So the other day I posted on Instagram Stories, talking through some of the things I’ve found (or been recommended) while building out my registry for our first born!
Y’all expressed that you were *highly* interested to see what I would recommend you add to your registry (per other moms recommendations) and you also asked for me to share my registry.
So that’s the purpose of today’s post!
Feel free to swipe any of these items (not gonna lie, I may have used a friends registry to cross reference my own and add any items that I forgot about, or affirm that I felt good about my choices), so I recommend that you do the same.
You can also bookmark or pin this for later (if you’re not currently in the season of trying or motherhood), because if you’re anything like me… Starting is definitely overwhelming because there are just so many products out there!
I’ll also try and do a blog post later on, after babe, to let you know what items we actually end up using a lot, what items we might have forgotten, and any other tips I have.
But until then – here’s the top recommendations I have been given (or researched myself) to register for our sweet little man!
First things first,
here’s a link to my baby registry!
I decided to create in on Babylist so that I could have items from multiple places, but not have to send everyone links to my Amazon Registry, Target Registry, and then additional small shop items I was hoping for. This totally isn’t sponsored by them, but I’m legit obsessed with this free platform and how easy it’s been to create my registry on there.
I started with recommendations from friends, and then used Babylist’s different lists for different items that I was still missing. Then I cross referenced with friends again, looked at another expecting mama’s list, and had a girlfriends night where we went through (in detail) all the items on my list, etc.
So legit… This list has been built out with lots of thought and care, and I truly hope it can be helpful for you.
To make things easy, I’m going to break items down by category – so if you’re looking for a specific item/category, you can just scroll there and hopefully it will be super helpful for you! I haven’t added everything from my registry (you can just check the link here if you’re interested in that) but more so the top recommended items in each category.
BABY GEAR
Goodness, this is the bucket of “baby stuff” that I wasn’t sure how else to categories. Baby carriers, activity mats, etc. I’m not gonna lie – it was pretty overwhelming trying to delve into all the things you might “need.”
There’s a lot of varying opinions, so I’m just going to share all the things that I was recommended in this list:
BinxyBaby Shopping Cart Hammock
As a person who *loves* to grocery shop, this item seems like a total game changer! I’m sure there will be moments where I order through an app and have them deliver groceries to my car… But again, I love grocery shopping, so I think this might become one of my new faves.
Baby Wearing
Okay, I’ve read so many articles and there are so many different opinions! I think this is a matter of personal preference, so I’ve listed the top three I’ve seen.
WildBird Ring Sling Wraps are a great carrier that is great for little ones all the way up to toddler.
Solly Baby Wraps are the best rated, stretchy fabric wraps. I’ve heard these are especially great for newborns are getting in those extra cuddles.
This Lillebaby carrier is the best amongst the backpack-style carriers. It’s great for your littles all the way to toddlers (and totally the style we saw a ton of during our Yosemite hike).
I also heard really great things about the Moby Wrap and the K’tan Wrap.
This is a handy-tool for nursing, covering a car seat, covering a grocery cart seat, etc. Just a great multi-purpose tool. I like this one from Copper Pearl because they have pretty colors!
I didn’t originally have one of these on my list, but I had several friends tell me that this is really helpful for whenever you want your little babe to entertain themselves for a bit on something other than a TV. So I searched high and low and found this activity mat that didn’t look quite as ridiculous as some of the others.
Similar to the above, there were echo’d thoughts on having an activity center that you could set your kid in, to once again, self-play and entertain (and not have to worry about them going anywhere). Again, for me so many kids toys are so ridiculous and over the top, so I liked the simplified version above (we’ll see if there’s enough items to entertain). ha!
Every single one of the moms in my community group recommended this Graco Pack ‘n Play – and coincidentally all have the same design. They said it’s super easy to set up and tear down, and great for traveling with. One friend even used it when baby was a newborn and slept besides them in the bedroom. This is a super versatile set and seems like definitely one of the top items!
This was another thing I wasn’t sure of – clearly I was on the minimalist side of things thinking, “Surely babe doesn’t need all these separate gadgets” but so many moms said it was wonderful to help your babe sleep in those in-between moments. Even though I’m still a little skeptical, I’m sure I’ll appreciate having had this on my list!
I know so many people recommend a doc-a-tot, but I just couldn’t justify the price. Daniel and I aren’t planning to co-sleep with our babe but are going to use moses basket instead, so I figured I could use that instead of the doc-a-tot.
That being said, a lot of moms recommended getting a newborn lounger (this Boppy lounger was the highest recommendation) for those moments you want to set babe down and not roll all around. It also can double as a breast feeding pillow, which is a win in my book!
