Several of my friends are expecting their first little bundle of joy. My husband and I joke that we have at least 10 friends who are due this upcoming January. We are so excited for them all and can’t wait to welcome their little ones!
With their littles on the horizon, it has made me think about when I was first expecting Little Mister. It’s hard to believe that three years ago, I was anticipating his arrival! We were painting his room and getting it all decorated. We were making lists upon lists – baby registries, hospital bag lists, diaper bag lists – it was endless. If I went online and looked, the baby registry lists were endless. One would think, from looking at them, that you need to buy the entire store to take care of a tiny baby!
Needless to say, I don’t think we ended up using half of what we bought for Little Mister. Even the list for my hospital bag ended up including mostly things I didn’t use!
Then came Little Miss and the lists were slightly less extensive. This time around, I had a better idea of what I needed and what I definitely didn’t. To share my experience, here are lists of the baby registry items you absolutely need… and the items you may not. Add what you’d like, though! This is just a starting point. Maybe there is something regionally that you could really use that we don’t need here in Texas! But the majority of products on the market, your little one really just won’t need.
Baby Registry Must-Haves
Clothes–
- White onesies – Gerber conveniently sells these in packs. I recommend purchasing a pack per size and keeping a couple in your car for emergency changes.
- Sun hat – I really like these from Twinkle Belle. They are fantastic because the crown part is adjustable and the snap under the chin is break-away, so they grow with baby!
- Swim diapers – Did you know babies can start swimming at 2 months? I like Best Bottom or Thirsties swim diapers the best. They are reusable and snap on both sides – which is much better than dragging poop down their legs because the diaper only snaps on one side or is only pull on. Trust me, that is not the kind of disaster you want to deal with at the pool.
Travel-
- Stroller – I really love the Uppababy Vista or Cruz stroller, but I know this isn’t in everyone’s budget and there are similar, more economical strollers out on the market. There are several features I like about this style of stroller. It is adaptable for all types of setups and can work with many different kinds of infant car seats. Also, it is a really great single stroller, but easily turns into a double stroller without becoming unwieldy.
- Car seats – There are so many car seats out on the market. Most likely, you will need an infant car seat and then a convertible car seat once they are older. For a convertible car seat, I like the Diono Radian 3RXT because of the high weight and height limit for rear-facing – perfect for extended rear-facing!
- Ring sling – Skip on the Moby and Boba Wrap or the K’Tan! Those stretchy wraps will not last nearly as long as a ring sling as they will stretch as baby grows, making it uncomfortable and dangerous. Ring slings are made of stronger linen so that they will last well into toddler years if you need it. I can still put Little Mister up in a ring sling if needed!
- Baby carrier – There are so many different companies that make baby carriers and they will all fit you and baby differently. I started with an Ergo, a highly recommended brand that several of my friends LOVED, and Little Mister and I couldn’t get comfortable in it. We couldn’t get comfortable. Then we tried a Tula and did so much better! Try on as many different brands as you can to see what fits best for you and baby. There are options from carriers with straps that can cross (perfect for those with back problems) and carriers that have lumbar support. There are carriers with cute prints and carriers with the added feature of being able to turn into high chair straps (perfect for parents on the go). I also highly recommend finding a babywearing community near you! They will be a huge resource in finding the perfect carrier or wrap for you and your little one. Find out more information on baby carriers on our post Down the Babywearing Rabbit Hole.
- Baby carrier sweatshirt – I will admit that this isn’t a priority for me here in Texas. It isn’t something that I own. But I also recognize that the majority of the country has much colder temperatures than we experience. So check out this awesome baby carrier sweatshirt so you can go play in the snow while wearing baby!
Nursery-
- 2 swaddle blankets – Let’s be honest, you’ll probably get a billion swaddles. But make sure you have at least 2 – one to use and one to be in the laundry. Messes will happen, so best to be prepared!
- 2 changing pad covers – Again, one for the changing pad and one for the laundry.
- 2 bed sheets – Crib, laundry.
- Baby monitor – Whether it’s just audio or has video, there are so many nice baby monitors on the market. I highly recommend skipping those monitors that run on wifi or connect via an app on your phone. They are less reliable and are dependent on your phone battery not dying and the internet not going out. Additionally, they can be hacked, which is a scary thought!
- Changing pad – Changing pads are great… while baby stays where you put them. Once they start rolling and crawling, all bets are off and it’s best to just use the floor. So since it’s such a short period of time, a cheap pad you can use with a cover works perfectly, like this one from Summer Infant!
