A Life In Review

I’m about 1.5 years into parenting and as I pack away things that we no longer use, I thought I’d compile a list of things I did use and things that I could have done without, or didn’t need at all. Going into motherhood, I had no idea what I would need and I followed all sorts of influencers who suggested all of these really expensive things. Slowly I pieced together a registry with the items I thought I would need for Georgia. I found out the hard way what worked and what didn’t. Hopefully this will set you up for success and save you some money in the long run.

Activity Jumper: I highly recommend one with a 360 degree swivel seat. We had a Disney one that let her jump freely (think doorway jumper but with a stand). It was incredible right from the start (4 months old). We used that so often to get a hands free moment. As she grew, it grew with her. She continued to use it until she was 1.

Activity Play Mat: Honestly, there are so many good ones. When I was choosing one I looked mostly for lots of color and cuteness. It’s not a science. Some people like solid colors for aesthetic, but kids need color (in my opinion). This one is something that you have to choose for your family, but make sure you get one. Tummy time starts right away (check with your doctor for the perfect time to start).

Bassinet: The one that we used for all of two nights was the Fisher Price Soothing Motions Bassinet. There was nothing really special about it. It’s quite bulky and not the best for a small space. With a bassinet, you really need to decide what you are looking for. I would NOT invest in a SNOO or an expensive one, until you know how your baby sleeps. Georgia was a great sleeper, so she didn’t need anything fancy. We never even used the vibration part of her bassinet. Also, second hand never hurts because you don’t even use the bassinet that long.

Bibs & Burp Cloths: Yes, there are great and not so great bibs. The best bibs I found were the Carter’s brand bibs. Whether you get them from Carter’s itself or buy the Walmart Carter’s (name) or the Target Carter’s brand (Just One You), it doesn’t matter. I tried so many bibs and those are the only ones that really soaked in milk and drool. I barely used burp cloths with those because they were so absorbent (but still register for some because they are great to have on hand).

Bouncy Seat: I used this mostly when I was eating and when I was showering. While I ate, she sat in her seat and bounced, while I showered, she hung out in her seat right outside of the curtain. You don’t need anything fancy. A second hand one would work wonderfully because they don’t use their bouncy seats for all that long.

Breast Pump: I personally chose not to breast feed, but if you choose to, check with your insurance, because there are certain insurance companies that will cover a nice pump for you. If you have to purchase your own, I have heard great things about Spectra Pumps and Medela Pumps.

Bumbo Seat: We didn’t get this until she was 6 months old. They can start using it when they can hold their head up and just need some assistance to sit. The Bumbo seat also gave me hands free time. It allowed her to sit with us and be near us but in a safe, upright position. It’s also lightweight and easy to travel with.

Carriers: I suggest two different ones. One for the newborn stage to about 4 months and then the other for anything beyond month 4. The first is called a Boba Wrap. It keeps them snuggled in against you. It also keeps prying hands off of the baby. Once they get a bit bigger you can move to the Ergobaby Carrier. Don’t bother with the cheaper ones unless you want back problems. I wasted money trying to cheap out and ended up with the Ergobaby carrier in the end. I did not pay full price though, I bought it second hand. So that is also a great option to save money!

Crib: Graco 4-in-1 cribs are the best. The linked crib is the one that we currently have. It holds her blankets and burp cloths. Once your child grows, it can turn into a toddler bed and a full sized bed. We have found this one to be awesome. For the mattress, we just grabbed a matching Graco one. It’s nothing special, but Georgia loves it.

Diapers and Wipes: If you are lucky, the diaper brand won’t matter for you little one. We were not so lucky and I wish that we had saved the receipts so that we could evenly exchange them. However, we learned. Stores are usually good about letting you exchange for a bigger size as long as it’s an even trade. As for wipes, it’s really your preference, but you can NEVER have too many.

High Chair: Since we live in a small apartment, I chose to get a small high chair seat. There is a fantastic one that is easy to clean, made by Fisher Price. It’s a space saving seat. It can either sit on the floor, or can be attached to a kitchen chair. It’s easy to put away when not in use. I highly recommend this chair.