TRANSPORTATION
Almost across the board, this Chicco Bravo Trio Travel Set was recommended across the board. I was told that the stroller is super easy to set up, you can do it with one hand. That the infant car seat is super lightweight and easy to carry around. Both sounded like wins in my book!
This Graco 4Ever car seat was another one that was highly recommended! The one downside is that it’s bulky (if you wanted to fit three car seats in the back of the car – if you have a lot of little ones, I was recommended the Diono Car Seats because they are slicker and you could fit multiple in the back of a car easily).
However, we decided that the Graco made more sense because you can literally have this one car seat go from when they’re little (4 pounds) all the way to when they grow out of their carseat. Daniel and I talked a lot about this, and he said because we don’t know the future, it was worth investing in something that would last the entirity of our son. And when you price compare getting a car seat and then a booster seat, it’s basically the same price – but with this, you don’t have multiple devices! Again, babe’s ‘need’ so many things, that’s its nice to simplify when and where we can.
TECH GEAR
Probably one of the most important/crucial items, because as a first time mom, I’m sure I’ll worry about all the things. Well, here’s the items that we’ve been recommended and feel really great about!
Baby Monitor
Depending on your preference, the reviews I read is that old school baby monitors are best. Daniel tried to convince me to get one that had a web cam and worked with an app through my phone – but a) that creeped me out that someone could potentially hack it, b) it’s totally not travel friendly if we wanted to take it with us and c) I heard it was super annoying having to let your phone drain and have the app open and not be able to do anything else.
Anyways, this baby monitor literally has over 30k, 4.5 stars on amazon! I was totally won by that fact alone.
So again, went back and forth on all the monitors for monitoring baby sleep. I want to trust in the Lord and not be paranoid, but I also know I’ll want peace to sleep at night and know I’ll be woken up if something were to go wrong. My friend Caylyn recommended this device, as it monitors baby’s movement in a non-intrusive way. If it detects that baby isn’t breathing, it will vibrate to help baby breathe again. Then, if baby still isn’t breathing, it will make a sound. She said she’s only ever had one false alarm, and that’s because the monitor fell off the diaper.
What I loved about this sound machine is that we could control it with our phones (which infinitely creeped me out less than a video camera). The other cool thing is that when babe gets older, there’s a setting to have the light show red, and then turn green (and the time you set) so that your toddler knows when it’s okay to get out of bed! I’ve had friends that have done this method, and they said it was a game changer being able to sleep until 7 (or have that time in the morning to get ready) and know your child (for the most part) wouldn’t be waking you up at all crazy hours in the morning.
Again, anything that we can use for longevity is a win in my book!
While you could travel with the other monitor, I liked the idea of having a set that’s just packed away in our travel gear. For those nights where we might stay late with friends and then need to transfer, I didn’t want to have to re-set up the original monitor and/or not have one at the friends house.
So I was recommended this one is a simple, sound monitor – again, great for short weekend trips and quick overnight ones.
Similar to the above, I loved having something that could just stay with our travel gear and/or in the car, when baby is sleeping. This one came highly recommended and I know it’ll be super handy to have with us!
DIAPERING
Okay, so I’m a little non-traditional on this one… My husband and I are highly interested in going the cloth diaper route, so that is the recommendation that I have for you!
To be honest, cloth diapers was something I was curious about, but I definitely pictured the tea towel situation with safety pins, and couldn’t see how that would be economical. However, God blessed us with a community group that has several moms that use cloth diapers (referenced as CD’s from now on) and they really turned my interest and now I’m super excited about the idea of cloth diapering!
I found this link really helpful in explaining the different kinds of cloth diapers. There’s literally everything from an All-in-One (basically a washable, reusable cloth diaper) to the old school (basically) tea towel with safety pins (but now with something called a snappi) and then a waterproof that goes overtop to help secure everything and prevent any leakage. #blessed
There’s so much more I could say, but this could easily turn into it’s own blog post… If you’re interested and want an entire blog post on cloth diapering, let me know and I’ll make it happen! I’ll like partner with my girlfriends Liz and Caylyn, cause they’re the experts and have really taught me a lot.
But here’s what I’ve been recommended by them (based on what I’m comfortable with in the CD world):
100% use snaps over velcro (they last longer)
- They highly recommend the Thirsties brand (a little more expensive but higher quality, again lasting longer, and thus through multiple kids)
- However, Mama Koala has some of the cutest, limited designs and styles! They only come in pocket diapers… But. They. Are. So. Darn. Cute!
