Baby Registry- what to buy and what to leave off

Baby registry items- (updated 2/2025)

I’ve now had 3 babies. We had twin boys in 2018 and a baby girl in 2023. We’ve used our fair share of baby items. I’m here to share what I’d buy again, and what I’d leave off that baby registry list.

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 with my twins. Below I’ll suggest non-toxic brands/options when I can.

Below are the list of items I would re-buy or wish I had the first time around. Some are twin specific. (*Note- we got rid of almost all of our baby items after our twins. We had to purchase new with our baby girl, which is why you will see different items used. Plus, I was more aware of toxicity in products with my 3rd baby).

Nursing/Pumping- lets start here. With my twins, I nursed, pumped and supplemented with formula. For my baby girl, I pumped a little bit in the beginning, then nursed the remainder of the time.

1. Breast pump and parts- if you plan on pumping, you will need a breast pump. I used the Medela Pump In Style Double Electric Pump with my twins, and the Spectra with my girl. I thought the Spectra worked better than the Medela pump. It was a lot quieter, and I felt like I got a better supply. Reach out to insurance and they should send you a free pump with parts. You may have to pay extra if you choose to upgrade your pump.
2. Hands free pumping bra: I used and liked this pumping bra. I would buy a couple of them if you plan on pumping long-term.
3. Haakaa manual breast pump- This works SO well. I used it with my girl, and was able to collect a ton of milk without having to always use my pump. You suction it to the breast you aren’t nursing with, and let the milk collect. Plus, its super easy to clean.
4. Nipple cream- I pumped A LOT with my twins so this was a necessity. I used it for nursing as well.
5. Silver nursing cups– these SAVED my nipples. Buy some!
6. Nursing cover
7. Bottles- each baby is different, so you may need to experiment with bottles. We used Dr. Brown’s bottles for our twins, and glass bottles for our girl. We also liked the Comotomo bottles. Even if you plan on exclusively nursing, you may want a couple on hand so others can help out if needed.
8. Burp cloths
9. Bottle brush
10. Drying rack- if you plan on handwashing bottle and pump parts.
11. Boppy pillow and cover- this was helpful when nursing to keep baby propped up.
12. Milk storage- with my twins, I used the plastic storage bags. With my girl, I used a silicone freezer tray to freeze milk, then stored away. If you are trying to go plastic-free, once the breastmilk is frozen, store in reusable silicone bags or mason jars. Glass jars take up a lot of space, so that may not be an option if you plan to storing a lot. Silicone breastmilk storage bags are another option, but I’ve never tried them.

Baby Gear–

1. Car seat/infant carrier- We used the Maxi-Cosi Mico 30 Infant Car Seat and have no complaints!
2. Baby carrier for baby wearing- We used the Boba wrap when the babies were really little, then switched to the Ergobaby wrap.
3. Stroller- With the twins, we started with the Joovy Twin Roo and LOVED it! It was perfect because with the purchase of adapters, the carriers 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. For our baby girl, we purchased the Maxi-Cosi Tayla stroller. I like that the infant carrier can clip into the stroller, or once baby is bigger, you can use the stroller seat. Plus, you can face the stroller seat towards or away from you. It is kind of a chunky stroller and doesn’t fold down and up easily. Other than that, its been good.
4. Diaper bag- We’ve used this diaper bag backpack for all 3 kiddos. This backpack has an area in the front that is isolated for bottles and has a bunch of pockets on the inside. No complaints!
5. Bassinet- For our twins, we used this bassinet, which was nice because it converted into a portable crib. For baby girl, we used this bassinet. We put a snuggle me organic inside of it when she was an infant and it worked out well.
6. Crib– you will need this eventually. There are some nontoxic ones available if you search.
7. Portable crib– this has been our favorite one!
8. Crib mattress and crib sheet. I think we were gifted our mattresses for our twins, but for baby girl we purchased the Naturepedic Organic baby mattress and have liked it.
9. Baby monitor- We’ve used this monitor for 7 years now. Around year 6 we had to replace the monitor (camera was still fine), but its been a decent monitor. The sound works well, you have the option to talk into the microphone, and you can scan around the room. If you have kids in separate rooms, purchase a second camera and you can flip back and forth between the two. This does NOT use wifi, which was a must for me.

