Baby Registry- what to buy and what to leave off

Baby registry items- When I had my twins, I liked simplicity, but wasn’t the minimalist I am now. Looking back at all of the baby items we bought and received as gifts, there are some items I wouldn’t change, but also many items that weren’t necessary and wouldn’t buy again.

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A few tips before I share my list:

• Shop off Amazon when you can. It’s super convenient to make returns, they have a TON of baby options and they offer a fulfillment discount on items, offered roughly 60 days before your baby is born.
• For the budget conscious: Try borrowing as many items as you can before purchasing. Or, look on Facebook Marketplace for discounted rates.
• Non-toxic products: When purchasing and registering, be aware of toxicity within products. I didn’t know much about this when I registered for gifts/items. My list would look VERY different today. Below I’ll suggest non-toxic brands/options when I can.
• While this list seems a bit excessive for a minimalist registry, a lot of the items are going to make your life so much easier if you have them, and trust me: you want to make life as easy and simple as possible during this season of life!

Below are the list of items I would re-buy or wish I had the first time around. Some are twin specific, but most could be used for just one baby as well.

Nursing/Pumping- lets start here. I nursed, pumped and had to supplement with formula.

1. Breast pump and parts- if you plan on pumping, you will need a breast pump. We rented a hospital grade pump for the first month and a half and loved it! Insurance sent me the Medela Pump In Style Double Electric Pump and it never gave me near as much milk as the hospital grade pump. Check with insurance because a lot of them will cover the cost of the pump! If you can afford it, I highly suggest purchasing the hospital grade pump.
2. Hands free pumping bra: I used and liked this pumping bra. I would absolutely buy a few of them so you don’t have to wash a single one daily. They can get a bit unsavory if not washed daily.
3. Nipple cream- I pumped A LOT so this was a necessity.
4. Nursing cover- if you plan on nursing around people or in public, you may want one to keep covered, and keep your baby focused on eating. I liked this nursing cover because it has multiple purposes, which is great for the minimalist!
5. Bottles- each baby is different, so you may need to experiment with bottles. We used Dr. Brown’s bottles and they worked well for us. I would be curious about glass bottles though.
6. Burp cloths- With twins, we went through a lot of these! They were great to have!
7. Bottle brush– Necessary for cleaning parts. We placed ours in a mason jar and kept it next to our sink.
8. Drying rack- while not necessarily a need, it sure helps with drying bottle parts. I washed everything by hand and never used the dishwasher for baby bottles and parts, so this was a huge help. I like this one because it comes in white. 🙂
9. Dish bin- I used the bin the hospital gave me. I would rinse the bottles and pump parts, then set them in this bin with hot water and soap to soak before washing.
10. Milk storage- I stored my extra milk in milk storage bags..however if I were to do it again, I would purchase these silicone baby food freezer trays. The milk storage bags are generally BPA free, but I’d still feel more comfortable using something other than plastic for milk storage.

Optional/Not needed:

1. Nursing tanks- I never did buy nursing specific tank tops. I just used my cami tanks and pulled the strap down when I nursed.
2. Nursing pads- I never needed these, and you may not either. You may want to get a few of them to have just in case, but I wouldn’t buy a ton of them to start.
3. Bottle warmer- I did have a bottle warmer but didn’t have a lot of luck with it warming correctly. Half of the time it was too hot and the other it was too cold. Very inconsistent. Save your money and just set the bottle in hot water to heat.
4. Boppy nursing pillow– you could get away with not purchasing one of these, however, it was helpful for breast feeding, then bottle feeding as the twins got older. Some mamas use a pillow and say it works fine, others swear by this pillow!

