Knowing where to start when you’re prepping for mamahood is tough! One of the first things you can do to prepare is to start adding to your baby registry – that way family and friends can help you acquire some of the necessities for when baby arrives!
Building the baby registry can be overwhelming. You are trying to compare 20 of the same baby items in different brands + deciding what you actually will need.
Registries will range for everyone – some families want to keep it minimal, others want every item on the market. Some are down for budget items and others want luxury products! If you ask around you will hear many “favorites” that work for each family.
To help you get started on your journey to find what works best for you, I made a list of my fav things I added to our baby registry! We’ve trialed, loved, + used these products over the last 9 months. Hopefully you will find some great products in this post that will help you out, too!
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For Mama: So many mamas (myself included!) get swept up in preparing the nursery, picking out cute baby clothes, and deciding what baby gear to get.
They focus on preparing for labor & delivery, do childbirth classes, etc… but spend the least time preparing and educating themselves for postpartum! In my opinion, making sure you have everything set at home to be comfortable for after baby arrives is a priority and you will be thanking yourself (or your pals that get you the postpartum items on your registry…) for most.
- Mesh Underwear, Diapers, or Disposable Briefs – Thought your baby was the only one in the house needing diapers?! Nope!… you will be living in mesh underwear, diapers, or some sort of brief/ PP underwear for the first couple weeks PP. Honestly, I think I stayed in these for at least 4 weeks. I took home multiple pairs of mesh underwear from the hospital (ask your postpartum nurse for some extras before you leave!) I also loved the Always Discreet Underwear as well as the Frida Mom Disposable Postpartum Undies.
- Pads- Again, take home any extra pads from the hospital that they have for you! Once I ran out of those, I used Always Ultra Thin Overnight Pads with wings.
- Frida Mom Postpartum Kit – the ultimate “down there self care” kit. Frida Mom/Baby brand just really knows what they’re doing. You’ll hear them mentioned a lot in this blog. This kit includes disposable postpartum underwear, ice packs, cooling pad liners, and a perineal witch hazel foam. They also have a C-Section Mom Kit!
- Peri Bottle – Take home your peri bottle from the hospital too. Sensing a theme here? I liked having one in every bathroom of the house since we live in a 2 story. Frida Mom also has a peri bottle that is great for registries (does not come included in the Frida Mom kit)
- Tucks Pads – they will provide you with some in hospital, but you will want more once you run out at home. Any and all witch hazel products will be your best friend PP, especially if you have a laceration.
- Dermoplast Spray – amazing cooling spray for your perineum. Heavenly. Again, they will provide you with one in hospital. But it’s nice to have multiple for bathrooms!
- Ice Packs- ice packs are great for any swelling in the first 24 hours postpartum. After that, I felt it was just nice + soothing down there to put an ice pack on occasionally. The Frida Mom Ice Packs in the kit were great. You just pop the bag, shake it up, and can put it inside your diaper/pad. *line the ice pack with tucks pads or witch hazel foam spray for ultimate cooling relief*
- Nipple Butter- Now onto the nips… I’m not gonna sugar coat it, those first couple weeks are a little rough as your nipples get used to nursing / pumping. My holy grail was Earth Mama Nipple Butter. I had one in my diaper bag, one in the nursery, one downstairs, etc. Essentially is chapstick for your nips, soothing, and is safe to have on while breastfeeding!
- Reusable Nursing Pads- my two favorite brands are Bamboobies & Lansinoh. Bamboobies has a pack of day/night nursing pads which are great. I also ordered an additional pack of the overnight pads (round blue ones) because they are more absorbent than the day time pads (heart shaped ones). Lansinoh white reusable pads are also very absorbent and are thinner, which I found makes them more inconspicuous under certain bras or tops.
- Disposable Nursing Pads-A friend gave me her remaining box of Lansinoh Disposable Pads and they are great to have. I always keep an extra couple pairs in my diaper bag in case my reusable pads get soaked through or for whatever other instance.
