The Top Baby Registry Must-Haves for 2021

Image highlight 50+ Bbay Registry Must-Haves for 2021-01-01.png

Now that Aiden’s completely out of the baby stage I thought I’d share an updated baby registry must-haves list. These look a tad different from my original baby registry list (yay overachieving, first-time mom life) so I wanted to keep you all in the loop! All items I’m listing below I’ve used – tried and true. Some of these baby must-haves, Aiden still uses today at 2 years old. I always try to find items that grow with them in stages to get the most bang for your buck. And we have a small, historical house. So, multipurpose furniture is a must.

A lot is going on in this list, so just remember that you do not need every single one. Pick and choose what works for your lifestyle. What worked for us, might not work for your family. Every baby is different, but I hope you find something inspiring that you and your family can use.

(This post may include affiliate links. If you buy something I receive a small commission of your purchase. Thanks for supporting Mama Never Clocks Out! I only share products I truly love!)

What Do All Babies Need?

At the end of this list, you’ll find a list of quick list of baby registry needs that I highly suggest you add to your baby registry. I’ve also categorized this list with my personal favorites for easy browsing. Keep in mind that there’s a difference between wants and needs. A lot of these products are wants because they made my day a whole lot easier. And some of these come with a price tag, but I recommend that you still add these to your baby list. You never know, friends and family tend to pitch in on one big gift. Either way, it’s totally up to you.

What Are the Most Needed Baby Items?

I have the most needed baby items at the end of this post, just scroll below to the footer. A few essentials: car seat, stroller, bottles, bassinet, clothing, baby carrier, swaddles, blankets, bathtub, baby lounger, diaper rash ointment, towels, pacifiers, wipes, and diapers.

The hospital does provide you with items to use during your stay. These items include diapers, wipes, baby wash, blankets, hats, socks, and swaddles. Some hospitals may provide more, but these are the essentials.

Should You Put Expensive Items on a Baby Registry?

I know that this can be a tough decision for many couples. I’d go with your gut feeling. We had no issues whatsoever putting big-ticket items on our registry. We couldn’t afford to purchase the big items. So needed all the help we could get. No shame in our game. We had family and friends pitch in together to get us the big items. This saved us.

If you’re leaning the other way and unsure about asking for big-ticket items, you can always ask your family and friends first before putting them on your registry. If you end up purchasing the big items yourself (crib, mattress, stroller, car seat, etc.), then keep your eyes peeled for holiday sales.

What You Should Not Put on Your Baby Registry

I wouldn’t include shoes, a huge set of bottles (babies can be very picky, so you’ll probably be testing out various bottles to see which works best for your baby), toys, pacifiers (again, babies are picky, and you’ll have to figure out which pacifier your baby likes best), and a bottle sanitizer. We received a bottle sanitizer and I never used it once. It was wasted space on my already crowded kitchen counter.

Baby Sleep Essentials

Remember to keep soft objects and loose bedding out of the sleeping area for at least the first 12 months. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends this because it’s based on data around infant sleep deaths and guidelines for reducing the risk of SIDS.

Chicco Bassinet: We have the Chicco bassinet because it was simple and easy to transport. However, to me, this is one of those items that you truly don’t need. Then again, I’m super practical. And we also have a small house, so the one we did have took up space, so we didn’t use it.

DockATot: I loved this thing! Definitely worth the price tag. You can also purchase cute covers for it. What I loved most was that I could literally dock him anywhere. Not to mention, it’s super comfortable and most mamas swear by this product.

Infant Optics camera and monitor system: This is a lifesaver and so it should be since this was the 2020 Award Winner of Babylist’s Best Monitors. ! When we finally moved Aiden to his room for bedtime (he slept in our room for the first 6 months), this made me feel at ease knowing I could look and see if he was doing alright. The camera also features room temperature which was helpful because Aiden’s room would get super hot or super cold since his door was closed.

Hatch Sound Machine: Now THIS is a sound machine! It has a ton of colors for night lights and tons of different noise options. It even has an app that allows you to program when the sound machine turns on and off, which noise option you want for that specific time, and which night light color. Complete game changer!

Swaddles: the Aden + Anais are life-changing! Rather than trying to master the art of swaddling with a regular muslin swaddle, these are Velcro! Gone are the days of trying to mimic the nurses in the hospital that got swaddling down packed. Hello, are the days of convenience and ease with these Velcro swaddles!

