While every family will need different items or find different brands to be most useful for their lifestyle, I wanted to share what we ended up registering for! While I’ve shared a bit of our baby registry through my pregnancy bumpdates, I wanted to dedicate a post for you as this has been one of my top questions pre and post baby.

Through my first trimester I spent a lot of time researching different products. With not being able to tell anyone we were expecting, I needed something to channel my excitement into 🙂 I personally am a researcher and I hate waste/clutter so I wanted to do my diligence in researching each product to know that I tried my hardest to source items that were high quality and of great use to us. Now that Baby is seventeen weeks old, we have certainly gotten our use out of many of the items we registered for.

When making our registry, I focused on two main areas of necessities – the foundational items that we will use with this baby and future children and then diapers/wipes because those will surely be a huge help! I avoided things like clothes and toys.

While we visited a BuyBuyBaby in store, but it wasn’t really worth it because they didn’t have many products there or brands I was interested in seeing. I also am not sure if it’s due to the pandemic, but the store was very messy and dirty. They have so many products online though and have been a go-to for us via their website!

Anyways, I highly suggest doing research online, reading blogs and watching YouTube videos!

If you are interested in what platform we used for our registry, Babylist was the best option for us because you can add items from any retailer to their site. So you can add items from Amazon, Pottery Barn Kids, Target and BuyBuyBaby all into one registry with one UI rather than having separate ones which makes the management for you and user experience for loved ones easier. It’s a lot like Zola that we used for our wedding registry.

Also you get a 15% off one time coupon after your baby shower commences which can be used on anything which is very rare (!!) for retailers.

Usually the Donna car seat stroller is excluded from sales by all retailers (including BuyBuyBaby) and never goes on sale by the brand, but that was able to be applied.

Okay let’s jump in…

Our Baby Registry

Car Seats: We decided on two car seats below.

At first we thought we’d go the daycare route and needed two car seats – one for pick up and one for drop off. After giving bringing baby home, we decided we wanted a nanny instead. He is so little and I want him under my roof. Eventually daycare will be great for socialization, but I want to wait until he is old enough to advocate for himself. Every family needs to do what is best for them!

While we now don’t really need two car seats, what we registered for ended up being perfect!

We have one car seat that is for infant use and the other that will convert from newborn until he needs a booster. We really like them both.

Nuna Rava Convertible Car Seat
This was the first item we placed on our registry because it is a convertible car seat that will grow with Baby S from infant through when he graduates to a booster seat. That’s like five years worth of use! We didn’t want to have money go towards two infant car seats that will ultimately both be replaced within a year, so we knew this convertible car seat would serve us well. My in laws got this for Babe and it was one of the first things we set up. It is also linked here.

I like that this car seat doesn’t use harsh chemicals. It also has ten positions for recline, extra ventilation to make sure he doesn’t get overheated, two cup holders that can be stowed away or in use when needed and provides extra leg room compared to other car seats.

Right now we mainly use the infant car seat below, but have used this convertible one a few times. It’s easy to use and we like it!

For now though, using an infant car seat is much easier because it can be carried in and out of the house. Not that we go many places with him in order to reduce his exposure to RSV, the flu and the virus, but we do drive around town to grab take out or run errands while one person stays in the vehicle with him.

It’d be a little complicated to just use this right now since he’d have to be transferred into something else if/when you leave the car so I’d get this as a secondary car seat that you’ll get use out of once they are 1+years old.

This car seat is usually included in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale in July so if that timing works for you, you or a loved one could buy it then! It’s usually included in the grey color. We will likely grab it this year so that we have this car seat in both cars once he outgrows the infant car seat below.

We just took out the newborn insert. They grow so fast!

Doona Infant Car Seat / Stroller System
This is our top baby item! It makes life a lot easier!

We debated between infant car seats for awhile although we always leaned towards the Doona. Then when on our Babymoon in Nantucket, S and I saw a big guy struggling to carry a baby in a traditional infant car seat which sealed the deal for us. There is no way I can picture myself easily carrying a heavy car seat plus a growing baby!