- Pack and play – This can be an absolutely necessity for two reasons – 1, if you plan to spend a lot of time at a grandparent’s, it is easy to leave a pack and play at their house. 2, if you live in a multi-story house, leave a pack and play on your main level so that you go up and down the stairs fewer times. If you find one with a changing table add-on, such as this one from Graco, this is perfect for keeping on a separate level so that you don’t have to go to a different level to change a diaper.
- Cool mist humidifier – Having a humidifier in your baby’s room can help with a multitude of benefits including keep moisture in their skin, creates optimal breathing conditions, and helps with cold symptoms. I recommend a cool mist humidifier as they are less likely to grow mold and are safer around babies. Additionally, the mist will be the same cooled temperature once it reaches baby, so the safety lies in the machine itself.
Bath-
- Nose Frieda – This product seems strange, but it is AWESOME! It is easy to use, easy to clean, and there is no risk of mold growing in it like the old-fashioned bulb syringes.
- Baby tub – Whether you plan to bathe baby in a tub or the sink, it is beneficial to have a baby bath tub for safety reasons. I really like this baby bather from Summer Infant as it’s easy to clean and folds for storage.
- Baby nail clippers – I hate trimming baby nails. It is the worst. We were recommended by the hospital nursery nurse to trim Little Mister’s nails by biting them. It worked incredibly well and there’s a much lower risk of them getting too short or accidentally cutting their skin. With Little Miss, I tried the technique again and she refused to keep her hand open for me to do it. So now I use baby nail clippers for her.
- Baby washcloths – I like ones made specifically for baby because they are softer than regular ones.
- Thick towels – Lots of baby-specific towels are thin, but then baby will get cold and upset! Find thick towels and keep baby warm.
- Thermometer – Oral/rectal kind is often preferred by pediatricians for infants as they are the most accurate. Temporal thermometers that swipe across the head can also be accurate and some pediatricians even use ones like this Exergen one in their office. Once they turn one, I like the Kinsa smart ear thermometer as it easily will track your little one’s temperature over the course of time and you can link multiple thermometers to one account in the even that a caretaker uses one as well.
Feeding-
- Breast pump – I like the Spectra S2/S3. I had a Medela Pump in Style with Little Mister and struggled to get much output. I also like the closed system of the Spectra much better. See what is covered by your insurance and go from there. Keep in mind that each individual may respond differently to different pumps.
- Milk Snob cover – If you want a nursing cover, I like this one because it can also be used as a car seat cover, high chair cover, etc. They even have adorable Disney prints!
- High chair – I will sing the praises of the IKEA Antilop high chair all day long. $20 and you can put the whole thing in the shower to wash off. No matter what, avoid high chairs with difficult to wash cloth covers or any kind of crevice. Those crevices will never be clean of the smushed-in avocado and sweet potato. If you don’t have space for a separate high chair, check out this Fisher-Price buckle booster that attaches to a current dining room chair.
- Boppy or My Brest Friend – These pillows are really helpful while baby is a newborn and you are still getting used to nursing and keep baby in the proper position while bottle-feeding. These pillows can also provided added protection and comfort if you have a c-section. Once baby is a few months old and has better head and neck control, couch and bed pillows can become a little better because you can shape them more easily.
- Burp cloths – My personal opinion is that you cannot have enough burp clothes. I like to have at least 6-7, one for your bedroom, the nursery, and the diaper bag and then an alternate for the laundry.
- Bottles – Most babies will only need bottles that are 4-5 ounces in size. Hold off on purchases larger bottles until absolutely necessary. Also, go for the slowest flow in nipple.
Mama Things-
- Johnson & Johnson nursing pads – I had a lactation consultant recommend this brand in particular. They worked so much better than other brands, were more comfortable, and not so large that they were unmanageable.
- Nipple balm – I really love this MotherLove brand. It’s baby-friendly so you don’t have to wipe it off before nursing and it healed sores the fastest of all the ones I tried with Little Mister. Quite honestly, though, the best is using breast milk following each nursing session. The healing powers of breast milk are quite incredibly.
- Nursing camis, bras, shirts – I really love the Simply Sublime nursing tanks from Kindred Bravely. Their nursing wear is so comfortable!
- Comfy loungewear – You are going to be spending a lot of time with baby, whether nursing or bottle-feeding. Make sure you have some nice, comfortable loungewear to relax in, especially for those middle-of-the-night feedings. Again, check out this super-comfy loungewear from Kindred Bravely – great for nursing and bottle-feeding mamas!
