8 Baby Registry Must Haves

I’ve been planning to write this post since the day I launched my blog. It has been almost five years since I had my first baby (yikes) and two years since the birth of The Sensible Shopaholic (get it?!) so I’ve had some time to put my favorite baby products to use. I was one of those people who researched EVERYTHING I possibly could when it came to baby stuff. I had a giant spreadsheet where I kept track of every recommendation, review and purchase. Remember, I used to work for an accounting firm so this shouldn’t surprise anyone. I was pretty much over-the-top when it came to baby gear.

Since I clearly did my research, I was so excited when The Baby Cubby reached out to me and asked if I wanted to partner up for this post. The thing I love about The Baby Cubby is they aren’t just another baby store. They are super active on social media and will always respond to any questions or comments you may have about a purchase. On top of that, they will price-match any of the products on their site, even Amazon prices. I love supporting small business and The Baby Cubby is a good one. It also gave me a good excuse to pull out a couple cute baby pictures of my kiddos to include in my post.  Aren’t they the cutest?!

Before I get to my must-haves, I do have to say that every baby is different. While one kid might love the swing, the next one will hate it. I tried to omit the stuff that seems to vary by baby and only include stuff that in my mind, is essential. Yes, there are probably a bunch of other little things you’ll register for, but a lot of it can be purchased after the baby is born. Babies need very little on day one, so keep that in mind when registering. Focus on the big stuff and you can pick up the little stuff as you go along. Here’s my list:

     

 BOB Stroller

1. A good stroller. As a mom of two kids under 5, I can tell you it is worth every penny to buy a good stroller. Obviously, I love to save money everywhere I can, but a stroller isn’t where you should cut corners. The good ones roll a million times easier than the less expensive models which will make your life much easier. Trust me, parenting is hard enough.

In my almost five years of being a mom, I’ve owned six different strollers. I’m proud to say I’m down to three, but by far, my most used strollers are my BOBs. I currently have a single BOB Revolution stroller, as well as a BOB Duallie double stroller. I use it for walking around our neighborhood as well as my daily Stroller Strides workout program. The BOB is also perfect for trips to the zoo, theme parks, etc… and also works well for older children. My almost 5 year old still happily sits in it from time to time. I’m not going to lie, it isn’t a small stroller (the double is a beast), but if you have an active lifestyle and the space to store it (aka you don’t live in Manhattan), this thing is seriously a dream. Worth every penny.

Modular double stroller

If you aren’t looking for a jogging stroller, I’m also a huge fan of the Britax B Ready stroller. This is one of those modular strollers that you can use with one or two seats, which is perfect for any growing family. I did a collaboration with Britax a few months back talking about this specific stroller (click HERE to read my full review). There are also a billion different attachments and pieces you can buy to make this stroller work depending on the age of your kids. I can’t say enough good things about it.

Best Infant Car SeatBritax car seat

2. Two car seats. I know what you are going to say. I’m not having twins, why do I need two? Well, here’s the thing. Most people use infant car seats at the beginning because they are easy to move sleeping newborns from place to place, but they grow out of them so quickly. My kids were both large babies (my son was almost 9 lbs) and we had to move them over to a convertible car seat around 6-7 months old. By that point I could no longer carry my giant children in the infant seat anymore. I didn’t want my arm to snap off and they were both SO MUCH HAPPIER when we switched to a convertible seat. The infant car seat is amazing and worth the money in my opinion, but don’t forget you will need a larger car seat in the not-so-distant future.

I recommend going with the Chicco Keyfit 30 for the infant car seat and the Britax Boulevard convertible car seat. I actually have never used the Chicco infant car seat, but it is widely used and loved by moms. Best part it isn’t all that expensive compared to some of the other available options. I actually splurged and went with a Peg Perego (amazing car seat BTW), but it wasn’t cheap. No one wants to buy used car seats and I think I got a whopping $30 for it when I finally found someone interested in buying it on Craigslist. I wish I would have saved some dollars and registered for a more affordable infant seat, as well as a convertible car seat, which my kids have used for many, many years.

Ergo carrier

3. Baby carrier. Onto baby wearing. I was a huge fan of the baby carriers and used it everywhere from running errands to hiking and chores around my house. My kids both loved the carrier and usually fell fast asleep in it, even during those dreaded witching hours. I’ve tried a few different models, but my absolute favorite was the Ergobaby carrier. I personally owned an older model, but this Ergo 360 now allows you to put your baby inward or outward facing.

Best breastpump

4. Breast pump. If you plan on nursing, make sure to get a good pump. In the US, insurance programs are now required to cover the cost of a breast pump, but there is no guarantee what brand or model it will be. When I was pregnant with both of my kids, my employer covered the cost of the top-of-the-line Medela Freestyle pump, which was tiny, quiet, portable with a rechargeable battery. If I had to pay for a pump, I probably would have purchased the Medela Pump in Style. It is basically the same as the Medela Freestyle, but about $100 cheaper. I nursed both my kids until they were 13 months old and can’t tell you how much money I saved not having to buy formula. Trust me, it is worth it to buy a good pump.

Nuna Play yard

5. Pack and Play. These go by different names like play yards, portable cribs or pack and plays, but most people usually register for one. We used a pack and play in our room when our kids were babies and have used it countless times on vacation or when friends with babies stay at our house. My kids never liked to play in them, but each kid is different. I still currently own three play yards (I promise, I’m not a hoarder), but my favorite is the Nuna Sena. It is a bit larger than some of the cheaper models, is super sturdy for older toddlers who still use cribs, and is crazy easy to collapse and assemble. Even though both of my kids now sleep in beds, I’ll be keeping the Nuna for years in case we need one for visitors.

Leather Diaper Bag

6. Cute diaper bag. Motherhood doesn’t mean all sense of style needs to go out the window. I recently retired the diaper bag since both my kids are potty trained, but I lugged around a diaper bag pretty much daily for four and a half years. Kids require SO.MUCH.STUFF and I’m one of those people who would rather be prepared. How amazing is this Oemi leather diaper bag? The cognac leather color is so pretty and it doesn’t look like a “mom bag”. It makes me want one!

Modern High Chair

7. Easy to clean high chair. Most babies don’t start sitting in a high chair until they are 5-6 months old, but I highly recommend registering for one. That time goes by so quickly and you won’t want to deal with doing research when you have a newborn. I absolutely love the Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair. I actually used a different model, but mine featured removable and washable seat pads. Padding sounds great, right?! WRONG. That means there are more pieces to clean and crevices for food to get stuck in. I love that the Stokke is a solid wood high chair that is easy to clean and comes in a bunch of cute colors.

Bamboo swaddles

8. Swaddles/burp cloths/blankets. Finally, get yourself some of the Aden + Anais swaddles. I used these things for seriously everything when my kids were babies – burp cloths, blankets, nursing covers and swaddles. Yes, I received other blankets and burp cloths at my baby showers, but I found myself always reaching for these. The patterns are all so cute, too!

Any other baby registry essentials I’m missing? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Newborn must haves

Jenny

2 Comments

  1. One thing I wish I had that Lori had was that snap and go contraption. When Gavin was an infant I never quite knew how to get out with him….he couldn’t use umbrella stroller yet, so I either had to lug car seat or attach seat to the BOB. I did a post similar to this and included snap and go on there. Love this blog!

    • Great idea Heather!! I never had one of those but a ton of people I know found them super helpful. Thanks so much for sharing ??

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