BABY REGISTRY CHECKLIST – WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED?

Making a baby registry starting out as a first time mom can be overwhelming….it’s FUN….but your overwhelmed on how to get it started, where to start it, what to add…..the list goes on and on. So allow me to share with you some great tips and advice on how to help you make your baby registry a breeze.

At the end of each section (Nursery, Gear, etc) I have made a Budget section that gives you tips on what you can get for cheap and then later buy…for example. A crib is what your baby will eventually sleep in but starting out get an inexpensive co-sleeper…instead of buying the crib AND co-sleeper. This budget section are for parents who are on a strict budget and hardly have any family that can help.

If your planning on more kids (God-willing) I recommend getting all the big things that you use in neutral gender colors. Cribs, cribs sheets, blankets, bassinets, swings, etc.

Baby consignment shops will be your best friend. Look through these shops all throughout your pregnancy and when you find something you have on your registry, buy it and subtract that item from your registry.

Crib + Mattress – I love the vintage look of this crib.

Bassinet or co-sleeper – This is our favorite co-sleeper, great for traveling as well!

Crib Sheet (2) – Save money and do not get the bumpers or crib bedding sets. Bumpers are now hazardous for your baby. A crib sheet is the only bedding you need, along with a snuggly blanket.

Plush Blanket (2) – I picked up a couple at our local chiders consignment shop. This one is also a great choice.

Breathable Swaddle Blanket (4)- We love these!

Swaddle infant wraps (2-3) – Must have for a great night sleep.

Hamper + Storage Bins (3-6) – We got a cheap hamper at Walmart and storage bins from Ikea. But I just had to get these additional cute animal bins and hampers from Amazon.

Changing table or dresser with changing pad – My goal was to find an old vintage dresser but the only one I loved and that was in our budget was not long so I ended finding a cute vintage jenny lind changing table (painted white and sanded down for a vintage look) at our local consignment shop. I recommend this 4 sided changing pad, after changing thousands of diapers this one prevents their head from sliding off….trust me it will happen.

Changing Pad Cover (2) – We used these to save ourself from changing multiple changing covers. There also great for cribs and co-sleepers, where the head is (throw up) for newborns.

Budget

Check out my post on newborn baby gear you NEED for the first few months.
I recommend that you get the co-sleeper and do without the crib until around 4-6 months.
If you can sew or know any friends who can sew ask them to make your crib sheets, changing pad covers, and blankets. Or ask me!
Only buy the swaddle blankets instead of infant swaddle wraps. Make your swaddle blanket tight all you want but your little one will get out of it so thats why you need an infant wrap BUT….. a TIP…..if you only have swaddle blankets, use a flannel baby receiving blanket and fold it the long way to match the length of your babies arms, put it under your baby and wrap the ends of the flannel blanket over the arms and under the back, then swaddle your baby with the swaddle blanket (I had to do this with my first when I didn’t have a SwaddleMe blanket and it worked JUST as well). Trust me I looked at all the videos on how to swaddle a baby but she would come out every time until I tried adding a flannel blanket.
Only get what you need in the beginning stages and gradually as he/she gets older buy what they need.
Check your local consignment shop every week!

Stroller – I brought our stroller on Ebay for $300 and its usually $1200! We use our baby carrier more then the stroller, especially for the first 6 months.

Infant car seat – One thing I learned from my first was what the heck was the use of getting the infant car seat if she would grow out of it in 4-6 months and then I would need to buy another $200 seat! INSANE! Get this infant/toddler convertible car seat for babies 9-40 pounds.

Travel crib aka pack ‘n’ play – Use your co-sleeper if it’s easy for transport! Or get this one!

Jumper – We LOVE this one. I did a video review here.

Grabbing/teething toy – Your little one will start to grab, and it should be something that they can easily hold on to with those little hands. Go with this soft and scrunchy toy! And later go with this popular giraffe.

Diaper bag – The mother who child I nannied for had this one and I LOVED it! Enough space for all the baby needs…even when you have a second one, this bag will never get full.

