While creating a baby registry seems like a daunting task, there are many benefits to having one. Baby registries are helpful to organize all of the items you want/ need for your new baby, as well as to track what you receive. Friends, family and others will likely ask for your registry link(s) so that they can contribute gifts for your growing family.
There are many options for creating a baby registry, whether you decide to create multiple registries at different stores, or whether you decide to use one source (such as Babylist) to create a single registry. I’m going to detail how I created my baby registry, and discuss what I consider the must-have (debit) products and the not-as-used (credit) products, as well as some miscellaneous recommendations on certain baby items.
Babylist
I used Babylist to create my registry, and I found it so useful to have one sole source for all of my baby registry items. Below are some of the debits and credits of using Babylist.
- Universal Registry: The best part about Babylist is that you can include products from any and every store. This makes it easier for gift givers to look in one location (at one registry) to buy gifts.
- Price Comparison: Another top perk of Babylist is the ability to see the prices from every store that sells that product. This helps gift givers get the best deals. Further, you can set up alerts to be notified when the price changes.
- Baby Box: Like most registries, Babylist offers a welcome box that includes a variety of sample products for you to try out (such as diapers, wipes, and bottles). Most registries, like Target and Amazon also offer this; however, note that there is a minimum spend commit (usually $10 or $15) in order to receive.
- 15% Registry Completion Discount: Other registries also offer this, but Babylist will give you a 15% discount to help complete your registry purchases. The discount code has to be used during a certain time period (usually within a few months after baby is born). There is a max discount $ and product exclusions as well. The completion discount allows you to purchase items you may not have received from gift givers.
- Cash Funds and Group Gifting: While some gift givers will just give you cash or check, Babylist has the option to pay through Venmo or PayPal, as well as via cash or check. Further, group gifting is a great way to allow gift givers to contribute to big ticket items (that may not be purchased by one individual).
- Manual Gift Tracking: This is one major drawback to having only one baby registry that includes items sold at different stores. If the gift giver does not purchase the product through Babylist then they have to mark the gift as received within the Babylist registry. This can be difficult for some users as they will click the third party link to purchase the gift and not go back to the registry to mark as received. I dealt with this as part of my baby showers, so it’s unavoidable to a certain extent (you can include a note at the top of the baby registry reminding people to make sure the gift is marked as received after purchasing).
- Limited and Overpriced: Babylist itself sells products; however, the options are usually more limited compared to bigger named retailers like Amazon or Target. In addition, Babylist products are usually priced slightly higher than other retailers. This then causes the gift giver to shop outside of Babylist and requires manually marking the gift as received (which can be easily forgotten - refer to bullet point above).
Where to Begin in Creating Your Baby Registry
As you know me, the Accounting Momma, I started my baby registry with bum bum bummmm…another Excel file! My first step, which was a broad step, was to write down literally anything and everything that we could possibly need for a baby. I separated the items by category – see below for my expansive list (although I’m sure I’m missing some things).
Note, I did not purchase all of the items below, but wanted to include in my research to determine if the item was needed.
