Everything I'd put on my baby registry

With the benefit of hindsight, as a soon-to-be second-time mom

When I was pregnant for the first time, I couldn’t wait to start putting together my baby registry. The actual process, however, was a crash course in decision fatigue. Turns out that sorting through a million options and trying to make all the right choices for an experience I’d never had was… a little overwhelming—to say the least. I remain forever grateful to the veteran parents who shared their Google docs of product recs or offered to review my draft registry before I sent it out. I would have been lost without them.

In that same spirit of paying it forward, this newsletter is an annotated review of everything I’d put on my registry now, with the benefit of hindsight—i.e. 20 months of parenting and product testing under my belt. It’s something I’ve wanted to publish for awhile, and I’m excited to do so today in partnership with Babylist, the registry platform I used during my first pregnancy (along with quite literally every other new parent I know).

One of my favorite things about Babylist is that you can link to any item on your registry, including things from Etsy or small brands. They also recently launched a simple but genius new feature on their site that allows you to ask for secondhand stuff on your registry by marking items “open to secondhand.” Most baby items are used for such a short period of time, it just makes sense to give them a second (or a third, or a fourth) life. In addition to my recommendations below, I also highlight which things I received as hand-me-downs.

Four weeks postpartum 🥲

One note before we dive in: I know how easy it is to feel like buying more = being more prepared, especially when you're nesting, hormonal, and staring down the unknown (I’ve been there), but this post isn’t meant to be a checklist of “must-haves.” It’s just the stuff I’d vouch for in each of the categories expecting parents tend to be curious about. As you’ll see below, there are a number of things I bought after I had the baby that I didn’t know I’d want until I was already knee-deep in postpartum life. If nothing else, I hope this post helps take some pressure off—it’s impossible to get it all perfect the first time, and you truly don’t have to. Okay that’s it 😘.

Keep scrolling to read my full registry product rundown and commentary.

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Sleeping

• Happiest Baby Sleepea 5-Second Swaddle. A friend dropped off an enormous tote bag full of gently-used swaddles after I had my son, so I was able to try a lot of different ones out. Swaddles really lend themselves to secondhand gifting since finding the right one can take a bit of trial and error, and you only need them for a few months. This Happiest Baby swaddle was my favorite. It’s made of organic cotton, super easy to put on, and has a double zipper for diaper changes.

• Woolino 4 Season Ultimate Baby Sleep Bag. These sleep sacks get a lot of hype in online parent communities, and they 100% live up to it IMO. My favorite thing about them is the “one size fits all” design, which fits most babies from 2 months to 2 years, so you don’t have to buy multiple sleep sacks as your baby grows. I also love how they’re made of natural fibers (merino wool on the inside, cotton on the outside) that help regulate the baby’s temperature so I don’t need to stress about TOG levels.

• Little Unicorn Cotton Muslin Swaddle 3 Pack. Muslin swaddle blankets are super thin and packable—perfect for draping over a stroller or car seat to create a shady canopy while still letting in a breeze during a nap. (I didn’t use them that much for actual swaddling but really recommend them for draping purposes).

• Crib Sheets. Tons of options out there where crib sheets are concerned, but I registered for Liberty-print sheets the first time around and would do so again in a heartbeat. The sweetest.

• Cotton Baby Quilt. I liked having at least one cotton quilt to use as a play mat or as an extra layer for the baby during breezy stroller walks when my son was still in the bassinet. I received a beautiful secondhand quilt from an old coworker as a baby gift. There are some gorgeous ones on Etsy, both vintage and new.

• Merino Wool Blanket. Similarly, I also recommend registering for at least one warmer blanket. I used this merino wool one from Oso & Me all the time in the stroller when the weather got cooler.

• Newton Breathable Crib Mattress. This is the crib mattress we have. I love that the entire thing is washable.

• Newton Extra Mattress Cover. I recommend getting an extra cover in case of diaper blowouts or other messy incidents. It’s nice to always have a clean one ready to go, especially in the middle of the night...