The Doona is an infant car seat that quickly flips into a stroller which has made pediatrician appointments much easier with Baby S. With just a couple clicks, you go from a car seat to a stroller.. it’s pretty cool! Babies can use this until they are around 35 pounds which (I’ve heard) is usually around the one year mark.

I’ve heard feedback from readers that live in Boston and NYC that swear by this for city use because it’s compact and doesn’t require a base. This means that it can be used within public transit like Uber.

In addition to it being super convenient to push him everywhere, rather than carry, he loves this seat. The second he starts to fuss when we put him in, we snap it into the stroller setting and he calms right down due to the movement. I think we’d have a lot more fuss going on when out of the house if we had a traditional infant car seat.

One con is that, when not in stroller mode and needing to carry, it is pretty heavy. The car seat alone is 17 pounds. Add that to a now 15 pound baby and – oof! Since I am not a stay at home mom and we are in a pandemic, I don’t currently go places alone with Baby S so this hasn’t been a problem. My husband just does the heavy lifting – literally 😛

If I was a stay at home mom, running errands solo with him, this may be a problem so that is something to consider.

You’ll want to weigh the con of this car seat being heavy to carry sometimes (lifting in and out of the car, up stairs) to the con of traditional car seats being a bit lighter, but needing to carry 100% of the time.

Another thing to consider is if you are shopping in store, I’m not sure how to handle pushing the Doona and shopping (unless you use a hand basket instead of a cart). With a traditional car seat, you can place it within the grocery cart, but I don’t believe this would fit. Since we don’t bring him to stores (pandemic baby), I can’t speak first hand.

We will also use this when traveling to see my in laws in Florida or my dad in Maine. If we had gone with a traditional infant car seat, this was the one we would have selected because it would snap right into our walking stroller.

Stroller

UppaBaby Vista V2
I debated on a stroller for awhile because this one is a pretty penny, but you guys convinced me and I am so glad because it is SO great for New England choppy roads!

Many of you shared that your UppaBaby has withstood nearly a decade of New England weather and is still in tip top shape.

Ultimately, I want as many items with baby #1 to last through other children and you let me know that this stroller will do just that. The cost per use on this will be worth it for us.

When looking, our stroller needs included-

• • Converting to a double stroller in order to continue the investment once we have future children
  • Bassinet feature since we will not have a traditional infant car seat and newborns need one or the other
  • High quality to withstand all New England climates since we walk our neighborhood rain, snow or shine year round

Now with going on lots of walks with baby from newborn through seventeen weeks, we LOVE this stroller!

Although it looks pretty hefty, it is very light. When Baby was small, we used the bassinet which is sleep safe too. Now that he is over three months, we just placed on the seat attachment in at a reclined position. He went on his first walk like this and loved being able to see his surroundings.

In addition to the bassinet and regular seat, it also comes with a bug shield net and a rain cover. We use the rain cover frequently right now to cover rain drizzle, snow and also wind. I want to get him outside as often as possible and a light rain doesn’t need to stop us as long as he is properly dressed.

You also don’t realize how horribly bumpy your sidewalks are until you have a baby. The wheels on this allow for a smooth ride.

Mattress

Newton Baby Waterproof Breathable Crib Mattress
I knew even before we were pregnant that we’d opt for this mattress because it’s 100% breathable so if Baby gets on his belly, he will be okay.

The outer layer also can go in the washer and the inner mattress is a sponge-like material that can be hosed down so all pieces can be washed which I’m sure we will be thankful for.

I feel confident that Baby is all safe between our video monitor and this breathable mattress.

While Baby is still in his bassinet, he has taken a few naps to get used to his crib and I just have such a huge peace of mind knowing he is okay if he rolls (since he is now a roller!!).

Bassinet

Design Dua Bassinet
For a bassinet, I loved this look of this one, but mainly went with it because we just wanted a traditional bassinet without all the technology many have today. My intentions were to be very selective on where we use waves and tech within his products. Here is the rocker stand as well.

