PRIYApproved Baby Registry
Why are baby registry lists just for babies? Mama and the whole family need things too!
I’ve seen at least 50 (if not more?) baby registry articles at this point, and in an effort to target “just the few things you need” they all fall short in being realistic. Yeah, I can buy just 12 things before baby comes, but then I’ll be amazon priming the heck out of things at 3am for my entire 4th trimester. On the other hand, you can buy every little thing you think you’ll need until your baby turns 1, but then:
they aren’t interested in it (like what if you buy toys all the way up to 2 years old in a fox theme and your kid doesn’t like foxes? I would have had no idea that my 17 month old would LOVE bees….luckily I buy as I go in the toy/fun stuff department so I can pick things that she’s interested in!
it doesn’t work for them/your house/routine (you don’t really know what is going to be realist or work for you until the baby is in your house for a few weeks)
you house/apartment/garage/storage unit will be piled high with a bunch of stuff you don’t need right now
What if the best/coolest/hottest/most developmentally appropriate item for item XYZ changes in 8 months?
If you buy stuff too early, you may not be able to return it by the time you realize it’s not going to work (even if it’s unopened) and then you’ll find yourself trying to sell it on Nextdoor, Craigslist or Facebook marketplace in your (nonexistent) free time…
The list I have created below is realistic, relatively thorough, but won’t leave you with a bunch of crap you don’t need (or at least don’t need now).
FYI: (bolded = highly recommend getting ahead of time for first three to six months, rest is optional/maybe for future)
Warning: these are my exact notes to friends about baby registry items so it’s in list format and a little rough, but hopefully super helpful or at least a jump of point to start your research!
If you’re curious about my favorite brand of something, or need more information, please reach out for a registry revamp!
Baby Registry
Tech
Sound machine
Baby monitor - highly recommend Wyze Cam with night vision plus the App
Apps: Baby See, Wonder Weeks, Baby Connect, Qeepsake (free during pregnancy, paid later – this is just one example but some sort of online/tech based journal so you don’t lose the data and can update it quickly) Baby Center, dB meter (I use this to make sure the sound machine isn’t too loud because past a certain decibel reading can have an effect on hearing over time), Babylist (what we used for our registry)
Car/Transport
Rear Facing Car Mirror
Toy Straps
Car Seat sun cover
Car Seat – I recommend a a convertible one infant to toddler that stays in your car NOT the kind that clicks in and out of the car/stroller
Stroller – bassinet attachment, rain cover, stroller clips, stroller cup holder; bassinet attachment is a must for development reasons
Carrier – soft and canvas/solid; I would buy soft first and see if you like babywearing before buying the solid one
Diaper Bag – additionally, highly recommend storing an extra set of everything in the car trunk if you have space
Kitchen/Feeding
Muslin cloths- 100% cotton, organic if possible
Drying rack
Bottles with nipples – glass ideally, start with just a few from one brand and if it doesn’t work then try others. Don’t buy too many, and make sure you buy the right size (usually come in 4oz, 8 oz)
Formula (as a backup) – I wrote a short blog post on the ones I recommend. I think it’s super important to have a few boxes on hand because you never know how your delivery is going to go and if you’ll need it
Bottle/pump parts dish detergent
Bottle brush
bucket: to soak pump/bottle parts to clean when convenient (this gray rectangular “emesis bucket” is amazing; get the 5 pack, we even traveled with it and now use it to store toys and for outdoor play)
Future: High chair, spoons, cups and plates, small food processer/vitamix, steamer basket, silicone freezer trays, Bibs.
I wrote a blog post about feeding gear, check it out here.
Sleep
Bassinet & sheets
Future: Crib & sheets
Swaddles
Muslin Swaddles (you’ll use them for everything except swaddling!)
Blanket – for car, for inside if cold, etc.
Exercise ball – to bounce baby on to calm down also can be used during labor
Rocking chair (ideally the glider style) – we didn’t get this until 3 months in and wished we had it soooo much because it would have been better for everyone’s back & more comfortable for nursing. If you can afford it to get a rocking ARMCHAIR with a GLIDER is so comfortable.
Hygiene
Muslin Cloths – we have about 50-60 of these no joke because we use them for EVERYTHING; we buy the 5-10 pack 100% cotton ones – just start with 10-20 you can use them for baths, burp cloths, cleaning spit-up, wiping bums dry etc…
Changing Pad/Table
Diapers
Diaper Cream
Bath Soap
Bath tub
Towels
Saline spray/drops
Nose Stick/Nasal Aspirator
Wipes – water wipes
Waterproof bassinet liner
Toothbrush trainer
Body Lotion (or oil)
Diaper pail: ubbi diaper pail is our favorite after a LOT of (super annoying) trial and error
Dog pee pads – we use these when going out of the house on those public restroom changing tables, in the car, on someone elses house, on our bed etc; also used these immediately postpartum when I was bleeding and sweating a ton (under my sheet on my side of the bed) and also used the last month of pregnancy in case my water broke in bed
Laundry detergent - sensitive skin, fragrance free - beware of “greenwashed” products that seem “clean” and aren’t. I have some suggestions on this kind of stuff in a blog post on safer swaps, here!
Nail clipper – it’s so hard to cut baby nails, just wow - no nail clipper will work at first, and it’s terrifying and who has time for this!? and then our pediatrician ridiculed me quote: “eew, gross” when I told her I had resorted to biting them off (don’t hate it until you have your own infant, homies!)
