Registry recommendations from a third time mom
- Mama Meg
- Feb 1, 2024
- 20 min read
Updated: May 14
Top recs from your new mom friend 🫶
Before we get into the full list, it's important to note that babies really don't NEED all that much and they will outgrow a lot of things rather quickly. As a third time mom, I would highly suggest you look into gently used items - ask some friends with older kids what they have! I promise it will work just as well for the few months of use that you need.
I also want to acknowledge that there are A LOT of baby products. Frankly, there are too many and more popping up all the time. It's choice overload at its finest and it feels like the stakes are high, because marketers use scare tactics to get you to buy their product. You will not mess your baby up if you do not purchase top of the line everything, or if you don't get *all the things*. And you can always get things later too!
These are all items I either registered for initially or have since found and loved that I think make parenting a bit easier. But, as always, YOU DO YOU, MAMA! This is just to give you a place to start!
Baby Gear
Bouncy seat - this stays in our bathroom to help with an easy transfer out of the tub. We put a towel down on it first and then can transfer and wrap baby up more easily
Activity seat - started using this around 4mo. It’s great for entertaining baby when I need to do dishes or cook dinner.
Activity center - love that there are so many ways to use this so you can have it into childhood years
Play mat - any play mat will work, we got this one from Lovevery for baby #2 and are using again now for baby #3
DockATot - for the first few months we used this daily. If you end up having more kids and want to switch up the color later, there are tons of covers you can buy separately on Etsy or Amazon.
And yes, there was a big scary recall for loungers not long ago. Super important to use correctly and never leave baby unsupervised while sleeping in anything other than a crib. Your hospital and pediatrician should provide more information on safe sleep.
Baby swing - we keep this in the living room, it's nice to have as another option when we can’t hold baby! Also great when they're fighting a nap in those early days.
There are a lot of options out there for this - some babies like different types of motion more than others. I felt like there was no way for us to know what baby would like best so we just picked one and lucked out! All three of ours have used this, as well as my niece.
And again, if baby is napping in this, we are right there with them
Here to tell you, these basic styles will work just as well as the more aesthetic ones 🤭
Playpen - we absolutely loved this with both of our boys! It's portable and perfect for indoor or outdoor use. Would be great for the beach as well! They do a lot of sales so don't buy at full price!
I'd say most of these items are nice to haves, but not necessary. You could easily just get a baby carrier and keep baby on you or on the floor for tummy time. Another consideration is storage space you have available for all of this in your home!
Transportation
Stroller - this was one that stressed me out. Lots of options, and boy are they EXPENSIVE!
Considerations for your stroller: How often do you plan to use it? How much storage space do you have in your home? Some of them come with several larger attachment pieces. Will you want to take it traveling with you, or will you get something separate like a Doona for travel?
What we got, back in 2020: Uppababy Vista. This is pricey but we got it on the NSale for 40% off and it has lasted through three babies. It comes with a bassinet insert which you can use with the stroller or use as a travel bassinet (stand is sold separately). We used it for the first two weeks with both boys when they were in our room with us and it worked great.
I'll note that we made this purchase during early COVID and I didn't want to go in store to try any out, so this was kind of a blind decision! With baby #3 I only use this for walks around the neighborhood.
If I knew then what I know now, I would SKIP THE EXPENSIVE ASS STROLLER. Amazon has tons of great options around $200. You may not get all the attachments but guess what, you don't really NEED them either.
This is a FAB Amazon one I've seen IRL at the playground and it looks every bit as nice as the more expensive ones and has a bassinet mode for the early days.
Similar option, better price: The Mockingbird - very similar look / features to the Uppababy for about half the price. It was brand new when we had to make our decision, otherwise we probably would’ve gotten this one to save some $$$.
What I'd get now: We got the Doona stroller/carseat hybrid for travel with my first and it is INCREDIBLE. Highly recommend. We used this as our primary stroller for my second and now again for the third, and only use our Uppababy when we're taking longer walks around the neighborhood. Mostly because I hate loading the Uppababy into my car - it's heavy, especially when set up as a double.
If you live in a major city and will be Ubering a lot, the Doona would also be an awesome primary stroller for you. You can purchase additional bases, storage bags, cup holders, etc. to make it more equipped for daily use.
