OKAY. We have one year under our belts and I am here to do an updated baby registry post. This is one of my most frequently emailed questions and I get it. I was confused AF about what all to register for. Unfortunately…. you can’t know what you don’t know and every baby is different. And I’m convinced the baby industry people all got together to make things as confusing as possible so that you have to buy more stuff. Have I mentioned that it’s confusing? I was so overwhelmed when I started the process and relied heavily on lists from the internet in addition to personal recommendations from friends.
I am going to start with the disclaimer that this is my own personal list of must register baby items that I’m sharing to try to be more helpful. There is no way any baby list is going to be comprehensive…. But this is my list of must register baby items and what I’ve been sending to all my friends. (Really, I have a living Google spreadsheet I’ve been keeping track of items with and then just invite my friends to it as they get pregnant!)
First, I cannot recommend using Babylist enough. It is the easiest way to keep track of your baby registry and it works for all different websites. I still refer back to my account from time to time. There’s a handy button you can add to your browser so that you can quickly add the baby product you want to your registry. This made it so easy to organize all the items. I went wild and added everything to my list and then went in tailored my baby registry by researching items and removing things later. Also, if you’re going to host a baby shower with friends and family, it’s a good idea to add different price points!
I transitioned Jack out of a swaddle pretty early (started the process around 8 weeks). I switched him into these sleep sacks and they are so good. I ended up ordering two more (so we have three now) to rotate through between laundry days. They come in different TOGs for different climates and Jack just seems so cozy in his. I swear it’s what helped him start sleeping the longest stretches during the night.
Definitely pick out crib sheets that spark joy, and then get a few extra. I like having a few sets on hand so I can wash them and rotate through without ever being stuck without a clean set. (And sometimes you do need to swap them out between naps!)
Okay as far as swaddles go…. you may need to buy a few different styles before you find what your baby prefers. We loved the SwaddleMe swaddles for the first couple of weeks. I wish I had thought to bring one in my hospital bag to use while there instead of using the hospital blankets.
At some point, we switched to the Halo swaddle! Once we did, we never went back and it seems to be (fingers crossed) working well still!
Muslin swaddles are so useful for babies. I stocked up on more once I realized how frequently we used them. They are great for wiping up spit up in a pinch, wrapping baby before a daytime nap, tucking over legs while baby is in a carseat, etc. I typically swaddle Jack in one of these muslin swaddles during daytime naps!
BIG FAN of this Moses basket. We were using it for daytime naps (babies can sleep in it until they’re 15 pounds or three months old) and then ended up bringing it upstairs at night too.
Everyone says you need one and…. you totally do! The difference in sleep without one is, haha, night and day!
People will be incredibly generous with clothing gifts, so I think it’s best to keep to the basics. That’s just my personal preference though. If you want a bunch of outfits, feel free to go ham! Here are my basic recommendations.
Definitely worth having a bunch of these. Jack lived in them and they were so easy to wash, too. Also, made it especially easy to switch into new ones after “wardrobe malfunctions.
For the first few months of Jack’s life, I would put him to sleep in one of these kimono style shirts under a swaddle with no pants. It felt like the mom hack of the year since I could quickly unswaddle, change his diaper, and reswaddle for the middle of the night feeds! HIGHLY recommend.
Our favorite pajamas for Jack once he was out of the swaddle. So cozy and they fit for a while.
Ending with a personal fave… The Patagonia Bunting. Ugh. My heart. I love seeing Jack’s big cheeks in the baby bunting! It’s just so good and can’t be beat. Should have definitely registered for this in a few age-appropriate sizes for winter.
We absolutely love this high chair. It’s incredibly lightweight but sturdy. It also pulls up to the perfect height for our dining room table. I also like how simple it is and how easy it is to clean. It doesn’t take up a lot of space in our dining room and it doesn’t “scream” high chair!!!!
Both grandmas have this chair now for Jack. It is a great little booster chair and has a built in tray, too.
This is a very personal thing, but babies are going to like different types of bottles. For registering purposes, I would try to do a sample set if possible. (My baby never took a bottle, so unfortunately I can’t recommend anything super specific!)
I got this on a whim in a local store and I’m so glad I did. I had longer baby spoons that are pretty popular, but they were so long that it required me to feed Jack and he much prefers to feed himself. These little utensils are the perfect size and weight.
These bibs are genius!! How did moms do it before silicone bibs that rinses off in the sink? The little pocket really does a great job at catching food falling too.