- Nursing Bras- I’m 9 months postpartum and still live in my nursing bras! So make sure you have plenty and a variety is always nice. I’m not super busty and don’t need a lot of support so my favs might differ from others. My favorite brand of nursing bras are Auden from Target. When Nora was 5 days old, we made our first trip to Target, and lets just say I filled my cart with almost every item Auden had. *You will not want bras that are too tight, restrictive, or padded – when your milk comes in you become Pam Anderson overnight. Too tight/restrictive is not comfy and it’s also better for your milk supply to have a well fitting or stretchy bra. Some of my other favorite nursing bras are from Lively.
- Robe/Comfy Pajama Sets/ Night gown- Comfort is key! You will have lots of lounging and couch time, so make sure you set yourself up for success. A cute pajama set or robe also makes you feel better and put together when you are feeling the opposite. Look good, feel good right?!
- HAAKA – Ahh another fav must have product!! I ended up getting a second one once baby was here. The HAAKA is a silicone, suction product. When I would nurse on one side, I put the HAAKA on the opposite side to catch my let down. This really built up my milk supply, helped me to not waste milk that ended up all over my shirt or nursing pads (+ saved me some laundry!) , and helped me to get a freezer stash early on without having to pump. The *5 oz HAAKA* is my favorite because is has a stronger suction, and a more sturdy base.
- HAAKA Ladybugs are also great to catch let down when you’re on the go or when your baby gets bigger and more active (kicks or grabs the larger HAAKA while your nursing) They fit under your shirt and can hold up to around 2 oz.
- Wearable Breast Pumps- I ended up getting the Elvie Breast Pumps! TRULY the best decision of my breastfeeding/pumping journey. I did not get them as a baby shower gift, so I ended up using my 15% off registry items discount on Babylist. The Elvies were not covered by my insurance, but I would pay out of pocket time and time again for these bad boys. The ability to be mobile while pumping is so worth it compared to being tied to a wall. I’ve been able to conveniently pump in the most interesting places while away from my baby (skiing on the mountain in Tahoe, on a Bachelorette party in Nashville, at work when it’s been a little too busy for an official break… you name it!) The Elvies are my heroes.
- Breast milk storage bags – My favorites brands are Lansinoh bags and the Target Up & Up bags. They are all great, just find your fave or try multiple types to see what works for you!
- Manual Hand Pump- The Medela Hand Pump, so great. Another good option to use when you are on the go and not able to be connected to a wall outlet. Also… worked wonders for me when I ever got a clogged duct.
- Burp Cloths- You will need a bunch! Milk, spit up, boogies, everything. Love the Muslin Cotton Pack of 10 on Amazon.
- Breastfeeding Pillow- Comfort and proper body mechanics are important when feeding baby. I love the Boppy Pillow! Other uses: support for tummy time and can be a good item to use to help prop baby up when they start to sit. Also, I’ve also heard great things about My Brest Friend support as well!
- For Diaper Changes: Babies will use around 6,000 diapers in their first two years of life! So making sure you have a comfortable set up for diaper changes is key.
- Changing Pad- I went for aesthetic over function and got a changing basket that we put on top of her 6 drawer dresser. Totally up to your personal preference!
- Changing Pad Liners – Love the Cloud Island 3 Pack from Target
- Bumco Diaper Cream Spatula– I wish I came up with product. Saves you from getting diaper cream all over your fingers and under your finger nails. A true must have!
- Diaper Cream – Our personal favorite is Desatin!
- Wipe Dispenser– So nice to have… It has a weighted top so you don’t pull out 10 wipes instead of 1.
- Diaper Pail- We have the Ubbi Diaper Pail upstairs in her nursery. And a second one I got from a coworker that is downstairs in our garage. Nice to have two for a 2 story home! These are the diaper pail bags we use for both.
- Diaper Caddy – Great to keep everything organized on your changing table. We also have a second diaper caddy stocked with supplies for diaper changes downstairs.
- Diapers & Wipes- Personal preference of what type you will want to use! We mostly use Pampers Pure Diapers and Pamper Sensitive Wipes. One thing that really helped us out was having a “Diaper Raffle” at our baby shower. We told the host our “preferred” diapers and wipes brands. If guests brought a pack of diapers or wipes they were entered in to win a raffle prize. This saved us so much money on diapers and wipes – we were so grateful!