Highly recommend checking out the videos - once you experience it going from a carseat to a stroller and back again, in literally seconds, it's hard go back to a regular carseat!
More Mama Meg tips for traveling with baby can be found here.
Stroller accessories - there are some super cute ones out there but we kept ours pretty basic with the Uppababy cup holder and this Stroller Caddy. I've seen cute leather ones at Anthropologie too!
Car seat -
Considerations for carseats: How big is your car? How many people will be driving baby around? An option that works without a base may be preferred if you’ll have multiple drivers or take a lot of Ubers. Do you want to be able to put the car seat right into a stroller? Do you want a lot of kids? Maybe consider a car seat with a stroller that converts into a double later. Kids are also in some form of carseat or booster for YEARS. You may also need to go "three across" - there are great websites that recommend how to do this depending on your car model.
Point being, there's a lot more to consider with a carseat than just what you like the look of! Car seats also do expire so this is one thing I would definitely recommend buying new.
Uppababy Mesa - this is what we got initially since we had the Uppababy stroller. We got an extra base to have handy for grandparents, etc. in case anyone else needs to drive baby anywhere and it's super easy to install. You can also use this carseat without a base.
This is an infant car seat (up to 35 pounds) so you may prefer to get another one that has a higher weight limit and will last you a bit longer.
There is a newborn insert already included in this car seat - you will need to remove this when the baby hits 8 lbs. Don’t be like me the first time around and forget until baby is 12 pounds (face palm) and seems to be outgrowing the seat already.
We used the Mesa carseat again with Brooks and Kennedy in the early days and loved it, but it’s also all we know.
We now have the boys in the Graco 4 in 1 in my husband's car, which they will use through the booster seat years. Pretty straightforward, no glitz but also no qualms.
And in my car they are in the Diono Radian 3R 3in1 - this fits three across in most cars and again, will last through the booster years.
The most important thing about a carseat is making sure you understand how to install it properly AND make sure baby is strapped into it correctly. I would recommend watching the YouTube videos from whoever makes your carseat to make sure you're getting it right! And do this EARLY so you're not stressed about it if baby comes a bit earlier than planned.
Amazon also has inexpensive cameras you can use instead of a mirror
Window shades - I got these but make sure that the size works for your windows!
Baby carriers - we started with the Ergobaby Omni 360 and still use it 4+ years later. I just got a Mabē for baby #3 and have loved it, it feels a little more upscale and has nice, soft fabric. It’s an Artipoppe dupe and similar but not as luxe.
I also love a Boba wrap for around the house in those early days. Karrie Locher has a helpful IG highlight about how to make sure baby is in the right way to support their head, especially in the early days. I also recommend putting these on in front of a mirror so you can see what's happening!
Clothes & Accessories
Clothes - we didn’t register for clothes (I figured people would want to pick out their own!), but here are the basics I’d recommend having on hand when baby arrives:
2 packs of short sleeve onesies - 1 in newborn and 1 in 0-3 months
2 packs of long sleeve onesies - 1 in newborn and 1 in 0-3 months
1 pack of kimono tops in newborn (long or short sleeve, seasonal)
I found these easier to put on vs overhead!
2 packs of pants - 1 in newborn and 1 in 0-3 months
8-10 sleepers - mix of newborn and 0-3 months
2 packs of socks - 1 in newborn and 1 in 0-3 months
This is what we did to get a feel for what we liked/needed and also got a ton of outfits as gifts too. We had enough newborn clothes as long as we did laundry every few days. If you don’t want to have to do that, get more!!
FWIW, all three of my kiddos were in newborn sizing for about 2 weeks
I got all of our “basics” from Amazon, H&M Baby, Honest Baby, Burts Bees and Gap
Depending on where you live, this list may look a little different but generally these are all great items that could be layered for colder climates.
I'm not linking exact ones here bc there are just SO many out there and I'm sure you want to pick your own. I try to get 100% cotton and ideally organic cotton whenever I can.
Third time mom POV: This is another area where I HIGHLY RECOMMEND getting gently used items. Babies outgrow their clothes sooo quickly and things get stained super easily too. You'll be in blowout city for a minute there anyway. There's absolutely no need to buy everything brand new, unless you just want to! Ask around if you’ve got friends with kids!
