A few people have asked me if I would do a post with my favorite baby products and recommendations for first-time baby registries. After seeing what worked with Hudson and now knowing what works for Hayes so far, I have a decent list of recommendations for products, brands, and other registry tips. We made some “mistakes” with our registry for Hudson (and we didn’t register for Hayes because he was our second baby), so I’ve compiled this list to show what our favorite products are.
I apologize in advance for the lengthy post! There are links to all of the items and that is also where I found all of the images for each item.
Click on this post and this post if you want to see my reviews from when Hudson was a baby and for toy reviews for babies, even though some opinions may have changed since then.
And please feel free to leave your favorite registry items in the comments so new mamas that are browsing for ideas can also get ideas from you!
Baby Gear
Fisher Price My Little Snugabunny Bouncer
I didn’t love our first bouncy seat that we had for Hudson for a few reasons. The main reason was that it was more of a vibrating seat and not also a bouncy seat. I like to be able to sit on my chair and bounce the bouncy seat with my foot. I saw this one and knew it was perfect. It’s big and plush and cozy. It also bounces! Go figure. This seat also has a vibration mode and plays music and bird chirping sounds. Hayes really loves it for his awake time. When we brought him home from the hospital, we put this seat in front of the window and Hayes was able to get his indirect sunlight that way.
Fisher Price Rainforest Melodies and Lights Activity Gym
I have loved this mat. We got a new one when Hayes was born because Hudson’s was a little beat up. Hayes loves the lights and the music and it even has a feature that causes the music to respond to the baby’s movement, which I think is pretty cool. It’s great for tummy time and play time. Now that Hayes is doing more rolling around, we put a blanket next to the mat so he can travel a little bit.
Summer Baby Touch Monitor or any video monitor
We had a different Summer video monitor for Hudson and then got this newer model for Hayes. I cannot even tell you how much we love having a video monitor. Is it worth the splurge for a few reasons. The first reason is that in the middle of the night when your baby makes a noise, you can look to make sure he or she is okay before rushing into the nursery. The video monitor has saved me many trips out of the bed. It has also been great to watch Hudson in his big boy room to make sure he is still in his bed and not playing in his room. This is such a great investment. The Summer Baby Touch Monitor allows for multiple cameras, which is great! We still use separate monitors for the boys because I like to be able to look at both of them if I open my eyes in the middle of the night.
Brookstone White Noise Machine
This is totally worth the splurge. We have a Homedics noise machine in Hayes’s room and after 5 months it is almost finished. It did not last long. We have a great, more expensive, white noise machine in Hudson’s room that we have had for almost 2.5 years now and it is still going strong. It’s wonderful! And both of my boys sleep with white noise.
There are many brands of pack n plays/ portable cribs/ play yards, but I really like our Graco. I don’t have any experience with other brands, but I’m sure they’re all pretty similar. We only use the bassinet setting when we travel because Hayes and Hudson both slept in their rooms when they came home from the hospital. But I also used it as a play pen was Hudson became mobile. He would sit or stand in the Pack n Play to play or watch videos while I folded laundry or took a shower. Even if you’re not planning on having your baby sleeping in your room, it’s still worth it to have a Pack n Play for travel and for confining your baby when they become mobile.
Strollers and Carseats
We used the same infant seat for Hayes that we used for Hudson. It is light weight and has a very high safety rating. It also is compatible with our strollers, which is a big plus. We also got multiple car seat bases to go in different vehicles.
We have the BOB single jogging stroller (Stroller Strides edition) that we got when Hudson was 6 months old. It is still my absolute favorite stroller. It is so smooth. It’s like buying a luxury, all-terrain vehicle. When I push other strollers, I realize that nothing compares to our BOB.
Baby Jogger City Select (with second seat attachment)
We love this stroller. It isn’t nearly as smooth as the BOB, but when used as a single stroller it’s much easier to push. I love it because it can be a single or double stroller. It can be more compact or it can be large. I like that Hudson can ride in the front and face out, but that Hayes can face me. Hayes can also start facing out as he gets bigger and more alert. There are so many possibilities and configurations with this stroller!
MacLaren Triumph Umbrella Stroller
We mostly used this for airports and quick trips, when our big stroller wasn’t really needed. It’s a great little ride, the canopy gives lots of coverage and it collapses very easily. It doesn’t take up much space, but it’s also very sturdy.
