Top Baby Registry Recommendations (and what not to put)
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Edit: Updated July 2022 as my 2nd baby is 7 months old. I removed, swapped out, and added some things based on what we’ve actually used and loved these last 7 months.
What to put on your baby registry:
Baby Brezza Formula Pro. I’ll give breastfeeding and pumping another solid effort, but if it’s anything like my other two, I’m going to say thanks but no thanks and move on to formula around 4 months. You do you. Fed is best. This is the number one thing I couldn’t live without.
Baby Brezza Sterilizer. Perfect for cleaning bottle or pumping parts so you’re not hand washing every hour.
A cute hospital outfit in newborn size. We used this waffle knit sleeper in the hospital and I took photos with it. It runs on the smaller side so we only got about one week’s use out of it with my 8 lb 6 oz baby. I also really like this sleeper.
Speaking of outfits, I go cheap on baby clothes because they grow out of them so freakin’ fast. These and these were great.
Nothing compares to Tubby Todd products for baby’s sensitive skin. Get this starter kit in the lavender rosemary scent, it’s to die for. Plus the all over ointment is a holy grail product.
Diaper Cream Brush. Feels weird that you’d need this but it’s a game changer because diaper cream sticks to your hands and never wants to come off.
I searched long and hard for the perfect diaper backpack for baby #2 and ultimately decided on this one. I’m so glad I did, it’s durable, looks nice and big enough to carry everything we need for a baby and a toddler.
Desitin Diaper Cream. I’ve tried 4 other brands and this works the best.
Aquaphor. Pediatricians typically recommend to avoid using anything else as moisturizer until baby is 8 weeks old.
Cool Mist humidifier for their room.
These blackout curtains for their room.
These Changing Pad Liners. Get 2-3 packs of 3. They are great for so many different things.
These burp cloths are perfect for washing and if you don’t want to spend more money on a ton of Copper Pearl burp cloths.
Dr. Brown's bottles and warmer worked great for us. Get the "Options" kind.
Formula dispenser for when you travel.
Forehead thermometer making our lives so much easier.
These diapers for the first month, then you can go cheap on the diapers.
You'll want the Boppy pillow with the soft cover. We use this daily and even took on flights with baby.
Any sleepers with zippers and built in hand covers so they don’t scratch themselves. If you want to splurge, I really liked Kyte Baby and Lou Lou and Co. They use a bamboo fabric which is so soft and stretchy, you get more uses out of them. For a less expensive option, I liked this one. Baby lives in sleepers for the first 6 months so stock up on a variety of sizes.
Corner guards to baby proof the house. And these furniture straps.
We use this carrier all the time, the Ergo 360.
If you’re dying to get a wrap, I liked our Solly Baby wrap but only purchase if you’re having a summer baby. I had fall and winter babies and only used a couple times.
Baby Bjorn bouncer that we love.
I used these blocks to take the monthly milestone pictures. At his 1st birthday party, I printed each month’s photo out and hung them on a string with mini clothespins to display at the party.
If you read any baby book, let it be this one. It’s how we got our kids to sleep through the night (Leo @ 3 months, Archie @ 4 months).
High chair that actually goes with your decor.
This baby monitor. We had a fancy one that used an app on your phone until we realized it’s so much more convenient to just have a video monitor sitting out on the table instead of opening and app every so often to check on baby.
Hatch Baby Rest White Noise Machine. The holy grail.
The Halo sleepsack. You’ll want at least 2 in newborn size and 2 in small size. Don’t get any larger sizes than that because once you read Moms on Call book you’ll learn they want you to drop the swaddle around 3 months.
Crinkle books were a huge hit around 6-11 months.
The Dada and Mama books were the favorites around the 1 year old mark.
Backseat mirror so you can see them in the rearview mirror.
Spiral toy you can attach to their car seat when they start becoming more aware of their surroundings.
We loved these rompers in the summer.
Joovy Spoon walker was a hit in our house.
If you plan to do ISR or any swim classes, these swim diapers came highly recommended by our instructor and we continue to buy them in bigger sizes as they grow.
If you plan to do daycare, you’ll need these labels. You’ll also need extra bottle tops.
Hangers for their clothes.
This toy was a winner around 9 months.
Baby jumper. Disclaimer, I had big plans for this with our second babe because we didn’t have it for our first. Then we moved and our new house had too large of molding (?) for it to be able to latch on. So unfortunately I only used a handful of times.
If you’re afraid to cut their nails, try this instead of a clipper.
Silicone bibs for when they start solids. So much easier to clean.
Portable high chair that hooks onto most tables. We also have this set up on our kitchen island most days. If you have a small kitchen/house, you might be able to get away with just doing this instead of a high chair.
If you fly with them, you’ll need this bag to gate check your carseat or stroller.
Probiotic drops for gas, constipation or colic. Used with our first babe because he had a sensitive tummy, totally helped. We used gripe water and gas relief drops for our second baby, highly recommend having on hand before baby comes because you just never know.
BumbleRide Speed Stroller. It’s an all-terrain AND jogging stroller. We got the matte black on black and it looks so sleek. It’s pricey but they have a 10 year warranty and this stroller is my favorite thing on the planet. You’ll also want the infant car seat adapter. This is the one we got because we have a Graco car seat.
When we had Archie, our 2nd baby, I got a double jogging stroller off FB Marketplace. Once you go jogging stroller, you don’t go back. They are so durable, easy to navigate all kinds of terrain, and so versatile.
If you’re an outdoor family, snag one of these for bike rides.
A stroller blanket if you’re having a fall or winter baby and still want to take them on walks. Our pediatrician was totally on board for taking our babies on walks when it was over 30 degrees F.