Baby carrier – This baby carrier is PERFECT if you have a Infant/Toddler Convertible Car Seat. I love that I can have MORE closeness with her when I’m running errands instead of having her in the infant car seat.

Baby swing – A cheap fisher price swing will do but we love this Mamaroo swing!

Budget

But what about a bouncer?! Isn’t completely necessary. If your co-sleeper or swing doesn’t allow your baby to sit up (a slight incline) then maybe get a bouncer.
Tummy time mat? No way..just use a regular blanket or a bay blanket and place on a soft surface…theres your tummy time!
You can save up for a stroller and use a baby carrier instead.
Buy your swing and use it as a co-sleeper (just don’t leave it on as they sleep) instead of buying a co-sleeper.
No swing at all…your baby will be totally fine!
You do not need a thousand baby toys, two on your registry that you would really want and I guarantee you will get over 10 toys and books regardless if you put them on your registry or not.
Only get what you need in the beginning stages and gradually as he/she gets older buy what they need.
Buy the jumper when your baby is about 4 months.
Check your local consignment shop every week!

Bottles (3) – If your baby is breastfed (formula as well) I highly recommend these bottles. We’ve tried over 7 different bottles and this is the only one she would take. Check out the video review here.

Bottle drying rack – We love this bottle rack. It’s also included in my post of baby gear that you need for 3-6 months.

Bottle sterilizer – Perfect bottle warmer for sanitizing toys, pack’s, etc.

Bottle warmer – If your breastfeeding, this bottle warmer is a great safe way to correctly heat your breastmilk. Check out the video review here.

Pacifier (6) – I recommend not giving this to your baby for the first 3 months, especially if your breast-feeding. I believe these pacifier’s are the best one’s on the market.

Breast pump – Best pump ever! Even me being a stay at home mom I still use it many times. Talk with your insurance company, most of the time they will pay for it.

Nursing pillow – This is the ONLY pillow you will need to breastfeed your baby. Yes, I’ve had the boring Boppy…it is great for baby to lay or sit, but thats about it. The Boppy slides from underneath of you and your usually slouching down for your breast to reach your baby’s mouth with the Boppy. This Brest Friend not only stays securely in place with the strap but also helps you maintain great posture, which is great if your having back problems (I did during and after pregnancy). Prevents sore nipples which is a plus because it has a firm, flat cushion which keeps baby from rolling away and close…no one wants there nipple tugged far away, the baby should have a deep latch and not just sucking on the nipple.

Baby toothbrush – We brush our teeth after we eat so babies should too! Brush those baby gums with this cute baby toothbrush!

Nursing bra, tops, pads +cover – I love any sports bra type nursing bra…so comfortable. Make sure none of your nursing bra’s contains metal. I made my own nursing cover and pads and used regular cami tops that had a lot of stretch to pull down.

Formula – Not very skilled in this area. Breastmilk is cheap, easy and best for baby and me.

Baby bowls + spoons – These baby bowls with lids makes it easy to fill yourself the right proportions and take it on the go to daycare or leave it with your nanny. When I nannied for twins I thought these were the perfect spoons!

Solid Food Bibs – Gotta have bibs for those messes! We like to make sure theres a soft bib underneath and then pop these soft bibs right over them.

Burp cloths (6-10) – I got some of these at our local consignment shop and I added a cute print to them. Very absorbent! But our all time favorite burp cloths are Burpy Bib’s, they can get expensive so I made my own.

High chair – We didn’t get ours until she started eating. We got this cheap one from Ikea that gets the job done..but later down the road maybe we’ll get this extravagant one.

Budget

Buy some Kam snaps and pliers and turn your sports bras into nursing bras. I had to this in our desperate times!
Check eBay for gently used items. Zulily is also a great site for new discounted items!
Instead of a bottle rack, use your own rack if you have one.
Get this medela pump for a lot cheaper and works just as well as the higher priced ones. Only difference is that it doesn’t come with a tote bag..but you can surely put it in one and call it your breast pump bag!
Only get what you need in the beginning stages and gradually as he/she gets older buy what they need.
Did I mention to check your local consignment shop every week 😀

Infant tub – Our baby loved this tub along with a sponge for extra softness.

