DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you decide to make a purchase a product through one of my links I get paid a commission. This comes at no cost to you. For more information please read my affiliate disclosure.
Ok.
Let me start of by saying this is a very long post. I wanted to make it informative and give recommendations, so it got a little lengthy. If you would prefer just to see a simplified version of this baby registry checklist without explanations head over here.
First of all, if you are like me you have read just about every list of suggestions for what you need for a baby as a first-time mom.
Seriously. I read so frickin many of these blog posts. I obsessed over making sure we had everything we needed for our little girl. If someone said I needed it, I needed to have it. I added so many unnecessary things to our baby registry because of this. You see, what someone else needs (or says you need because they get a commission off of it..) may not be right for your situation.
The thing that always got me was that a lot of these posts were by second or third time mamas. And while I appreciated their experience and wisdom, I felt their experience made them less likely to find value in things I, an overthinking mom-to-be would need.
Other than that ,I had so much anxiety around thinking that if I didn’t buy everything everyone suggested I would be in that one situation where I needed that item and I didn’t have it.
Do you know how many times those situations have probably come up where I couldn’t have used anything else?
Zero. Zilch. Nada.
So, this post is long. But, this post is hopefully the only one you will need to read about baby registry checklists to make educated decisions on what you need for your first baby.
At the bottom of this post are a few resources to help you with your baby registry:
- A free printable baby registry checklist to help you keep track of everything.
- A sample registry we set up to show you an example.
If reading this in separate pages is better for you, I broke this post into different posts. If that is how you would refer to read this here are the other pages.
- Baby Registry Checklist Part 1: Clothing
- Baby Registry Checklist Part 2: Feeding
- Baby Registry Checklist Part 3: Bathtime
- Baby Registry Checklist Part 4: Diapering
- Baby Registry Checklist Part 5: Health and Safety
- Baby Registry Checklist Part 6: Bedding
- Baby Registry Checklist Part 7: Baby Gear and Travel
- Baby Registry Checklist Part 8: Nursery and Toys
Supplemental Posts:
- Create Your Own First Aid Kit and Baby Medicine Stash
- Save Money on Your Remaining Baby Registry Items
- Postpartum Care Essentials For Mom
Baby Clothing Essentials
Let’s start with the fun part. Baby clothing essentials or must-haves for dressing your sweet baby!
First of all, people are going to order things for your baby that you don’t register for. So if you had this specific idea of how you wanted your baby to be dressed be aware that you may end up with things that don’t fit that script. People just get so excited buying little clothes and buy what they think is cute.
I also wouldn’t go too crazy registering for baby clothes. You may end up with some people buying you clothes as your baby grows as well. So if you buy the recommended number of things for each size range until your baby is a year old before they are born you are going to end up with way to many clothes! This is going to be more of a list of things for you to try to have on hand for when the baby is here.
You Get What You Pay For
Yes, there are some more inexpensive brands that are better than others, but if you want nicer materials or organic baby clothes you are going to have to pay more.
Well, except if you buy Burt’s Bees. Their organic baby clothes is less expensive than a lot of other organic cotton brands. I am sure there are others, but this is the brand we use and love.
But, if you get a few different brand to see what you, and your baby, like, you will notice that they aren’t all created equal. We have a few different brands of baby clothes and while some are pretty similar, other’s are lacking and feel cheap in comparison.
Also, different brands fit differently. For example, our Burt’s Bee’s loose fit pajamas fit our baby until she was three months old whereas the rest of her newborn size clothes was retired by around eight weeks.
Organic?
We opted to buy organic baby clothes. Obviously we were gifted some non-organic, and while we appreciated the gifts, we do have a preference towards organic baby clothes.
Why?
There is a lot of information out there on this, but essentially because it was gentler on our baby’s skin. We also aimed for GOTS certified organic baby clothes when we could.
GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) has guidelines for what can be called GOTS certified. They have these standards in line for the entire process of making the item. So that means not only for the organic fabric content and absence of chemicals in the creation process, but also ecological standards and fair treatment of workers.
There is also Oeko-tex Standard 100. With this the materials used to make the item are tested for 100 chemicals to make sure the items are free of those chemicals and safe for humans.
So whats the difference? Oeko-Tex doesn’t mean that the item is organic, but it has been tested to make sure there aren’t some nasty chemicals on your baby’s clothes. GOTS goes the extra step. GOTS is like Oeko-Tex for organic clothes but makes sure that the environment and the workers are treated well while holding the highest standard for your baby’s clothes.
Yes, these options will likely cost more. Do you need to buy them? No. It doesn’t make you any less of a great parent, it is up to you how you choose to dress your baby!
How Do I Figure Out How Many Of Each Of The Baby Clothing Essentials I Need?
When I was setting up our baby registry I obsessed over how many of each baby clothing items I needed. Like seriously obsessed. It was like I thought I couldn’t buy things after our baby was here. It was ridiculous.
Read that again: You can buy more after your baby is here.
We ended up with way too many clothes for our baby. She just doesn’t go through it all and I find myself just dressing her in the same things every week.
We also do laundry every day, not all of it because I am not a laundry goddess, but a load or two. So, if you want to do laundry once a week, you will need enough clothes for your baby to wear for a full week without laundry plus a few for the messes that are bound to happen.
I’ll give you examples below and give you an idea of how many we bought of each type.
How Far Ahead Should I Go?
Curious about if you should register for clothes your baby is going to wear in six months? No, I wouldn’t do it.
We registered for some, but really just focused on basics that far out. While it is great that we have some for like three to six months from now, its totally not necessary. Why? Because you may decide you no longer like it x months down the road, or maybe that brand isn’t your favorite, or you find somethings that you like more when your baby gets closer to the age they can wear those items. You know, like when that seasons items are probably coming out.
If I did it over again I would only register for Newborn and 0-3 month items… and maybe a few 3-6 but probably not.
A Note on Newborn Size Clothing
Don’t get too many Newborn size things.
Why? Some babies don’t wear that size for very long, and different brands may be on the smaller side! Our baby wore some brand Newborn clothes until 3 months, while others only lasted her first month.
You won’t know if your baby will skip newborn size clothing entirely or if they will wear them for 3 months until your baby is here. You do need to get some, but if both you and your significant other were larger babies then your baby may be outgrowing this size sooner rather than later.
Also, the first few sizes will be when you figure out how many clothes your baby actually goes through in a day. Well, you know, until your baby starts eating food then things will get messy.
Baby Clothing Essentials: Short Sleeve and Long Sleeve Onesies
1. Colored Organics Long Sleeve 2. Burt’s Bees Long Sleeve 3. Kyte Baby Bamboo Short Sleeve 4. Burt’s Bees White Short Sleeve 5. Burt’s Bees Tank
Onesies are the layering basic.
They come in different sleeve lengths: short sleeve, long sleeve and tank top styles. Depending on where you live and when your baby was born you will need some combination of these.
Your baby will more than likely wear at least one a day. They can wear them under their pajamas (but they don’t have to depending on the temperature of your house), with pants as an outfit, etc.
For reference: In the newborn stage our baby wore one a day most days, but depending on how messy she was sometimes two or three. Yay laundry! Then after a bath we would put her in a clean onesie and get her ready for bed.
Once our baby hit the 0-3 month stage our baby was wearing one long sleeve to sleep and one short sleeve during the day. She really isn’t a spitty baby though, so if your baby is an expert mess-maker than you will go through more than we did.
How Many?
I would try to have a pack of four long sleeve and four short sleeve onesies in the newborn size. Well, depending on the time of year and where you live. If you live somewhere very hot and you are due in the middle of the summer, maybe skip the long sleeve onesies and opt for a few more short sleeve onesies. Or, they do make “tank top” style onesies too!
For 0-3 months I would try to have 5-6 short sleeve and 4 long sleeve, if you need long sleeve ones. You will probably need more for 0-3 months depending on how often you do laundry. But, wait to see what your needs are before buying too many.
Baby Clothing Essentials: Kimono Style Tops
- L’ovedbaby Long Sleeve 2. Makemake Organics Long Sleeve 3. L’ovedbaby Short Sleeve 4. Tie Kimono Short Sleeve
These are nice to have before the umbilical cord falls off, but another option is to use baby gowns. It is up to you if you get any, we didn’t and just made sure our baby didn’t have anything too tight on that would rub her umbilical cord.
Another plus of these style tops is they don’t have to go over the baby’s head. So if your baby doesn’t like having onesies pulled over their head you could try these tops instead of regular onesies.
How Many?
These are optional or could replace the similar sleeve length onesies if you want. If you want to get some to try while still getting regular onesies get 1 or 2 of these in the newborn size.
Baby Clothing Essentials: Stretchy Pants
- Honest Co. Leggings 2. O2 Footed Leggings 3. Luvable Friends Pants 4. Rylee and Cru Bloomers 5. Rylee and Cru Eyelet Bloomer
We bought a combination of leggings and jogger style pants for our little girl. These are something I wouldn’t go too crazy buying a bunch of until you see how you and your significant other end up dressing your baby most.
I would also get neutral colored bottoms instead of getting loud patterned ones. This way you have pants that will go with different outfits. Also, there are shorts too!
How Many?
Newborn: 2 is probably all you will need, unless you are going to dress your baby in pants every day instead of sleep and plays.
0-3 months: I would just get 4 if you plan on having your baby wear pants instead of pajamas. Otherwise, 2-3 is fine until you see how often you have your baby wear pants.
Baby Clothing Essentials: Baby Pajamas or Sleep and Plays
Our baby pretty much lives in these. Seriously, she probably wears a short sleeve onesie and sleep and play 85% of the time she is awake.
Tips for buying sleep and plays:
- Look for ones that have 2-way inverted zippers, they make diaper changes a little easier. Unfortunately, the Burt’s Bees ones (our favorites) have a one-way zipper. We never tried the magnetic ones, but I am sure those are nice for diaper changes too!
- Order different brands, we have some that were four favorites for different seasons! Like I said above, we love the Burt’s Bees brand sleep and plays, but right now with warmer weather we have found ourselves leaning toward Milkbarn ones! They just feel a little thinner and come in so many cute patterns! Another super popular brand with what seems like a cult following is KYTE Baby.
- The ones with snaps are annoying when you are trying to dress your baby in a dim room at night. I always mess up and have the snaps not lined up properly. It’s great.
- Find some with mitten cuffs, especially for newborn sizes and 0-3 months. Babies are super uncoordinated and can claw their face.
- Lanky baby? The one’s with foot cuffs like Parade Organics help your baby get more wear out of them before having to go up a size. When they outgrow the pajamas with the foot cuffs on you can still use them as footless pajamas.
How Many
Newborn size: 2-3 to start with.
0-3 month: 4-5 depending on how often you dress your baby in them and how often you do laundry.
Baby Clothing Essentials: Gowns
- Leopard Set 2. Beige Set 3. Milkbarn Bunny Gown 4. Grey Cozy Set 5. Dark Tie Dye
These are nice for all of the diaper changes you will be doing, plus the knotted downs are just so cute!
There are knotted ones (our favorite and the ones you will see pictures of all over) and ones with elastic at the bottom that don’t tie.
But, even though they are cute for pictures, we honestly hardly used the ones we had.
If you want to get 1 or 2 to try them out, go for it! Maybe you will love them and use them more than we did.
How Many?
I would just get 1-2 newborn size ones to see how you like them.
Baby Clothing Essentials: Baby Sleep Swaddles and Sacks
- Love To Dream 2. Amazing Baby 3. Halo Sleepsack 4. KYTE Baby 5. Aden + Anais Set
Our baby slept in these from the beginning instead of swaddle blankets because well, I was not a swaddling master let’s put it that way. We used swaddle sacks in the beginning, then moved onto just using the strap for our monitor and pajamas after a few months. This was primarily because our baby LOVED to slam her feet down at night over and over. So one night we tried having her sleep in just pajamas and her Nanit strap and she didn’t slam her legs all night. Yay!
here are so many sleep sacks and swaddles out there. We had a lot of success with the kinds that swaddle their arms up, but we also had a few of the ones that swaddled their arms down. Our favorite by far was the Love to Dream Swaddle UP. Another good one that we had success with was the Amazing Baby Omni Swaddle. The Omni has different arm positions you can put your baby’s arms in so it is really nice if you are trying to figure out how they like to sleep! This one also has fold over mittens. If you don’t like Amazing Baby’s colors but like the idea, here is a very similar one.
