I was walking Elliott through Buy Buy Baby the other day (an attempt to stop a meltdown from Elliott that happens anytime we drive more than 10 minutes), and saw a couple walking through picking out their registry items. A salesperson was showing everything they "NEEDED" to add – including four different brands of bottles. I wanted to run up to them and yell "No, you don't really need all that!", but stuck to just grabbing the one brand of bottle Elliott will drink from.
I remember pouring HOURS into my registry. The truth is, you'll end up working with whatever is given to you, or picking up what you see your friends have. That said, we definitely had a few tried and true items we needed for baby, so now that Elliott is officially not a newborn anymore, I thought it was high time I revisited my registry. While I won't go through everything we ended up using, here are the essentials we couldn't have lived without:
SNOO. Maybe we're just drinking the kool-aid with this thing because I have nothing to compare to, but I really do think this helped me get more sleep. Now it's no miracle worker (we're currently in the 4-month sleep regression phase and all has gone to hell), but she was sleeping for solid 6 hour stretches for a few months.
Owlet Smart Sock
Rock 'n Play Sleeper
Nuna Pipa Carseat and Nuna Tavo Stroller. I have been trying to help my sister find a stroller and let me tell you, stroller shopping is TERRIFYING. I couldn't even open most of the strollers in the store. This set seems expensive at first, but is totally worth it (and the cheapest of the more expensive stroller brands). I can open and close the stroller with one hand, there's plenty of storage, and the car seat is the lightest on the market.
Solly Baby Wrap. I tried out ALL the wraps I could get my hands on, and ended up buying this despite getting two other brands free. You need the ones that are adjustable in size (because you're body is going to change A LOT in the first few months), the fabric on these is nice and light for summer months, and they are super cute (turns out this is important when you are feeling super ugly already)
BumGenius and Alvababy Cloth Diapers. I've got a whole post coming on cloth diapering, but these two brands are what we've ended up using! They are easy to use and we haven't had a single blowout issue with them.
Pampers Swaddlers Now, I'm sure diapers vary a lot on different babies, but these are the only ones that have fit Elliott. TRUST that you do not want to try out one of the "eco-friendly" brands or ones with cute prints - it's just going to result in more laundry later!
Dr. Brown's Bottles. No lie, I tried out 5 other brands of bottles before this one. I kept seeing this brand on all the forums, but for some reason waited until last to try and it's the only one Elliott will drink from. If you plan on exclusively breastfeeding with some bottles here or there, don't bother with any other kind of bottle!
Sit Me Up Floor Seat. We had a Bumbo given to us, but I ended up going out and buying this one. You can use it much earlier, it's more supportive and keeps baby in a better postion (Elliott was always spitting up in the Bumbo), and Elliott loves the toys attached.
Cloud Island V-neck Onesies You're going to get a million outfits when you have a baby, but Elliott pretty much just lived in these!
Cloud Island Mittens. Baby nails are the equivalent of kitten nails, and they do not feel good stabbing into you during those 3am feedings! Get an infinite amount of these mittens, as you're bound to lose one from each pair.
Ikea Mobile. Who needs an expensive mobile when this $4 will do (and it's super cute to boot).
Peanut App. A free app that is essentially Tinder for new moms. I could not have gotten through the last 4 months without this! It has been so nice to connect with other moms in the area and give me a much needed sanity break during our hectic weeks. Plus Elliott always loves watching other babies on our playdates!