- For Bath Time/Baby Hygiene/Safety
- Infant Bath Tub – We love the Angel Care tub. Once they are sitting up independently, something like this Summer My Seat is great to support them and keep them upright in the bath.
- Soap, Lotion, Ointment – I LOVE Tubby Todd products. They have a kit that includes soap, lotion, bubble bath, and their All Over Ointment that is truly a miracle ointment. Newborn acne? Cradle Cap? Eczema? The AAO cures all. In our house, it’s comparable to them spraying Windex on everything in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Click Here to use my referral for 10% off Tubby Todd Products!
- Washcloths- Soft Baby Washcloths
- Hooded Towels– Babies lose most of their heat out of their heads, so the hooded towels are not only just really cute but help keep them warm and cozy after bath time as you get them dried/lotioned after.
- Bath Thermometer– We have the yellow ducky that floats. It turns green when temperature is in a good range for baby, red when too hot, or blue for too cold.
- Frida Baby Cradle Cap– The best brush set for babies during bathtime. Helps with cradle cap, but we use it for most baths to wash her hair and scalp.
- Nose Frida– To slurrrrp those boogies out when they’re crazy congested. Sounds foul, but is a great tool. We always have one in her diaper/travel bag and one at home if she can’t breathe out the nose. They also have an Electric Nose Frida, so if you don’t want to suck ’em out this is a nice newer option.
- Saline Drops are good to use when baby is congested. We use the saline drops first, then the Nose Frida or bulb syringe.
- Nail Trimmers/File- We have both an Electric Nail File, and the Safety First nail clippers that has a light. Both are great – the nail file is nice for those nervous of cutting your babies finger with clippers.
- Thermometer- We use the Frida Baby 3-in-1 Thermometer. For babies, the most accurate way to test their temperature is rectally. Make sure you have a thermometer that has a rectal option – the doctor will ask for this when/if they get their first fever at home.
- Medication Syringe- the Frida Baby Sick Day Kit came with a medication syringe we use. The kit is nice because it also includes a nose frida, vapor rub, and vapor wipes for when baby gets their first bug.
- Humidifier – We have two! Originally registered for the Frida Baby Humidifier, which is great because it also has a nightlight. When baby is congested, diffuse the BreatheFrida drops in it as well. When our baby got RSV, we ended up getting a second humidifier, the Levoit humidifier on Amazon that has a larger tank and filled from the top so we could use both in her room for extra humidification. Now we are glad to have two – one for her room, one for ours.
- For the Nursery : Getting the nursery is so fun because it’s where your style and aesthetic comes into play! Seeing your space for your little one come together also makes things feel SO real! Feel free to add as much or as little to your registry when it comes to the furniture, bedding, swaddle blankets, decor, etc. I’ve seen everyone do it differently on their registries!
- Bassinet- We have the Halo Bassinest, loved that it swivels right over the bed and that the side arm easily went down when transferring baby to or from while in bed. Baby will be your roomie for the first few months, so make sure it’s something that you love and that works for you! Side Note: the Halo bassinest we have does not have the vibrating option, this new 3.0 version that is linked does.
- Bassinet Sheets- Great to have multiple sheets for the bassinet for middle of the night blow outs, spit ups, etc. These bassinet sheets fit the Halo Bassinest.
- Crib – cribs will vary by your personal style, budget, etc! This is the Babyletto Hudson 3-in-1 crib we have in Nora’s nursery. It converts to a toddler bed down the road.
- Crib Sheets- some of our favorite crib sheets are the mushie Muslin Sheets.
- Crib Mattress – I found this Sertapedic Moongaze Crib Mattress, budget friendly, firm, met all the criteria I was looking for!
- Mattress Protector – To protect the mattress from blowouts and spit ups.
- Rocking Chair/ Glider – our rocking chair is very similar to this cream glider! You will spend a lot of time feeding baby, rocking them, and cuddling them during contact naps so make sure you find a chair you love!
- Baby Monitor- totally up to you what you want or need in a monitor! We have two kinds. . . our Vtech Monitor is mounted in the nursery, connects to wifi, and we can see on our phones. Our other is the HelloBaby Monitor and is perfect for traveling. Does not need wifi, and connects to the parent unit. We bought this arm attachment for the Hellobaby.
