Our Baby Registry Must Haves

My top five baby registry must-haves along with the other things we added to help us prepare to parent! 

Creating a baby registry before our newborn came honestly overwhelmed me and it wasn’t until we had a baby shower on the books (in my 8th month of pregnancy) that we finally buckled down and finalized it. But thankfully a few of my closest friends had babies in the last year so they were a great resource.

MAY 2021 UPDATE: I’VE UPDATED THIS POST WITH MY NOTES ABOUT WHAT WE’VE LOVED IN MORE RECENT MONTHS NOW THAT THOMAS IS 7 MONTHS OLD.

FEBRUARY 2021 UPDATE: I’VE ADDED NOTES ABOUT WHAT WE’VE LOVED AND WHAT WE DON’T USE MUCH NOW THAT THOMAS IS FOUR MONTHS OLD.

I found the baby registry checklists online were a little intense. So I didn’t use those as much as I did my friends and some common sense. I tried to balance not registering for too much baby gear with getting things that will be convenient, even if it’s not entirely necessary. (I like a minimal approach to belongings, unless it’s running shoes.) In reality, all we REALLY need is an infant car seat, diapers, wipes, a few onesies and safe place for the baby to sleep. While not everything on here is absolutely essential, it certainly will make life easier!

We registered at Amazon (everyone loves Prime!) and BabyList as a catch-all for everything that wasn’t available on Amazon. I did find that things often became unavailable on Amazon so I had to find them at other places and put them on BabyList.

My 5 Baby Registry Must Haves

I’m sharing my top five must-haves in this post, along with all the other little things we registered for or purchased ourselves, organized by category. And I’ll plan to update this as we use items to share what I actually used and what I didn’t.

But for now, here are some of the things on my registry!

The first five things are my list of baby registry must-haves that I prioritized picking out. Then, I listed a few other things under each section that also went on our registry.

1. UppaBaby Mesa Car Seat

I was torn between the Pipa Nuna carseat and the Uppababy Mesa, and ended up going for the UppaBaby Mesa since a number of resources indicated the Nuna wouldn’t fit in my car. Plus, the Mesa seamlessly fits with our stroller, if we decide to pop it on there at any point. We have it installed so we’re ready to bring our sweet one home from the hospital.

FYI, UppaBaby offers free virtual car seat checks, so we FaceTimed with them after we installed it. It was SUPER helpful! She showed us a few things to tweak and gave us tips for buckling our babe in! She told us to save her number in case we have questions at any point about the car seat, now or 6 months down the road. Such an amazing service!

MAY 2021 UPDATE

Super happy with this! Nothing major to report except that it’s easy to put into the car and it’s been easy to adapt to him as he grows.

2. UppaBaby Vista V2 Stroller with Bassinet + Jogging Stroller

This stroller has 5 stars and raving reviews from my friends and it comes in 8 colors. I’m SO excited about taking lots of walks with our little one. I’ve missed walking with a companion. I haven’t pushed a stroller in years, but from what I can remember with others, this seems to maneuver very well and is very smooth!

MAY 2021 UPDATE

Now that Thomas LOVES the stroller, we also love it even more! We especially appreciate how adaptable for mom, dad and baby. The height of the handle can be lowered which is great since I’m 5’1″ and my husband is 6’1″. The rumble seat can face towards us or facing out (Thomas loves facing out!). And we love how you adjust the incline of the seat and how upright it is, since as he’s grown, he much prefers to sit up.

FEBRUARY 2021 UPDATE

We LOVE the UppaBaby Vista Stroller. It’s a dream to push. Even my husband — who has never pushed a stroller before — commented on how nice it is.  Unfortunately Thomas doesn’t love the stroller (he hates both the bassinet and the carseat attachments), but that’s more reflective of him, not the stroller. I’m hoping that changes over time. We did end up exchanging the color below for the blue/gray color to better match our carseat. It was given to us as a gift and they accidentally bought the wrong color. 🙂

 

We also purchased the Thule jogging stoller but I’ve only used it a few times because I’ve been dealing with some running injuries. But the few times I’ve used it, it’s AMAZING. The suspension is incredible so it’s a smooth ride for Thomas and the handle adjusts for height differences as well!

