My 20 Baby Registry Must-Haves

I remember the decided feeling of wonder, excitement and astonishing horror filling my pregnant body as I entered Babies R Us to complete my baby registry. Thankfully with a wingwoman and seasoned mama friend to break my waddling fall should I faint from anxiety-riddled hot flashes.

I was seriously stoked, but also majorly overwhelmed. How many bottle brands are there?! And video monitor options?! And what on earth will my small baby wear?! And do strollers these days really have more features than cars because that sure was a thorough sales pitch and I don’t know what any. of. it. meant!!!!

Needless to say, I survived and now it’s all second nature. And, some first-time prego girlfriends of mine recently asked for my top baby registry recommendations, so I thought I’d share them with you, too!

This is most certainly not an everything you could possibly need list. It doesn’t cover the everyday basics and clear necessities. This is more of my stranded on a deserted island and what baby luxuries could I not live without list. Okay, fine, maybe I could live without them, but you can’t make me!!!!!!

Baby trends seem to evolve FAST, with constant new inventions and contraptions popping up at the speed of yet another dirty diaper to change. But, Emerson’s only 16 months old, so they should be more or less current.

Here you go, friends!

1.  UPPABaby Vista Stroller—Nothing can temper my love for this wondrous creation sent from heaven above. I conducted extensive research and endured comprehensive demonstrations before arriving at my well-educated conclusion that this was, indeed, the very best everyday stroller option for us. It’s worth every penny. Huge basket, highly durable, weight limit of 50 pounds, endless functional accessories… They now even have a car seat to correspond seamlessly.

2.  Rock ‘n Play—Emerson spent most of her early days in this little cradle-rocker. It is the BEST. It served as her daytime and nighttime bed until she was four months old. We bought a big, fancy co-sleeper, too, but she strongly preferred the Rock ‘n Play and the way it nestled her cozily. It was also easy-peezy to move around the house while she slept.

3.  Baby K’tan Baby Carrier—I’ll never forget doing everything to calm my fussy baby at the back of our church’s sanctuary, only to see my friend Sam nearby with her exact-same-age infant snuggled up to her sound asleep in this magical thing. “What in heaven’s name is that?! I have to know!!!” Thank you for saving my life, Sam! It’s like the Moby, but far easier to wrap, with multiple options for wearing. I wore Emerson hands-free constantly in this thing until she was four months old. Both of us loved every minute.

4.  ERGObaby Baby Carrier—The ERGO was my lifesaver from four months to one year of Emerson’s life. This thing is legit. Every mom needs one, in my opinion. I even still use it sometimes.

5.  Brest Friend Pillow—I didn’t have one of these incredible beauties until Emerson was three days old. Talk about a dark three days!!! This thing takes the headache (and backache) out of breastfeeding. Heck, I could nurse standing up while texting and doing laundry thanks to my very Brest Friend.

6.  Nipple Shields—My early-on battle with breastfeeding is another story for another day. NOBODY told me it might not be blissful, dreamy and easy!!! Even worse, my hospital’s lactation consultants failed to provide me with the one thing that made nursing possible for me and my particular situation: nipple shields. Just throw a few in your hospital bag. Just in case. I couldn’t have nursed without them.

7.  Baby Swing—A good-old-fashioned baby swing is an absolute MUST. I also have a Mamaroo, and while sort of cool for a few months, it was not a replacement for the real and incomparable deal that is an actual swing. We have the Graco Duet Soothee Swing & Rocker and I adore it.

8.  White Noise Machine—I swear by white noise for both calming babies and coaxing them toward longer and longer stretches of sleep. My champion sleeper Emerson still passes out to white noise for every single naptime and night. I purchased a perfect (and affordable!) Conair one on Amazon, while the iPhone “aSleep” app worked wonderfully when we were out and about.

9.  Infant Optics Video Monitor—Initially I purchased one of the most expensive video monitors on the market, complete with iPhone streaming capabilities. It broke within nine months! Lame! I replaced it with this Infant Optics gem my old manager and mom friend suggested. I truly love it way better, and it’s a fraction of the price. Spend your hundreds on something more fun.

10.  Thermometer—Invest in a high-quality, fast-acting thermometer. Babies + Fevers = Scary and you don’t want to be in the dark here.

11.  Medela Breast Pump—The Medela breast pump isn’t cheap, but if you’re committed to breastfeeding, you’ve just gotta do it. I highly recommend the Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump On-The-Go Tote. Just don’t forget to replace the valves and small parts every so often, especially if you pump a ton. It will lose its “suck” otherwise. I also highly advise getting a strapless pumping bra. It seems silly, but it’s actually brilliant, like Sophie the Giraffe.

12.  Aiden & Anais Blankets—Stock up on these precious jewels. They are dreamy and light; perfect for swaddling, snuggling and making spit-up clean-up kind of cute for a sec.

13.  HALO SleepSack Swaddles—I was really enthusiastic and passionate about my swaddling capabilities. For about a week. Then it was 2 a.m. and I was like, GIVE ME VELCRO OR GIVE ME DEATH. HOW DID THOSE DEXTEROUS NURSES CHIPOTLE-BURRITO-WRAP MY BABY AGAIN?! Emerson was swaddled in a Velcro HALO SleepSack until she turned four months, after which we switched to the arms-out HALO SleepSack Wearable Blanket, which she still wears in a toddler size. Which might be weird. I’m OK with it.

14.  Bumbo—The Bumbo is glorious! It props up babies into the sitting position long before they can do so on their own. It’s convenient for mom and enjoyable for baby. Enough said. It also has a feeding tray attachment, so it doubled as a high chair for months!

15.  Tons of Onesies—Emerson lived in onesies for a very long time. When they’re newborns, you want to put them in the itty-bitty tutu or overalls, and you will, but then you’ll take one cute picture for Instagram, and then they’ll have a major blowout, and then they’ll be back in a onesie.

16.  Dr. Brown’s Bottles—Emerson had pretty bad tummy issues in her early months. These bottles claim to be the best for reducing colic, spit-up, burping and gas—and I found their claims to be true. They have a lot of pieces which make for slightly annoying cleaning, but I still worship them. I will forever be faithful to the Great Dr. Brown.

17.  NUK Pacifiers—The array of pacifier options is mind-numbing. NUK brand is supposedly the most “orthodontically sound” of them all, and that was good enough for me. Emerson will probably still need expensive braces in multiple phases, but, hey, a mom can try.

18.  Diaper Genie—What did moms even do with dirty diapers before the Diaper Genie came on the scene?! I truly don’t want to know.

19.  Pack ‘n Play—Gotta have a Pack ‘n Play or similar play yard. From overnight trips to playtime while mom gets ready, this thing has fulfilled infinite functions.

20.  Awesome Diaper Bag—It’s essential to have a diaper bag that you really love—but not that you love too much. Spills and smells are inevitable. I absolutely adore my Petunia Pickle Bottom bag, but weird stains don’t make me cry, like they would if the bag had cost more than the crib.

What did I miss? What are your infant must-haves? Please tell me because I want more babies and first-hand recs are the best!!!