Ep. 13 Your Baby Doesn’t Need That: Registry Edition (registry rules, things worth the splurge, & what's overhyped)

It's baby registry building time!! I can't believe I'm already at the point of seriously prepping for this baby but here we are. This might be my 3rd rodeo, but planning for this episode was the perfect refresher for me. I feel like with everything we see on social media and all of the targeted ads that come our way, we start to believe we need all of the latest and greatest baby items we come across... I've come to realize that less is truly more. 

I wanted to find a way to make the 'building a baby registry' experience a simple, problem-solving game plan and share what actually earns space in your nursery and home. No more panic purchasing, buyers remorse, built up clutter, and things that end up in donation pile sooner than expected. 

In this episode, I whipped together 5 practical "zones" for building a registry" sleep, feeding, diapering, out-and-about gear, and soothing/play. I also share some questions I always ask myself before clicking purchase. We play a little game of Registry Court, where I vote Yes, No, or Maybe on types of baby products you've asked about (giving my honest opinion & experience!) I end the episode by sharing specific things I'll be doing to feel more prepared and at ease before we leave for the hospital (ie. the logistics & planning ahead for when we get home!). 

We turn the baby registry into a simple, problem-solving plan and share what actually earns space in your home. Clear rules, five practical zones, honest verdicts on trending gear, and a calm 72-hour homecoming plan make preparation feel doable and sane.

More Of What I Discuss:
• less-is-more rules to stop panic buys
• buy for your life, not social media
• five zones: sleep, feeding, diapering, out-and-about, soothing and play
• where to invest and where to save
• monitors, bouncers, warmers and pumps judged 
• smart dupes for carriers and play kits
• a 72-hour plan for food, help and home setup
• partner roles, visitor boundaries and tiny daily self-care

LINKS!:

Tayla's Baby Registry Link: CLICK HERE

Mabe Baby Carrier 10%+ off with code TAYLAB CLICK HERE

If you’re creating a baby registry from scratch or adding for baby number two or three, this guide helps you spend less, carry less, and feel more ready. Tap play, steal the checklist, and share this with a friend who’s building their list. 

Follow The Milk Podcast on all platforms for weekly episodes that remind you you're not alone, you're not crazy, and you're doing way better than you think.

Follow & Subscribe For More:
YouTube: @TheMilkPodcast

Instagram: @TheMilkPodcast_@TaylaBurke
TikTok: @TheMilkPodcast @Tayla_Burke

Transcript

Welcome And Third-Pregnancy Realities

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to The Milk, the podcast that pours it all out. The messy, the magical, and the mildly unhinged moments of motherhood and womanhood. Real talk, honest stories, and reminders that none of us really know exactly what we're doing. And that's kind of the best part. I'm Taylor, your host, and soon-to-be mom of three. So let's laugh, learn, and milk the season of life for all that it's worth. Hi ladies, welcome back to another week of The Milk. I have a feeling, or at least I have a hope, that this episode is going to be very helpful and useful, not just for the soon-to-be moms, but also the moms just adding another child into the mixed like myself. Shit, I feel like this even was a great refresher for building my own registry or just figuring out what I need, like what I actually need and what I don't need. Um, I feel like social media and everything we see, we're like, oh, do we need this? Do we need that? Especially on like TikTok and TikTok shop and all the things that I really want to just kind of simplify and optimize our registries today and just help prep for baby. I'm now 30, almost 31 weeks. My daughter's feet are sticking out of my rib right now. So sorry, my pants are unbuttoned if you're watching this. I feel like they'll probably be unbuttoned until I give birth while recording podcasts. Um, after this episode, I'm actually heading to my 30-week appointment. I finally get another ultrasound. She's been so stubborn. I don't know if anyone else's baby does this right now, but she's been like hiding in my placenta. So we haven't really been able to see her face since like the very early, early weeks. So I'm curious to see if she'll come out. I brought like Sour Patch Gummy Bear or what Sour Patch Kids every single time we have an ultrasound to try and get her like active and moving out, and like the rest of her body's active, but this girl just wants to keep her face a surprise, which I'm fine with. But also, it's so cute to like see the little button button noses in um the ultrasounds and everything.

