My husband Dave and I have a son, who is three years old now. We now have a second son who is 7 months old! As we prepared for a second baby, we revisited all the useful products and items we used with our first baby, so I thought I would compile a list of all our favorites. If you are wondering what to put on your own baby registry, or if you are looking for gift ideas for a new baby’s shower or Christmas presents, here’s some of our favorite baby things.
- The Munchkin STEP diaper pail has worked really well for us in keeping the stinky diaper smell at bay. There are refill bags for it as well, that are easy to install.
- This portable high chair came in handy lots of times when going to friends’ houses, restaurants, and picnics.
- Pacifiers really helped our first son calm down right from the get-go. We used these newborn ones and these Philips Avent ones when he was older. Baby #2 doesn’t care for pacifiers, so it’s all baby’s preference. It was nice to have them on hand to try, though, for both our kids.
- V-tech Sit-to-Stand Walker – this was a great toy that grew with our son. He would hit at it when on his stomach for tummy time, really enjoyed opening and closing the door on it when he could sit up, would stand up at it at 9 months, and would push it around shortly after that.
- Fisher Price Rock and Play – these have since been recalled, but we had a great experience with ours. It allowed Gabe to sleep at more of an angle, with helped a TON with his reflux. He slept very well in it. We were cautious in using it once he could roll over and would use the safety buckles. Basically, look for something that provides a convenient place to set the baby, it was so helpful!
- Swing – this is also based on baby’s preference, but we had a basic swing for when we couldn’t rock anymore haha. There’s a lot of technological ones out there now if you have a bit more to spend.
- While some people say they never used bathtubs, we preferred it. We used a bathtub like this one, and Gabe liked using it even when he was too big.
- Lovey/blanket animal – Gabe got a couple of these at baby showers and had two different “favorites” that he brought everywhere.
- Burt’s Bee’s Baby items – I love how Burt’s Bees uses natural ingredients in their products, and we discovered that we love their multi-purpose ointment, baby powder, and calming shampoo. They have some really cute baby gift sets as well! I’m a big fan of their belly butter for mamas.
- Car seat/stroller combo – these can be expensive, so make a great group gift. It’s practical, as the car seat will be used so frequently. I loved how our car seat clipped in to the stroller with our Graco system. We got this one on clearance at Target, and love it. And for a carseat the grows with our ever-growing children, we love the Graco Slimfit.
- Clothing sets – We live in Upstate New York. While there are seasons, you never really know what you’re going to get, so I really liked the baby clothing sets that came with a short-sleeve shirt or onesie, pants, and sweatshirt or long sleeve top. These were the most versatile for the ever-changing weather.
- Our changing pad and covers also get daily use.
- Crib mattress – If they don’t have one yet, this is another really practical gift! If you don’t have one yet, put it on your registry.
- Humidifier – We have an ultrasonic humidifier in Gabe’s room. It is able to adjust the level of moisture it’s putting out based on the humidity in the room. We love it!
- Nose Frieda – It’s so hard when your little baby is sick, and there’s not much you can do about it. We felt this worked better than the bulb-type snot suckers.
- Burp cloths – We used these a lot, as our baby spit up a lot in the early days. If you’re looking for a DIY project, these are a great project idea!
- Blanket with name – We received a blanket that went with our nursery theme, that was also embroidered with “Gabe.” I loved the little personal touch, and it made it less likely that we’d lose the blanket when we brought it places.
- Board books – I love books. Books promote learning of all sorts, and board books are extra-durable to get through the mouthing stage.
- Teethers – Teethers that can be refrigerated came in handy when those first teeth came popping through.
- Bibs – Easily washable bibs are super practical, as we used them (and still do) every day for meals, especially messy ones.
- Mirror for car – I bought one of these with a gift card, and am so glad that I did! (I’m jealous of whoever invented it). Being able to check on the baby with a glance in the rear view mirror is most definitely reassuring. As my son got older, I’m pretty positive it has helped prevent him from becoming motion sick, and he likes being able to look in the mirror as well.
