Before Lawless was scheduled to arrive, I had no idea what I should add to my baby registry (first world problem), or what I might need. My closest friends had had their babies years before, and my niece was born a decade ago, so I was working off of old intel. I asked around and got a pretty comprehensive list, but these are a few of the favorites that weren’t on my registry that are extremely nice to have. The below list does contain some affiliate links to my true favorites.
My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow
I’d actually argue that this one is an essential if you’re planning to breastfeed – it’s the ultimate breastfeeding pillow. With a buckle that goes around your waist to keep the pillow secure and make sure there are no gaps for baby to slide through, and a pocket for your phone, burp cloth, and snacks, and a nice terry cover, this pillow far exceeds the Boppy, IMO. I recommend also registering for the waterproof cover or getting one on Etsy, because, maybe your husband changes the baby and forgets to put a new diaper on him, and he pees all over you and the My Brest Friend. Maybe that.
I thought that this was the most useless product ever until I had a baby boy that would pee as soon as a cool gust of air or a below room temperature baby wipe even thought of touching his manhood. We only used this for the first few newborn months, but damned if it didn’t save us from getting peed on on several occasions. Are you noticing a theme here in this post? We got peed on A LOT.
One of my best friends got this for us before Lawless was born, because her baby loved it so much. Let me tell you, it was a lifesaver. When the baby was freaking the F out during a diaper change, the witching hour, when he was hungry, tired, etc., this little magical guy charmed the Pampers right off of him. I think the combo of light and music and those big adorable eyes are mesmerizing to little newborns. Get one.
Baby wearing saved my sanity on many occasions when Lawless was a newborn (and still does) when he wouldn’t stand for being put down. My next door neighbor is stylish and makes motherhood look glamorous and effortless (like seriously, she has her own monogram machine, always looks like she stepped out of a fitness magazine, and has impeccable taste), so when she recommended this, I had to give it a try. Solly Baby has the most beautiful fabrics, and from what I hear, they are lighter and stretchier than similar items like the Boba wrap. We had a late spring baby in Florida, so we needed something that wasn’t going to make both of us sweat. Solly Baby has great videos on how to use this mile-long piece of fabric and once you get the hang of it, it is SO amazing to be able to use two hands again. If learning to wrap a baby sounds like way too much trouble, try a ring sling.
ECOVACS DEEBOT N79 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
If you have a dog, keep scrolling. If not, this robot vacuum has been the tits. Now that Lawless is mobile and eating plenty of solids, having a vacuum that can run in the background and pick up all of the dried corn nibblets and discarded Puffs from the various corners of the house is priceless. No, it’s not a “baby” item, but it helps make our home go from “dumpster” to “inside of a busy Panera” in no time, and has provided endless hours of entertainment for the baby who turns it on, and off, and on…and off. And also follows it around the house pointing and grunting.