Snoo
The above was written pre-baby and I wanted to leave it as is because it is a great example that you can plan for one thing and it just doesn’t go that way. The week we brought Baby home, we ordered the Snoo bassinet. He was rolling to his side in his swaddle which was making it so that I couldn’t sleep, in fear he’d go on his belly. The Snoo bassinet straps him in on his back so that lifted my worry and I was able to sleep.

Also, when we would transition Baby from our arms to the traditional bassinet, that motion would wake him. The Snoo swivels so even if he wakes during the transition, the swivel puts him right back to sleep. It also has white noise built in!

The Snoo bassinet also switches to different white noise and swaying motion to sooth crying. We do not use this. Momma and dad soothe baby. When my little guy cries, he is hungry or needs us. I do not use this setting and he never cries to the point of it escalating.

This is our favorite baby item! My husband is not one to splurge on a whim, but as he said – you can’t put a price tag on his safety and this is the cost of sleep for both us and Baby. We both think it’s 100% worth it. Baby loves it too! He gets such great, deep sleep.

Since we were unsure if Baby would like it and figured there may be a V2 by Baby #2, we opted for the renal option! Rather than buying it for the $1,500+ price tag you can rent it for $150 a month. That has worked our great for us and we don’t lease cars or rent items usually.

A con is when you switch Baby from the bassinet to the crib, they may have a hard time due to the crib not swiveling. Our little guy doesn’t have that problem and can fall asleep anywhere, but it’s something to consider because every baby is different. I’d take the help now and deal with any potential hurdles in the future because they may not even come to be a hurdle for you.

Changing Pad

Hatch Baby Grow Smart Changing Pad
Not only is this a changing pad that is stain resistant and wipeable, it is a scale as well. This is absolutely one of our favorite baby products! Top 10 for sure!

If you’re breastfeeding, you can weigh baby before and after feeding to understand an estimate of how much they consumed. Even without breastfeeding this Hatch changing pad is super convenient because so much of your baby’s health is determined on whether they are gaining or losing weight and this allows you to monitor exactly that.

Also our baby goes ham on this thing. That may just be a “him thing”, but he loves it. He dances on it and it’s the cutest thing ever. If he’s fussy, putting him on this makes him happy. It’s so funny.

There is also an app you use to track their weight. We use this app to track his weight, diapers and feedings.

Our white noise machine is also from this brand.

Pack N Play

Nuna SENA Air
This may not be a necessity for everyone, but we wanted a pack ‘n play for safe sleeping at grandparents homes and also for when we are outdoors with Baby next spring and summer. While I want to encourage free roaming as much as possible, I can assume that there will be times when we need Baby set to a designated safe zone which is what this will serve.

I landed on the Nuna SENA Air for two reasons – it assembles and break down very easily and it has a triple ventilated mattress which will be safe is baby is on his belly.

Plus, it’s aesthetically pleasing so if it’s used in our home it won’t be an eye sore. Our house is all open concept on the living space so I’m attempting to reduce eye sores for as long as I can 😉

We have not yet assembled or used this, but will I’m sure once he gets older and we travel.

Diapers & Wipes: I wanted to find wipes and diapers that are clean and free of chemicals/toxins. The below are the ones I have tried with feedback –