- Sound Machine/ Night Light– We have the Hatch. Such a great product, also connects to your phone so you can control the sound, volume, color, brightness, etc from outside the room.
- Portable Sound Machine- Great for on the go or travel. We have the Skiphop Owl.
- Baby Swaddles- Babies tend to have preferences in the swaddles they like! And there are so many different types on the market. For us, the Halo 3-in-1 Swaddles were it in the beginning months. They allow baby to be arms in, one arm in/out, or both arms out. Once we transitioned out of the swaddle when Nora was 3 months old, the Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit was our saving grace for naps. Now we use Sleep Sacks in different brands (Halo, Dreamland, Kyte, etc) to keep her warm during the night and for naps.
- Baby Swaddle Blankets- One of my favorite things to shop for babies. Little Unicorn has the sweetest muslin swaddle blankets and lots of cute patterns to choose from.
- Pacifiers- Our favorites are Friggs and Bibs! We love these cute Wubbanubs, also.
- Pacifier Leash– must have to avoid losing pacifiers left and right.
- Hangers for Baby Clothes
- Dividers for Closet- These wooden dividers are great to organize the hanging clothes by size.
- For Feeding
- Bottles- We registered for a few types of bottles, tested them out, and found what our baby liked the best. Then we ordered more of that type! Our personal fav for Nora are the Comotomo Bottles. We also tried Dr Browns Bottles which are supposed to be great for colicky babies.
- Bottle Drying Rack – Just face it, the kitchen counter will be surrendered to baby items and appliances! We love our Boon Drying Rack and the Twig add on for pacis/smaller bottle parts.
- Bottle Soap – I like the Dapple brand!
- Bottle Brush- these Munchkin Bottle Brushes are so good. The top spongey part can really get into every part of the bottles/pump parts.
- Baby Bottle Sterilizer- The Baby Brezza will sterilize your bottles/pump parts and dry them as well! Very convenient and saves you time from washing bottles. It can hold 8 bottles 2 full pump part sets. For a more budget friendly option, the Munchkin Microwave Steam Sterilizer is great. And for when you’re on the go, these Dr Browns Microwave Sterilizer bags are amazing and can be multiuse.
- For parents planning to formula feed, the Baby Brezza Formula Pro is basically like a Keurig for bottles. It will prepare your bottle with exact measurements and warm it to the desired temperature.
- Bottle Warmer- Philips Avent Bottle Warmer is what we have at home. Now, they also have these really cool bottle warmers for on the go! Here’s one I found on Amazon.
- High Chair- The Lalo has a very cute, modern look! Easy to clean. And safely fastens to keep baby in while she’s trying to lean over & sneak some scraps to our dog.
- Fast Chair High Chair– This is the coolest. It attaches to the kitchen counter, tables, etc. We keep it in the car most of the time to use if we go out to eat! One of our favorite products for being on the go.
- Booster Seat- We registered for the Bumbo Seat, this is what Nora eats in most of the time and we have it set up on the counter top. Very easy to clean!
- First Food Set- Ezpz has a first foods kit, comes with a silicone bowl/mat, two spoons, and a small silicone cup. Perfect for starting out her solids journey.
- Suction Bowls/Plates – They love trying to rip the plates off the high chair or tray, suction plates are a must!
- Bibs- Our favorite silicone bibs have the little scoop area that catches their food. They are easy to wipe off. My new favorite are these long sleeve bibs. They keep baby relatively clean, covering more of their body than other bibs- also can be thrown into the laundry which is nice.
- Silicone Food Teethers– great for teething. We put frozen berries or frozen breastmilk cubes inside for baby to gnaw on. Also can be used as a good way to introduce solids, baby can suck on the food through the silicone.
- For Travel/Baby Gear:
- Diaper Bag- I love my Beis diaper backpack! It is very roomy and chic. Get $15 your first Beis purchase with my referral code.