Induction Logistics And Planning Mindset

SPEAKER_00 2:08

And then also our last appointment at 28 weeks. I feel like it's kind of early, but now going in almost 31 weeks. We last time we put in a request for certain dates for our induction. So I'm praying that we can solidify that this time. Um, we're there today. So just like I feel like the third kid, it just feels like logistics. Like I've always loved, I've never gone into labor naturally, and I've always really wanted to, but this time I feel like I just need like an end date, just because the logistics of like the kids still have school, we still need help with figuring out childcare while we're at the hospital. We don't know how long we'll be in the hospital for, like, there's so many things that I need to figure out, like school lunches and breakfasts, and I'm spiral already, but all the things that like life still goes on while we're at the hospital. So part of me kind of just wants to like have a date and prepare. It takes out some of the fun, but I'm like, you know what? For a type A gal like me, I feel like I kind

Registry Rules That Cut The Clutter

SPEAKER_00 3:11

of need that. Anyways, like I said, today is about optimizing our registries and just making the transition to prepping for baby and making the transition for prepping for baby just as easy as we can possibly make it. Because it can be overwhelming and it can feel like a lot, especially in like those last weeks. They always seem to fly by. It's like you want your pregnancy to go by so fast, and then in those final weeks, you're like holding on for dear life. Sorry if you heard that. That is my daughter, like an elephant running through the hall going down for nap time. Oh my gosh, I don't know if you guys can hear that, but you know, mom life. So I put together a fun little game of registry court where I am answering yes, no, or maybe to specific baby items. I made some registry rules that have even kept me in check this time around. And at the end, I'm going to be sharing five things that I'm doing this time around to just feel more ready going into our birthdayslash game day. So if you're building your registry like it is your wedding, I'm here to save you. The registry internet will tell you you need the $900 bassinet, the wipe warmer, the this, the that. I'm here to save you. So one thing that this third pregnancy has taught me more than my first or my second is that less is more, and that buying along the way is so acceptable because you can see what you actually need while living in it. And Amazon nowadays, you can get things overnight that, like, if you need something, you can go 12 hours without it and you'll get it first thing in the morning. There's also Instacart. Okay, so let's get into my registry rules. Number one, when building your registry or going to buy something, always ask yourself these three questions. What problem is it solving? Is there a cheaper or simpler version? And will you still be using it after eight weeks? I feel like this goes for almost everything besides like clothes, just because kids grow like weeds. So they might still not be in it after eight weeks. So I feel like for clothes, this just doesn't count. Rule number two is register for the problem, not the product. I feel like this is one of my favorite rules. Just like making sure everything that you're buying has intention rather than the product just looks like a shiny new object. Rule number two is buy only one of each category until baby has preference. So you don't need three different rockers. Start with one. I feel like we fell victim to this the first time around. We had like two or three different ones, and I swear we only used one. The other two just sat there and were pretty much brand new the entire time. Rule number four is buy for your specific lifestyle and not Instagram or TikTok's lifestyle or the lifestyles of others. I feel like this really comes down to how you live if you're in an apartment or a house or live by the beach or in the city. Also, if it's your second baby versus your first baby. And rule number five is the 24-hour pause on anything that's over $150. I feel like this just stops that panic purchasing where you might get buyer's remorse after buying something where you think you're so desperate and need it. And then later on you're like, wait, why did I buy that? I was not thinking straight. So pretty much all this means is that you are waiting 24 hours to think about this product again before buying it. It's kind of like my rule with shopping. If something's like really expensive, I'll give myself time to like reflect on the product. And if I can't stop thinking about it, I'll be like, okay, I need it. But if I kind of forget about it, I'm like, okay, it wasn't that important or like that big of a necessity, anyways. And rule number six is if it needs an app, it needs a reason. Not just some absurd purchase that requires you to download an app and use the app to use this thing. Like, make sure that if you're going through all of that hassle, that it's actually something that serves a purpose and that you'll actually need.