Diapers –

• Pamper Pure Diapers: Not a fan. We are using what we were gifted, but won’t repurchase. Unlike all the other unscented / reduced chemical diapers on the market, these smell horrid. Like straight pig farm ammonia smell lol. Also the inside is yellow making it impossible for you to know if baby needs to be changed at a quick glance. We often need to look inside to check because we feel that these diapers are so bulky that it takes forever for the indicator line to show any wetness. Compared to other diapers they also aren’t that soft.
• Honest Clean Conscious Diapers: We like these overall! They don’t keep him dry very long so with these diapers overnight, he recently started waking up just to be changed. We switch to Coterie Diapers which are amazing (more below), but I do know that Honest makes overnight diapers starting at size 3 that are likely built for greater absorption. We needed this before size 3 so I just never got around to trying those, but may in the future! For now Coterie Diapers have kept him super dry during the night and day.
• Hello Bello Diapers: We liked these overall just the same as Honest and they are a couple cents cheaper per diaper, but they aren’t sold on Amazon or at Target so getting them on a whim was annoying because their direct to consumer shipping wasn’t fast. They are thinner than Honest though. Their prints also make it hard to see the indicator line which is annoying. We tried these when he was younger, but I’d assume they’d be similar to Honest at waking him up with a lack of needed night time absorption. That said, you’d company’s mission is to make clean/toxic free baby products accessible to all so the lower price point does that and it’s very commendable!
• Coterie Diapers: Our Favorite! They end up being 10 cents more per diaper compared to what we were using, Honest brand, but worth it because we go through less. It evens out. Baby flies through other diaper brands because the smallest trickle makes him uncomfortable. Coterie is much more absorbent so he doesn’t feel uncomfortable. Not only are they free of chemicals and junk, but they are also the softest on the market and I love the all white look. This is what we will use going forward after trying so many brands out!

It’s definitely important to register for varying brands! I am so glad I didn’t have hundreds of Pamper’s Pure diapers and had a mix to try! What works for one baby or family won’t work for the next so your bestie’s end all be all diaper may not be what you and your abby need (ironic I say that on a blog post like this but it is true haha).

Wipes –

• Pampers Pure Wipes: Using what we were gifted, but not a fan. Super thin, but the main issue is that his face skin gets irritated (so while I obviously don’t use them on his face now), I can only imagine that other areas may get irritated.
• Honest Plant-Based Wipes: We like these overall! They are much thicker than Pampers and HelloBello, but not at thick as Coterie. They are a great middle ground. I keep these on hand for cleaning up “number 1s”.
• Hello Bello Wipes: Same quality as Honest, but I think a small tad cheaper.
• Coterie Wipes: Our Favorite! OMG. Even if you don’t try the diapers, get the wipes! They are unlike any on the market. For “number two”, you use 1-2 wipes per messy diaper compared to 15+ of the other brands above. Yes, that is how thick and huge they are! This is what we will use going forward after trying so many brands out!

Bath Tubs

Puj Flyte Compact Infant Tub
We used this for the first few weeks when Baby took kitchen bath sinks. We liked it! It may not be needed for every family, but we preferred to do sink baths to start and this helped us do that.

Angelcare Baby Bath
We transitioned to this once he was in the big boy bath and we have no complaints. This was recommended by literally every mom I know! It’s affordable and gets the job done.

Skincare: I registered for the Pipette brand because it is fragrance free and free of all chemicals, irritants, etc.

I used their belly oil and lotion on my belly through pregnancy which helped my skin stay hydrated! I tried many brands and products with this being the only one that kept my belly hydrated and didn’t sting it. The oil soaks in super fast as well.

Pipette Essentials
This includes his shampoo, body wash, some wipes, body oil and balm. I love that this brand is super clean, but easily accessible from Amazon or Target.

I stopped using the oil because it was causing little bumps on his chest.. something to consider.

We loved the wash for his body, but he has a WHOLE lot of hair and I found this shampoo was just “okay”. I felt like his hair looks a little greasy the next day. After trying a few, this one is our favorite for shampoo and this is coming from a guy that is seventeen weeks and has had four hair cuts cuz he’s got so much hair lol.

Play Gym

Lovevery Play Gym
There are so many play gyms out there, but this one grows with baby throughout their first year. The play gym comes with attachments that can be swapped out or age appropriate items as Baby grows.

The play gym itself comes with attachments for the newborn stage, but I also have the subscription (c/o) so every couple of months we receive a box with new age appropriate items. These are always right on point! He becomes disinterested with the old items he used to be obsessed with and starts to explore and have major interest in the new items. You can add these subscriptions to your registry!

At around three month we got this add on sensory strand item (c/o) and he LOVES it. It’s $25 and you don’t need the subscription. It’d be an awesome thing to add to your registry. This is definitely Baby’s favorite toy right now because it’s crinkly and has lots of different noises.