We absolutely love our Britax Boulevard for our convertible car seat. The cowmooflage print is adorable, but the seat is so cozy and has so many protective features. Hudson’s head never flops down when he falls asleep because there is plenty of neck support in this seat. There are also lots of side impact protection features that I’m so thankful to have, just in case.
Childress Car Seat Bag for flying
Okay, so this is mostly for you mamas who do a lot of flying with your little ones. We got this fantastic Childress Car Seat bag to protect our car seats when we fly. We always check our car seats at baggage check and this protects them as they’re under the plane. It also comes on wheels and with backpack straps so it’s easy to carry around when you get off the plane! We love having this thing. And there’s always a little bit of extra space in it that we use for packing toys!
I chose this chair for its price and because it wasn’t too big. It folds up nicely. But the price was right! We also have a little booster seat that Hudson can use instead of the high chair when we travel.
Clothes, Blankets, and Burp Cloths
Just a list of some of my favorite clothing brands!
Kissy Kissy, Magnolia Baby, Monag, Petit Ami, Funtasia Too, Anavini, Claire and Charlie, Vive la Fete, Rosalina, Bailey Boys, Feltman Brothers, Monday’s Child, Carter’s onesies, Janie and Jack, Baby GAP, Ragsland, Orient Expressed, Blessed Be The Name, Kelly’s Kids and Shrimp n Grits Kids
A lot of these brands can be found on Southern Tots and Best-Dressed Child
Swaddle Designs Blankets and Burp Cloths
The Swaddle Designs flannel blankets are my favorite. They come in a great, large square shape and are the perfect size for doing a really great, tight swaddle. (See the Moms on Call method or the Happiest Baby on the Block method.) Swaddle Designs burp cloths are also great because they fold nicely and they’re very thick and absorbent. (They can be purchased on Amazon.com)
We discovered the Woombie when Hudson was about 3 months old and was becoming too big to swaddle with blankets. The Woombie is stretchy and allows the baby to wiggle and move a little bit, but still keeps the hands away from the face. This is best, in my opinion, for a baby who isn’t brand new!
3 Marthas Burp Cloths, Bibs, and Towels
This is just the cutest brand! They have the most adorable appliques on their burp cloths, bibs and towels– and other items. Their hooded towels are my favorite because they’re large and so cozy. So cute!
Baby Care
Dr. Brown’s Bottles
These were our favorites because that’s what our boys liked. There are a lot of pieces with the Dr. Brown’s bottles, but that didn’t bother us because the boys liked the bottle so much. I’d recommend registering for the “starter packs” of a few different types of bottles and then when your baby takes a bottle, just try different kinds. Moms on Call recommends Gerber bottles.
Pacifiers- Nuks and Soothies
Nuks and Soothies are just what my boys liked, but just like bottles, pacifiers are another thing where every baby is different. Just register for a few different types and try them out. As you figure out what your baby likes, just go buy more.
This stuff smells SO amazing. The bath wash, the shampoo, the lotion, the facial cleanser and the facial wipes are all things that we just keep stocked around here. I absolutely love the smell and it’s very gentle on baby’s skin.
Dr. Brown’s Formula Mixing Pitcher
My friend, Callie, recommended this to me. It is such a great thing for formula-fed babies. You can mix up to 32 ounces of formula and keep it refrigerated in the mixer. It helps evenly mix up the formula and helps you always have formula ready to go when it’s time for the baby to eat.
The First Years Spinning Bottle Drying Rack
I like this drying rack because it is 2-tiered and takes up less space. You can store many more bottles this way.
Some babies don’t need a bottle warmer, but both of my boys liked their bottles warm. They wouldn’t take them if they were cold. When we were doing feedings in the middle of the night, we could grab pre-made bottle out of the refrigerator, put it on the warmer, change Hayes’s diaper and then feed him. It was so easy and so quick!
I love the Boppy! It’s great for nursing, but it’s also great for propping the baby up when doing tummy time or back time on the floor. It also can be used as a support when children are holding the baby or when baby is learning to sit up. I got a monogrammed Boppy cover from Pottery Barn kids. But you can buy your Boppy at all baby superstores and buy all kinds of covers. Or you can have a cover made for you.