MAY 2021 UPDATE

Now that Thomas LOVES the stroller, we LOVE this. Thomas and Tommy have started going on runs with me (my dream come true) and the Thule is so smooth and easy to run with. We also love it for Boone, NC. My full review is here.

3. Snoo Bassinet

Apparently this smart sleeper is pretty controversial but multiple friends reached out when they learned we were expecting to sing its praises. We snagged the Snoo when it was on sale and I’m hoping it’s the miracle worker people say it is. I’ll do a full review once we use it to see if it’s worth the hefty price tag. It’s certainly gorgeous!

MAY 2021 UPDATE:

We HATE the Snoo. Full blog post review here.

FEB 2021 UPDATE:

Tommy and I both agree that we wouldn’t buy the Snoo again. It’s soothed Thomas back to sleep only a handful of times and when the motion kicks up, it makes him more upset. We are still using it and maybe he’s more addicted to the gentle motion than we realize, but we both can’t wait to get him out of it. We both wish we’d sent it back during the return policy window. But hey, every baby is different and lots of people SWEAR by the Snoo. We aren’t sold on it, but Thomas is a particularly tough sleeper!

4. Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine

If there is one thing that’s been consistent from all the reading I’ve been doing, it’s that babies don’t like a quiet room and that white noise is essential for quality baby sleep. I love that this sound machine has multiple white noise options and it doubles as a nightlight. It turns on just by tapping it; I imagine that will be great for middle of the night feedings when I’m stumbling around half conscious.

MAY 2021 UPDATE

We still love this! We only use one setting on it though – no light, ocean white noise, 55% volume. I think we’ll use more of the options as he gets older? Maybe not. So you could probably opt for a cheaper option, like the one our sleep consultant recommends.

FEB 2021 UPDATE

Love love love this thing! I like that we can control the light and volume from the app on our phone. I told Tommy when Thomas moves into his nursery, we’re going to have to buy a second Hatch for our room since it’s the best white noise machine I’ve ever had, ha!

5. Freshly Picked Diaper Backpack

I went for a backpack over a diaper bag to keep my hands free and then got a ToteSavvy to put inside my large purse. The Freshly Picked backpack is beautiful. I got the butterscotch color, but all of the colors are so pretty and timeless. Plus, I love that it’s a Utah-based company. It’s headquartered not far from where I grew up. My mom bought this for me and pointed that out – thanks Mom! I don’t really leave the house much these days so I’m not sure how often I’ll get to use this, but hopefully that will change someday when the world gets back to normal!

MAY 2021 UPDATE

I now use this multiple times a week and LOVE it. It’s gorgeous and fits so much, which is handy for longer outings. I may even buy a mini one since sometimes the big one is too big for quick outings.

FEB 2021 UPDATE

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to use this much, but when I have gone out with Thomas, it’s GREAT. When we go to the pediatrician, it’s always come in handy since we have to put a fresh diaper on him each time so they can weigh him. And we keep extra outfits, hat, and socks in there. I also keep a water bottle and picky bars for me! 🙂

 

Other Items on our Baby Registry

Nursery 

Baby Monitor

What I’ve found really hard to select is a baby monitor since all my friends use different ones and have very strong feelings about each! I’ve changed the one on our registry about six times! I originally had the Owlet with the smart sock on there, then switched to one without a phone app, the Infant Optics. And currently I have the Nanit Plus Monitor on my registry. I need to decide on one quickly!!

MAY 2021 UPDATE:

The one downside of the Nanit is that it doesn’t have a standalone monitor for the parents to watch the baby without using your phone, which can be an inconvenience for sitters who you don’t necessarily want to download the app and pair it. But, we just use the app on our iPad and leave the out for sitters or grandparents. I DO love that the nanit has an adapter for traveling.