Nested Bean Sleep Sack: When Aiden was a couple of months old, he wasn’t sleeping so well. He would wake up all the time crying. That all stopped with the Nested Bean swaddles and sleep sack. Now, these were a game-changer for us! After we introduced these, we were blessed with an amazing sleeper (until the teething started).

Baby Bjorn Bouncer: Aiden went through a phase when he just wouldn’t want to nap and would start crying until someone would get him to bring him out of his room. And I still had work to get through. I broke down and spent some money on a Baby Bjorn Bouncer. Holy smokes, this made such a difference. Aiden wasn’t a huge fan of the Mamaroo, and we didn’t have a baby swing, but he did live in this bounce until he was too big for it. In the long run, it was worth the price we paid.

WubbaNub Pacifier: These are just the cutest pacifiers on earth! So many different options and they are easier to find when you baby chucks it across the room from the bouncer.

Humidifier: We use this daily to make sure Aiden’s room doesn’t get too dry.

Graco Crib Mattress: This crib mattress is 5 stars with over 25k reviews. Need I say more? The firmness is ideal and has a soft, water-resistant, removable, hand-washable out cover.

Carter’s Zip-up Pajamas: We adore Carter’s pj’s. Aiden still wears Carter’s pj’s and he’s 2 years old. Fleece pajamas were just too hot (especially in the winter months when the heat was on), but their breathable cotton pajamas were great.

Play

Skip Hop Activity Center: I love Skip Hop products and this activity center is just great for so many reasons. It can transition with your baby and become a table in the last stage. Yay for multifunctional toys! Not that this truly matters, but it wasn’t an eye-sore in the house. This product really does give you the biggest bang for your buck. Another registry favorite!

Skip Hop Activity Mat: Yay, tummy time! Aiden didn’t mind tummy time all that much. That’s a good thing! A lot of babies hate it. But with this activity mat, they’re bound to explore rather than letting everyone hear just how good those lungs are. I have a lot of friends and family members that have those trendy wooden ones, but in my opinion, I don’t think babies enjoy those as much as the bright colors, the sounds, etc. Again, I know it’s the trendy thing now, but I don’t think it’s the most fun.

Teething toys: Aiden loved the Sophie La Girafe teether. I didn’t know about it until someone gifted it to me. I’m so very glad that they did because this helped when Aiden started teething.

Baby Einstein toy: A best seller and super cheap? Can’t get any better than that!

Baby books: These books are virtually indestructible! Aiden couldn’t get enough of them!

Exersaucer Door Jumper: I wish we used this more, but Aiden was just never big enough for it. And then we just forgot that we had it. However, during the time he was in it, he had a blast. We just had to put boxes and board games underneath him so he could try pushing off of something to start jumping. It didn’t last very long because we have those thresholds in every doorway in our house, so the boxes and board games never lasted long.

Changing

Pampers diapers: Not going to lie, we are a Pampers family. Always have been, always will be. We’ve only used them, and Aiden has had zero issues. We’ve used Pampers Swaddlers until we started potty training and now, he’s in Pampers Easy Ups. Never switching to another brand!

Pampers Sensitive Wipes: We have only used Pampers sensitive wipes. They’re hypoallergenic, unscented, no alcohol, no parabens, and no latex. Perfect for a baby’s delicate skin. And it’s the #1 pediatrician recommended brand. Need I say more?

Summer Infant Changing Pad: We used the changing pad in his room or the Graco pack ‘n play’s changing basket. Our house was small enough to where we didn’t need a ton of different changing areas around the house when there was a blowout. But you do need to make sure you get a waterproof and wipeable changing pad cover. You can just wipe it down with disinfectant wipes rather than having to wash it every time there’s a blowout.

SnoofyBee Portable Changing Pad: We got this when Aiden was older and exploring other areas of his body. This was able to keep his hands away from touching his poop whenever I was changing his diaper. And it comes with toys to keep them distracted and entertained while changing them.

Aquaphor: We are an Aquaphor family. At 3 weeks old, Aiden had a very bad diaper rash with blisters. We cleared that rash up with Aquaphor. After that, every time we changed Aiden’s diaper, we slathered this stuff on his bum. I kid you not, he has not gotten a diaper rash since. We are potty training now, and we are only using Pampers Easy Ups at night. We still lather Aquaphor on his bum to keep it protected from any moisture and wetness he may experience at night. Again, never going to any other product.