• Babyletto Swell 4-in-1 Convertible Crib. The crib I got when I was pregnant for my son’s nursery is no longer available online, but I’m planning to get this Babyletto one for his new room that he’ll be moving into once baby sister arrives. Love that you can convert it to a toddler bed. And the wavy railings!!

• Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor and Floor Stand. I really appreciate having a baby monitor that is synced with my phone so I can check on my son anywhere and anytime. My *only* pain point with the Nanit is the fact that it needs a closed WiFi system to work, which makes it hard to use when traveling (most hotels have open WiFi systems). That said I love this monitor and would still register for it again, and get a travel router or supplemental monitor just for travel.

• Lectrofan Classic Sound Machine. I originally registered for the Hatch during my first pregnancy, but if I were doing it over, I’d go with something simpler like the Lectrofan. I never use the Hatch’s extra features, so it ends up feeling like overkill—and it isn’t very travel-friendly. I’ve used a Lectrofan in my own bedroom for years and now keep a second one for my son’s room when we’re traveling or visiting my parents.

• Yogasleep Hushh 2 Travel Sound Machine. These mini portable sound machines tend to lose their charge pretty quickly, but I still recommend getting one for short-term scenarios when you don’t have access to an outlet and need to block out noise. We used ours a lot during the early months when we brought our son to noisy restaurants during his naptimes.

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Gearing Up

A lot of stuff in this category tends to be on the pricey side, so it’s a good one to consider for secondhand gifting. When you’re building out your registry, you can point friends and family to websites like Goodbye Gear, a secondhand marketplace specifically tailored to baby gear. I’ve also had luck finding stuff on Facebook Marketplace.

• Cybex Mios 3 Stroller. I sing this stroller’s praises constantly to anyone who asks. It’s perfect for city living—big enough to feel nice and sturdy on the sidewalk and absorb the shock of any bumps or cracks, but compact enough that it can fit into small elevators and cozy restaurant nooks. It also folds up easily and is light enough for me to carry (folded) with one hand.

• Cybex Platinum Footmuff. This zips onto the Cybex stroller to keep the baby warm during the winter.

• Minicoton Stroller Bag. My favorite stroller bag. Beautiful and functional, with a waterproof lining.

• Doona Infant Car Seat and Stroller. I was initially hesitant about the Doona because I wasn’t sure we needed another bulky thing with wheels taking up space in our apartment. Now I can’t imagine the past year and a half without it. In particular, it has made airport travel ONE THOUSAND times easier. Not having to carry a heavy car seat when you’re already carrying so many other things is an instant life improvement. Plus it also doubles as a mini luggage cart when you’re baby-wearing through security.

• BabyBjorn Bouncer. It’s nice to have a safe spot to “dock” your baby when you’re doing something in the kitchen or washing your face. I like this bouncer because it folds up flat when you’re not using it, so it’s really easy to store.

• BabyBjorn Travel Crib. This is the travel crib we got. I found ours on Facebook Marketplace in brand-new condition. It’s super lightweight and easy to set up / fold back up. No complaints!

• Artipoppe Zeitgeist Carrier. I received this carrier as a gift from the brand, but I would put it on my dream registry in a nanosecond. My son has always loved being in the carrier, so we used it a lot (I was still wearing him in it up until the beginning of my second trimester with pregnancy #2!), and have nothing but great things to say about it. Most importantly it’s incredibly comfortable with great lumbar support, but it’s also really easy to put on by yourself, and—as a bonus—quite aesthetically pleasing. They’re tricky to find on the secondhand market, so it will feel like an especially meaningful hand-me-down when I can eventually pass mine on to a friend after I’m done having kids.

• Wildbird Linen Ring Sling. I loved having a ring sling for more low-key baby-wearing around the apartment while doing chores, etc. This one is also super lightweight and packable for on-the-go.

• Solly Baby Wrap Carrier. Right before I gave birth, one of my good friends loaned me this wrap carrier. It was the perfect thing to receive secondhand, because I only used it during the newborn stage when my son was too small for the Artipoppe. I loved using a soft wrap when he was so tiny and delicate, and it was really comfortable to wear when I was mostly just padding around the apartment all day.