Extra-
- Indestructible books – Check out my Stocking Stuffer post to see why these books are the bomb dot com.
- Wonder Weeks app – There is an accompanying book, but what I love is that there would be times where Little Mister or Little Miss were just unexplainably fussy and I could pop open the app for help. It explains when they have “stormy periods” that are caused by development. It doesn’t stop the fussiness, but it helps with understanding why which can help us attend to our little’s needs better.
- Diaper bag – I love the JuJuBe BFF diaper bag. All of the JuJuBe bags hold up incredibly well, but this bag can be worn as either a backpack or with a shoulder strap. I’ve found this versatility helpful with the variety of situations we encounter. They have cute patterns and hold everything we need. I went through two other diaper bags before finding the BFF bag and wish I’d found it sooner!
- Sunscreen – I really love the Tubby Todd sunscreen. It’s easy to put on and doesn’t leave quite the mess that others do.
- Punkin Butt oil – This is the absolute best for teething or general tooth pain. I even used it on my own gums when I had to have tooth implant surgery. Dab a little on their gums and it helps reduce the pain. I own two bottles – one for home and one for my diaper bag.
Baby Registry Don’ts
Clothes-
- Baby Mittens – Babies are going to have talons for nails, but the mittens aren’t necessary. The likelihood that they will keep the mittens on is slim. Keep their nails trimmed and save the money on the mittens.
Travel-
- Car seat accessories, including but not limited to toys, strap covers, car seat covers, pillows, etc. – These are dangerous and could lead to injury or suffocation. I know. They’re cute. But your baby is cute without them.
Nursery-
- Crib accessories, including but not limited to crib bumpers, crib toys, extra blankets, etc. – These are some of the largest suffocation hazards for the crib. They are not necessary for infants, so keep them out of the crib.
- Swaddle Wraps – You might need one of these, but there are a million on the market and it’s completely dependent on the baby which one works best. I recommend waiting until baby is here before you decide whether you need one of these.
Bath-
- Baby lotion – A newborn’s skin is incredibly sensitive. It is not necessary to use a lotion on a newborn’s skin as it can change the ability for the skin to moisturize itself.
- Baby powder – Similar to baby lotion, baby powder is not necessary with newborns as it can affect the skin’s ability to moisturize. Additionally, it can cause breathing problems for baby. If your baby does have a diaper rash, there are better diaper rash ointments to use on an as-needed basis.
- Wipes warmer – Unless you live in an area of the country that experiences extremely cold temperatures, it is best to skip on the wipes warmer. In warmer climates, these can breed mold. Additionally, it can condition baby to expect warmer wipes, causing issues when you are not at home and the wipes are the warm ones they are used to.
Feeding-
- Baby food maker (Baby Bullet) – You may end up getting this, but wait until your little one starts foods. If you go the baby-led weaning route, you will not need a gadget like this.
- Bottle warmer – Instead of a fancy bottle warmer, simply warm breast milk or formula by putting it in a bowl of warm water or running it under warm tap water. Even better, it is not required to warm breast milk past room temperature. Additionally, some bottle warmers may not even be approved for breast milk. Overall, just skip this device.
- Bottle sterilizer – Counter space is a premium to begin with when baby comes along. Skip on this fancy gadget and sterilize your bottles in a pot of clean, boiling water for five minutes instead.
Mama Things-
- Lanolin – Lanolin should not be consumed by baby, so it should not be used prior to nursing baby. Lanolin is also notorious for irritating sensitive skin or those with skin allergies. Skip the Lanolin and use breast milk following your nursing session instead! There was even a small study done by the National Institute of Health demonstrating breast milk worked as well if not better than Lanolin!
Extra-
- Activity Mat – Instead, find a larger mat and fill it with toys. It will allow for baby to practice rolling, moving, and crawling around and will last longer as they grow.
- Pacifiers – Not all babies want a pacifier and there are so many different kinds. I swear we have a million pacifiers that have never been used because Little Mister only wanted the green Soothies and Little Miss refused to take a pacifier. So wait and see if they even will want one before you go out and buy a whole bunch.
- Bumbo seats or similar – Besides a safety hazard, these seats can interfere with the natural progression of skills if used before baby is developmentally ready. Instead, stick with tummy time to strengthen their core until they are ready to sit up when developmentally natural.
Hopefully this list helped as a starting point for creating the perfect registry for you. There are so many products out there that it can be hard to weed through it all to find what you really need. So many of the items out there you never even would use. No matter what, consider your individual situation and make the best choices possible. That’s all any of us can do as parents!
Congratulations on your upcoming little one!