The Halo Sleepsack is what our hospital used while we were there. Our baby seemed to like it, and we ended up buying one when we got home after awhile. This one was a little warmer, so we made sure to have our baby in just a diaper underneath.
Other popular ones are KYTE Baby, which has a cult following, Burt’s Bees, a great organic inexpensive option, and Nested Bean, which has a little weight to it to soothe your baby.
Whatever type you get make sure that they are hip healthy!
What the Heck is a TOG?
TOG (Thermal Overall Grade) is a rating that gives you an idea for what temperature that sack is good for. Be sure to look at each company’s TOG rating scale as they are not all the same!
A higher TOG rating means that it will retain more warmth. Therefore a higher TOG will be what you want if your baby’s room is colder. For example, something meant for say 60 degrees would be a 2.5 TOG while something meant for upper 70’s would be a 0.5 TOG.
Make sure you buy an appropriate TOG to make sure your baby isn’t getting too hot or too cold at night!
To decide what TOG rating to get pick the TOG that corresponds with the temperature of the room the baby will sleep in.
How Many?
In the beginning I would get two different styles and see how you like each type. In the beginning we had the Love to Dream Swaddle UP in 0-3 months, the Amazing baby Omni in 0-3 months. and a set of swaddle wraps for the same size. We had our baby sleep in the swaddle wraps until she fit into the other two then pretty much alternated between those. It’s up to you, but if I were to re-do it I would get the Omni and the Love to Dream and skip the swaddle wraps. You can have your baby’s arms swaddled down if that is how they prefer it with the omni or try up with the Love to Dream.
Once you figure out how your baby likes to sleep you will probably want one or two more. Well, depending on how often you do laundry. And yes, once your baby begins to roll or show signs then you should use one where they have more use of their hands. Like this style.
Baby Clothing Essentials: Sweaters, Sweatshirts or Coats
Don’t worry about this for newborns, just get one or two in 0-3 months if needed for your area/time of year baby will be born. Even if your baby is born in the summer you may want some of these for summer nights or cooler days.
Baby Clothing Essentials: One-Piece Outfits
These are the rompers, jumpsuits, coveralls, dresses, etc. Get a style that is appropriate for the time of year. These can be replaced by pants and onesie outfits, but you should have some outfit where your baby isn’t wearing something on their feet. This way they can experience the world with their feet as well, instead of just having fabric between then and the world.
I would get 4-5 of these in 0-3 months, don’t worry about them for newborn sizes.
Other– Dresses, Special Occasion, Etc.
These are the extras, the fun outfits and the “coming home outfit”.
If an event is more than a month out from when the baby is born I would wait on buying them an outfit for it. Especially since you may not know what size your baby will actually wear.
Baby Clothing Essentials: Accessories
Hats
I would get one set of knotted hats, they usually fit them for awhile. You will also want seasonal hats, so one for winter and one for the summer. But depending on when your baby is born you can wait on these.
Mittens
Get yourself a set of three no-scratch mittens. They are handy while your baby is little since they always seem to try to scratch themselves.
You can also use onesies with mitten cuffs or sleep and plays with mitten cuffs instead.
If your baby is born in the winter or fall you may want some warmer mittens as well.
Socks
Order a set of 3-6, 0-6, or 3-12 month socks. If they fit big it isn’t going to be a big deal, but you want to get a set that will stay on as well. We love the Burt’s Bee ones here.
We are honestly always looking for a pair of socks for her when she isn’t wearing footed sleep and plays. Get one set of 4 or 6 to start with, but you might find yourself needing another set. Especially when one sock goes missing..
Tights
Obviously these are optional, but if you are planning on having your baby wear dresses you may want tights for when it isn’t quite warm enough for bare baby legs!
Booties
You do not need shoes for babies, although they are cute they can harm the way their foot grows. Instead, get soft booties like these that are a little bigger. These are another pair we have, and here is another option that is less expensive and very popular.
On the hunt for those super popular baby moccasins?
Bows
Optional: Order some different types and colors. We have a few different sizes and styles and the ones we ended up liking the most for our baby are not the ones I originally thought I would like most.
There you have it. The first part of our baby registry checklist guide, baby clothing essentials. We know that buying clothes for your baby can be tough as a first time parent. You want to make sure you are fully prepared, but you also should make sure you don’t go overboard.
And believe me, it is easy to have too many clothes.
Just think of how often you do laundry, and realize you are about to start doing it more often. Start out thinking you will need two outfits per day, plus something clean to sleep in. Knowing how many onesies you have gives you an idea of how many outfits you have, if you plan on your baby wearing a onesie as a base layer. So, if you have 8 total onesies, you have 8 outfits, or 3-4 days before you are out of clothes.
And again, it is going to be a learning period for you. You won’t know if you have an expert mess maker or a baby that hardly even makes a mess.
But seriously, you can always buy more clothes if you need more.
Baby Registry Checklist – Feeding Essentials
Baby Feeding Essentials You Are Going to Need:
Baby Registry Checklist For: Breastfeeding or Pumping:
Breast Pump
Unless you plan on exclusively using formula or always having your baby with you, you are going to want a breast pump. Check into if your insurance helps cover these, companies like Aeroflow can help the process and help you check if your insurance covers them.
We used Aeroflow and they have emailed me a few times to let me know when my insurance will cover more pump replacement parts. This is nice because extra pump parts are nice to have, and sometimes it is hard to keep track of when you need to replace certain things.
We have the Medela Pump in Style pump and it does the job. However, I can tell you that I have envied the mom’s out there who chose the Willow or Elvie pumps. Because let me tell ya, the idea of being able to do other things while pumping that isn’t just sitting on my bum is majorly appealing.
**I did end up getting the Willow pump and I love it! It took awhile for me to get use to it and making sure I had everything lined up just right, but it does give so much more freedom! Just make sure you measure yourself before ordering it, I had the wrong size at first and, ow!
Plus, when I picked out my pump they weren’t all over every mom influencer’s page yet. Or maybe they were but I wasn’t following the right people? Ugh, who knows.
When you are looking at breast pumps think about when you will be using them. Planning on going going back to work? You probably want one that isn’t heavy to lug around with you. Going to be doing other things while you are pumping? Get a double pumping electric one with a hands-free pumping bra. Think you are going to be pumping in your car? Consider getting a car adapter or battery pack for your pump, or one that doesn’t need to be plugged in. Want one you can discretely pump in? Consider the Elvie or Willow.
As a side note, a breast pump shouldn’t be something you get second hand.
Haakaa
This little doodad is nice for catching the letdown on the boob that the baby isn’t feeding on by using a gentle suction. It also can help you build up a stash with what you collect!
There are other “letdown” collectors, but this one is a mom favorite. I had a hard time in the beginning figuring out how to nurse my baby and have this setting in a way that my baby wasn’t hitting it.. If you have a hard time figuring it out like I did in the beginning talk to a lactation consultant. Another option is to bring it with you to the hospital so their lactation consultants can work with you on how to use it.
You can buy this without the lid, with the lid, or with a flower stopper. I have one with a lid because I am prone to spilling things, and breastmilk isn’t something you want to spill.
*If you plan on exclusively pumping, you won’t really need this. I honestly haven’t used mine since I started exclusively pumping.
Nursing or Pumping Bras
So, I know that you could make it work without these, but… THEY ARE SO WORTH IT. Get some that are supportive and comfortable. I ordered a few different types:
Some lace bralette style nursing bras: I wanted some that didn’t just make me feel frumpy. You know, because I needed something to combat the ancient sweatpants I was living in. My favorites are these ones.
Some pumping bras: which I honestly wear most of the time I am home because we exclusively pump. These are the ones I have, and here is another style that is popular.
I did order some sleeping nursing bras, but I honestly only wear them when my other bras are all in the wash. They are great, super comfortable and I can still pump hands-free in them if I get creative, but I like wearing something more supportive.
Another good one to get is a sports bra style nursing bra if you are planning on working out. I have heard great things about this one. Since I workout at home and exclusively pump I don’t have any nursing sports bras.
I would get 2 nursing or pumping bras to start with and maybe different styles. You are going to want more, but at least this way you can try them out before you buy a bunch of them.
You can also bring a regular bra into Nordstrom and have them change your bra into a nursing bra. I personally haven’t tried this since we don’t have a Nordstrom near us, but have heard positive things.
Milk Storage
I have used both the bag types and the bottles. I haven’t ever been so far ahead of my baby in pumping that I have anything frozen, so now I strictly use the bottles that I pump into to store milk in the fridge.
The bags you can use to freeze milk are inexpensive, but you can really fly through a box of 50 or 100. To save on them consider getting a few bottles to pump into as well. I would pump into the bottles then separate out what you have into bags if you are working on a freezer stash.
With the bottles you will want to match the brand to the brand of pump you have. If you are using a Medela pump these are the ones we use.
*If you decide to pump directly into the bags you may need an adapter. I would just order this set that has the adapter with it for most pumps and see if you like using them first.
Like the bags but want something more eco friendly? Haakaa came out with silicone bags that you can freeze and reuse. I wish I would have been aware of these when I ordered my stuff! They are a little more expensive, but they are reusable!
Insulated Bag for Bottles
If you plan on going back to work you will likely want something that you can keep pumped breastmilk in for the sessions you will have away from the baby. This way when you are leaving work you can keep the milk cool on your commute home.
Another good use for these is if you are taking a long drive with your baby and are pumping. Chances are your diaper bag (if you buy one specifically designed as a diaper bag) will have insulated sleeves. But these insulated sleeves may not be covered all the way, so we prefer to use our little insulated bag with an ice pack.
We have this one and it has worked out well for us so far. It comes with an icepack and we have been able to put two of our Dr. Brown’s 4 oz bottles in there and have space left. We haven’t ever put more than two in so far.
If you are trying to decide what bag to get think about what the largest bottle you would like to try is and how they will fit in there. If you are going back to work you could also get a larger bag to hold your breast pump and more bottles, like this one.
Nipple Pads
Don’t go crazy with nipple pads in the beginning. Just get yourself a set that has some overnight ones as well as a few daytime ones.
I ordered the Bamboobies set here and also ended up receiving a few along with different nursing bras I ordered. I am currently 4 months out from delivery and never use them. Honestly, I think I used them for about 2 or 3 weeks max before I didn’t need them.
That being said, everyone is different.
The Bamboobies ones are a nice size, soft and machine washable so they were winners for me.
There are also disposable ones you can buy if you would prefer that instead of washable ones.
Nursing Cover
These have a few different uses, but they are nice to have while breastfeeding in public. We have one and use it to cover our baby;s car seat while we are walking through the doctors office or public spaces since, you know, Covid. They can also be useful during flu season to keep strangers from saying hello to your baby.
Baby Registry Checklist For: Those Planning on Formula Feeding
Formula
Obviously.
We ordered a container of a European brand to have just in case but haven’t used it yet. We chose the brand because it was free of maltodextrin, starch, sugar, corn syrup, GMOs, gluten, is 100% natural and certified organic by one of the most stringent organic certifications in the world.
Do your research when you are buying formula to make sure what you buy falls inline with what you look for in food.
Some hospitals may give you a sample of formula as well if you aren’t sure if you are going to supplement yet.
Baby Registry Checklist Items For: All Feeding Styles
A sample pack of different bottles or individual bottles of a few brands you like
If you plan on, or it ends up happening that way, feeding your baby with a bottle you will need some bottles. The amount you need depends on how many feeds you plan on doing with a bottle. Which you probably won’t know until you have your baby.
The tricky thing is that you aren’t going to know what kind of bottles your baby likes until, well, your baby is here.
So don’t register for a large pack of a single type of bottles. Yes, maybe your baby will like them, but what if they don’t? Just get a few different options and try one at a time so you can return what you don’t use (if ordered individually instead of a sample pack).
Each time you feed your baby you should be using a clean bottle. So, if your baby has 10 feeds in a day from a bottle, you probably want 10 bottles unless you plan on washing bottles during the day.
We have 7 bottles and wash bottles twice a day.
Also, websites will recommend that you get 4 and 8 oz bottles, but you don’t need the 8 oz bottles right now.
