Baby Registry Must Haves I Would Add if I Had a Fifth Baby
I threw my sweet friend a baby shower last month (she’s having her third girl next month!) and she had a little registry list for us (per my request) but then it gave me an idea….
So many people want to buy all the cute things for baby showers and I agree, buying itty bitty clothes when I don’t have any babies to dress anymore is so much fun. I love it!!
But what are the things that a new mom actually NEEDS?
What are the things a new mom will actually reach for day in and day out?
What are the items that will truly help her motherhood experience go more smoothly?
What are all the things I’d buy again if I was having a fifth baby, things a new mom may not think of?
Cute things are fun but often don’t get much use (if any).
And for moms, baby registries are kind of stressful, especially as a first time mom. I was totally lost on what I should register for and along with that overwhelm, came me registering for everything. Like everything everything. And my choices were all just random cause it felt like too much work reseaching literally every single item when there were hundreds of options for each. Like where do you even begin? And then there were so many amazing items I was gifted from my registry as a first time mom that just didn’t get any use... that electronic swing? Nope, never used. Because I truly didn’t know any better.
Here’s the thing most moms don’t realize…
Babies don’t need much. And babies don’t need all the fancy gadgets.
Of course all moms have different experiences and different items will help us each in different ways. For example, all four of my babies exclusively breastfed between 20 months and a little over 3 years so I never needed bottles and I never needed pumps or bottle warmers or mixing and measuring devices. Pumping and bottle feeding was something we had planned on but for our family, breastfeeding exclusively ended up being a better option for us.
So at the end of the day, do what feels best for YOU and your family and your baby and your experience. But don’t let the internet tell you that your baby needs all fancy new gadgets because it’s simply untrue.
Now that I’ve talked your ear off, I’ll get to the actual list.
I had the wonderful opportunity to partner with Pottery Barn Kids to bring you a list of my baby registry must haves, the things I’d absolutely add to my registry if I were pregnant with my fifth baby. I’ll link all the exact items I’ve used or have researched myself so you’ve got less research to do on your end. I’m not pregnant and our family is complete but I just know how overwhelming it was for me so I’m hoping this little list will help some of you too.
This baby registry idea list is pretty short and sweet and has a wide range of items from small to big, inexpensive to pricier and everything in between, because everyone at your shower wants to support you but everyone also has different budgets. And there are a few cute little baby gift sets in there that are darling and perfect for a gifter, easy for them and makes the gift feel complete.
And if you’d like to take a peek at how that baby shower turned out (hint hint: it was the cutest!!), I have a whole post on baby shower games that everyone had so much fun with (we included the kids of all ages and dads too!) and a baby girl baby shower ideas post walks through the baby shower decorations and setup I used for hers start to finish.
Happy registry building ;)
CARRIER OR WRAP
A carrier or wrap is an absolute must. DO NOT skip on this. It’s the easiest way to give your baby what they want (that closeness) but to have two hands available to get things done. I used to wear my babies around the house all the time and we used to travel a ton (two of our babies started traveling at 2 weeks old) so carriers are one item that probably got more use for more years than anything else we purchased.
Here’s the thing… I really wanted to love wraps but after trying one single time to get it right and my newborn baby girl vomiting all over me within seconds of getting it right, I felt overwhelmed with the idea of wrapping and tying every single time I wanted to wear her and switched to a traditional carrier moving forward. My husband also did a lot of baby wearing (especially while traveling with toddlers) so a carrier was just a better fit for our family.
We’ve used the Bjorn baby carrier with all of our babies but listen up before you snag one. First, my baby girl always felt hot (and so did I) so that breathable mesh style was what we always chose for our kids. They have other fabric styles too but we personally loved this one!
Bjorn has a mini style and a larger one. I only used the smaller one (the one pictured here) for my fourth baby and loved how it felt like a great fit for him and he wasn’t swallowed by the carrier, but it didn’t last very long. There isn’t much back support on this little newborn style so once he was around 6 months old, I switched him over to the larger one we already had. But we were able to wear our kids in these carriers through toddlerhood - they’re fantastic for a wide range of sizes which is one thing we loved… hiking, kids falling asleep on planes, etc. Highly recommend!
INDOOR PLAY MAT
Unpopular opinion but we do tummy time with our kids from day one. And I know what you’re thinking… “no way I could do that because my baby hated tummy time.” I’m not sure any tummy time is loved by any baby but for me, that neck and arm strength was very important for sleep safety. I had a baby roll at one week old so that was a bit terrifying for me, if you know what I mean.
