Baby & Mom Registry Must Haves

PHEW. 2 tiny humans in 5 years. It’s amazing how much came out between Athena & Nora being born. BUT the biggest thing I came away with between the two was KNOWLEDGE. One of the main things I wish I had done with my registry with Athena was actually put some stuff on for ME. By Nora, I kind of got over that idea, but it would have made round 1 a whole lot easier. I’ve already got a Favorite Things Part I and Part II and I stand by ALL OF THEM. Along with the items on the list below, I’ve added all of those goodies to a “one-stop-shop” Amazon list to make it easier for you to add to YOUR registry, or purchase for a friend. And yes, I skipped a lot of things like strollers. These are the base-line things…you’ll see. Keep reading. I also did not go through and add pictures of everything. You can pretty much see it all on the Amazon list anyway.

Hot/Cold Breast Packs: whether breastfeeding or not, these babies were LIFE SAVERS. Studies have shown applying heat to breast before pumping can also yield a substantial increase in out-put as the warmth helps stimulate the breast to let down more effectively.

Depends: If a friend doesn’t have these on their registry, they get them from me. I read about using Depends on a mommy blog when I was pregnant with Athena and it was one of the best things I did for myself, and did again with Eleanor. So I am now, hoping to be that mommy blog for you. Get the Depends. As their name suggests- better coverage, much more comfortable, and just better than the mega pads.

PP Recovery Kit & Upside Down Peri Bottle: Having now told you Depends are better than mega pads- this kit was a GAME CHANGER when I had Eleanor. It comes with some SUPER comfortable PP BRIEFS, post partum ice-pack pads, a bottle of witch hazel foam (I loved using it with my Depends), witch hazel wipes, and a spot for the UPSIDE DOWN PERI BOTTLE. Yall. It is 2022 and it took someone until like 2020 to figure that out. Genius. Worth it.

Mattress Cover: Get 2. The number of times layering mattress cover/sheet/mattress cover/sheet has saved me in the middle of the night is endless. Your future self will thank you.

Let-Down Milk Collector: I cringe to think about the gallons of milk I tossed soaking milk pads, nursing Athena because I didn’t know about this friend. As a heavy producer, I saved hundreds of extra ounces when I got it with Eleanor. With her having a shallow latch before her tie revision, it was also great to help relieve some pressure to make it easier for her to latch. Again, do yourself a favor.

Ryan & Rose Items these are mostly all on the Amazon list, but I have them linked directly from their website as Amazon doesn’t have all of their colors or items: Bapron, Holder, Cutie Bands. Both of the girls have Baprons and I love getting them as gifts. They are water & stain resistant and clean up really easily. They tie around the back and cover the whole front. My girls love them, and so do I. I keep holders all over the place. From the car to the bedrooms, and stroller. They have so many uses. I delivered both girls with cutie bands in my hair. Not that I had long labors BUT a cutie band kept my hair locked in place which was one less dumb thing to worry about while in the midst of labor.

Bath Teas: Munchkin : For my baby shower for Athena, my sweet cousin gifted me some bath teabags. It was cutesy and sweet until I was a month post-partum and it was so gently luxurious. You can easily Google plenty of brands, or even make your own. But these Munchkin ones have a solid price point, and have everything you want out of a gentle, soothing bath anyway. I STILL think about that thoughtful gift.

Fluffy, Long, Bathrobe: If you are giving birth in a hospital let me warm you- FREAKING FREEZING. I’m just a generally always cold person, then had a baby in December. Even with Nora being a summer baby, AC is cold. A nice fuzzy bathrobe means you don’t have to put real clothes on, makes skin to skin super easy and snuggly, and boob access even easier.

Big Ole’ Water Bottle: I’m a heavy drinker on a good day. Breastfeeding puts that into mega drive. I have the exact same Stanley I own linked here. Yes. 64oz is big. But believe me, you will get ridiculously annoyed having to refill a water bottle 23856560 times a day. I’ve also been very happy with the quality and the temperature it keeps my drinks at. I always add Redmond Relyte to my water. FUN FACT: I was drinking tons of water and couldn’t figure out why I was getting woozy. My husband pretty quickly figured out I was over flushing my system and not getting enough electrolytes. SO, lesson learned- along with all of that water you’re drinking, get your electrolytes too. They’ll also help support your supply.

Labor Gown: This may be the most bougie item on the list. With Eleanor, I gave birth at a birth center, and thus they didn’t provide a labor gown. I also didn’t want to potentially get any of my “real clothes” yucky. I got this exact one, and it was perfect. Comfortable, plenty of access points for medical professionals if necessary, and after she was born, it pulled off and away super easily. I continued to wear it PP just because it was easy to breastfeed in too.