Must-Haves on Your Baby Registry

Creating your baby registry is such an exciting step when you are expecting, but it can also feel overwhelming. I remember feeling so excited to create our registry, but when we arrived and began walking around, I felt so lost and unsure as to what I should include. Now, after two pregnancies, five years of parenting and four kids later, I think I have a good amount of experience behind me to know what must-have items you need on your baby registry!

I am sharing with you 20 of my top items that I think every parent should have on their baby registry. The items I’ve selected are ones that I had used with Emily and then again with Olivia, Jackson and Levi, and ones that I used with the triplets after learning from my experiences with Emily.

Even if you are not expecting. chances are you know someone who is, or you will be attending a baby shower in the future. This list could serve as a great gift guide if you are out shopping for a gift for any parent to be!

1. Diapers and Wipes – By far the two items you will use the most when you have a baby! Adding diapers and wipes to your baby registry is a good idea because it lets your friends and family know which brand you may prefer.
   
   
2. Bottles – Whether you are nursing or using formula, bottles are a must-have item on your registry. One key piece of advice I was given when creating my registry was to pick out a few different bottles to add on. When your baby is born, it may take a few tries to find a bottle that they like.

3. Braun No touch + forehead thermometer – If you think of an item that you would use from the time your baby is born, until they are ready to move out, it would be a thermometer! The Braun No touch + forehead thermometer allows you to take your child’s temperature accurately and easily with two different options; no touch or forehead touch. It also offers Age Precision® technology with a colour-coded display, which allows you to select the correct age setting for your child and once the temperature is taken, a green, yellow or red colour will show, helping you to understand the temperature reading. I love how simple and easy the Braun thermometer is to use and it really does take the guesswork out of understanding your child’s temperature. When I feel like Emily or the triplets may be getting sick or feel warm, I immediately grab our Braun thermometer. I take their temperature and because the colour-coded display shows instantly, I’m not having to guess or figure out what their temperature means. You can also use it to test the temperature of food and bath water too!
   

   

   
4. Receiving Blankets – I cannot tell you how many receiving blankets we would go through each day with Emily and the triplets. From spit ups, poop explosions and swaddling, you will use quite a few during the day, so it’s always good to have more than you think you will need.

5. Vicks Cool Mist humidifier – A secret weapon and a must have item during the cold and flu season, but also anytime you want to add a little moisture back into your baby’s room, is the Vicks Cool Mist humidifier. Emily has very dry skin, especially during the winter months, so we had our Vicks humidifier on every night when the air was very dry and found it really helped with her scratching at night. The Vicks Cool Mist Humidifier also provides soothing relief from coughing and sneezing when your child is congested, as well fighting against nosebleeds and viruses. What’s neat is that you can actually see the mist coming from the humidifier and for added soothing relief you can place a  scented VapoPads ® into the dual scent pad slot.
   
   

   
6. Breast Pump – If you are nursing, a pump is a great way to help grow your supply or maintain. It’s also good to pump and have extra breast milk stored for others to help with feeding.

7. Breast Pads – There will be a lot of leaking for the first few weeks, so you will thank yourself for the breast pads you added to your baby registry!

8. Nursing Cover – If you are wanting to nurse but may be a little nervous to nurse in public (like me), or just prefer to be covered, this is a must have item for you. I didn’t know nursing covers were a thing with Emily, so when I had to breastfeed her while we were out, I would hide in a bathroom stall or just go home, which was challenging at times. I loved my nursing cover I had with the triplets as it gave me a lot more freedom.

9. Gift Cards – It’s always nice to receive gift cards to have if you need something later on.

10. Baby Carrier – One of the most useful items to have if you are always on the go. I would carry Emily around if I was cooking or cleaning and when I would go out shopping with Emily and the triplets by myself, I would carry one of them while the other three were in the stroller.

11. Bassinet – Perfect for the first few weeks when you want to have your baby in your room. I kept the bassinet right beside me by the bed, which made it very easy when they would wake up in the middle of the night.

12. Backpack Diaper Bag – This is one item that I never actually used when Emily and the triplets were younger, but I think would be great to have. I can only imagine how much easier it would have been having a backpack on rather than a bag across my body when carrying the kids or car seats around.

13. Playpen – Our play was set up in our living room all the time and the triplets would sleep in it constantly. I liked having one because it was easy to pack up and bring with us if we were staying over somewhere or just having it outside for the kids to play in when they were little.

14. Bottle Sterilizer – I used our bottle sterilizer all the time and it was great to even sterilize pacifiers. I would recommend one that you can adjust the heights of the trays, that way you can fit all sizes of bottles in it.

15. Diaper Pail – You can never go wrong with an item that locks in the smell of those dirty diapers and there is sure to be a lot of them!

16. Play-mat – As your baby grows and starts to explore more, a play-mat is a great way to keep them entertained.

17. Toys – Rattles and toys that squeak or jingle, with bright colours and mirrors are perfect for babies who are learning to grasp things and react to sounds and colours.

18. Clothes – Clothes can be a big expense as babies grow so fast and out of clothes quickly. Adding various clothing items of various sizes to your registry is a good idea and would help to ensure you have some clothing items on hand as your baby grows.

19. Baby Gate – At one point we had three set up in our house and they were all very necessary when the triplets started crawling. I would recommend one that includes an extending piece and one that has a door, that way you don’t have to try and jump over it each time.

And there you have my list of 20 items I think should be on your baby registry! I hope it has provided you with some insight as to what to get, whether you are creating your baby registry or looking to buy a gift for a friend!

With that being said, I know every parenting experience is different, which means items on your list could change as well. I would love to hear what your top items are or one item that you couldn’t live without!

Thank you to Braun thermometers and Vicks humidifiers for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own and based on my own experiences.

For more information or to purchase the sponsored products mentioned, click HERE for the Braun No touch + forehead thermometer and HERE for the Vicks Cool Mist humidifier.