Invest Where It Matters

SPEAKER_00 7:07

Okay, so next I want to talk about the zones method. I feel like this is probably something a lot of people do, or maybe you don't, I don't really know, but I feel like it helps you compartmentalize everything that you need or just like categorize it better. I feel like when you're just thinking of your registry as a whole, it's like this mumbled, jumbled mess where it feels really overwhelming and you don't know like where things go. So there's this zones method where we break down everything you need into five different zones. In this episode, I also didn't want to just like rattle off a ton of products and talk about them. I wanted to spare you the boredom. So instead, I'm kind of talking about these zones, and then I will like trickle in some of the products I recommend and talking about them. Hopefully, I'll stick to that. Sometimes I get really passionate about certain products, but I felt like this was a better way. And then I'll also link an entire registry that I made. I made it as if I was going into pregnancy and or like building my registry for baby one. So this this time around, I don't need nearly half the stuff that I have on here, but I thought it would be more helpful if I was like planning a registry for the first time ever. And by all means, do you not need everything on my registry? It's just more of like my top picks of things that like I've used in the past or brands or products that I personally recommend and stand behind. Um, so yeah, take what you want, leave what you don't. Okay, another rule of thumb that I love to live by when it comes to like baby gear and products, just because there's so much stuff out there, is that I love to invest in the things that I will be using the most. So for me, that is a stroller, a car seat, a nursing chair, our crib. But at the same time, you do not need to be purchasing the highest price point of that specific product for crib, for instance. Like there are $1,500 cribs out there. You can get an incredible one for $600 to $800 or less than $600 that does the exact same thing, and it can turn into a toddler bed. It's like the it can convert like three times or whatever that is. So definitely invest in those things, but investing in those things does not mean it needs to be the most expensive version of that. Okay, so let's get into the five zones.

Zone 1: Sleep Essentials

SPEAKER_00 9:23

Number one is the sleep zone. This pretty much means like where baby sleeps and where you survive nights. So we can start with a crib. I've gotten a few different cribs. I got a very nice one gifted to me by a family member with aspen, so and then for bash, we purchased the nestig crib, and I cannot speak highly enough about the nestig. I love that it starts as like a bassinet size and then it can go to a crib, which we're still in with bash, and then it'll also turn into the toddler bed when the time comes, probably by the summer with bash. I'm terrified for those moments. So yeah, and I feel like it's pretty well priced. Um, but I feel like for cribs, like they all do very similar things. As long as it's not gonna fall apart, a crib is very straightforward. And then for a nursing chair, in the past, the one that I had for Aspen and Bash was the baby letto. I love that it had, I think it was it manual or automatic um to like put your feet up. And then it also had a phone charger, which is genius because when you're spending so much time in there, it's nice to be able to like half your phone and just scroll. Um, and then this time around, I'm so excited. I got the Paxton by Pottery Barn. I got it, it's a little bit of like a bigger, wider nursing chair. I got it in this like teddy fur faux fur in this oatmeal color. I can't wait to show you guys. Um, I got it just because with the two other kids, I just had a feeling that they'd be like crawling all over me in it. So it's a little bit more wide. Um, but it's just like it literally feels like a cloud. So I'm so excited to get one. That was like one of my splurges just because I knew I'd be spending a lot of time there. So that's personally where I put more expense into than like other areas of the nursery. Gotta have a sound machine. I've used the hatch both in our nurseries, and then they also have the newish portable hatch one that I would just like clip on to our stroller. I swear by the hatch, I'm sure there's other ones out there, but those are the ones that I have used and they're tried and trues for me. And then as far as baby monitors, I know there are a lot out there, but that is another necessity in this zone. I love the nanit. I swear by the nanit, I've gotten it now. This will be my third time. So clearly it's one of the essentials to me. And then this is kind of random, um, but something that you do also use in the sleep zone when baby gets sick is a humidifier. There's like this really good one by Canopy. It's something that you don't necessarily think about putting on your registry, or maybe I didn't the first time around, just because it's something you might not like use all the time, but to me it is an essential. I would just like put it next to the crib anytime my baby had a stuffy nose or a cough or anything and put essential oils in it and stuff, and it was it would just help so much and it would ease me at night, knowing that it was kind of like helping to like break up all the congestion and anything like caught in the chest. Okay,

