When I was pregnant with Four, I had zero idea what I’d need to take care of a baby. Of course, I did *tons* of research online to see what we might need, but ultimately, it was a shot in the dark on what to include on our baby registry.
When I created our registry, I added all of the items friends told me I’d need, and we ended up getting a lot of really amazing gear that helped make life as a new mom easier. But there were some items I registered for that we just really didn’t end up needing.
With Blake, I had a much clearer idea of what we’d need and what we could do without this time. I also think a lot of what you end up using depends on your baby. For instance, Four LOVED the Baby Bjorn bouncer and could sit there for 20-30 minutes while I did chores or cooked dinner. Blake, on the other hand, prefers to be held, so I found myself wearing her in my Solly Baby Wrap a lot.
Thankfully, we saved pretty much everything we used for Four, so there wasn’t a ton we needed for Blake. The biggest thing we needed was diapers and girl clothes. We used most of the same gear since Four is a toddler now and doesn’t need to use most of it (he uses a few things like the sound machine and Keekaroo changing pad still).
But I got to wondering the other day what I would register for if I was doing it all over again for the first time. There are a lot of items we registered for that we honestly didn’t use much and other things that we ended up going out and buying *after* baby was born because we knew we’d use them.
So, here’s a look at what I’d register for as a first-time mom today.
BABY ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS WE USE AND LOVE
A good stroller
I wrote a full (super long) blog post about our stroller situation with Four here that you can check out, but we basically opted to have two different strollers. One is our on-the-go stroller which easily expands and collapses when we need to put it in the car. The other option we use a lot is more of an everyday stroller which is great when we go on family walks. If you could *only* choose one, I think I’d suggest the Doona since it serves more purposes as a car seat/stroller, but if you can swing both, I highly recommend it.
Changing pad
This changing pad was a no-brainer for me. There honestly aren’t a ton of great options, and this one came strongly recommended by several friends. It’s super easy to clean and it’s soft enough that I was never nervous lying a fragile newborn down when it was time to do a diaper change.
Bottle Maker
If you’re planning to use formula at any point with your baby, I’d register for this bottle maker for sure. Can you make a bottle without it? Of course, but it’s so easy to use. You truly just hit a button and bam, you have a bottle. In those beginning days (and nights) of baby, I’d pay a lot for something that saves me just a little time.
Baby Bathtub
You will *definitely* want to add a baby tub to your baby registry. It’s almost impossible to bathe a baby without something to keep them supported (trust me, I’ve tried). For $50, this tub is worth every penny! I really like that it can be used for different stages of infancy too, so you really don’t need more than one tub.
Sound Machine
Okay, I’m not being dramatic when I say this will be your best friend come nap or bedtime. We use it every single night and any time either child is napping (they each have one in their room). It connects to wifi so you can control the sounds from anywhere nearby, which is great when they wake up and start crying.
Baby Bouncer
This was a huge help when Four was little. Sadly, Blake didn’t enjoy it quite as much, but any time I needed to put Four down to cook or clean, this was my go-to. It also folds up nicely so if you ever need to travel with it, you can. I think he only used it until he was around six months or so since it can’t hold a ton of weight, but I’d still register for it again in a heartbeat!
PRODUCTS YOU DON’T NECESSARILY NEED BUT ARE NICE TO HAVE
Baby Lounger
This would definitely fall under the nice-to-have category, but I really enjoyed ours. Back when I still had time to relax (ha!), I’d put Four down in this while I watched tv on the couch. It was nice to have him contained somewhere near me. This really only works until your baby starts rolling though, which is why I probably wouldn’t register for it again.
Bassinet
If you plan to keep your baby in your room for more than a month or so, I think this is a great investment. It’s super lightweight so you can move it around if needed. We kept ours next to our bed for the first month or so after each baby was born, then they both transitioned to their cribs around 5 months. We would still use it for naps and on weekends though!
baby swing
Neither of my kids really used this, but I have a lot of friends who swear by it. This swing can sway your baby at five different speeds so you can find the one your baby likes. It also connects to Bluetooth which is great if you’ve got a playlist your baby really enjoys.
wipe warmer
Last but not least is this wipe warmer. It’s probably a luxury in reality, but why not add it to your registry? Someone is bound to buy it for you! We used ours a ton for both babies. It’s pretty self-explanatory — it heats up your baby’s wipes so they’re not so cold when you’re changing their diapers.
