10 Items To Add To Your Baby Registry

If you are an expecting mom you probably have created a baby registry, or at least are in the process of creating one.  I started creating my baby registry when I was only about 4 months pregnant because Black Friday was coming up and the baby monitor that I really wanted was going to be on sale at Target.  Of course, I didn’t need a registry to buy it but as I researched baby products and where to get them (you know you started doing this too the minute you found out you were expecting) I discovered that many stores have registry perks when you create a list with them.  Perks range from swag gift bags, to a registry completion discount code, to earning store credit from items purchased from your list.  Most stores also told me that in the event that I needed to return something, it would be easier if the item was on my registry because I wouldn’t need a gift receipt to prove proof of purchase. In light of this discovery I created registry lists at Target and Babies R Us (so sad that they are closing).  I didn’t expect to receive many gifts but I basically used the lists as my personal shopping lists.  They helped me keep organized what I had purchased and what I still needed/wanted for our new addition.  Obviously registries are also wonderful ways to give potential gift givers suggestions about what you like so that you are less likely to receive gifts that you will never use.

When I set out to create my registries I wasn’t sure where to begin.  I was excited, overwhelmed, and slightly intimidated by all of the choices.  Lucky for me, both stores handed me a checklist of “recommended” items when they gave me the scanning device.  That said though, there were a few items on the list that I really didn’t need and some that I wish had been on there.  The following 10 items are things that I wished that I had registered for but ended up buying after my son was born.  I had no idea that I needed them but boy did they make my life easier!  I hope that this helps some of you who are currently picking out items for your own registries.

Top 10 Things I Should Have Registered For:

1. Baby Wrap/Carrier

Ok – I admit this one I did buy before my son was born because I knew that I definitely wanted one but the reason why it is number one on my list is because the wrap that I wanted to register for was not one that you could find at a big box store.  Sure, many big box stores now carry baby carriers but they are very limited in what they carry and you will only find a few mainstream brands.  I know what you are thinking – if the big box stores don’t carry the carrier that you want, how can you register for it?  The good news is that there are many universal registry lists now such as Babylist that allow you to create a registry from many different places and not just the most popular big box stores.  Many small local babywearing/natural parenting stores also have registry options.  My personal favorite (and store local to me in Connecticut) is Bean Tree Baby.  You can find information about their registry program HERE.

Why register for a baby carrier and why not just register for one that the big box stores carry?  Baby carriers are worth their weight in GOLD… take my word on this one!  Babies love to be held and being able to get something done while holding my son literally saved my sanity.   As a board member for my local Babywearing International chapter I highly recommend trying out a variety of carriers before you buy.  There are tons of different styles and brands out there and some are better than others.  It’s also worth noting that they all fit differently!  Carriers aren’t cheap so if you think that you might have a relative who would be willing to buy you a bigger gift, a carrier (or even a membership to Babywearing International) would be an extremely helpful asset.

2. Diaper Cover

I had no clue that these existed or that I needed one until after my son was born but these will now be one of my favorite gifts to give at baby showers.  Traditionally diaper covers are water proof covers designed to fit over cloth diapers to help with leaks but I used them over disposables!  I admit, I couldn’t bring myself to try cloth diapers.  We use disposables.  My son is tall and skinny and has been from day one.  I’ve often had a difficult time with diaper leaks because he needs a bigger size for the rise but a smaller size for his waist/leg gussets.  Using a smaller size I had leaks out the back and using a bigger size I had leaks out the leg openings.  It didn’t matter what brand I used either – although some were worse than others.  I was beyond frustrated and I was tired of scrubbing poop stains out of clothing and I was terrified of having to scrub it off of his car seat cover.  I decided that there HAD to be a better way and I set out to find it.  Turns out that diaper covers were my saving grace!  I went to my local babywearing/cloth diapering/natural parenting store (Bean Tree Baby) and they actually allowed me to try three different brands on my son to find the one that fit the best.  I ended up choosing Bummies brand.  The covers are adjustable in both rise and waist size by using a variety of snaps (they also come in a Velcro version).  I was able to essentially create a custom fitting waterproof cover to go over my disposable diapers (versus cloth) and it held the leaks in!  If any leaks did happen, the waterproof cover caught the mess saving my son’s clothing, car seat, and my sanity!  They were easy to throw in the wash and if they didn’t end up catching a leak, they could be reused until they needed to be washed!  I ended up buying two and my son wore one every day until he was about 18 months old.

