My Baby Registry as a First-Time Mom
I banged my baby registry out in a single weekend, but that’s not to say I didn’t spend plenty of time researching. If anything, as a first-time mom, I may have gone a little overboard combing through reviews. Nonetheless, I was determined not to make my registry feel too overwhelming. So, with the help of the internet and all of our friends who already have babies, here’s everything I added to my baby registry, broken down by category.
Baby Registry Feeding Essentials
Most-recommended feeding item: Mom Cozy Bottle Washer
Everyone I talked to said this bottle washer is a lifesaver, especially when you're in the thick of newborn feeds during those first few months. I added other essentials like this highchair (went back and forth between this and the Stokke but ultimately decided on this one) and this nursing pillow, but tried to limit items I was adding for down the road once baby girl starts solids. I'll cross that bridge when we get there!
Baby Registry Sleeping Essentials
Most-recommended sleeping item: No-Wifi Baby Monitor
Of course, having an at-home setup is essential and we went with the Nanit baby monitor system for that, but lots of friends stressed the importance of a no-wifi baby monitor for traveling, or just being somewhere outside of the nursery. I'm also excited about this bedside bassinet, which will likely be one of our most-used items during the first few months.
Baby Registry Stroller Essentials
Most-recommended stroller item: A lightweight travel stroller (we went with the Nuna Pipa Urbn Flex system)
I know the stroller conversation can get a little controversial and there are lots of opinions out there, but when picking out a travel stroller and an everyday (heavier-duty) stroller for our baby registry, we went with the Nuna Pipa Urbn Flex and the UPPABaby Vista V3. We tried both out in-store, along with lots of others and through our own testing and recommendations from friends, these are the two we think will work best for our lifestyle.
*A note about the Nuna: We much preferred this to the Doona, which has the same lightweight, easy-collapse type of system, because of the height. The Doona sat around Joe’s knees and just felt awkwardly low for us. I know so many people love the Doona, but we found the Nuna to be the closest competitor that hadn’t previously been on the market a year ago, which made us love it even more.
Baby Registry Diapering Essentials
Most-recommended diapering item: Diaper Genie Diaper Pail
I was pretty much decided on the Ubbi Diaper Pail, until 3 friends convinced me to swap it for Diaper Genie. I feel like Diaper Genie is one of those tried-and-true brands that has been around forever, and the biggest indicator was that this truly holds in smell, whereas the Ubbi didn't quite pass the test. Also excited about this Portable and Foldable Changing Table, which I see us keeping downstairs in an effort not to just live in the bedroom for the first two months. And of course, the Mina Baie Diaper Bag which is a bit of a splurge, but I love the sturdiness of the vegan leather and the overall functionality.
Baby Registry Bath Time Essentials
Most-recommended bath time item: Pipette Baby Products
I went with a bath that transitions from the newborn stage all the way through sitting up, since I didn't want to be buying a new tub every few months. Very excited to try the Pipette line, as I've heard so many great things about how gentle it is on sensitive newborn skin — it's become such a go-to for a lot of first-time moms I know. Also how cute is the starfish bath thermometer? It's a small thing, but I know not having to guess at water temp on those first few baths will give us peace of mind.
Baby Registry Play Time Essentials
Most-recommended play time item: Tummy Time Mat
I wanted to keep play time and toys as simple as possible at this time, because I know no matter how much I swear I won't have toys overflowing, it's all going to happen quickly. There are so many tummy time mats out there and ended up going with this one which felt very comparable to Lovevery, but significantly more price-friendly. Baby items add up quickly, and for something she's going to grow out of rather quickly, I felt fine with a non-name brand. Tummy time is one of those things pediatricians talk about from day one, so having a padded, easy-to-wipe-down mat felt like one of the few newborn-stage items actually worth prioritizing on the registry
Baby Registry Baby Gear Essentials
Most-recommended baby gear item: Cybex Callisto G 360 All-in-One Car Seat
Car seats are another baby registry item that are often out for debate. We were pretty certain we wanted a rotating carseat from the beginning and really loved that the Cybex Callisto G car seat supports all the way to 120lbs. in 3 different seat modes. I've found a lot of baby items are rendered useless as baby grows, and tried to be as intentional as possible when choosing items that felt both quality and practical. Another item friends love is the SlumperPod Black Out Sleep Tent. Certainly not a necessity-item but makes a huge difference when traveling.
Baby Registry Baby Clothing Essentials
Most-recommended baby clothing item: Footed Sleepers
Figuring out baby clothing, including how much to buy for what age, what items actually get worn most and the true essentials, probably took the most research. This was the one category that I continued to hone even after the rest of my registry was done. I learned so much, and was able to create a checklist from 0-6 months of every type of item I'd likely need for a baby born in early Fall.
Watch the video of what I learned and my exact prompt used | Download the editable checklist for Google Sheets | Browse all of the clothing from my hauls
Baby Registry Nursery Decor
I'll write a follow-up post on all of our nursery decor, but here's a sneak peek of some of the items we added to our list! We knew we wanted a neutral palette that would grow with her, so we leaned into warm wood tones and soft textures — a mix of vintage-inspired pieces and modern basics, rather than anything too 'nursery catalog'. Truly love how everything came together. It feels warm, cozy and very us.
