The Ultimate Baby Registry List

When you are expecting a child, or even looking for a gift for someone, it can be very overwhelming to know where to start. There are SO many baby products out there – and from experience, some are definitely better than others. Quality is better for some, but also just use – some things get used much more than others do overall.

When we had our first son, we got so much stuff – between baby showers and also just overbuying ourselves, we obviously had no real idea of what we would want and need. One thing I found is that every baby is different, and they will not all use the same products, but here are some of my favorite go-to products that were helpful with both of our first two, and we plan on having these items ready for our third (due in 3.5 months!!). I have honed this list over the past 5 years, so I am happy with the final product, and I hope you find some helpful suggestions on here.

I have organized it into categories so it is easier to locate and shop for yourselves. I am curious to hear what works best for all of you! Happy baby shopping! And congratulations!!

All links below are clickable for the products, the photos will also take you to my LTK page so you can save the whole category of items easily!

Nursing & Feeding

This section has a lot of items for breastfeeding momma’s, but as someone who has been both a breastfeeding mom and a formula mom, I have options for both. The reality is that there is just a lot more accessories needed when you’re breastfeeding – so these are my favorites for either (or both) situations!

Order your free pump through your insurance if you can, it should be free, or at least subsidized! I had Medela Pump In Style double electric. I think this is a popular one. I have also heard great things about the spectra natural.
Freemie is a collection cup system that can attach to the pump and make hands free pumping easier. It is absolutely worth it, as it’s incredible how much milk you can save just by setting this up! You can even attach it to the side you’re not feeding from to catch the let-down milk (and there can be a good amount there each time!).
Get extra plastic bottles with lids for storage of fresh milk
Medela® Breastmilk Cooler Set if your free pump doesn’t come with this, this is very handy for transporting milk
Freezer bags for storing frozen milk – I like Lansinoh® 100-Count Breastmilk Storage Bags because they lay flat for easy stacking
Medela® Quick Clean™ 5-Count Micro-Steam™ Bags is good for sterilizing bottles, pacifiers, and pump accessories/bottles
My Brest Friend® Nursing Pillow is a must have! I don’t recommend the “popular” Boppy pillow for nursing. You can get one of those for propping the baby on for tummy time, but it is not supportive enough for nursing. Get a second slip cover so you can throw one in the wash when needed.
Download BabyConnect or similar app on your phone. This is worth the $5. This app has everything for tracking feedings, sleep, diaper changes, milestones, and more
We use Phillips Avent bottles and pacifiers – we tried a few before finding one our boys liked. We started giving our first son one bottle a day of breast milk around 2-3 weeks old when he was good at latching. I recommend buying a few sample bottles to try it out before buying a set. Some people love pacifiers, but we didn’t like them – they fell out all the time and the boys just never really took to them. And you’re supposed to take it away by 1, so it was easier just to have them use their thumb to sooth.
Get a drying rack or two, a good bottle brush that comes with a small brush in the handle to clean the bottle nipples and pump accessories. Also, the Dapple Cleaner is amazing to get milk residue off!
Get some MotherLove nipple cream (use code ALEX20 for 20% off all their products) or similar for yourself. One container goes a long way. It’s safe for nursing. This is a personal preference so I’d recommend buying a few options and seeing what works for you.
Lansinoh Stay Dry Disposable Nursing Pad – not everyone needs these, but if you leak a lot, you will want to constantly wear these. I needed to wear them 24/7, and they make extra absorbent too.
Nursing bra and nursing tank tops made nursing so much easier. I’d wear them all the time with button up tops over them.
Hands free nursing bra (I used Simple Wishes) – came in handy for sure!
Adan + Anais are my favorite burp clothes. They have different colors. You need more than you think. Register for several and you can always return some if you don’t need them. You could really use 15-20. They are handy for so many things and you don’t want to be doing laundry constantly. Our first son didn’t spit up a lot, but our second did, and you never know, so definitely recommend.
For formula feeding, the Baby Brezza machine is a lifesaver – it is absolutely worth it! They also have a bottle warmer to warm up cold breast milk, or formula!

