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The Top 25 Baby Registry Must Haves Every Mom To Be Needs

Inside: Learn exactly what items need to go in your baby registry must haves with this simple guide! Plus, banish overwhelm when getting ready for baby with this guide. This post contains affiliate links to help better serve your needs. You can read my full disclosure here.

Not long ago I was anxiously expecting my first kiddo. I was excited when it was finally time to put together my first-time mom baby registry.

Until I started… And man oh man did I have no clue what to include. There are about a million baby products out on the market. How’s a first-time mom supposed to determine what’s a necessity and what’s good marketing on useless products?

In a hurry?

Spoiler alert:

I ended up with a lot of things I didn’t need. Yeah, they were cute and I was excited about them, but once the baby came they ended up in the back of the closet, never to be looked at again.

Fast forward 4 years to the pending arrival of my second little maniac bundle of joy and I felt like a seasoned pro. I had a solid idea of what I needed, what my baby needed, and what was a waste of money.

If you find yourself in the endless void of baby registry creation, then take a peek at my cheat sheet of the top baby registry items.

Special Side Note: If you love convenience, consider signing up for Amazon Family. It’s Amazon prime (free 2-day shipping and streaming of movies/songs), plus a 20% off coupon for diaper subscriptions and 15% off your remaining registry items.

Top 25 Baby Registry Must Haves

Baby Carrier:

Choosing a carrier can be difficult since there are so many different choices available. Which one you like best depends on the body shape of the parent carrying the baby and on the baby’s personal preference.

This carrier was my favorite when they were older and heavier.

Baby Monitor:

Registry Must Haves | Top Baby Registry Items
Some people might try to convince you that a baby monitor is a luxury. Believe me, I was one of those people.

I didn’t have one for my first baby and I’m surprised I didn’t go insane. This camera has been a game changer with my second baby and is definitely one of the must haves for a baby registry.

I don’t have to lose sleep creeping into his room every 2 seconds to make sure he’s ok. I simply pull up the handy dandy app on my iPhone and bam! There’s my little cutie on the screen.

baby registry must haves

Plus, you can use it anywhere in your house when you’re done using it in the nursery and it’s Alexa compatible.

Infant Car Seat:

Obviously, there’s no way around this one. But with seemingly limitless options, it’s overwhelming selecting the best one available.

best infant car seat

This car seat is an Amazon bestseller for a reason- it’s affordable, stylish and keeps kids safe

Check out this 5-star review:

Baby Blankets:

I’m a paranoid cautious mom so I don’t give my babies blankets until they are almost 2! Yes, I may sound a bit crazy but my mom taught me it’s better to be safe than sorry. So although they don’t use a blanket to sleep it’s great to have one to cover them up in a stroller or use as a nursing cover.

Portable Crib:


Even though we aren’t crazy travelers, a portable crib was another product on the baby must haves list. We used it when we wanted our baby to sleep in our room, when we went on short vacations, or even when we wanted our baby to nap over at Grandmas.

The Lotus travel crib is sleek and modern and as a bonus comes with backpack straps for easy transporting.

Baby Bottles:


We used and loved these bottles for my 2nd baby.  I didn’t want plastic bottles and ok, I loved the way they looked too! We did drop them a few times in the past year that we’ve had them and they looked as good as new.

A word of caution: don’t stock up on a ton of bottles before your baby has tested them out. Some babies are picky about flow and air intake and you don’t want to be stuck with a load of bottles your baby refuses to use.

Worried about using bottles and nursing? Check out this post about the best bottles for breastfed babies.

Sound Machine:


I mentioned before that we’ve been using the exact same sound conditioner for 5 years now! Isn’t it insane?

It’s the perfect white noise machine, drowns out so much outside noise, and is really affordable. Save yourself the hassle and buy this one.

Nursing Pillow:


Everyone seems to recommend the Boppy, but I ended up hating it. It was never high enough and always slipped down. Not this one!

Despite the corny name, this nursing pillow was perfect and a great price. It’s firm, can be placed higher up on the waist, and stays in place with the use of a buckle.

Thermometer:


I don’t own this one, but when my current thermometer breaks I’m going to purchase this one. It’s a temporal (head-scanning) and ear thermometer in one.

Nursery Glider:

Five years ago I thought, “Oh, I don’t need a glider. I’ll nurse in bed or the couch.”

Famous last words.

This nursery glider is amazingly affordable and has awesome reviews!

I purchased a nursery chair before I had my second child and it was one of the best purchases I ever gave myself as a mom. Learn from my mistakes; a chair for the nursery is a must!

Diaper Bag:

Yes, about any large bag can work, but this diaper bag is my all time favorite (see all the other beautiful bags by Lily Jade here)! It is beautiful and has organization like you wouldn’t believe. And when you don’t need a diaper bag anymore take the internal compartment out and it’s a purse.

Awesome for the budget, but leaves you in a tight spot when you try to convince your husband you need a new purse when you’re done with the diaper bag.