- Nursery: bassinet, crib, crib mattress, bedding, dresser, changing table, changing pad, diaper pail, diaper caddy, glider/ rocking chair, white noise machine, night light, baby monitor, blankets, swaddles, room decor, laundry hamper, hangers, storage bins, blackout shades, air purifier
- Feeding: bottles, bibs, burp cloths, formula, breast pump, nursing cover, nursing pillow, bottle warmer, milk storage bags, portable milk storage, bottle brush, bottle drying rack, bottle sterilizer, high chair, cups, plates, bowls, utensils
- Transportation: stroller, car seat, baby carrier, sunshade for car windows, portable crib, disposable diaper pail, car camera, car mirror
- Health & Safety: first aid kit, humidifier, thermometer, bulb syringe, nasal aspirator, picker, baby proofing supplies, tooth brush, tooth paste, pacifiers, teethers, liquid Benadryl, children’s Tylenol/ Motrin
- Baby Hygiene: bath tub, bath towels, wash cloths, spout cover, kneeling mat/pad, bath toys, baby shampoo/ conditioner, baby wash, baby lotion/ moisturizer, sunscreen, gentle laundry detergent, soft bristled brush, nail clippers/ soft emery board
- Diapering: diapers, wipes, diaper cream, butt spatula, diaper bag
- Clothes: bodysuits (short sleeve and long sleeve), pajamas, pants, caps, socks, booties, headbands, mittens, outerwear, shoes
- Gear: car seat, stroller, carrier, bouncer or swing, lounger, stroller fan, portable sound machine
- Playroom: toys, books, play mat, toy basket, walker, mobile, air purifier
- For mom: postpartum clothes, nursing bras, breast massager, nursing pads, nipple cream, nursing cups, disposable underwear, pads, witch hazel pads, dermoplast numbing spray, peri bottle, heating pad, ice packs, stool softener I will have a separate blog post on what to pack in your hospital bag, plus postpartum care items I recommend!
I had one tab in the Excel file that had the above master summary list, and then I had a tab for each category that then had the individual category’s items listed (ex: nursery tab had a table with all of the nursery products and then an individual tab for research on each nursery product (i.e., tab for bassinet, tab for crib, etc.). I also put N/A for certain items that we felt we would not use (such as shoes — babies don’t need shoes this young) or that we would consider purchasing at a later time.
Research
From here, I decided which items I wanted to do in depth research on vs high level/ quick research on. For example, my husband and I did a lot of research on nursery furniture, as we wanted to find a reputable brand that made durable, long lasting furniture. I had an individual tab for each product that I did further research on. I then linked the item (+ the price) we wanted to the category’s summary tab. I wanted to include the price so I could help track for budget purposes (it’s the accountant in me).
For those products that I did in depth research on, I had an individual tab that summarized a variety of options. If I haven’t bragged about Babylist enough, Babylist is also super helpful in that they have posts that go into detail about different recommended products for a specific item (ex: for cribs, there is a list of best overall crib, best value crib, etc.). I included this information, along with price, size, and other relevant details in my Excel file. My husband and I then reviewed and decided which product we liked best (and added to our baby registry).
Again, I did not do this for every single product (as that would have taken forever)—this was primarily done for the bigger items, such as car seat, stroller, etc. My husband and I also did a lot of ‘offline’ research, such as reading Reddit for recommendations as well, which we found very helpful! Another piece of advice for research is to ask other moms what they would recommend for baby products — word of mouth is a great tool to help understand what works best.
It might seem overwhelming, first learning about all of the different baby products you might need, and second, figuring out which baby product is the best (as we all want what’s best for our baby!). Just take it one step at a time, and your baby registry will come together in no time!
Must-Have vs Not-Needed
I don’t want to go into detail on every baby product (but feel free to contact me if you want any recommendations). However, I would love to share some of my must-have and not-needed baby products. And I’m not talking here about the basics, like a car seat or a bassinet, as these products are considered requirements rather than must haves (many hospitals require that you have a car seat in order to leave). My must have’s are based on ‘nice-to have’ items and the consideration as to whether they’re must have or not needed.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
(Must Have) Baby Brezza One Step Sterilizer Dryer
If your dishwasher is like ours, certain items (like baby bottles) do not get fully dry in the dishwasher. And instead of wasting time air drying, the Baby Brezza One Step Sterilizer Dryer helped dry (and then sterilize) our bottles. We also used this product to sterilize other baby products as well. This product made our lives infinitely easier (and cleaner) – I would highly recommend!
I will caveat this and say that I would even go a step further and recommend the Baby Brezza Bottle Washer Pro, which is a 3-in-1 option. At the time, we did not think we would need the washing feature as we were not planning to bottle feed our daughter very often. I breastfed exclusively and my husband bottle fed our daughter once a day starting at 4 weeks (this was a nice bonding experience for them to have). It wasn’t until our daughter started daycare at 6 months old, she started to take 3 bottles a day. We overlooked that the breast pump bottles need to be cleaned as well, and the washing feature would have been a big help. So I would consider the 3 in 1 feature even though it is pricier.