Hair brush
Thermometer/covers – get one that allows you to do three types of temp: axial, oral, rectal – make sure to buy disposable thermometer covers on amazon for the rectal especially!
Future: Sun Screen (after 6 months, I like attitude and beauty counter)
Travel
Pack N Play
Boon Travel Drying Rack
Travel sound machine - nice to have as a second one for daily use too in case baby naps in different rooms so you don’t have to lug one all over the house (unless you have a small apartment, then it’s not necessary because it’s a small space)
Waterproof mat for picnics, outdoor play pre-crawling
Toys/Books/Tummy Time
Rattle – o-ball -this one is super light and easy to hold from early on
Ring (teething ring type)
Ball – I also like oball fo this its easier to grasp
Black and White cards (buy fancy ones or download free ones, it’s all the same)
Mat/Quilt – should be THICK so it doesn’t bunch up when they try to roll, move, etc. It’s important to have a safe, clean space for tummy time that is washable – if you put baby directly on your floor/carpet, you will have a lot of stains!
Lovevery has all of these items mentioned above in one….
Future: Foam mat, Soft books, blocks, teethers
Boppy – I don’t prefer this for nursing, but it’s great for tummy time when baby is closer to 3-6 months
Clothes, etc.
Booties – goumi kids over the ever popular zutanos; I do rec one pair vs. a bunch of socks early on
Gloves - even one pair is nice to have (goumi kids is the only one that stayed on & they have high contrast patters on one side!)
Socks – if you have mostly newborn/infant in footie pajamas and one pair of booties you don’t need to get socks until closer to 3 months
Sun hat – I like ones that adjust at the head AND under the neck for max use; def need one from birth if you want to go outside in nature a bit, because babies don’t wear sunscreen until 6 months
Hat: Skull cap style/thicker hat; at least 2 of these and leave one in the car!
Jacket/sweater – weather dependent
Storage for clothing – highly recommend setting up the changing station next within arms reach of a small dresser or clothing storage tower because you will be scrambling around if baby poops and pees all over and the clothes are across the room haha
Clothing – we got EVERYTHING gifted or hand me downs from friends – do NOT pay a lot of money!! Also everyone will gift you clothing so refrain from buying too much before baby comes! These days, we still have some hand me downs/gifts in larger sizes, but I supplement with buying baby stuff on SALE (always) when I need to fill some gaps in hand me downs we don’t have. Plus we still get tons of clothes as gifts from family and lots of hand me downs!
Mama Registry
Peri Care
Witchazel pads (i.e. Tucks)
Chlorine free pads (L. brand)
Sitz Bath (any cheap one from amazon, you will barely use it - with optional epsom salts or herbal mix)
Giant underwear (especially for c section)
Giant water bottle I like the Bubba brand STAINLESS STEEL DESK MUG which I place a straw into for ease of drinking/cleaning (have a few throughout the house for nursing mama)
BOOB – “once on never off” EASY pants - just trust me on this one (for pregnancy and post partum). I still wear them. Oops.
Peri Bottle – Frida mom upside down peri bottle; or honestly I thought the hospital perineal irrigation bottle was not bad, but the Frida brand makes it less messy with their upside down version)
Breastfeeding
BF bras
BF camis
BF nightgowns – so so so necessary! my friend who has had 4 kids recommended this and I thought “man she knows what’s up!” when I got mine
Disposable nursing pads: I felt the reusable ones moved around too much and were a pain in the booty
Pump, with EXTRA PARTS: make sure to have extra parts so that you’re not cleaning parts every time you pump it’s insanity; also replace the duckbills every 6-8 weeks depending on how much you use it so they stay sealed
Organic nipple butter
Nursing pillow – breast friend – make sure to buy an extra cover so one can be washed while the other is on the pillow
BF stool – or an ottoman; we have a “nursing stool” but if you already have an ottoman at home that can work too!
Lactation Consultant – breastfeeding can be very tough, especially in this day and age. I don’t know ANYONE who hasn’t needed someone even if they didn’t have severe issues, someone to help with everything from engorgement, to how to pump properly (if you don’t you can get nipple damage, may not get as much milk out etc….). HIGHLY RECOMMEND finding someone before birth, doing a prep class and having them ready to come over right after you give birth. Not all lactation consultants are created equally. Make sure they have extensive training and advanced studies in working with babies & oral motor skills. They should also be amazing at identifying tethered oral tissues (lip ties, tongue ties, etc.) just in case…
Pacifier if you’re planning to use one
Freezer bags (for breastmilk, even if you’re planning to EBF); you will want to save any extra milk or pumped/expressed milk for things like milk baths (help with cradle cap, eczema, etc), cuts, mixing with solids when you get to that point etc. Just save every single drop of that liquid gold! Have the bags even if you think you won’t use them! You can also use silicone trays to freeze or glass containers but it’s a lot harder to keep sterile and keep freezer smells out, IMO.
Manual pump
Pumping bra
Family Registry
4th Trimester Help (you don’t know exactly what you need until baby arrives…!)
Giftcards (Ideas: amazon, magnetic me, primary.com, burts bees, hanna andersson, kytebaby.com…)
Grocery/Food Delivery: whole foods (hot bar, fast food), uber eats, good eggs etc.
Funds: postpartum night or daytime doula, housecleaning service, fund for lactation support - definitely recommend a registry that allows for funds in addition to items (I.e. Babylist…)
Books
I wrote a blog post on this, check it out here!
P.S. I only link to products I use and love. If you purchase through a link you see here, it doesn’t cost you anything extra and it helps to keep this website running. Thank you!