Our Baby Registry Must Haves (Spoiler Alert: You Won't Find Any Onesies Here)
Our Baby Registry Must Haves (Spoiler Alert: You Won't Find Any Onesies Here) | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers | No-Nonsense Baby Essentials
My BABY REGISTRY advice / tips / tricks / personal choices that worked for us:
-> Just going to come out of the gates saying that everyone is different here and there’s no universally right way to do these things. This is just what worked for us and what I’ve picked up along the way…
My #1 takeaway when people send me their registries they are working on (this happens all the time actually) is too much CUTESY BABY CRAP and not enough ESSENTIALS FOR THE BIRTHING PERSON.
If your friends and family aren’t willing to buy you titty cream because they think it’s weird and they would rather just send you a ton of brand new onesies you might get one run out of, well, they need to do better. Birth is beautiful but it’s also messy and mamas need real support, not just materialistic stuff.
For Birth and Postpartum
Okay mamas / birthing persons / support persons: PUT SOME STUFF ON YOUR REGISTRY FOR YOU. It’s not selfish, it’s essential. A nice robe, slippers, something that will make you feel luxurious when you feel like a leaking tired cow otherwise.
Frida Mom Postpartum is my actual MUST HAVE item. Trust me, your vag will thank you. Get this kit for anyone you know who is expecting a baby and you’ll be the real MVP.
Staying hydrated is super important, as is maintaining your electrolytes. So I used the coconut water powder quite a bit. The Manuka honey can also be a good food source in labor, and doubles as a good topical option for tears. Postpartum bath salts also come in clutch… trust me.
The SMEG Espresso Machine is the real pro-move, y’all. You’re freaking tired with a baby, might as well drink good coffee.
Breast/Chest-feeding (if that’s your thing) + Bottles
Breastfeeding was (lol, is, because no end in sight here) such a great option for Capa and I. And we were lucky to have a pretty easy go at it from the beginning, but it does not always come naturally to babies or mamas. Here’s my official plug for getting a certified lactation support person before it gets overwhelming. Do tons of skin to skin. Probably disregard most of the weird schedules that a lot of hospitals push… newborns do best (again, in my non-expert opinion) with on demand feeding.
For supplements to help with milk supply, I’ve done the chews, the teas, a fenugreek supplement thing, and brewers yeast. My supply has always been fine so I haven’t really needed too much but I figure it can’t hurt.
Anyway, as a full time working mama, pumping saved our BFing journey and I couldn’t have done it without being hands free with the Willow. Don’t get me wrong I have a love/hate relationship with these things, but they were worth every freaking penny. Go with the Elvie, if you prefer. They’re basically the same. And you know what, I got mine on marketplace from someone who didn’t end up breastfeeding. For like half the price and no shame.
I just use the generic breastmilk bags and not the willow ones, too. Saves a ton of money and isn’t much more difficult.
The manual pump is honestly so easy if I just need to pump a little and don’t have time to do the full willow set up / clean up / dump situation. No frills, no nonsense… Super cheap, no learning curve, I still use this thing at least a few times a week.
We introduced bottles around three or four weeks and Capa took right to them. And we only ever owned like three of them. No need for a big huge stash here… It can be more simple than it seems.
The pumping backpack cooler is great because it’s pretty discreet (I could have it out with my camera equipment and not get any looks), but it helped to keep all that milk cold for the long hours I’d be on the road!
Baby Wearing
I could baby wear all f—ing day long. I love it and honestly couldn’t imagine getting through the first year without having Capa strapped to our chests and backs.
The NuRoo Shirt was one of my absolute faves and I miss that stage now. A kangaroo shirt designed for skin to skin which has soooo many benefits but is also just the best.
Infantino Convertible Carrier: is honestly so cheap and kind of great. We started using it more when Capa got bigger and can wear him facing in, facing out, or as a backpack.
I absolutely love the Ergo Baby Wrap and a lot of caretakers are intimidated by how to tie it but honestly it’s not that hard to learn and so comfy. This this was a total lifesaver. Personally, wasn’t a fan of the k’tan because I found it too tight on my boobs but I know a lot of people who love it.