Swaddles - get a few different kinds to try! Tripp loved the Halo Swaddle (velcro or zip up) and Brooks and Kennedy both loved the Ollie but we also always have the classic wrap swaddles to use as light blankets, cover baby in the car seat, block baby from sunlight/wind in the stroller, etc.
Do not stress out if you cannot get the hang of the “origami swaddle” where you fold the baby up perfectly in the blanket. Velcro swaddles and zip ups worked just as well for us!
With all three kiddos, once they started breaking out of their swaddles (~2 months) we used the Merlin Magic Suit. It’s a transitional item and worked like a charm for us but not necessary by any means!
We used the suit from 2 months to 5 months and then transitioned to just the crib. Once they can roll over with the suit on, it's time to retire it!
Pajamas - Our babies lived in these for the first few months! I loveeee Burts Bees two piece sets as well - especially for holiday/seasonal prints! They're also so soft and last well.
Depending on weather, you may not need long sleeve/pants for pajamas, a onesie under a swaddle may be enough! Moms on Call has great recommendations for this, as well as ideal temperatures for your house during different seasons.
Zips and magnets are your friends for pj’s - avoid buttons and snaps! 3am diaper change in the dark you thanks you in advance.
Little Sleepies pjs are also incredibly soft, lightweight and stretchy. We received some as a gift and they fit forever because they're insanely stretchy. One of my girlfriends, Frankie, put me onto them and I wish I'd found them sooner, they're that cool bamboo type fabric - perfect for our hot Atlanta summers. They do cost a little more per item but I think you could get away with buying alternating sizes - they stretch SO much.
Caden Lane with the open toes have been my favorite for baby girl and you can ABSOLUTELY get away with skipping sizes in those. They give extra fabric at the hands and feet and you can roll them up if you want or just let them keep growing into them.
Feeding
Pacifiers - Philips Avent were the winners for our paci boy, Brooks. We got a few to try, including Philips, Bibs and Ryan & Rose. Don’t go too nuts on these though until you know what your baby likes. For us, once he discovered his hands, Tripp could care less about pacis and spit them right out.
Ryan & Rose also make the most darling pacifier clips and teethers - super cute small business we love supporting!
Nursing pillow - this is great for breastfeeding and also to give visitors extra support when they’re holding a newborn. FWIW, I did not use this as much after my firstborn as I found myself nursing baby #2 and #3 all over the house instead of my one dedicated spot like I did the first time around. Would be a great item to borrow!
Bottles & accessories
Dr. Brown’s bottles - both boys took to these right away! For bottles while breastfeeding, try to get slow flow bottles / nipples so they don’t get frustrated going back to the boob after. Some bottles make it too easy on them, they have to work for it more when breastfeeding. MOC has a great video on how to give a bottle - check out “paced feeding.”
Similar to pacis, do not go overboard here! Get a few to try and you can always get more later once you see what works best. Some babies are picky with bottles so you don’t want to buy, wash and sterilize a bunch of bottles that baby doesn't end up using.
You will also need to get different stage nipples for your bottles as baby grows. Again something I did not know and I learned the hard way when Tripp suddenly stopped taking a bottle.
Tommy Tippee bottles - I got these glass bottles to try for baby girl since I'm now knee deep in "low tox'ing" our lives and want to minimize plastics where I can.
Munchkin Steam Microwave Sterilizer - FWIW our pediatrician said we could stop sterilizing everything at our 1 month appt
Momcozy Bottle Brush - recently got this for baby girl and it's so nice but we also wash our bottles in the dishwasher
ATTITUDE Baby Dish Soap - currently using, love that it's EWG verified
Burp cloths - we got 2 packs of these and have them everywhere. Even if your baby doesn’t spit up often it's nice to have them to wipe their face and for bath time too.
For baths, we wet one and put it underneath baby on the bath support. Super helpful to keep them warm, especially for my winter babies!
Bibs - Copper Pearl bandana style were our favorite for drool and we used the Ava + Oliver silicone bibs once we introduced solids
High chair - we got this one (the Tripp Trapp - how perfect) when Tripp was 7 months because I was finding our original one a little difficult to clean once we started solids. Consider what your needs will be when looking at highchairs. If you have limited space, maybe a collapsible one is important to you!
