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Krista: This is Secret Mom Hacks episode number 15. My name is Krista and I am your host. It's May 17th, 2023, and today I'm covering my 10 baby registry must haves for new moms. Y'all. The baby business is booming and there are tons of products out on the market. I'm here to help you cut through the noise so you know what you absolutely need for your new little one versus what's just nice to have.

But before we get into that, I just wanna say thanks for tuning in, mama. I started this podcast because babies don't come with instructions as of this recording. I'm chasing around an almost five year old, kind of pains me to say she's growing like a weed, that no amount of Googling mom groups or what to expect when you're expecting books were able to prepare me for, there's a lot of stuff people don't talk about when it comes to pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy and postpartum, and as someone who was previously terrified of childbirth, parenthood and all that follows, I'm here to help you pull back the curtain on.

All of it, and every now and then it may get a little messy. We may share a little TMI, but I think that's why you're here, right? My goal is that you will leave every episode feeling refreshed, inspired, and hopeful, knowing you are not on this mom journey alone. Now, there's a lot of subject matter to cover when it comes to mom life, and we are covering it all.

So let's dive into my Top 10 Baby Registry Must haves for new parents. Okay, number one on my list is a bassinet or a baby bed, so you're going to need something somewhere for your new little baby to sleep in. Now, I personally loved the Halo Bassinest Nest Swivel Sleeper. Okay, you're gonna hear mixed reviews on this item, just like you hear mixed reviews about everything.

Some people love it, some people hate it. I'm the mom who really loved it.

Now here's why I was really impressed by the Halo Bassinest Swivel Sleeper. So I was nursing my baby. I breastfed my daughter. So it was really important to me that I could have her close by, have her in the room with me.

And what I love about the Bass Nest is that. While I was laying in the bed, the, the bass nest actually can move up or down. It can swivel front to back. So while I'm in bed, obviously I need to be able to get into the bed. I would put the halo right up next to the bed, but then I could also, it swiveled so I could push it back to allow me to get up into the bed.

And then once I was laying down, I could pull it. Right up close to the bed, and like I said, it would adjust up and down so I could put it eye level. So while I was sleeping in bed, I rest assured, I don't know about you other new moms out there, but I would wake up in the middle of the night if, if she was sleeping, I would wake up in the middle of the night like, oh my goodness, is she okay?

We're all resting, we're sleeping. She hasn't made a peep. And what I loved about the Halo is it has this mesh front. So while I was laying in bed, I didn't have to get up. I didn't have to move. I could just look right through the side of that swivel sleeper and I could see that she was right there.

I could see the rise and fall of her chest. I could actually very easily, with virtually no effort, put my hand on her chest and, and check, make sure she was okay. And it was amazing. And then those moments in the middle of the night when she would wake up and she would want a nurse, I could very easily just put both hands, the side of the Bass Nest will actually.

Collapse just a little bit with, you have to put your hands down on it, and so it's, I think it has a spring in it. Maybe the side will actually drop down. I could easily lift her out while I'm still in bed, and then I could nurse her from the bed. So huge kudos from me for the Halo Bassinest Swivel Sleeper.

I realize everybody might have a different opinion on it, but I absolutely loved it. And another hack I want to share with you is that you don't have to pay full price for these things if you can and you want to absolutely go for it. But I actually managed to find one gently used.

It was an excellent used condition on Facebook marketplace and I think those, the Bassinest retail for around $300 or so. I managed to get our excellent used condition, halo Bassinest for like a hundred bucks. It might have been 125 or something like that, but I got it for less than half of the full retail price, which is awesome.

So there are other great bassinets out there as options two, but this was the one we used and I really, really enjoyed it. I had a great experience with it. So that is number one. The number two item that must be on your registry is Muslin Swaddles. I realize there's probably different types of material, but I loved the muslin swaddles.

They're so great for just s swaddling the baby wrapping 'em up like a little baby burrito, to keep them warm, keep them from their little startle reflex. When you swaddle them, it's very similar to them being back in the womb, so that's very comforting for them. It's tight, it's compact, it's keeping them warm and cozy.

The swaddle blankets are also excellent for burping. Every time after we would nurse, I would grab the swaddle blanket, put it over my shoulder, and it was just great for, catching any spit up or any drool. Keeping my shoulders and my arms nice, clean and dry. The swaddle blankets are also excellent because they're so breathable.