Overall, our baby loves this playgym and we use it every single day. Unlike other play gyms, you’ll get twelve+ months of use out of this and it continually evolves and stimulates them!

Sound Machine

Hatch Ret Plus Sound Machine
For the nursery’s primary sound machine, we opted for this one by Hatch because it is has great reviews, is mobile since it’s cord free and grows with them as a toddler. I like that it has different sounds like ocean waves, rain etc. and not just classic white noise. It also is a night light which we have heavily used.

The only downside is that it has an app.. EVERYTHING baby related seems to have an app. It’s not that big of a deal, but having something a bit more basic would do the job if you don’t need/want the light feature or additional sound options. Also you don’t need to use the app as the device is touch enabled, but I find that aspect hard to use and the app is easier to navigate.

Once Baby is big enough, we can set it to certain colors which could each mean something different like red means stay in bed and green means he can leave his room.

There is also this version that is a bit more affordable.

BabyShusher
I’d 100% register for this and bring it to the hospital. The hospital is SO loud at all hours of the day so having this shusher really helped soothe Baby. Unlike a white noise machine, this shushes like the inside of mom so babies find it soothing. It was raved about by many of my community and S and I could’t agree more that it’s a great product.

We used this nonstop through three months when rocking him to sleep, but now don’t really reach for it. I think that is to be expected because Baby is now more familiar with the outside world and less reliant on needing sounds that are similar to inside momma.

YogaSleep Portable White Noise
For walks, restaurants, travel and more, this is our portable white noise machine. That is not our life right now with a little pandemic baby, but wanted to note that for future reference.

It also has great reviews and we have two! We use them all the time in the car and walks! When baby was really little, we’d also use it room to room since newborns will sleep anywhere. This helps drown out some noise if Baby is sleeping in the living room and you have guests over.

We also packed this for the hospital, and would again, but we used the Shusher above the most!

Baby Carriers

Solly Baby Wrap
This brand actually sent me this item to try once Baby is here which was very nice. I love their baby clothing (so soft and silky!), but was not a fan of this. Lots of women like this product and baby carriers are very much reliant on the unique mom and baby.

I personally did not like this. It was WAY too complicated to get on. I watched so many videos and every attempt went horribly lol. I have no idea how a mom gets this on with a newborn. Maybe I am just not graceful 😛 When you have a newborn, this carrier just plain intimidating. I’m an anxious person which was heightened with postpartum anxiety so maybe that made this thing harder for me because in hindsight to the newborn days, I was anxious about everything. Maybe it will work in the future with my future babies as they may have different wants / I’ll be more confident.

Also my baby didn’t want to be in a frog legged position on me. Babies are snuggled up in utero and not frog legged so I don’t know how this is a natural position to put them in that young? As you can see, I’m just very confused how this thing is so popular lol. Anyways, that is my Ted Talk about it.

So I ordered this sling baby wrap and we both loved it way more because it is WAY easier to use and also allowed Baby to lay how he prefers. What I mean by this is that the ring sling allows baby to just lay on your chest and the ring sling cocoons them. The Solly Wrap requires the baby to lay on your chest in a frog leg position I mentioned above.

Personally, my baby was always nestled by my neck so this carrier worked best! That may vary per baby, but in general no matter what – this one is WAY easier and faster to use!

Baby Bjorn Carrier Mini
There are a lot of structured baby carrier options out there, but this is the one we landed on. We saw it in store and liked how it’s unisex (we got the light grey) for both mama and dad and it’s super soft!

When baby was a newborn, this one was too structured which was okay because we waited and tried again once he was older. Now he loves this one! That said, I know mother’s whose newborn also loved this carrier from the get-go.

I mainly use the WildBird carrier when he wants to cuddle and may nap. I use the Baby Bjorn Carrier Mini when we are cooking, putting away groceries and doing this around the house. He LOVES watching us cook and he can outward face in this. S finds this one simple to use as well! Also now that he is super alert, we face him out which is much more enjoyable for him than facing mom and dad right now when he’s not sleepy 😛

While we are not taking him to restaurants or stores right now, a lot of mom’s usually use these type of carriers out and about as well.