Baby Gear–

1. Car seat/infant carrier- A car seat is (duh) an absolute need. We used the Maxi-Cosi Mico 30 Infant Car Seat and have no complaints! We are still using them today and our kiddos are 19 months old (our boys are still under 25 pounds). They are supposed to be the lightest infant carriers. They are definitely lighter than others I’ve lifted! These run about $200.
2. Baby carrier for baby wearing- We used the Boba wrap when the boys were really little, then switched to the Ergobaby wrap. We honestly didn’t use them all that often with the twins, so I can’t really give my opinion on them. Most mamas swear by them though.
3. Stroller- you will need a stroller. With the twins, we started with the Joovy Twin Roo and LOVED it! It was perfect because with the purchase of adapters, our car seats snapped right into the stroller. Very convenient. We used this until the boys were about 7 months old. Then we switched to the Baby Jogger City Mini Double Stroller. This stroller is worth every penny. I REALLY like it and would buy it again! The wheels are so smooth and its very easy to push. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this stroller.
4. Diaper bag- you are going to want a diaper bag, or bag to hold baby items. We use a diaper bag backpack and it’s been great for our twins. This backpack has an area in the front that is isolated for bottles and has a bunch of pockets on the inside. We went with black, so my husband likes it and has no problem wearing it. A very functional item.
5. Bassinet- We did not want to co-sleep and knew we wanted them sleep trained as soon as possible (because hello, we have twins!). We wanted to get them into a crib-like bassinet early on and it worked out very well for us. We used this one. It turns into a portable crib, so now we use it when traveling.
6. Crib- another thing your going to need (not right away though). We have the Delta Children Emery 4-in-1 convertible Baby Crib, in white. My only complaint is the paint chips off. Granted, the boys like to chew the sides of it when they are standing in their crib…but I like that it transfers into a toddler bed, then can be used as a headboard when the child transfers to a larger bed. Again, its functional and can be used for years.
7. Crib mattress and crib sheet
8. Baby monitor- You will want a baby monitor to ease your mind. I can’t say that I love ours, but also don’t hate it. The sound works well, you have the option to talk into the microphone, and you can scan the room. To see more than one baby, you will have to purchase a second camera if you want to see them really well. We just have one camera and scan back and forth between the cribs, but I wish we had a second camera so we could see each baby better.

9. Diapers- I wish I would’ve researched cloth diapers before starting off right away with disposable because we go through A TON of them. Try to stock up on diapers of every size at your baby shower!! You go through SOOOOO many of these and they aren’t cheap!
10. Wipes- we use Water Wipes and like them! Look for something non-toxic!
11. Bathtub- We used this baby bath and it worked well when we bathed the boys in the tub. However, I wish we would’ve had something different for the infant stage. Another option is to skip the baby bathtub and bathe with you baby. 🙂
12. Washcloths– we go through a tone of these. You will want soft ones for bath time as well as feeding clean up. If you already have soft washcloths, you could just use those instead of purchasing new.
13. Baby soap- we have been using Dr. Bonner’s liquid unscented castile soap from day 1! We love this stuff! It’s non-toxic, works great and can be used for cleaning as well! Very multi-functional!
14. Thermometer– we like this one!
15. Diaper cream– look for something non-toxic. This brand is great!
16. Books- they don’t have to be baby specific books, but the earlier you can start reading to your baby, the better!!!
17. Something to keep your baby in while you shower/do dishes/cook, etc. See options below.

Optional/Not needed:

Now, some might argue that a lot of these things are needed, but I disagree. Yes, they make life a lot easier, BUT you do not need every single one of these baby items. Your baby’s temperament will have a lot to do with what will work and what won’t. Just find something you can safely set your baby in for those times you can’t be holding him/her. However, if you have multiples, I will argue that a lot of them are needed. 😉

1. Bouncer- This is something that I used all the time with my boys. They slept in this when they were infants (during the day) and I loved being able to pick it up and carry it from room to room (like the bathroom so I could shower!). You may not need it, but it sure is convenient. I really like the looks of this BabyBjorn bouncer...it’s more expensive so you could check Facebook Marketplace or a Bargain Hunt for a discounted rate.
2. Swing- we had a MamaRoo and a swing. I personally liked the swing better. I would definitely get a swing again and skip the MamaRoo.
3. Jumperoo: My boys LOVED jumping in a jumperoo! Do your research on this though. There are articles about overusing these and causing issues with babies joints.
4. Play gym- We did use our play gym a lot. We had one similar to this. I really like the looks of this one though! It’s more expensive, but has great reviews and perfect for the minimalist, with the neutral colors. This is another option. I LOVE this company as well!
5. Foam mat- we wanted a foam mat because our downstairs area has hardwood floors. When the boys were practicing tummy time, we wanted to add comfort. We found this mat (we got the gray and white one) and absolutely LOVE it! We use it indoors as well as outside. Soon we will be moving it upstairs, and putting a table over it to protect the carpet from snack stains, arts and crafts.
6. Changing table/pad- We didn’t start using a changing pad until the boys were around 7ish months? When they are infants, you can change them on the floor, ottoman, couch, bed, etc. When we did start using one, we simply put a changing pad on top of a short dresser and secured it. Obviously, watch your baby closely when he/she is getting changed on a high surface.
7. Noise machine- this isn’t necessarily a need, but we have used one since day 1 of bringing our boys home. We use it every single night. It helps block out sound and our boys are great sleepers!
8. Humidifier- we use ours when when the boys are sick or the air is dry.
9. Pacifiers- your baby may take one, he/she may not. The NICU gave us the pacifiers we used, but the boys weaned off of them pretty early.
10. Baby towel- you really do not need a baby specific towel. Yes, the hoodie is a nice bonus, but not needed. If you have a soft towel in the home, you can just use that.
11. Bumbo seat- This was nice to have. I used this to help my boys with sitting up, and it was nice to use once we started feeding solids. We got this one with the tray. We bought ours from Facebook Marketplace, so if you plan on getting one, look for a used one to save money. They really only use this for a short time, just FYI.
12. Sit up seat- I did like this seat for our boys. We had one Bumbo seat and one of these chairs. Not necessary, but was useful to get them sitting up, and off their head.
13. High chair- you will not need to use a high chair for a while. We starting using one around 9 months (I think) and honestly, I wish we would’ve tried either a booster seat that attached to a kitchen chair or a portable high chair, like this one. High chairs are so bulky and if you are trying to keep things minimal, skip the high chair and get something portable (and small!).