- Tummy-time floor mat – I actually didn’t have one of these on my registry, but got one in a gift basket from my neighbor. I loved it! It was extremely useful to have a floor mat with bright, engaging toys hanging above my babies as they did tummy time, learned to roll, and began to reach and grab.
- Diaper backpack – I’m a big fan of diaper backpacks. First, because having weight on one shoulder from a tote bag or purse can cause physical issues (for me, pain in one shoulder), and second, because it allows you to use both hands freely, without having to try to balance or readjust something hanging on your shoulder. We’ve had this diaper backpack for over two years now, and it looks the same as when we got it, minus some sticker remnants from a name tag.
- Straw thermos cup– We liked having a non-plastic straw cup like this to carry water in our diaper backpack.
- Bottles – These are tricky, as they depend on the preferences of the gift recipients, as well as the preferences or needs of the baby. We liked using these Evenflow glass bottles, these by Lifefactory, and these Avent bottles. We liked to use glass when we were able to. Eli seemed to swallow more air and we found that this Dr. Brown’s bottle helped with that.
- Diapers – Some people have strong preferences regarding diapers. Some prefer cloth, others store-bought. We liked getting different brands as gifts so that we could try them out to see what worked best. For some reason, our first baby would always wet through a certain type by one brand, but our second son didn’t.
- Walk-through baby gates and other baby-proofing gear: As baby grew, so did our need to baby proof.
- Sleep sacks: Our son actually didn’t like to be swaddled, so we transitioned to sleep sacks rather quickly. They are like wearable blankets to keep baby warm at night. They come in different sizes and materials.
- Ear protection: Whether it be concerts, watching dad and his power equipment, or going to mud bogs, it’s important to keep baby’s eardrums safe! We currently have these for our toddler. I can’t find our original baby ones, but there are plenty of options!
- Blender and baby food containers: Since we had a good blender, we registered for some small baby food containers, and actually got a few different kinds. We liked these by OXO, and they also have glass ones available, too!
- Instruments: These are great for your child’s development, and are fun to explore as baby grows.
- Whale bathtub spout cover: We’ve used this every bath time to protect from bonks on the metal faucet.
- Safety Q-tips: I randomly acquired some of these from cleaning out items at work, and I was glad I did! They are just a helpful tool to safely clean out baby’s ears without going too far in.
- Gripe Water: This was something we found out of necessity. Our son had some gas issues, and this helped A LOT!
- Constipation ease: As we introduced some solid foods, it sometimes changed our son’s digestion. This product we also found out of necessity, and liked the natural ingredients that this brand uses.
- Zarbee’s vitamin D and multi-vitamin: I breastfed, and my doctor recommended supplementing with vitamin D, as many breastfed babies are low in vitamin D. I like that Zarbee’s uses natural ingredients. When we needed a liquid vitamin with iron, we switched to the Zarbee’s multi-vitamin with iron.
- Baby hygiene health set: combing, brushing, clipping fingernails, this set by ____ has all the basic necessities that a good to have on hand. Plus, I like that it comes in a handy zippered case to keep it all organized.
- High chair: a convertible high chair that grows as the baby grows is super helpful!
- Wall art for the nursery: For a great personal touch, creating artwork that goes with the baby’s nursery theme is a unique and special gift! Even if you’re no-so-crafty, there’s lots of options out there now to help you find great gifts (or people to make them) that go with any theme.
- Simple toys: wooden blocks, bead mazes, rattles, stacking toys, etc. will help the baby learn and develop motor and visual skills. (I love Melissa and Doug, check out that brand for ideas).
- Baby carrier: We were gifted this LILLEbaby carrier and love is durability, comfort, versatility, and that it can be used from 7 to 45 pounds! We used it with our two-year-old on vacation, and I use it frequently inside and outside with the baby. There are many other options for baby wearing. I also really like the wrap-style carriers like my boba wrap, which I also use inside and outside, depending on the activity. The boba is really easy to pack in the car or diaper backpack, since it’s stretchy fabric.
- Baby bouncer: Both our kids loved the bouncer, and it gives parents a few minutes to do something (like shower, haha).
- Check out this list of ideas for expecting mamas for more registry ideas, or to show some love to the mom-to-be.
What would you add to the list?
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