Woman walking baby in Uppababy Vista Stroller

My Baby Registry Must Haves

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while now. Putting together a baby registry is a hugely daunting task. Wedding registries are easier because you don’t have to obsess over things like safety and brain development. You’re a fully formed adult and the wine glasses you pick really aren’t going to impact your life that much. Not the case with a baby! It feels like every tiny detail must be researched and thoroughly vetted. My husband and I spent what felt like eons mulling over every baby registry selection we made. And y’know what? Some of it just didn’t work for us. Other things, however, felt like absolute life savers. Those are the things I’m going to focus on in this post.

Is this sponsored content?

Nope! I will be using affiliate links here, because I don’t hate making money. If you click through one of those links and make a purchase, I’ll get a small commission at no cost to you. And if you do, thanks in advance for your support! I truly appreciate it. That said, I want to be very clear that nobody is asking me to write this. I’m doing it because I think the information is valuable. I went through the process of creating a baby registry not long ago, so I know how hard it can be. I’ve loved each and every one of these products, and simply think they’re worth sharing.

What kind of baby registry is best?

This is really just a personal decision. We did an Amazon baby registry. The two main appeals of going through Amazon are that it keeps things simple and that group gifting is enabled. Group gifting is a pretty amazing feature for big ticket items, as it allows people to contribute to an item rather than buying the whole thing. The other nice thing about an Amazon registry is that you have the ability to add items from any website.

People also really like Babylist. I find the user experience to be worse, though. One thing that annoys me about this baby registry platform is that items are added from different stores, so if someone wants to buy a few smaller things they have to either pay for shipping from multiple shops or they have to be incredibly selective about what they buy so as to stick to the same store. Small annoyances aside, it’s still a good option.

Ok, without further ado, let’s jump in!

Snoo

The Snoo was the ultimate game changer for us. Before I start gushing, I’ll address the elephant in the room. It’s incredibly expensive. I also feel that it’s 100% worth it. The Snoo is basically a smart bassinet. It calms your baby with a combination of white noise, swaddling, and motion. It comes with a handy app that helps you track your baby’s sleep. The Snoo also turns off and sends you a push notification letting your know that the baby needs you if they cry for more than a few minutes straight. One of my favorite things about the Snoo, however, is how safe it is. Your infant will be swaddled in a Snoo sack, which is very calming for them. They’ll also be strapped into the bed, meaning you can continue to swaddle once they start rolling.

My baby, Sunday, started sleeping through the night at about 6 weeks old. I firmly believe that the Snoo was a big part of that. All that said, I should let you know that there was a bit of a learning curve for us. Sunday didn’t take to it immediately and without any issue. It took some trial and error. For instance, when we first brought her home, it seemed like the Snoo’s higher levels upset her more than they calmed her. Thankfully, it gives you the ability to limit motion, which proved to be a great solution for us. Eventually, we turned that setting off, but I think it helped her warm up to her Snoo. We also had to let her cry a little in order to give the Snoo a chance to soothe her. So if you can’t stomach the idea of your baby crying for even a minute, this might not be the bassinet for you.

The Play Gym by Lovevery

I’m such a fan of this play gym. It’s a beautiful and thoughtfully designed product that grows with your child. It doesn’t come with electronic bells and whistles, but that’s a plus in my book, as it gives your baby a chance to explore and interact with things instead of staring at flashing lights. The mat has different activity stations meant to promote brain and motor skill development. One side has a slot for flashcards, another has a crinkle mat. It’s got lots of colors, textures and sounds for exploration. Oh, and it comes with a booklet that tells you what activities to focus on based on your baby’s age, which is incredibly helpful.

I really enjoy watching Sunday embrace different aspects of this play gym as she gets older. One day she’s fascinated by the texture station, the next she’s having the time of her life whacking the batting toy. Another thing I love about this play gym is that it’s very customizable. You can remove the wooden top, toys, and tent. So if the baby is practicing rolling and wants a bit more space, take the top off! Obsessed with peekaboo or hide and seek? Add the tent! I’ve found that switching things up after a few days helps keep Sunday interested in its different features.

UPPAbaby Vista Stroller

Ok, this is another pricey item, but I’ve personally found it to be totally worth it. This stroller is just so pleasant to use. My neighborhood is pretty hilly and let’s jut say the sidewalks aren’t impeccably maintained. Thankfully, this stroller has fairly large wheels so that’s never been much of an issue. It’s easy to maneuver and highly customizable, allowing for different seat configurations and a whole bunch of attachment options should you decide to have more kids down the line. It’s also got plenty of storage space, which is actually more helpful than I expected it to be.

l will warn you that this stroller is pretty big. It monopolizes my trunk when it’s in there, but I also don’t have the biggest trunk in the world so that’s not entirely shocking. Oh, and it does have long straps that Sunday likes to yank on. That hasn’t actually been an issue for us thus far, but it does seem like a design flaw.

It’s also worth mentioning that UPPAbaby does have a smaller option called the Cruz. We were honestly very torn between the Vista and the Cruz, but went with the Vista because of its larger wheels and upgradable nature. We’re not yet sure if we want any more kids but it seemed wise to future proof just in case.

Inglesina Fast Table Chair

This portable high chair is one of my absolute favorite baby items. We originally added it to our registry thinking it’d be great to take to restaurants. Of course, Sunday was born during a global pandemic so she still hasn’t been to one. It’s been awesome to use at home, though! While we do also have a full sized high chair, we used this until just a few days ago because our house is small and it doesn’t take up much space.