I always had an indoor play mat for my kids that was a clean, soft surface for them to lay on, whether on their tummy or back. And bonus points for this one because ummmm how darling is this?!
But a quick note for parents since I think many moms don’t realize that tummy time doesn’t have to mean on the ground. Lay on your back and put your baby on your stomach and that’s tummy time. Wear them in a carrier and that helps with neck strength (and can help with them not getting flat spots too!). There are so many ways you can help your baby strength those neck muscles beyond just the floor. But I personally believe that encouraging exploration is great for them too if they are happy with it.
BOOTIES + BLANKETS
I had two babies born in March, one born late October and one born early November so cold weather all around. We lived in Southern California for the first three births so while it wasn’t cold cold for them, we moved to Utah when our third was less than a year old and our fourth was born here in the middle of a snowy winter.
So booties were IT. Honestly they’re just adorable but they always stayed on those little newborn feet better than socks. Like do socks actually every stay on babies?! I don’t think so. Booties are cute and cozy and you can find brands that actually stay on their feet.
Anyways, I saw the baby gift sets | Pottery Barn Kids section on the Pottery Barn Kids website and thought this cute little set was absolute perfection. It has darling little newborn booties, the sweetest heirloom baby blanket (I can never have enough blankets for my babies) and a cute little newborn baby beanie to match. And how perfect and quick and easy is this for the gifter?? Perfection, if you ask me.
SINK BATH
I hate giving kids baths in the tub. It’s just…. not fun?? Like all the reaching over and bending and then your knees hurt and water gets everywhere…. Yeah I really just don’t like it and never will. But especially with newborns. NO THANK YOU!! Even with my toddlers I always loved a sink bath.
Quick Tip: Any time a baby or toddler is having a hard time, just add water. A sink bath always works wonders.
But anyways, when they’re newborns, you need a little support in there so snag yourself a sink bath support like this one and you’re set! I also brought my newborns in the shower with me all the time so that’s another mom tip that’ll help you get showered and my kids all seemed to enjoy the warmth too. They’ve got waterproof loungers you can snag for this!
BOUNCER
This baby bouncer. I swear by it. We used the same one for all three boys and they all LOVED it. It lays flat if you’re storing it (although ours was always out) and there are different angles you can adjust it to depending on the age of your baby. There’s nothing electronic on there and after not too long, they learn how to bounce it themselves. They also have little toy attachments you can add (I never owned one!).
But overall, sometimes mama needs a break, even from the carriers. So a little baby bouncer was perfect for me and my babies.
Oh and that cover slips right off so you can throw it in the wash. It lasted me three babies and still looked like new after all of that.
SWADDLES
I don’t actually swaddle my babies - none of them liked it and they all rolled early (the earliest was his first week of life on Earth) so I stopped even attempting that. Same with pacifiers … we never did them because I felt it was easier to never have to take them away and that was that.
But I did always have a whole stash of cute baby swaddles because 1. they make great light blankets and 2. we used them for burping too. No need to buy a second product for that when these worked just fine. And they’re just so fun and so cute and somehow companies always sucker me into the darling little prints they come up with!
PORTABLE CHANGING MAT
There are plenty of times when I needed to change my babies in airports, in the trunk of my car, out and about… just make sure you have a portable changing pad with you to protect them from germs and protect your car from whatever may slip right out of that diaper ;) Bonus points if you’d got a pouch to store it away in.
Pssst… this one can also be monogrammed too!!
BOOKS
My library of books for my kids will never be too full. Ever. I think this is why all of my kids love reading (I never did!). But I love adding baby books to my registries because they’re inexpensive for your guests and they’re just so special. We have books that were gifted to us from when our kids were babies and we still know exactly who gifted them - they’re such special little memories :)
I saw this idea once but never did it so I’ll pass it along to you…
Instead of baby shower cards, offer the idea to your guests to gift a little book to your baby but write their note inside the cover. Isn’t that just adorable?! Okay now I wish I had done that and compiled a whole meaningful baby library for them.
BASSINET OR CRIB
We never once owned a bassinet (although I should have done so with my fourth because he was not a sleeper and that would have been so darn convenient for me). But we did have our babies in their own rooms from day one. I know this topic is controversial but for me, I needed sleep. When I’m low on sleep I’m just grumpy, no matter how much I pray or remind myself that I will be okay and remind myself to keep some pep in my step. I just can’t do it. And I also can’t sleep with a baby breathing in my room… like I just can’t not check on them every three seconds. Is there something broken in me??
