7 Things I’d Put On A Baby Registry Now That I’ve Actually Had a Baby

Dallas Mom Friend

Sep 23

4 min read

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Before I had a baby, building a registry felt like studying for a test I hadn't taken yet. I read reviews, watched videos, asked friends what they actually used, and still found myself wondering: Do I really need this? What am I forgetting? Why are there 400 versions of the same thing?

Now that I've actually had a baby and made it through the newborn stage, there are certain products I look back on and think, yes, absolutely put that on the registry. Some are obvious. Others are little things I didn't fully appreciate until I was using them constantly.

Here are seven things I recommend to every new Mom who asks me about their registry.

Bath Thermometer

This is one of those little products that you might look at while building your registry and think, Can't I just feel the water? Absolutely. But with a brand-new baby, I loved being able to know exactly what temperature the bath water was instead of second-guessing myself.

This bath thermometer is inexpensive, easy to use, and something we continued using beyond those earliest newborn baths.

Sound Machine

Before having a baby, I didn’t understand the sound machine hype. I thought that a baby should want quiet to be able to sleep. But if I had to start over tomorrow, this sound machine would be the first thing on the list. The idea is to simulate the baby’s experience in the womb once they’re born. Our bodies aren’t quiet; your baby’s room shouldn’t be either.

I particularly love one that plugs into the wall but can also run on batteries, because that makes it much easier to take the familiar sound of home with you when you're dealing with a nap somewhere other than the nursery or have a power outage.

Car Camera

I didn't realize how much I would want to be able to see my baby while I was driving until the first time I couldn’t see my rear-facing baby. A traditional car mirror works, but I loved having a car camera with a screen right on the dashboard. Instead of trying to catch the right angle in a mirror, I could glance at the monitor and immediately see what was happening in the backseat.

Changing Pad Covers

Hear me out on this one, because technically you can absolutely buy a wipeable changing pad and call it a day. But I loved having a changing pad cover. It made the changing area feel a little softer and cozier for a tiny baby, and — more importantly — it helped contain the inevitable messes that happen during diaper changes and helped prevent my newborn from being startled awake by being placed on a cold changing table.

Formula Machine

I want to talk about this one a little differently, because every feeding journey is different. Before my son was born, I planned to breastfeed. Ultimately, I wasn't able to — and our feeding journey looked different from what I had pictured while I was pregnant. And that's okay. If you breastfeed, that's wonderful. If you pump, that's wonderful. If you combo feed, that's wonderful. And if you formula feed, that's wonderful too. Fed is best.

For us, once formula became part of our story, this formula machine was one of those products that made everyday life noticeably easier. When you're exhausted and making yet another bottle, anything that can remove a few steps from the process feels like a gift.

Electric Nail Trimmer

A newborn’s nails are the cutest and sharpest little talons, and thin as paper. After cutting my son’s finger with baby nail clippers, I immediately bought an electric nail trimmer. This is exactly the type of registry product I love recommending because you might not think much about it before the baby arrives — and then suddenly you're looking at ten tiny fingernails that never stop moving but are in desperate need of attention. Anything that made those early baby-care tasks feel a little less intimidating was a win for me.

Forage Feeder

This one comes a little later, which is another thing I wish I'd understood when I made my registry: you aren't only registering for the newborn stage. Your tiny newborn is eventually going to start teething, eating solids, grabbing everything in sight, and somehow putting every object they encounter directly into their mouth.

A forage feeder became one of my favorite things to have during that transition. You can use it with ice or frozen fruit purées to give baby something cold to gnaw on when those gums are bothering them. It's inexpensive, doesn't take up much space, and it's something you'll be very glad is already sitting in a drawer when those first teeth start making an appearance.

The Biggest Thing I'd Do Differently With My Baby Registry

If I could go back and build my registry again, I think I'd worry less about whether I had the perfect version of every product and focus more on having the things that would make everyday life easier. Because that's really what a good registry is about.

You're preparing for a baby you've never met and a version of your life you've never lived before. You can't possibly predict exactly what your baby will like, what your feeding journey will look like, how they'll sleep, or which products will end up being lifesavers in your particular household.

Want My Full Baby Registry Checklist?

These seven products are only a small peek at what I'd register for now. After actually having a baby — and spending plenty of time figuring out what we used, what we loved, and what was actually worth having — I put everything I learned into my Ultimate Baby Registry Checklist. It covers bathtime, bedtime, on-the-go gear, diapering, feeding, health & wellness, teething, and more, with my personal recommendations, a breakdown of what’s a must-have or a nice-to-have, and notes to help you figure out what you actually need.

But remember: there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all baby registry. Take the recommendations that work for you, skip the ones that don't, and build a registry that makes your transition into motherhood a little easier.