Zone 2: Feeding Without The Frills

SPEAKER_00 12:16

zone two is the feeding zone. To me, this is like breast, bottle, formula, all roads that lead to Fed. Number one is breastfeeding or formula pillow. I've used the Bopy every single time. I've also heard that breastfriends is amazing. And then my girlfriend Shelly, who's a lactation consultant who I'm having on the podcast soon, she came out with a product called the Lolo Baby, and it's like essentially an on-the-go breastfeeding pillow that also is a wrap for like to shield and protect from like your boobs being out in public. It is incredible. So she can talk more about it then, but I just feel like that's such a good one for anyone who's like feeling uncomfortable about having to breastfeed on the go, and it like literally holds your baby up so you don't really like have to put too much strength into it. And then, of course, bottles. I always go for the anti-colic ones just to try and avoid as many digestive problems as possible, especially in like those early months with a baby. This time around I'm going all glass. I know it's a little bit more of an expense, but to me it seems much more worth it. Before I was not in all glass and I'm finally waking up to this whole glass thing. I love Dr. Brown's and I love Phillips. Also, babies are so interesting that sometimes they prefer others and hate other ones. I also, my last few times, I got like that the bottle kit where you have like five or six different bottles in it. It's like the starter kit. Um, they're on a baby list and those were amazing because I could test out one of each rather than having to buy like a six-pack of different ones and then going to waste. And then on the topic of bottles, if you are expecting that you'll be incorporating bottles or maybe you're just doing straight formula, definitely, definitely, definitely a bottle washer/slash sterilizer. I can't remember which one I had in the past. I also linked it on my Instagram the other day. And I can't tell you how many DMs I got where they were like, no, go with the mom cozy. I saw that it was more less expensive, and also it had really, really, really good reviews. So I'm going with the mom cozy this time, so I'll keep you updated. But like every single person recommended that one. And bottles were like the death of me. You go through so many a day, and just washing them constantly. It's like however many diapers you go through, you go through the bot the same amount of bottles. Okay, and on the topic of pumping, I'm sure a lot of people know this, but just in case people don't, you need to go to pumpingessentials.com to get your pump covered by insurance. It should cover your pump. I feel like everyone I've talked to has gotten a free pump on there, but there's also like an upgrade, so you can pay $20 extra or $50 extra for like a really, really, really nice pump. But I've done that both times and like you do not need to pay for your pump. The ones I've used that I love are the Medella and the Spectra. The Spectra is definitely more intense. Um, but as someone with a low milk supply, it would really help me. And then the Medella just like really works. It was like my tried and true, just really good pump that I just always do what I was getting. It never did me wrong. So I always recommend that one. And then under the feeding category, something that I'm like wishy-washy about, but I wanted to throw out there is a high chair. Obviously, it is so important and safety and the way it like holds the baby up right with like the feet down or like flat to lessen the chance of choking and whatnot, like so important. But at the same time, unless you like have a village where you know everyone will buy everything on your registry, it's also kind of silly to buy that ahead of time. I remember with Aspen when we got our when we got our high chair, we set it up before she was born, and we never even thought about that you only use a high chair around six months. So our high chair literally sat collecting dust for six plus months before we actually used it. So if you want to have it on your registry, amazing.

Pumps, Insurance, And High Chair Timing

SPEAKER_00 16:12

Just don't set it up before keep it in the box. Um, but the second time around, we ended up buying one, I want to say when Bash was like five months, and that was so much better because we didn't have to like keep it stored somewhere. So that's totally personal preference, but it was just funny looking back where I'm like, oh my gosh, we literally knew nothing. We were like so proud of ourselves for setting up that high chair so far in advance. Okay, zone three is diapering and cleanup. So I feel like this one's a little straightforward, obviously, having a changing area with a caddy where it has your diapers, your wipes, your sprays and creams, all that good stuff. But one thing that feels like a no-brainer now, but looking back when I was building Aspen's registry for the first time, like I had no idea what a diaper caddy was. And now I'm like, that is an absolute essential. Like when my I was building my registry, my mom's like, Oh, you need a diaper caddy. I'm like, what the heck is that? A caddy? Isn't that what is correlated with golf? And I felt so overwhelmed by like all these little things that I knew nothing about. Um, and now I'm like, that is one thing I have to have. There's also diaper pails nowadays that like have this like sanitizing effect to like really mask the stench. Um, so yeah, that is one thing like 100% you absolutely need, from my opinion. Other people, like, I don't know how like the thought of going outside to your big trash can every single time after every diaper, like, no, thank you. And then random butt laundry. This is something you don't need to have it on your registry. You could probably just like buy it yourself on Amazon, but a non-toxic, gentle, baby safe detergent. I can't tell you how many people I've heard where their kids have had eczema or weird rashes, and they've always gotten it down to just like having to switch the detergent. So that's something that I always want to avoid. Um, just because a baby's skin is so beyond sensitive, even baby products like creams that um were non-toxic and as clean as possible, aspen, I would rub it on her face, and her face would turn into a full bright red rash. The rest of her body was fine, but those are products that are made to be gentle on baby skin, and they would still cause flare-ups for her. So, laundry is like a big thing to remember because you have to wash all of the baby's clothes before putting it in the nursery, or at least that's

