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Here is the final part of our baby registry guide, toy and nursery baby checklist.
If you found this page and want to see the other parts, here are links to each:
- Comprehensive Baby Registry Checklist (this is long, the broken down “parts” are below if that is easier to read)
- Baby Registry Checklist Part 1: Clothes
- 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
Supplemental Posts:
- Create Your Own First Aid Kit and Baby Medicine Stash
- Save Money on Your Remaining Baby Registry Items
- Postpartum Essentials for Mom
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.
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.