When I pulled together my registry for Little Oats, I was incredibly overwhelmed. When it came to bottles, nursing gear, sippy cups, pacifiers, I had no clue where to start. Was I going to nurse exclusively? How many bottles did I need? What about pumping? Why are there eighty different types of breast pads? And don’t get me started on the plastic vs glass vs stainless steel debate. There are SO many choices, and really…there’s no guarantee that any of it will work.

That being said – if I had a time machine, and could go back and register for exactly what I wanted, loved, and needed, for nursing, bottle-feeding, and solids, here’s what it would look like:

My-Dream-Registry-Nursing

1. Bebe au Lait nursing cover: I’m most comfortable nursing in public when I’m under a cover. Personal choice – I liked this brand.

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2. Reusable nursing pads: I didn’t find these until after I’d gone through about 10 boxes of disposable nursing pads. I wouldn’t use them for the first few weeks while you’re leaking everywhere, but after your milk settles down a little, they are wonderful. (Mrs. Chipmunk has a DIY tutorial here.)

3. Comfortable nursing bras: I loved these ones from Motherhood for every day.

4. Earth Mama Angel Baby nipple cream: Amazing stuff – smells great, is safe for baby, and isn’t sticky and painful to apply like lanolin.

5. Comfort and Harmony Nursing pillow: I used this every single day for almost a year.

My-Dream-Registry-Bottle

1. Avent natural bottles: We barely used bottles. These were fairly inexpensive, easy to clean, hooked up to my pump, and Little Oats tolerated them.

2. Avent single electric pump: I pumped maybe once per week, just enough that I could go out for a few hours by myself. I probably could have gotten by with a manual pump for the amount I used it. If you’re pumping more, a double electric would probably be better.

3. Bottle insulator: These handy insulated travel caddies are great, especially when you just need to keep a bottle cold for an hour or so.

4. Sassy Scratch Bottle brush: Silicone bristles make this easy to clean and dishwasher-safe.

5. Dishwasher basket: I threw everything into this basket and ran it on the top rack.

My-Dream-Registry-Solid
1. Reusable pouches: Fill these with baby food, applesauce, or yogurt. Dishwasher safe, and easy for small hands to use.

3. Silicone spoons: These are cheap, practical, and made for little mouths.

3. Wooden high chair: We love this chair because it’s comfortable, easy to clean, and it matches our kitchen furniture. It also doesn’t take up very much space, compared to some of the bulkier plastic chairs.

4. Pocket bibs: Easy to clean, and they catch the food that would otherwise end up in baby’s lap.

5. Straw cups: These are still our favourite cups at 15 months. They don’t leak, are easy to use, and all the parts can go in the dishwasher.