Zone 3: Diapering And Cleanup

SPEAKER_00 18:34

what is better, they say. Okay, so zone four is like the out and about zone, so baby gear. Carsi, your stroller, everything that is going to help you avoid leaving the house in tears every single time. Stroller is such a hot topic because there are so many out there. And for me personally, I will die on the hill of a Duna. The Duna is a godsend. We used it with both kids from zero to 18 months, and we use the same one. So, like, it is a little bit of an expense. I think they are out there for what $650, but we use the same one for both kids. The fact that it's a stroller and a car seat just literally a lifesaver. And we also had so many different strollers, and still we use the Duna 99% of the time. So someone was asking me, like, honest opinion on the Duna, my honest opinion, it is 1000% worth it. Okay, and also like a mom fail in this category. Other people might agree or maybe disagree. This is just like my personal experience, but I did a poll on a double stroller when we were expecting bash, and so many people either recommended the side-by-side double stroller going from one to two kids, or the stroll like the stackable stroller where there's like one kid on the bottom and then like the babies on top. So we ended up getting the Nuna stackable one. It's it looks amazing, incredible. I honestly feel bad admitting this. We did not use the stroller with both kids one time, not one single time, which is so crazy. We would use it with bash, and then we just never used it for the two of them. I can't even remember what we did. Like maybe we had Aspen and her more like toddler-y stroller, and then I would either carry Bash in a carrier,

Zone 4: Out-And-About Gear

SPEAKER_00 20:19

or we'd just use the Duna. I don't know why. It almost feels like the toddler in the front is like isolated and they're so low. I almost felt bad. And um, I'm sure other people like it, but that was kind of like one of those buyer's remorse things where we thought we were gonna use it so often. And yes, we used it for Bash a few times on his own, but never as a double stroller. And then when Bash was maybe like a year and a half, we got a side-by-side stroller when we were going, I think, or maybe we got that when he was one going to Europe, something like that. And we've used that ever since when it comes to the two kids, a side-by-side, like a more of like a not as a wide one. I know there's some that are really, really wide, and people kind of like off are are put off by that. I would personally recommend having a side-by-side one over the stackable one if you're not like living in a city and that doesn't and that might be a little harder. But it's really cute because they get to like talk to each other, they can hold hands, they can share snacks when they're side by side. So that one was definitely a fail on my part. And other brands that I love, like like I said, I love the Nuna. Um, Up A Baby is also a really big one. There's also a lot more inexpensive ones. I think there's the Mockingbird. There's so many great strollers out there, so I would not stress about that. One last thing on the stroller category, because a lot of strollers you have to purchase the bassinet separately. I'm I'm mixed on this. So we didn't have the bassinet with Aspen, and I don't think we missed out on anything. Like, we we didn't know any differently, and we just I don't know, what you don't know, you don't know. So, like, we it didn't phase us not having that. And then with Bash, I was like, wait, I really want to get a bassinet so he can be like laying down and we Can go on walks, and I am telling you, like it was really nice for the first bit, but we honestly didn't use it that often. And what how long can you use those for? Like maybe three months. Um, so in theory, it seems really great, and maybe other people who like live in cities or whatnot, like maybe they used it a lot more, and it was like a lifesaver, but for me, I have mixed feelings, so I would say it's like a maybe depending on your lifestyle. But honestly, if I ever went on walks, like the Duna or regular, like when they're so small, like they can sleep in just like the regular position, too. And I'd feel like sometimes they're like rolling around in the bassinet. So yeah, I'm I I have mixed feelings about that one. I just wanted to be honest about my personal experience, and some of you might like totally disagree with me, but yeah, I'd actually love to hear your opinion. And then the last zone is the soothing and play zone, calming the baby, playing with the baby. So, number one is a playmat. 100% make sure you have a playmat. I actually love having a playmat in all of our common areas, they're pretty inexpensive. You can get some cheap ones on Amazon too if you're getting a secondary one. It's just nice to have a set location to be able to lay your baby in every location that you have. So, like in the nursery, in the common living room area, and also like tummy time is so important. Like, literally, once their umbilical cord scab comes off, like you're supposed to start tummy time like immediately. And for the rest of play, I feel like this is a category where you can just buy as you go. I mean, babies are so inactive at the beginning that I mean, if you want to buy them ahead of time or you have people to gift you things, incredible. But the second time around, having bash, like there wasn't much that I added on. Babies can't even really lift their head until they're about like three-ish months. So buying in a big activity center wasn't a necessity until he hit that stage. And there are some really inexpensive ones on Amazon that are great. So those are the types of items that if you're in like a small space,