As far as how much to get of what – here’s Caylyn’s suggestion based on needing to do laundry about every 3-4 days:
- 4 newborn fitted diapers for night time
- 4 regular fitted diapers for night time
- 18 insides (flats, prefolds, etc.)
- 12 covers
- 5 pocket diapers
- 5 pocket inserts (don’t get microfiber – these can’t touch baby’s bum)
Pro tip: Thirsties size 1 works for newborns! So we’re planning to use that… But if for some reason it’s a little big, we’ll just use disposables if our little man is a bit on the littler size. It didn’t make sense to me to buy newborn specific, when he potential could be too big for them at birth, or only need them for a week or two. Other than the fitted diapers, because #justincase
Here’s links to what I registered for:
- These are the newborn fitted diapers
- These size one fitted diapers
- These diaper covers
- I asked for these flats (though you can just use flour sack towels)
- 6 of these prefolds
- This pack of 6 pocket diapers (upgrade to bamboo inserts)
- This brand for wet diaper bags (1 small, 1 medium, 1 XL)
Diaper Cream
Oh, the other big tip I was given – instead of using chemical diaper cream (which you can’t use in cloth diapers anyways) to just use coconut oil. I heard it works wonders for diaper rashes.
Portable Diaper Changing Station
This seems to be one of the most practical and wonderful things – it’s a cute little clutch that’s great for on the go diapering. You can literally turn anywhere into a diaper changing station… and do it in a sanitary way. I’ve seen these used on park benches, in public restrooms, in the car, you name it. Love this skip hop one (because it’s practical and cute, too!)
This diaper pad is super affordable and has great reviews. This one was also highly recommended because of the ease of clean up, but I couldn’t justify paying 5x the price as compared to the other one. But either would be a great option for your preference!
So Burts Bees Baby items are 10/10 recommended for everything, across the board. And this super soft diaper cover looked like a great additional to have! But, I really also loved the look of this diaper pad cover and this one too.
SLEEPING
We’re planning to use a moses basket when our little man is still pretty little, and then transition him into his crib in his room, when we’re comfortable and feel ready to.
I loved these ethically made ones, but there’s cheaper ones on amazon that also have great reviews. However, I love to support small so I definitely registered for this basket and basket bundle.
We decided to purchase this one from Ikea, after reading a ton of reviews and realizing that this is one of the best cribs out there… and for the best price (it’s only $80 and made of real, unfinished wood). I really loved this one from West Elm, but again paying like 6x the price for something babe would only need a little while didn’t seem worth it.
I asked A LOT of people for recommendations on a good, organic crib mattress. The two brands I heard over and over were Naturepedic and Newton. What made me decide to go with Naturepedic instead of Newton is because of my friend’s Lauren’s recommendation:
She said she did a ton of research, and what made her decide to go Naturepedic instead of Newton is because Newton’s don’t last near as long (the mattress usually gets divots in it) and the Naturepedic is SUPER breathable… So if you have a tummy sleeper, you don’t have to worry about suffocating. Additionally, this mattress can be thrown in the shower and rinsed off – no waterproof cover needed! And dries pretty quickly.
Plus, even though it’s technically not organic, i’s green guard certified, so it’s at least made with good materials. And it’s made to last (and won’t get the divots like other organic mattresses). So overall, all of the above sounds like a good investment to me.
Crib Sheets
There’s a lot of options you can go with, but I absolutely loved the look of these ones from Mebie Baby. Also loved this beautiful quote spoken over baby.
Sleep Clothes + Swaddles
As far as sleep clothes… Y’all there were SO many recommendations! So I’m just going to list out all of the options. I had a hard time narrowing it down, because depending on who you talked to, different moms swore by different systems.
So we’re going to borrow different sleep gear from a friend, and then once we figure out what our babe sleeps well in, then we’ll just purchase that particular one.
But here’s the top sleep items I was recommended:
- Swaddle blanket (just make sure you know how to properly swaddle)
- This no fold swaddle blanket
- This zip-up swaddle suit
- This sleep sack was the most popular one!
- This Michelin man sack (that’s what I call it anyways)
Pajamas:
- This set for easy diaper changes in the middle of the night
- This wearable blanket
- These PJ’s
- These super soft PJ’s
BREASTFEEDING
If you choose to breastfeed/are able to, here are some of the top items that I was recommended from other moms!
So when babe is really little, you can use the above cover that I recommended! However, when babe gets a little bigger and more fidget-y, I‘ve heard this one isn’t as warm as the circular cover, plus this one that’s pictured has the little plastic piece so you can see babe. I also heard great things about this one, too.