Hooded towels (2) – These are great.

Washcloths (4-6) – I make my own but love the softness of these.

Baby shampoo and body wash – I cannot get over the sweet smell of this Aveeno body wash.

Baby lotion – We love the smell of this lavender lotion right before bed.

Budget

Ask any friends our family that can sew to make your wash cloths and towels
Use your own towels
Instead of buying an infant tub, wash your baby in your arms and then pass your little one to your husband to finish getting his/her pjs on. Even with a tub I love doing this! Great for daddy time too.
Check your local consignment shop every week.

Diapers – Before cloth diapering I loved Pampers more then any other brand. I use cloth diapers and love it WAY MORE then disposables. Check my post on Cloth Diapering 101 for Beginners and Must Need Items for Cloth Diapering Success.

Wipes – Again, I would go with Pampers wipes. I’ve switched to cloth wipes to save even more money. Check my post on How to Make Cloth Wipes which also includes a cloth wipe solution.

Diaper rash cream – Hands down best diaper rash cream and for cloth diapering I use this one.

Diaper pail + liners – When I was a nanny I loved this one. For cloth diapers I would go with this one along with this Reusable Diaper Pail Linear.

Budget

HIGHLY RECOMMEND doing cloth diapers along with cloth wipes. You’ll save over $2000 a year, even all the washes alone doesn’t compare to how much you’ll be paying for disposals.
Check your local consignment shop every week. I’ve got some great cloth diapers at our local consignment shop!
Have a Daddy Shower Diaper Party! Each guest will bring a box of diapers. I did this with our first child and they lasted us till she was 4 months!
Ask any friends our family who can sew to make you cloth diapers and cloth wipes (you can make these on your on without a sewing machine). I show a tutorial here on how to make your own hybrid fitted diapers one size fits all.

Baby monitor – We love this one!

Humidifier – This Humidifier works great for us. After having a crappy cheap one that got moldy 24/7 we switched to this one thats less maintenance.

White noise machine – Buy this one or use your iPhone and buy a white noise app.

Healthcare kit – This one has everything you need.

Baby-safe laundry detergent – I make my own laundry detergent but this one will do just fine.

Budget

Wait to get the baby monitor until your baby is in a separate room which should be about 4 months.
Check your local consignment shop every week!
Use your iPhone for white noise. Buy a cheap app or a free one.
Make your own laundry detergent, it is a loooooot cheaper and will last a looooooong time.

Onesies (6-8) – When I nannied I loved these onesies, they grow with your baby!

Sleeping gowns (5-6) – These awesome sleeping gowns are perfect for quick diaper changes.

Pants (5-6) – I like the ones without the foot closure…just in case God blesses you with a tall or short child 🙂

Socks or booties (4-6) – These different color socks are perfect!.

Hats (2-3) – Keep their little head warm with these adorable hats.

Mitts (2-3) – Can’t have your baby scratching their face, these are a must.

Budget

I would recommend going to your local consignment shop to buy your baby’s clothes.
Use socks instead of mitts on your babies hands.
I would not bother putting any clothes on your registry! Say whaaaaaaat!? Believe me, you will get plenty of clothes whether you have them on your registry or not. People buy more clothes then the necessary items that you really need.
Have any friends or family that can sew? Ask them to make some baby clothes!

Thats it! Thats all you need! If you want to save even more money, invest in a sewing machine. Pick your own cute fabrics and find some patterns on Pinterest. Now have fun with your baby registry, it’s one of my favorite parts of being pregnant :D!

Questions? Ask away!

Don’t forget to check out BABY REGISTRY 101 – TIPS AND ADVICE FOR FIRST TIME MOTHERS.