Strollers, Doubles, And Bassinets Debated

SPEAKER_00 24:01

like don't worry about them right away. So today we're playing registry court where I vote yes, no, maybe on baby products. So these are things I personally use, and I will let you know my honest opinion on if they are worth it. If they are not and they're just overhyped, or they are kind of like a maybe in my book where maybe some people might like them and maybe some people won't. Okay, so first up, Duna Stroller. I already said this. Absolutely yes. 1000% yes to the Duna Stroller. It's worth the expense. It lasted us 18 months per child. It's incredible for traveling with. It was our stroller and car seat 99% of the time until we hit 18 months. Yes, no, maybe wipe and bottle warmers. I'm gonna say maybe. I personally think they create picky babies. That sounds a little harsh, but they really do become reliant on the warm aspect. So if you're traveling and you do not have a warm bottle, your baby is most likely going to freak out and you have to have extra stuff in your luggage, like a portable warmer, and if it's not warm in time and your baby's starving and they're screaming and you're trying to warm, it's stressful. I've been through it with my first. The second time around with Bash, when we formula fed him after six weeks, and we just used room temp bottles, and he never knew the difference, and it was never a problem. Of course, if you have breast milk in the fridge, obviously that might be a different story and you might want to warm them up. But if you're formula feeding room temp bottles, it will help you keep your sanity while you're on the go and while you're traveling. And again, why I put this under maybe for like wipe warmers is like if you are living in Antarctica or like in the snow and your wipes might be extra cold, like maybe don't do that to your baby. But I live in California and the temperature is relatively plus or minus 10 degrees year round. So room temp wipes, it is for us. Yes, no, maybe buying the snoo. I'm gonna vote no. And I say this with a disclaimer buying no, I say rent the snoo. My reason being is that some babies absolutely love it and some babies absolutely hate it. So imagine spending $1,200 plus dollars on buying the snoo only for your baby to hate it after two days. We rented it every time. With Aspen, she absolutely hated it, so we kept it for the minimum amount of time and then we returned it, and with bash, he absolutely loved it. Yes, no, maybe baby puree maker. I'm gonna say maybe. For me personally, we got gifted a very expensive one and we still have it in our box. That was over four years ago. With Aspen, we did baby lead weaning, and then with bash, we did a mix, and for some reason we just never used it. But then there are those moms who absolutely love to puree, it becomes like a hobby. So that's why I put it in the maybe category because some people might be like, I really don't need this. They might like the pouches, it might be a little easier, it's less time consuming, and other people might be like, I want to make every single meal my baby eats. Yes, no, maybe the baby Bjorn bouncer. Absolutely yes. I don't know what kind of sorcery this baby bjorn bouncer is, but the babies seem to absolutely love it. And also, there's something about the positioning. Some for some reason it always helps babies go

Zone 5: Soothing And Play

SPEAKER_00 27:22

poop. So it's kind of like a kill two birds with one stone. It's the perfect way, also. Like if you're taking a shower, you can put the baby right in front of the shower in it, or if you're cooking dinner, you can put the baby on the floor in it. 11 out of 10, absolutely the baby on bouncer. Yes, no, maybe the manual rockers that look beautiful, absolutely not. This is just my opinion, absolutely not. Focus on functionality over aesthetic. It is such a fail. We had this beautiful, I want to say 300, 300 plus rocker. It was like that sad beige mom. It was so gorgeous, it matched our house. Our our kids hated it. You and also it was so annoying because you'd have to tap your foot on it constantly. It didn't do any work on its own. And we were just like, why did we get this? So that was definitely a fail for us. I'm gonna vote no. Yes, no, maybe the Owlet baby monitor and sock. Oh, this one's tough. I kind of want to say no, but then also I heard people love it, so I'm going to say maybe. It really just depends what kind of mom you are. If you're like a neurotic, anxiety-ridden mom, you might not want to. We got it with aspen, we didn't get it with bash. The sock might ease all anxiety, but at the same time, the amount of times it malfunctioned or like started to die and lose battery, and it just the sound would go off and it would wake us up in the middle of the night. I would have a straight panic attack run to Aspen thinking she's like not breathing, and all of that to be like, oh, it just was not on her foot the right way. She kicked it off and it was like half off, and that's why it was the sounding the alarm. In some instances,