When it comes to carrier, I’d personally register for one that is for cuddling/sleeping and one that is more structured for baby’s entertainment as they grow. They help you get things done around the house. While my guy needs to be in a certain mood for them and we use them for spurts of time here and there, they are still worth it! Any minute hands free as a mom is valuable.

Monitor

VAVA Baby Monitor
I watched many monitor review videos and landed on this one. I really wanted a monitor that is wi-fi free for security purposes, had a monitor that was separate from my phone and had a very clear screen that can rotate. This one has all of that! It’s been out of stock, but hopefully will come back in soon.

We have used this everyday since bringing Baby home because we have it pointed on his bassinet while he sleeps. We really like it! The camera quality is very clear.

My suggestion for monitors in general would be to think through your lifestyle. If you are going to be out of the house with a caretaker in your home, you may want a wifi enabled one in order to have the monitor on your phone to keep tabs on things. Since we are home and we trust our nanny after building a relationship with her well before she started, we don’t need that, but every situation is different! I want to be present with my family and not have my phone out so I just really didn’t want the monitor on there.

Also consider that the wifi ones are more vulnerable to security breaches (have a complex password you don’t use anywhere else and enable MFA to try to avoid this) and it can drain your phone battery.

Loungers: My hair dresser just had a baby girl about a year ago and highly suggested both the loungers below since they will be used for different ages.

SnuggleMe Organic
This was his newborn lounger. Muenster took over it while I was pregnant 😛 as it’s made to really snuggle and cocoon the baby. The cover is washable too.

Now having Baby home, I highly suggest the SnuggleMe for the first four months because it does just that – snuggles them in a cocoon – when they are a sleepy newborn that’s resting most of the day. The smaller DockaTots may do this as well, but I only registered for the deluxe size (below) so I can’t speak to the comparison of the SnuggleMe to the standard DockaTot product.

In all honesty, we don’t really use these loungers now! He’s way more alert and likes to be upright to see the world and he sleeps in his safe sleep zone – his bassinet or cribs.

A con of the SnuggleMe is that the bottom is not cushioned so if we had Baby lounging in this and then placed him on our marble dining table while we ate, I needed to place a little blanket so that it wasn’t hard and cold on his back. There may be a reason for this, IDK!

Note: We never, ever have Baby in either of these loungers (or any “container”) without us RIGHT next to him with our eyes on him. We do not leave the room he is in and ALWAYS have him in eyeshot. If I leave the room, I communicate that to S (and vice versa) so that he knows he is to focus on Baby and not get him out of eyeshot. I thought loungers would be just for lounging, but the reality is that a little newborn will sleep in it that first month. They sleep most the day when you first bring them home. These are not “sleep safe” so you do not want to leave any baby unattended to sleep in them. Without you having a constant eye, they could roll and suffocate. If you don’t think you’ll be regimented enough to ALWAYS have an adult with an eye on them, I’d skip these products. It is not worth the risk.

Dockatot Deluxe+
I registered this for this once he outgrew the SnuggleMe since it is larger. Compared to the SnuggleMe, it has cushion below the baby as well. This isn’t used as a sleeping agent and rather a space for him to lounge when we are watching TV or I’m getting ready (always having our eye on him). Since Baby is so alert by the time he fits in this, I’d likely not register for it. He’d rather be in his Baby Bjorn Bouncer Bliss when we have to place him somewhere for a minute.

Overall, we don’t really use the Dockatot Deluxe+ and.. our guy is a big boy (he definitely got some tall Thompson genes) so he’s already longer than the inside compartment for his body.Our besties also gifted this toy arch, but we use it elsewhere for him to play with!