(Must Have) Infant Optics DXR-8 Pro Baby Monitor
People have differing views on baby monitors – wifi vs video monitor. We have heard the hacking stories with the wifi baby monitors and did not want to risk it. We also like being able to have the video monitor available to look at constantly (instead of only looking at in an app on our phone – as we use our phones a lot during the day for other things).
The Infant Optics DXR-8 Pro Baby Monitor has been the perfect baby monitor for us. The range works great, and we haven’t had issues in our house being able to connect. The control buttons are easy to use, and the monitor can pair to multiple cameras, which is helpful.
(Must Have) OXO Tot Perfect Pull Wipes Dispenser
This was an item that we did not put on our baby registry initially, but realized we needed after the fact. We purchased this wipes dispenser shortly after baby arrived and it was a game changer! No more messing around with the wipe pack, trying to pull one wipe out at a time and ending up with five. This wipes dispenser helps to ensure that only one wipe comes out at a time and makes diaper changes so much easier!
(Not Needed) Wipe Warmer
While the wipes dispenser is a must for us, we do not think a wipe warmer is needed. We did not put a wipe warmer on our baby registry, and I do not regret it. First, we were hesitant with the risk of bacteria growth with using a wipe warmer. We also did not want the wipes to potentially dry out. Further, we did not want our daughter to get used to/ prefer warm wipes over normal temperature wipes, as we would not always have a wipe warmer on us. This is definitely a baby product you can skip!
(Not Needed) Bottle Warmer
While we did put this item on our registry, and we did use one time, we found out early on that our daughter would take milk cold. Therefore we never bothered to use the bottle warmer again, as it was just added time to bottle prep. When our daughter started daycare at 6 months old, they did use a bottle warmer for her milk (which she was find taking milk warm too), and then she transitioned to the next classroom around 1 year old and they do not do bottle warmers.
I understand all babies our different, but I think it is good to have your baby get used to multiple temperatures of milk, so that in case you’re ever in a pinch without a bottle warmer, you can still feed your baby. There can be a progression with the transition of warm milk to cold milk (slowly making the bottles less warm) so that your baby can get used to it. This also helps while traveling, so you don’t have to bring a bottle warmer with you as they can be bulky. I recommend skipping this baby product on your registry!
Recommendations
I could go on and on about recommendations for different baby products (but I won’t); however, I want to address a few products that are top of mind. Everyone has their own opinions about baby products, and these are my sole opinions about what worked and what didn’t work for my family.
Burp Cloths
There are so many burp cloths on the market and I’m here to actually recommend two brands! First are the Copper Pearl burp cloths — these burp cloths are so sturdy and durable! We love these Copper Pearl burp cloths for spit ups as they can soak up and absorb so much. I usually put under my daughter’s head on the breast feeding pillow (in case she spits up while eating — this was more common when she was younger).
Second, I also recommend the Comfy Cubs muslin burp cloths — these burp cloths are so soft and gentle. We love these Comfy Cubs muslin burp cloths for the quick dab up of snot or saliva. We typically have these burp cloths laying around the house in easy-to-grab spots, as they’re there for the quick and easy clean ups.
Diaper Bags
My opinion on diaper bags is that you only need one. My husband was gifted the High Speed Daddy diaper bag for Christmas the year before our daughter was born. I, of course, researched a cute diaper bag for me and added it to my baby registry. I ended up picking the Freshly Picked Convertible Classic Diaper Bag II. This bag has ample storage with two inner side cooling pockets. I honestly really like the style and design of my diaper bag but…
Ask me how many times I’ve used my diaper bag? I could probably count on one hand how many times I’ve used it. One of the reasons I think I haven’t used my diaper bag as much is because my husband’s diaper bag is so utilitarian. The High Speed Daddy diaper bag stores everything and is always stocked up, so I will usually grab his diaper bag if I head out. We are better at restocking his diaper bag too, so it’s always readily available.