3. Nursing bras/tanks/nightgowns

These may seem like strange items to add to a registry list but if you plan on nursing they really are a must have.  Again, the advantage of having a universal registry list is that you can add items from any retailer that you choose!  I obviously love Rumina’s bras and tanks but I really like the nightgowns by Motherhood brand or Jessica Simpson.  I didn’t buy any of these items before my baby arrived but I needed them immediately after he was born and I wished that I had been a little more prepared.  I figured I could get away with just wearing a t-shirt to bed (my normal bedtime attire) but I quickly found that a nursing nightgown was much easier and quicker for middle of the night feedings.  As far as bras… these are a great item to buy while you are still pregnant not only because you will be needing them immediately after birth (and shopping with a baby in tow can be tough) but also because the BEST time to get fitted for a nursing bra is actually when you are 20-24 weeks pregnant!!  A nursing mom’s breasts change size a number of times throughout the pregnancy/nursing process and if you wait until you have a newborn, you might actually end up buying a size that is too big and will end up needing to buy another one later.

4. Waterproof Changing Pad Liner

Changing a newborn’s diaper can be trickier than it seems –especially if you have a boy – they squirt!  Having a few waterproof lines that sit on top of your changing table cover can save you (literally) loads of laundry.  Instead of needing to take the entire changing pad cover off each time these is a leak or explosion while changing a diaper, all you have to do is switch out the liner.  Here’s an example of what I am talking about – Munchkin Waterproof Changing Liners.  (These are not the exact ones I bought because I bought Babies R Us brand but they are similar.) Throw them in your laundry bin and wash everything when you are down to having one left.  The changing set that I was gifted at my baby shower actually came with two changing pad liners but I ended up buying an additional set of three and it was one of the smartest decisions I made.  Next time I’ll be putting these on my list from the start.

5. Waterproof Mattress Pads

These are similar to the changing pad liner but for your baby’s crib, bassinet, or pack and play.  Here’s an example – Carters Water Resistant Mattress Protector.  (Again I purchased Babies R Us brand ones so I can’t attest to this exact product but they look similar.) Due to our ill-fitting diaper issues (see my story above under diaper covers) we had a lot of wet sheets in the early days.  I had a waterproof mattress cover (that fit over the mattress like a fitted bottom sheet) and thought that was enough but when I ended up needing to change the sheets (sometimes multiple times a day) it started to wear on me.  I also got really sick of needing to wipe down the pack and play mattress as I could not find a waterproof sheet for it.  These did the trick and solved the problem.  The best advice someone gave me was to layer sheets like this: waterproof mattress cover, sheet, waterproof mattress pad, sheet. This way I could just take off the wet sheet and pad and the bed was still made for the next time.  It effectively cut in half the number of times that I had to completely change the bed linens.  I bought three of pads so that I could have one for the crib, one for the pack and play, and one as a spare.

6. Baby Mittens

I don’t mean winter gloves here….  If you haven’t seen them in stores, you can find them online.  Baby mittens are like little cotton covers with elastic that go over baby’s hands.  Having a June baby I didn’t even consider needing these because I thought they were to keep baby’s hands warm. WRONG!  The purpose of these mittens is actually to keep baby from scratching his or her face!  Baby nails (even the newborn variety) are super sharp!  They tend to flail their arms and can often scratch themselves by accident.  My son had self-inflicted scratches everywhere and I was really worried he would get his eye by accident.  Getting these mittens was the perfect solution and the cotton fabric allowed them to be somewhat breathable.  Note: baby mittens do not come in sizes but some are bigger than others so you might have to experiment a little until you find the right fit.  I ended up with a couple of brands but I started with Gerber.