Bouncer

Baby Bjorn Bouncer Bliss
Another item that had stellar feedback from you guys. We opted for the light grey cotton jersey material since it seemed softer than the perforated alternative. We do not use “containers” for more than a total of 20-30 minutes a day (total), but when I need to plop him somewhere for five minutes at a time, this bouncer comes in handy. When on maternity leave, I’d set him in here to shower or run to the bathroom. I’d bring him in with me and keep my eye on him.

We started using this around one month and I like how it has varying reclines depending on his age! I’d say his temperament in it doesn’t last long since, even now at seventeen weeks, he doesn’t know how to make it “bounce”, but this is okay because we don’t use containers really. By the time he is over it, I’m getting him out anyway.

Diaper Pail

Ubi Steel Diaper Pail
This one seemed to have great reviews. I know some mamas swear by this and others say it’s not needed, but for our Cape style home, it’s needed. All trash is downstairs whereas bedrooms are upstairs so we need a dedicated spot for when Baby is changed in the nursery. We both agree that due to our house lay out, this has been needed!

 Swing

Fisher Price Cradle ‘N Swing
Many of you guys recommended this over the 4Moms! It vibrates and has a little mobile on the top for baby to look at. Plus it looks cute unlike a lot of baby gear 😛 I love the little lamb theme. Baby S LOVES this! This is the other “container” we will use mainly only when we are eating dinner until he wants momma to hold him. He loves the little light at the top and rotating lambs. We call it his light show and even after three months worth of light shows, it doesn’t get old for him. His temperament in this is longer than the bouncer because it rocks him automatically.

Something else to keep in mind is that a baby will not like a product one week and will love it the next. He did not like his swing the first month so we didn’t touch it. Now he likes it!

Breastfeeding

Spectra S1 Breast Pump
My insurance covered this hospital grade pump. The S2 was free with insurance, but I upgraded to the S1 so that I could be cordless and rechargeable. When I polled you all on Instagram Stories, this breast pump was recommended by 99.9% of you. I think I had only one Medela fan so I trusted you all on this one!

If you are a first time mom, make sure to talk to your insurance and doctor about breast pumps. You often won’t be reimbursed if you purchase yourself. You will want to order through your insurance. If like my situation, there will be a few breast pump providers you can order through and each will have a slight variance in the brands offered, but Spectra and Medela were prevalent. I’ve heard that virtually everyone has to upgrade to the Spectra S1 so if cordless is of importance to you, ask each provider what their fee is to upgrade. Only one of five providers offered this for me and the upgrade was $100. Also my pump didn’t ship until 30 days before Baby’s due date, but some ship two months in advance. I also needed a breast pump prescription from my doctor to validate the pregnancy and due date.

Overall, I really like this pump and have used it since week one! It’s easy to use and clean. I would have been miserable with the S2 because I’d be forced to sit. With this S1, you’re not plugged into a wall so I can make lunch or do my make up while I pump and be a bit more mobile.

Elvie Breast Pump
I hated these. I’d 100% skip in my opinion. Unless you are an over-producer, these things are a hunk of expensive junk. They have no suction. I’d get .000001 ounces pumped and would put on my Spectra which would pull 3+ ounces per breast. These things suck. It’s disappointing because it’d be nice to be hands free and more mobile when pumping!

Elvie Curve
This is used for manual expression and to catch milk when baby is nursing on the other side. While I mainly pump over nursing, I haven’t used this often. That said, this or the Haakaa is definitely needed in order to pull out clogged ducts. I could feel a knot on my chest and was able to hand express it out with this. It’s super important to maintain your duct health or else you could be knocked out with mastitis.Something to consider is that the Haakaa is less expensive, but is a weird shape. The Curve can go in your bra and is a normal “breast shape”. Something to consider!

Elvie Catch
I got this to catch milk because I had heard the disposable ones can cause thrush. I didn’t really use these reusable ones and used the disposable when I’d leave the house. I’d just replace them every hour or so whether they had milk in them or not. I personally hate bras so when home with no guests, I was just bra free which obviously means you have milk on your shirt, but all that to say.. I didn’t need to have a “catching” product that often.