Diapering
Okay, so we decided to hybrid diaper (cloth at home and disposables on the road). There are ups and downs to each approach but I’m pretty happy with the combo for us. We definitely saved some $$ with reusables, hopefully did some good for the landfills, and I’ll admit it was nice to never worry about running out of diapers (except when we were on the road).
Anyway, Costco for disposables– no shame– they are so much cheaper. And “All In Ones” or “AOIs” for cloth.
Stroller / Car Seat
There’s a million to choose from and everyone is going to have an opinion here. I’d recommend going to a store (we did BuyBuy Baby) and try them out in person to see what clicks. Terrence really wanted a jogger to go running with Capa in, so that feature has been nice. But the drawbacks of the model we got are (1) it’s huge and pretty cumbersome (2) the front wheel gets wonky. But the carseat safety was a priority to us, so Graco it was. Our runner up was the Mockingbird, which I’ve heard nothing but great things about, too.
Eating
We introduced solids around 6 months and did a relaxed version of Baby Led Weaning. What I’ve gathered for high chairs is that it is important that they can rest their legs on the base. And for self-feeding, just be prepared for mess and go with it. That’s how they learn and explore foods.
The portable high chair is pretty great for our lifestyles, as is some other little trays and snackers. We also recently introduced the EZPZ Cup in addition to regular sippy cups which is mostly successful.
Sleep (or lacktherof lol):
Capa is a shit sleeper and we’re shit at enforcing any sort of bedtime routine. So take this one with a grain of salt…
The sleep sacks have been helpful as he’s more mobile because they signify bed time, restrict some of the ease of his walking around, the little weighted bean thing is supposed to be calming. Idk. You can find a lot of differing info out there and some people don’t suggest the weighted function. Suit yourself.
Moses Basket Bassinet: We used this way longer than I thought we would, actually. Kept it right next to my side of the bed and the dockatot fit right in it. Again, not technically safe sleep so I’m not endorsing anything officially. It’s just what worked for us.
The white noise machine (which is going while I type this) has been helpful. Sometimes I think it’s more for me because I wake at the slightest grunt baby makes at night, but we also don’t keep a quiet house and welcome noisy sleep environments.
The pack n play is one of those staple items, but Capa has legit always hated being in it. When it’s full of toys he will occasionally spend 5-10 min in there but he won’t sleep in it. We’ve tried… maybe not as hard as we could have, but hey.
Dockatot: Another controversial item (what sleep item isn’t, though?) because it’s not technically safe sleep. It’s low key designed to be a co-sleeper but they can’t market it that way, but listen, Capa slept AMAZINGLY in this thing and I 100% swear by it.
Capa never liked to be fully swaddled, even from day one, and would manage to squirm one or both arms out. We did use the Ollie Swaddle and had some success with it. It’s super easy to use so I would recommend it, for sure. Get yourself a good stack of muslin cloths going too, for burps and beyond. But I would say to wait to see how your kiddo likes being bundled up before getting a whole bunch of different swaddles and stuff.
Misc Items:
If you’re going to be around open water / boats, a life jacket is a must. We don’t use it for “fun swim” and will avoid floaties and puddle jumpers, but living on Long Island, we are on boats quite often and this one is non-negotiable. Make sure the fit is good and don’t take it off, even for a moment if you’re on a boat. Duh.
The vitamin D is a supplement that we did, especially in the first six months, since breastmilk does not contain any of this vitamin. I believe formula does, but always check with your doctor first!
We’re super hesitant to use things like acetominophen, but when the baby is truly in pain we will give him some. Particularly for flights, where we always give him the minimum amount 30 min before takeoff for ear pressure.
Magnetic cabinet locks, because all the other ones suck in my opinion. We try not to go too hard on baby proofing, but things like the liquor cabinet and cleaning cabinets are locked up. I’d also recommend those outlet plug things, especially if your baby likes to live on the edge like ours.
We love the drawer dividers for baby’s dresser and can’t imagine trying to organize without them. Onesies are freaking tiny, and we just roll everything up and keep them in sight like that.
