Baby Registry Essentials for Baby #2
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Walmart Baby Savings Days. The opinions and text are all mine.
I feel like baby #2 was way easier than the first. Now I’m definitely not talking about the pregnancy itself — this pregnancy was rough, and Ava was a breeze - but I’m talking about all of the baby stuff. When I was pregnant with Ava, I signed up for every app, every mailing list, Googled every list on the planet with “how-to’s” and “what to’s” and “must-haves” galore. And I think I followed the advice of all of them because we registered for anything and everything that we were told by the internet that we “needed.”
We went overboard.
We didn’t need half of the things we bought, our house was full of products that basically did the same thing, far more toys than we needed, bottles that never got used because we didn’t have a plan in place and really, we just had so much stuff.
I get it — We didn’t know any better and of course, we wanted to be as prepared as we could as first-time parents. We didn’t know what to expect and we didn’t know what we needed and while we will never know before even Baby Boy arrives in a couple of weeks, we had a much better plan in place on our “baby needs” and those “baby must have’s.”
So I compiled a list for you on all of the things we got for baby #2 — it’s short and it’s sweet and it’s everything we need.
Pssst…better yet, you can find every single one of these at Walmart AND they’ve got online, in your car pickup (aka a mom’s dream).
Yes, please to all of the above!
1. Diapers and Wipes
We tried a lot of diapers with Ava and Pampers® Swaddlers were the ones we loved the most, so we plan to try those out with baby boy too! So, we’ve stocked up on some size newborn and size 1 so we’re ready to roll as soon as he gets here!
Pampers Swaddlers are incredibly soft (like your baby can actually move around in them, unlike so many other brands we tried out with Ava), they actually absorb and don’t leak (based on our experience) and I LOVE that blue indicator line, so I know if they’re ready to be changed!
2. Baby Monitor
We put Ava in her own room and her own crib from day one home from the hospital and we plan to do the same with baby boy, so a baby monitor is definitely a necessity for us so I can always check up on him when I need to throughout the night or go grab him when I hear him crying from his own room those first couple of months!
3. Swaddles
Ava started consistently rolling over by 4 months so while swaddles didn’t last long, they are totally a necessity, in my eyes. They give them comfort and warmth when they cannot have any other blankets in the crib with them and hey, I find them pretty stinkin’ adorable too!
Summer Infant® SwaddleMe® Original Swaddles are the easiest swaddles to use because you just velcro and you’re done! We used them with Ava and you’d better bet we’re using them again with baby boy! They’re adjustable to your baby’s size and growth with secure hook and loop closures for easy and safe swaddling, natural 100% cotton and adorable as can be!
4. Burp Cloths
Ava was quite the spitter upper. Like everyone who knows us personally knows that if you are holding baby Ava, you need to cover up your entire outfit with a blanket or it will get spit up on. It was crazy. She eventually grew out of it (and we tossed all of them because they were so “used” to say the least) and I sure hope baby boy doesn’t have the same problem but even if not, burp cloths are a necessity.
5. Feeding
Depending on your feeding plan, of course this category will be different. With Ava, I exclusively breastfed as she never took a bottle. But this time around, I’d love a combination of breastfeeding and bottle feeding (if possible) so here’s what we added to our list: bottles, nursing pads, an electric breast pump, a hand pump (this came in handy for days out and vacations) and lactation cookies (just in case my supply isn’t as great as it was with Ava…you just never know!).
Milkmakers® Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookie Bites are full of ingredients that support breastmilk supply. And umm…who would say no to a cookie that’s helping with that?! They’re lactation consultant recommended and available in Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin and Chocolate Salted Caramel.
6. The Nursery
Of course, the nursery needs to be put together for your new little bundle of joy so here are the items we purchased this time around: a crib, a crib mattress, 3 crib mattress sheets (definitely have a couple on hand so you can change them out quickly and don’t have to do laundry every single day), a dresser, a removable changing pad for on top of the dresser (we can remove it when baby boy gets older for more dresser space), a diaper pale and a rocking chair!
7. Car Seat
Well, duh! Of course you need a car seat!
The Evenflo® Advanced SensorSafe LiteMax Infant Car Seat [color featured here is Raven Jet] is an infant seat with base that accommodates a baby 4-35 lbs. It's extremely lightweight and the ergo handle is uniquely designed for your maximum comfort as you carry your little one. The LiteMax 35 also comes with an easy to install base equipped with a two-step vehicle belt lock-off for a quick and secure installation, a chime sounds if your child unfastens the chest clip while the car is in motion. At the end of your trip, it will also remind you that your child (who is possibly sleeping) is safely buckled in the back.
8. Bath Time
Baby towels, wash cloths and of course, baby soap — running errands with a newborn and a toddler probably won’t be the easiest, so I wanted to get everything ahead of time for the least amount of errands possible, especially those first couple of months.
Johnson’s® Cottontouch Newborn Baby Wash & Shampoo Absorbs fast, rinses clean, & feels incredibly soft and gentle on your baby’s skin. It’s free of parabens and phthalates, dye free and sulfate free!
9. Newborn Clothes
If we were having another girl, we’d be pretty much all set on clothes but since it’s a boy, we started from square one! Everyone told us that we didn’t need any newborn size clothes with Ava but that first week, we had to head to the store to snag some because she was swimming in her 0-3 month clothes. And she wasn’t even a small baby (she was 7lbs 8oz, 21 1/2 inches). So, despite what everyone may tell you, I’d highly recommend having some newborn clothes on hand — we snagged a couple of cute outfits and then a pack of all white onesies for around the house! That’s pretty much all they need when they’re that young and they do grow out of them quickly but hey, you still need some clothes that fit them for those first couple of weeks!
10. Toys
A couple toys is all they need — we have some teethers, a couple baby books and a couple of plush toys and I think it’s the perfect amount! They all fit into one small basket in his closet and really, that’s all he needs.
11. Pacifiers
Ava never took a pacifier so we definitely didn’t want to go overboard on these but we want to at least try and introduce him to them for soothing purposes when he’s young. Snag a couple of brands and try them out — every baby is different!
12. A Baby Wrap or Carrier
We started with a baby wrap when Ava was an infant and then switched to the carrier when she was about six months old and I loved using both so definitely plan to do the same again.
13. Groceries
And I know this one isn’t baby related but… groceries. Seriously. You’re going to want to eat real meals once baby gets here and you aren’t going to want to (or have time to) cook. So I highly recommend stocking up on groceries, especially from the frozen section, so you have meals on hand that are easy and quick to make when you have 10 minutes to snag a bite!
Walmart Online Grocery Store Pickup is the best option for busy moms — order ahead and it’s ready to go when you get there! And some Walmart locations even have curbside, so you don’t even have to get out of your car! #winning [Use CODE: WOWFRESH for $10 off your first grocery order]