I planned on buying a sample pack of different types of bottles but I was very particular about bottles. We planned on breastfeeding and having her night feeds being bottles so my husband could help me out. Because of this, I wanted to make sure that whatever type of bottle we got wouldn’t cause nipple confusion or result in our baby preferring the bottle.
I spoke with a lactation consultant (IBCLC) at our OBGYN clinic and she said that for breastfeeding babies she only recommended Dr. Brown’s options + with a preemie nipple. She recommended these because the flow on these bottle nipples is slow so your baby wont get frustrated going from a faster flow bottle to well, slower boob. So that is what we bought.
If you like these bottles they come in glass, which we bought, or plastic. The glass ones are a little heavier, but we really wanted glass bottles. You can also get wide or narrow bottles, we have both but prefer the narrow bottles.
Chances are that in the free registry packs you get for setting up registries you will receive at least one bottle. We ended up with two bottles that we never used this way.
Bottle Brush
We have a few different types of bottle brushes, which is great because brushes should be replaced after awhile. I replace the sponge-style ones more often than the actual brush-style ones. The guidance on how often to switch them out varies.
To keep our’s fresh we actually run them through our sterilizer without anything else in there.
Our current favorites are the Boon brushes. This set comes with brushes that work for pump parts as well.
When you need replacements for the Boon brushes, if you decide to get those, you can just order the brushes instead of the whole set here.
Looking for something a little less expensive? These don’t come with parts to help cleaning pump parts though.
Bibs
So, in the first few months I went back and forth on bibs. Most of the time we grab a burp cloth and just use that, but our baby also isn’t very spitty. On the flip side, I have a friend who always has her baby in bibs.
BUT, now that we are into our fourth month and our baby is getting pretty drooly bibs are saving us multiple outfit changes.
If you are on trying to figure out why you need bibs and burp cloths here is the basics:
Bibs are to protect the baby’s clothes.
Burp cloths are to protect you and are better for wiping up spit-up that made it onto other surfaces or your baby’s face.
You will want both.
I would recommend that you get a pack of these. But maybe don’t register for more than 4-6 of them until you see how many you end up with as gifts. Because surprise, people don’t just stick to your registry!
We have a few different types of baby bibs, but the ones we use the most are our Copper Pearl ones. We also have some Bebe Au Lait ones, which are super cute as well.
Of the two, we prefer the Copper Pearl ones because they are a little thicker and bigger. The Bebe Au Lait ones also tend to curl up whereas the Copper Pearl ones stay pretty flat.
These are also some popular solid bibs.
Burp Cloths
Get at least 8 or 9 of these.
We have 9 burp cloths and are constantly looking for clean ones. We have even resulted in using bibs to burp our baby with our fingers crossed that we don’t end up with spit up all over.
I am actually considering ordering another pack of them.
You are going to want some in every room your baby will be in and in the diaper bag. We have 2-3 in our bedroom next to the rocker, 1 in her diaper bag, 2-3 on the living room couch so we can easily grab them if she spits up during playtime, and 1-2 by her changing area. The rest? Usually being washed.
You will go through these like crazy. Get some that are absorbent and large.
We have these and love the size and shape. Plus they are organic.
These are other great one’s from Burt’s Bees, and here are some from Copper Pearl which come in cute designs. The Copper Pearl ones have a tendency to sell out quickly!
Dishwasher Basket for Small Items
If you plan on using a dishwasher to clean/sterilize your bottles, pump parts, etc a basket for the small items will help keep all those little bits contained.
Otherwise, if you plan on getting a sterilizer then you can skip this.
Don’t just order whatever one looks the prettiest or whatever, you need to think about the parts you will put in there.
Again, we don’t have a dishwasher but once we get one ordered we plan on ordering this one.
Baby Registry Checklist Items That Are Nice to Have, But Not Necessary
Nursing Pillow
These can be nice for positioning your baby while you are breastfeeding, if you decide to. Some of them can be used for different things, like helping support your baby during playtime.
So we ordered the Boppy around the time our baby was a few weeks old and I think I have used it maybe two or three times. I just had such a hard time getting comfortable with it.
Yes, it is stiffer than a regular pillow, but honestly, I preferred just using pillows with a clean soft blanket on top or an absorbent burp cloth. The pillows were nice because I have a longer torso (I am 5’8″) so I could adjust the height better by adding or removing a pillow. Plus, at the hospital they showed us how to use pillows to help prop your baby up while breastfeeding.
Pacifiers
I have these listed here because if you take advantage of the free registry boxes you will likely get a few pacifiers. Also, this is something else that people will likely buy you off of the registry.
If you have a particular brand you want to try out, say an orthodontic pacifier, then register for them, but don’t register for too many. We had 8 pacifiers on our registry (three different packs) and ended up with 14 pacifiers.
Yes, pacifiers get replaced, they get worn out or your baby outgrows them (yes, pacifiers have age ranges!). However, you don’t know if your baby will even take a pacifier, or which ones they will like.
We have had the most success with Philips Advent soothies.
Also, our baby loves the pacifier from the Fridababy Medi-pacifier. It’s just her style I guess. Not the fancy orthodontic ones in bright beautiful colors. Just the boring clear one.
If you want some orthodontic ones these are really popular. We actually tried out their mini version for babies 0-2 months and as a parent I loved them, but our baby isn’t a pacifier fan so she doesn’t care what I like. They were very lightweight and smaller than most of our other pacifiers.
Not sure where to start? Babylist.com has a sample pack of pacifiers so you can try out.
Dry Rack
If you are handwashing your bottles, pumping supplies, etc, a dry rack can be nice to have. I ended up registering for the Boon lawn dry rack but didn’t end up getting it and have survived without it.
I also thought that it would grow mildew and be difficult to clean.
What you can do instead is just run them through the dishwasher if you have one or use a sterilizer if you have one on the dry setting.
If you end up getting a bottle rack remember to sterilize it every once and a while. Just because you put clean things on it doesn’t mean that it itself is clean. Also think about the space it will take up on your counter, some of these aren’t very small.
This is a popular one, as well as the Boon one I mentioned earlier.
Sterilizer and Dryer
Bottles, pump parts, pacifiers, teething toys, etc. are all going to need to be sterilized after use. If you don’t want to use your dishwasher (on sanitize and dry setting) and would prefer something that is dedicated to just baby gear get a sterilized and dryer.
Get one that both sterilizes and dries. Also, try to get one that fits different brands of bottles and can fit anything else you plan on sterilizing for your baby. We use our sterilizer all the time since we are about to remodel our kitchen and currently don’t have a dishwasher. I throw everything in there.
Originally we bought the Pabalic sterilizer and dryer but were also sent the Philips Advent Premium sterilizer and dryer * to try.
I use both sterilizers daily, but have a few issues with the Phillips Advent sterilizer. For one, it doesn’t support our bottles very well on the little bottle pegs so they just fall over. It also doesn’t do as good of a job drying our baby gear as our Pabalic one. Plus, the Pabalic one is like $50 less.
The Pabalic sterilizer fits our bottles well, fully supports them, has enough space, and is easy to operate and clean.
*This was sent to us as part of Stellar Review Panel
Baby Registry Checklist Items You Don’t Need
Nipple Cream
Consider using coconut oil instead, or if you prefer a lactation consultant may prescribe you one. I ordered some Bamboobies nipple cream and never opened it. I am sure it is great, but I just didn’t need it.
Plus, if you go the coconut oil route you can use the coconut oil as lotion for your baby! Or you know, cook with it and just put a small portion in a jar to use for your nipples.
If you do get a nipple cream remember that you may need to wash it off before breastfeeding your baby!
Bottle Warmer
You really don’t need this. If you really want to warm up a bottle you can put warm water in a mug then place the bottle in the mug to gently heat it up.
Baby Registry Checklist: Eating Items for When Your Baby Is a Little Older
These things you can wait on, but you can also add them to your registry in case anyone would like to gift something for the non-newborn stage.
Necessary:
High Chair
Some high chairs can be used earlier than others, so check the age recommendations before using them with your baby.
When you are looking for a high chair think about what will be important to you. Do you want it to fold down and store away? Or are you just going to leave it set up somewhere?
Also, make sure that it is easy to clean.
Something that, to me at least, isn’t a selling point for a high chair is if it “grows with them”. Yes, something that converts so baby can use it until they can sit on a regular chair would be nice. But, you probably won’t use a high chair, however converted it is, as a chair for your pre-teen.
We haven’t ordered our high chair yet, but here are some we are considering:
- The Tripp Trapp from Stokke, it is pricey but non-toxic , ergonomic and will go with our home decor. It also grows with your baby. The only down side is that the accessories are sold separately and can add quite a bit to the bill.
- This Keekaroo high chair, which is similar to the Tripp Trapp but less expensive.
Another popular high chair that is very inexpensive is the Ikea high chair. There are ways to decorate it so it isn’t as plain if you want. Things like seat cushions and decorative tray liners are available just look around on Etsy.
UPDATE: We bought the Tripp Trapp and love it! It was a bit of a splurge baby item, but I am so happy we got it!
Baby Bowls, Plates, and Utensils
We ordered two plates/placemats, a set of three bowls, and two different sets of utensils. Seems like a lot, especially of the utensils, but we figured one set would go in her diaper bag for traveling and while at home we were pretty sure some would end up on the floor.
For plates and bowls: get the kind that suctions to your high chair or a placemat. We haven’t started using these yet, but I can already tell I am grateful I ordered some that suction.
I can only imagine the mess my little one would make with bowls and plates she could lift up and toss off the high chair.
Yeah, no thanks. At least the suction ones will give her a little bit more of a fight if she is determined to throw things on the floor.
Plates: here are the one’s we ordered. Again, we haven’t tried them but they are highly rated.
Bowls: Ok, so we have the Cloud Island set from Target, but they aren’t rated super hot so I’m thinking of replacing them with these because they are so stinking cute and come in different colors. It you are looking for something less expensive here is a set of three that are highly rated as well.
Sets: I love these bamboo sets and actually have the white one in my Amazon cart to buy with our next order!
Utensils: These are very popular options and come in a set of two, one for babies newer to eating and the other for when babies learn the food-to-mouth motion. We also have this inexpensive set of spoons to help us make sure nothing is too hot!
Baby Registry Checklist Items That Are Nice to Have, but You Don’t Need
Splat Mat
Basically, it is just a mat you put down under a high chair so that when your baby eats the mess is easier to clean up.
It can make cleaning up more convenient but remember you will need to clean that mat after awhile as well. We plan on just sweeping/vacuuming and steam mopping the messes up in the beginning and seeing how it goes.
That is unless our little girl eats like her dad… then maybe we will get a splat mat to aid in the cleaning process.
UPDATE: Our baby is now eating solids (6 months) and things are getting a little messier. Not to the point where I am picking anything off the floor, but maybe in the future? We still are holding out on a splat mat.
Equipment to Make Your Own Baby Food
Making our baby’s food was important to us since we are picky about what we put in our bodies. So it only made sense for us to make her food as well. We are actually doing a mix of purees and baby led weaning, so this section is really for the purees.
We have the Baby Nutribullet, we haven’t used it yet but the only downside I can see so far is that you have to buy the steamer separate.
Looking for one with the steamer? I also really love this one because of all of the colors available, it comes in a larger size too. And this one would be so nice for making a variety of things at the same time!
Need glass storage containers? Here are some we are looking at.
Baby’s Own Open Cup and Straws
Skip the sippy cup and instead get some silicone straws and some open cups. Here is an article from Parents.com about why you may want to skip a sippy cup.
We are skipping sippy cups and using open cups and reusable straws instead. It is up to you what you decide to do. Here are some cups we are looking at, and these are another option we are considering.
Strained Food Feeders
We have a few of these and plan on using them when our baby starts teething and again when she is eating purees.
We are going to put frozen breastmilk in them for when our baby is teething if she isn’t able to have purees yet. That way she has something cool to suck on that will feel good on her gums. Then, when she gets to the whole eating purees stage we will put the purees in so she has something to self-feed with and suck on!
UPDATE: We have used these a few times now and our baby likes them. We have tried mangoes, bananas, and blueberries in it so far. They get a little messy, so remember to put a bib on your baby! And if you put in whole pieces of soft fruit you may have to smash it from time to time to get some food to come out of the holes.
