Baby Registry Checklist: Safety Essentials for Baby and Mom

If your baby shower was cancelled due to COVID-19, friends and family are still going to want to celebrate you and your baby. Maybe you’ll have a socially distant shower via a group Zoom session, or guests might be coming to your house to fete you with a drive-by party. Either way, they’ll want to shower you with a few gifts to welcome your little one.

How does a baby registry work? You can either put together your registry in person at the store(s) of your choosing, or register online. Keeping in mind that the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that pregnant women may have an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and advises they limit their interactions with other people as much as possible, the best route would be to search out items online and add them to your registry through the store’s website. Not only will you keep yourself safer during the pandemic, you’ll save yourself the hassle of going from store to store, and from shelf to shelf.

Once you’ve completed your registry, those links can be provided to inquiring friends and family, and the website keeps track of which items have been purchased – so you won’t get any duplicates.

Keeping safe is always at the forefront of everyone’s mind, and especially during our current situation. Here are some safety items to make sure are on your baby registry checklist:

• Medical gear: items such as thermometers, medicines, and first-aid items
• Travel gear: car seats, strollers, and carriers
• Bathing items: tubs and faucet covers

When it comes to putting together a registry, lactation specialist Jennifer Ritchie advised focusing on the real necessities first. “I truly believe in quality, not quantity. The three most important things a new mom needs when she gets home are a bassinet, diapers, and swaddling blankets,” she told Mom.com. “Instead of getting smaller items you may not use, you may want to do a shower gift everyone can chip in to help you get.” Think about the things you need most and then the things you might need.

While there is no book that tells you how to be a mother, it can feel like you get an impromptu medical degree with all the medical information you need to consume and digest. Moms always know when babies aren’t feeling well</a>; it’s all the other stuff that just helps confirm it and makes baby feel better. Mom of two boys Rita Cascia knows when her sons are sick because “they get fussy,” she told Mom.com. “Even feeding my youngest gets difficult.”

Here is some of the medical gear you should keep on hand to keep baby healthy:

• Thermometer: Rectal thermometers are the most accurate, but many parents opt for an ear or forehead thermometer for convenience.
• Nail trimmer: Keeping baby’s nails trimmed prevents her from scratching herself. You’ll want a baby-safe pair that will gently clip the soft nails without hurting her.
• Saline nasal drops: This is a natural solution to help babies with a congested nose. Saline moisturizes the nasal passage while helping expel mucus.
• Suction bulb: You can suction out mucous from your baby’s nose to help make eating and breathing easier.
• rubbing alcohol pads: Use these to help clean the navel and prevent bacteria from leading to infection. An alternative to alcohol swabs if there is no infection is to expose the navel to air so it can dry out before the stump falls off.

Talk to your pediatrician about any other must-haves to keep in the house. You may be instructed to keep things like Pedialyte or children’s Tylenol in stock for children a little older who may get sick.

Items for safe travel

You won’t be able to leave the hospital without an approved and installed car seat. When traveling short or long distances with baby, you’ll want to be prepared for just about anything. I affectionately named my diaper bag The Armageddon Bag because it was ready for anything from diaper emergencies to fever reducers if needed.

Here is the gear you’ll need for day trips or longer excursions:

• Infant car seat: Make sure this is FAA compliant if you plan on traveling with baby. All newborns need a rear-facing car seat to leave the hospital.
• Stroller: Strollers come in all shapes and sizes. Find one that isn’t too big or too cumbersome to handle. Most moms are happy when things are simple, like being able to put the infant carrier from the car right onto the stroller to allow baby to continue sleeping safely.
• Stroller bunting: You won’t need this if it’s the middle of summer, but winter babies will need the bunting to protect them from cold or rainy weather.
• Travel crib: Keep baby safe while you put her down for a nap while at the park or at a friend’s home. A travel crib should fold conveniently but be sturdy when baby is in it.
• Baby wrap or carrier: There will be times that wearing your baby will be easier (not to mention helps with bonding). If you’re in the grocery store or running errands, keeping your hands free while baby is safe and snuggly is a great option.

What you’ll need to bathe your baby

Once baby is home, you’ll want to social isolate as much as possible with COVID around. A regular bath is important not to just protect against COVID but to keep baby healthy and prevent rashes and infections from happening. Your baby registry should have safe bath items to help baby get clean and be entertained.

Bathtime essentials to put on your baby registry include:

• A baby tub: A tub that sits up on a counter that is small, where you have complete control over baby while she is in it. This should be one of the first things on your registry list.
• Washcloths: Small and soft is the key with baby washcloths. You’ll be using them frequently, so stock up to prevent needing to do more laundry loads than necessary.
• Body wash and shampoo: Make sure this is baby-safe, meaning it is gentle on the skin but will still get baby clean.
• Body lotion: Babies can get rashes very easily. Keep their skin soft with baby-safe body lotion used after their bath.
• Faucet cover: A protective cover that prevents baby from hurting her delicate head if she accidentally bumps into the faucet.
• Hooded towels: Keep her out of drafts and get her snuggly in a soft hooded towel that dries her and keeps her warm.

While hand sanitizer is all the rage, keep in mind that baby’s skin is soft and sensitive. Using the alcohol-based sanitizer could cause a rash for your little one if used too often. Children’s Hosptial Los Angeles suggests wiping the sanitizer until it is completely dry, and make sure you don’t let baby lick her hands. Give her a good bath to keep her healthy.