OUR MOST USED NEWBORN REGISTRY ITEMS
I had so much fun registering for my baby shower! I had a lot of great input from my sister, sister in law, and other mom friends, but being a former nanny up until I had Chase, I had an advantage of knowing a lot of the good tips and tricks that a lot of new moms-to-be may not know.
And while I know the task of choosing items for your unborn child can be daunting, it doesn’t have to be. We did our research on the big basics (car seat and stroller, exclusively at buybuyBABY) and we did get a lot of hand me downs (including the crib, pack and play, swings, etc), so our registry was for a lot of the smaller things like bedding, books, toys, etc. But I did the hard work for you and I’ve compiled a list of the most useful items I registered for that we used (and still use) regularly since Chase was born.
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links from which I will earn a commission if you purchase through the links. I only recommend products I have used or come from companies I find helpful and trustworthy.
water wipes/amazon wipes
I was fortunate enough to have a diaper & wipe wishing well at my baby shower, and now that Chase is 9 months old, we’re STILL working through our collection. The only thing I’ve willingly purchased have been Water Wipes. In my opinion, they’re worth their price for a peace of mind when it comes to your baby’s tush. But, if you’re looking for a similar yet VERY cost effective option, the Amazon Elements Unscented Wipes are a no brainer. Now that we know Chase doesn’t have sensitive skin, we’ve started buying the Amazon wipes and still use the Water Wipes for post-meal clean up on his face and hands.
Let’s just put it this way… We loved the hatch we got at our baby shower so much, we bought another for our room when I realized I could hear each little noise Chase made once he started sleeping in his crib (and my sleep suffered because of it). The only bummer is that they came out with the new version (Hatch Rest+) with the digital clock after we had both of ours. It would be SO NICE to have a clock on Chase’s hatch, but if that’s not important to you, the original Hatch Rest is just fine. You can control the volume, noise, and light (both color and intensity) via an app on your phone and once the kiddo is big enough, there’s a time-to-rise setting where they’ll know mom has had her coffee and it’s safe to leave their bedroom!
bottle warmer
Me, former nanny and daycare teacher, prior to having kids: “I’m never going to use Dr Browns bottles - there are entirely too many pieces!!”
Me, new mom, exhausted, feeling defeated when my baby needed formula to supplement with nursing: “Let’s try a Dr Browns bottle first - my former nanny and infant families wouldn’t have used them if they didn’t work!”
Dr Browns worked for us from day 1 and we’ve used their bottle warmer set (perfect to grow with baby as he moves up through nipple sizes and into bigger bottles!) every day since Chase was three weeks old. We even shipped a bottle warmer to Florida to bring back and forth between my aunt and in laws homes.
Make sure you scan about 10 sets of these at Buy Buy Baby or Target or Amazon or wherever you’re setting up your registry. You will NEVER regret having too many wash cloths. From dirty faces and hands after meals to bath time fun to the place where socks go to die in the dryer, you’ll always appreciate having a bottomless stash. We even wound up buying more when Chase started teething because a cold/wet/frozen wash cloth tied in a knot worked like a charm.
cloth diapers
Originally made to hold all the stuff babies are really good at ejecting from their lower halves, these are almost as important as wash cloths, but better because they’re BIGGER. These days, the Gerber cloth diapers are all over the house to wipe up any bottles Chase has dumped upside down (because messes are fun) or a spit up he squeezed out trying to reach for a toy too soon after a bottle. When he was teeny tiny, we started using them as burp rags because they’re the perfect size for catching spit ups after a bottle and are easily slung over your shoulder. Bonus is that they make GREAT loveys. I went through so many different animal-type pals to see if he would attach to one of them… but all he needed was a super soft mini blanket! We even tie dyed them too, which helps hide any inevitable stains that come with babyhood.
formula pitcher
As soon as we started making formula bottles on the regular, we soon discovered that making a big batch at once and then distributing to each bottle after the powder was mixed was WAY easier. Dr Browns to the rescue (again) with their Formula Mixing Pitcher! We make the entire next day’s amount of bottles and store in the fridge to heat up as needed in the warmer.
This one should go without much saying, but if you’re going to have to take your baby’s temperature, you want it to be as accurate as possible. Unfortunately, that means using a rectal thermometer. I liked this one by Vicks because it was short and I wasn’t worried I’d hurt him or put it in too far. I used a little Aquaphor, too… which is always great to have on hand for plenty of other kid-related issues!
a wet bag
I recommend these to keep in the diaper bag to house any sort of wet clothes (aka dirty eruptions) while you’re out of the house. Pair with a good stain spray and you’re set! I love mine from Itzy Ritzy because they have a snap handle to attach to the outside of the diaper bag or stroller handle. Available in different sizes plus a ton of adorable designs, these are more than just for diaper accidents or puke.
Pro tip: store a clean set or two of clothes in the diaper bag’s wet bag for easy access and swap out for dirty clothes to wash when you get home.
swaddles
I will have a whole post dedicated to swaddles and our favorites of the ones we tried with Chase’s sleep journey but for now - register for the basics! Most babies like to feel like they’re still snug in the womb, so the more adjustable, the better! Our top three favorites were Nested Bean, SwaddleMe, and if you have a baby who doesn’t want their arms down, the Love to Dream Swaddle UP. If you’re traditional, a good muslin blanket is also a must-have. We had a few on hand (and still use these days) from aden + anais. The muslin blankets make great travel/snuggly blankets too.
portable sound machine
When we turned the Baby Shusher on, Chase went to sleep (or at least settled down). As a newborn, he didn’t always love the carseat so we’d turn on the Shusher and it would instantly calm him down. At 2 months old, we flew to Florida and I tucked the Shusher under the blanket while I nursed him during takeoff and he stayed asleep the entire flight. On said trip to Florida, the Shusher fell out of the diaper bag and I Amazon’d the heck out of that to have a replacement ASAP… because being out of your routine and comfort of home with a newborn, anything that helps the baby get sleep is a good thing. I still use the Shusher these days to help him take power naps in the stroller on walks or by the pool!
gas drops (*husband’s pick)
Chase was a gassy baby and we found out quickly that gas drops in each bottle helped him tremendously! He had them in all his bottles up until he was 6 months old.
photo courtesy of the Portrait Studios at AZS