You could easily put it over the car seat. Help to keep sun out of their eyes, while in the car, at the park or wherever. They're just super versatile, like I said, helping the babies feel secure and cozy. Make sure you find one that is, Soft, breathable, so that it is gentle on, on the baby's skin.

So my daughter is now almost five, which is just wild to me. I feel like just yesterday, she was, Wrapped in one of these swaddle blankets sleeping in my arms. So watch out mamas, that time goes by in a blink. But anyway, we still actually use these swaddle blankets today.

They're so cute. They're so pretty. They're so soft. So we actually still use them. She sleeps with them in her bed. I use it as that first layer, I'll cover her with her little swaddle blanket and then I'll put her bedsheet and her comforter over her. And she knows that she's had it ever since she was a baby, and that mommy loves them, but she loves snuggling with them just because they are so extra soft.

And especially in the summer. It's just a nice extra cool layer. So definitely need to have those muslin swaddles on your. Baby registry list. Okay, item number three that you must have is a great baby monitor. So a reliable baby monitor is going to help you keep an eye on your little one while they're in a different room, whether they're sleeping or whether they're just playing in their room.

If you need to step away, go to the bathroom real fast, go to the kitchen, make a sandwich, do whatever it is you need to do. Certainly if they sleep in a different room than what you sleep. You need a good baby monitor. I recommend choosing a monitor that has. Features, like of course, the video monitoring a temperature display, and two-way communication.

We still use our monitor even though she's not a little baby anymore. But guys, there are so many different kinds and brands of monitors out on the market. The one that I use, it's called Infant Optics, and I absolutely love it. So I've had that ever since she was a teeny tiny little baby. We still use it today.

I love that. Of course it has. Yes, the video monitoring, I can see the temperature in the room where she's located, and it does have that two-way communication, so I can turn it up loud. I can hear her, whatever it is she's doing. But then if she hollers for me or as I'm listening and watching, if I see, maybe she's doing something or getting into something that I don't want her to get into, I can talk with her through the little speaker on the monitor.

She and I can both talk with each other and hear each other. Which is super helpful. So I love the infant optics. I will have a link to it in the show notes too, if you wanna check it out, so you can easily add it to your baby registry. But like I said, definitely research.

Maybe it's important to you to have it on your smartphone. I know some of the monitors come with an app, so that rather than having one more piece of technology that you have to log around with you, you can simply open the app. On your smartphone and see the monitor video through there.

We haven't used that kind, but I know other parents who have and have said great things about those types of monitors as well. So, jump online, do your research, and make sure you register the one that is right for you. Must have, number four is a stroller and car seat. Now you start researching online.

For car seats and strollers, you are going to find a plethora of. Brands and different types and you could spend $150 on the stroller and car seat, or you could spend a thousand dollars or probably even a little bit more. Whatever your budget is, there is a stroller and car seat combo that will fit within that budget.

Okay, so I am going to just recommend the one that that we use cuz we had such a great experience with it. It is the Chico. Key fit, 30 infant car seat and stroller combo. I absolutely loved it. I felt like it was mid-budget. It ranges in around the 200, two to 300 price range, depending on where you're shopping and where you're located.

But we loved this product. It was so easy to snap in and out of the car. It was so easy to snap in and out of the stroller. Loved, loved, loved this combo. Something else I highly recommend is that you get multiple bases. So of course you're going to need a base for your car if you have a partner or a spouse.

That person is also going to need a base in their car because you do not want to be moving these bases in out of the vehicles. That's not the easiest thing in the world. Again, the car seat and stroller and everything, it's super easy to pop the, the car seat and all of that out of the bases, but locking the base into your vehicle is not the easiest thing to do. You certainly don't wanna be doing that on a daily or even every couple of day basis. So I would recommend you getting the car seat base, your spouse or partner, getting a car seat base. If you got grandparents, they should probably have one too.

It wouldn't hurt. If you are relying on help to pick up baby or or cart baby around, then that person is definitely going to need the car seat as well. So definitely check out the Chico Key Fit 30 infant car seat and stroller combo. Also, make sure you do your research.

I selected that particular brand and that product because to me it had great safety ratings. It wasn't the cheapest in the world, but it certainly wasn't gonna break the bank.

So do your research. You can find all kinds of review sites online and of course other moms who have reviewed various types of car seats and stroller combos. But for us, this is the one that we just had such a great experience with. We used it from birth all the way. And until about a year and a half ago is when we stopped using the stroller.

We got rid of the car seat of course, several years ago. But the stroller. Lasted a good long while. Once my daughter had grown out of the car seat, that stroller was awesome for just trips to the park or pumpkin patches and, and so on. Going to the mall or wherever has a nice little snack tray.

