Is there a little bun in your oven? These are the things I wish I put on my baby registry that you may find will come in handy when your little one arrives.
I didn’t know anything before becoming a parent. Like anything. I didn’t know how to change a diaper; anything about breastfeeding (despite taking a class on it); or how to dress a baby. And I definitely didn’t know what baby supplies I did and didn’t need.
I spent a lot of time making my baby registry. I read countless articles on what to put on it, asked other parents, etc. That’s why looking back, it’s kind of laughable at the things I missed. Hence, if I could go back in time and redo my baby registry, there’s a lot I would add. These are the things we ended up purchasing (except for one item that I’m eyeing for baby number two).
Let me just be clear: I am so very appreciative of all of the generous gifts my husband and I received from our friends and family at my baby shower. It was such a special occasion. But at the time of making my baby registry, my view was so myopic.
I was thinking about those first few months with a teeny tiny baby when all they do is eat, poop and sleep. (Um, sleep? Yeah right.) I wasn’t thinking about what happens when they get a bit older and start eating solid foods or needing more sources of entertainment.
When I made my baby registry, I was also thinking, “I don’t want all of this clutter in my house.” Let me tell you, having baby gear all over your home is unavoidable. We bought a coffee table when we moved into our home last June, and since the day it arrived, it has been sitting in our dining room. That’s because Grace’s toys are taking up our living room rug.
In a recent episode of Modern Family, Cam and Mitch were debating about whether or not they should adopt another child. Cam said something to the effect of, “But then we’ll have plastic toys all over the place.” It’s true. Baby gear is just a fact of being a parent.
Also, when making a baby registry, I was hesitant to put too many big ticket items on the list. However, I heard from a lot of people, “All of the ‘big’ items are gone. I like getting big items.” I was also afraid that the items I (thought I) needed wouldn’t be purchased if I put a ton of extra stuff on there.
So that said, here are the things I wish I put on my baby registry.
-NANIT BABY MONITOR-
For privacy concerns, I was hesitant to get a monitor that worked over wifi, but it is so much easier to check in on your little one by looking at your cell phone versus a whole separate monitor. We love our Nanit.
First off, you can use Nanit’s specially designed breathing wear for peace of mind (admittedly, we don’t use ours because 1, we have a separate monitor for that and 2, Grace sleeps in a sleep sack and it would be too much to put a band around her waist.)
Another big pro is it can reach far distances – like anywhere in the world far. When my husband was going into the office, he could watch Grace sleep during nap time. And if the wifi signal drops, the Nanit uses Bluetooth as a backup.
-DOCK A TOT-
A Dock a Tot is great thing to have to move around the house and lay your baby down. I’d put it on our bed if I needed to get dressed (when I did get dressed), or on the couch if I was folding laundry, etc. I just got a plain white cover, but had it been available when I purchased ours, I would have gotten the Catalina cover. I’m obsessed.
-A JUMPER-
We didn’t start using a jumper until Grace was about three or four months old, but it definitely came in handy when we did. I would put her in it for short bursts – when I was making dinner, had to use the restroom, etc. She loved it. We got the Skip Hop Explore & More Jumpscape Foldaway Jumper. But just a heads up, it’s not so easy to fold away as I was hoping. You have to unhook four hooks that attach the center seat to the straps, so it was just easier for us to leave it set up all the time.
-A SWING-
We didn’t buy a swing, but I wish I had. I think I held Grace for every. single. nap. In hindsight, she was using me as a human pacifier, but I thought she was just hungry so I basically breastfed her all the time (see above where I said I knew nothing about breastfeeding). Now that I see how sleepy Grace gets when she’s pushed in the swing in our backyard, I think it would have helped her drift off without needing me so much (and I could have pulled myself together a bit more often. 🤣)
-A SNOO-
Okay, this is a BIG, big ticket item, but so worth it. We love our Snoo, which is basically a high tech basinet that rocks baby all night long and plays white noise. If baby cries, it automatically responds but upping the motion and noise. It was created by pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp, who also wrote the book, Happiest Baby on the Block, which covers the 5 S’s to help soothe a baby.
-TRAVEL CRIB & BASSINET-
We’ve found it so helpful to have a travel bassinet and crib on hand for visits to our parents’ houses as well as overnight travel. We ended up buying the Guava Lotus system and actually used the bassinet in our bedroom prior to the Snoo arriving. You can fit one or the other in the travel bag, which you can wear backpack-style. We took the crib with us on a trip to Florida and Grace slept comfortably in it.