Silicone Bibs
These bibs will be easier to clean and some come with handy “food catchers”. There are so many cute one’s out there, Like these Mushie ones that are super popular or these, which we have. Just make sure that they aren’t cheaply made, you want the “bucket”/”food catcher” to not just be some limp part that never catches anything.
I originally looked at the OXO tot one that rolls up because I thought that the silicone bibs might be bulky to store, but there were so many complaints about them growing mold!
Another good option is something like this.
Snack Dispensers
Having something reusable is nice, but these really aren’t necessary. They are nice to have though and there are inexpensive options.
Really though, you wont need this, if you choose to get one, for awhile. ‘
Skip
Sippy Cup
Go for something with a straw or an open cup instead. Unless you just really want a sippy cup.
Baby Registry Checklist: Bath Time Essentials
Baby Registry Checklist: Items You will Want
Infant Bathtub
Get a baby bathtub that works until they can sit in the tub by themselves. We have the Angelcare bath support and love it.
If you are going to use your sink in the beginning these are a popular, and cute, option.
Baby Hairbrush
Even if your baby is born bald as all get out, you are going to eventually want a baby brush. Try to get one that comes with a brush for cradle cap just in case, and if your baby doesn’t get cradle cap, great! You can still use the brush that helps treat cradle cap to massage your baby’s head.
We bought this one and use the soft brush every day, which can be used to prevent cradle cap.
Baby Shampoo & Soap
Get something formulated for babies. This way you don’t have to worry about all of the different chemicals in adult shampoo and body wash products.
We use Honest Company’s Calming Lavender shampoo + body wash and love it. I have heard great things about their other scents as well (specifically the almond one) but we have stuck to this one. We use their lotion as well for our baby daily too.
They also have an unscented one as well.
You do not need baby conditioner yet.
Bath Thermometer
We love this thing. We use it every time we give our baby a bath.
I know you can also check the temperature of the bath with your elbow and see if it is too hot, but both my husband and I LOVE hot showers and baths so we aren’t a very good judge of what is “too hot”. Enter the “white hot” duck.
This thing has a heart on the bottom that turns “white” (really just gets noticeably lighter) when the water is too hot.
We leave it in the bath while we are giving our baby a bath, she doesn’t play with it yet, but we think it is cute.
These are inexpensive and are fully sealed so mildew doesn’t grow inside.
Elbow Saver
To me, this is something we definitely wanted. But, it may not be something you need right away.
I’ve found that while our baby is still so young (currently 4 months) our baths aren’t super long. We aren’t at the point where we are playing in the bath yet. So, my husband and I aren’t spending a lot of time leaning on the side of the bath. When she gets more interested in toys we will likely be spending more time leaning on the elbow pad.
With that in mind, I would register for an elbow saver (sometimes they come with the knee pads as well, but the knee pad might not be necessary depending on your situation).
Bathtub Spout Cover
Let’s face it, babies aren’t graceful. They topple over, they face plant from sitting positions, and they are still learning their environment. With that in mind, a bathtub spout cover can help keep bathtime safe.
After all, you don’t want baby bonking their head on the bathtub faucet just because you didn’t want to spend some money on something that seemed like something you didn’t need.
We haven’t ordered ours yet as our baby is still in her baby bathtub, but plan on ordering either the Skiphop faucet cover or the Ubbi cover.
Baby Registry Checklist Items That Are Nice to Have, But Not Necessary:
Baby Specific Towels
How many?: 2-4
So, we have several baby towels and we love them, but are they any different than regular towels? No. They just have a little hood on them, which we only use when we are drying our baby for a few seconds.
Baby towels are very cute, but you can use regular towels for them.
If you do buy baby towels get 2-4 of them, depending on how often you do laundry and how often you plan on washing your baby. We have 5 towels, our favorites are these ones and this one (I love lemons). Both of these styles are very absorbent.
The ones in the picture are these Burt’s Bees ones. We don’t own these, but I love all of the Burt’s Bees baby things we have!
And no, you probably can’t get away with just one. Unless you are a laundry goddess and lucky…
Which I am not.
Also, no matter what, your baby is going to pee on the towel you are drying them with at least once. Then what?
Baby Washcloths
How many?: 6-12 depending on how often you do laundry.
Again, you can use regular washcloths. BUT I have found myself strictly using the “baby” washcloths we have when bathing our baby.
We bought some basic organic ones from Target that came in a 6 pack. We bought two different colors, white and grey, so that the white ones could be for washing baby while the grey were used for cleaning extra messy diaper situations.
This way the washcloths are kept separate since our other ones get used for all kinds of cleaning throughout the house… So I wanted our baby to have her own set.
You can buy a pack of 6 from Target for less than $3. We have 12 white ones and 24 (we started with 12 each) grey ones because well, babies are messy.
Baby Lotion
We have baby lotion we use on our baby, but our pediatrician recommended just using coconut oil if we wanted. Which we did for about a month then switched to using the lotion.
We have the Honest Company’s Lavender body lotion (came in a pack with the body wash and shampoo) and we love it! We use it nightly to give our baby a little massage. There is also an unscented one if you are worried about scents.
Shampoo Rinse Cup
You can use a large cup instead.
BUT my husband really loves our Skip Hop whale cup. He uses it pretty much the whole time we are washing our baby.
So what makes it different than using a regular cup? The design makes it so you can put it against the baby’s head so they don’t get water in their eyes.
Bath Kneeler
You can just use your regular bathmat, unless it isn’t very thick then you are going to want one of these.
Also, if your significant other is helping you and your bathmat isn’t very big someone is going to be very uncomfortable.
We have the kneeler linked above with the elbow saver and use our bathmat as well. My husband will kneel on one and I will use the other.
Bath Toy Storage
Ok, so you know you are going to end up getting all of these bath toys for your baby to play with eventually. And with an abundance of toys comes a need to have somewhere to store them.
Yes, you can just use anything you would regularly store items in, but the nice thing about those that are designed to store baby bath toys is that they have mesh bottoms. You know, so the toys don’t just stay wet and are less likely to get mildew/mold.
Some of them you can use as a scoop to get the baby toys out of the bath quicker, like this Munchkin one or this Ubbi one.
Bath Toys
You won’t need them for a while, but if you wanted to add a few to your registry go for it.
As a side note, be aware that the squirty bath toys can get water trapped inside them (duh, they are squirt toys after all!) which can cause mold/mildew to build up. Gross.
So be sure you are cleaning all of your baby’s bath toys regularly, especially those squirty ones if you choose to get them.
Baby Registry Checklist Items You Don’t Need
Baby Robe
Completely unnecessary but incredibly adorable.
But come on, you are only going to use it for a few pictures, and what, a minute before you get your baby dressed?
Baby Registry Checklist : Diapering Essentials
Baby Registry Checklist Items For Diapering You Are Going to Want:
Diapers
This is where you need to decide if you are going with cloth diapers or disposable diapers.
Disposable Diapers
Get some in different sizes, but don’t go too crazy with Newborn size diapers. Your hospital may give you some and people will usually gift this size if they gift diapers. Something I noticed with the brand we picked was that they didn’t have larger boxes of newborn-size diapers so we ended up switching to the next size up once our baby was within the weight range for size 1. The newborn size also costs a little more per diaper than the next size up.
We use Pampers Pure diapers and haven’t had any issues. We picked them because they are more gentle on a baby’s sensitive skin. We are actually about to order Coterie diapers to try them out after reading so many positive reviews. I will let you all know what we think when we have tried them out for awhile!
As far as creating a stash we had three boxes of 198 size 1 diapers and four boxes of 31 newborn diapers. The boxes of 31 diapers ended up being less expensive than the larger box. We ended up buying a few more boxes of the newborn size before switching to size 1.
Creating a stash really isn’t necessary, but if you are like me it helps you feel more prepared.
This is another item we have set up for Amazon’s “Subscribe and save” to save money.
Cloth Diapers
Since we used disposable diapers I am not a good resource for this. Here is an article from The Bump about cloth diapers.
Unscented Baby Wipes
Unscented will cause less irritation for your baby. We use the Pampers sensitive baby wipes and haven’t had any issues. We buy the refill packs and use them to fill our wipe holders. (We actually just switched to the Pampers Pure wipes just to switch things up and they are great! They stay wet longer than the sensitive ones. We will likely stick with these going forward unless we find something else we like more.)
And seriously, you are going to need so freaking many of these.
Side note, even though you are going to need a lot of these don’t go too crazy ordering a bunch of boxes of them. Remember that you have to store these as well! We try to always have at least one unopened box of wipes, and typically order the box containing 576. You don’t need to do this, but we do just because sometimes I am not the one grabbing the new package to fill our wipe dispenser. Seriously, somehow I manage to be the one who never has to switch this out, but I am also the one that usually orders wipes and diapers. So it could be a while before I realize how many we have gone through.
We actually recently set these up as a “Subscribe and save” shipment from Amazon to save money and have one less thing to remember.
Changing Pad
Yup, you are going to want one of these.
Try to get one that is easy to clean and has one of those “seat belts” on it to keep your baby from getting crazy and bailing on your diaper changing session. We have the Summer contoured one, but I have also heard great things about the Keekaroo.
The only downside to our changing pad is that the sides that fold up create a crack so you need to make sure you clean that area out if they get wet. Other than that it is great, and a fraction of the cost of the Keekaroo!
Want something a little more Instagrammable? Here is a super cute option.
Barrier Cream
It is up to you on which brand you use. We have only used Aquaphor and been successful in keeping diaper rash away, so I can’t speak to the other brands. I would suggest getting a large tub of it for your diaper changing station and a smaller tube for your diaper bag.
We use to buy a new tub when our current one was half empty, but this is another one of our baby essentials we set up as “subscribe and save” shipments from Amazon to save money.
Changing Pad Table or Tray
These are nice to keep your changing pad in place and create a safer changing environment.
We originally thought we would buy a changing tray to hold our changing pad after we decided on a dresser. Why? Because I wanted them to match. Did we ever do this? No. We seriously have our changing station set up on our very large bathroom vanity. Which has been set up to create a safe space for our baby.
Changing tables are just a, well, table, made specifically for changing a baby. Get one with space for organizing your diapering essentials if you get one.
Changing Pad Waterproof Liners
How many?: 3-6 depending on how often you do laundry. We have 6.
These things have saved our changing pad covers a time or two, and sometimes just ended up replacing our covers altogether.
We have two sets of three of this kind and I love them.
Diaper Bag
Ah yes, the bag that is like Mary Poppin’s bag where she seems to be able to pull everything out of it. This bag is going to keep all of the things you and your baby need while you are out and about.
You could use a regular bag, but you will miss out in insulated pockets. So, if you go this route definitely get some kind of insulated cooler bag for bottles or milk storage. You will also not have the travel changing pad that sometimes comes with diaper bags. Which you will definitely want one, so buy one separately if you go with a regular, non-diaper bag.
Things to think about when looking for a diaper bag:
- How it is carried/held: We wanted one that could be used as a backpack. Some bags are designed to be carried multiple ways, but a backpack was what we were told we would want for when our baby was walking around. That way you have your hands free.
- Insulated holders for bottles: If you want, you can bring around an insulated bag instead of using these pockets, but having them won’t harm anything.
- Does it come with a (large) changing pad? Hint: you are going to need one. You can buy one separately if you find a bag you love and it doesn’t come with one.
- Can it fit everything you need? Does it have enough compartments to organize everything? The last thing you want is to be ripping everything out trying to find that one thing because you don’t have an organized diaper bag.
- Is it easy to clean?
- If it rains where you live will the materials be able to hold up?
- Will your significant other be able to use it as well? If you two have very different styles will you need to get one that they can use if they will be alone with the baby at some point?
This is the one we bought, but this is a very popular one that you will likely see all over Instagram. I just couldn’t justify spending that much on a diaper bag when there were others I liked.
The bag we bought is a very good size, can be carries as a backpack or a tote with different straps, comes with a changing pad, has great pockets for staying organized, and holds up in the rain. Plus, it isn’t crazy expensive and still stylish. But no, my husband doesn’t carry the diaper bag!
Baby Registry Checklist Items That Are Nice to Have but Not Necessary
Changing Pad Covers
How many? 2-3, depending on how often you do laundry.