Plenty of room for me to put my water and keys, my purse, et cetera, whatever. So definitely recommend the Chico Key Fit 30 infant car seat. Item number five that you must have on your baby registry if you're a new parent is the pack and play. We love the pack and play. It was so great for traveling.

If we were visiting friends or family or whatever. Great. Also, just for around the house to keep your baby contained while you're cleaning, cooking, whatever it is, don't leave them unattended. That's just. Given. We never wanna leave our babies unattended, but especially once babies get mobile, they can easily get into lots of things in just the blink of an eye.

So if you're cleaning, or maybe you've gotta run to the kitchen real fast, then you're gonna need the pack and play. You don't want them crawling over to a wall and sticking their finger in a socket, which. Another very important thing that every new parent must have on hand is those electrical socket protectors, those little plastic electrical plug safety covers.

You can find those on Amazon. You can find 'em at Walmart, et cetera. Definitely need those. But everybody needs the pack and play. It's so, so good. We took it when we were on vacation. We went to the beach several times and it was so awesome because I packed that pack and play along, and that actually served as, as her bed while we were sleeping in one room.

We had her in the pack and play right next door with the monitor there. That was another thing. Our monitor's also very easy to travel with, so I wasn't comfortable with her. Sleeping up in the bigger bed. So we popped open the pack and play, and that's where she slept that night. And like I said, I had the monitor right there over her, so I had peace of mind.

I could hear and see everything that was going on just right in the room next door. So, highly recommend the pack and play. That's another item that you can find online or going to your local retailer, but that is something that, again, a lot of parents will take really good care of them and sell them secondhand.

So whether that's at a local consignment store or on Facebook marketplace, highly recommend that you get your hands on a pack and play for your new little one. Okay, item number six that you must have. Is baby bottles and those bottle accessories. Okay? So even if you plan to breastfeed, Like I did, I nursed my little one for a year.

Once again, you can hear about my breastfeeding journey in a previous episode. But having that set of bottles and bottle accessories is super useful for times. When you just need to supplement feeding or if you're pumping.

I highly recommend registering for a few different types, sizes, and brands just to see what works best for your baby. If you start exploring the world of baby bottles and accessories, there are a ton of brands out there, so once again, I'm just gonna share with you what we used that we had a great experience with.

I loved the Phillips event, bottles and accessories. Quite frankly, because you can find that brand everywhere and it was very reasonably priced. You could find those bottles and all of the different nipples and the cleaning accessories and everything. You could find them at Walmart, target, Amazon.

Very, very easy to get your hands on. And one other item that I highly want to recommend along with the bottles is the boon grass. So it's this little plastic. Square of plasticy, rubbery green grass. Okay, I'm gonna link to it in the show notes, but that was perfect for drying all of the bottles and nipples and all of the bottle accessories.

It also just looks super cute on the kitchen counter, which is always nice, and that helps. Okay, item number seven, that must be on your registry. Is diapers and wipes. Y'all babies go through a ton of diapers, especially in the early months, so you must have an ample supply.

Definitely register for a variety of sizes because babies do grow quickly. And personally, this is my favorite thing to get for new parents. I call it a diaper and wipe buffet. Okay. I like to just go to my local store and I will buy a handful of different diaper brands in a handful of different sizes.

And then I also like to do the same with wipes. Get five or six different types because there's so many out there. When I was that brand new mom, when my little was first born, I didn't know what was the best. Right? And again, we're all gonna have different tastes and preferences.

On our diapers and wipes but that's how you figure it out, right? You need to try a lot of different kinds. So for my friends and family who bought those different kinds for us, that was awesome because I could take notes and be like, you know, yep, I really do like this one. Or, not a huge fan of this one.

Not gonna use that on baby's bottom. That's just gonna clean up messes that's gonna be in the to-go bag, or that's gonna be in the car. So definitely recommend registering for a ton of diapers and wipes because you're gonna need them. All right. Item number eight.

That is a must have is a baby carrier or sling. But which ones should you register for? Just like the stroller and the car seat, there are tons of brands and different types, some that are a little more structured, some that are a little loose, almost like a scarf.

So which ones should you register for? I actually registered for two. I got both of them and I loved them. The first one. Is a little more structured. It's called the Lila Baby, and it was the complete All Seasons carrier. I loved it because it was almost like a little backpack and it had some nice cushioning on the shoulders.