-MORE STROLLER ACCESSORIES-
We received the UppaBaby Vista stroller as a gift before Grace arrived, which we absolutely love. But there were a few accessories I learned about after we started using it. For example, I had no idea the company also offered an infant insert to turn the toddler seat into a suitable space for a newborn. I also didn’t realize there was a cup holder, which I found out I needed soon after Grace was born. So definitely look more into the accessories that come with whatever stroller you end up choosing.
-DIAPERS-
My grand plan was to use cloth diapers with Grace, so that’s what I put on my registry. Well, that didn’t happen. I was overwhelmed as a new mom and just trying to make it through each day. Even the thought of figuring out how to put a cloth diaper on Grace felt overwhelming.
So when we left the hospital with some Pampers Swaddlers, that’s what we continued to buy. Well, my in laws have generously brought us diapers just about every time they come to visit.
The Swaddlers are comfy for Grace and easy for us. Just be careful when pulling them off of baby because I’ve found the plastic velcro tabs can scratch her skin.
So bottom line, don’t be like me. Put a TON of diapers on your registry in various sizes. You will need them.
-DIAPER PALE-
I didn’t register for a diaper pale. Why? Because I thought I was going to use cloth diapers (go ahead, laugh at me). So we bought one. We opted for an Ubbi, which is simple looking, stylish and doesn’t require special bags. It also keeps the odor at bay.
–WATER WIPES–
I did put Water Wipes on my registry but looking back I would have added a lot more. I’m obsessed with getting very single piece of poo off of Grace’s bum (#momtalk). Needless to say, we go through a ton of wipes. Don’t be afraid to put the mega value packs on your registry. You will use them, and it’s great to have extra wipes on hand as backup. Water Wipes are my favorite because they only contain water and a drop of fruit extract. They’re safe for your little one’s delicate skin and keeps them away from needless chemicals.
-A SECOND BOPPY PILLOW & EXTRA COVER-
Even though my daughter is now a year old, I still use a Boppy pillow when I nurse her. However, whenever I need it, it seems like it’s across the house. So it’d be nice to have a second pillow as a backup. An extra cover would also be nice for when the other is in the wash.
-JOGGING STROLLER-
This is obviously personal preference, but if at any point after baby arrives you think you you’d like to start jogging, putting a jogging stroller on your registry is worth it. We bought one about 10 months after Grace was born when the weather started to get a bit nicer. We bought a Thule Urban Glide. My one complaint is that the seat seems extra reclined and Grace is always trying to pull herself up a bit to see better.
-SLEEVED BIBS-
At a family Christmas party, my husband’s cousin’s wife put a sleeve bib on her son. I thought it was ingenious, and also thought, “How did I not know these things existed?” I went onto Amazon and found the Bumpkins sleeved bibs and never looked back. They help prevent having to change your little one’s outfit after every meal.
-SILICONE BIBS-
As your little one starts to dabble in finger foods, silicon bibs – like these from Target – are a game changer. They have a little cup at the bottom to catch food that doesn’t make it into their mouth. My daughter likes to dig that food out and eat it.
-SIPPY CUPS-
My favorite sippy cup is the Munchkin 360 Miracle Trainer Cup, which lets babies drink from a rim without spilling everything all over themselves.
-BABY SPOONS-
A pack of baby spoons comes in handy when it’s time to introduce food. I like the ones that turn white if food is too hot, like these from Munchkin. If I heat food, I always let it cool before serving. I also touch it or taste a bit as well, but spoons with temperature indicators add peace of mind.
-BABY STEAMER/FOOD MAKER-
I buy a lot of organic food pouches, but I also cook a ton for her. This usually involves me steaming something on the stove and then transferring it to a separate container to blend (more so when she was younger). Well low and behold, there are devices out there that will do both for you. I learned this when Grace was about nine months old. I definitely shot myself in the foot for not putting one of these baby food makers on my registry. The two I’m eyeing for our second baby are the Beaba Babycook Neo and the Baby Cook Food Maker. I like that they’re made of glass, but the Beaba is definitely the more stylish of the two.
So there are the things I wish I put on my baby registry. What’s something you left off but bought later? Leave me a comment below! Also, don’t miss my list of baby registry must haves.
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