Baby Registry Must Haves: What To Add To Your Registry
As you await the arrival of your baby, a registry is likely on your to-do list. It’s an exciting thing to create, but can often feel daunting - especially if this is your first. What type of items should I include? What are things that I’m going to need? What are the best brands? How much does everything cost?
There’s so many questions when you first get started, not to mention the endless options once you start shopping. That’s why we are here to help! We’ve pulled together a guide with baby registry must-haves for you to follow when you create yours, to help ensure you have all the right baby products to welcome your newborn into the world. And with every product mentioned below, you can rest easy knowing they are created by purpose-driven brands building a better future for our kids.
What to Add to Your Baby Registry
You want to make sure you’re covering all the key types of products - from toys to clothes to gear. You also want to include a range of prices, so that friends and family have options within their price range. And lastly, don’t forget about the products made just for parents.
Baby Apparel
Clothes are a baby registry must-have! And there are all different types of baby apparel you’ll want to have on hand: newborn onesies, baby sleepwear, gowns, rompers, baby outerwear and socks. You’ll learn that onesies are a parent’s best friend during those early months. They are perfect for your little ones during the day, and you’ll want to have plenty on hand for when accidents, spills or blowouts happen. We especially love the Tabeeze onesies for this reason - their bottom-up baby bodysuits make getting your baby dressed and undressed easily. We also like to fill our closet with with fun sayings like this or this, or collared bodysuits for when we want to dress up a bit.
With how much sleep our babies need, we also stock up on sleepers, gowns and rompers. We lean into gowns for easy diaper changes when they are little. Chubby Lamb’s organic cotton baby gowns come in classic colors like mushroom or pistachio. They also have soft one-piece sleepers, perfect for babies and young toddlers. We also add Tiny Knot Co’s baby rompers on our registry for their luxuriously soft feel, thanks to their Eco Soft technology.
No matter what season your baby arrives, you’ll want to be ready with outdoor gear like jackets, coats, hats and mittens. Look to register for the size that your baby would need during each season. For example, if your baby is born in July, you may want to add a baby jacket like this for ages 3-6M or a coat like this for 6-12M. We then especially love this Malabar Baby accessory set for newborns to wear, no matter the season.
Lastly, don’t forget some socks! You’ll want to keep those little toes warm all day. Pals Socks are our go-to for fun, playful ones like this and this.
Baby Play
You’ll want to have plenty of toys around the house to grow with your littles - ones that were built specifically for development. For infants, you’ll want to have a playmat, activity pad and black and white educational toys. Babies are fascinated with black-and-white designs, and art cards like these can help develop a baby's visual perception. One thing you’ll learn early on is the importance of tummy time - this is when you have your baby spend time on their stomachs to strengthen their necks and muscles. Having toys specifically made for tummy time are a great thing to add to your registry.
You’ll also want toys that are safe for your baby to chew on. As soon as they start teething, you’ll want plenty of teethers like these. We love how Tikiri Toys’ teethers can also be used as rattles and bath toys.
Speaking of bathtime, be sure you add these toys to your registry too! Our go-to bath toy is Biggest Little’s b is for ball because they are nontoxic and mold-free. Tikiri Toys have animal bath mitts, which can be used as hand puppets for bathtime fun.
As your baby gets older within the first year, you’ll want some toys that can help them hit different developmental milestones - like a walker, activity cube, shape sorter or activity bench.
Gear
We always recommend having gear on your registry, as most of these are things you’ll use everyday. The must-haves for any registry are a diaper bag, high chair, humidifier, and sound machine.
For bedtime, you’ll also want sleepsacks, swaddles, a crib mattress, crib sheets and a baby monitor. And for bathtime, you’ll need a few towels and maybe even a robe.
Lastly, you’ll want to prep for all the feeding sessions you’ll have with your baby. If you plan to breastfeed, you’ll want to have a feeding pillow on-hand. If you’ll be using baby bottles, a sterilizer will clean and dry your bottles quickly. And you’ll definitely want a handful of burp clothes.
Wellness
One of our favorite wellness products is the baby massager from Kahlmi. Whether it's teething, constipation, fussiness or gas, the Kahlmi baby massage wand will help soothe your baby.
A few other wellness products to add to your registry are body wash, lotion and diaper rash cream.
And don’t forget about yourself! Your wellness is just as important as your little one’s, so be sure you have products made with you in mind. We especially love Versine’s skincare products because they are pregnancy and breastfeeding safe.
Creating a baby registry can be overwhelming, but with the right essentials you'll be well-prepared for the arrival of your little one. Use this baby registry checklist as a starting point, and when you come across other products you love, add them too!