Sleeping Essentials

Owlet – we loved this for our boys, especially the first few months, as it provides so much peace of mind while they sleep. When they were in our room, we didn’t have to constantly check on them, and when in their own room, we didn’t feel the need to constantly go check on him, as we could see he was safe.
HALO® SleepSack® Newborn Swaddle You can get Halo Sacks in different materials (cotton for cool and fleece for warm). We used this (and got the next size up too) and around 3 months we let his arms out, but still use the sleep sack. Until then, babies have the “moro” reflex which startles them awake, so swaddling helps a lot. We actually used these until our older son was 3.5 years old as it kept him in the crib longer!
Mattress – get a good one. The crib mattresses are two sided, one side for infant (firm) and one side for toddler (less firm) so they last a few years, and we love this one the most – it’s held up very well.
Crib sheets – I recommend getting 2-4 since you’ll need to change/wash them regularly.
Waterproof mattress pad – I recommend 2 so you don’t have to wash it before using it again!
Some people love a noise machine – we’ve never used this but other friends and family have.
We have a small fan for him for air flow at night and our boys like the white noise it provides.
Humidifier – cold air one, good to have on hand in case the baby gets congested. We ended up just using this instead of a fan to keep the air flow good + have some white noise when he would be a little congested.
Dock A Tot – These are very popular! I personally bought a cheaper version of it, but we used ours a LOT! I also used a basket with our second, which was so nice to be able to have him in while he slept a lot as a newborn (only used it when I could see him in it).
Halo Bassinet Swivel Sleeper – we had our boys in our room until they were about 3 months old and this was a great place for them to sleep and for us to feel safe with them in there
Crib, changing table, comfortable chair for feeding – this is up to your style choices too! These are some of my favorite choices (I did a lot of research!)

Diaper Station

Playtex® Baby Diaper Genie® II Elite Pail System with 100-Count Refill is a must have. You can buy refills (blue plastic donut looking things) at Target, grocery stores, COSTCO. The diaper genie keeps the smell contained and is very easy to use. We have multiple in our household.
Changing table pad and pad cover. 1 pad and 2-3 pad covers. We also really liked the changing pad liners. We would put a liner on top of the pad cover and if the baby leaks, we only had to throw the liner in the laundry and not the pad cover.
Diaper bag is good for a registry. Two of my favorites are the Itzy Ritzy bag and the Baby K’tan Bag, depending on the style you’re looking for.
Diapers – we started with pampers in the beginning, but it’s all preference. When they get bigger, we also use Huggies Overnight which are amazing at night. I honestly like both of these brands a lot for diapers, they are very reliable. I would recommend adding some size 1 and size 2 diapers to your registry as well (in addition to newborn), as they grow quickly!
Wipes – we use Medline ULTRASOFT1013 Disposable Dry Cleansing Cloth 10″x13″ (500 count) and wet them with warm water. It’s a little more work than regular wipes, but we’ve never had an issue with diaper rash in the first few months, so it’s worth it for us. We switched to honest company wipes when they got a bit older.
Desatin and was Bordeaux’s extra strength Butt Cream – butt cream we use this if he has any rash. Every baby is different, so it’s good to have on hand. This is preventative care against diaper rash.
Also recommend having some corn starch – sounds strange but just helped dry up a really bad rash for our second babe – our doc recommended it. It was actually the best thing we’ve used so far, and I still put it on as maintenance many days when he has a little redness!
Hand sanitizer by the changing station and in your diaper bag – good for when you inevitably get something on your hands!
Medicine Box – this is a great starter kit to have around the house
Individual Medical Items – Baby nail clippers, Baby tylenol (not used until after 2 months), Anti-gas medicine, Snot remover (NoseFrida), baby thermometer, lotion, Soft brush or comb

