Creating the Baby Registry

Starting my baby registry was very overwhelming. I didn't know where to start and what to add. Unlike my wedding registry, I knew what we needed/wanted, so it made building that registry easy. Not to mention if this is your first baby, you see hundreds of similar products with various prices and have no idea which is best. I hope this post can at least provide a narrowed-down approach.

I used Babylist for keeping all of our baby registry items together. I transferred our baby registries from Target, Amazon, and Buy Buy Baby to this website because it allows people to see all the places they can shop for the item and the prices at each store (they are sometimes different). I have added our registry link below in case you need some ideas for your registry.

https://www.babylist.com/baby-erin-and-bobby-szoch

Before registering for some items, I did a lot of research and asked a lot of moms their opinions. You can click on the images for the products linked on my like to know it.

Disclaimer: I am sharing based on research and feedback, so please feel free to further look into it if you are looking for yourself. I plan to do a post on what products I love and use the most after baby comes.

Must Haves:

Car Seat (s)

I would say the most stressful items to pick out for me were the car seat and stroller. I felt relief as soon as I got some feedback from moms and researching, which can take some time. These car seats seemed to be the top picks from moms and the internet. I was torn between these items, but I finally decided on the Doona. I talk more about it below.

Stroller (s)

Thanks again to the moms out there and the internet for these stroller picks.

So, I decided on the Doona which is a car seat and stroller in one. I went ahead and registered for another base for Bobby's truck that way it can go in either car. It definitely looks convenient and that is what a lot of people say. You can go to their website and watch videos on how it works. Videos are very helpful for me to help make decisions since I am a visual person when it comes to learning.

I am still on the hunt for a stroller for jogging once I am able to work out again, I am looking at the baby jogger.

Crib and Mattress:

I went ahead and bought our crib, but it is something you can add to your registry if you wanted. The crib is from Walmart and the mattress is the Waterproof Newton Crib Mattress. The Newton mattress is very unique and cool. It is the only 100% breathable and washable crib mattress. I got the waterproof one for when Bradley gets to potty training. You can find out more about the design here. I tested it with the sheets on and I can say it is definitely breathable, which I find so mind-blowing.

Bassinet:

Everyone I talk to has different opinions and experiences when it comes to baby sleeping in the bedroom with mom and dad. I am planning on having Bradley sleep in the room with us for the first month or so. One of the main reasons is convenience. Our master bedroom is on the main floor and his room is upstairs. The bassinet that I added to my registry was the Halo Glide Sleeper.

Monitor:

So, at first, I had the Owlet on my registry and a video camera. After talking with moms, I felt like I only needed the video monitor. The Owlet is very neat and would be perfect if you need to track the baby's health, but I felt like it would give me more anxiety. Also, some moms said they didn't use it as much as they thought they would, but there were some moms that absolutely loved it. A lot of moms mentioned Infant Optics and VAVA. With all that being said, the monitor I picked for my registry was the Infant Optics Baby Monitor.

Bouncer:

I guess you can say I was indecisive because I added 3 to my registry. I added the Baby Bjorn Bouncer, 4moms mamaRoo, and Fisher-Price Snuggaswing. I read that babies can be picky when it comes to swings and bouncers. They could love one and hate the other (motions). I figured I could have one swing downstairs, one swing upstairs, and the bouncer anywhere.

Pumps:

Some nursing pumps can be covered by insurance. You just need to call them to ask for a list of what they cover. I plan to breastfeed, but I understand that things can change/happen that may flip that plan. That is totally fine! As I have said before, you can't have expectations. You can plan all you want, but you need to be open to any changes that may occur.

Since I am not a 100% sure I can breastfeed I am going to pick a pump from my insurance list. I will either go with the Medela or Spectra (these were 2 of the most mentioned from moms). If I can breastfeed, I may invest in getting the Willow pumps so that I can multitask easier while pumping.

Fun & Random Things to Register For:

• Afterbirth Mom Care

• Baby Carrier

• Baby Detergent

• Baby Hygiene Products

• Baby Wipe Warmer

• Bath Time Supplies- towels, bath support, washcloths, baby soap

• Bibs

• Boppy Nursing Pillow

• Bottles

• Bottle Sterilizer

• Bottle Warmer

• Breastmilk Storage Bags

• Burp Cloths

• Car Mirror

• Closet Items- hangers, clothing size dividers, drawer organizers

• Clothes

• Diaper Bag

• Diaper Pail/Trashcan

• Dockatot

• Highchair

• Non-Essential Nursery Items - decor, rug, sheets

• Pacifiers

• Playard

• Swaddle

• Sound Machine

• Toys/Books

Remember not to stress and have fun while shopping! You have 9-10 months of prep time;) I had less because of how sick I was, but if I can do it so can you. And of course please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.

Love and blessings,

E