20 Baby Registry Must Haves For Baby #2
When we found out we were expecting our second little one, my mind quickly went to gear—what would be the baby registry must haves this time around? I was in nesting mode from the start. I loved reading through some of my friend’s registry lists—Caitlin from The Mama Notes, Lexi from Glitter, Inc and Arin of Happily Inspired had some really helpful must-have lists.
After attending the ABC Kids Expo in 2017, 2016 and 2015 and researching/working with numerous baby brands, there are quite a few baby registry must haves I was eager to use with baby #2. Things I wish I had with Brody. Better technology. Better design. Better functionality. Better quality.
If you have been following along for a while, you may remember this post I wrote on baby gear essentials for first time parents. It has become one of the most popular posts on Momma Society—you may have even seen it on Pinterest where it has been re-pinned over 80,000 times.
I even made a FREE printable baby registry check list for you! Click below for it.
With a little more knowledge on my hands this time around, I am rounding up 20 items I loved using when Isla joined our family.
Towel | Diaper Bag | Mary Jane Shoes | Changing Pad | Rocker | Co-Sleeper | Glass Bottle | Baby Cam | Stroller & Stroller Rider Board | Baby Lounger | Breastfeeding Pillow | Bib | Changing Pad | Ring Sling | Diapers | Baby Monitor | White Noise Machine | Car Mirror | Onesies | Convertible Car Seat
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Baby Registry Must Haves
+ Clothes: Hands down, my favorite shoes for Brody & Isla from 0-12 months were Freshly Picked Moccasins . These moccasins are one of the few items I kept from Brody's wardrobe to pass down for future babies. Also on the clothes must have list— Onesies for the first few weeks (most of Brody’s + Isla's ended up stained & in the trash) and hair bows. The Baby Bling Headbands are my favorites for newborns since they are so soft.
+Stroller: The logistics of having a toddler and an infant caused me to rethink nearly every aspect of our routine. We debated on purchasing a double stroller—had we done so, we would have opted for a jogging stroller like this one . Since Brody was at an age where he wasn't a big fan of the stroller any longer, we decided to keep our Stokke Xplory , which we love dearly, and add on the Stroller Rider Board for Brody. For the most part, he prefers to be out of the stroller these days, so having the option for him to ride along when his legs would get tired worked perfectly. He calls it his skateboard ☺
+Bassinet: I was really excited to have discovered the BabyBay co-sleeper when Isla joined our family. We slept with Brody and Isla in our bedroom for at least the first 4 months. We used the BabyBjorn Cradle for Brody, which we also liked. We struggled a bit of the height of it though. Our bed sits up fairly high and reaching down to lift Brody out of his bassinet to feed him was exhausting and tough to do. I remember nearly dropping him into the bassinet one night when my arms gave out. The BabyBay co-sleeper is completely adjustable and fits flush with our mattress. It allowed me to co-sleep with Isla without the worries that come with co-sleeping (ie: rolling off the bed, rolling over on the infant etc). It doesn’t hurt that it is pretty stylish as well.
+Feeding: One of the biggest changes I made with nursing the 2nd time around was building a freezer stash. I was terrified of pumping with Brody and did not do so until he was nearly a year old. This led me to having to cancel outings, far less me-time when I really needed it, and some tough feelings. Looking back, I wish I had introduced Brody to bottles earlier on. With Isla, I started pumping early on to build up my supply. These glass baby bottles from the cutest baby shop, Peuro Baby were handy. The rubber ball that surrounds the bottle keeps the glass from shattering when your little one tosses it. It also makes a great grip as a little one learns to self-feed and pretty awesome teether).
Another item on my baby registry must haves for baby #2 was a new breastfeeding pillow. I never really loved the one I used with Brody and typically opted for a bed pillow instead. This time I was determined to find something better. Quite a few of the moms in the Momma Society Facebook Group recommended My Breast Friend . They swear by the lumbar support. I also bought the buying the girl version of my favorite silicone bibs . Cute and practical.
