Top Minimalistic Must Have Baby Registry Items
Creating a baby registry can be extremely overwhelming, especially if its your first child. After having two children 21 months apart, my thoughts on the necessary baby registry items have changed and become more minimalistic. While I do have some splurge items that I absolutely love, I also don’t think it’s necessary to have items such as wipe warmers and diaper cream spatulas… but to each their own! Below is the list I’ve created in hopes of helping moms out there building their registries and wondering how to prep for their little ones arrival.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products I own and love, and/or those I highly recommend. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.
Diapering
Diapers– I recommend not stocking up on one specific brand, as it may not be the right fit for your baby. I learned this after having a massive stockpile of Pampers for my first son, only to find out they just didn’t work for him. We switched to Huggies and never looked back. Maybe get a few small packs form different brands- sizes N and 1 to start off.
Wipes– Unscented wipes are the way to go, and honestly whichever you prefer and what doesn’t irritate your baby’s skin. I love Water Wipes for both of my boys, I’ve also heard some amazing things about the Kirklands brand wipes.
Changing pad– Our Keekaroo peanut changing pad is a little on the pricier side, but its a must have for me. I love how easy it is to wipe down and keep sanitized thanks to it being impermeable to any fluids. Skip Hop and Bumbo brand both make similar items for less money.
Cream/Pastes– Neither of my boys have experienced diaper rashes, I chalk that up to making sure they’re completely dry after being wiped and/or bathed before putting a diaper back on them. I also keep a thin layer of Aquaphor on their bottoms. Aquaphor is magical in my book, and can be used not only with diapering but also dry or chapped skin, and minor scratches. I’ve also used and love Earth Mama Diaper Balm as well, its an organic herbal remedy salve that has many uses including healing rashes, burns, bug bites scrapes and cuts. Like Aquaphor, its an item that can be used by the whole family!
Diaper Pail– Some families prefer to bag their diapers and toss them in the garbage can and although I’m more towards the minimalistic side, a diaper pail isn’t one of those items I’d want to do without. We have an Ubbi diaper pail that’s been used for both of our boys and it truly takes its job of locking in odors seriously. Along with keeping odors out of the boys rooms, I also love how we can use a standard kitchen trash bag in it instead of having to buy a specific liner. Some diaper pails need their own brand of bags to work properly.
Bathing
Baby bath– The Angelcare Baby Bath Support is what we used for both boys. I love how easy it is to wipe clean and it dries quickly. Our boys have always been comfortable lounging in it during bath time and you can’t beat the price!
Brush– You’ll want a soft bristle hair brush to help prevent cradle cap from forming. Brush their wet and soapy head in soft circular motions. There are so many to choose from, the Safety 1st brush got the job done for our babies.
Wash cloths– You’ll want soft material wash cloths for bath time. I love anything made of muslin fabric, like these.
Soap– It’s not always necessary to use soap when bathing your baby, but you’ll want a gentle one for those times that it’s needed. I love Mustela for my boys, I’ve also used Tubby Todd and have been happy with that as well.
Lotions/Creams– My absolute favorite lotion for my boys is the All Over Ointment from Tubby Todd. Its seriously a miracle cream! It’s a fragrance free ointment, made from plant-based ingredients to soothe and hydrate your skin. The reviews are outstanding and mention clearing baby acne, cradle cap, rashes and relieving eczema. Hands down, this product is amazing.
Bath towel– Do I think baby towels are necessary? No. Is there something adorable about a little babe fresh from the bath wrapped up in their mini hooded towel? Absolutely! You decided whether its something you need or could do without. My sister in law gifted us a Weezie hooded baby towel for my second son and honestly, I’m pretty jealous of him when he’s all snuggled in. It’s as if he’s just hanging out at the spa!
Nose Frida– I listed this under the bathing category as I keep ours in the boys bathroom. This little contraption will suck out all the boogies in your babes nose, and keep them as comfortable as possible while sick. Its a must have! I also like to spray with Boogie Mist first, then use the Nose Frida.
Nail Clippers– Fun fact: Baby nails grow about twice as fast as your own! You’ll want to keep those little razor sharp claws trimmed down often to prevent them from scratching themselves. The Nail Frida gets the job done with both our boys safely.
Medication– Again as above, I keep this in the boys bathroom. Have infant Tylenol and gas drops on hand- you don’t want to be doing any frantic middle of the night drugstore runs.
