10 Items That Aren’t on Your Baby Registry but Should Be!

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Registering for a new baby can be SO overwhelming. Where should I register? What do I need? What don’t I need? Which of the 18,000 Pack ‘n’ Play options is the best? WHY are there 18,000 Pack ‘n’ Plays?! Is it safe for my baby to have plastic things? What will my baby sleep in for the first months? What type of bottles is my baby most likely to take? Did I know pacifiers can affect baby’s oral development? Didn’t really think about it, I guess I should… Someone told me buying stuff made in China isn’t safe, is that true? Should I really get a wipe warmer? And no, you don’t need that (unless you plan on storing your wipes in the freezer)…

And down the rabbit hole we go.

I spent HOURSSSSSS researching all the things, trying to decide what I really needed and what I didn’t, and which specific play gym, breast pump, crib mattress, humidifier, etc. I wanted to get. Y’all, I was lucky I wasn’t working at this time. I felt like researching and preparing my home for a baby was practically a full-time job!

And even after all that research, NONE of the following 10 items were on my final registry list… and they should have been. I either just didn’t know about them, or didn’t think of them as “essential” baby or mommy items until we were smack dab in the middle of figuring out parenthood.

So here are 10 items that you really should put on your registry to make parenthood just a little easier…

1. Lula Clips

This genius invention is a set of magnets that you clip on either side of baby’s carseat to hold back the carseat straps for easier loading and unloading of your precious cargo! They are WAY more helpful than you might think.

2. Zip-Up Wipe Pouches

Zip-up is key here! Read on to find out why…

Buying individual travel packs of wipes is not cost effective, and all that extra plastic is not good for the environment. On the other hand, you don’t want to lug a full pack of wipes around in your already-100-pound diaper bag. Get reusable wipe pouches and just fill them with wipes from your big packs.

I had a few different kinds of these and found that this Ziploc-type closure kept the wipes moist for much longer than the hard-case plastic ones such as the OXO and SkipHop brands. My wipes dried out SO fast in those.

3. Master Blaster Stain Remover

This baby-safe stain remover and deodorizer will probably make every single one of my “must have for moms” lists for the rest of time. It is most definitely on my list of Top 3 Items Every Mom Needs!

It is magic. I’ve used it to save clothes after a blow-out diaper, get pen out of a couch, red wine out of a white shirt, rust out of the carpet (something rusty dripped as it was being carried over my carpet…) and all sorts of stains out of my girl’s clothes. It’s also a great deodorizer. AND the ingredients are super safe for everyone in the family… no nasty chemicals.

You can also get the 32 oz refill bottle with a better price per ounce and use your own spray bottles.

4. Pockit Stroller

Even if you already picked out a stroller for your babe, consider adding this one as well. Once your child has outgrown the infant carseat, you will need to transition to a child-seat stroller. The convertible/travel-system strollers can get bulky and very heavy once you add the child seat in place of the carseat.

Once the child seat was on it, my travel-system stroller started hurting my back having to lift it in and out of the backseat so much for daily errands. Plus it took up half of the trunk of our SUV. In comes the Pockit Stroller to save the day! This thing weighs less than 9 pounds (convertible strollers typically weigh around 20-30 pounds), and folds up SO small (down to 11.8” x 7” x 13.8” to be exact). It will save your back and save you space in your home and car. It’s an absolute necessity for frequent air travelers or road trippers!

I love this stroller so much I wrote a full review on it!

5. Dyson Cordless Vacuum

No cords means quick and easy access (and no little ones pulling the cord out of the wall). Incredible maneuverability means no moving furniture around (this vacuum reaches under my coffee table with a bar about 4 inches off the ground). You also get excellent sucking power that works on both carpeted and hard floors, making for super easy post-meal cleanup. To top it off, quickly swap out the stick for a crevice tool and use it as the most effective dust buster to clean the crumbs out of the highchair or carseat.