Keekaroo Peanut Changer

Is it weird to have strong feelings about a changing pad? Well, I do. There are two things that I love about the Keekaroo Peanut Changer. First and foremost, it doesn’t have any fabric. While Sunday didn’t initially love being changed on a cold surface, she got used to it quickly. The appeal of a fabric-less changing pad is that when soiled, it can be easily wiped down. You don’t have to throw anything into the wash in the event of an accident, which with babies is invaluable. The second thing I love is that there’s a safety belt. That may seem unnecessary with a newborn, but after a few short months, they start to wiggle. The ability to strap them down if you need to, say, run away for a new box of diapers or wipes, is such a godsend.

Ergobaby Omni 360

I wanted to be one of those moms who could whip out a compact baby wrap on a whim, I really did. Sadly, I found the cute fabric ones to be incredibly difficult to use. I practiced a bit with my dog before giving birth. I felt good about it! When Sunday came home, however, I realized that it was pure folly. And when that day came, I was glad that I’d also gotten the Ergobaby Omni 360, which is a more utilitarian baby carrier. If you’re able to get by with the tie-able fabric slings, more power to you. I wasn’t.

While this carrier is a bit bulky, I’ve found it to be incredibly worth it. It feels secure and isn’t too hot. And I’m able to put it on by myself, which is important. Oh, and it distributes Sunday’s weight like a dream. I can walk around with her for miles without feeling any aches or soreness.

Willow Pump

If you’re planning on exclusively pumping or going back to work while breastfeeding, the Willow wearable breast pump is a game changer. Breastfeeding can be really hard. A couple days after Sunday was born, we realized she wasn’t getting enough milk. It can take some time for your milk to come in, and that time can be seriously stressful. In order to build up my supply, I basically had to pump and feed around the clock for a while. I’d gotten a pump through my insurance plan, but absolutely despised it. It hurt, was glitchy, made me feel like a dairy cow, and didn’t seem to be very efficient at extracting milk. It was miserable. So I got a Willow pump. And despite its $500 price tag, it felt totally worth it.

This breast pump is both wireless and wearable. While each session still took quite a bit of time (25 minutes, plus however long it takes to clean and dry the parts), the ability to use my hands and walk around was such a gift. These things are obtrusive, so it was still hard to hold the baby while pumping. But I was able to work while pumping. Both on my computer and in my photography studio (ok, garage). It truly gave me a piece of my life back, which was magical, and exactly what I needed at the time.

While I would definitely recommend this product if it makes sense for you, it’s got some caveats. For starters, it’s a bit glitchy. On two occasions, I reached out to customer service because one or both of the pumps had stopped working properly. That said, they were quick to replace them. It also only comes with one charger for the two devices. This was never really an issue for me, but it was a bit annoying. They’re also quite large and pretty loud. So it’d be hard (but not impossible) to pump in public.

Note: This product wasn’t covered by my insurance, but it might be covered by yours, so definitely look into that before buying.

Tubby Todd Bath Products

As it turns out, babies have very sensitive skin. Or, my baby does anyway. I can only vouch for her. But I digress. When Sunday was really little, she dealt with cradle cap, baby acne, and dry patches. Thankfully they’ve all cleared up. That may have happened naturally, but I like to think that Tubby Todd bath products helped. We actually tried a few different brands of soap, shampoo and lotion and were pretty disappointed with everything but Tubby Todd. Most of the others just felt very watered down and ineffective. Tubby Todd products, on the other hand, feel like things I’d put on my own body (more on that in a sec).

My favorites are the Hair + Body wash, the Everyday Lotion, and the All Over Ointment. In fact, I use the All Over Ointment on my own hands and feet at night and it works wonders! Tubby Todd is a bit pricey for baby products, but they’re high quality and last a good long while. They’re also cruelty free, which I love! Plus, if you use my affiliate link, you’ll get 10% off!

Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat

We initially didn’t buy an infant car seat. Instead, we bought a nifty car seat that Sunday would be able to use for years. While I still think that car seat is great, it wasn’t ideal for the early newborn days, as we couldn’t pop it out of the car and onto our stroller. The position also could’ve been better for a tiny newborn, though our doctor said it was fine (it’s hard not to worry about every little thing with a brand new baby). Anyway, we quickly decided to invest in an infant car seat that Sunday could use for the first year of her life, and I firmly believe it was the right decision. No, it wasn’t strictly necessary, but it did make our lives a lot easier.

We opted for the Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat, and absolutely love it. It’s safe, cozy, and well reviewed. The one drawback is that it’s a different brand from our stroller so we had to buy an adapter to make the two compatible. Thankfully, it worked swimmingly!

Magnetic Me Clothes

Dressing a newborn is hard. When a baby can’t hold its own head up, pulling a onesie over that head is extremely nerve-racking. Magnetic Me onesies just simplify that whole process. They’re so easy to put on. You don’t have to worry about snaps or buttons or even zippers. The magnets just do their thing. They’re also super soft and stretchy, which is always a plus in my book. Now that Sunday’s a big nine monther, I don’t have to worry about breaking her while getting her dressed. That said, she’s extremely squirmy and a little impatient about being clothed, so I still love magnetic clothing for her (though now we do dresses in addition to onesies)!

Ok, I’ll wrap this up.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Whether you’re putting together a baby registry or simply buying these items yourself, I really hope this was helpful. Of course, this is all opinion based, but if you’ve got any questions or comments, feel free to reach out either in the comments or on Instagram! I know how tough baby related decisions can be and am more than happy to help if I can.

And if you’re pregnant, congratulations! I’ve also got a series of pregnancy diaries that may resonate with you. I’ve got a different one for the first, second, and third trimesters.

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