Welcome, future mamas! If you keep up with my posts, you know that I have already posted about what to register for your baby shower. While some of the items on that list might overlap with some items on this list, these posts are not the same. This post does not just include big ticket registry items, but all of the little things that you’ll NEED. Let’s get started.
A Crib/Mattress/Sheets
First and foremost – you obviously need this. It should be safe, and in the beginning not only will you not need blankets/pillows/stuffed animals, but you SHOULD NOT have them. They are suffocation hazards to a precious little baby. Make sure the mattress that you get is for newborns. Believe it or not, there is a difference between newborn and toddler mattresses. Most mattresses these days will come with a newborn side and a toddler side.
A COMFORTABLE Chair
Whether breastfeeding or formula feeding, you will be spending a lot of time in this chair, let me tell ya. This is not the time for aesthetics.
A Little Chair-Side Table
When I was breastfeeding, this is where I kept my water bottle (because oh man does it make you thirsty), my snacks, and my gel nipple pads during the painful days.
A Dresser
Even if your baby doesn’t have a lot of clothes yet, they will eventually. This is also a great place to put a changing pad (a full on changing table isn’t really necessary). It’s also good for storing extra crib sheets, towels and wash clothes, burp blankets, etc. (Pro tip: you’ll want at least 3 or 4 spare crib sheets on hand, because when it’s 3am and your baby has had a diaper blow out, you do not want to wait 2 hours to wash and dry the sheets)
A Monitor
They really do make life so much better. Even now when I hear Hollings cry in the middle of the night, I need to be able to see what she’s doing in her crib before I decide if I’m going to go in her room.
A Sound Machine
Not only is this to help baby sleep better, but it’s also to block out any noise that thereby might be able to hear coming from the rest of the house.
A Diaper Pail
A regular trash can for your nursery just isn’t going to cut it. You’ll need a heavy duty diaper pail to really hide the scent of those scary diapers. I know that some diaper pails are designed to only be able to use their own brand’s trash bags (which I think are more expensive than regular trash bags). I opted for one that allows you to use any trash bag.
A Hamper
I keep Hollings’ hamper right next to the changing table so I can just toss anything dirty into it right away if I need to.
A Lamp
Again, when you’re going into your baby’s room in the middle of the night, you don’t want to be fumbling around in the dark, but you also don’t want to turn on the bright overhead light. Even though I rarely have to go into the nursery in the middle of the night anymore, I still use the lamp when I go get Hollings in the morning when she’s waking up. No one wants a bright overhead light on right when they’re waking up, even babies.
I obviously have more in Hollings’ nursery than just these items, but these are the items that are “must haves” in my opinion. Other than that, go crazy with the wall decor, rugs, and rocking horses of your dreams!