We registered for a backpack for husband as well, so he could have his own “dad pack”. Here’s a cool backpack style that dads would love. - Stroller- The stroller market can vary so much. I knew from the start I was going to be boujee with the stroller – I wish you could see my husbands eyes when he heard how much the stroller system costs LOL. But it’s something you use frequently and is a good item to invest in! After test driving some strollers at the store, We went with the Uppababy Vista V2 in Greyson because it has the ability to convert to a double stroller when that time comes. And man… it is smooth! The stroller came with the bassinet attachment as well as the toddler seat. They have other attachments you can add on.
- Car Seat- we went with the Uppababy Mesa Carseat to keep things consistent with our stroller system. Love the ease of clicking it into and out of the car seat base and into the Vista V2 Stroller. The materials are such great quality- we are truly sad to have to move our daughter up to a convertible car seat because we love the Mesa so much!
- Extra Car Seat Base– We have a base in each our cars so we can easily switch the car seat between both cars! So worth having the second base.
- Car Seat Protectors– My car has leather seats so we used these seat covers to prevent any damage from the car seat
- Baby Car Mirrors– Babies are rear facing in the car seat until they are 2 years old, so having a mirror on the seat to see them is very important.
- Baby Carriers/Wraps- The more the merrier! I have 4 baby carriers and love them all differently. Our two “structured” carriers are Ergobaby brand.
The Ergobaby Embrace is so soft and comfortable, you can use from newborn until 35 lbs.
The Ergobaby Omni 360 is a little heavier duty- can hold babies from newborn until 45 lbs.
For my “soft” carriers or baby wraps, I am obsessed with my Solly Baby Wrap. Once you learn how to put it on, it is very cozy for babywearing.
Babywearing allowed me to get so much done when Nora just wanted to contact nap as a sleepy little newborn. This was also great to wear onto a plane for traveling with baby and folds up small to easily fit in diaper bag.
The Wildbird Sling I have is very cute!! Definitely the more trendy, cute wrap that I have and is very easy to put on.
- For Play
- Play Mat for Tummy Time- I registered for a plushy round mat, and a separate wooden play gym for Nora. There are also a lot of fun play mats that are connected to a play gym like this one from Lovevery.
- Baby Toys- great toys for new babies are toys with contrast, flashcards, and toys that help with tummy time. We love these contrast flashcards and this contrast book with a mirror.
- Stroller Toys- You can attach something like this stroller toy to the car seat to keep baby occupied, or to attach to the stroller bar for walks!
- Teether Toys- babies love putting everything in their mouths! It’s nice to have a variety. These silicone teether toys are great because baby can hold on to the handle inside. The Baby Banana is a great teether, and is also a baby toothbrush. And of course, what baby isn’t obsessed with their Sophie?! We found Sophie’s cute cousin, FanFan for our baby girl.
- Baby lounger- Dockatot , or Snuggle Me are the main two brands to choose from. They have lots of cute covers! We personally have the Dockatot, and got this fun animal arch add on for her to play with and look at while in her lounger.
- Baby Bouncer- We love the Baby Bjorn Bouncer! It’s light, easy to slip the cover off to throw in the wash, and you a nice item that don’t need to plug in.
- Pack and Play – We went with the 4Moms Pack and Play. It is easy to set up, pack up, and has a nice carry bag for travel. A nice hack for a 2 story home… set up your pack and play downstairs as a changing table if your pack and play has the changing table feature.
- Sit me up Chair– This was so great in helping her to learn to sit up independently. It really gives good support for the babies and has some fun toys for them to play with and teethe on, too!
- Sit to Stand Toy- We love our Skiphop 4-in-1 walker toy. She started out loving to play with the toys while sitting, and now loves to stand and practice taking steps with it!
- Activity Center/ Jumper- Some sort of activity center, like this one from Skiphop, is fun for babies when they can support themselves sitting up!
- Playpen/Playmat– once baby is more mobile, this playpen became one of our favorite items! It helps to keep baby safe in a padded area while they play. It has a zipper window as well that you can open, so you have the option for baby to crawl in and out of the pen.
If you made it to the end… woof that was a lot of baby products! I hope you find this as a helpful guide + starting point in putting together your baby registry! Feel free to reach out to me if you want advice or more in depth opinions on any of these products.
Good luck + enjoy preparing for your little babe!
xo,
Jasmine