Definitely recommend registering for at least one of these so you have them on hand when you start doing solids!
These are great for when your baby is ready to transition to a straw.
I registered for a bigger tub, but this is the one that ended up working better for us. It fit in our kitchen sink and worked in our regular bath tub too. I also liked the smaller footprint.
These are our favorite towels for baby, and they’re so cute. They wash beautifully and it’s so nice to wrap up baby after a bath in a fluffy and cozy towel.
This is a great kit to start off with for all baby grooming needs.
Babies are all so different when it comes to diapering needs. It might be worth registering for a few sets of size one diapers so you can experiment with brands, but otherwise, I wouldn’t register beyond that. (If you feel comfortable, maybe you could register for gift cards to cover the cost of diapers down the road.) You don’t want to be stuck with a bunch of diapers that don’t fit your baby or irritate his or her skin.
Absolutely register for a few sets of these! They have become one of my go-to gifts for new moms, in fact. These come in handy in a very, very big way. I have a few in every room, my car, the stroller, and my diaper bag. I bought these from Amazon and have found them to be incredibly soft and absorbent. They do shrink a bit the first time you wash them, but the size they end up is perfect. I constantly have a pile fresh out of the laundry because we got through them so much. (Bonus, lol, they are great for wiping away postpartum hormonal tears, too .)
There are so many great crib options out there and you can find the right style for your nursery. I personally picked out a crib that could be converted into a toddler bed down the road.
This mattress is so genius because you can rinse the whole thing off in the bathtub!
I love the Nanit baby monitor. I like being able to see him on my phone, get sound/motion alerts on my phone, and even turn on/off white noise through it. It’s also crystal clear, even at night.
This is the bassinet we used in our bedroom for the early months! It swivels over the bed for safe sleep.
A glider is key for a nursery!! Mine was on backorder for awhile and I started to think I didn’t need one, until it came. And then I realized just how much I was missing!!
Best. Stroller. Seriously, we love it so much. It drives so smoothly. It’s definitely “the” stroller of choice in our area because I see it everywhere. It can grow with our family, too, which was a huge selling point (and made the price point even more worth it). Another great thing about this stroller is that it comes with a bassinet that is approved for safe sleep.
I spent an insane amount of time researching car seats and I’m happy to report I think we made the right decision. Jack loves it and I rest easy knowing he’s super safe in there. And it’s filled with great features including a built in “dream drape” canopy with built in UPF protection. It was also a breeze to install in my car. (if you get the Uppababy Stroller, you’ll need this simple ring attachment.)
I wish I had thought ahead and registered for the convertible car seat! After baby outgrows the infant carrier, it’s so nice to already have the convertible seat ready to go. (You can actually use this one from newborn through booster seat with children up to 120 pounds.)
A stroller fan is a nice-to-have, especially if you’re in a warmer climate. This one grips right onto the stroller and can be adjusted to hit the baby just right. It also has multiple speeds which I appreciate.
Definitely worth having on hand, no pun intended, if you live somewhere with colder weather!
This is one of my new go-to gifts for new moms. I personally purchased one and it was a game changer during the early months! So cozy!
We also use the Baby Bjorn a lot. It is a great option for dads and can go from the newborn days all the way until the baby is 33 pounds!
A must-have!! This bouncer is such a great tool for keeping baby entertained and happy. Also recommend registering for the toy bar.
Not fun things to think about, but nice to have in the medicine cabinet without needing to run out to the pharmacy in the middle of the night. (We’ve been there.)
We ended up using this nose bulb all the time! Especially during cold/flu season and once Jack started day care. Made for better nights!
I didn’t have a thermometer on hand and regretted it. Would be an easy thing to add to a registry.
Definitely recommend having something like this on hand for inevitable sick days.
I had actually registered for this and Jack is obsessed. OBSESSED with it. It grows with baby (all the way to a little table) and is worth every penny!!!
This set was a Christmas gift from one of Jack’s aunts… immediately Jack fell in love with them, especially the giraffe. I like that these are flat and can easily be washed and won’t collect mold inside. Another item that has become a go-to gift for first time moms for me.
A kind of self-explanatory one, but books! Our favorite right now (aka the one I enjoy reading the most is Good Night, Little Blue Truck. I have it memorized at this point. Here are Jack’s favorite books.