7. Silicone teething necklace

If your baby is anything like mine, you will quickly realize that your days of wearing nice jewelry are over for a while.  But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still wear a necklace!  Silicone teething necklaces have a couple of advantages.  On a practical level, teething jewelry is meant for just that, for a baby to chew or to fiddle with as a distraction during nursing.  Many come in bright colors and bold shapes but I was actually able to find a couple that looked somewhat classy and since chunky jewelry is actually “in” right now, I actually felt pretty fashionable!  I even had a few friends and relatives ask me where I found my necklaces and who were surprised to discover that they were made of silicone!  Mom win!  Here are the links (Choo Choos and Gumeez) to the two necklaces that I ended up buying but there are many choices at there.  Have fun shopping for this one!

     8. Amber necklace

On the subject on necklaces, how about getting one for baby too!  To be fair there is some controversy surrounding amber necklaces and some call the claims behind them pseudoscience but I for one am a total supporter with personal experience to back it up.  Amber (specifically Baltic amber) is historically known for its anti-inflammatory properties.  Some people wear amber bracelets to help with arthritis pain.  Amber necklaces are supposed to help with teething pain in babies.  When I bought one for my son he was only a few months old and I figured that if it didn’t work, at the very least it was a cute baby fashion accessory but it did actually work for us!  My evidence?  I accidentally forgot to put the necklace back on after a bath one day and left it off for a week.  Suddenly, my son had fountains of drool spilling out of his mouth.  It was everywhere!  My husband made the connection and asked where his necklace was.  After putting the necklace back on, the drool subsided within 24 hours – amazing!  Just make sure that you get one that fits correctly and has a safety clasp.  I’m a big fan of the Inspired by Finn brand and purchased mine at Bean Tree Baby but I believe they are also available on Amazon.   They come in a variety of colors and styles.

9. Pacifier Clips

Do you plan on giving your baby a pacifier?  They aren’t for everyone but if you plan to use one a pacifier clip is a super handy tool.  I started out with the Dr. Brown’s Lovey pacifier holder which is great because you can change out the pacifier to wash it or attach a teething toy (versus the popular wubbanub that has the pacifier permanently attached) but we ended up getting a pacifier clip as well to keep my son’s pacifier clipped to his clothing or to my baby carrier to prevent it from being dropped on the floor all of the time.  The first one that I purchased had a metal clip but I found that it quickly started getting rusty and gross between needing to wash it and drool.  The Itybity silicone clips were the answer.  They are cute, easy to clean in the dishwasher, have a plastic clip that doesn’t rust, and have a dual purpose since they can also be safely used as a teething toy!  I highly recommend them!  You can find a link to them on Amazon HERE.

 

10. Baby food maker

This last item is admittedly not a necessity.  Many moms do just fine with store bought baby food and many just use food processors or blenders to make their own.  That said though, I found that having a baby food maker was very helpful.  I choose to make my own purees until my son was about a year old.  At that time I started buying store bought pouches aid we were transitioning to solids any way.  I was lucky enough to be gifted a Beaba Babycook by a friend who was finished with hers.  The beauty of this handy machine is that it steams the food and purees it with one device and all of its parts are dishwasher safe (although I hand washed most of the time).  I actually broke my blender trying to puree food and I loved that I didn’t need a separate pot for steaming/cooking food before pureeing. In the beginning I froze purees in ice cube trays.  I discovered that one cube is actually one ounce of food so it made portioning out food really easy.  After freezing I transferred my cubes from the trays to labeled Ziploc freezer bags so the trays could be reused for something different.  Later, I made my own pouches using the Kiinde foodii system and found them to be super helpful when my son was older for travel or out of the house snacks.

 

Regardless of what you decide to put on your list, having a registry can help to keep you organized.  I know that we will ALL miss Babies R Us but keep in mind that there are still many registry options out there including Amazon, Target, Buy Buy Baby, and universal list options such as Babylist.  Are you an experienced mom?  Do you have items to add to my list? What items did you find that you needed after your baby arrived?  I would love to hear your two cents in the comments!  Happy shopping mamas!