Everything I'd Put on A Baby Registry Now

Putting together a baby registry can be one of the most exciting and daunting tasks for a parent-to-be. There’s just so much stuff out there to choose from. Excited friends send spreadsheets filled with product recs. Everyone has a strong opinion—and they’re all different, sometimes contradicting one another. The stakes feel relatively high when a stroller can cost more than you ever imagined.

I shared my own baby registry list a while ago, but it was time for a refresh, given that I now have two years of parenthood and hindsight under my belt, and another baby on the way. (I shared the news on Instagram last week, in case you don’t check that channel regularly!) I’m excited to share my updated list in partnership with Babylist, the registry platform we used for our first and will use again for our second (and every other friend of ours has used it, too).

I love using Babylist for so many reasons:

• You can add products from any store. That means it’s an easy one-stop shop for your gift givers and for you. Babylist helps you compare prices across stores, too.

• You can mark that you’re “open to secondhand” gifts. This is amazing for items like gently worn infant clothes, which are only worn for a short time anyway. I especially loved receiving secondhand books that were well-loved by my friends’ babies.

• You can create cash fund options. This is great for things like meal services, doulas, a lactation consultant (highly recommend), a night nurse, or whatever your family’s needs might be.

• The user experience is easy and intuitive for both parent(s) and gift-givers. I do not say this lightly as someone who used to design interfaces for a living!! For example, it’s easy to collect addresses for thank you cards and track your gifts on Babylist.

• The group gifting feature comes in handy. If you’ve got higher-ticket items on your list (BabyBjorn Bouncer, I’m looking at you), this is useful.

Before we get into my recs, let me say this: if you’re a first-time parent-to-be, please try not to panic or stress about your registry. You will figure it out as you figure out your baby’s and your family’s needs. I say this as a mom to a child who arrived prematurely; we had many items on our registry checked off, yet we were still not fully prepared with “everything,” given the situation. It’s impossible!

Every baby is so different, and you can always buy things as needs come up (thank god for next-day shipping). This is also part of why I love Babylist’s extended 15% discount policy. You can apply the discount to anything sold in the Babylist Shop, 60 days before and up to 90 days after your baby’s expected arrival date. I’m pretty sure at least 50% of my nursing and feeding supplies were purchased after we brought the baby home.

Okay, I’m done with my chat. Onto my registry picks, below!

-Alisha

The Top 10 Baby Registry Picks I Feel Most Passionately About

These are the MVPs of the MVPs; the products I feel strongly about that we used and relied on a lot, especially in the newborn and infant days.

1. Doona Infant Car Seat & Stroller. We were amazed at how much easier this made our lives. This compact stroller easily folds and converts into a car seat, which is especially helpful if you don’t want to wake a sleeping baby or deal with extra bulk and maneuvering. It also worked well for travel! *given the price, we bought this for ourselves, but this would be a great group gift candidate on Babylist.

2. BabyBjörn Bouncer. We used this nearly every day in the infant stages after she developed some neck strength. It’s helpful to have a safe place to put the baby down so you can get things done (like brush your teeth, wash/prep bottles). Our daughter was very content in this, and we added the googly eyes toy bar for extra entertainment. This is a popular find on FB Marketplace and secondhand, just fyi!

3. OXO Tot Perfect Pull Wipes Dispenser. It’s a weighted dispenser, which comes in so handy when you’re one-handing it and trying to be quick—which happens more often than you’d think (one hand on a squirming baby, one hand grabbing wipes).

4. SnuggleMe Infant Lounger. This is one of those “a safe place to plop the baby down” products that my husband was skeptical of at first, but ended up getting daily use from us. This allowed the baby to hang out with us on the couch while we watched TV and even on top of our dining table while we ate. (*Please note, this is not intended for infant sleep. Make sure to read all of the safety precautions.)

5. Papablic Baby Bottle Sterilizer & Dryer. Counterspace is precious, and this one is certainly a beast in terms of size, but trust me, it’s worth it. One doesn’t fully understand the grind of washing and drying bottles and pump parts multiple times per day until you have to do it. This made our lives so much easier; I liked that it thoroughly dried everything too, even smaller bottle and pump parts. It lived on our counter for the first year plus.

6. Infant Optics DXR-8 PRO Baby Monitor. The image is crystal clear, and we’ve had no issues with it two years on. We also like that it connects without Wi-Fi, and you don’t need an app to use it. You can easily add a second camera (or two) for a growing family.

7. Hush Yogasleep Noise Machine. I’ve tried a few noise machines and this is my favorite. It’s helpful not only for bedtime but also when you’re out and about and want the baby to stay asleep in their stroller or carrier. We actually still use this in our daughter’s room, and we’ll be purchasing a second one for her sibling. And again: no app required! I don’t love gadgets that require an app for you to use the thing!

8. JolyWell Baby Night Light. I love this thing!!! This $29 night light is super portable, easy to use, and has all the basic functions you need. It’s especially great for middle-of-the-night feeds; the light is easily dimmable with a long tap. We still use this in our daughter’s room—I actually used this during labor & delivery, too, to create a cozier ambiance (important). An all-around MVP I feel strongly about and we’ll be buying a second one for baby #2.

9. Happiest Baby Snoo Smart Sleeper Bassinet. I know opinions are varied on this, but our daughter loved The Snoo, which we borrowed from a friend. The gentle rocking, the securely strapped-in swaddle blanket, and the built-in sound machine came in clutch for nap times. This product definitely falls into the “every baby is different; find what works for you” category. You can also rent the Snoo if you’d like to try it out first.

10. Canopy Humidifier. We used this a lot in the winter months and liked it so much we got one for our own bedroom. It’s very easy to clean and it’s dishwasher-friendly. It looks like it’s HSA & FSA eligible too, FYI. (They just released this adorable Tubby Todd x Canopy bath tub filter collab, also great for registry gifting!)