Okay, Jack is obsessed with the play gym. I think it’s all part of the normal development, but wow. He loves it. (And this mom loves it because he can entertain himself!) I registered for an “aesthetic” one and ended up being gifted this more advanced colorful one. The pretty one was good for about a month before Jack outgrew it. Should have gone with the colorful one with all the bells and whistles from the start!
You’ll get so much use out of this while encouraging baby for tummy time!
Another item for down the road! Jack loves this so, so much.
With our first big flying trip during this time frame, we used (and loved) a travel stroller. Totally obsessed with it. You can see my review of it here!
We also used a travel crib multiple times. This one folds up so incredibly tiny and is super easy to set up and break down. My only caveat is that Jack definitely didn’t like the mattress. We borrowed mini mattresses twice for it and I think I’ll end up buying a separate one at some point. (It’s on my to-do list….)
Cutest baby chair ever and so good for traveling or eating on the go. It works as a stand alone or you can clip it to a seat like a booster. It folds up and stores in a little bag.
I didn’t realize at first that you need different sized sheets for travel cribs!
We didn’t register for this, but I strongly wish we had. We have been on a number of trips where we share a room with Jack and having a slumberpod would make getting good naps and overnight sleep so much easier.
I looooove LL Bean’s Boat and Tote bags. I have a large one for Jack with long handles and a zippered top and it is such a good baby bag. The zippered top is key. I use it for overnights, his swim lessons, etc.
For traveling, I really like having a separate non-wifi monitor that isn’t connected to my phone, too. The no need for wifi part is crucial because we’ve gone to numerous places where the Wifi wasn’t strong enough or there was only a public wifi that wasn’t secure.
This little guy is great for traveling– or even just using for napping on the go in a car or stroller. It’s small but mighty!
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I’m not a mom but loved that you created this list! So helpful and practical too! http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Many products are different now (my son is 8) but the key is the Gerber onesies – and lots of them! lol. I also had a little chair, I think it was called the Sit Me Up Chair (or something along those lines) and it looked like a frog. Wasn’t the fanciest, but he loved it and I used to bring it into the bathroom with me when I needed a shower so he was contained. The early years are fleeting, so get what works and what you like, because you use them for such a short time (unless you have a lot of kids). Your son is adorable. Enjoy each moment!
Just an FYI – you can return unopened diaper packs at Target or I think Walmart for store credit, even if you didn’t buy/receive them from there!
Genius! Had never heard of that!
Hi! Great list. My son has the same travel crib and we really had issues with the mattress as well. I just bought one of those camping inflatable mattresses; inflates in seconds, fold in half and it fits under the mattress sheet. Game changer! He now loves to go in there, and I didnt have to compromise the ease of travel with a bulky mattress.
Hi Carly- this is incredibly helpful. I am pregnant with my first (!!). I haven’t told anyone yet, it’s still very early (fingers crossed it sticks but I am keeping my name private). I am interested if you have any podcasts, books, classes you would recommend for new moms. I know you mentioned that you can take a car seat to a firehouse and have them install it and I thought that was so helpful (I never would have known that!!), but it’s noted on my things to do.
Loved the online classes from Tinyhood and the only book I read was Bringing Up Bebe, and Mike and I both loved it!
I’m pregnant too and the only book I’ve really loved is “Expecting Better” by Emily Oster!
This is a great list. One comment- I too loved my Vista when I just had one baby and excitedly bought the second seat for baby number two. It is really not great as a double unfortunately! It is just so unwieldy and hard to push, even for my husband. We switched to a side by side. I still love the Vista if I just have one of them but if someone is trying to justify the cost thinking it grows with you, it just has not been ideal for that. I think I must have read a bunch of glowing reviews from first time moms and not anyone reporting back after the second, so just doing my part. Enjoy your one year old! Such a fun year!
One consideration about registering for a convertible seat is that if you aren’t using it right away as a second seat for family/ caregivers it may not be worth it. They’re huge to store and if you plan to pass it down for multiple kiddos, you lose a year of usefulness because the expiration dates go from date of manufacturing. And if you add it to your registry to buy down the road then you lose out on your registry completion discount if you want to put it toward other big ticket items like furniture or a stroller.
Good point! I wish I had gotten ours sooner (this one works for infants too), so we could have had a carseat in a second car!
I am a full-time nanny and the family I work for has the Uppababy Vista stroller and I love it so freakin much! The kids are 4, 2, and 6 months and it is a dream to push with just one kid or even 3 kids. Having a great stroller makes getting out with the kids so much easier 🙂
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