Clothing–

1. Swaddles/sleep sacks- we swaddled our boys for a long time. Again, they were awesome sleepers and I really believe swaddling helped! We used the Halo Sleepsack, and the Halo Swaddle. Both the swaddle and sleepsack are easy to put on. I like that the Halo Swaddle has the option to wrap the baby’s arms, or allow the arms to be free.
2. Pajamas- avoid button down pj’s, unless your babies are in the NICU. We had to start with button down pjs while the boys were at the end of their NICU stay. The baby is still hooked up to cords, so the button down pj’s allow the cords to pass through the openings between the buttons on the pj’s. BUT! Once they are home, zippers are so much faster!
3. Outfits- purchase MINIMAL outfits, if any. Our boys spent a majority of their life in pajamas. Really the only times we dressed them in clothing, was when we went somewhere…and to be honest, half of the time we just kept them in their pajamas! Nobody cares!
4. Blanket– a blanket will be needed for car rids, walks, and trips out of the home when it;s cold, or you want to cover your babies. These blankets have been our favorite thick blankets for when it’s cold outside. They have been great for tummy time as well!!
5. Shoes- soft booties are sufficient enough when you have a newborn. No need for shoes right away.
6. Baby accessories- save yourself the money and skip these.

The items listed below you won’t need right away. However, if you are planning this baby registry to prepare you for the first year, you may want to consider some of the following:

Feeding–

1. Sippy cup- the first cups we used (other than bottles) were these Munchkin 360 cups. They do spill if they get dropped on the floor, but I liked these cups. Once the boys were a little older, we used the stainless steel 360 cups, and still use them today.
2. Dish- once we started the boys on solids (around 9 months) we used these plates. I love them because they are non-toxic, use food grade silicone and suction to a table or high chair. We still use them today, and the boys are 19 months! A good investment! This company also sells suction bowls as well.
3. Spoons- the boys started off using these spoons until they were old enough to start using stainless steel spoons. We liked them and would get them again!
4. Bibs– we started baby led weaning using these bibs .They are easy to clean and can be thrown in the washing machine. As they got older, we started using these.
5. Teethers- I never did find a teether that I fell in love with. Ask around on this one. We did however freeze wet washcloths, and that seemed to do the trick in the early stages of teething. As they got a little bit older, we really liked these.

Items you can leave off of your registry…

1. Toys- babies do not need any for a while.
2. Diaper genie– never used one. Just use a trash and empty it often. For us, poop diapers go straight to the garbage in the garage bin.
3. Crib mobiles- don’t think this is necessary. Never used one .
4. Changing table – (see above)
5. Wipe warmer– nope. Sometimes we blew hot air on the wipe if it was really cold (HA!)
6. Bottle warmer (see above)
7. Baby-proofing supplies– wait until you actually need them. Don’t overwhelm yourself before that stage.

I hope I didn’t overwhelm you too much with this list! If I missed anything, let me know! If you got away without using some of my “needed” items, let me know that too and I’d love to know how you made it work!

Good luck, mama (or daddy)!

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Check out these other baby related posts!

Finding Out I’m Having Twins and the First Trimester
Second and Third Trimester with Twins and an Unexpected Hospital Stay
Our NICU Experience with Premature Twins

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