Baby Bathtub:


Yet another thing I didn’t think I needed with my first. And then I made my husband give our newborn a bath for the first 4 months. I was terrified of that slippery baby skin in a giant tub (or even a sink)!

Four years wiser and one baby down, and now I know a baby bathtub is worth the minimal price tag.

Bouncer/Swing:


This modern bouncer is mind-blowing. Not only does it look sleek, but it’s a swing babies LOVE! There are so many different options for motions and speeds that make it customizable to your baby’s ever-changing whims.

Diapers:


You’re gonna need lots and lots of diapers. I recommend having a few different brands of diapers on hand before baby arrives so you can test which one is the best fit.

Humidifier:


Another baby registry item I thought was unnecessary. It turns out these gadgets come in handy, especially if you live in a dry climate like myself.

This one is priced great and is working perfectly with my second baby.

Nasal Aspirator:


Yay, now that you’re a parent you get to suck bodily fluids out of your darling baby’s body! What a joy.

Skip the round blue bulbs and buy the Nosefrida instead. Even though it sounds disgusting to use your mouth to suck boogers out, over 6,800 parents agree it’s the best option out there!

Crib: 


Yep, you need a sweet spot to lay your angel down at night in. Opt for a convertible crib so you don’t have to buy a toddler bed when your kiddo grows up (in the blink of an eye).

High Chair:


I had a “regular” full-sized high chair with the first kid, but it took up too much floor space. This time around I chose a high chair that hooks directly onto the table and saves a ton of space.

Breast Pump:


Ok, so this isn’t a necessity if you don’t plan on nursing, but if you do, bite the bullet and purchase one. I used this breast pump for both boys and it was so great for trying to increase milk supply and having bottles so someone else could feed the baby while I was sleeping.

Onesies:


Yes, there are a ton of cute infant outfits that aren’t onesies. If you’re a first-time parent I’m sure you’ll ignore me on this one, but onesies are where it’s at.

Onesies are the high-speed internet of diaper changing. And trust me, you’ll want to change that diaper as fast as possible (especially at night). This set is organic and priced very competitively.

Swaddler:

When I found this unique swaddler that lets your baby’s hands stay up by their head, instead of strapped to their sides, it was the perfect solution. My baby was in a more natural position and slept better because of it.

Dresser:

You can opt for a changing table and a closet but a dresser like this one with a changing pad on top provides much more storage. And you can continue to use it when your kiddo becomes older and needs more space. Win-win.

Pacifier:

baby registry must haves
If you can get your baby to use one of these I’m pretty sure you’ll have it about 99% easier than me. I tried with both my boys and it was a no-go for them.

This one is Amazon’s choice.

Teething Toy:


You’ll want to be certain you have plenty of teething toys around for when those pesky little teeth erupt. This one is awesome for little hands to grasp and the little knobs are soothing on back teeth as well. We’ve already bought 2 because we always lose them.

Crib Sheets:


I love buying organic crib sheets since my baby’s face will be pressed on them for 10 straight hours a night (a mom can dream, right?). Ok, only if it’s for a few hours at a time, these sheets are cute, affordable and organic.

Well there you have it; 25 awesome baby registry must-haves that will get used over and over again. I hope this eases your stress levels and give you all the information you need!

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Tayja

Tuesday 25th of June 2019

Hello, thank you very much for this awesome list! Hubby and I definitely need some help creating a registry. The link to the noise machine seems to be broken. Do you have an updated link / product name? Thank you!

Sam T

Tuesday 25th of June 2019

Oh, thanks for letting me know! I fixed it in the post, but it's this one (this is an affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2X82p24. Congrats!!!!

Hellena

Tuesday 6th of March 2018

Such an amazing list I almost forgot some of these things as a first time mom. Thank you so much for sharing

Sam T

Tuesday 6th of March 2018

No problem! Thanks for stopping by Hellena :)

Katie

Monday 12th of June 2017

What baby carrier did you recommend. It says no the target link no longer works.

Sam T

Monday 12th of June 2017

Hey Katie! Thanks for letting me know the link isn't working. I just updated it, so it will now bring you to the right place. It's the Ergobaby carrier.

Mary

Sunday 9th of April 2017

Hello! Loved this! Can you please provide the link for the glider?

Thanks!

Sam T

Sunday 9th of April 2017

Hi Mary! If you click on the teal subheading "nursery glider", it will bring you to the glider at Target. Let me know if it still doesn't work for you.

Jessica

Thursday 20th of October 2016

What is the name/brand of the white dresser in the "25 must haves" image or do you know where I can buy it? Thanks!

Sam T

Thursday 20th of October 2016

Hi Jessica! Of course; you can click on the words "dresser" to take you there or just copy/paste this affiliate link: http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/8150439/type/dlg/http://www.landofnod.com/cargo-6-drawer-dresser-white/f16735?t=7&a=274&bid=12790bid

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