What to register for when you’re expecting a baby

Congratulations! You or your significant other are pregnant, now you just need to narrow down the thousands of products that you ACTUALLY need to have a baby.

Man on the left wearing a black 1/4 zip sweatshirt with woman on the right wearing a purple dress with black cardigan standing in front of white pompass grass with a gazebo in the background.

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How to organize your registry items

When you’re registering for items for you and your baby I would highly recommend using Babylist to organize your registry. You can link together multiple websites/stores into ONE place. Where was this when you were getting married?! Someone…go make this for wedding registries please!

Women with blonde hair sitting in a rocking chair on the left surrounded by presents on top of and in front of a table with a white tent with greenery and balloons in the background.

Also, you might even think about becoming an Amazon Associate to earn affiliate income off of things that are on your registry. I mean…it doesn’t cost you anything to sign up, and it doesn’t cost people using your links to pay extra, you just earn from it… (that being said, I’m not sure how this communicates with Babylist, but it might be worth a shot!) Extra money, especially when expecting a baby is never a bad thing!!!

I cannot express this enough…do not just focus on when your baby is a fresh new baby, right out of the womb, baby. It is SO nice to be able to continue using things as they get older that people bought for you at your baby shower!!

Also, please please please, take advantage of garage sales, church friends, and community groups!!! Be on the lookout for things if you are expecting to have a baby, and think through the changing of the seasons, not just the date your baby is born.

Thoughts about registering for a baby

I’ll cue you into our experiences raising two children. We didn’t do things “perfectly” and you cannot plan for every scenario. So, take things one step at a time, trust in God and his plan, and work with your partner to do what is best for your family.

Also, with both children, in our experience, people LOVE to gift blankets. They are a great, universal gift with SO many purposes. I would highly recommend NOT registering for any blankets. By default, you’ll get a few!!

Baby in a mermaid costume with flower headband and bib that says "my first Halloween" with an orange pumpkins laying on a gray bubble stitch blanket — SO MANY PRETTY BLANKETS AND QUILTS FOR BOTH OF OUR CHILDREN

Baby smiling at the camera laying on a blanket with a multicolored toy to the left and wooden blocks on the right that say "4 months" — SO MANY PRETTY BLANKETS AND QUILTS FOR BOTH OF OUR CHILDREN

Furthermore, unless you’re wanting really specific books..you might not want to register for any books. People love to include them with gifts. Maybe suggest to whoever is throwing you a shower to have people give books instead of cards. I LOVE looking at the notes written from people that gave books to our kids. Although, when they get ruined I get a bit sad…but take a picture with your kid and the book before throwing it away with a note of who gave them that book. You’ll be thankful you did!

Plan on buying a big old pack of thank you cards. In my opinion, writing thank yous is never going to go out of style. It’ll be so helpful that you have extra thank you cards (and stamps) on hand before you go to the hospital. Then you can stay home with that precious babe and write thank yous, and stare at them in your pajamas, cry at their squishy, adorable face, and relax AT HOME.

What to register for when you’re expecting a baby BY CATEGORY

General baby items to register for when you’re expecting a baby

Pacifiers – have a few different types on hand if you plan to use pacifiers. Our first loved them (still sucks her thumb a bit, unfortunately) but our second HATED them. I will say, you might think you don’t need them right now, but when the baby has been crying non stop for what seems like 48 hours, and you can’t figure out a way to soothe them, having something on hand to help YOU and your spouse is helpful.

Toddler girl with blonde hair sitting on a gray couch with a Boppy pillow holding a baby in a gray striped sleeper and pacifier with a pacifier clip

Philips Avent Soothie (this is the type our first child preferred)
Nanobebe Baby Pacifiers (this is what our first child preferred early on, then they got lost)
Silicone Pacifier
Pacifier clip – useful for so much more than just pacifiers..teething toys, other small toys
- Honestly, we had the cloth band type ones, like this type of pacifier clip, and loved them. Machine washable, and every piece of lint, dog hair, your hair, blanket fuzzy, etc. didn’t stick to the beads

Older woman holding a baby sucking on a blue pacifier with a Boppy Pillow on the lap sitting on a gray couch.

Boppy Pillow – I didn’t like using a Boppy pillow for feeding, but it was so useful for visitors coming to see your newborn. It helps them feel a bit more secure holding them, so they can get a good look too!
Baby’s First Year Album – I got two different ones for my kids, but I highly recommend and looking to see what you like. There are so many great ones out there, do some researching ahead of time.
- I also brought some pretty journal paper to the hospital. This is was so nice to be able to write things down from the hospital, without having the whole book there. If you want to see what else I packed for the hospital check out my post “What you actually need to pack in your hospital bag to have a baby”
Kids Lawn Chair – I loved getting these as gifts. So unexpected, and gives you something to look forward to when they’re a bit older.
Clear totes for under the crib – there’s this little hidden space under our crib that works perfectly for holding extra crib sheets, crib mattress protectors, and blankets (for when they’re a bit older) – I would recommend measuring the exact space you will have under your crib once it is assembled at the lowest position
Shopping Cart and High Chair Cover – registered for, didn’t receive, didn’t miss that I didn’t have it (see the last section about other items I didn’t miss-in a post to come!)
Teething Necklace for mom
Baby bathtub – I think tubs with multiple functions and can grow with baby are better than single-use functions. (Fisher-Price Baby to Toddler Bath 4-In-1 Sling ‘N Seat Tub with Removable Infant Support and 2 Toys, Green)
Washcloths – this is also probably something you don’t NEED to register for. People will likely just include this in your gift! And…you can just use the ones you already have 😉
Bath toys (Do yourself a favor, and do NOT the squeaky/squirty kind- you’ll end up throwing them out because they MOLD so quickly)
Hooded bath towels – still use these today, and my youngest is 2! It is also fun to register for some “older” kid hooded towels for
- Boys and girls

People walking at a crowded fairgrounds on asphalt with a blue sky. A man on the left kneeling wearing sunglasses and a gray shirt, girl child in the middle in a stroller with a blue fan and pink sippy cup and woman kneeling on the right wearing sunglasses and a black tank top.