Another reason that I feel only one diaper bag is needed is that if I ever take our daughter out on my own, it is usually only for a few hours and I typically keep the diaper bag in the car (so having a utilitarian bag with everything I need is most convenient). The diaper bag that I have is more useful for if I need to wear while walking around (which is rare).
Lastly, I think one diaper bag is all that is needed because there is never an instance where my husband and I each require a diaper bag. We only have one daughter, so either one of us or both of us is with her outside the house where only one diaper bag is used. As such, we prioritize stocking one diaper bag with all of the necessities (diapers, wipes, spare clothes, burp cloths, etc.) so it’s ready to go on a moments notice.
On a side note, a great gift idea for someone with the High Speed Daddy diaper bag is a diaper bag patch (as there is a velcro strip on the bag). Tactical Baby Gear makes some cute and funny patches. I purchased a couple for my husband to put on his diaper bag. One says ‘Call of Daddy Big Poops’ — as my husband plays Call of Duty, another one says ‘You Hurt Her, I Hurt You’. They have so many on their website, so if you’re in the need for a gift idea, there ya go!
Car Camera vs Mirror
My husband and I took our car (with the car seat newly installed) to AAA to get a free car seat installation safety check. As part of our conversation we were told that baby cameras and/or mirrors are not recommended as they are a distraction. While not illegal, the AAA was not wrong in that car seat cameras/ mirrors can distract you from driving, as if your eyes are on the camera or mirror, it means your eyes are not on the road.
However, for my sanity and sake of wanting to see my child while driving, we included both a car seat camera and mirror on our baby registry. What we found is that the mirror was not very helpful—the sun would cause a glare or the shade would make it too dark to even see the baby. Maybe we bought the wrong car seat mirror, but we did not prefer to use a car seat mirror in the car.
Instead, we use a baby car camera (in both of our cars) and love it! Unfortunately, Amazon doesn’t have the car camera I have, but it is very similar to the Rohent Baby Car Camera. The camera is positioned on the middle back seat, while my daughter is in the side seat. The monitor is positioned on my dashboard near my Apple Car Play video screen, so it isn’t blocking anything additional in my windshield view. The tricky part was having the wired camera snake from the back seat to the front seat, but the clever tech/ car guy that my husband is, figured it out, and it works great. I’m able to turn the camera on and off with a click of a button (from the front seat, as it’s plugged into the cigarette lighter).
Overall, if you want to have eyes on your baby while driving, I would recommend a car camera over a car mirror. You can adjust the camera’s brightness/dimness to accommodate for sun or shade, and the camera can be used in night mode (for driving at nighttime).
Babylist Variety Boxes
We put a bottle box and a pacifier box on our baby registry, and received both. While the concept of a variety box sounds great — getting different bottle types or different pacifier brands to try— I found that it was more of a waste in the end.
Babylist Bottle Box
For the bottle box I understand that not all babies take to bottles the same. We had tried my daughter on the Nuk baby bottle at first, and while she drank fine from it, my husband was not a fan of it (as it was a silicone base and squishy). The second bottle we tried with my daughter was Dr. Browns, and she took to that just fine as well. My husband preferred Dr. Browns as the bottles were sturdy and we liked the anti-colic internal vent system that the bottles had. From then on, we used Dr. Browns bottles. The Babylist box did come with a Dr. Browns bottle, and we also received two other Dr. Browns bottles from other baby registry boxes, so we ended up having a handful of these bottles in stock.
Once we decided on Dr. Browns bottles for my daughter, we didn’t want to try any other bottles for her, but we were left with a handful of other bottles that we were never going to use. Yes, we could donate the bottles, as we don’t want them to go to waste. But that’s why I don’t necessarily recommend the variety boxes as you may end up with unused bottles that you never even needed to begin with.