This is also something I recommend holding off on if you don’t want to store it or don’t know what you’ll want yet. I didn't start doing research on solids until my first was a few months old, and then learned a lot more about things to look for in a highchair to help minimize choking risks.
Solid Starts is an AMAZING resource for starting solids and a ton of their information is free on their website & Instagram. Check out their recommendations for what to think about when purchasing a high chair to make sure it's safe for baby.
Baby food
Purees. BEABA Babycook - recommendation from my friend Sara, this thing is pretty sweet! Steams & purees fruits and veggies super easily to make your own baby food. Here are a few other things she recommended as well.
Baby-led weaning. I was lucky enough to meet the founder of Solid Starts during my first pregnancy and we ended up trying her approach for baby-led weaning. See more about why here - Mama Meg advice on introducing solids.
Sippy cups - any sippy cups will work, we have loved these and they've lasted well
Open cup - love this for teaching how to drink from an open cup
ezpz Tiny Collection Set, Tiny Bowl - we have several of these sets and just mix and match
Floor mat - these are great and blend well into our home
Bibs - silicone, which means super easy to clean!
Snack cups - these are great for when you're on the go!
Clean up.
Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum - once we had two kids eating solids, we decided it was time to try this thing. And man did it deliver. It's incredible and picks up spilled milk, Cheerios, tufts of dog hair and everything in between. You DO need to be good about dumping out the gross water every single time though or it will smell the next time you go use it.
Stain remover - one of my best friends put me on to this and I cannot say enough good things. It's non-toxic with clean ingredients and actually WORKS. I try to spray this on stains as soon as they happen and just pop the clothes into the hamper until I'm ready to wash the next load.
Bath Time
Bath tub support - we have used this for all three kids! Just put into our regular tub and only filled it up until baby is covered to about the belly. We used this from the time baby's umbilical cord had come off until 6 or 7 months when he was sitting up and trying to get out of it.
Cup or baby shower head for rinsing
Soft brush - love this set from EllaOla, got it as a gift for baby #3
Booster seat - for when baby is sitting up well
Faucet cover - once they're older and sitting in the tub by themselves, you'll want a cover so they don't bonk their head into it!
Towels - muslin baby bath towels and washcloths, hooded towels
All of these have lasted great through three babies
Products - we have tried a few different things early but EllaOla is our favorite!
This is another place where there are TONS of options and no one right answer so try to consider what's most important to you. HelloBello (unscented) and EllaOla are both well rated by EWG in terms of their ingredient safety. Puracy is another clean brand that I've had friends rave about, as well as Pipette.
You won’t want to change this up frequently as babies have sensitive skin. Pick one and keep using it unless baby’s skin doesn’t like it.
Ella Ola has a starter kit (soap, body lotion, face lotion is what I got!) and I have a code for 15% off - MAMAMEG15
Diapering
Diaper bag -what I got and loved the first time around from Dagne Dover. Perfect size and Ricky was comfortable carrying it too.
Changing kit - nice to have when we’re out and about more, can toss this in a tote instead of bringing the full diaper bag
Backpack style - as a gift to myself with baby #2, I bought a new leather backpack style diaper bag. It was a splurge but I do absolutely love it and have gotten tons of compliments on it.
What I'd get now - Target came out with some GREAT dupes for Dagne Dover & Freshly Picked leather style diaper bags.
Diaper bags do NOT need to be expensive to work!
Diaper pail - this has been great, just uses regular trash bags and holds a lot!
Activated Charcoal Deoderizer - I put a few of these at the bottom of each of our diaper pails, and regular trash cans too! They really help absorb the smell!
Changing pad - we put this changing pad directly on baby's dresser (no topper) in hopes one of the kids can use the dresser when they're older too. Love this one because it wipes clean and is angled so if baby has an accident while we’re changing them, it pools down at the bottom so they're not sitting in it.
Would get again but not in Vanilla - it's now a bit stained after 3 babies!
Diapers - register for NB and size 1
We got 1 big box of Pampers Swaddlers in Newborn and Tripp outgrew them at 2 weeks, right around when we were nearing the end of the box. Would register for 1 box of NB and more in size 1. You can always get more later! People may also gift them to you at your shower. Costco carries Pampers and their own brand so we got a mix of both the first time around.
I also love Coterie. They’re more expensive but once baby is sleeping through the night, these are great. I find that they are the most absorbent and baby doesn’t get diaper rash as frequently.