I know some of you are like, “Wait a minute…” but hear me out. We have a changing pad cover and used it for maybe a month. Then it just kinda disappeared in the closet never to be seen again. Honestly though, when her nursery is finally put together and her changing station moves in there we will probably keep the cover on there so it just feels more put together.
They are nice because they can keep the changing pad a little warmer for the baby, but to me, it is just something else to wash all the time. Instead, we use the waterproof liners and have a few sets of those. These are also a lot easier to change out than the covers.
Looking for some that have a little more of a design? This website has a bunch of cute styles.
Note, if you get changing pad covers you are going to want the waterproof liners as well.
Wipe Dispenser
We have a wipe dispenser, and actually got a smaller one for when we are out and about. And we love ours. But, do you really need one?
No.
You could just get the wipes that are resealable instead of the replacement packs. I mean, you could use the replacement packs as well but you would have to be so careful taking the sealing tape off… I have ripped the whole side of a package open trying to take the seal off before. Buying wipes that are resealable may be more expensive in the wipes you pick, so that is something to think about as well.
Bum Brush
This is something you probably won’t see on a different baby registry checklist.
We call this the butt spatula. It is honestly just a silicone spatula that you can use to apply barrier cream. Why? Because it makes it so much less messy. I had never realized how hard it is to wash off Aquaphor until we had a baby.
We ordered two of these, one for the area we change her diapers in and one for her diaper bag. To us, this thing is a 100% need, but yes, you can live without it.
Could I? No, I have been spoiled with it.
Diaper Pail
This was something that when we were putting together our registry I almost didn’t order. I considered just using a regular trash can, the idea being that a regular trash can would probably cost less since it wasn’t a “special” trash can.
Well, yeah, there are some inexpensive trash cans. BUT, you want to make sure that that trash can is going to hold in those not-so-pleasant odors. And yes, you are going to want some kind of trash can/diaper pail in the area where you are doing the majority of your diaper changes.
After watching a million Youtube videos, going over every baby registry checklist I could find, and reading different “top diaper pail” posts we decided on the Ubbi.
Why? Because it doesn’t need special liners and came in different colors.
It holds in the smelly diapers (as long as I remember to close it). It is easy to empty, has a lock on top to keep pets/other kids out, comes in different colors and designs, and didn’t have an obnoxious footprint.
And you know what? I love it. I am so glad we purchased one. But, is it necessary? No. You could just use a regular trash can. You could also just walk the dirty diapers out to a different garbage can every time. Or maybe you are doing cloth diapers instead.
Some Diaper “Washcloths”
How many?: 12-24 depending on how often you do laundry and how fast you fly through the clean ones. If you have a husband like mine who goes through laundry like no one’s business, get 24.
I can’t remember where I got this idea, but I don’t think it was a different baby registry checklist. But these are some of our most used items.
So, as I said earlier, we ordered two different colors of inexpensive washcloths from Target. One set in grey, another in white. The grey ones became our “diapering” wipes. Meaning that when our baby had a really messy diaper we would get a washcloth wet and clean our baby off with that to make sure she was thoroughly cleaned. Or, we use them when our baby pees while we are changing her.. because that happens too.
My husband also seems to think that these are covers for the changing pad. Hey, it works.
We also use these to dry off our baby’s bum before putting on barrier cream since the wipes will make it a little wet.
Because of how many uses we have for these and how fast we fly through them we have 24 of these.
Baby Registry Checklist Items You Don’t Need
Wipes Warmer
Yeah, I don’t think my baby loves me any less for not heating her wipes. Look, you survived without having your wipes warmed up for you, I am sure your baby will as well.
Baby Powder
Yeah, you just don’t need it. Gone are the days when people covered themselves in it to get dry. Instead, what you can do is use a clean washcloth to dry your baby’s bum before applying the barrier cream. This can help prevent yeast infections.
Baby Registry Checklist: Health and Safety Essentials
Health & Safety Essentials You Are Going to Want
I would suggest you go through this then take a look at the Fridababy bundles to see which ones you want. Some of these items will be included in those bundles. I would consider the Bitty Bundle of Joy or the Big Bundle of Joy for sure. We have the Bitty Bundle of Joy and everything in it is super helpful and contains some things you will definitely either want or need.
Another good one we have is the Sick Day Essentials Kit.
Baby Monitor
Yes, if you have nerves of steel I am sure you could go without a baby monitor. I mean, our parents didn’t have video baby monitors and look at us? BUT, if you are like me chances are you will stare at it while your baby is sleeping to make sure they are okay.
We have the Nanit and love it! It tracks her breathing all night and if there isn’t any movement for 20 seconds (babies hold their breath sometimes, 20 seconds is longer than they would though) it alerts our phone and starts beeping loudly in the room. We have only had this go off when we forget to move the Nanit sleepwear out of the camera’s sight when she isn’t wearing it.
Nanit gives you insights into how your baby is sleeping at night with stats like how many visits the baby had throughout the night, their sleep efficiency, sleep onset, and how long they slept. You can also now get sheets that allow Nanit to measure how tall your baby is getting. We don’t have these, but it is kinda cool.
We bought the set with the wall mount and the multi-stand. This way we could mount the monitor above her crib and have another stand for when we travel. This doesn’t mean you have two cameras, but the cameras are easy to detach and bring with you.
The only downside is that you need to purchase breathing wear. But, this is so worth it to track how your baby is both breathing and sleeping at night. I would suggest just using the breathing band that should come with your set to start out with. We bought the sleep sacks from them for different ages/sizes and I felt they never fit for very long. They are also a little thicker than we needed for a sleep sack. Oh, and our baby would slam her feet down so much more in the sleep sacks than she would with some footed pjs on with the sleep band.
But hey, all babies are different. Just don’t go crazy with sleepwear until you know how your baby likes to sleep.
Thermometer
Yes, there are so many types, but a touchless one is so convenient.
The only thing is, a rectal thermometer gets a more accurate reading. So you may want to get a rectal and a touchless, that way you can use the touchless as your “regular” thermometer then follow up with the rectal if you need to.
Here is an inexpensive touchless one that is highly rated, and here is a rectal one from Fridababy.
Nail Trimmers
Get a set that comes with a nail file, or you can try the dremmel kind. I use the nail clippers from Fridababy and LOVE them. They have a little cut-out so you can see what you are trimming, but they are pretty sharp, so watch out! The Fridababy nail clippers also come with a nail file, which is what our friend has been successful with when it comes to trimming her baby’s nails. I on the other hand feel like I am going to sandpaper my baby’s finger. So I stick with the nail trimmers and only use the file if there is a rough spot.
If you buy one of the Fridababy bundles check if thee come in your bundle. We bought the Bitty Bundle and it came in there.
Nasal Aspirator & Nose Care
Your hospital may give you one of the bulb ones. Ours gave us one but I was terrified to use it for our baby’s nose. Instead, I ordered the Fridababy snotsucker, which honestly seemed disgusting until I tried it out and realized that no, I’m not going to get boogers in my mouth.
We also ordered the 3-in-1 Fridababy picker. We found that the snotsucker was nice for getting the, uh, stickier or runnier boogies out. But, the picker was better for when our baby had dried boogers. Worried about putting something in your baby’s nose? This tool is designed to prevent going in too far, so you don’t need to worry. It also has a part that can get earwax out of their little ears, something to get under their nails if they get something stuck under there, and a “general” tool. We have only used the nose and ear parts because we keep her nails trimmed and I don’t really know what the general tool part would help with.
Outlet Covers
While your baby won’t be mobile for a while yet it is nice to get these sooner rather than later. My husband and I didn’t order them before our baby was here and quickly realized that the wall her changing pad is on has two outlets right above the changing pad height. So we ordered outlet covers to cover up the outlets.
We ordered this box of 50. Because wow, you really don’t realize how many outlets you have at “baby height” until your little one is getting ready to be on the move.
Cord Wraps
This is something that you could wait on, depending on your situation. We decided to get these early because our room has curtains and our rocking chair is next to the window. We keep the cords wrapped up so that we don’t have to worry about our baby getting ahold of them while we feed her somehow.
Vitamin D Drops
*If you are breastfeeding. Formula fed babies will receive vitamin D through the formula.
For some reason I hardly saw this on any other baby registry checklist.
This is the vitamin D drops we order. These are made with natural ingredients and are free of nasties. They are also pretty popular and have been sold out for weeks so if you do breastfeed your baby you may want to order two in the beginning to make sure you have enough and don’t have to worry about them being sold out. I think we are on our third or fourth bottle at four months?
Gasspassers
There are a few different options for these and they will save you a few rough nights.
We have gripe water and these Windi gasspassers. The gripe water we picked is natural, free of nasties, and has lemon balm and chamomile to help baby relax as well. The Windis are these plastic little, uh, tubes that you use to help your baby relieve gas. Although, be aware that sometimes it isn’t just gas they end up relieving…
Yup, you have been warned, but don’t let that deter you. We find the Windis are better at making our baby feel better faster than the gripe water.
Fever Reducer
This will help for when your baby gets a fever. We have infant Tylenol for this, and thankfully haven’t had to use it yet. Whatever you get run any medications by your pediatrician, you may need dosing information from them as well. For example, our infant Tylenol says to get a dose recommendation from your pediatrician.
With something like this I would use the given syringe to measure your dose instead of a medicine pacifier.
Baby Registry Checklist Items That Are Necessary, but Not Needed Right Away
Baby Toothbrush
We ordered two different types, one being that banana toothbrush I am sure everyone has seen, and the other being a finger brush. Although, I am considering getting this one to use too since it is a training toothbrush and shaped differently.
We ordered them early and have been playing with them with our little girl so she gets used to the idea of having them massage her gums.
Something else you can use while they are still too young to use toothbrushes is sterile gauze. You just get it a little wet, cover your finger, and rub their tongue and gums. Babies can have milk residue on their tongue (which can look similar to thrush), and this can help you remove it for them. We do this every night with our little girl since she doesn’t have teeth yet, but it isn’t something you have to do. We just do this to keep our baby’s mouth clean and get her use to the idea of brushing.
Baby Gate
Once your baby gets mobile you are going to want something to corral them and keep them from wandering into areas they shouldn’t be.
Like the stairs.
We haven’t set up our baby gates since our baby isn’t crawling yet. You can order these in so many sizes, so you need to measure your spot you plan on putting these up to make sure you get the right size!
Toilet Locks
This is something you can definitely wait on. You won’t need them until your baby is on the move.
Ok, so you need to remember to babyproof your bathroom. So, to prevent you having to fish toys out of the toilet, baby touching the inside of the toilet or baby drowning you have two options when it comes to the porcelain throne.
- Get those door handle babyproof locks and always remember to close your bathroom doors. (There are different kinds of these so you will need to get the kind that works best for your door knobs)
- Get toilet locks.
We are getting the toilet locks because we aren’t confident in remembering to always close the door. Plus, when it comes to safety I would rather go overboard with babyproofing.
Table and Furniture Corner Pads and Bumpers
As someone who fell as a baby and almost jabbed their eye out with a table, I am 100% getting these.
Yes, it may not go with your design style, but I’m not joking when I say I have a scar so close to my eye that you can’t even tell they aren’t touching.
We are ordering a pack of these clear ones when our baby starts crawling. We also have a fireplace so we will get a bumper for the ledge/bench of sorts. You can also use those bumpers for furniture that has sharper edges.
TV Anchors
This only really applies if you don’t already have a wall-mounted Tv.
Furniture Anchors
If you have something you are worried about your baby pulling or pushing over, you can get some of these.
Cabinet Locks
Yup, you are going to want some of these to keep your curious baby out of cabinets and drawers. These are something you can wait on and get when your baby shows signs of starting to become mobile. You don’t need to put them on every cabinet or drawer, but at least the ones with dangerous things for your baby. Like under your sinks, cabinets with chemicals in them, junk drawers, etc.
We are putting them on any cabinet or drawer our baby can reach.
Baby Iron Supplement*
*If you are breastfeeding this is something that around four months you should talk to your pediatrician about. They may give you a prescription that also has vitamin D in it so you don’t have to keep ordering the vitamin D drops.
This is important because at about four months the iron your baby received from you has run out. Formula fed babies don’t have to worry about this, but breastfed babies do.
