Baby Registry Essentials - Short and Sweet Must Have List

Below is my short and sweet BACK TO THE BASICS baby registry essentials list. If you want the in-depth version of why I chose these items, please see my next blog post titled "Baby Registry Redo - The Full Rundown you didn't ask for but certainly want"

Here is my "Jump to Recipe" edition of my baby registry essentials:

If creating your baby registry is stressing you out and you don't have the time/energy right now to make it, throw these items on there for now to ease your worries. These will get you through the first year.

Will only say these things once -

**If I advise you register for what seems like a crazy number of something it is only so you have back up available while the others are in the wash/being cleaned/drying. These are just suggestions based on what I wish I knew before I made my registry

**When deciding what to put on your registry you will want to consider your lifestyle and the size of your space when you making decisions to add certain products to your registry.

These are examples I’d consider:

If you plan to travel a lot in the first year of baby’s life, you should look at items that are easily portable, good for travel. Think…. is this product easily portable? Will this fit in my car on a road trip?

Will your baby ever sleep in your room with you? If so you will want a bassinet in addition to the crib that is in their nursery

Will your baby go to daycare or stay with a relative when you go back to work or on vacation? Think will this item be easy to disassemble quickly or should I register for another set of x or y to keep at my relative’s home or at daycare

If lots of people want to contribute to your registry don’t feel bad putting lots of items on there.

Put items on your registry that YOU would like to gift someone. Nobody wants to buy your baby a nail filer or nipple cream for you. For those types of items I highly recommend finding a SET that includes lots of those things versus registering for them separately. My favorite gift I received was the Frida Baby Wellness set because it includes all the boring yet essential items that you will need and they all work. No need to research the best thermometer, nasal aspirator, hair comb, teether, etc because all of that and more is readily available in that 1 Frida set. Now you can put 1 value set on your registry vs. about 16 individual items. PS People will only buy what they can afford and what they want to give you!

IMPORTANT: These items will get you through the first year of baby’s life and I have used them all. These can all be found on my linktree and instagram @natalieakeller

1. Carseat and Stroller: Doona Carseat and Stroller All in One

2. Crib: Babyletto 3 in 1 crib (whichever crib you register for make sure it says standard size)

3. Crib Sheets: Little Sleepies crib sheets (select standard size). register for atleast 2 sets of sheets

4. Bottles: Como Tomo Bottle Bundle (comes with 6 bottles and all nipples needed for the first year). easy to assemble and easier to clean than any other bottle.

5. Formula Maker: Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced Formula Dispenser Machine. You might not have the breast feeding journey you expect or hope for. This is a kuerig for formula bottles and great to have on hand if and when you do switch to formula. This thing saved my marriage.

6. Baby Brezza Bottle Sterilizer and Dryer Advanced: this thing will sterilize and dry all bottles, nipples, breast pump parts and pacifiers so you don’t have to! This is a must have in my book.

7. Sound Machine: Hatch Rest Sound machine. there are a bunch of different brands for sound machines but I’ve had multiple versions of hatch sound machines

   1. they’re easy to use and work great

   2. you can turn it on or off from your phone if you don’t want to get out of bed.

8. Bassinet and Changing Station: 4moms Breeze Plus Portable Playard with Removable Bassinet and Baby Changing Station

   1. Great all - in - one product that allows for baby to nap/sleep, do clothing and diaper changes and becomes a play area for your child later in life. I would buy this for any friend having a baby. it opens and closes with a single motion and is easy to travel with.

   2. The bassinet can be used from birth to 18 pounds, the flip changer up to 25 pounds, and the durable playard up to 30 pounds (my 2 year old son is thick and weighs 30 lbs currently)

9. Diapers and Wipes: Pampers Swaddlers Diapers and Pampers Wipes

   1. register for 2 boxes of newborn, 3 boxes of size 1 and 3 boxes of size 2 to start. they go through that newborn size fast so don’t buy too many of those.

   2. why swaddlers? more stretchy than normal pampers.

   3. coterie notes - if I didn’t have a mortgage or car payment I’d buy coterie diapers and want them for myself post partum. I loved these but had to stop buying them when that maternity leave money came and sadly WENT AWAY.

10. Swaddle (used for 0-3 months): Ollie World Swaddle

    1. register for atleast 2. developed by a nurse and are so easy to use and wash.

11. Sleep sacks (used from 3 ish months and beyond): Kyte sleep sacks are my favorite.

    1. 2 or 3 size small 1.0 tog sleep sacks

    2. 1 sleep sack size medium 1.0 tog **see my next in depth blog post about sizing and tog for kyte baby. trust me it’s riveting

12. Pacifiers: Tommee Tippee (select size for age 0-6 months)

    1. you won’t know if your baby likes pacis yet so do not register or buy 5 different kinds. I don’t know a baby who has not enjoyed these tommee tippee pacifiers I so happily recommended to their mothers once my son got hooked on them.

13. Wellness/Health/Grooming/Teething toy Set: Frida Baby Ultimate Baby Kit | Baby Essentials Gift Set Includes Wellness, Sick Day, Gas Relief Essentials, Grooming Tools & Teething Toys

14. Formula Feeding: Baby Brezza Formula Maker

    1. makes a formula bottle in seconds like a kuerig

    2. nice to have in case the breast feeding journey does not work for your baby or you

15. Clothing - This will be the only lengthy part of this short and sweet post because this is an area where lots of $ can is spent and potentially misused.

    1. Little Sleepies Crescent Zippy outfits: these are by far my favorite clothing item I own and recommend often for these reasons

       1. softest bamboo material

       2. easiest for quick & easy diaper changes

       3. great for keeping baby’s temp normal

       4. great for eczema prone skin

       5. the crescent shape zipper (see pictures online) won’t irritate baby’s belly button area (think umbilical cord takes awhile to fall off)

          1. newborn - register for 2 newborn size crescent zippys.

          2. 0-3 months - register for 2

          3. 3-6 months - register for 2 or 3

          4. 6-12 months - register for 2 or 3

16. High Chairs:

    1. Portable high chair that works in you home or out to eat - Inglesina Portable High Chair

    2. Fancy Option - Lalo Infant to Toddler High Chair & Booster Bundle $255