So putting my babies in their own rooms and walking down the hall to get them when they needed me was best for me because sleep meant I was a better and happier mom not only for my newborns, but for their big siblings too.
But all in all, choose what is best for you and for your family and keep your mental health and of course your baby’s health in mind always. Whether you choose a bassinet or crib or co-sleeping, make sure whatever you choose is SAFE SLEEP.
OUTDOOR PLAT MAT
Babies should be outside. Yes, I said it. Fresh air and a little sunlight is good for everyone, newborns too. Yes of course they need more protecting more than the other kids but the outdoors are a healthy place for everyone to spend so get yourself a cute little foldable outdoor play mat and get yourself outside with your babies. I promise it’ll work wonders.
LIGHT + SOUND MACHINE
We had a light + sound machine for all four babies. Truthfully we didn’t use the light function (but I know so many parents who swear by the light settings for toddlers or kids who don’t know when they’re allowed out of their rooms in the mornings) but the sound machine function was great for us.
When I had my third, my second was just 19 months old. And we decided to have them room share. I know this sounds crazy because at the time, my toddler was the lightest sleeper and would wake up if I even breathed in the same room as him sleeping. But a dear friend who is also a sleep consultant insisted it would be the best thing for us.
And guess what?? That toddler almost instantly turned into the world’s best sleeper, like the kid who falls asleep anywhere and everywhere… literally found him asleep half way up the stairs once.
Long story short, a sound machine is so helpful for any big sibling background noise and something we used religiously for that reason.
TOWELS
“But I already have a million towels from my other kids.” After a while, towels build up bacteria that cannot be washed out and I’m certain we all have many towels in our homes that should be retired. So do yourself a favor and just add a few cute baby towels onto your registry and toss those old ones. The cute hoodie ones make bath time super fun for toddlers too ;)
THE DOONA
I’m still kicking myself for not buying the Doona car seat for my other kids… I only used it with my last boy. But oh my gosh it was 1000% worth every penny.
Every. Single. Penny.
It’s so convenient, you guys. Like the best thing ever for quick errands and while we never traveled with ours, so many people love that about it too.
If you aren’t familiar with it, those wheels fold under and it snaps right into the car seat base in your car and then when you’re getting baby out, it’s a single button and the wheels are popped out just like a stroller. It’s the best, guys. If you’re on the fence, I promise you will not regret this one.
Quick Little Note: I didn’t get it for baby three because everyone said I was too tall. The handle isn’t super tall even all the way up but I am 5’8” and never felt it hindered me or was unusually short whatsoever. Of course I’m not super tall, but I’m on the taller side and it always felt great for me!
PLUSH TOYS + RATTLES
Every baby wants something to play with (especially for car rides) and I thought this cute little baby gift set was so perfect - a little plush rattle, a swaddle and that beautiful bag for organizing your diaper bag. We can never have enough organization in our bags… am I right or am I right?
SOFT BOOKS
Every single one of my babies loved the soft baby books with little activities inside - mirrors, little pockets, different textures…. but MAKE SURE you can attach it to the car seat or they'll throw it overboard and the rest of your drive won’t be so fun for you.
DIAPER BAG BACKPACK
I’m a super minimal packer when it comes to diaper bags (like a diaper and wipes and a change of pants and I’m good). But when they’re fresh newborns and can’t hold up their heads, I found that backpack diaper bags made my life so much easier so I went with that style for all four babies and it’s something I will forever recommend to all new moms.
And ummm how cute is this one?? And that color!! It comes in a bigger size too but this one felt perfect for the minimalist in me.
BIG SIBLING GIFT
And last but definitely not least, include your big kids. When there’s a newborn in the home, they take up so much of mom’s time and I can’t remember this time in my life but I’m sure I wanted more attention than I got. I had a wonderful mom but we all know that babies just take time and attention and we want those big siblings to feel super special too!! So include them too, even if it’s something small. I promise it’ll make them feel so special and loved :)
If you take one thing from this list, let it be that you need far less than the internet tells you. Babies do not need fancy and they do not need everything. A handful of things you will use every single day, made well enough to survive four kids the way most of my Pottery Barn Kids pieces have, will serve you so much better than a registry stuffed with gadgets you open once and quietly put away. Four babies in, these are the items I would still choose, and they are exactly what I gifted my sweet friend for her new baby (hence all the baby girl stuff shown in here!) because I meant every one of them.
If you are registering right now, I hope this saves you some second guessing. And if you have something on your own list that you swear by, tell me. I always want to know what other moms cannot live without!