LaVie Warming Lactation Massager
If you are going to nurse or pump I’d 100% get these. They vibrate and are warm which allows milk to be expressed in greater volumes / faster. I suggest getting the pack of two if pumping because you place one in each side of your pumping bra while you pump. When I’d skip on using these while I pumped, I did not empty as well which can lead to clogged ducts. Not good!

Night Light
This little $25 dimmable night light lamp was to be used for night time feedings. Um – it’s a piece of crap lol which I mentioned in this post last week. So many people recommended this, but S and I hate it! It taps to turn up or down and it always does the opposite of what we want.

Formula

Baby Breeza Dispenser
Although I knew I was going to give breastfeeding my best shot, I wanted to be prepared to supplement or transition to formula if needed for baby or for my physical or mental health. While you can totally just make bottles in the traditional manner, this makes life much easier. We have supplemented since the day we got home since I do not produce his full feedings.

We actually have the V2 which is $100 more, but that is because the one previously linked was out of stock. This Baby Breeza Dispenser is a slightly cheaper version and would work just fine. We don’t use the wifi/app that the V2 has so I think the lower model would be sufficient.

Note: you MUST actively clean this device. If you son’t the water to formula ratio will not be accurate which is dangerous for baby. There is an alert that goes off about every four bottles where you just wipe one area of the dispenser clean. It’s not a big lift. There is an article online that is fear mongering that a baby was caused harm due to this machine, but after reading many articles… the device just needs to be set to the correct setting for your specific formula and be cleaned as stated! That is just our opinion after a lot of research. Our baby is thriving and gaining weight and we use the device properly so I have no apprehensions about it, but talk to your pediatrician and do your research. 

Other smaller items..

Owlet
At first I wasn’t going to get this due to wanting as much technology out of his rom as possible, but as you progress in pregnancy, you hear lots of stories that make you worried and uncomfortable. S and I decided that this product will help give us a peace of mind while baby sleeps as it will monitor his heart and breathing. When I asked you guys, the feedback was seriously 50/50. The only negative feedback was from a handful of people noting that the sock was too big for their baby’s foot due to being a premie.

I am here to say we did not use this. It was giving us more anxiety than not since it’d have false alarms. I also felt good because in his Snoo, he is safe on his back. I know this could alert to other medical issues, but it was just causing me anxiety instead of relieving it so I sold it!

Munchkin Warm Glow Wipe Warmer
An item that people are very outspoken on, but split down the middle. Figured we’d register for it just in case! This one in particular had the best reviews and I looked through a lot of wipe warmers. It is a good wipe warmer, but our guy doesn’t care if his wipes are warm so not really needed.

Munchkin Digital Bottle Warmer
So many bottle warmers have horrible reviews! This one has great reviews and also is portable. We don’t really like this because the milk lays flat on the device and needs to be cleaned every single time. I don’t know if all warmers are like this, but we found it annoying. If you have the Baby Breeza Dispenser, the milk comes our warm.

SwaddleMe Swaddles
Register for a bunch of different swaddles! My guy hated this one, but it has great reviews online.

Dishwasher Basket & Brush
Totally needed! We used a sanitizer device by Baby Brezza for the first three months, but still needed to brush out the bottles. Now that he is older, we just run all baby bottle stuff through the dishwasher on the sanitize setting so both items are needed.

FridaBaby Nasal Aspirator
Haven’t used this yet! I have heard mixed reviews though..

Nail File
Definitely a must. Bring this to the hospital! Newborns are born with sharp nails and will scratch their face. Our baby’s ails grow so fast and I file them like ever other day and this is why easier than clipping them.

Crane Cool Mist Humidifier
We just started using this due to the dry winter air and really like it! Compared to the FridaBaby and others on the market, this one had the least amount of cases for mold and had good reviews on the ease of clean.

FridaBaby Air Purifier
I have this in his room. IDK if it is really needed, but as a firs time mom I registered for it!

SnuggleMe Organic Nursing Pillow
This worked for me, but do know that the cover doesn’t remove to be washed so it must be spot cleaned.