We love our Baby Bjorn! We also have the K’Tan wrap, but both of my kids were so big that they didn’t really care for it. The Baby Bjorn has been used so many times!
Hudson didn’t care for the Bumbo, but Hayes loves it.
Hayes started off in this seat. For Hudson, we had a big plastic bath tub that could sit on the counter top or in our bath tub. But it was so bulky and I hated having to figure out where to put it when guests came. For Hayes, we got this great Summer bath seat and it is wonderful! We used it on the counter when he was teeny, he can be propped up in the bath tub now that he’s bigger. We also took it the beach to use as his beach recliner!
This thing is great! It’s an inflatable larger bath tub. This is perfect for when the baby starts to sit up, but is still so slippery. This little tub is fun and if the baby tips over or loses his balance, there’s a soft surface for them to fall into.
*I registered for and received a great Medela breast pump. Unfortunately, breast feeding didn’t really work out with either of my babies. And now I have a very expensive breast pump that I only used for six weeks with Hayes. My advice would be to make sure that breast feeding is going to work out before getting an expensive pump.
*We have the Graco SweetPeace swing, but neither of my kids ever cared for the swing, so that’s why it’s not on the list. I also didn’t hear good review on the MamaRoo, so I didn’t end up getting one. The bouncy seat was a great buy.
Great stuff! We use some of the same things 🙂
I might get a new bouncy seat for baby #2. We have the Fisher Price My Little Lamb seat, and it really just vibrates like you said your old one does. I’d love something that actually bounces next time around.
I want to try the Mustela bath products!
While this is a nice post of all sorts of useful stuff, you get so much stuff for free to evaluate or give away or just pump up the brand, that I can’t believe any of it. I miss what your blog used to be. Not said in any kind of hate or trolling, just missing the way the blog used to be.
Thanks for sharing, registering for number 4 because number 3 was born almost 7 years ago! I have a girlfriend kind enough to throw me 1 more 🙂 I’m even more excited now!
Erin!! Thank you SO much for doing this! I am going to register Saturday and you bet this list is going with me. Although, I had already picked out a LOT of the products you listed here, so that makes me feel good. Thanks again!
I’ve used some of the same items and some I haven’t cared for. One child might like a certain item and the next might not…. we can a swing that #1 loved! My second hated it! I’m interested to see what #3 thinks. 🙂 And bottles…. my first was fine with Avent but #2 had to be different. He refused them so I had to go a different route. I agree on the breast pump. If you’re going to pump, a Medela is the way to go!… it’s totally worth the money but you do need to make sure it’s something you can/want to stick with.
Thanks Erin, I don’t have kids and am always trying to figure out what to get my expectant mom friends for shower gifts so this will come in handy. Sorry for the haters
Thanks so much for this post! Lots of great info 🙂 Definitely bookmarking for reference!
Another option for the breast pump is a lot of hospitals will let you rent them from them. You get all new tubing and containers with it. This is another affordable option instead of buying a new one until you know breast feeding is going to work for you. I loved my Bright Starts Comfort & Harmony bouncer. My little snug a bunny swing is awesome. My baby loves his swing. Also, he loved the Fisher Price Jumperoo when he got older.
I can’t believe I have never heard of the Woombie!
I have used most of the things from this list with my girls and I agree….this is a great list for new moms!
Great list, and good ideas!
I think some of the products can be trial and error. I had to buy about 4 or 5 different types of bottles before I found one that would work for my baby. And the bottle that wound up working was the cheap Playtex drop-in bottles with the latex wide nipples. Go figure. The same goes for pacifiers. It was trial and error before my baby found one that was suitable to him to use.
I would agree that holding off on the breast pump may be good idea since it is such an expensive purchase. However, I would at least recommend having a hand-held manual pump on hand for those times you need to “top off” to relieve some the pressure once the milk comes in.
I loved the Aden & Anais swaddle blankets because of their large size. They are also great for tossing over the car seat on rainy days. The Woombie *did not* work for my baby at all.
Keep the receipts and the boxes. I made the mistake of getting rid of all of the boxes and wasn’t able to return some things that just did not work.
I love the review!
I am done of la babies but I passed the link on to a friend who is due in February and is having issues weaving her way through the insanity of baby products. Always nice to hear WHY someone chooses the product they do!! 🙂
Love it!
Thanks!!