Registry Court: Yes, No, Maybe

SPEAKER_00 29:05

it might ease anxiety, but in others it might peak it. So you can be the judge of that one. Yes, no, maybe the nanit baby monitor. Absolutely, yes. We are buying the nanit for the third time. It is my absolute favorite product for a nursery. Yes, it's on the expensive side, but it is something that we use. My daughter is four years old and we still have it for her. So it is worth the expense, it's worth the price, it's absolutely worth the hype. Yes, no, maybe too many baby clothes and shoes. I'm gonna say no, absolutely not. I can't tell you the amount of clothes that we've had with tags still in the closet, only to realize that they had already grown out of them before they have ever worn them once. You just you can't keep up with clothes by the by how quick the baby grows. And also, this might be a hot take. I'm so against baby shoes until they're at the age where they actually start walking. It just feels so silly and like somewhat torturous for these kids to be wearing these clunky things on their feet that they can't use yet. Yes, they're cute, but maybe for like a picture, I just I can't get behind them having to wear these heavy Nike shoes on their feet when they're still like four months old, not even sitting or crawling. Yes, no, maybe portable pumps that just slip into your bra. I'm gonna say maybe. In theory, the idea is great. Like I'm all about multitasking and being able to just slip a pump into my bra while I'm cooking, doing laundry, doing errands, or anything around the house. But for some reason, they draw so much less milk. And coming from someone with a low milk supply, I almost felt like they would cause my milk supply to dip because they weren't drawing enough out, which made my body think that I didn't need that much milk. But for maybe moms that have an oversupply, they might be nice to just be able to slip in to get that extra milk out or in between feedings. So it's a maybe for me. If you found one that you absolutely love, please let me know because I personally want to buy it and I will also put it out there for everyone else listening to. Yes, no, maybe the mom cozy bottle wash and sterilizer. I'm gonna say absolutely yes. Everyone recommended this one. I've used another one in the past, which my yes is coming from the washer as a whole. 100% if you are bottle reliant, this will save you so much time. I just hate washing bottles. It is just not fun. It's it's something I probably dislike more than pumping. Okay, so that's the end of my registry court. Hopefully that helped. There are a couple things that I wanted to give you dupes on just because I know things out there can be so expensive. And so I wanted to do like a splurge versus dupe. And by no means is there hate towards the splurge items. I personally have them and I love them, but I also have the dupes and I like them both. So if I can help someone figure out if they want a splurge or have the dupe, why not? So, first one is the Artipop carrier versus the Maybe Carrier. I have both. I personally absolutely love how beautiful the Artipop carriers are. They are on the pricier side, but I love wearing them. I also have the Maybe Carrier, which is just as beautiful and a fraction of the price. So if you haven't tried Maybe and you've been like having your eye on Artipop, definitely look at Maybe. I'll actually, I think I have a code for Maybe. I'll put it in the show notes because it is definitely worth it. And they are so beautiful and so functional, and kids love them. My second splurge verse dupe is the Love Every kit, the playmat with like the monthly or every three-month little boxes that you get, versus there are ones that I found on Amazon where it's like those milestone boxes, too. I've gotta say the Amazon ones hit just as hard as the Love Every. Love Every is crazy expensive. They're amazing, they are so great for the babies and just like their development. But there are ones that I saw on Amazon that message me if you want the links to them. They are just as great and they are so much cheaper. So those are the only splurge for dupes I put together, but those are the just the first ones that came to mind. Okay, so let's just talk about prepping for baby without panic. I wanted to give you guys five things that really help me feel ready for our birthday. So number one is having a plan for the first 72 hours of coming home. So this means food. Like, has someone planned a meal train for you? Have you meal prepped some freezer foods that you can just defrost and throw in the microwave? Number two is help, making sure you have a plan with help. If you have older kids, like who's gonna watch the kids while you're gone? I would definitely recommend having some extra set of hands for the first few days at least that you are home with a new baby. Last time when we had bash, we thought we really wanted to just like be on our own to adapt as a family of four. And I remember waking up the first morning and we had both kids in bed. It was double diapers, double bottles or feeding, and Scotty had a full-blown panic attack because it was just like, you take this kid, now you take this kid, and I had a C-section, and Aspen was crawling all over my like freshly done stitches, and we were just we looked at each other like, oh my gosh, we are in for it. So that was a big regret. So this time around, we're definitely gonna have like a family member or something in the mornings to just like help us and relieve some of that pressure. And number two, organizing a postpartum station and just like a baby needs kit for when you come home from the hospital. So the postpartum station, like it could be a caddy near your toilet where you have your ice pads, you have your witch hazel, you have your like what is that squeezy thing with the water? I can't think of it right now. Um, but all of those things in one area, so you never have to go searching for it. It's just all lined up right there waiting for you. And then this also goes with like a breastfeeding cart or like a little basket where you have your water, your electrolytes, your snacks, maybe it's like your, is it the petroleum jelly for your nipples, the silverettes, all of those things that will make it so easy to just have right there next to your nightstand. It's something I didn't do the first time around, and this time I'm going to be prepping all of this beforehand. And then also an extra caddy of all the baby stuff for my room. Obviously, we'll be using the nursery, but then also our room. So I have an extra set of clothes, diapers, wipes, spray, all in a little caddy to have in our room, too, or we can take it around the house. Number three is communication with your partner. So this is pretty much a game plan of like, okay, who is going to handle what when we come home from the hospital? So no one's guessing, there's no resentment, like everyone just knows exactly what they're doing. And you can even like tape this on your fridge to hold people accountable. Where it's like, okay, if you need your partner to be be the one to handle all the food, or the laundry, or the bottles, or the dishwasher, or if like family's gonna help with laundry twice a week, just having marching orders for who's doing what ahead of time to really help relieve any stress or like lashing out at each other. This is something I didn't think about beforehand