Infant Bath: We tried 3 different infant baths and settled on the Angelcare seat. It goes right into the tub and allows the baby to be IN the water. You don’t have to worry about clean up either because it just hangs to dry, we hung our on the bathroom wall when it wasn’t in use. The mesh bath tubs didn’t give the baby the support that we were looking for, and the infant tubs were just too big and bulky for our apartment. We also (like a lot of people) don’t have a fancy sink, so we weren’t able to bathe Georgia in the sink.

Stroller and Car Seat: I cannot stress this one enough. Don’t just go by reviews (yes even mine). Go touch the strollers. Lift them up, fold them. Make sure that they fit in your car and that the wheels turn right! We LOVE our Britax system. I tried it out at Target and was sold. It’s less than 18 lbs. It’s easy for me to maneuver (I’m 5’ tall). I could only carry the baby for so long, past like 10lbs I had to put her in the stroller for transport! Now that she is out of the baby car seat, I still use the stroller whenever I go out with her.

Sound Machine: Do yourself a favor and get a really easy to use sound machine for the baby’s room. This was a life saver for us. We use an iHome sound machine, but there are lots of choices. We decided not to use one with a light because we wanted to avoid the need for a night light (it can become a hard habit to break when they are older). We have a plug in one, and a portable one (for naps on the go). Just get one.

Toys: This is something else that is totally your preference, but try to register for things they can actually use in the first year. Remember that they will have a birthday at the end of year 1 where they can get bigger kid toys. I highly suggest registering for teething toys. We used those from 4 months on. Other than those, just choose some practical toys that are meant for kids under 1 (they usually like bright toys and no, their growth won’t be stunted if they play with plastic toys).

Extra things to register for (that don’t need explaining):

– Baby Grooming Kit: Safety First makes a great one.
– Bath Stuff: The towels and wash cloths don’t need to be fancy, just grab what you need (I suggest 3 towels and 10 wash cloths). As for shampoo, it’s really up to your preference of scent and brand (we use Baby Magic).
– Books: this will help build your child’s library
– Bottles: I cannot stress this enough, do not buy bottles in bulk. If you can get some free sample bottles, do it. Every baby is different and they are super picky about bottles (particularly the different nipples the bottles).
– Bottle Warmer: there are a lot of great options, but if you live on more than one floor, get one warmer for each floor. You don’t want to be going down stairs in the middle of the night.
– Car Mirror: The brand doesn’t matter, just register for one for the head rest.
– Crib Set w/ extra sheets: Choose your favorite set and also make sure to add a few extra sheets in there.
– Diaper Bag: I highly suggest a backpack because your arms are always going to be full from now on.
– Diaper Caddy: We used this in the living room and brought it with us to travel. It’s nice to just have everything in one place (we got ours second hand, but I linked it anyway)
– Outfits: You don’t need to register for a ton of clothes because people will just buy you what they like, but if there are a few outfits in particular that you love, add those.
– Seasonal Stuff: if it’s summer, add a swimsuit, if it’s winter, add the winter gear
– Swaddles: We loved the Halo Sleep Sacks. We had them in multiple sizes and used them the whole first year.

Things we had but rarely ever (or never) used:

– Baby Brezza: It was just faster for us to mix the bottles ourselves and heat them up.
– Blankets: you don’t need 50 blankets. People will give you so many and you won’t even use most of them.
– Changing Pad: We used this for about 2 months and then we just changed the baby in our laps or on the floor.
– Swing: It was great for about 2 months but then we really never used it. It honestly depends on your baby, so don’t invest too much into one.

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New Mamas: It seems like a lot and I’m sure there are moms who did it with less, but these are my favorite things that I used during my first year of motherhood. Not everything on here is a necessity, but they are nice to have and you will appreciate them. At the end of the day, you are the best mom for your baby and you are going to do a great job. Always remember that none of us have any idea what we are doing, we’re just doing our best.

Seasoned Mamas: If there is something that I missed that you think should be included, drop it in the comments, and know that you too are doing a great job!