With the city select, does Hudson fit into it well? I was looking at double strollers the other day and put Spencer into that one and it seemed like he would grow out of it really quickly. I just didn’t feel like it would even last a year with him (and he’s only 18 months and very average for height and weight). I’d love to know how you feel about it as far as room goes for your older child. The configurations are amazing and I love my single city elite!!
Love Aden & Anais blankets – so soft and not too heavy! The Mamaroo is actually my favorite new product. We were able to keep the bouncy seat and the swing in the attic with our 2nd b/c the Mamaroo took the place of both… best buy we made for #2! We love California Baby products and MaxiCosi for infant car seats and Recaro car seats for toddlers. We have several car seat specialty stores here in the DC area and those two brands are typically the recommended brands.
I don’t know what I’d do without the Summer Infant video monitor! We have the Best View, and I could not live without it! I wish I had gotten that drying rack (also use Dr. Brown’s). Ours has taken over our counter space!
Love this post. We have lots of things you mentioned. Mk loves her woombie. She has slept in it every night. We also love Dr Browns bottles. For pacifiers mk really likes the mam ones. I love them too because they are small and don’t cover her whole face like some brands do. We have a bear that plays womb like sound and she goes to sleep with it every night. It’s great! Love the Chico keyfit travel system!
I don’t have kids and am not pregnant (yet!) but this is so helpful for shopping for friends and family who are! Just the list of brands help narrow down all the choices out there!
Thanks for this list!!! I’ve used most of these products with my own son and have been so pleased with them. I was interested as to what convertable car seat you recommended. I’m definitely going to pass this link on to all my preggie pals:)
If ONLY I had known about that formula mixer with our twins. I breastfed for three months with them and then was like, “Aaaaand that’s enough of that.” Holy cow, that mixer would have made life easier. Well, now I know in case we have another one…emphasis on O-N-E. Excellent list! Thanks for posting it! Definitely trying out the Mustela stuff!
I appear to have issues publishing a comment today…hmm. This all looks like good stuff. I did a post awhile back with our top picks! I was a graduate student at the time so we were definitely be thrifty! http://kymommy.blogspot.com/2011/08/baby-gear.html
Thanks for this post, Erin. It must have taken you forever! I wish I had been better informed when registering for & purchasing baby gear last year. We made some expensive mistakes. I’m especially happy to hear you love the Britax Boulevard which we have just made the transition to with our ten month-old little girl and I did a lot of research before we purchased it. Also, I am SO buying that formula mixer pitcher ASAP. 🙂
Great review! I read recently in Parenting magazine that there is a KEURIG coming out for formula!!! How amazing is that?!
We are traveling for the first time with our car seat in February and the Childress car seat bag will be perfect. I just ordered one! Thanks for the info!
Great post! My advice to anyone out there is to get to know your baby before buying anything brand new. You can get a lot of things on Craigslist, from a friend, or do a meet and greet show after the baby was born. My daughter hated her bouncy seat, only loved her swing for about 4 weeks, and would only take Dr. Brown’s bottles.
I agree with Erin about the breast pump. They have all kinds of pump to fit your needs. I started with a hand pump, and used a single one since I was staying home. I am wishing for a Swing Medela for Christmas for a second child because I will be chasing a toddler and would like to breastfeed for at least 6 months with the second one one the way.
Thanks so much for these suggestions! It’s always great to know what’s been tried by other moms to at least have SOME idea in that crazy world that is baby goods!
I’m done having babies myself, but when I was pregnant I would’ve found this very useful. Of course like some readers said (and I think you even said it about the Bumbo seat), some babies like one thing while other’s don’t. But there are definitely some things on this list that would be useful for all babies, and it will certainly help those who are registering for the first time. 🙂
I was going to recommend renting a pump from the hospital if you are unsure about investing before hand. i was a full-time pumper and the LCs at the hospital recommended the rental- they said something about the suction being stronger than store models and it would help with my supply. i rented it for 2 weeks- i think it was something like $10 or $20 a week (this was almost 3 years ago). totally worth it to me, either way.
i was also told in our breastfeeding class that we didnt need to go out and buy 5 different size nipples for bottles- some brands do this i guess? the teacher compared the bottle nipple to your own, and said the flow of yours doesnt really increase over time, why would you need to keep buying faster-flow nipples? its basically a marketing tactic and if for some reason your baby needs more flow, use a pin to make a larger opening in the bottle nipple.