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Feeding

• Chicco Duo 5oz Bottle 2-Pack. We initially used glass bottles but switched to these Chicco ones after a couple of them shattered. The technology behind them is pretty amazing. They’re glass on the inside to reduce exposure to microplastics, but they’re plastic on the outside to make them more durable, so the best of both worlds. Plus they’re lightweight enough for a baby to self-feed once that’s age-appropriate.

• Lansinoh NaturalWave Baby Bottle Nipples. I used these Lansinoh nipples with the Chicco bottles (they fit perfectly) because they were the only nipples my picky, mostly-breastfed son would take.

• Muslin Burp Cloths. These little muslin cloths are so useful, especially during the early months when you’re dealing with spit-ups, blowouts, and milk leaking everywhere.

• Philips Avent Premium Electric Steam Sterilizer with Dryer. I resisted the idea of getting a bottle sterilizer, figuring I would save the counter space and just boil things whenever I needed to sterilize. I changed my tune once I realized how often sterilizing was necessary and how long it took for things to dry. I bought this machine a couple months after giving birth, and would include it on my registry if I was doing it over again. It makes a great secondhand gift since it’s so easy to clean (mine is currently on loan to a recently postpartum friend).

• Boon Lawn Countertop Drying Rack. I totally understand the Boon drying rack hype after getting it as a replacement for the random Amazon one that I originally bought (and hated, lol). It’s perfect. I love the little “twigs” that hold up all your small bottle parts so that you can see everything easily.

• Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump With Lid. Another product that lives up to the hype in my experience. You can use it to passively collect milk while you’re breastfeeding instead of going through the effort of hooking yourself up to an electrical pump. Get the one with the lid.

• Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump. You should get your main electrical pump through insurance (Babylist makes that process really seamless), but if you plan on pumping and/or breastfeeding for an extended period of time you might want to consider adding a manual breast pump to your product arsenal. I bought this when I was a few months postpartum and found it incredibly useful for pumping small amounts at a time without a lot of prep, especially if I was on-the-go.

• Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair. I registered for this high chair the first time around and would do so again. There are a couple pain points—it’s a bit tricky to clean (lots of little crevices), and the straps are annoying to unbuckle. But I love everything else: the slim profile, ergonomic design, solid wood construction, and the way it fits snugly up to a table. I have it in a gorgeous shade of goldenrod yellow, and honestly, the aesthetic of it really matters to me—especially for something that’s going to sit out in our kitchen for years. One note, though: skip the Stokke tray. It’s pricey and made from a material that doesn’t work with suction plates. I recommend this one instead.

• Upseat Baby Floor & Booster Seat with Tray. I love having this lightweight, ergonomically designed, easily washable booster seat as a high chair alternative. It came in especially handy when my son was still a little wobbly in the sitting-up department, but we use it all the time even now that he’s older, like when we’re driving somewhere for the weekend, if we have a baby or toddler friend visiting, or if our son wants to sit at the table “with the grown-ups.”

• Avanchy Stainless Steel Dishware. Stainless steel is my baby dishware material of choice. Incredibly durable, and never gets the infamous soapy taste that silicone often does after being washed.

• Legendairy Milk Honey Bear Straw Cup. Great cup for teaching babies how to drink from a straw when they’re first starting solids. Once they master it, they can graduate to a…

• Grosmimi Straw Cup! My favorite leak-proof sippy cup, which my son still uses. We have two, one made of stainless steel and the other is plastic. In general I try to avoid plastic vessels but the stainless steel one is kind of heavy, so I like having both options.

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Playing

• Loveevery Play Gym. I didn’t register for a play gym because I didn’t think I would want one, but once my baby was old enough to need lots of stimulation and liked grabbing onto dangling objects but couldn’t sit up yet I was like, ohhhh. I ended up getting a random one from a site where I had a gift card, but it was ugly and bad quality and I was always jealous of my friends who had the Loveevery one, which was noticeably nicer.