Mommy Hook to put on your stroller. Didn’t get a ton of use out of it but there were a few times I did need it and it really came in handy.
You’ll want to keep this changing pad in your diaper bag.
This 4-in-1 bathtub. It grows with baby from newborn to toddler.
Baby sun hat. I love the ones that covered their necks for extra sun protection.
We use this pack n play. Don’t forget a sheet.
The infant car seat we used. We also got an extra base for Ryan’s car and my mom’s car for when she watched him twice a week when I was at work.
I lived in these waffle knit henleys from Aerie for nursing. So comfy and easy to feed baby in.
I tried a couple different kinds of nursing bras and found that these were the clear winner.
A little before a year old, we ditched the infant car seat for this one that grows with them. You will want both. The infant car seat is perfect for 0-9 months and easily transferring them in and out without unbuckling in the car.
If you don’t feel like lugging the Hatch white noise machine when you travel, or just want a white noise machine for car rides and whenever you leave the house, grab this portable white noise machine.
Teething gel. This banana teether was also a big hit. So was Sophie.
We put a changing pad on top of his dresser and called it the changing station. Don’t forget a changing pad cover.
We liked the Burts Bees crib sheet.
We used this stroller fan on a trip to Vegas in June in the sweltering heat. Amazing.
We used the Sit-Me-Up floor seat from ~10 weeks old.
Haakaa to help with the freezer stash if you’re BF.
De-choker. If you do baby led weaning, get one of these for peace of mind. Heck even if you don’t do BLW, it’s just one of those things you never want to use but in the event you need it you’ll be glad you bought it.
What not to put on your registry:
My 8+ lb babies were always too big for Burts Bees sleepers. Even the next size up would never fit their rolls. They are oh so cute so I wish they would’ve worked out, but the material just isn’t stretchy enough. If you get them as gifts, keep the tags on in case you also have a chunker and need to return them.
Swaddles. We rarely used them. We just did the Halo sleepsacks that are velcro. Game changer.
I never used the Lansinoh Therapy Pack. Actually I did. I used it in once in a cooler to keep drinks cold.
The Owlet Smart Sock. We returned this. It just didn’t work for us. The alarm would go off and then we checked on him and everything was fine. It caused anxiety rather than relieved it.
I didn’t use a nursing cover as much as I thought I would. Could have gone without that. If I did want privacy, a burp cloth was always big enough to cover us up.
A Smart Baby Monitor. If your monitor only uses an app, I highly recommend reconsidering. It just wasn’t practical because you don’t want to have the app open on your phone 24/7. It ended up draining our wifi because it was always running in the background. If you do go with a smart monitor I would just make sure it also comes with a physical monitor so you can have both options.
Infant shoes. Don’t waste too much money on shoes before they can walk.
Some may disagree with me but I didn’t love the Goumi brand sleepers. And I bought at least 4. They aren’t cheap either! I much preferred Kyte Baby or Lou Lou & Co sleepers which are roughly the same price. The fabric is stretchy so you get more uses out of these than the Goumi brand.
Skip Hop Bottle storage cooler. Rarely got used.
4moms rocker. A friend let me borrow for our 2nd baby and he hated it.
Dreft detergent. We just used the free and clear or the Branch Basics detergent.
If you’re trying to go minimalist with your baby items, you can absolutely survive without those cute newborn bath towels and just use the towels you already have.
The Mash N Serve Baby Bowl Set. Didn’t use it.
Baby grocery cart cover. Don’t need it.
The Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder. Only used it once or twice.
Booger wipes. Never used.
Sleepers that are gowns that tie at the bottom. Super cute but not practical, I found myself always reaching for the other sleepers.
Car seat cup attachment to hold snacks and cups. Returned this because the carseat we had already had built in cup holders.
Hands free breast pump bra. Returned it.
The fancy new hands free breast pumps. I got the Elvie Stride and sold it after a few uses. It just wasn’t life changing like I thought it would be. I used the Spectra 9 (portable and pretty much hands free in my opinion) with both babies and it was exactly what I needed. Plus insurance completely covered it.
Never once used a dock a tot. We followed Moms on Call and they suggest all naps are in the crib for safe sleep.
Tons of outfits before they’re 6 months old. Maybe it’s because I had winter babies but we just kept them in sleepers unless it was a special occasion or holiday. People will gift you outfits whether you put them on your registry or not, so I would keep them off. Or if you do, put one or two outfits (the bamboo matching sets) from Kyte Baby or Lou Lou & Co.
Especially if your nursery is on the first floor of your house, you don’t need a diaper pail. We found it was easier to walk it to the garbage in the kitchen. Our kitchen trash can fills up so quickly these days, it’s rare that we go more than a day without changing it if you’re worried about the smell of dirty diapers. That’s never been an issue.
What I’ll get when we have a 3rd baby:
This journal that you fill out in your pregnancy up until they’re 18 years old.
Maybe a swing? Our 2nd baby didn’t like the 4moms rockers so I’m skeptical spending a lot of money in this area. I’ll probably just snag something off FB Marketplace because you never know if your baby will love or hate it. We used the Fisher Price Rock n Play on both babies but they don’t make them anymore because they were recalled.
This wagon. Fits 4 kids.
Handprint ornament. I did this for both boys and will for sure do it again, it’s so cute.
I bought this ring and had Leo’s and Archie’s names engraved on it. I wear it every single day. I’ll get a new one with all 3 names on it, somehow. It’s also one of my favorite gifts to get new moms.
One thing I did differently with the 2nd baby was buy Depends Silhouette disposable underwear for the first couple weeks postpartum. That way you don’t have to buy more mesh underwear and pads, it’s a 2 for 1 situation. C-section friendly.