Baby Registry Items that Are Not Necessary, but Nice to Have – or Depends on Your Situation
Cool Mist Humidifier
- Ask your doctor or pediatrician if they think a humidifier would be a good idea. There are studies out now about them not really helping sick babies. And if you don’t clean them well they can do more harm than good.
You want to keep the room that the baby sleeps in at 30-50% humidity per experts. If it is too low, your baby’s skin and nose will get dry. Too high and gross things like mold and mildew start growing.
We have only used our cool mist humidifier during the winter because the heater dries out the air a little more.
You may live in an area where this isn’t an issue. You can always hook up your baby monitor (if it lets you know the humidity in the room) and see what the levels are. If they start dropping as the seasons change, consider getting a humidifier to help keep your baby from getting sick.
If you decide to get one, get one that is easy to clean, automatically shuts off when it runs out of water and works with the size of the room you have. But yes, huge emphasis on easy to clean! You need to clean it regularly to keep dust, bacteria, etc out of it!
We have the Fridababy cool mist humidifier and love it. You can change the direction the mist is going in, use essential oils in it (when your baby is old enough) and it also has a nightlight. As far as cleaning it it isn’t the easiest, but we love the nightlight on it and don’t have any complaints.
Dehumidifier
Chances are you know if you need a dehumidifier. But don’t go too crazy, a room that is too dry can make babies stuffy and dry out their skin. I don’t have a recommendation on these since we don’t have a dehumidifier.
Air Purifier
Getting these is totally up to you, we decided to get some because we are obsessive, have pets, and recently moved into a house we are about to renovate. So, you know, there was about to be all kinds of lovely things flying through our air if we didn’t have these.
Originally we thought about getting plants to purify our air, but finding some that were baby and pet friendly while being available near us was… difficult.
So, instead we bought a few air purifiers for our house. My husband spent days researching air purifiers and picked out which ones we bought. The ones we bought are pricey, so if you want an air purifier you are welcome to do your own research for less expensive options if you want! We have a few things we dont compromise on, and health related items are one of them!
We bought this kind for our bedroom, where the baby also sleeps. When she moves into her own room we will buy one for her nursery as well. These also have a little blue light they emit so it can be like a little nightlight.
For the other living spaces we bought two of these larger ones, one for downstairs and one for the main floor. These are a little big, but they work so well and you can hide them! Seriously, I can hear the one on the main floor kick in the moment I start burning food. But no, they are not obnoxiously loud. Especially the little one.
Medicine Pacifier
A lot, if not all, of the medicine you get for your baby will have a syringe to give it to your baby. These are usually something you just aim into the baby’s cheek to dispense the medicine. These work fine, but in my crazy over obsessiveness I bought this medi-pacifier to help with any medicine we needed to give our baby.
We did try using the syringes that came with medicines we had, but we bought and they usually made a bit of a mess. Our baby would “spit” it out. The medi-pacifier made medicine delivery so much easier and our baby loved the pacifier. We now only use this medicine pacifier to deliver medicine to our baby.
Baby Registry Checklist Items You Don’t Need
A Baby Specific First Aid Kit
All of the ones I have seen look like they have cheap parts. You are more than welcome to get a baby first aid kit, or you can do what we did, buy the parts you need.
Teething gel
Orajel and other “teething gels” with Benzocaine or Lidocaine aren’t recommended for teething pain anymore. Our pediatrician suggested just wetting a clean washcloth and putting it in the freezer to create something for the baby to chew on and soothe their gums.
Baby Registry Checklist: Baby Bedding Essentials
Crib
Duh, right?
Whether you decide to have a bassinet or not, you will probably eventually want a crib. Unless you plan on safely co-sleeping until your baby is using a toddler bed.
What should you look for in a crib? You want one that is safe, obviously. Get a crib that is free from harmful chemicals (GREENGUARD certified), JPMA-certified, safe, well-built, and in a style that you love. Bonus points if it can convert into a toddler bed if that is something that appeals to you.
We purchased the Babyletto Hudson crib in natural because it fit with the decor theme, was well built, and GREENGUARD gold certified. We also love the design and are so happy with our crib. Plus, these cribs aren’t crazy expensive and can convert into a toddler bed.
Here is a crib buying guide to help you find a safe crib.
Crib Mattress
Yup, definitely something you need.
There are so many crib mattresses out there, some are pretty inexpensive and others, well, not so much. You need to make sure your crib mattress fits snugly in your crib to create a safe sleep space.
We went with the Newton Mattress with the waterproof cover because we wanted something that would ease our anxious minds. Since the Newton is breathable (seriously, you can breathe straight through this thing) we sleep better at night knowing that our baby is just that much safer. These mattresses are also GREENGUARD Gold certified and meet safety standards.
We actually don’t even put crib sheets on the mattress yet. We have them, but we just want to keep the mattress as breathable as possible until our little girl is a little older.
If you decide to keep your Newton bare as well, I would think about getting another waterproof (or the regular one) cover just in case. We have had a night or two where our little girl decided to spit up all over her mattress and well, the cover isn’t the fastest thing to dry.
I would also look on Newton’s website for sales. We bought ours during a Father’s Day sale and got 20% off.
Fitted Crib Sheets
How many?: 2-3, depending on how often you do laundry.
Ok, so, you can do what we did and just use the Newton mattress without the crib sheets, or you can purchase a few crib sheets to go with your decor and cover your mattress. Just so you know, Newton does make crib sheets that don’t compromise how well you can breathe through the mattress.
And yes, I did try using our non-Newton sheets on our crib to see if I could breathe through them.. and it was noticeably more difficult, but not impossible. To me, if I was going to pay a premium for a breathable mattress, why cover it with something that took part of that away?
We have two sets of crib sheets (which we don’t even use yet and our baby is four months old) and I will probably buy one more when we start using them. That way if one gets dirty I will have one in the laundry, one on the mattress, and one backup just in case we have another accident before I can clean the dirty one.
That being said, we do laundry every day. Not all of our laundry, but usually at least a load or two.
So, I would suggest you get two or three to start with. You can always buy more if you need.
If you are looking for an organic crib sheet Burt’s Bees makes one that isn’t very expensive. The one in the picture above is from Spearmint LOVE. They have so many cute baby things! And you can set up a registry there and get 20% off for a completion discount.
Waterproof Mattress Pads
How many?: 2
This is something you can probably wait on. We haven’t had a mess that warranted having one of these yet..
If you aren’t getting the Newton mattress with the waterproof cover, get some waterproof mattress pads for under your crib sheets to protect your mattress. As a note, if you get the Newton regular covers, then buy waterproof mattress pads from another brand the mattress will not be as breathable because of the pads. So if you get the Newton it is just better to get their waterproof covers to make sure the mattress is as breathable as possible and protected.
If you get waterproof mattress pads I would order two of them so you have one as a backup.
Before I came to my senses and realized I didn’t need them, I ordered these waterproof bamboo mattress covers. They are great, but we don’t need them since we have the waterproof Newton.
Lightweight Blankets
How many?: One set of 3 or 4 on your registry, you will end up with more.
So, these would be your receiving or swaddling blankets. They may seem like the same thing (believe me, I still have a hard time telling the difference sometimes), but the swaddling blankets will be a little smaller and easier to swaddle baby in.
If you plan on actually swaddling your baby then go as crazy as you want with these. But, they do have swaddle sacks that we went over in the clothing part of this series. And let me tell ya, they make everything so much easier.
So, if you look at another baby registry checklist it will likely tell you you should get anywhere between ~4-8 of these. So then you put 8 of these on your registry to be prepared and all of the sudden you have 10 billion blankets. Don’t get me wrong, you will want several blankets, but you also don’t need enough to keep your whole town warm in winter.
Do you know how many we have used? Two. And we only really used them for a picture or to have a light blanket for our baby. We never swaddled her in them for sleep because well, I am not a swaddling master and they make things that are way easier to swaddle babies in. (More on that in the clothes section)
I would not put more than one set of receiving or swaddling blankets on your registry. People LOVE giving blankets, so you will likely end up with more than you registered for. I would pick one out for a newborn hospital picture that you like though, that way you have one ready for baby’s first picture.
These are the ones in the picture above.
Here are some super cute and Insta-worthly styles too.
Thicker Blankets
How many?: 1-2 heavy blankets, 1-2 midweight
Regardless of when your baby is born, it will eventually get colder. Well, unless you live somewhere amazing where it is never cold. Then move on.
If you live somewhere, like we do, where the winter is cold and well, when it is finally 50 degrees out everyone is in shorts, get 2 thicker blankets. That way if your baby decides to spit up all over one blanket you have another clean one.
If you live in an area with mild winters you can probably get by with just one and if your baby makes a mess of it you can use the midweight ones.
We have two heavier blankets for our baby, two midweight, and so freaking many lightweight blankets. And we do end up using all of the midweight or thicker blankets. They make great extra tummy time mats and are perfect for stroller walks.
This is the one in the image above with the pattern, and this is the one that is solid (not as heavy). And here is a highly rated one that isn’t expensive that comes in a bunch of colors. We have one that is similar and use it most for our baby. Because here’s the deal, it is nice to have one nice blanket for your baby and others that you are fine having dropped on the floor, spit on, pooped and peed on, etc.
A nice tip with the blankets is to keep one in the car that matches the season. That way, if you leave the house in a hurry or get somewhere and it is a little colder than you thought, your baby can still keep warm.
Baby Registry Items That Depends on You & Your Situation
Bassinet or Mini crib
We never used a bassinet after we left the hospital and our baby slept fine in her crib from the day we got home. I know that people say that babies like the smaller space of the bassinet, but I am also reading all of these moms in my pregnancy group on the Babycenter app talking about how difficult it has been for some of them to transition to the crib after baby outgrew the bassinet.
We followed safe sleep practices for our baby and since she was comfortable in the crib and it fit easily in our bedroom we went with that.
One thing that is nice about a bassinet is that you are going to be able to keep it by your bed easier than a full-size crib. So you can have peace of mind that your baby is right next to you. Also, if you have a bedroom that isn’t large enough to accommodate a full-size crib a bassinet or a mini crib may be a better option for you.
Or, you can do what we did and have your baby sleep in her crib in your room and have the baby monitor pulled up all night on your phone so you can easily look over and see how the baby is doing.
We have a few friends who have purchased the Snoo as their bassinet and LOVE it. If we get a bassinet for any future kids we will definitely purchase the Snoo. The only issue I have with it is that it is so expensive! The Snoo is great though because it has breathable sides and helps soothe your baby back to sleep. Plus, every mom I know that has the Snoo swears by it.
We also really liked the Halo bassinet our hospital had since we could swing the bassinet arm over our bed and have our baby right there.
Looking for a more cost effective option? You can use a Pack and Play with a bassinet on it. The nice thing about these is that when your baby outgrows the bassinet you can still have a space for your baby to safely play in. Or, a travel crib since you can use the bottom part as a crib while on the go. Some Pack and Plays also have a changing station on them.
Mini cribs are another option if you want something smaller than a crib to start with but don’t like bassinets.
Bassinet or Mini Crib Sheets
How many?: Start with two and see how it goes.
If you get a bassinet, pack and play or mini crib you are obviously going to need sheets. Before you purchase any make sure they are either universal or designed for your bassinet (if that is the way you are going).
Get two (or three) to start with depending on how often you do your laundry. That way if one gets messy you can still have one clean sheet. But make sure to wash the dirty one ASAP to prevent not having any sheets!
These sheets need to be fitted to create a safe sleep space.
Bassinet sheets in the image above are from PobiBaby. They have a ton of cute designs! Plus, a lot of their designs come in changing pad covers, crib sheets, and pack and play sheets. So you can have the same theme/style throughout.
Baby Registry Checklist Items You Don’t need
Crib Bumpers
They are a suffocation hazard, enough said.
Crib Tents
Yes, they are super adorable on Pinterest and on that influencer’s Instagram you follow, but the AAP doesn’t recommend them for safe sleep.
Crib Skirt
You don’t need this, but if you would like one for the style go for it.
Bedding Sets
These usually come with skirts, crib sheets, quilts, sometimes rail covers, etc. You only really need the crib sheets and can’t use the quilt for sleeping until your baby is much older to avoid suffocation. By that time, who knows, maybe you will have moved past that design.
I would just get some crib sheets you like and skip this. Get a quilt down the road if you want one.
