words by kim jolasun, founder of villie

This blog is for first-time parents, and it’s something I wish someone would have shared with me when I was pregnant with my first. As new parents, we don’t know what we don’t know. And as a result, I did not consider doing this the first time around.

But when it was time to create a baby registry for my second pregnancy, the first thing I did was add gifts for myself. It’s not selfish— it’s smart, and we deserve care and convenience as much as anyone.

Without shame, I even took it up a notch and went beyond items that simply makes my life easier but also things I personally enjoy. I was unapologetic about asking. And surprisingly, my closest loved ones and friends raced to be the one to give the more unconventional gifts.

So think about you— what do you need? What would make your life a little easier with a new baby? Your baby registry should reflect you, the parent, as much as the baby. And I hope this leaves you feeling confident to put those items on your baby registry! You deserve it.

Here are my top 5 items (plus a bonus one) to consider adding to your baby registry:

1. Coffee. Life with a newborn is exhausting and the sleep-deprivation hits you hard. And to be honest, I’ve had the same coffee machine since college— so if there was ever a time for an update, it was now. I added a new, slick, kettle and pour over coffee set to my baby registry. I selected The Rookie Pour-Over Kit from Fellow.
2. Meal Delivery Service. I love regularly going out to nice local Atlanta restaurants for date nights or gathering my friends for impromptu tapas. But for the first couple of months  after having my babies, it’s near impossible to leave the house. And if one thing can feel like a burden, it’s making meals for my family. One way to reduce this load was adding  meal delivery service gift cards to my baby registry, such as, UberEats, Postmates, or GrubHub This allowed me to easily and guiltlessly order pizza with all the toppings during 1am ravenous breastfeeding or pumping session, and was quick and effortless way to provide dinner for the family when we didn’t have enough energy to cook.
3. Wine. Well, non-alcoholic wine anyway. Non-alcoholic wine is made by removing the alcohol from regular wine, and it still retains the flavor and aroma of traditional wine. It was a nice way for me to unwind. While the occasional alcoholic beverage is considered safe pumping or breastfeeding, it didn’t appeal to me in the first few weeks postpartum, but I enjoyed the ritual and the non-alcoholic wine was the perfect balance. Especially when friends came to visit. My favorite is this Thomson & Scott Noughty sparkling Rosé.
4. Noise Canceling Headphones. When it’s my husband's turn to tend to the baby, no matter how much I try, I somehow find myself helping instead of resting. Either I hear the baby before he does or hear my husband rummaging through things so I instinctually jump to action. A good set of noise canceling  headphones while listening to a good episode of true crime or Beyonce’s new album to remind myself  that I am a Superstar is sometimes all that is needed to feel restored.I love Soundcore Anker Life Q20 and INFURTURE Rose Gold.
5. ‍Washable Nursery Rug from Ruggable. Spills and spit-ups are part of parenting life, even more so with two. With a Ruggable Rug, you can worry less about both, knowing you can easily throw your rug in the washing machine, and it’ll still look good as new once it’s dry. Your nursery is a sacred space where you’ll spend a lot of time with both kids, and this rug means you can make more memories and fewer stains. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Bonus Idea: Buy yourself more iCloud Storage space before the baby arrives The space in my phone filled up approximately 1 week after having my son. I mean, we have to capture every waking moment, right? This gift gave me the peace of mind to record hundreds of hours of my baby doing, mostly nothing, but doing it adorably.

‍

Meet the Author

Kimberly Jolasun is the founder of Villie. Villie helps expecting parents get more support (cash, gifts and services) from their loved ones.

I started my company, Villie, which helps moms get more support from their loved ones. I realized that oftentimes, loved ones want to help and do not know how. It takes a village. Parenting is hard. I want you  to remember to lean in and ask for help. Take care of yourself so that we are doing our best for our little ones.