Top Must Have Items for Your Baby Registry as A Mom of 3

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Having done this three times, I can honestly say that there is very little baby needs and oh so much the world has invented and created and marketed that will make you feel both like you need it all while also feeling completely overwhelmed. Couple my experience with this relatively new found passion I have for Waldorf education and its ideology, and I now have, what I believe, is the ‘real’ baby registry list.

I will not be including nursery furniture. None of my kids had a nursery. None of them slept in a crib. We bed-shared with all of them until they transitioned into a floor bed. And FYI, the cost of those crib mattresses … just as expensive as a full mattress. And for the rest of the decor like a changing table with dresser or a glider / rocking chair, just pick what works best for you! You really can’t go wrong with a set of drawers or a comfy chair to rock your babe in.

Now let’s get to it!

CAR SEAT AND STROLLER

You need this. It’s as simple as that. I have had expensive, top of the line infant car seats and I have had not-as-expensive, more accessible car seats. And ultimately, I found that the more high end ones just less clunky, in aesthetics, functionality, and features. My top faves for infant car seats are the UPPAbaby Mesa V2 Infant Car Seat, the Bugaboo Turtle Air by Nuna Car Seat, or the Nuna Pipa™. And for those that are on baby #2 (or 3 … 4…) who may already have the infant car seat from a previous baby and now are in the market for a convertible car seat, I LOVE the Baby Jogger City Turn Rotating Convertible Car Seat or the Nuna Rava (non rotating).

As for a stroller, you’ll need to figure out what is important to you when it comes to features and functionalities, and I would stick to:

  • Bugaboo

  • Nuna

  • UPPAbaby

Features and functions you will want to consider when doing a stroller comparison chart:

  • How many potential kids do you want? How soon do you want another baby? How easily do you want to make your stroller convert into a double?

  • City or rural? Think about your wheels. Cobblestones, pavement, wooded areas. Is hiking part of your every day? The BOB Gear Revolution Flex 3.0 Jogging Stroller may be right for you if you are an avid hiker / runner / plan on being outdoors primarily.

  • Your size. Your partner’s size (if applicable). How heavy or compact of a stroller can you handle? What car are you driving? Is it easily foldable? Can you lift it on your own?

  • Do you want an all-in-one stroller that may be more compact so you can use it for travel? Do you want a separate travel stroller?

  • Any other features you are interested in like a bassinet?

HIGHCHAIR

The Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair is going to be your favorite item! It’s not just beautiful — it’s functional and developmentally sound for your growing baby. Plus, you can get the newborn seat add on so your little one can be at dinner time with the rest of the family.

BABY SWING

This was a must for all three of my very different babies — and all of them loved the Graco DuetSoothe® Swing and Rocker — and I’ve tried all the swings! We had three different ones in the house at one point. But the Graco was consistent. It rocks side to side and front to back. You can detach the swing and take it with you (to the bathroom, lets say, when you need to shower / bathe) and it can rock. It’s on the clunky side, but worth it. My babies used it until they were about 9 months old.

ACTIVITY CENTER

I was told to stay away from activity centers that allowed the baby to bounce — to be extra alert on hip placement and how things you buy for baby may or may not affect their hip development. Which is why I fell in love with the Skip Hop Baby Activity Center. We have had it since Thea was born and it is still in pristine condition. It’s easy to clean and it’s easy to grow with baby. This is a top favorite item in our home.

BABY CARRIER

I am a fan of soft and structured baby carriers. I have had self-wraps and the Original Baby K'tan Baby Carrier, and prefer the K’tan time and time again. I uses this when baby is a newborn and I am around the house.

I also love the BabyBjörn Baby Carrier Mini (in cotton) for more outings with my newborn. It provides more structure and is the easiest thing to use! This was around when my baby borther was born (in 1997) and is tried and true.

And once your little one gets bigger, my all time favorite baby carrier is the Happy Baby Revolution Carrier. I am not too sure what else to say — it’s just the best thing ever made.

SAFETY

We love our Nanit baby camera. We’ve had it since Thea was born and have never had an issue in 5+ years. We also bought their travel system and it works seamlessly. In addition to the baby camera, we also love our Hatch white noice machine. But it does so much more than that! It’s an alarm clock, night light, helps with toddler sleep wake times, and has a backup battery for those power outages.

SWADDLES + CLOTHES

The only thing I really want to share here are some brands to look into. The bamboo, stretch material will be your best friend when it comes to swaddles. I hated all the velcro “easy” ones and found that learning to swaddle was easy and sweet moments in my day. My top faves are:

And for clothes, you can’t go wrong. Tiny clothes are cute. I don’t care if it’s from Target, Old Navy, Zara, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Tea Collection. It’s all cute. But do keep in mind that they grow fast and explosive newborn poop does not discriminate and it does stain. With all of that in mind, I also highly recommend Magnetic Me baby clothes.