Baby Registry Checklist: Baby Gear and Travel
Baby Gear and Travel Essentials
Infant Car Seat
A baby gear and travel essentials necessity on every baby registry checklist you will see. I know some people talk about just using a convertible car seat from day one with an infant insert or something, but I can’t imagine doing that.
Why? Because I didn’t want to take my baby out of her car seat every time we needed to get out of the car. You see, you can’t really carry a convertible car seat into your pediatrician’s office… It is too freaking big and heavy!
I know they can be expensive, but think of all of the places you are going to go with your baby. And even if you aren’t, a lot of them can be (and should be able to) attached to your stroller so your baby can ride along in the stroller in their infant car seat instead of the toddler seat with an infant support.
Here is a guide on buying a car seat. We have the Uppababy Mesa Infant Car Seat and have loved it. It comes in a few different colors so you don’t have to stick with black if you don’t like it. It is a little heavier than some other ones, but it was so easy to install and is so well-made that it doesn’t matter to us.
Another really popular one that is really safe is the Nuna PIPA. We don’t personally have this one, but I have heard great things and always see it on Instagram!
Looking for one that is a little more unique? We tested out the Maxi-Cosi Coral XP and thought it was so innovative! Eventually I will write a full review here, but basically you can remove a section of the car seat so you don’t have to lug around a whole car seat. It also has an over the shoulder strap (Yes, way.) and a strap on either side so you can carry it in three different ways.
Something to keep in mind is that your stroller and your car seat don’t have to be the same brand. A lot of strollers have adapters for different car seats. Just make sure your stroller and car seat of choice can work together.
Car Seat Base
One of these will usually come with your car seat. If your car seat doesn’t come with one you are going to want to order at least one. Our doctor recommended ordering one per car that the baby would be traveling in. That way you can easily move your baby between cars if needed.
If you go with the Uppababy Mesa here is the additional car seat.
*When you install this get someone, like the fire station next to your house, to look at your car seat to make sure it is properly installed.
Car Mirror
Get one that is shatterproof and one that will attach to your car headrest type. We have the Shynerk mirror and it has worked great for us so far. It is pretty big and easy to move around and says that it is ab;e to work with all headrests. Another option is to get something like this. Which I am now considering getting since we do go on longer drives and drives at night.
Start with one. But, if you have your baby in two different cars and the mirror is more work to move from car to car then you may want one for each car.
Car Window Shade
If your car has these already, skip this. But if not, these are nice to have.
Our windows are tinted but I still think these are a good idea to just make sure that our baby is comfortable and not getting random blasts of sunlight in her eyes. If your windows aren’t tinted you should definitely get them to help block the sun’s damaging UV rays.
I would get one shade for each car that you are driving around with your baby, or you can buy a pack of two. That way you don’t have to move the car shade around if your baby travels in two different cars.
Stroller
A baby gear and travel essential no-brainer. Makes sense, right? Get one that fits you. Not just what you saw on Instagram and decided you needed. That being said, yes, I did see our stroller on Instagram and yes, I did purchase it, and guess what, I LOVE IT. Because it works for us.
Also, eventually you may end up wanting two different types, which is what we did.
Things to think about:
-How often are you going to be putting this in your car? If the answer is often you probably don’t want one that is difficult to fold down, heavier than you can handle, or won’t fit in your cars. Or, this is where a second (travel) stroller could come in.
-What kind of terrain do you plan on going on with this stroller? City sidewalks? Country roads? Look into the wheels and shocks to make sure that baby is having a comfortable ride!
-Are you planning on using this as a running stroller?
-How many kids do you plan on having in a stroller at once? If you are a solo kid kind of person then obviously you won’t be concerned about the expansion ability of the stroller. BUT, if you want more than one kid get one that can accommodate two or more kids (if you plan on having them close enough in age for them both to be in the stroller). This way you don’t have to purchase another one when you have another kid, you will already be set!
-Make sure it works with your car seat and vice versa. Some brands have different adapters to make the car seats attach.
All of this being said, maybe you decide you need two different strollers. One for traveling and one for running, or whatever it is. It is up to you!
We have the Uppababy Cruz and love it. I accidentally ordered it thinking I was ordering a Vista, but for where we are in life right now it was actually perfect. Eventually, we will need a stroller that can grow with our family, but for now, I am very happy with our Uppababy!
Also, just as a side note for the Uppababy, you don’t have to buy the Vista to be able to use the bassinet. You can purchase it separately and use it on the Cruz.
Want one that your other mom friend’s have bought? This stroller is well-made and stylish and can have a bassinet/carrycot attached.
Looking for one you can jog with? We have the B.O.B. jogging stroller and love it! We have taken it down to our beach and pushed it easily in the sand as well as on forested trails thanks to it’s mountain bike shocks and awesome wheels! This has actually became our “travel” stroller as well.
Stroller & Car Seat Accessories
See what comes with your stroller or car seat, but you might also want to take a look at the other accessories that you can get for your new stroller.
Our stroller came with a rain shield and a bug shield for the rumble seat. This is perfect because we live in Western Washington where it is known to rain and we also visit Eastern Washington where there can be mosquitoes.
We also ordered a rain shield for our car seat, a stroller caddy, and will order a snack tray and a cup holder when our baby is old enough.
You can skip these if you want, but I would suggest at least getting a stroller caddy for all of your things. You may think that you will just have your diaper bag with you all the time so you can use that for your things, but are you really going to bring your diaper bag with you on shorter stroller walks? Probably not.
Baby Carrier
Ok, yes, you can get away with not having one of these. However, our’s saved us when our little one wouldn’t take a nap and the house needed some love.
There are baby wraps and baby carriers. We have both, but we only used the baby carrier style.
The one we have is the BabyBjorn Baby Carrier One. We ordered this one because we wanted one that would grow with our baby for a bit and one that we could take with us different places and both myself or my husband could carry our baby in it.
The Mini BabyBjorn is also pretty popular and is a little less bulky. The age range on these is about newborn to one year old, depending on your baby. While the Carrier One can be used until 3 years old.
Looking for one that is more the wrap style? The Boba wrap is a well thought of and popular one that can be used up to 35 lbs.
Stroller Fan
Unless you live somewhere it is never warm you will want one of these for your baby.
Plus, don’t ignore all of those posts you see about bringing a stroller fan to the hospital with you. I did. I ignored those posts because I am always cold so I didn’t think I would need it.
Well, guess what?
I needed it. You know what I did instead? I used a headband to stick a wet washcloth to my head. Yeah, I am sure I looked like a complete nut meeting the doctor and nurses like that. Guess who won’t forget a fan next time.
Baby Gear and Travel Essentials: Not Necessary, Nice to Have
Car Seat Cover for Winter
If you live in a colder climate or your baby will be using the infant car seat during winter consider getting one of these. Especially since it is not safe to bundle your baby up in their car seat. Meaning no coats, cozy bear suits, etc in the car seat. So, to keep them warm this is an option, or you can use a blanket to cover the baby’s lower half if it isn’t too cold.
We have the Skip Hop winter car seat cover and use it whenever we go on stroller walks with our baby. We love it because it is easy to put on and unzips in the front to easily get your baby out without removing the whole thing. Plus, it keeps her warm on our winter walks around the neighborhood.
This is another really popular one that is highly rated and comes in different colors.
If you aren’t sure if your baby will be using the infant car seat in the winter or when it gets colder where you live hold off on this. You can always purchase one later if needed.
Also, make sure that the winter cover you pick doesn’t go under the baby/between the baby and the harness. These aren’t safe.
A Travel White Noise Machine
Ok, so we have this little lamb white noise machine that has been attached to our baby’s car seat since before we brought her home. We use it in the car and on our walks when she is starting to get a little fussy and she will calm down right away and usually fall asleep.
While these aren’t necessary, if you plan on taking long car rides with your baby you might want one. Or, as an alternative, you could always have white noise playing on your phone for the baby. We just thought the lamb was cute!
Looking for one that isn’t an animal? This one has a nightlight, is easy to attach, and charges by a USB so you don’t need to worry about batteries.
Or, here is an animal themed one that is less expensive.
A Swing, Bouncer or Rocker
These are nice things to have to keep your baby entertained. We have two different items from this “category” and our baby has loved them.
We have the BabyBjorn Bouncer, which looks so simple and is a little expensive… BUT this thing has been a lifesaver for us and is one of our favorite baby items.
Our baby loves it! We put her in “her chair” when we are eating dinner if she is awake and she will happily play with the toy bar. (The toy bar does come separately, but we ordered ours from Buybuy BABY and it came with a toy bar. This bundle doesn’t come in every color though).
There are some different material types and colors to choose from. So there is bound to be one that you like or that works with your theme. Plus, your baby can use it until they are about two years old since the chair flips around to make a toddler seat. These can also fold down and come with you when you are traveling! Really, the only downside to these is the warning label they have sewn onto the front.
We also have a Graco Soothe My Way Swing with Removable Rocker*. Which, honestly our baby wasn’t too sure about when we first got it. But now will happily sit in it and watch me do dishes or whatever I need to do. This thing moves 16 different ways (8 movement patters in two different chair configurations). This one requires power, but the removable rocker has different vibration speeds and is battery operated. If you have limited space, this one is definitely not for you. It has a way larger blueprint than our BabyBjorn!
Looking for a bouncer that is a little less expensive and not an eyesore? Or a different swing (still expensive though).
Or if you are looking for an ultra-Instagrammable style here is an option.
*This was something we received as a member of Stellar Panel product testing.
Baby Lounger
We didn’t end up ordering one of these for our first baby, but I can see how they would be pretty helpful. They are really just a place for baby to “hang out” but not sleep in. We actually use our BabyBjorn bouncer as a “hang out” spot for our baby.
This is the one we were looking at when we were still on the fence about getting one.
Although this is another very popular one as well as this one. Both of these fit about the same age range (Snuggle me says 0-9 months vs. DockATot’s 0-8 months) so if you decide to get one of these you can just go off of which you like the look of more. Or price. Since you know, there is a bit of a difference.
Playpen, Pack n’ Play, or Travel Crib
It took us a while to get one of these since we originally didn’t think we would have a use for one.
We bought ours because our baby was having a hard time napping in her crib. She would wake up and look around for us then cry. So we bought the Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib so our baby could be sleeping near us while we went about our day.
We do like the travel crib, it is easy to set up, well-made and has a zipper on the front so you can hangout with the baby. The only thing is, the zipper is kinda loud — like a tent zipper. So if you put the baby in the front and try to zip it up while your baby is sleeping GOOD LUCK. It can be done, or you can just put the baby in from the top like you would with other similar items.
We also plan on using the Guava Travel Crib this summer when we work outside and plan on getting their sun cover for it. Which will be another great use for it. These are also great for using as a crib for your baby to sleep in while you are traveling.
If you want to get the Guava Travel Crib look on their website too. We bought ours from their website and purchased a bundle to help save some money.
Looking for one that is less expensive? This pack n’ play is very highly rated with thousands of reviews.
Also, my parents did purchase a pack n’ play to use as a crib for when we visit their house. So, maybe grandmas will want to consider one for their house, but your need for one depends on you. If I were you I would wait on purchasing one.
Note: If you get one of these you will want playpen/pack and play sheets. Get two of these to start with and see if you need to get one more. Also, they should come with a mattress. The manufacturers have warnings about using other mattresses in their travel cribs/pack n’ plays because it can make them unsafe.
Baby Registry Checklist Items That You Will Need Later
These are things that you will eventually need, but if you are trying to decide what can wait and what can’t, these are things that can.
Convertible Car Seat
This is for when your baby has outgrown their car seat. This can be a ways off, but some babies outgrow their infant car seat around 9 months. I would leave this off your registry, you want to make sure that if people get a gift for you that it is something you need immediately, not months down the road when you can save to purchase it if needed.
Baby Registry Checklist Items You Don’t Need
Seat Protector Mat for Your Car
Our car seat “allows” certain brands of protectors, but we skipped these and haven’t had any damage to our leather car seats. That being said, car seat bases can damage both leather and leave marks on upholstery seats in your car.
We decided not to get them because they can be dangerous and interfere with the way your car seat is installed. Our cars are also a few years old and we have a large dog that gets in from time to time, so we aren’t super concerned with our seats. But, if we had a new car we would get one and have the installation checked again to be sure it was safe before having our baby in the car with it.