Loved, loved, loved that baby carrier, and so did my daughter. The second one that I had, and forgive me if I'm butchering this name, I think it. Kaan, I had the Baby Katon original baby rap carrier, so that's the one that it's much more flexible than the Lilly baby. But the katon is, it was great. I mean, especially when she was so, so little.

That was my favorite one to have her in because it was very, very comfortable, easy to move around in, easy to breathe. Once again, I'm gonna link to both of these in the show notes so you can see exactly what I'm talking about. But the baby carrier is a must have. Especially when they're new and so little.

This allows you to keep your hands free while still keeping your baby close. So look for carriers that are comfortable. And supportive both for your baby and for you. One of my favorite things to do was to wear my daughter while I was cleaning or while I took a walk, just because it's her nap time or just because you have a baby doesn't mean that you, you can't do the things that you normally do.

And I loved baby wearing so highly recommend you having one or both of these items. In your arsenal as a new mom. We're nearing the end of our list. We've just got two left. Number nine is a baby swing or bouncer. Now this can be a huge lifesaver when you just need a safe place to put your baby down for a moment.

If you just wanna sit and read a book or you need to go grab something, maybe you don't have the pack and play popped open, or if you just need something to soothe them. Okay? So look for one that has. Adjustable speed settings, soothing features. Now, personally, my daughter loved the Exer saucer, but there's also something called a jumperoo.

Some kids love both. Some love neither, and some definitely have their preferences. So if you listen back to one of my earlier interviews with my cousin Jill, she was talking about how. One kid hated the jumperoo and the other kid loved it, and vice versa. So definitely love these products because it allows them a spot to play in, to jump around, get some of that energy out. And especially if they're still super little and they're just still, they aren't walking yet, but they're just, starting to sit up. Then these baby swings or bouncers are super helpful for them because they're pretty supportive and it gives them a place to just play and look at things.

And everything's just within arms reach. So my daughter just loved the Exer saucer. We actually had two of them. I had one at our home, but then we also had another one at Grandparents, which was super helpful.

I feel like they're very reasonably priced. You can find them at just about any retail store, but you can also find them. Secondhand in great used condition on marketplace or at local kids' consignment stores like once upon a child or kid to kid.

Now one of her exer saucers was a jungle theme, and we did a front porch pickup. Via Facebook marketplace, and I'm wanting to say we got it for like 35 or 40 bucks and it looked brand new, so definitely recommend checking out either the baby swing or a bouncer, exer, saucer, et cetera.

You are going to love this product for your little one, and he or she is gonna love it as well. And item number 10. Now this is kind of a blend of things. These are important baby healthcare essentials that you're gonna need to have in your bathroom. So you definitely need a digital thermometer.

We all can do that feel test, right? But you need to know if baby is. Running a fever or an elevated temp, you need a nasal aspirator. I highly recommend the nose Frida. Okay. It is a must. So we also call it the nose sucker which may sound really gross to you and maybe you've seen this thing at, at the store on Amazon or on other blogs, but it's a little blue tube that has a cap on it with another smaller rubber tube attached to it with a little red mouthpiece on it. You may be wondering what that is. So that's the nose fria. That is a nose sucker. Okay. And it has this little sponge in the top, after using the nose Frida, I will not use one of those bulb aspirators, like unless something's happened to our nose, Frida.

But it is awesome you guys, little babies. They get snotty. They get boogery. It's hard to get that out of their nose. They start sniffling their noses start running. They have goopy snot that you just can't get out. That nose sucker is a lifesaver. You just stick it in their little nose and then you, you put the red and in your mouth and you just suck really fast, and it pulls the snot out.

And then it's really easy to clean. We love the nose Frida. It is a must. So highly recommend it. Promise you it is not gross. It may sound gross, but it's not gross. Something else you must have are baby clippers. Now let me just say, Little baby.

Baby nails, fingernails. Toenails. They are like razors, okay? They get sharp and you definitely need to be trimming them. But the first time I used little baby nail clippers on my daughter, on her fingernails. Baby nails are so thin and flimsy and frail, and I even though I was being gentle, I cut my baby and that baby let out a whale.

And it just broke my heart, so it was really difficult for me to continue clipping her nails. So I bought an electric file, which you can also find on Amazon. I will leave a link to the one I really like in the show notes, so you can check it out. But my heart just broke. The one and only time I cut her using those nail clippers.