Sleep
Crib/Bassinet– You’ll want to figure out what will work best for you and your baby as far as where they’ll be sleeping as a newborn, but also when they’re a little older. Will your baby sleep in your room in a bedside bassinet? A pack n play in your room? Will their crib be in your room? Will you cosleep? Are you planning to have baby sleep in their own room from the start? This is all personal preference of what you’re comfortable with and what works best for you as a family. We were gifted a Halo bedside bassinet from an old coworker of mine, so we used for the first couple months in our room with both boys. We then transitioned to a Graco pack n play in our room, and eventually into a crib in their own rooms.
For a crib, be sure to get a few sets of crib sheets ( I’m a huge fan of Copper Pearl for these), at least 2 waterproof mattress pads ( Dreamtex My Little Nest is our favorite) as well as a firm mattress. For a pack n play, you’ll want specific sized sheets and nothing else. The manufactures strongly recommend using only the the mattress that the Pack and Play comes with (along with a fitted sheet) and nothing else, for the safety of your baby.
Sound machine– We are huge lovers of our sound machines. Not only do they block out external noises, but they sound very similar to the noise inside the womb providing a more restful and comforting sleep. We love our Hatch sound machines, and have both the Hatch Rest Baby and the Rest Mini for the boys.
Swaddles– The Halo velcro swaddles are a must have for baby sleep. They’re easy to put on, come in different sizes and fabrics and with a safely snug fit they’ll ensure a restful sleep for your little one. I recommend getting both sizes newborn and small. I’d snag a couple lightweight muslin swaddle blankets too- they’re great for draping over the carseat if you’re out in public and want to block out the light while your babe is sleeping, cover their legs in the carseat/ stroller or even to spread out on their activity mat during tummy time to keep it clean in the event they spit up.
Blackout curtains– This is a personal preference. With our first son we swore by a pitch black room for naps, and with our second we just used regular blinds and he napped in a lightly dimmed room. Both boys are/were awesome nappers.
Baby monitor– There are so many on the market to choose from! If your babe will be sleeping in their own room as some point, you’ll want to get a baby monitor of some kind. It all comes down to what you prefer and what fits your budget. Some monitors work on WiFi, while others are on a closed circuit system and offer a little more peace of mind/security. Some of them allow you to add multiple cameras as your family continues to grow as well. We’ve been very happy with our Infant Optics monitor system!
Humidifier– These are great for when your little one is sick or those colder wintery nights when your running the heat. Crane Ultrasonic Coolmist Humidifier was our go-to when we lived in SoCal.
Feeding
Bottles– There are so many bottles available on the market, and honestly its just whatever works best for your baby. I chose ComoTomo for both my boys, I liked how the bottle itself is a soft silicone material, there are very few pieces to clean and and it has a wide nipple base- perfect for breasted babies. My boys took to them instantly and had no issues.
Drying rack– The Boon Lawn drying rack makes all that bottle/pump part/ pacifier cleaning a little easier, and keeps the chaos organized on your kitchen counter.
Bottle soap– Its a personal preference if you’d rather just use regular standard dish soap or baby friendly bottle soap. Dapple Baby has been amazing at cleaning all our feeding items, while being still gentle on them.
Bottle brush– You’ll need one of these to get in all those crevices of your bottles and pump parts! Depending on how often you use them, its recommended to replace your bottle brush every 1-3 months.
Nipple balm– If you’re nursing or pumping, you’ll want to give your nipples some TLC. I swear by the organic Earth Mama nipple butter, as I’ve never experienced any cracking or bleeding. It’s multipurpose so you can use it on lips, cheeks, even your heels and you don’t have to wash it off before nursing. Its amazing!
Milk bags– If you’re going to be pumping at any point, you should get some freezer safe milk bags. Lansinoh bags are easy to find at your local grocery store, drug store and online. Lay the bags flat to freeze, and then you can stack them in gallon zip lock bags to save room in your freezer and keep them organized.
Breast pump– If you’re planning to breastfeed your baby, I recommend going through your insurance to get a hospital grade breast pump. I love my Spectra S1 (the blue one), as its successfully pumped for my first son for 8 months, and currently my second son going on 9 months. When you get a pump, look on You Tube at some videos of how to use it/ program buttons etc. so you’re comfortable with it when the time comes to put it to use. I also loved using the Haaka for the first couple months postpartum to catch any milk that would leak out while my baby was nursing. I was able to make a pretty decent freezer stash just from my Haaka alone. I wouldn’t recommend using a hands free pump as your primary one, as they don’t tend to empty your breasts as well as a tradition pump, therefore resulting in possible decreased milk supply. I do have an Elvie and love it for when I’m on the go.
Formula– If you’re planning to formula feed, be sure to have in mind which kind you’d like to use, as long as your baby tolerates it. Your pediatrician can help make recommendations if having a difficult time finding one that works best for your little babe.
Burp cloths– You’ll want to stock up on burp cloths, Amazon has great muslin material ones that come in bulk. You’ll be surprised the many ways you’ll find you use a burp cloth!
