Baby Registry Essentials

Based on my experience so far(my dd, Aryaana turned 1 month recently), below are some of the newborn care essentials I would recommend having in your baby registry.

Diaper Essentials

Diaper is very first among the things you will need right after getting home from the hospital. You will mostly be using 6-12 diapers a day for atleast the initial couple of months. There are many choices one can make when it comes to choosing diapers ranging from disposable, organic to cloth diapers with all available in various brands. You can research on the pros and cons before making your choice. I chose pampers diapers and it worked out fine for us.

Below are the essential things you will need for easy diaper sessions.

• Diapers: You will need some swaddlers with size N at least for the first few months. Make sure you have at least one big pack of this stocked at home before your due date.
• Diaper Pail and essentials: Not sure if it is manageable using an air tight trash can but I preferred having one of the diaper pails. I bought the Playtex Diaper Genie Elite Pail System with odor lock feature and its been quite convenient so far. 
• Wipes: Recommend buying the ones retaining moisture to avoid having to wet them each time. I picked pampers again here.
• Changing table: This is optional as you can also use a dresser or table with changing pad instead.
• Disposable changing sheets: Useful to have these sheets on top of your changing pad cover just for those special occasions! They can be used everywhere from bed to swings and anywhere you place your baby.

Sleep Essentials 

Babies have a lot to learn and adapt to once they are out of their mamma's secure womb. Swaddling is one such thing required to help babies adapt easily to the outside world. Swaddling is considered to   help them feel secure in a tight enclosed space. You can either swaddle the baby using the swaddling cloth or buy the ready swaddler a such as the infant swaddle me or the toddler swaddle me products.

• Aden + Anais SwaddlePlus: Swaddling cloth quite large in size. They can also be used as sun protector for your car seats or baby carriers. 
• Swaddlepod by Summer Infant: I found these very useful for the first month of your baby when other swaddlers are big for your newborn.
• SwaddleMe Adjustable Infant Wrap: Perfect for babies post 3-4 weeks and bigger babies. It is velcro based and that makes it easy to adjust making it a snug fit for your baby.
• White noise generator: I would highly recommend picking one of these as it helps simulate the womb like environment for the baby which in turn helps the baby sleep better.
• Baby sleepwear: Full length front zipper pajamas or onesies are good enough for the baby to wear before swaddling depending on the weather.

Bath Essentials

Until the baby's umbilical cord stump falls off (which takes around 2-5 weeks), you will be allowed to give only sponge bath to avoid any infections around the stump. Sponge bath can be given either everyday or every other day. Either ways, I would recommend using warm wash clothes to wipe baby's face and neck every day. 

• Bodycare essentials: Johnson & Johnson essential set is a good buy covering bodywash, shampoo, lotion and many other items. My daughter loved getting lotion massaged right after bath and it helped her sleep longer too.
• Wash Clothes: Whether it is for sponge baths or to wipe spit ups, these are very useful. So have at least 10 of these unless you plan to do laundry very frequently. 
• Hooded Towel:These hooded towels are usually large enough to cover your baby. 
• Bath Tub: There are many available in different sizes. I bought one with a sling that can be used for both an infant and later for a toddler. 

Other Essentials

I found a few other items very very useful but highly recommend buying them though not as essentials for the baby. As they say every baby is different and there is no concrete formula that would work for every baby. 

• Pacifiers: Doctors and nurses recommend introducing pacifiers not earlier than 4 weeks or till your baby is feeding well with a good established latch.
• Sterilizer: Though I did not initially plan to buy a sterilizer, I received it as a baby shower gift from a dear friend of mine. Honestly, it was a god sent as it made sterilizing so much more faster and easier. Dr Browns sterilizer is a good product and easy to use with a microwave.
• Aspirator: Very useful in clearing out nose blocks.
• Gas Relief Drops: There is a good chance your baby will feel gassy at some point either because you skipped burping them or mommy had some gassy food or for reason you will never know. So having these drops will be a big help in relieving your little one from her discomfort.
• Nipple cream: This is for the mommy to help with nipple soreness experienced either while breastfeeding or pumping.
• Milk Bottle: If you are breastfeeding, it is recommended not to introduce a bottle earlier than 4-6 weeks or till your baby is comfortable breastfeeding with a good established latch. But either ways, it is good to have a level 0 slow flow bottle handy. I would recommend Aveeno Philips bottle as it has the wide mouthed nipple to help avoid nipple confusion for the baby. 
• Baby Thermometer: This will come handy any time you get anxious about your baby's temperature.
• Baby NailCutter: Trust me on this when I say this is a must. Baby's finger nails grow very fast and you don't want her scratching herself with those nails. It is useful to have a few mittens as well. And best time to cut baby's nails are while breastfeeding. I bought a health and grooming kit for the first year from amazon which includes a few more additional items such as toothbrush, hairbrush, nail filers, aspirators and others.
• Baby Slings/Wraps: These can be useful if you plan to move around the house and elsewhere with the baby. It helps you move around while carrying your baby and not hurting your back.