jenna August 14, 2025

YOU DESERVE LOVE AND CARE TOO.

In this penultimate post in the Ultimate Baby Registry Guide series, we’re going full-on TREAT YO’ SELF – for baby and for you! I’m sharing our favorite products that made playtime fun and developmentally rich for our little guy right from the start. But just as importantly, I’m including some well-earned essentials for mom and dad, because taking care of yourself is a huge part of taking care of your baby.

I’ll never forget how grateful I felt for the love and support of friends and family in those postpartum days, from people making sure I stayed hydrated and fed to holding our baby while I showered or got a few minutes of quiet. For me, self-care also looked like having things organized. That’s just how my brain works. It helped me feel like I had a little control in a situation that was wildly unpredictable at times. 

If you’re heading into this season, just know: joy is definitely part of the journey, and you 100% have permission to care for yourself along the way too. This guide is for moms and dads. You’re all doing hard, beautiful work, and you deserve support, too. 💛

📝 How This Guide Works

I’ve gathered all our favorite Playtime & Parental Self-Care Essentials—from books and toys to cozy items and practical postpartum must-haves.

  • Look for the ⭐ to see my absolute favorite picks.
  • A 👍 means it’s “nice-to-have,” but maybe not needed right away—you can borrow or wait on these.

🛒 Want to easily add these to your registry? Check out my Amazon Idea List!

👶 BABY IS READY TO PLAY!

Let the fun begin! From newborn to toddler, these are items we’ve loved for keeping playtime engaging, meaningful, and developmentally appropriate.

⭐ Baby Bouncer

We borrowed the BabyBjörn Bouncer from a friend and loved it! A great alternative at a more budget-friendly price is the ComfyBumpy Baby Bouncer Seat. This was a lifesaver when I needed hands-free moments to cook, eat, or fold laundry. I could keep him close and safely buckled in.

⭐ Play mat/Activity Gym

Activity gyms are perfect for tummy time and playtime, even once your baby starts sitting up.

⭐ Books

I could go on forever about the importance of reading from day one! Here are just a FEW of our favorites:

👍 Toys

We try our hardest to keep a healthy balance of fun and developmentally appropriate toys if possible. Here are different toys we’ve used and loved from newborn to 2 years! 

Baby Swing – We tested the MamaRoo Baby swing from a friend, but our little one didn’t like it. Yours might! Swings vary a lot, so try borrowing before investing.

👪 PARENT-FOCUSED GOODIES

Let’s not forget YOU. Your wellness matters just as much as your baby’s, so here are some things that helped us stay sane, supported, and more joyful.

⭐ Rolling Organization Cart

I’ll say it once more – this Rolling 3-Tier Organizational Cart was a LIFE SAVER. If you’re an organized mom at heart, you’ll know self-care means having your *ISH organized. It feels so good to have all the burp cloths, water bottles, postpartum medicine, charging cords and diapers literally at your finger tips. 

⭐ Postpartum Care Items for Mama

These were in heavy rotation during those healing weeks:

👍 Comfy Clothes for Mama 

You’ll be hanging in the comfiest clothes you have for a few months. Tops with button front access are comfy and functional for nursing as well. 

👍 Self-Care Items

Little things that make a big difference:

👍 Parent Resources

I don’t know about you, but I love learning. Even moreso, I love learning from people who have already done the hard thing. These are a couple of courses or educational resources I definitely took advantage to figure out how to take care of a little baby bean. 

🏆 My Top 5 Must-Have Playtime & Parent Self-Care Essentials

If I had to choose just five items, these made the biggest difference in those early days:

  1. ⭐ Playmat/Activity Gym – so versatile, engaging, and safe play zone
  2. ⭐ Books – We are huge readers and want to share the love
  3. ⭐ Frida Mom Disposable Boyshort Underwear – made me feel so much more comfortable postpartum
  4. ⭐ Short Sleeve Henley Shirts – I think I lived in henley shirts for months – so comfy and functional
  5. ⭐ Rolling Organization Cart – Literally my favorite thing to date. 

With All My Love 

This stage of life is beautiful, chaotic, and full of newness, for both baby and parents. I hope this list gives you some inspiration for finding balance, joy, and a little peace of mind as you enter this new season.

Check the last in the series – Part 7: Real Tips from a First-Time Mom (MOM ADVICE), where I’ll be sharing mom advice that truly changed my life. Thank you so much for being part of this journey!

Go be Loyal & Limitless, my friends!