Bibs– At some point you’ll start feeding solids to you baby, I recommend a bib with a pouch on it to catch any food that falls. Also, silicone ones are easy to wash off in the sink and dry quickly. I’ve been using these with my second baby and love them!
Plates/bowls– For introducing solids, EZPZ makes awesome bowls and plates that suction to the highchair, so you’re cutie pie can’t chuck their meal across the room,..even though its so fun to do!
Cups– Around 6 months or once cleared by your pediatrician, you can introduce drinking water your baby. You can do the open cup method of drinking, or cups with flexible straws. There are so may on the market to choose from, and sometime it takes a little experimentation to see which ones your baby likes best.
Highchair– You’ll want a highchair eventually, so I’d recommend just adding it to your registry. There are ones that grow with your child, such as the Stokke Tripp Trapp, and others that are more traditional and serve their purpose until around age 2 when you then introduce a booster seat.
On the Go
Baby carrier– I’m a huge fan of baby wearing, it makes my life 10x easier. In the first couple months, I really love using my wraps( Solly Baby and Moby are the ones I own/love). Look up some You Tube videos on how to properly wrap them so you’ll be a pro by the time your little babe has arrived. As my boys got older and heavier, I switched them to my Ergo Baby Carrier 360. My youngest is currently 9 months old and I wear him at some point every single day. Baby crying and you need to vacuum? Wear them. Nap isn’t lasting long enough and you don’t want to keep rocking them over and over? Wear them (ours always fall asleep on me!). Have to chase after your 2 year old at the park and you don’t want to leave your baby alone in the stroller? Wear them. Seriously, baby wearing is the best thing ever.
Carseat– You can choose to either do an infant carseat and then switch over to a convertible seat once the height or weight is maxed out, or go straight to a convertible seat as an infant. We went with an infant seat and purchased the entire travel system. If you do this, make sure both you and your partner have a base for the carseat in your car. I’m not crazy about the stroller that came with our travel system, so on Facebook Marketplace I’ve found both a single and double BOB. The BOB strollers fit our lifestyle and are absolute beasts on and off a paved path. If you decide to get a stroller from a different brand than your infant seat, be sure to get the correct adapter to go with.
Stroller fan– Unless you live in a climate where its freezing year round, do your baby a favor and snag a stroller fan. You can easily clip it onto their carseat or stroller and keep them cool while on the go.
Mirror– You’ll want a carseat/headrest mirror in both your car and your partners so you’re able to safely keep an eye on your little one while they’re far facing. They also enjoy seeing seeing their reflection and stay occupied.
Pack n Play– These are always great to have on hand for traveling, sleeping in your room, overnights at the grandparents house and so on. They fold up small and can be stored in a closet, under the bed, garage etc. We love our Graco one!
Play
High contrast images– To help your babies cognitive development, set up some high contrast images to look at while doing tummy time or just hanging out in your lap. Baby Einstein makes a folding mirror and high contrast image flash card set that we loved for both our boys.
Stacking rings– You can’t go wrong with the classic stacking ring toy! Babies enjoy chewing the rings, then as they get older they practice fine motor skills by stacking and removing them on the cone while also learning colors and counting.
Activity mat– Activity mats/play gyms allow a safe space for you baby to explore different senses, colors, toys, work on tummy time and just freely move their body. We love our Skip Hop Vibrant Village Activity Gym- It’s so fun even our dog and cat like to lay on it!
Jumpers– I honestly don’t know what we’d do without our jumper. Both boys absolutely go ham in it as soon as we lower them in. They laugh and squeal, while strengthening their legs and giving us a moment to get some things done while keeping an eye on them.
Carseat/Stroller toys– Get a few toys that you can clip onto the carseat handle and/or the stroller to entertain your little one while on the go.
Books– It’s never too early to introduce your child to the magic of books! With babies, aim for chunky paged books that have flaps to pull down and different textures to feel. Soft, crinkle books are also enjoyable to chew and grasp.
Teethers– Give your baby something to sink their gums into! Cutting teeth is no fun for anyone, so be sure to have some different style teethers on hand to help ease your baby through that tough stage.
Swings/loungers– While I don’t think these are absolutely necessary to have, they can definitely make life easier on you if you’ve got the space for them. Baby swings can provide another place to set your baby and will often lull them to sleep, giving you a much deserved break. Loungers are wonderful too, allowing a safe place to set your baby while you get some tasks done around the house (with baby in view).
I hope you’ve found this post helpful as you prepare yourself with the necessary items to start this next journey in your life. I’d love to hear your must have registry items in the comments below! Thank you for stopping by my page!
