Top 10 Baby Registry Items
For first time parents, putting a registry together can be daunting. There is so much information to sift through on the internet, input from family, friends and healthcare professionals. Every child is different so the challenge is building a customized registry to fit your baby who hasn’t arrived yet.
Looking back now on the newborn stage, here are the top 10 registry items that helped us the most to navigate the early stages of parenthood. This list doesn’t include the larger ticket essential items such as bassinet, crib, stroller and carseat which I’m happy to do a deep dive on in the future.
This diaper pail seriously locks in the “Pee-Ew” smell you’ll experience after your little one has their first blow out (and yes the blow outs can spread up their back so have lots of Pampers wipes and fresh Diapers handy! Diapers are sized by their weight).
Pro tip: If it’s not a complete blow out, here is a quick tip to save you clean up and a little time. Lay the baby on their back on the changing table as you would to get ready to change their diaper. When you’re about to open the diaper, stop! Place a clean diaper, open face up, underneath their bum as if you were about to put a fresh diaper on. This will catch any spillage and if there is no spillage, then you have a bonus fresh diaper ready to go for the little wiggler.
2. Portable White Noise
This was one of the very first items we used in the hospital. We still use this portable white noise machine for our toddler when we travel or nap on the go.
3. Little Martin’s Nail Trimmer
Trying to cut a newborn's tiny and thin nails while they wiggle all around is near impossible! I was so afraid of cutting their skin so this nail trimmer file was absolutely necessary! Our little one ended up with eczema so keeping his nails trimmed helped limit the scratching as their nails can be sharp.
4. Baby/toddler Carrier
I tried hand-me-down carriers, newborn carriers and carriers with hip seats and to be honest this LÍLLÉbaby carrier is by the far the best I’ve found! Not only does it grow with the child but the back lumbar support is a game changer. Carrying a child in a carrier for long periods of time takes a toll on your back. I was able to carry our big guy through Europe at 1 year old (20lbs) with relative ease. Obviously you’re still carrying their weight but this carrier helped me last longer.
5. Nozebot
I know this looks and sounds gross (and it is!). The biggest challenge is keeping our little ones healthy and one amazing way to do this is to suction the boogers out of their nose, especially when they get sick. I failed to do this well enough when our little guy was almost 2 and we ended up in the hospital for bronchiolitis so I learned a lot about nasal rinses. The Nozebot is amazing as it’s easy to use and strong enough for a continuous suction when you come across stubborn mucus. For a really stuffed up nose, you can combine with a few drops of saline to loosen up the congestion while you suck the snot. I’ve tried the Nose Frida which does get a lot of the gunk out but I don’t feel like the filters do much as I would also get sick every time I used it. Be prepared to take Vitamin C for yourself in general when doing nasal suction as the likelihood of you also getting sick is higher. If this is too gross for you, stick with the old school Nasal Aspirator which you can sometimes get from the hospital when you give birth.
6. Wipe Warmer
Who doesn’t love a nice warm wipe on the bum when you wake up at 3am with a full diaper or blow out. Truly helps avoid middle of the night meltdowns from being woken up by a cold wipe.
7. Diaper Bag
A diaper bag will be your lifeline to everything you need when you make the big trek out of the house. The ideal bag is sturdy, includes organized compartments and should be easy to see everything at once. I find that the larger backpacks end up burying items at the bottom that you forget about. I love a good clip on the straps to clip to the stroller. Check out my tips on packing for your first trip with baby!
8. Baby Swaddle Blankets
By far the softest, lightest and coziest blankets I’ve found that stay soft after many many washes! I gift these to all my new mom friends and is our son’s favorite blanket. Watching him cozy up in the blanket or ask for “blanki” anytime he needs a good snuggle warms my mom heart. Truly has saved us from many meltdowns as he’s gotten older. Also great for summer babies when you want a blanket but not the heavy fleece during the warm weather.
9. Burp cloths
In the first 6 months, these were essential! The amount of spit up newborns eject from their tiny little bodies is shocking. These burp cloths were automatic protectors after feedings and they are cozy too. Super easy to clean. I found the larger ones more useful than the small rag size.
10. Bath tub
Simple and works great! I would add a warm wet towel and lay on top of the bath holes before laying him on his back as it is a little cold surface if you don’t have water on it. The towel helped keep him warm during the entirety of the bath. The sticky traction also helps keep baby from sliding down so it’s is easier to gently bath them.
Take the time thoughtfully curate your baby registry as you will have most of these items for many years to come (and then you’ll be wondering where you store everything). Happy nesting and wishing you diaper days filled with laughter, love, and an abundance of tiny socks!