10 Items every Parent Needs on their Baby Registry

Being a new parent can be scary/ overwhelming in the beginning. Even though I was a second time mom with my daughter, I hadn't had a baby in 10 years. Below I have listed the top 10 baby items that have come in handy in the last 4 months. If these are not on your registry, you need to add them today...now...what are you waiting for!

1. LoveNest Head Pillow- I cannot STRESS how much you need this on your registry. The LoveNest pillow is designed to help keep your babies head from becoming flat. The way the pillow is designed is that it has a hole in the middle of the pillow where your babies head lies. I used this in the Rock and Play with my daughter and it has made a difference. Her pediatrician is always commenting on how round her head is.

2.Avent  Bottle Warmer- This bottle warmer is easy to operate and has bottles warm within 3 minutes. The best thing about it, is that you can put different size bottles in to warm them up. There is an orange light that appears to let you know it is on and operating, which is nice when you get up in the middle of the night for feedings.

3.  Avent Bottle Sterilizer- This was new to me. When I had my son I did not have a bottle sterilizer. Now that we have one we use it daily. I love that I know my daughters bottles are getting clean and don't have any germs on them. This is very easy to use. You load it up with the bottles and pieces, pour 7 oz ( not sure why it's 7 oz exactly), and pop it in the microwave for 4 minutes. Easy Peasy. Pull it out and you are left with sterilized bottles and parts. We also add pacifiers in a load from time to time.

 

Wearing her yesterday.

4. Bjorn- The Bjorn is a little pricey, but so worth it. I knew that I wanted a carrier for my daughter just wasn't sure what type. I knew it had to be easy to get her in and out, and one that she could grow into. The Bjorn met all of those requirements. I was able to carry her around when she was a few days old and now she is able to face outwards. The only thing that I dislike about it, was when she was younger and the clasps at the top didn't fold the right way so they were always jabbing her in the face. We could never figure out how to fix it. The Bjorn fits nicely, and it lets you decide how tight you want the carrier to be. The criss-cross on the back takes a lot of pressure off of your back. Put this on your registry now!

5. Aquaphor Diaper Rash Cream- Forget all of the other diaper rash creams and only register for this one. This cream is magic. You only have to apply it once and the rash clears up. My daughter doesn't get a lot of diaper rashes, but when she does I apply this cream and the next time I change her diaper the rash has already cleared up. This cream came highly recommend by a family member, and now we recommend it to anyone having a baby or has one.

6. Bright Starts Floor Mat- My daughter hates tummy time with a passion. I mean as soon as she see's me putting her down towards the floor she starts crying. It was difficult for me because I knew she needed that tummy time to help with her upper strength. We tried different ways of tummy time, from laying on my chest to laying on my legs, nothing was working. I finally saw another mom recommend this type of mat with the pillow. I went out and purchased this Teddy Bear one and it was a hit from the first time she tried it. The pillow helps a lot with supporting her upper body and she loves tummy time now. The mat comes with 3 different toys, and the pillow. If you find that your baby is struggling with tummy time I highly recommend a mat like this one.

7. SkipHop Bottle Carrier- This bottle carrier wasn;t originally on my baby registry, but I quickly went out and purchased one once my daughter was here. I did some research and found that the SkipHop brand was the best one to suit my needs. The bag can carry four small 4 oz bottles or two 8 oz bottles. The carrier comes with a ice pack that fits easily into the side pocket. I usually also put a second ice pack on top of the bottles. This bag keeps the milk/formula nice and cool. There have been times where we run out for the day and I come back home and pull the bottles out, the formula is still cool. This bag is perfect to attach to your Diaper Bag, and doesn't take up a lot of space.

8. Backpack Diaper Bag- The backpack diaper bag was another item that wasn't on my list. When I had my son I used a diaper bag. I quickly found out with my daughter how uncomfortable and space consuming a diaper bag was. My brother had a backpack and I hadn't even seen them in the stores. I asked him how he liked it and he said it was easy to carry and had lot's of compartments for everything. I went out the next day and bought myself a diaper bag. I can honestly say it was a great decision. Not only are my hands free, but it can also fit everything I need and still have room left over. Things aren't pouring out of the sides and I love that there is a compartment for everything.

9. Pee Pads-  You need to register for 10 of these! They usually come in packs of three and are affordable. I registered for them thinking that they would go under the Changing Table Mattress cover. Well after 2 pee's on the cute cover, the pee pads went on top. We have layered them, so if there is an accident or whenever we throw one in the dirty clothes, we simply peel it away and the next one is right under it. These are easy to clean, and don't let liquid seep through.

10. Red Cross Nail Clippers- These were included in the Red Cross Baby Safety kit ( which I recommend registering for as well). They have come in handy now that my daughter's nails are growing longer and faster. What I like about these nail clippers is they have a lip, therefore helping you not go too far down on their finger an hurting them. The lip on them also makes it easy to line up the nail with the clipper. They make clipping m daughter's nails a breeze, and we are able to clip them quickly.