I’m not going to lie, I HATE cleaning, especially vacuuming. While I still don’t enjoy it with the Dyson, I do get it done much more frequently now that I have my cordless vacuum. It’s just way more convenient and effective than your typical corded vacuum.

6. Happy Baby Carrier & Wrap

I registered for an Ergo 360. We liked it just fine and used it for several months. And then I found Happy Baby Carriers. I cannot say enough about how much I love this company and their products (and I get no compensation whatsoever if you buy one). My 3 favorite things about this carrier that make it different from other carriers:

1. You can fold them up and fit them in a diaper bag!!! Game changer. Most other carriers are pretty bulky and are difficult to carry with you when not in use.
2. The fabrics and colors are stunning! Each Spring and Fall they do a launch with new colors and they are always so pretty!
3. It’s a family-owned business (young husband and wife) and the owners are incredible! They love interacting with their customers and are notorious for over-the-top customer service.

They also have wraps that are supposedly similar to Solly wraps, but don’t stretch out as much. I haven’t tried one yet, but hope to get one for baby #2.

7. Fanny Pack

Hear me out on this one… There are going to be times where you’re just running into the grocery store or you’re going somewhere where you don’t want to lug the entire diaper bag or your purse with you. It’s so helpful to be able to shove a couple diapers, wipes, your keys and credit card into a fanny pack and not have to carry the bulky diaper bag or try to keep your purse on your shoulder as you baby wear.

Plus there are lots of cute options out there now… fanny packs are IN again! I think…

Just get one. Trust me, you’ll use it.

Other cute ones:

• Lulu Lemon Everywhere Belt Bag
• Bungalow 360 Waist Pack
• SoJourner Bags Fanny Pack

8. NutriNinja

I know this seems like a strange baby registry item, but you can use it in ALL stages of baby’s early life: pregnancy, babyhood and toddlerhood…

1. Pregnancy smoothies. It is the easiest way to make a single-serving smoothie. It blends just as smoothly as a Vitamix, but is 1,000 times easier to clean and takes up WAY less room (I’ve had both and sold my Vitamix because we stopped using it after we got the NutriNinja). Smoothies are a great way to pack in those vitamins you need during pregnancy. In fact, I’ve shared an excellent recipe packed with tons of nutrients in my Super Baby Smoothie post.
2. If you plan to make your own baby food. This was a great way for me to blend up all the fruits, veggies and proteins I used in making my own baby food. This, combined with the Infantino Squeeze Station is all you need.
3. Toddler smoothies. When your toddler starts to refuse vegetables (yes, even if they’ve been a GREAT veggie eater early on), smoothies are the perfect way to get those nutrients into their tummies. Which leads me to my next recommendation…

9. Squeasy Snacker

Once you’ve used the NutriNinja to blend your toddler’s smoothie… THIS is the best way to get it into their little tummies. It’s a silicone reusable pouch that is easy for littles to use and a breeze for mommies to clean (seriously, it’s so easy). It’s also a great mess-free way to do yogurt or applesauce on-the-go.

I’ve also done a full review on the Squeasy Snacker…

10. Philips Avent Breast Shells

This one is only necessary if you’re planning on breastfeeding. That sweet little mouth with no teeth can surprisingly hurt like H-E-double-hockey-sticks. I remember, there were times early in my breastfeeding journey when ANYTHING that touched my breasts felt like someone was taking 80-grit sandpaper to my boobs. These breast shells (along with these cooling gel pads) were my only saving grace.

These are essentially a shell that protects your battle-wounded boobs from coming into contact with anything and lets them “air out” (which is actually really good for their healing). They make you look like you’re wearing a bad version of Madonna’s 1990’s cone bra, but they provide sweet relief!!

It says it collects excess milk, but I’m not sure I’d recommend it for that. If you’re looking for something to collect excess/leaky milk, I’d look into a Haakaa.

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I hope these can be helpful to you as you enter the journey of motherhood!

Also, as you build your registry, be sure to check out some of my other posts below for more registry ideas.

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