So the top two that were recommended were My Breast Friend and the Boppy Breastfeeding Pillow. Since I already had a few different options for a baby positioner, and the “my breast friend” had significantly more reviews on amazon, I decided to go with this option! Though I think both would work great.
I’ve heard this thing is a total game changer when it comes to breastfeeding! It catches a lot of the milk that can drop on the other side when you’re breastfeeding – so this affordable tool helps you not miss a single drop of this liquid gold.
This one is pretty self explanatory – if you’re breastfeeding, then you need bags. And from what I could tell, these were the top rated ones that I saw across the board.
So this was pretty nifty! Even though I’ll be getting a free pump from my insurance provider (I would call and check to see if you could get a free or discounted one, too) I loved the idea of having a more portable machine! Women talked about driving with this, walking around the house, etc. Again, I just love the idea of having a pump that will let me be mobile so I can do other things around the house and still get liquid gold!
A friend told me about these and said they were a total game changer when her boobs were so full of breast milk, her son literally couldn’t feed. So for a few bucks, I don’t mind having these on hand to help a mama out!
Other Nipple Shields for Sore Nipples
Similar with these – I’ve just heard with the chaffing and soreness that comes in the early days of breastfeeding, it’s nice to have something that protects your nipples from anything touching it.
These were probably the #1 recommended item in terms of breastfeeding items! Literally SO many people said they were a game changer, because you could have them hot or cold, and they were super soothing.
A friend of mine takes these to help boost her supply, and it really works for her. Again, so many women have trouble, so I kinda figured if you just stocked up on your arsenal of things that can help, it’s good to have them on the list.
These are also self explanatory, but these are super helpful from the common leakage that comes with breastfeeding. I’ve also heard disposable ones are great in the beginning, because they don’t stick to you as bad if there’s bleeding or whatnot.
There’s so many different kinds, but Earth Mama Nipple Butter seems to be the top recommended! The other top thing that was recommended was using good ole coconut oil.
FEEDING
Here are some of the top items I’ve been recommended when it comes to feedback your sweet little babe (outside of breastfeeding).
What I’ve heard across the board is that ALL babies have preferences when it comes to bottles. So the TOP recommendation is to not purchase a whole set of bottles, but get 1 bottle in several variety until you figure out which one your child likes. Babylist has this bottle box set for $20 that I thought was a great was to start with the top recommended bottles and see which one our little man likes best!
Looking for a way to keep your bottle insulated? This came highly recommended, especially for breastmilk that needs to stay refrigerated.
While you can truly get and use pretty much anything for burp cloths, I’ve heard great things for how soft and easy to clean these Burts Bees burp cloths were.
There’s a lot of different high chairs, but this one seems like the best, easy to clean option! Since there’s no fabric, there’s no fuss. Plus it’s affordable enough ($22) that you can have one at your house and one at each of the grandparents.
This is probably the best, multi use and purpose chair I heard that’s great for traveling, too! It can be used as a high chair, strapped to a chair when you’re visiting friends homes, or if you want to set babe down while you’re cooking. I also had several people recommend this one – so if that makes more sense for you, then go for it! But I loved the versatility of the bumbo.
There’s so many of these, but I chose these ones because I loved the colors (if you can’t tell, I love fall so anytime theres a fall-ish color option, I’m going for it). Also, whoever invented these is a total genius!
This trainer cup my munchkin seems like a wonderful way to start teaching your babe how to hold a bottle and drink by themselves. Plus this upgrade to the pretty spill proof toddler cup will definitely be what we get when babe’s a little older.
I remember the first time I saw a friend using this with her son and literally thought to myself, “This. Is. GENIUS!” Because the kid could only grab a few snacks at a time, and it was pretty spill proof – so when it fell on the floor, out of hands of off the stroller, you didn’t lose too many cheerios. And it’s been something I’ve repeatedly seen with all my mom friends.
Whenever you start to introduce solids, I’ve heard this baby plate is wonderful because it’ll stick tot he surface and make it really hard for your child to pick up and spill over. So this is definitely on the list of things when we’re ready to start transitioning into using plates and silverware for our little one.
BATH TIME
Bath time is honestly something I’m super looking forward to! I think it’s just such a special thing you get to do with your little one, and I know it’ll be fun to watch our sweet little babe splashing around, loving the play time in the water.
So, surprisingly there were a lot of reviews on what kind of tub to get! A lot of people recommended this newborn tub for the sink, but we didn’t register for it because we have a really shallow sink. If we had a farmhouse sink, I would probably get this tub that was also highly recommended.
So we ended up going with this tub, because I ultimately wanted something that was versatile from newborn to bigger babe, but also wouldn’t waste too much water.
