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The excitement of making my first baby registry was palpable. Making our way through the aisles of Babies”R”Us with the registry scanner in our hands, ready to scan anything and everything. Waddling through baby toiletries, nursery accessories, and bibs, rubbing my belly and just waiting for the day she’d arrive. We would be prepared. Sorta.

But all of the choices actually made it quite hard to choose. More options meant that I could pick the wrong thing. What was really needed and what items weren’t?

After four babies I’ve come to understand the must-have items that no registry should be without. Once you have them on your list, you can build your registry up from these diapering and sleeping essentials, adding in items based on style, taste, family needs, or other considerations.

I’ve rounded up the 15 most important registry items to ensure safe, cozy sleep and give you a comfortable, efficient changing area. These are the essentials, so take this list along with you for that fun day of registry-gun scanning while you dream of holding your sweet babe in your arms.

The changing station

My best advice is to create a changing area with the essentials that work for you. It’s an easy place to change a messy diaper, plus it doubles as a great spot to apply lotion, get baby dressed after a bath, etc.

1. Diapers + wipes

This right here is the nitty-gritty of essentials. If you have nothing else, a stock of diapers and wipes is your most essential baby-changing item. Placing a handful in an easy-to-access area, like a basket, will make changing time so much easier on you.

2. Nursing Pillow

I’ve actually gone back and forth on this one and though there were times I didn’t use a nursing pillow, I found that it made feedings so much easier! By the last baby, I even brought my nursing pillow to the hospital for her birth so I could use it right away.

3. Nursing Pads

Whether you’ll be nursing or bottle feeding, nursing pads will be a must at the beginning. No one likes leaking through their clothes.

4. Burp Cloths

If you’ve got a baby, you’ll also have spit up, and more often than you might think. Save your clothes (at least a little bit) and keep a stack of burp cloths at the ready.

5. Diaper cream

While you won’t need a diaper cream for every change, the day will come when you’ll need it, and you want to have it on hand. Babies’ bums inevitably get red and need some TLC, so have a good cream on hand and ready for that day.

6. Thermometer

Be prepared for those times when your babe feels warmer than normal. You won’t want to run out to buy a thermometer when the need arises and since fevers and babies don’t mix, it’s best to be prepared.

7. Diaper Bag or Organizer

At some point, you’ll be on the go with your wee babe. Make sure you can take along the essentials with a new diaper bag (backpack options are so helpful because it keeps you hands free!) or an organizational insert for your favorite tote bag. Whatever kind you prefer, you will need it.

8. Grooming kit

At least have the basics like a comb, nail clippers, and nose bulb accessible. Keeping these near your changing area is a great way to be prepared for whatever need arises, and I’ve always found this to be a great place to take care of all of those little necessities.

Gear for bedtime

9. Crib and Crib Mattress

Now of course, for a sleeping babe, you need a safe place to lay their head. There are plenty of options here, so whether you choose a crib, bassinet, or other bed for your baby, it’s one of the few sleepytime essentials you’ll need to add to your registry. No crib is complete without a mattress!

10. Baby monitor

I LOVE how far baby monitors have come! We currently use a video monitor and also love the Owlet monitor, especially during those early months. Safe sleep is so important, as well as parents getting some sleep too, so let baby monitors do their job and have a system that will monitor your babe while you get some rest.

11. Wearable blankets

Keeping your babe’s crib or bassinet free of blankets, pillows, and loose clothing is imperative, but we also want them to stay snuggled and warm for a good night’s sleep. Thankfully so many companies have provided solutions that make swaddling easier and safer than ever. Invest in at least a couple wearable blankets to use for bedtime.

12. Side Snap Shirts

Just a little tip from one mom to another, do yourself a favor with middle-of-the-night diaper changes and put your baby to sleep in a side-snap shirt (before you put on the wearable blanket of course). This saves time, cries and headaches at night when you’re barely awake yourself…I promise!

13. Pacifier

I’ll preface this one by saying that not all babies take to a pacifier. In fact, three out of my four didn’t use one (except for the random cuddle with a pacifier animal). But if you’ve got a babe who soothes easily with a pacifier, use it! Don’t over purchase a bunch of pacifiers before your baby arrives, just have a couple varieties on hand, and once you find your babe’s favorite, you can get more then.

14-15. Extra sheets and mattress protectors

Messes happen and diaper blowouts are inevitable. While you’re registering for your favorite crib sheets, just go ahead and change the quantity to 4-6. Same goes for the mattress protectors, register for at least 2-4. Ready for another time-tested mom tip? Stack those protectors and sheets on the crib mattress so you’re ready for those messes. What I mean by that is put a mattress protector on the mattress followed by a sheet, and then repeat putting a mattress protector over the sheet, followed by another sheet. Once you have two to three layers of sheets, you’re good to go. If there’s a diaper blowout in the middle of the night (or anytime!), you only have to remove the top layer, and you’re ready to lay your baby back down again. Believe me, you’ll be SO glad you did.

Thankfully, all of these items and more can be easily found at Babies”R”Us, with a registry scanner in hand or not. While no one is ever completely prepared to bring a new life into this world, we can certainly do our best.

No parent is ever truly prepared to be a parent. But at Babies”R”Us we can help you be prepared-ish™. Register in-store or online and we’ll get you as ready for baby as you can be.

This post is sponsored by Babies”R”Us. All opinions are truthful and my own.

The post 15 sleep and diapering recommendations for your nursery registry appeared first on BabyCenter Blog.