Even after we decided on Dr. Browns bottles, we had to buy more Dr. Browns bottles, as our daughter transitioned from 4oz bottles to 8oz bottles. And then you have to consider the nipple changes as well, so we had to purchase additional nipples for the bottles (0+ months, 3+ months, etc.). Once our daughter was taking 3 bottles a day at daycare, we wanted to have additional bottles on hand so we didn’t have to clean them every single night. Considering all of the money we spent on baby bottles (and the transition/ growth with the baby bottles), the Babylist bottle box was not worth it to me. I think the bottle samples you get for free with baby registry gift boxes is enough to help determine what type of bottle your baby prefers.
Babylist Pacifier Box
Similarly, for the pacifier box, I understand that not all babies take to the same pacifiers, but I consider pacifiers more universal than baby bottles. The Babylist pacifier box came with 7 different pacifiers. I forget which pacifier (or pacifiers) we tried our daughter with, but in the end she didn’t really take to a pacifier that much. She would mainly use a pacifier if she was fussy, or right before bed. We ended up using the nanobebe flex pacifiers with her. She only used them until about 5 or 6 months old — thankfully she wasn’t too attached, so it made it easy to cut them out (I know doctors/ dentists recommend around 1-2 years to cut off, but we figured why not do earlier to save the hassle).
We had to buy multiple nanobebe pacifiers so that we always had a clean one available, and one in the diaper bag (for on the go), one in the nursery (for nap/bed time), etc. And with all of the other pacifiers we received, we had a box full of them in her dresser. In the end, we had to toss the ones she tried and donate the ones she didn’t use. Again, considering the money you have to spend on purchasing pacifiers in order to have multiple available, as well as adjusting for when baby grows (as you need to purchase next size up pacifier as baby gets older), the Babylist pacifier box was not worth it to me. I think the pacifiers that you can get for free from baby registry gift boxes are enough to help determine which pacifier your baby will prefer.
Playmats
I remember doing research on play mats when I was creating my baby registry, as there is a wide variety of play mats for babies. You’ve got the simpler, more colorful, play mats like Fischer Price and Skiphop that are in the ~$60 range, and then you’ve got the fancier, more aesthetically pleasing, play mats like Lalo and Lovevery in the ~$150 range.
While I did purchase the Lovevery play kit subscription for my daughter (which I love by the way), I thought paying over $100 for a play mat seemed a bit ridiculous. We received the Fischer-Price Baby Playmat Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym. This is the one with the purple monkey (if you know the song, you know).
The goal of a play mat is to be interactive for the baby, and while I do love an aesthetically pleasing baby toy, the wooden arch with mat just didn’t look as fun for a baby. The Fischer Price play mat colors are bright and inviting, and the music is upbeat and catchy. My daughter used this play mat for a long time — from using it for tummy time, to using it to sit up and play the piano. It was sad the day we decided to put the play mat away.
Breastfeeding Pillow
I put the Boppy nursing pillow on my registry and received it as a gift. The Boppy is one of the most well-known breastfeeding pillows, and I initially liked the C-shape design. However, it looks like Boppy has created a new nursing pillow which is less C-shape and bigger to provide more support. The Boppy is also great to use with baby for tummy time or for providing back support as they learn to sit up.
While I am blessed that my daughter took to breastfeeding fairly easily, I really struggled with finding a comfortable position breastfeeding. I used the Boppy for a few weeks and I tried multiple holds (cradle, cross cradle, football, etc.) but always had back pain when breastfeeding my daughter. There were days where I was in tears because my back ached so badly.
I eventually saw a lactation consultant as part of my healthcare network, and it was she who actually recommended the My Brest Friend Super Deluxe Nursing Pillow. She had this pillow in her office so I was able to try it out before purchasing. This pillow comes with ergonomic support by having a lumbar back rest that eliminates the gap that other C or U shaped pillows have. The My Breast Friend nursing pillow was honestly a game changer for me as I instantly felt more comfortable breastfeeding my daughter and no longer had back pain after feedings.