i was curious erin- how does hudson fit in the city select seat? my son will be 3 when we have baby #2- right now he is about 37″ and 34lbs. he is skinny, but solid. i took him to buy buy baby to see if he would fit, and he looked a little awkward… but i didnt know if that was me with my crazy preggo brain or scaring the new sales guy with all of my questions lol. when i first put him in the seat, he didnt fit at all. i told the guy, you have to be kidding me, right?! my kid is 2.5 and isnt that large, what the heck is the issue? i mean, i seriously almost cried b/c i hate every other double stroller. turns out, he had the canopy snapped in to where the snack tray is supposed to go. after that, he fit better, but still looked funny. i know H is a little younger than my son, but i was also curious if you thought H would be able to fit in to the seat for a while? i am a total stroller mom when we go anywhere- my son is too fast and too strong not to be belted in on trips to the mall, the beach, etc. he has to go in a stroller, or i dont know what i would do lol. thanks!
Couldn’t live without the Medela Pump in Style Advanced. Also love the single and double BOB Revolution
We have some of the same favourites. I found I didn’t need to buy a white noise machine, just downloaded a white noise track onto my ipod and play that sucker on repeat ALLLL night long! Cost a whole $1.30. lol.
I love love the baby jogger city elite, I think the select looks great for 2 babies!
LOVE these! We have so many of these – the BOB stroller is our ultimate favorite!
I have lots of these items so I’m glad to hear they worked out well for you! I do still need a play mat and a sound machine, so I’ll check these other items out.
Both my girls have Brookstone white noise machines and they’re great! The white noise machine my older one has I got in college in 2002 and it’s still going strong.
Both of my girls are using Avent bottles and I always have used the smallest nipple with it with no problems, so like someone else said, don’t register for the bigger sizes…I wish someone had given me that advice!
When my second one came along we got the Graco DuoGlide stroller and I LOVE it. It was under $200, is relatively easy to navigate, and folds up nicely. A lot of the places we go I just need a single stroller (such as the park or the playground).
Definitely wait to get a pump until you make sure breastfeeding is going to work. I borrowed a friends for a few weeks and then got my own. I highly recommend either getting the MEdela Freestyle (which is hands free) or the attatchment for the pump in style which makes it hands free (there are also little tricks you can do to make it hands free without spending extra money!). I also recommend the Gerber or Nuk storage bags. I had trouble with the Lansinoh ones leaking and my babysitter said she had seen that problem a lot with her other families and the Medela ones are only 5 ounces and don’t really have any extra space in them.
Is it weird that I loved this post? I feel like I’m always buying baby gifts that I have zero clue what they are used for & this made so much more sense! I mean, at least now I know how they are used and why they are important. 🙂
We LOVE the Bob, Snuggabunny bouncer, Dr Browns Bottles, and mustela bath products!! Great post!
Thanks! Great review! I actually us Dr. Brown’s Formula Mixing Pitcher…very helpful! 🙂
I just don’t know where you find room in your house for all this stuff! That was always my biggest obstacle – where to put the things they’d outgrown while waiting for the next baby to grow into them. Especially the bath items, as our bathrooms are small. I did have a little plastic seat for the babies to use from about 8 – 18 months. I still had to be right there with them the whole time, for fear of it tipping over, but it kept me from having to try to hold them up when they were all slippery.
Jealous of your umbrella stroller. We have a super cheap one and it’s SUCH a bummer to use!
My kiddo is 16 months and I JUST pulled him from the munchkin duck tub.. and he is not a small boy. 🙂 I loved that thing and I was always just so worried he would slip in the tub without it.
Great list! We also LOVE the BOB Revolution (and many other things on your list)! One additional item we have that I couldn’t imagine being without is the My Breastfriend Nursing Pillow. It is adjustable and offers super back support. Although many people have great luck with the Boppy, this did work better for me for nursing. My little fella is almost 20 pounds now, and I still get great support using that thing! And, a big shout-out to Baby OxiClean! 🙂 The ONLY thing that works for getting those breastmilk poop explosion stains out of little man’s clothes!
I think I have seriously referenced this post at least 15 times in the past few weeks…thanks for making this list! I’m printing it out as we start the registering process.
Thank you for your sweet comment on Facebook! We are sooo excited!!