Splurges Versus Dupes That Deliver

SPEAKER_00 36:20

the first time around. And I feel like our house just got 10 times messier because we didn't have anyone scheduled to do anything, we just were kind of just like whoever saw something doing it, and it just it didn't work out. Number four is a big one: a visitor's script. And this is kind of about like boundaries and who comes to the house when, like visiting hours and all that, and like making sure you're setting boundaries without being like the villain. And I always think it should be your partner having to relay this information to everyone. So it's one less stressor on your plate, you're already healing, you're taking care of the baby, you're not sleeping. There's so many things that you're dealing with that having your partner kind of be that bodyguard to shield you from that um is really helpful. And just like setting expectations with visitors, like if you don't want anyone to visit you at the hospital, if you don't want anyone at home when you arrive home, or just like setting a schedule. And then the last one is one act of self-care a day, and this could be so tiny. Mine is having 15 minutes a day in the morning to get ready and become somewhat human. And for me, this is the two out of three rule that I've talked about in previous episodes, where there is doing your hair, doing your makeup slash skincare, and getting dressed as long as you do two out of those three things, you're gonna feel really good. So that is my goal for every single day, or like asking my partner, asking Scotty, being like, hey, I need 15 minutes every single morning. Like, how can we achieve that? Okay, so to end this episode, I thought it'd be fun to do a little rapid fire. Quick questions that I have one word fast answers to. So the first one is two baby items that you would buy immediately again. Ooh, for me, that is absolutely the Duna and a sound machine. One thing you returned or didn't use. Said it already, but a baby food processor. For me, that just it was not a thing. One thing you wish you registered more of. A meal train. I have not had a meal train yet, and that sounds like such a luxury. I don't want flowers. I don't need a card, even though I love reading them. Just

Prep For Baby Without Panic

SPEAKER_00 38:24

bring me food. One splurge that made life better. This one might be controversial, but a night doula. We foregoed having a baby moon so we could put that money into investing into a night doula, especially with two other kids having to get them up in the morning, take them to school, do the lunches, do the pickup. This time around, that was something really important to us. One skip it, you'll defend forever. Baby shoes before walking. If you could only prep one thing before labor, those ice pads for down south, glorious. Okay, so I think that wraps us up. I don't know how long I've been talking for. Hopefully that was super helpful. As I mentioned, I will link my registry or any items that um I've talked about in the show notes. So let me know. Also, if I missed anything, feel free to DM me. Anything you want recommendations on, any way I can help you with building your registry. This is my third time around, so I feel like a season pro. Thank you guys so much for listening. If you found this episode helpful or know anyone who is pregnant who might need some help in the registry department, please, please, please share it with anyone you feel might be in need. Give us a follow, a rating, a review. I know I say this every single time. It truly, truly means the world to me and helps us grow. And I just love reading your reviews. So thank you, thank you, thank you. Until next week.