• Kenana Knitters Hand-Knit Stuffed Animal. Other than the play gym, I personally wouldn’t register for any actual toys. You tend to accumulate those naturally over time, and it’s nice to follow your baby’s lead in terms of what they seem drawn to. (For example, my son never liked teething toys—a popular registry item). I would, however, register for some aesthetically pleasing stuffed animals to display in the nursery, like these from Kenana Knitters. I registered for a few different animals and continue to find them extremely charming.

• Maileg Mice. Another aesthetically pleasing stuffed animal idea. My mom and I are both obsessed with Maileg and initially bought a couple of mice for our own enjoyment. Now that my son has gotten really into playing with them, it’s great justification for continuing to invest.

• Books! Use your registry to start curating a little library of all your nostalgic favorites. Some of mine include: Goodnight Moon; Blueberries for Sal; Brown Bear. Brown Bear, What Do You See?; I Am A Bunny; The Snowy Day; Robert the Rose Horse; Llama Llama Red Pajama, Strega Nona; Ten, Nine, Eight; and Poppleton. All of these are a pleasure (i.e. not annoying) to read as an adult, and have nice illustrations—vital considerations when your kid starts asking you to read the same book 20 times in a row. I’ve found many of our books secondhand on eBay—I recommend searching for “lots” like this where you can get a whole bunch of books for a discounted bundle price. Thrift stores and stoop sales are also great places to look IRL.

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Diapering & Bathing

• Keekaroo Peanut Wipeable Changing Pad. I shudder at the thought of having a fabric-covered changing pad, particularly as the mother of a boy. This one is SO easy to clean.

• Ubbi Wipes Dispenser. I didn’t think I would need a wipes dispenser but soon learned the error of my ways when I was struggling to extricate wipes with one hand while holding a screaming baby with the other. This one is great.

• Coterie Newborn Diapers and Wipes Starter Bundle. Big Coterie fan. They really are softer than any other diaper out there that I’ve tried.

• Angelcare Baby Bath Support. This was also an impulse purchase when I was postpartum that I wholly recommend. Super lightweight and easy to clean. When I was pregnant I had a fantasy that I would take baths with my baby. That worked for about a week, but then he pooped all over me, and it was game over.

• Electric nail file and nail kit. The electric nail file is great when the baby is really little and their nails are pliable like paper. Once they’re older, I think it’s easier to use clippers.

• Tubby Todd All Over Ointment. The only moisturizer that legitimately helped my son’s dry patches.

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Clothing

I genuinely enjoy the process of shopping for baby clothes, so I’d keep this category really small on my hypothetical registry. I’m generally in favor of using registry real estate for less exciting essentials (ahem, diaper changing pad) and saving the fun shopping for yourself! The only clothing items I’d include are a few special, slightly splurgier pieces, like:

• Binibamba Snugglesuit. My son lived in this during the first winter of his life. So precious, and love that it’s 100% merino wool to help regulate body temperature.

• Merino Wool Bonnet. Both practical and very cute.

• Misha and Puff Popcorn sweater. One of the most worth-it baby clothing splurges, in my opinion. These sweaters are incredibly high-quality, warm, and nice to look at. I received one as a baby gift and have since repurchased them in larger sizes as my son grows. It’s also a great thing to ask for secondhand since they often show up on sites like Poshmark.

If you do want to register for pajamas, my favorites are Primary for footies and Hanna Andersson for footless (I recommend footless for when your baby starts crawling).

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I know there’s a wide variety of opinions on the topic of baby stuff, so I’d love to continue this conversation below in the comments…

• If you’re a parent: what are some things you passionately recommend? What would you skip?

• If you’re a parent-to-be, do you have any lingering product research questions we can help with?? (For anyone still in the registry building stage and eager to try out Babylist’s new secondhand gifting function, I’d be delighted to help you track down links to gently used alternatives for items you’re considering!)

xo Harling

Graphics by Paige Stewart Enslow.