Dresser – We bought this one with the intention of one of our children using it for their own “big kid” room some day. This dresser would be nice to fit under hanging clothes, and would make a good option for little children to be able to pick out their own clothes.
Portable Sound Machine – we’ve used this so much! Stroller rides, sometimes in the car, on vacations. Super handy.
Portable Stroller Fan – *RECHARGEABLE* A fan with adjustable legs comes in SO HANDY for multiple uses!! Trips to the fair, walking, parades, sleeping in a cabin, etc. I would recommend getting something that has flexible legs that are made of a grippy material! This will help it stay in place for a long time. Don’t be fooled by a single clip type option. Definitely grab something that is rechargeable.
Baby Gym Play Mat – got ours at a garage sale!! It’s one of those things you don’t need for long, but it’s such a good thing to have!!

Toddler girl standing on a white kitchen stool holding a whisk wearing pink polka dot apron and a white chef hat.

Toddler Step Stool with Safety Rail – we had this style of toddler kitchen stool (in white-not a great color for messy children IYKYK) that has a chalkboard on one side and a dry erase board on the other. The ONLY problem I have with it is that it takes up a large amount of room. I think it would be nice to fold it up, like the first one I have linked.

Transportation items to register for when you’re pregnant

Stroller – Jogging Stroller Travel System – I highly recommend a jogging stroller if you ever want to go on gravel – gravel road, park without pavement paths, state fairs, county fairs, etc. Jogging stroller tires are the way to go. Learned this the hard way. Just do it, you’ll be so thankful you did!!
As the children got older we transitioned to a Wagon with Removable Canopy. Look for the options that have a built in diaper bag spot and plenty of cup holders! The canopy on this one is a bit tricky, but works pretty slick when it’s up, and folds up pretty flat when you’re not using it.
Car Seat Base – pick what car seat you like, and get an extra car seat base for husband’s vehicle, grandma’s car, etc. DO NOT buy multiple car seats, just the base.
Car Seat – get whatever you’re inclined to. You might want to consider getting a car seat that snaps into a stroller you’re looking at, or a wagon.

Woman holding a baby in a baby carrier in front, both are wearing sunglasses standing in front of a white pickup truck.

Baby Carrier – We got a LILLEbaby Complete All Seasons Ergonomic 6-in-1 carrier – I think there are plenty of options on the market. One major thing to look for is that they are breathable. You’ll be hot regardless of the season!!!
Baby Wrap – I don’t have a great recommendation for an every day, wearable wrap. I didn’t do this much, but looking back, I should have done this more! So many benefits for YOU and for the baby. Get a few different options so you can see what works for you and your body type!
Car Mirror – we had a lot of car time with my job (80 mins round trip, five days a week. This made it easy to hand toys to our children and check on them)
Car Seat Protector – car seats will get disgusting, if you allow food and drink in the car (which, you probably will), this helps protect the actual seat in the car from spills and wear and tear of taking the seat in and out all the time
SUV Cargo liner – this was awesome for so many reasons!! If you’re taking a stroller in and out of your vehicle, loading dogs, hay bales, or what have you, this will save the quality of your vehicle. Just think, you’re walking around the county fair with your child in the stroller, it’s raining and muddy, or you walk through cow poop on the way through the fair. You rinse off the tires, but there is STILL poop on it. You’ll want to have a way to protect your vehicle, and make for each cleanup!!!
Cozy Cover – we REALLY liked this. It allowed us to completely block the wind while carrying it from the car, or open it if keeping the baby in the car seat at the store. I’ve seen people struggle with cute cross opening flaps

Black and white dog sitting by a baby stroller with a cactus cover over the top.

Car Seat Canopy for Babies- Nursing cover, etc. I also got this for a little cooler of a temperature cover, or to add another layer of protection OVER the Cozy Cover. It had so many uses, and used them for both babies!!

Clothes & Accessories you should register for when you’re pregnant

I will say – I wish I would have gotten more gender neutral things! Baby stuff can be interchangeable if you plan for it to be. I would have saved a lot of money (and time shopping) for these things if I would have gotten colors like black, brown, green, gray, white.

Swaddle Blanket and Sleep sacks
- Swaddle Blanket – with velcro
- Swaddle Wearable Blanket
- Love to Dr e am Swaddle Up Transition Bag – zippered – we loved this to get the kids out of their swaddles with their arms down. We left one arm in and took one out to adjust to sleeping without a swaddle

Baby sleeping in a turquoise, gray and white sleep sack.

HALO SleepSack – Fleece
Baby Booties – socks for babies just suck. They kick them off, and they aren’t actually warm. Baby booties, all the way…especially if you are expecting a baby that will be growing the first six months in the cold!!
Hooded Fleece Outwear – THIS for those of you having winter time babies. This helped to give me a bit of piece of mind while traveling in the winter. At the time, I was traveling 40 miles one way for work with our baby. This is something I kept in the car, in the space under the carseat on the floor, just in case we got into an accident while traveling in the winter. SIZE UP from what your baby is wearing and keep it in the car. I’m so thankful we bought these!!!

Come back for more things that we registered for related to feeding items, diapering, health and safety items and MORE! I feel like we have barely scratched the surface on the things you should register for when you’re pregnant.

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