Choosing items for your baby registry is one of the hardest tasks I have ever done.
This blog post will walk you through the top ten baby registry items on our ideal baby registry. When I first got pregnant with James I remember being excited to go to the store, scanner in hand, and select everything for our baby registry. Once the Babies R Us associate handed me the scanner, I was dumbfounded.
“How the heck do people do this?”
There were actually five hundred million choices for pacifiers, another forty billion choices for bibs. I was completely overwhelmed. And, we were halfway through the first aisle. How the heck are you supposed to make these choices when you’ve never had a baby? We made it through that day and ultimately made it through another baby registry. Four years from that scary day in Babies R Us, I feel more confident to walk you through some of the most cherished items we got and steer you clear from some of the mistakes we made.
One of the biggest mistakes I feel we made was registering for too much stuff. E and I are minimalists at heart. If we could house our shoes in a separate storage container, we could probably live as a family of four in a tiny house. We don’t like stuff. Kids have certainly added to the amount of stuff that floats around our home, but truth be told, we could live without most of it.
One more thing that I learned the second time around was Babylist. Babylist was a dream. It basically compiled items from ANY website and consolidates your list on its app and site. It’s super easy to use and opens up your options big time. I do recommend having one registry at a store for the people in your life who enjoying getting gifts at actual stores. I am not one of those people so I love Babylist.
Top Ten Baby Registry Items That We Loved:
1. You will need a car seat. You will also need a stroller. I recommend getting a car seat, stroller travel system that works together. I chose the Bob Jogging stroller and love it. I hear it’s great for jogging. I wouldn’t know because I don’t jog. I love that this stroller has air filled tires and a great suspension for walking (or jogging) in most terrains. It is super easy to steer. One more thing that I love about this stroller is that it is a great height for me and I am a very tall woman. At 5’11”, this stroller is so comfortable to push. The undercarriage storage is relatively small compared to other strollers, but I still would choose this stroller again and again.
2. One item that is super helpful, especially when you are trying to keep up with a toddler and a baby is a baby carrier. The first carrier I got was the Boba Vail. It worked well and was good. I thought I had it all. That was until I stumbled onto Colugo. This is a relatively newer brand and their carriers are breathtaking. The material is super soft, the color options are super cool and modern, and it is WAY easier to put your baby in than any baby carrier I have seen. I got the camo one and legit couldn’t be happier.
3. Books for new parents to read: It is true what they say, sleep when the baby sleeps (check out my fave sleep mask to catch some z’s during the day), but when James was born I would stay up to read these books.
- First of all, Happiest Baby on the Block. Do you like sleep? You do? BUY THIS BOOK. Or at the very least google the 5 s’s. You won’t regret it. The five s’s saved our lives.
- Another book I read in a few days was Bringing Up Bebe. This book gave me the permission to take care of my own needs and wants and gave me a meaningful framework from which I have pretty much built my philosophies of parenting. I wrote a post about taking care of your needs as a new mama. It was largely inspired by this book.
- Breastfeeding mamas, here is an oldie but a goodie: The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. This book is not very new but it tells you everything you need to know about breastfeeding. It was such a helpful reference book for me throughout my whole breastfeeding journey, even up to weening.
4. Puj sink insert for bath time. While this is not essential, it served me well with both babes. I love the minimalistic design and fast drying. Both of my babes got their baths in this insert for about four months.
5. Baby bottles… but which ones? You don’t know what bottles your baby will like. With this baby bottle sample box, you can try five different bottles to see which one works best for your babe.
6. So many things on your registry are wants. One thing you need is diapers. If you choose cloth diapers, kudos to you. I tried to choose that option with each pregnancy and couldn’t bring myself to pull the trigger. That wound up being what was best for me, but I know so many mama’s who are very successful with cloth diapers. If you want to save the planet, and if you choose the disposable route like me, I highly recommend DYPER. Dyper is a diaper brand that makes and delivers to your door biodegradable bamboo diapers. Most diapers do not break down. These diapers are biodegradable and compostable. They are soft and absorbent. They are inexpensive and extremely convenient. I have used just about every diaper brand out there and I would choose these over and over again. And their wipes are just as good. I tried water wipes with Sage because he had sensitive skin. Once I tried the DYPER wipes, I switched completely. They are durable and not as wet as water wipes, which helps keep his diaper area dry.
7. Books. At James’ baby shower, we asked for books in lieu of cards and got her started on her fabulous library she still has today. It is so nice to be able to look back in the books and find sweet messages of love and hope for James when she was just a babe. Here are some of my all time favorite children’s books.
8. Soap and lotion. Your baby will need soap and lotion. I recommend avoiding Johnson and Johnson if you can and finding something more organic and made with fewer ingredients. We love Tubby Todd for Sage. As I said earlier, Sage has sensitive skin. He has eczema. We find this soap, the everyday lotion, and the all over ointment to be the best combination of skincare to keep his skin soft and eczema free.
9. Baby crib. People ask me all the time where we got our mini crib. When we had James, we were living in a 600ft2 apartment. There was no space. The mini crib came in handy and truth be told, you don’t need a larger crib. James sept in her mini crib until she was 2 ½ years old and could have stayed in there longer if we wanted her to. I don’t think that particular crib is available on amazon any more, but there are newer, less expensive options now. This one looks very similar to the one we have and has great reviews. One thing I will note, is that it is harder to find mini crib sheets. Solly baby makes some great min crib sheets. They are the softest sheets ever! There are also many more available in abundance on amazon, but you may find a sheet set that you like and only comes in a standard size. I got these sheet clips to make a standard crib sheet fit on my mini crib mattress. James slept in this crib until she was two and a half and could have gone longer, but I wanted her to get used to her big girl bed before her brother arrived.
10. Glider. You do not need a glider. But as I look back at these four years of being a mom, the glider is one of my most cherished items. From breastfeeding, to rocking to sleep, and reading stories. I know you can do these things on any couch, bed, or even floor. But this glider made my life exponentially easier. I found one that had a taller back for this taller mom. I call it my “mom chair” and I will be so so sad when it’s time for it to go. I sit in this chair every single day as both babies climb into my lap. This chair isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Shopping for your new babe can be exciting, but for me it was so scary. What if I chose the wrong diaper pail? Truth be told, two kids later, it doesn’t matter quite as much as you think it does. If you decide on something and it doesn’t work out, sell it on the marketplace. You would be shocked with how much money I’ve made off unopened boxes of diapers and used bath inserts. Don’t stress if you are buying the right things. Do your research and trust your gut. This list is the top ten baby items I would register for now, after two kids of experience.
In the end, remember that the baby only needs food, diapers, clothes, a safe place to sleep, and snuggles. The rest is all extra. So take the pressure off and enjoy that scan gun!
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