So Daniel and I have been redoing out guest bathroom and just added little, itty-bitty hexagon tile. This is the same bathroom we’ll be bathing our son in, so a bath mat definitely seemed necessary! Also thought this specific one with the elbow pad was totally genius.
Once again, recommended burts bees because they seem to be a brand across the board that’s solid to go with! So had to add in some special, soft washcloths for babe.
TEETHING
Before I even started my registry, I knew what this item was. So many people swear by it! And I just plain think they are adorable and great to help you not lose the pacifier. There’s so many different animals to choose from, so you can choose based on preference (but the fox is hands down my fave).
This is literally for selfish purposes – I just had to share because I searched high and low for a non-cheesy coffee cup for babe! And I absolutely loved this coffee cup teether.
This is another one of those items that’s just too cute! It helps your kid get used to the idea of brushing their teeth, but it’s also wildly popular as a teether.
There’s a lot of pacifiers, but I heard this one is really great for night time because it glows in the dark – so if it accidentally falls out of baby’s mouth at night, your not left frantically searching and can easily find this to help soothe your little babe!
BABY JOURNALS
If you choose to breastfeed/are able to, here are some of the top items that I was recommended from other moms!
So this is one of those books that I had on my list before we even started trying! I knew I wanted a keep sake journal to record all the sweet moments through baby’s life, and be able to hand that off at some point (or just reflect on as they grow). This is made by a small shop, so not only are you supporting another maker but writing down memories you’ll both cherish for a lifetime!
The promptly journal is similar to the above – and honestly I think it was one of the first purchases I made after we found out that we were pregnant. This one is a little bit more in depth, but I love to write and wanted a more detailed version of special moments to remember. Would highly recommend both (and I haven’t even used them for babe yet).
A friend had this on her registry, and I thought it was pure genius! As an adult who has her medical records all over the place and quite frankly, not totally sure when I had what… I loved the idea of having a book that had all the important health info about babe in one place!
HEALTHY & SAFETY
If we were to talk about top 3 items that have been recommended to me from basically every single mom, this item is on that list. It was actually another one of those items I knew I wanted before we even started trying, because we experienced how amazing it is when we babysat a friends daughter for a week who had a cold.
Literally, just get this. It seems gross, but it’s not and you won’t regret it.
What makes this particular thermometer awesome is that it only needs a few, brief seconds to get baby’s temperature. And if you’ve ever tried to take a baby’s temp, they aren’t usually fans and tend to squirm a lot, so something super quick is a win in my book!
I’ve heard sooooo many moms swear by amber teething necklaces! Again, this is one of those items I knew would be on our list from the very beginning.
Another self explanatory, important item to have. We have a ton of outlets around our house, so I went ahead and registered for the 50 pack so we could be baby safe.
You’ve likely seen these before (or something similar) and I think they are totally genius! Kids love our cabinets (because we have so many in close proximity) so this was another total must-have for us!
FOR MAMA (that’s me!)
Had to add a little #treatyoself section, which is really just necessities postpartum. These are a few items that I’ve been recommended or found that will be helpful for you, mama!
This particular brand of nursing bra is one that I’ve heard is the best! It comes in “one size” and “plus size” and is made to accommodate the ever changing sizes of your breast in a given day.
Even though I’m not regularly the kinda person that sleeps in a bra, I’ve heard it’s super helpful to wear these if you’re nursing (or even right after baby) to help stop leakage (with the pads underneath) and support your breasts.
So Roolee boutique has an entire line of mama and nursing friendly clothes! I totally think this is absolutely genius, and I’m grateful that someone thought that mama’s still want to wear cute clothes and be able to nurse without having to strip down into nothing. So this cute little gray dress would be a simple add to your wardrobe (and definitely check out there other mama friendly options here).
Mama Bird Tee
Okay, gotta celebrate the new mom life with some fun tees! I absolutely love this mama bird tee, and the matching baby bird onesie (you betcha I’ll be taking some photos together in these).
Of course had so sneak in one item from my shop! Definitely excited to wear this tee and have the matching onesie for our little babe.
++++++
I think that’s everything!
These are the top items that have been recommended and researched by other moms, and I hope this list has been helpful for you!
I’d love to know – did I forget any items? Or are there any others that you would recommend? Comment below and let me know so I can update this list and continue to share and help others out!
Until next time – xo
Blessings,
Please note that this post contains affiliate links – these come at no additional cost to you, but help provide a small stipend to help pay me for the time it takes to write these posts and pull them together! Please know I only link products that I personally would use and recommend, or in the case of this post, what was recommended to me from my sweet mom friends!