9. Diapers- Try to stock up on diapers of every size at your baby shower!! Our favorites are Pura and Kudos.
10. Wipes- our favorites right now are Kudos.
11. Bathtub- If you plan on bathing baby in the tub, this baby bath worked for us.
12. Washcloths– we go through a ton of these. You will want soft ones for bath time as well as feeding clean up (when you get to that stage). If you already have soft washcloths, you could just use those instead of purchasing new.
13. Baby soap- We’ve always used Honest unscented baby soap
14. Thermometer– we like this one!
15. Diaper cream– look for something non-toxic. We also like this baby balm that can be used for diaper rash, as well as other skin issues. There are some great, petroleum jelly alternatives out there now.
16. Snot sucker- we like this one and the Frida baby SnotSucker.
17. Nail clippers- I thought this worked well when our baby girl was an infant.
18. Baby lotion– we like this one for baby’s body and also liked the Pipette brand.
19. Something to keep your baby in while you shower/do dishes/cook, etc. See options below.

Optional:

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.

1. Bouncer- I used this bouncer with my twins and it we loved it. We had this one with baby girl. I thought the bouncer we used with baby girl was better after she grew into it.
2. Swing- for our twins, we had a MamaRoo and a swing. I personally liked the swing better. For baby girl, we used this and I loved the convenience of it. You can easily move it room to room or outside!
3. Jumperoo: My boys LOVED jumping in a jumper! Do your research on this though. There are articles about overusing these and causing issues with babies joints. For baby girl we skipped the jumper and used the SkipHop activity center. I think I ended up liking the SkipHop better. Plus, now we use it as a toddler table.
4. Play gym- We used a play gym for our twins. For baby girl, we used one similar to this one. I really like the looks of this one though! It’s more expensive, but has great reviews.
5. Changing table/pad- Skip the changing table and change baby on something like this. =) Changing baby on the floor or bed was easiest for us.
6. Noise machine- with our twins, we used this every night. As they got older, they stopped using it. Now we use our AirDoctor air purifier as a sound machine. Look into white vs brown noise…
7. Humidifier- this has been our favorite one to date. You can wash it easily! You replace the filter monthly/as needed. I like this one because of its mold-inhibiting technology!
8. Pacifiers- our boys used pacifiers for a short time and baby girl never took to them.
9. 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.
10. High chair- shop IKEA! (you wont need this for a while)

Clothing–

1. Swaddles/sleep sacks- we swaddled our boys for a long time. They were awesome sleepers and I really believe swaddling helped! We used the Halo Sleepsack Swaddle, then moved to the Halo Wearable blanket or Burt’s Bees Wearable Blanket. Both 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. For baby girl, we used this swaddle and loved it!!!!
2. Pajamas- avoid button down pj’s, unless your babies are in the NICU. At home, zipper pajamas are the easiest! Shop organic cotton when possible.
3. Outfits- purchase MINIMAL outfits. Our babies stayed in pajamas most of the time.
4. Blanket– shop organic cotton if possible. There are some cute options on Etsy. We used this blanket with baby girl, then purchased a organic quilt from Quince.
5. Muslin baby swaddle blanket– a lighter blanket (we rotated between a couple of these)
6. Shoes- soft booties or socks are sufficient enough when you have a newborn. No need for shoes right away.

Feeding/Babyproofing–

As you move into the first year with baby, you will need to start thinking about feeding supplies and baby-proofing items. I chose to leave those off this list There are more than enough things to think about before you get to that stage!

Items you can leave off of your registry…

1. Toys
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 – just use a diaper mat
5. Wipe warmer– nope. Sometimes we blew hot air on the wipe if it was really cold (HA!)
6. Bottle warmer

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)!

Save this list to your Pinterest for later!

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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