FEB 2021 UPDATE:

We got the Nanit and love it! I especially love the nightlight feature for middle of the night nursings.

Swaddles and sleep sacks

We were given a LOT of swaddle blankets, which are so soft and pretty. But I don’t plan to use traditional swaddle blankets to swaddle since I’ve heard swaddles that velcro or zip are MUCH easier, like this, this and this. My friend Kath also gave me this Kyte sleeping sack to use down the road and it’s so cozy I want to climb into it now.

MAY 2021 UPDATE:

We use these GunaMuna sleep sacks now that Thomas is in his crib. No complaints!

FEB 2021 UPDATE:

We loved the Aden & Anais swaddles when he was very little, and the Nested Bean and Ollie as he grew.

Crib and glider

For nursery furniture, we got this convertible crib from Crate & Barrel. (Our master bed and guest bed are both from Crate & Barrel and we’ve been super happy with their quality!) We purchased a Newton crib mattress (you can get $30 off with this link). We got this Pottery Barn chair and a more affordable ottoman from Amazon rather than the matching Pottery Barn one. Oh, and I’m so excited about this fox lamp (sold out now). It’s so cute!!!!

Feeding

I heard mixed feedback from friends on whether or not to get a bottle sterilizer. But since Tommy and I are both germaphobes and this seems like it’ll save time over boiling to sanitize, I’m going for it! I plan to breastfeed instead of using formula but I know things may not always go according to plan, so I’m also getting a few bottle accessories. We have a few adorable burp cloths as well that were gifted to us!

I originally purchased this nursing pillow which many people recommended but the fabric was awful (super rough) so I ordered this feeding pillow instead and already LOVE it. It’s so much more comfortable and soft. We’ll see which functions better but I hated how the Brest Friend felt! *Now that I am breastfeeding, I actually use the Breast Friend (the one I originally ordered) more and appreciate the shape.* I also loved this electric breast pump, which is a great one to look at while shopping for breast pumps.

MAY 2021 UPDATE:

We still love the bottle sterilizer and we also have a bottle drying rack which we love! I recommend putting a few bottle brushes on your baby registry list as well. I don’t use the nursing pillow anymore now that Thomas is bigger, but I used them so much for months that I ended up buying THREE (one for upstairs, one for downstairs and one for my car!). As for nursing bras, I’ve tried 7 different ones and the SPANX nursing bra is BY FAR my favorite. It’s on the pricier size but it’s far and away the most comfortable and most flattering that I’ve tried.

For breastfeeding, I have LOVED the Legendairy Milk Lactivist drops and Legendairy Cash Cow supplements to help keep up milk supply. I take them everyday and have them on auto shipment since I love them so much! When I had really crazy night sweats, I started taking Motherlove Shatavari which is a supplement my lactation consultant recommended. It also helps with milk supply.

FEB 2021 UPDATE:

Very happy with the bottle sterilizer & Breast Friend! I like it so much that we now own three of the Breast Friend pillows – one upstairs, one downstairs and one in the car!

This highchair set has great reviews and I’ve only heard great things about it. You can adjust the hight of it to fit your table and also to fit your baby as he/she grows. I also like the design of it compared to many other high chair options.

MAY 2021 UPDATE:

We got this Lalo highchair since we like the style of it better and it also converts to a kids chair down the road. It’s easy to clean and the cushion is machine washable. We also love the Lalo feeding accessories (bibs, plates, spoons).

Carriers, Strollers, Loungers, Etc.

I bought this Ergo carrier for Tommy for Father’s Day months ago since he had talked about how excited he was to carry the baby in a baby carrier. So sweet! And I bought this Solly wrap for myself (Use the code TERI10 for 10% off from Solly.com). (Nordstrom sells that brand too.) I’ve heard I’ll use a wrap more than a stroller for walks in the beginning, but I do love the UppaBaby Vista Stroller already (even before the baby is in it, ha!). (FYI, it can supposedly be converted into a double stroller for bigger families!)