+Diapering: Let’s be honest, the first thing that should be on a baby registy must haves list for baby #2 is diapers. We had just finished using diapers with Brody when Isla arrived and then it was suddenly time to start stocking up again. My two favorite brands? Parasol Co. and Up & Up .
Speaking of diapering, let’s chat about diaper bags. With two little ones comes new must-have criteria for a diaper bag. 1. It must be a backpack. 2. It must be spacious. 3. It must be easy to clean. I’ve been using the Fawn Designs Diaper Bag and I love it. The one thing I wish it had was an insulated pocket for bottles. I am also love the Ju-Ju-Be Be Right Back Backpack. I like that it has a breathable mesh back panel for warm weather and lots of pockets! It also comes in an adorable mini size that Brody uses for preschool.
+Car Seat: One must purchase item is a convertible car seat. We stuck to the same make and model we have for Brody. We debated about upgrading to the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 , but the Maxi Cosi Pria 70 has worked great for Brody, so we decided to go with it again. Another car mirror is great to add to your shopping list. These are a lifesaver when you are trying to peek at what your little one is doing behind the front seat.
+Safety: One of the best new items we used with Isla (that we did not have with Brody) was the Owlet Baby Monitor . This little sock has a pulse oximeter that connects via Bluetooth to a smart phone. It tracks baby’s oxygen levels and breathing to give parents some much-needed peace of mind. It honestly helped me sleep better. You can read my full review on the Owlet here. We used the Snuza device with Brody, but ended up with quite a few false alarms as he grew. It also lacked some of the technology that the Owlet has—particularly the ability to track baby from anywhere.
Another safety device we added when Isla joined our family is the Nest Security Camera . We use the Nest as our baby monitor (and nanny cam when needed). Brody has a Nest camera in his room and I love that we could add on another camera to the baby’s nursery and view both of their rooms from the same app.
+Baby Wearing: Hands down, my favorite part of having a newborn is baby wearing. Brody lived in the Solly wrap. As he got older we relied heavily on the Lillebaby structured carrier . The second time around, I also tried using a ring sling. The linen ring slings from Lillebaby are beautiful. My babywearing collection definitly grew when Isla joined our family, but I still found myself reaching for the Solly Wrap all of the time.
+Nursery: Prepping the nursery is one of my favorite parts of pregnancy. We re-used Brody's Babyletto crib . I still love the style of it. One thing we debated about adding a rocker. I did not realize how much I would have appreciated a rocker with Brody. A desk chair just did not cut it in terms of comfort during those middle of the night feedings. I love the style of this Pottery Barn Rocker . Psst...check out Isla's Nursery here.
We were so excited to upgrade our changing pad for this baby. Hatchbaby new changing pad is amazing. We got to take a peek at it at the ABC Kids Expo before it was released. Not only does it have a wipeable exterior, but it also doubles as a scale. It can be used to estimate how much your little one is eating in one sitting or track his or her growth. Best of all, it connects to a handy app. This was super helpful for us between doctor visits to make sure Isla was gaining weight.
I also loved using the DockATot Deluxe+ around our house to set Isla in. We kept it on our couch and it was the perfect spot to set the baby when I needed to tend to the toddler. Brody slept in a DockATot Grand for months and loved it, so it is no surprise Isla felt similarly.
The last item on our nursery prep list was adding another White Noise Machine to our home. Brody + Isla both use white noise religiously. Hello, light sleepers!
+Bath: For bath time, we upgraded some of the bath towels. One thing I have learned as a momma, there are so many variations between the quality of baby bath towels. The ones we stocked up on pre-Brody had a microfiber texture—which I have come to despise. They come out of the washing machine covered in fuzz and do not absorb water well. Others we have had have been far too thin. When we added a couple of Pehr Design towels to our collection, I realized what we were missing out on—thick, absorbent towels. They are a bit pricey, but when they work great for little ones fresh from the tub. We’ll be adding a few more to our supply.