The one down side is that the covers are a bit tedious to take on and off as the shape of the pillow isn’t an easy C or U shape. However, once you get the hang of it, the covers are pretty easy to put on. I highly recommend this pillow if you want the extra ergonomic or lumbar support while breastfeeding!
Diapers and Diaper Cream
Diapers
As everyone know, babies go through 10+ diapers a day, so it’s very common to receive diapers as a baby gift. Some moms do a diaper raffle at the baby shower, which can provide the opportunity to receive different brands (and sizes) of diapers. My thought on diapers is that once I find a diaper that works for my daughter, I don’t want to change.
My husband and I did research on different diaper brands and we eventually settled on Pampers. We included both Pampers Swaddlers and Pampers Pure diapers on our baby registry (in sizes 0, 1 and 2). I did not do a diaper raffle at either of my baby showers. Honestly, I did not want to end up with multiple brands and sizes of diapers as I knew I wouldn’t mix up my daughter’s diapers once we found one that worked. And you find out pretty quickly which diapers you like vs don’t like (since you’re changing them 10+ times a day)!
My hospital used Huggies diapers, which worked fine for our daughter. We then tried out Pampers Swaddlers and Pampers Pure, and all seemed to work fine for our daughter; however, my husband and I ended up liking Pampers Pure diapers the most as they had the best absorption, frills and tab coverings. With all of the diapers we received, there were a lot that weren’t used. As such, I donated all unused (unopened) diapers to a local diaper bank. You can find a local diaper bank near you on the National Diaper Bank Network.
As such, if you’re like me and like to stick to one diaper brand once you’ve found the one, then I would recommend only putting one diaper brand on your baby registry. Odds are you will end up with other brand diapers at your baby shower. You can also receive free diaper samples when you sign up for different baby registries. The free samples are the best way to go to help figure out which diaper is right for your baby (and the parents).
Diaper Cream
Similar to diapers, once we found a diaper cream that worked for our baby, we didn’t want to change it up. Diaper rash is very common for babies and there’s so many different ointments and creams out there. We included both Aquaphor Baby Ointment and Boudreaux’s Butt Paste on our registry.
Maybe we were just newbie parents not knowing how to use diaper rash cream for the first time, but we had a nightmare using Boudreaux’s Butt Paste. We read such great things about Butt Paste and how diaper rash clears up every time after. The first time our daughter had a diaper rash we tried Boudreaux’s Butt Paste and I think we applied it incorrectly as we only put on a thin layer to our daughter’s newborn skin (and you’re supposed to apply a thick amount). The Butt Paste made the diaper rash look 10x worse than it actually was, but I think it was just user error in applying.
We then switched to Aquaphor Baby (as my husband and I have used regular Aquaphor before and liked it), and this worked much better for our daughter. So much of being a parent is trial and error, and learning what works for one baby may not work for another baby. We’ve been using Aquaphor ever since and love it. We may go back to Boudreaux’s Butt Paste one day, but we like Aquaphor Baby and we also like to let our daughter “air dry” as much as possible to help relieve diaper rashes.
As such, my recommendation is to get the free samples of diaper rash cream from signing up for baby registries. This will help you learn what cream/ ointment your baby prefers, and then you can stock up on the product. Maybe put one brand (one container) on your baby registry to limit waste. We ended up with so much Butt Paste that went unused, and since we had opened a few of the containers, we could not donate.
If you’re looking for recommendations specifically for mom, I will have a separate blog post about What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag and Postpartum Care!
Remember that your baby registry is there to help you. Try to focus on the items that you will need immediately (car seat, safe sleep space, feeding essentials, etc.). The rest will work itself out. Also, just know that there will definitely be people who go off-registry, so try to mentally prepare for that (especially if you’re a planner like me!).