MAY 2021 UPDATE:

Thomas has outgrown the Solly and I still haven’t used the Ergo carrier much, but Tommy loved using it since he could never figure out the Solly when Thomas was tiny.

FEB 2021 UPDATE:

Love love love the Solly!!! I used it almost every day for weeks on end since it was the only way he’d sleep! Now that he’s bigger, Tommy and I both prefer the Ergo.

Bath

I plan to use Beautycounter baby products since I trust the brand. But, I also snagged a couple other brands of diaper rash cream, including Bordeaux’s Butt Paste since apparently baby bums respond to creams differently. And all the little hooded towels melt my heart so we registered for a few of those. I’ve also heard to have way more washcloths than I think I need so I put a few sets of Burt’s Bee washcloths on my registry. We also keep a baby thermometer in his bathroom which I a must-have on your registry since it’ll make you feel so much better knowing for sure if baby has a fever or not when they seem sick.

MAY 2021 UPDATE:

I LOVE the Wink baby wash (use TERI for 15% off), and the Tubby Todd all over ointment. I also love the Motherlove diaper balm.

FEB 2021 UPDATE:

Beautycounter discontinued their baby products so I’m not sure what wash and rash cream I’ll use once we use it up.  For dry skin patches, I love this Primally Pure baby balm – I use it on his bum and all over his body. We like having 4 washcloths since we bathe Thomas nightly and use two each time. We are also doing laundry almost daily so get more than that if you don’t!

Changing

We got this dresser with the changing pad attachment from Crate & Barrel. I did register for a baby wipe warmer since I hate cold things on my body, so hey, I can see the baby not liking a cold wipe either! I registered for a few different brands of diapers and wipes, including Hello Bello and Honest Company. Our changing table is upstairs and we got a Keekaroo Peanut Changer to use downstairs. It doesn’t seem entirely necessary since I could just change diapers on the floor or just walk upstairs, but a couple friends swore that I’d love having it. And then one of them gifted it to us! So sweet.

MAY 2021 UPDATE:

Now that it’s not cold, we don’t care about the wipe warmer, ha! Pass on this. We like Parasol Diapers much better than both Hello Bello and Honest Company. They fit Thomas so much better, they’re super soft, and it has auto shipment. I don’t like how Hello Bello requires you to bundle your shipment with wipe since I don’t like theirs.

FEB 2021 UPDATE:

People can say what they want, but we love the babywipe warmer! Thomas doesn’t seem to care one way or the other, but I think it feels nice. 🙂 We LOVE the Keekaroo!!!

Clothes

I really don’t think we need ANY baby clothes! We’ve only purchased one thing ourselves – the onesie in this post! We have been given so many clothes from generous friends and we also got some at our showers, so we didn’t put many on our registry. We’re super lucky that one of our friends keeps giving us Magnetic Me clothes that his twins outgrow. He SWEARS by that brand, especially for middle of the night changing, but they ain’t cheap! (And while you’re at it, snag yourself a pair of soft pajamas. These are my favorite for postpartum)

While we don’t have everything in the post, we have the absolute necessities in case our baby decides to make a grand entrance early. We’ve got a car seat, diapers, wipes, sleepers and blankets. Now we just need a magic tool for sleep! 😉 But hey, maybe that’s the Snoo!

MAY 2021 UPDATE:

We love Hanna Anderson baby clothes and we also get a lot of baby clothes from Thred Up!

Sleep Consultant

We hired a sleep consultant around 6 weeks because Thomas was a MAJOR struggle and I was falling apart. We used Molly from Sleep Shore and it changed out lives. Use promo code Teri10 for 10% off. Read more about Molly’s sleep tips in this post and how to set a baby sleep schedule in this post.

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What were your must-haves for your first baby?