Here is a website that helps show which brands “allow” seat protectors. Always read the brand’s website and manual before using one though.
Baby Registry Checklist: Nursery
Aside from what is already listed in different previous sections (crib, monitor, etc) and decor you may also want:
Lifesaver
White Noise Machine or Shusher
Chances are you may want both of these. Check the baby monitor you decide on to see if it has options for white noise or shushing, some will have this option. Like the Nanit.
We have The Shusher and it really is a lifesaver for us. I remember seeing this all over Instagram before we got one and wondering what was so special about it.
But, seriously, holy freaking cow we use this all the time and swear by it to help get our baby to sleep!
We also have white noise going on our baby monitor all night then turn on The Shusher while we are getting her ready for bed on the longest setting. Works like a charm every time.
Nice to Have, Not Necessary
Baby Clothes Hamper
So, I don’t know if you have heard but babies can be messy. Like really messy.
Seriously, there may be days where you have three or more outfit changes. So with all of these outfit changes comes extra laundry, and very dirty laundry at that if there is a blowout situation…
That being said, sometimes it is nice to have a separate hamper or two for your baby. Nothing too big or anything. We just use two small baskets, one for her clothes and one for her “diapering” towels. We do this because we don’t want to have her clothes get stained if there was a blowout. We even put the clothes that fell victim to a blowout in a different area so we can pre-treat the stains.
We use the baskets because when I wash a load of our clothes (I wash all of our like colors together with a gentle detergent on gentle) I want to make sure I wash all of her dirty clothes. When we would just put her clothes in our hampers they would disappear into the hampers and get stuck at the bottom where they might sit for a week because, well, sometimes I don’t get to emptying the hampers all the way each day I do laundry.
We go through a lot of laundry, ok?
Dresser
Having a dresser is nice because, like I am sure you have seen on Instagram, you can have your changing pad and tray on top of the dresser so you don’t need to get a changing table.
But, I’m sure you are thinking that a changing table might cost less. And that is true, but if you buy a nice dresser you and your baby can keep using that dresser for way longer than a changing table. Because even though it seems so far away, eventually you won’t need a changing table. But you will need a way to store your baby’s clothes.
Clothes Storage Options: Baby Hangers, Dresser Dividers, and Storage Bins
This depends on how you are going to store your baby’s clothes.
Using a closet? You will want some baby hangers to help keep things organized. With these you will likely want some closet dividers to help easily find the right size. If you are using a closet to store baby’s clothes you might want to get storage bins too. Especially to store the blankets and sheets you are bound to end up with.
If you plan on using a dresser for all of your baby’s clothes you could just use dividers. If you do it this way though you may want to get some hangers for any coats or “puffier” items you have for your baby.
For storage of things like towels you can get some larger storage baskets that match your decor. We have ours in a linen closet so we wanted to make sure the baskets match our bath decor.
Rocking Chair or Glider
These are so nice to have when you are getting up more frequently at night to feed your baby. We use our rocking chair every night as part of our bedtime routine with our little girl. It is just so much nicer on our backs than sitting on our couch or whatever.
Also, you are going to want to have this close to your baby’s sleep space! Nothing is more intense than having a sleeping baby in your arms and having to cross a room (or go into a different one) without waking them up!
We have a leather one that we love, but we also cover it with a large blanket to keep messes off of it the best we can. The only downside we have noticed with leather is the noise getting out of the chair, well, and that in the winter it will be a little cooler on your legs if you aren’t wearing pants…
We just knew leather was what we wanted. We also spent quite a bit on our nursery chair since we knew we would be spending a lot of time in it. This isn’t something you need to do to make sure you get one that works for you.
But, whatever one you get you should definitely try out first if you can! Both you and your significant other should sit in the glider or rocker and try getting out of it without using your hands since when you are holding your baby you won’t have hands to help you get up! Some rockers or gliders have a deep cushion so getting out of them can be difficult for shorter moms.
And, trying them out helps you decide if you want a rocker or a glider. We have a rocker that also swivels, which my mom recommended and I am so glad I listened! The swivel makes grabbing things so much easier!
When you are trying to pick a glider or rocker think about the space you have and your ideal nursery theme. You will also want to make sure it is easy to clean, because no matter how careful you are the chair will get some messes on it.
Nightlight
This is really for you at this age. You know, to make sure you don’t walk into something in the dark.
I have seen some people suggest that you have one in the nursery set up at their changing station so that when/if you are changing a diaper in the night you can have this on. That way baby isn’t woken up even more with bright lights.
We don’t have a nightlight, but the humidifier we have does have a nightlight function. We also have an air purifier in our room that has a low light on when the purifier is running. When our baby moves into her own room we will likely get her a nightlight if it helps her.
This is a popular one that also is a sound machine.
Don’t Need
Mobile
Yes, they are cute. Yes, when we think of cribs we think of little mobiles above them. BUT, mobiles can distract babies and keep them from falling asleep. If you want one consider putting it above the changing station instead. That way your baby can be distracted with your cute mobile instead of trying to “help” change their diaper and really just getting in the way.
Baby Registry Checklist: Toys
Let me just start by saying you don’t need toys for your newborn… But let’s face it we all want to buy so many baby toys!
Stroller and Car Seat Toys
These are nice to have to keep your baby occupied and entertained while you are out and about. (Remember to still monitor your baby though!)
There are different types, some wrap around the stroller or car seat bar, others clip on. If you want to get some start with just one until you know what your baby likes.
Sensory and Development Toys
All of our baby’s favorite toys fall into this category. Her favorite is actually this toy. It isn’t expensive and has all kinds of features to keep your baby entertained. We have the elephant version and have washed it several times without any issue. Which is important since you are going to be washing toys all the time to keep them clean!
Other favorites are all from the Lovevery Play Kits (I am not an affiliate of their’s, I just love their stuff!). We have a subscription for their boxes and so far have only received one box but the toys in the boxes are so great! They are geared towards development and come with a little book each time to tell you what you can do with each toy and how to play with your baby to aid their development and help them experience the world.
Other great toys to get are:
-This sensory ball from Sassy. This is another one we have and use to play with our baby a lot.
–Black and white contrast cards. We had some that came with our Lovevery kit and activity gym, but if you don’t get either of those you should get a pack of black and white contrast cards. These can help your baby learn to focus.
-Crinkle Paper. Our baby has a few toys that have crinkle paper in them and she loves them. We have one that came in our Lovevery kit that is a little “bag” (to teach object permanence) that is a crinkle bag. We started putting it on one of her feet and she LOVES it! She will throw her feet around and kick like crazy with it on. This brand has a bunch of books that have crinkle paper in them and also have other activities for your baby to do!
Teething Toys
There are so many different types of teething toys! There’s teething mitts, toys you put in the refrigerator, teething rings, pacifiers for teething, the all famous Sophie La Girafe, etc.
Our baby hasn’t started teething yet, but she still likes chewing on things. We have a teething mitt (has crinkle paper in it too so our baby loves this), this toy that you put in the refrigerator to help soothe swollen gums, Sophie La Girafe, and some that came in our Lovevery kit.
What is nice about teething toys is that most of them aren’t super expensive (under $10), but some, like Sophie, can be on the pricey end for something that your baby is going to chew on. Don’t get me wrong, so far I love the Sophie La Girafe and I am sure when our baby starts actually teething I will be very happy we bought it. (UPDATE: Yes, Sophie is now one of our baby’s favorite toys!)
Side note, if you have a dog they will probably be pretty interested in the Sophie La Girafe.. It basically is like a dog squeaky toy.
Another one that has became one of our baby’s favorites to suck on is this. She hasn’t been too interested in pacifiers, but would suck on her toes and her fingers so we got this toy. It comes with us everywhere!
Activity Center or Play Mat
So this one is one you will definitely want for all of the time you are about to spend on the floor. Activity centers are nice to allow your baby to interact with objects freely. Plus, it gives your baby a nice soft spot to work on their rolling skills! Another option is to use a big blanket or a big play mat and use your other toys to play with your baby.
We have the Lovevery play gym and use it every day. It is more expensive than other play gyms, but we were very attracted to the development aiding stations on the play gym. The play mat for this is machine washable and we have washed it a few times and nothing was messed up. The toys all detach and can be washed or cleaned in their own ways. The play gym also comes with some black and white cards and mirrors so your baby can have something to work on their focus with. Although it wasn’t a huge draw for us, the play gym can also be converted into a play tent for when your baby is older and comes with the tent cover to do so.
Several moms in my BabyCenter “birth club” have babies that love this play gym. It isn’t very expensive in comparison to other play gyms, and has thousands of five-star reviews. Another popular one is this activity center, but it is meant for babies over 4 months.
Books
Get some that you or your significant other loved as a kid and whatever else you find cute. Reading to your baby will help them pick up on the language, and it is a fun way to bond! Having a variety is nice because you are going to be reading these books a lot.
We have a book of 365 bedtime stories and rhymes that is perfect for babies since the stories are short.
Baby Registry Checklist: Other
This section is for cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, and the other little things.
Not Necessary, but Nice to Have:
Pacifier Holders
How many? I would get 2-4 to start out with. You will want one or two in your diaper bag and one or two with your pacifiers at home.
These little things will save you from picking pacifiers up off the floor all day.
We have a few different types of these, including the little stuffed animal pacifier clips.
We didn’t go with Wubbanubs, even though they are cute, because you can’t detach the stuffed animal from the pacifier to clean them. Instead we bought this stuffed animal to go on our pacifiers since the stuffed animal could be taken off and washed separately from the pacifier.
We also have several of the silicone bead or macrame kinds, probably way more than we need.
Baby OxiClean
We use Baby OxiClean on any stained or soiled baby clothes and haven’t had any issue with stains sticking around. There are other stain removers you can use if you prefer a different kind, but get something that is gentle.
Natural Cleaning Products
Consider switching out your harsher cleaning products for some more natural cleaning products. We have used Method and Mrs. Meyer’s for years and actually just signed up with Gove Co. to have natural cleaning products delivered to us.
These cleaning products still clean everything and are nice because they are less irritating to lungs/eyes and you don’t have to worry about them as much as those other harsh cleaners.
Natural Dish Soap or Baby Dish Soap
While you can use regular dish soap (well, gentle dish soap) for your baby things we have found that dish soap designed for baby items works better. We use Babyganics foaming dish soap and it gets breastmilk residue off of all of our bottles and washes out well without leaving a soap residue.
To save money with baby soap you can get refills of the Babyganics soap and keep one of the pumps from the link above.
Stain Remover Pen or Spray
This is for your diaper bag. Because you know, babies don’t just make messes at home.
We use this Dreft stain remover, and it’s okay. I will probably try a different one when this one runs out. Not because it doesn’t work, because it does, but because the feel of it. I know, I am weird. These are great though because they are small enough to put in your diaper bag!
Just make sure that you put the stain remover in a little ziplock so it doesn’t leak in your diaper bag!
Not Necessary or Depends On Your Situation
Shopping Cart Cover
We don’t plan on getting one of these unless we actually start taking our baby into the grocery store. Right now, with COVID and all of that we keep her out of public spaces.
We also will probably continue using curbside pickup once this is all over. So, this is something we may never need. If you think you will be going shopping with your baby and will need to have them in a shopping cart then maybe this is something you will want.
Baby Registry Checklist Items That Are Not Necessary:
Special Laundry Detergent
Yes, you do want to have a laundry detergent that is gentle on sensitive skin. BUT you don’t need to buy laundry detergent marketed for babies. Most of these will just cost more money than the same thing not marketed for babies.
Plus, if you get baby laundry detergent are you going to wash your baby’s clothes separate from the rest of the family’s all the time?
We just use Tide Free and Gentle on all of our laundry, which is gentle enough for our baby’s skin. Using the same laundry detergent also means we can do fewer loads of laundry since we don’t have to do separate loads for our baby’s things. The only things we separate out is anything she had a blowout on.
So there you have it. A baby registry checklist giving you hopefully all of the information you need. I know this was incredibly long, but hopefully you now have a good idea of what you need on your baby registry and what you will want to purchase later on.
If you are more of a visual person here is a link to a mock registry we set up for you. This is also a link to our baby registry checklist that has a list of what you will want and how many.