baby feels safe and
secure. If you do not want to get a
specific white noise machine, there are many products out there that are
similar. Now I have been using a white noise machine since college (it helped drown out noises in the dorms), so Kendall listened to
that while she was still in our room.
Once she moved to her own room she listened to the Sleep Sheep. It has a few options for different noises,
but we like the sound of waves the best.
For those instances of incessant wailing and crying, we reached for our
smart phones, opened up YouTube, and played Baby Got Colic. I don’t know what it is, but the ambient
noises are miraculous when trying to console your devastated child. In any case, white noise is your friend!
I have many other products I am happy to give feedback on,
so feel free to ask in the comments section for other recommendations. In the next few posts I will be sharing my
favorite items for breastfeeding moms and suggestions for gift-giving, so stay tuned
for more baby products!
