5 Must-Have Items to Include on Your Baby Registry

This is a guest post from Kate Trout at Maternity Glow

Congratulations, you're pregnant! One of the most fun parts of being pregnant is having your baby shower, and of course the best part of the shower is registering for all those awesome gifts. But, sometimes there is "gift overload" where you're not really sure what to include on your registry, and what to leave off. With that in mind, I thought I'd create a post focused on my 5 must-have items to include on your registry list.

1. Baby Carrier

Once your baby is born, you're going to want to take her everywhere. Enter: the baby carrier. A good baby carrier is comfortable to wear, both for you and baby, and smartly designed so that you can carry your little one on yourself while freeing up your hands to do other tasks. There are a lot of good carriers available these days, but my favorite one is the Ergobaby 360 carrier—you can check out my review to learn more about it.

2. Hands-Free Pumping Bra

Notice a theme here: when you're a mom, your hands are always full (literally), and yet you're trying to do twenty different things at once. So, I really like items that free up your hands while still allowing you to focus on your mothering duties. A hands-free pumping bra fits this description perfectly, allowing you to pump while freeing up your hands to do other things like cook, vacuum, and take care of your baby! Things to look for in a good pumping bra include finding one that is comfortable, compatible with the more popular breast pumps, and one that's washable and durable. I have a whole guide dedicated to finding the best hands free pumping bra if you want to find out more.

3. Stroller Travel System

One of the best gifts I received at my baby shower was a stroller travel system. A stroller travel system combines the stroller and car seat into a single product, eliminating the need to purchase multiple items. Not only that, but having the compatibility factor of your car seat snapping into your stroller will save you tons of time and stress. When registering for a stroller travel system, look for one that's comfortable, durable, and safe. There are a couple of great options to choose from today, so check out my stroller travel system guide to find out more.

4. Baby Humidifier

An absolute must-have item for your baby's nursery is a good baby humidifier. A humidifier is important to keep your baby's skin from getting too dry, as the air in your house may not be humid enough for your little one. Best of all, a good baby humidifier can make the air more comfortable in your baby's room, thus allowing her to sleep better! If that's not a reason to register for one, then I don't know what is!

5. Baby Thermometer

Finally, and it stinks to even think about it, but your baby will, at some point, get sick. And when that happens, you're going to want a good and reliable baby thermometer to take her temperature. When you call your pediatrician to tell them you think your baby may be sick, one of the first things they're going to ask if is what your baby's temperature is. And you need to be as close to 100% sure that your temperature reading is accurate. There are a lot of inaccurate baby thermometers out there that give bad readings, so make sure you do a little research before registering for one.