Clothing

Basic onesies: We had so many cute onesies, but blowout after blowout happened. I was tired of blowouts ruining the cute onesies. I went out and bought plain white onesies and I didn’t care if Aiden had blowouts in those. But later on, I found out that they made side snap onesies. For our next baby, ill will definitely be purchasing those rather than regular onesies. Regular onesies can be a tad difficult to get off (even if you use the shoulder opening and pull downwards). But these side snap onesies look to be a whole lot easier. My advice is to get a couple of cute onesies, but just know that you won't get as much wear from them as you think.

Footed PJ’s: We are a Carter’s family. It gets either really cold or really hot in Aiden’s room. The Carter’s cotton footed PJ’s were great because they were breathable (rather than fleece that can be hot), so they kept him warm in the winter without being too hot and cool in the summer without freezing.

Dreft Baby Detergent: I only wash Aiden’s clothes in Dreft. It’s pediatrician recommended, it is natural, and it smells heavenly. It’s specifically made for newborns and is hypoallergenic. Did I mention that it smells heavenly? Definitely a top registry favorite!

Travel

Chicco Car seat and Stroller System: I’m a huge fan of products that do multiple things. This car seat and stroller combo are the best and it’s affordable. What’s not to love? The car seat comes with the base and it can detach from the base to lock into the stroller, which was huge for me. This was an all-in-one combo set and it was fabulous. This is my baby registry must-have!

Car mirror: You don’t need something super fancy. We used the Skip Hop car mirror and it was great!

Graco Pack ‘n Play: Praise the Lord for the Graco Pack ‘n Play! For the first six months, Aiden slept in this Pack n’ Play in our room. It was probably one of the best decisions. This one came with a changing station built-in. Again, I live in a small, 100-year-old house. I need all the multifunctional products I can get! This is another baby registry must-have!

Baby wrap: Aiden wasn’t a fan of being worn, which was a shame because I was so excited to “wear” Aiden in the wrap I received. For my next baby, we will try the Boba baby wrap, and fingers crossed, I’ll be able to wear Baby Woz #2.

Diaper bag: For Christmas, someone gifted Jared a “manly” backpack diaper bag. It’s not “manly”, it’s gender-neutral. But this diaper bag has made it through thick and thin and still looks amazing! It has held up very well. And there’s so much room in it, that when we travel, we still use it to hold some of the things for Aiden like baby camera and monitor, Hatch sound machine, etc. But I’ll be honest, while I still love the diaper bag we have, I want to try this one for Baby #2.

Breastfeeding Must-Haves

Medela pump: I know this one is pricy (check with your insurance to see if you can get it for free), but it’s worth every penny. I was impressed with the suction, the convenience, and it wasn’t super noisy. I tried an Ameda before this one and I had to keep turning the volume up on the TV to drown out the sound of the pump. I’d include this in your registry for sure if you’re not able to get a free one with insurance! FYI, for baby #2, I would like to try a Willow or Elvie breast pump. They’re both wearable and expensive, but I’ve heard good things about them.

Lansinoh milk storage bags: There are so many milk storage bags out there, but I found that the Lansinoh bags were the most accurate when it came to how many ounces were in the bag versus what’s in the bottle. Some bags said it would be four ounces in the bag, but if I put it in the bottle, it would be three. What the heck?! However, the Lansinoh bags were spot on. Plus, they were easy to organize in my freezer.

Feeding

Dr. Brown bottles: These bottles are the holy grail of baby bottles. They are the closest thing to a mama’s nipple and most babies love them. Now, I know they are not the coolest-looking bottles, but what really helped was that these bottles had the best air vent system that truly cut down on Aiden’s gas and spit-up. Definitely a top pick for your baby registry!

Graco highchair: I needed space-saving products, so we went with this Graco highchair. I’m so glad we went with this option. Another awesome thing is that it changes into a booster seat as Aiden grew. Now, he sits with us at the table rather than still being in a highchair or worrying about him falling out of our tall table chairs. I tried finding the exact high chair/booster seat that we currently have, but I think Graco stopped making them. This one is another Floor2Table highchair from Graco. Again, this is a must-have!