So I highly recommend using an electric nail file, having that in your healthcare essential arsenal. And then lastly, of course, you need a brush, a comb, a toothbrush, just those important everyday items to help you take care of your baby's health and hygiene. Now I'm gonna do a little bonus section of this episode to just share some of the nice to have items that you could also have on your baby registry as well.

So these are nice to have. They're not absolute necessities, but they are just nice to have a little extra if, if somebody's really looking for extra things to get you, then these are just icing on the cake.

So a baby bathtub now, especially designed baby bathtub. Of course, it makes bathtime safe and convenient. They have some that. Provide support for newborns and have features like that non-slip surface and a built-in thermometer, which is really, really handy. This is something that we had because Was I comfortable about putting my daughter in a bathtub?

No, not really. Baby needs to get clean. I could get in there with her. And wash her and really help keep her safe, but especially design baby bathtub, that is going to take that one extra step further to make sure baby is safe and that she or he is easy to wash.

Also nice to have. Baby clothes, so you could register for a variety of baby clothes in all the different sizes you're gonna need. Onesies, sleepers, socks, hats, mittens, et cetera. Definitely wanna register for clothes that are comfortable and that are also in fabrics that are easy to clean. Now, I also wanna share a caveat here.

Y'all babies get dirty. They throw up, they spit up, they pee, they poop. Even with diapers on. Diapers are not foolproof. Diapers leak. And let me just tell you, you put a. Clean diaper on, and sometimes in a minute that diaper can be dirty. Okay? And especially they could have a blowout where it comes out, the leg goes out the top, and then you've got poop or pee all over the back of this beautiful little onesie that you'd gotten from your baby shower.

So I just wanna say baby clothes. Obviously your baby needs to be clothed. We don't wanna walk around with naked babies. But something I recommend, and again, everybody's budget's different, so I'm coming from the perspective of a more frugal mama, and also just the fact that, a lot of times you put a brand new piece of clothing on a baby and it's gonna be dirty.

Within just a short amount of time, like, like filthy, dirty, especially if they have one of those really gross blowouts. A really messy blowout. It's not fun to get all that poop outta that brand new onesie that that's the first time that they've worn. So, something that I highly recommend is to look at those consignment stores.

Check your once upon a child, your kid to kids, whatever. Gently used baby consignment stores you may have in your area. You can get such a great deal. A lot of times you can get like three or four onesies or little outfits for the retail price of one. So highly, highly recommend that because you are going to go through a massive amount of clothes.

I'm just saying as fast as babies grow and as much as they play, and. Poop and spit up and throw up and so on. Those clothes get dirty fast. So if you're trying to be a little easy on the bank account, Definitely check out those consignment stores. Okay, nice to have. Number three is a highchair or booster seat, so that's not something that you need immediately, but as your baby grows, they're eventually going to start solid foods and you're going to need a good highchair or some type of portable booster seat that can be attached to just a regular chair, which is going to make mealtime so much more convenient.

So not a must have from the get-go, but. At some point you're gonna need to have it. And then obviously all of the breastfeeding essentials. So if you are planning to breastfeed, you're gonna need items like the breast pump, the storage bottles, listen to a few episodes ago I did all of the must have items for nursing moms.

I've got all of my breastfeeding essentials. In that blog post and in that podcast episode. So go to secret mom hacks.com or wherever you listen to podcasts and look for a couple of weeks back from from this episode, and you can find those breastfeeding must-haves. We covered a lot of territory in today's episode.

Covering these 10 must have items. For your baby registry and then some of the extra nice to have items as well. I hope you found this super helpful. If you know a brand new mom or an expecting mom who has a baby shower on the books, maybe you've just recently been invited to one, please send them this podcast episode cuz this could be really helpful as they're registering. They might find this episode extremely helpful and will be kissing your feet because you sent it to them. Okay? So let's face it, mama. It is hard to take care of those you love if you are not taking care of yourself. So I'm wrapping up with just a quick, gentle reminder to stay hydrated.

Drink that bottle of water or drink three or four if you can. Throughout your day, make time for a quick walk around your office, your house, wherever. And if you can squeeze in 30 minutes of activity, that's gonna get your heart rate up. Make you sweat. Amazing. Don't forget to wash your face. Put on that great overnight moisturizer before bed.

And don't forget that sunscreen in the morning. Your skin is going to Thank you. I really appreciate you spending some time with me today. If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe. If you haven't already, give me a five star rating and leave a review sharing your favorite takeaway so far. Make sure you stop by secret mom hacks.com where you can find transcripts, resources, and more.

Stay tuned for next week's episode, and until then, you've got this mama.

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