And the touch free thermometer is also great, because idk about you but I’d rather not stick one up his butthole to find out if he is running a fever…
Baby nail grinder / file thing has honestly been a lifesaver. Clipping their nails with scissors or clippers is terrifying to me. Their nails are so small. They are attached to the freaking skin. Babies wiggle and squirm and the whole thing has been so much easier with this grinder thing.
The noise canceling headphones got us through many weddings and even a red rocks concert. Benefit is they obviously protect sensitive ears. Downside is babies love to take them off…
These little chamomile teething tablets are one of the only “remedy” things we use for teething. I’m not even sure if they work, but Capa loves them and the ingredients are pretty harmless IMO.
The Otteroo was one of our favorite things to do with Capa until he started teething. The mini was perfect for him because it gave him some body autonomy / movement freedom and I think really helped him fall in love with bath time. Once he started really teething he figured out how to hook his mouth underneath the neck ring which sort of put an end to it, but it was AMAZING until then.
Stuff that I personally did not end up really needing:
Nursing pads: I used them a bit in the first few weeks when my supply was still regulating, but never needed since. I did buy the nice bamboo ones, but they just sit in a drawer now and never get used. Some women end up needing them much longer, so I think this is on a case by case basis.
The boppy pillow: Okay some people swear by these so I don’t want to yuck your yum… but it was pretty useless for us. Shape and size wasn’t optimal for breastfeeding, and Capa didn’t really like it for tummy time. Sits in the closet.
Hakka breast pump: Another one that is a popular “must have” for people, but I hated how it felt. Suction was awkward and not super productive for me. I know they make a catcher for strictly let down that I might have gone for if I was doing it again.
Baby Brezza Sterilizer: We used it, but I wouldn’t call it a "must have” by any stretch of the imagination. Like was it nice to not have to boil bottles? Sure. But it still took a long time and always sort of rusted at the bottom and stuff. Sits in our basement…
Nursing Cover: Lololol I’ve literally never used this. No shame if covering up is your thing it just seems so cumbersome and not at all my jam. Capa would hate it. I’d hate it. I’m team ‘whip-em-out’ but again, that’s just me. I think you can use this thing as a carseat cover too… who knows.
Things We Never Bought And Don’t Miss:
A Crib: This one might surprise you, but we don’t have a crib. We have the pack n play and that still barely gets touched. Capa recently transitioned into a Montessori style toddler bed on the floor, and I think that’s going to be the one that sticks.
The Snoo: Get at me… but $1600 was more than we were willing to shell out. And the rental didn’t really add up, either. I know people who say they couldn’t have lived without it, but we did and lived to tell the tale.
A baby monitor: We legit don’t have a monitor, at all. Capa’s always near us and we’ve really enjoyed using our intuition instead of apps to keep him under our watch.
The Owlet: Another one that we decided to use more intuition / less apps for. I honestly went back and forth over this one, but I’ve read recalls for burns, skepticism over technology on babies, and false alarms for these so I opted not to. Having said that, if Capa was born premature or had certain health concerns, I’d reconsider.
Baby Bath: Capa has never actually been in one of those special baby baths and to us, it just seemed like a waste. We bathed with him when he was a newborn (and still do a lot), and he’s always loved bath time. I honestly preferred skin to skin for newbie baths over putting them in a special tub, but that’s just me.
Hand-Me-Down / MARKETPLACE Stuff That Came Up Clutch:
Clothes. All the clothes!! We didn’t buy a single item of clothing retail for Capa until he was 11 months old. We didn’t put any clothing on our registry because PEOPLE LOVE TO GIVE YOU BABY CLOTHES. Gifts, hand me downs, etc. Trust me, there are plenty of outgrown outfits that we still have with tags on them….
Mamaroo: “The Spaceship” we called this one. We got one hand me down + one as a loaner. Wouldn’t recommend doing a new one and would totally recommend marketplace or a friend if possible.
Swings, bouncers, play mats, etc— there is SO much stuff that you don’t need to buy new. Honestly, the only things I think you HAVE to have new are the carseat, life jacket, and bottles.