We went last weekend and registered for our soon-to-arrive little one! And oh, goodness: the options! It can be kind of overwhelming. The reason I tend not to be overwhelmed this time around is that it is our third time. I have a pretty good idea of what we will absolutely NEED and what would be nice to have, but will not be necessary. And the reason we are registering? I got rid of everything (EVERYTHING) a few weeks before we found out we were pregnant!
I am trying to see the bright side by saying that this time around we can get the things we actually love and use. And we know the things that we would like to splurge on and the things we just don’t need. So, I thought I would share with you, in a series of posts here at Simple.Home.Blessings. the essentials for baby. So you can make the registry and purchasing process easy and uncluttered. I am sharing only the quality products that really are worth it. It may seem like the list is really short, but honestly, you don’t need a whole bunch of things!
I am starting with Early Feeding Essentials.
No matter how you have decided to feed your baby, you will definitely need a number of things for feeding. We have breastfed our previous two babies and I am looking forward to nursing this next one, too. I have tried to go as long as possible with both girls, but we were unable to make it to a year with either girl. We got over 6 months with both girls, though! I highly recommend nursing and loved it, even though it is difficult and takes a LOT of time and patience. The benefits are really amazing. But, even if you can’t nurse, you are going to need some basics. You will notice my list of feeding essentials is geared more towards breastfeeding, but many of the items will be necessary no matter how you choose to feed your little one.
By the way, I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Chicco. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation. All opinions in this post are my own!
Let’s get started:
1. Good quality bottles
We actually were sent a set of the new Chicco NaturalFit Advanced Feeding and Soothing System (Baby’s First Gift Set) to review and I am so excited to try them that we are including more of these bottles in our registry. These bottles are designed for newborns to get the best latch. And they have two valves in them to help prevent colic caused by air ingestion, which helps to prevent the dreaded baby spit-up! They also have an angled nipple which helps with the latch and keeps the nipple full of milk while feeding, so baby gets less air. That angle really helps with a LOT!
As I mentioned these come in three stages with different flows for when baby gets better at feeding. I like this idea because as a nursing mom, I have witnessed babies become better, more efficient feeders over time. So this system of bottles will already be something baby is used to, as we switch to the next stages of bottles and nipples. I also like that the nipples for these bottles are super soft (made of silicone) which will hopefully help baby switch from breast to bottle and back (as necessary). We don’t do a ton of bottle feeding while breastfeeding, but we do it enough to make it necessary to have an easy transition between the two.
The Chicco NaturalFit products display at BabiesR’Us was filled with LOTS of fun things we added to our registry because I really liked the design of the products. And I also like that all of their products are backed by a money-back guarantee to ensure that we get a product we really love.
Registry recommendation: Chicco NaturalFit Advanced Feeding and Soothing System Baby’s First Gift Set AND/OR Chicco NaturalFit All You Need Starter Kit
2. A quality breast pump
If this is your first pregnancy, you will want to invest in a good quality breast pump because you might want to use it in future pregnancies. And if this is your third (like mine), you will want to invest in a good quality breast pump because it is very convenient and works better than other brands. This time around, we registered for a high-quality, name brand breast pump. They are the Cadillac brand of breast pump, but honestly work better than any other pump I have seen. In my last pregnancy, I needed to purchase a manual breast pump for a short day trip I was taking where I would not have the facilities to sit and plug in my (lesser brand) pump. So I purchased a manual pump. I could not believe how much better this brand was at expressing milk than my electric pump. I was able to get MUCH more milk than I typically get, faster, and easier! I know it is quite the investment, but it is one of those things that will truly save you time and frustration throughout your nursing term. Plus, it can be passed along to a friend or family member for their nursing.
They are available in 3 separate price points, but we registered for the basic model. We are not often on the road for my pumping sessions, so we did not need a battery operated model. This one has both options, but we will mostly be using it in our home.
Registry recommendation: Pump In Style Advanced Double Electric Breast Pump
3. A good nursing pillow
I have shared my love for my boomerang pillow (affiliate link) before on this blog. And part of the reason I love it so much is because it is SO versatile. I take it with me everywhere for about a year and a half (from 2nd trimester through finishing up nursing). I have tried the other “nursing pillows” on the market and I still come back to my boomerang (hmm…see what I did there?). And the best part is: they aren’t expensive! I think every pregnant and nursing mom absolutely NEEDS one of these!
Registry recommendation: BeautyRest Boomerang Pillow (affiliate link)
4. A nursing cover
Oh, goodness nursing in public is fraught with lots of controversy. And I am the first to admit that I haven’t ever gotten completely comfortable with it. But there are times when nursing in public is absolutely necessary, and so a nursing cover is needed. And I have not always liked the options I have used for nursing coverage – they always seem to have an open spot – I need something with full coverage. So, this time around I am getting a Milk Snob Cover because I LOVE the design and the functionality! Check out what this cover offers: 360 coverage, lightweight, stretchable fabric in fun designs, and it converts into a car seat cover or shopping cart cover! I love it!
Registry recommendation: Milk Snob Cover You can’t register for it, but pin it to your Pinterest boards or post on Facebook to let your friends and family know you NEED one!
5. Cloth diapers
As we go through this series of baby essentials, you will notice that I think these are absolutely necessary. A friend of mine recommended at my first baby shower that we purchase the simple Gerber cloth diapers. She said they would be so useful throughout the first year. And she was right! I love that they have a ton of applications, but I definitely need them for spit up situations. They are really easy to clean. And we are still using them at bath time with our toddler girls (one of the few items I didn’t get rid of). Plus they are super soft and help to clean up babies when dampened. Seriously, take my friend’s advice and put these on your registry!
Registry recommendation: Gerber cloth diapers
6. Chicco Silicone Pacifiers
Alright, disclaimers are SO necessary here. 1. I don’t understand fully why pacifiers are in the “feeding” section of baby stores; and, 2. I really DO not like pacifiers (for a number of reasons). But both of our girls ended up using pacifiers for some time (G for 9 months and W for over 2 years – I am kind of embarrassed to admit that). Those disclaimers aside, I have kind of fallen for the Chicco silicone pacifiers because they look like something that is easy to clean. They don’t have all those crevices that other pacifiers have. And I really like that they have their own case. These, like the Chicco NaturalFit bottles come in stages, so that as baby grows they are getting the perfect fit for a growing mouth. By the way, the gift set I received from Chicco includes 2 of these pacifiers – Yea!
Registry Recommendation: Chicco silicone pacifiers