Essential Bigger Items

Swing – Fischer Price Cradle ‘N Swing – Our first son loved this! He would sit in it while we eat dinner, takes naps in it, and just loves to look around.
Bouncer – The BabyBjorn bouncer is popular. Some babies like bouncers, some like swings, but good to have options to try out.
Play yard fence – this is the fence you can put anywhere to make a safe area for baby to play. It makes it possible for you to do anything during the day that doesn’t include constantly holding them
Cushioned Play Mat – We literally have 4 of these in our house now! They are super safe, and I set up the fence around the mat so the baby can play safely, and even tip over without getting hurt.
Pack and Play – handy for your room if you need to shower or for the kitchen if you need to cook and want a safe place for baby nearby. We got the Baby Bjorn travel crib because it’s light weight and we didn’t need the add-ons of other options
Fisher-Price Jumperoo – just bought this on Amazon too. Can’t use it until they’re 4-5 months and can support themselves more but then the boys loved it
Car seat/stroller – we opted for a travel system. This is when the car seat carrier fits into a stroller and into a base that stays in the car. So you pop the carrier in and out of the car and stroller. You can buy a second base so you each have one, and should only need the one carrier. We got the UppaBaby Vista stroller and Uppa Baby Mesa car seat and base. The Mesa fits in the Vista stroller. It’s also great because there are adapters you can get if you have more than one child. When our first turned one (or big enough in weight), we transitioned him to a bigger car seat – Nuna RAVA, which I also recommend adding to the registry!
Jogging Stroller – we have the Baby Jogger City Mini and it’s amazing for walks or jogs, plus it’s super easy to use. We also have the double stroller for the two boys now, and love it just as much.
You can register for a high chair, like this Graco option. You won’t need it until 5-6 months, but time flies, and it’s nice to have and not have to worry about later. We got the Graco high chair, and it’s lasted through two kids so far and still going strong.

Clothing and Entertainment

Clothes – think ahead for at least 1 year. Put clothes on the registry for all ages up to 12 months. You will be so happy when the baby grows and you don’t need to buy a whole new wardrobe. Shoes aren’t really necessary until they are walking and can be bad for his feet too early. Socks are all you need for a while, if at all. Little hats are nice too depending on the weather.

Side Snap Shirts – our boys lived in these the first few months, and it made the middle-of-the-night diaper changes SO much easier. We just put them in these, a diaper, and the sleep sack for sleep, and didn’t have to undo any buttons or snaps for diaper changes (lifesaver!)
Simple Onesies – once I moved them into onesies, I just got multiple packs of simple ones in each size as they grew. I would recommend registering for these in sizes 3 months and up through at least 12-18 months. The sizing doesn’t always equal age. Both our boys were in 12 month clothing by 8 months old!
Baby Pants – These are great to have when you leave the house. I keep them off in the house so they don’t slip around, but I love having them when other people are holding him or when we’re at a store, etc. Again, register in multiple sizes (like all clothing items).

Toys – They don’t need a lot when they’re little, but it’s nice to have things for them for the first year, so they can just play in the playpen, and entertain themselves. Plus, it helps with motor skill development.

This rings and sorter toy set is wonderful – we’ve had these for over 4 years, and they’re a favorite for sure.
Baby Rattles – these are absolutely my favorite rattles (and one of my top toys). They make diaper changes much easier as they start to get more mobile, and can keep them entertained for a while.
Teething Set – this is a random set, but honestly it’s one of their favorites! Something about the shape of the items are really easy to hold and chew on. Highly recommend.
Tummy Time Mirror – this is great as they learn how to push up, sit up, etc. They love looking at themselves!
Older toys for later in the first year – stand up table, small activity cube (our boys have LOVED this one!), large activity cube

Books – it’s great to let them flip through books from a young age, and these touch and feel are some of my favorites to start with! I also love this book as they start to be able to say more sounds.

The Best of the Rest

Dropps HE Laundry Detergent Pacs, Scent + Dye Free, 80 Counts – we use this detergent for their clothes because it’s dye-free and scent-free, and honestly I just use them for everyone now.
Baby play mat – must have! Great for tummy time
Nest Camera Indoor Cam – we have this in both rooms and love it! We also have the Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor with Interchangeable Optical Lens because it just uses radio frequencies but the quality of the picture/video isn’t as good so we just use it for travel
Baby carrier to wear – You may not know until you have baby in it, but these are my favorites. I love the BabyBjorn One and Baby K’tan ORIGINAL Baby Carrier, Black – this second one is my most used carrier for sure.
Cart Cover and Car Seat Cover – these are really nice to have to keep the baby safe, covered, and give you peace of mind.
Smaller eating items – disposable table covers, snack catcher cup, portable booster seat

I know this is a very comprehensive list, but we’ve really used everything on it, and it’s better to register for more than less! People like options when trying to give you gifts, plus most places will give you a “completion” discount to buy anything that wasn’t gifted to you.

As always, you can follow me along @ourbeautifulsurprise