Boppy: I’ve never seen such a versatile nursing pillow. And it’s used for so much more than just nursing. When Aiden was older, we could use the boppy for propping him up, tummy time, and sitting. I mean, what’s not to love? This is definitely a favorite!

Bibs: Obviously bibs are a must-have. I love these cute bandana bibs. They did well with gathering all of Aiden’s drool.

Boon Drying Rack: If you’re having a baby, then you’re registering for the Boon grass drying rack. This was a must-have for drying all of Aiden’s bottles and breast-pumping parts.

Bumbo Multi Seat: We used this ALL. THE. TIME! It was great for feeding and playing with Aiden. Bonus points for the Bumbo for being able to take it when traveling rather than the highchair.

Baby Bath Essentials

Blooming Bath Lotus: This was the best way to give Aiden a bath when he couldn’t sit up. It was a great alternative to a traditional baby bath. It’s super soft and cuddly to keep your baby happy and comfortable. And a huge bonus was that I wasn’t breaking my back over a traditional baby bath that would’ve been located in my bathtub. This is a major registry favorite!

Hooded towels: Every baby needs a hooded towel. Babies look so cute when they have the hood over their heads. It’s a major picture moment!

Baby Dove Tip to Toe Baby Wash and Shampoo: I’ve only used Dove Tip-to-toe baby wash that also doubles as a shampoo. It was great since our family has sensitive skin and wanted to make sure Aiden was getting the best wash and shampoo for sensitive skin.

Aquaphor: I have used Aquaphor from the day Aiden came home and we are still using it (until he’s fully potty trained). Aiden would get bad diaper rashes and Aquaphor was the best and healing them. There’s no doubt about it, this is a must-have!

Burt’s Bees Washcloths: We enjoyed these washcloths. They were very soft, perfect for baby skin. The reviews speak for themselves.

Bath toys: Every baby needs to have some fun in the tub. That means fun bath toys. From experience, I’d choose toys that didn’t squirt water out. As fun as they are, they’re very difficult to keep clean because if the water doesn’t leave the toy, then mold starts to form within the toy. Nothing’s worse than squirting a water toy and mold comes out. I learned that from experience. I have not bought another squirt toy since. But bath books are great as well as plastic toys. Aiden enjoyed these.

USEFUL Odds and Ends

Nose Frida/booger sucker: We tried the Nose Frida because we heard great things about it, but we just couldn’t get past the funky taste (it tasted like latex to me when I would use it and I hate the smell and taste of latex – its why I don’t like blowing up balloons) and I was afraid the snot would somehow bypass the foam it would get stuck on and go straight to my mouth. And my husband refused to use it. So, it didn’t last long in our house. We went back to the heavy-duty booger sucker the hospital gave us. That did the job perfectly.

Woodward's Gripe Water: So, I was perfectly fine picking up any ole gas reliever at the store. But my mum said that the store stuff wasn’t as good at the English gripe water. So, when my Uncle went to visit England, he brought some back for me. I tell you what, this stuff worked wonders! But ill be honest, I didn’t try any other gas reliever or gripe water.

Beaba Babycook: I made my baby food and I will never go back to store-bought food. Especially when stuff was coming out about there being toxic stuff in store-bought baby food. Now, I don’t know about all that, but I did know what exactly was going in my homemade baby food. The Beaba Babycook was the absolute best at making that homemade baby food. All I had to do was chop up whatever fruit and veggie I was using and the Beaba Babycook did the rest. It steamed the food, blended it, and defrosted it if it was in the freezer. I would trust this over store-bought baby food any day.

I tried my best to cover everything we had on our baby registry must-haves list. Again, you don’t even need most of these, but they were nice to have for my family to function at its best. We were very grateful that most of this was gifted to us. Everything listed was a game-changer for us.

Don’t Need the Extra Stuff? Here’s A Quick List of Baby Registry Essentials

Chicco car seat and stroller combo
Pack ‘n play (multipurpose – can be used as changing table, sleeping, playing, travel, etc.)
Crib
Dr. Brown bottles
Hatch Sound Machine
Diaper bag
Clothing
Swaddles
Baby carrier
Pacifiers
Diapers
Wipes
Blankets
Baby lounger
Nose Frida/booger sucker
Aquaphor
Dove tip to toe body wash
Bath lotus
Towels/washcloths
Tylenol and/or Motrin
Baby video monitor
Hats
Burp cloths