We use these for overnight and for times when we want to be sure they won't leak (travel, important events, etc). They're pricey but since we're only using 1x day, the boxes last much longer.
We now use HealthyBaby Diapers and love them. They're the only EWG certified diaper which means they are as "clean" as they could possibly be. I've read a lot about how most diapers include endocrine disrupting ingredients, so I love knowing these are a safer option. Coterie is very clean too!!
I am working on getting codes for HealthyBaby and Coterie (fingers crossed!) and will add them to my running Codes post
How many diapers do I really need? The answer is a lot but they'll change sizes faster than you could imagine - my advice is to TAKE IT SLOW! I ended up having way too many with my first because I wasn't monitoring closely enough and babies grow SO much in the first year. You'll have so many appointments in the beginning for baby and each time they'll tell you the baby's weight. Now I know after every ped appointment to buy a few more packs in the best size.
If you have friends with babies already, ask if they have any extra diapers laying around in smaller sizes. SO many of my friends have offered us their extras and I still am hanging onto some Size 4's from my older guys for baby #3.
Baby wipes - Water Wipes worked great for us in the newborn days. Costco also carries these! Also tried the Kirkland brand and HelloBelllo - all great, we are currently using these Caboo wipes after trying to find the cleanest and cheapest wipe possible.
Nursery
Sound machine - love that this has a bunch of options for colors and sounds and that you can control it with an app!
When we had the babies in a bassinet in our bedroom for the first couple weeks, I kept this right by the changing table so I could see during those middle of the night changes. Red light supposedly wakes them up less so I kept it on that, on a low setting.
Also recommend getting 2 portable white noise machines for the car/stroller walks during naptime. Lifesaver!
You could also skip the portable ones and just use Spotify or YouTube!
Crib mattress - love that this is 100% breathable in case baby somehow got facedown in the crib. For safety this is something you always buy new!
Humidifier - we registered for a basic one but have since bought the one linked here and love it - infinitely easier to clean than the ones made out of plastic, and you don't have to worry about mold. To me, lifetime use of this for the kids it’s worth having.
Crib mattress protector - for each baby we got 2 of these and 2 crib sheets in case of accidents.
Pro mom tip, you can layer them on the crib mattress for quick changes. Put down a protector, then a sheet, then another protector and another sheet. When it's time for a change, you just have to take the top layers off! Super handy, especially for those middle of the night blowout cleanups.
Organic cotton for the crib sheet is always my preference
Monitor - this purchase seriously stressed me out, there are so many options and it's a more expensive purchase. We have the Cubo AI and it has been great, but it's also all we know. Cubo’s app notifies you when baby cries, rolls over or has his face covered. It also takes pictures, has good picture quality even at night and gives you sleep analytics.
This is another time when it may help you to consider how many kids you want. The Cubo made it super easy to add on another camera right in the same app, which I loved when Brooks arrived. Not all cameras will allow that functionality, so just something to consider!
We also ended up purchasing a super basic audio only monitor set as a backup, since the Cubo runs on wifi. One night our power went out and I was of course terrified I'd missed baby crying in the middle of the night! This also gave me peace of mind with some of those crazy stories you hear about people hacking into baby monitors and talking to your kids - creepy!
A lot of my friends having babies now have the Nanit and love it!
VTech also has a great one a lot of my friends got for travel and end up using day to day too
Health & Safety
Baby nail trimmer - so you don’t have to use a nail clipper. Baby nails are suuuuper thin so this is less scary to use! We’ve also used a regular nail file and that has been fine.
Thermometers - we have tried several thermometers and this one is our absolute favorite. It can be used on the forehead or in the ear, which is handy when you're taking the temperature of a sleeping babe. We also registered for a rectal thermometer (more accurate for newborns) but have never had to use it.
Fridababy tool - seems weird but we have used this so many times! Especially the booger one - baby noses are impossibly tiny! We have two of these, one for diaper bag and one for home.
Fridababy Basics Kit - all good things to have on hand!
Hospital grade nose sucker - I'll do a full post about it soon but long story short my newborn was in the ICU for a week with RSV. Had I had one of these, I think we would've had a chance of treating her at home. The other nose sucking things you see, and especially the ones you put in your mouth, aren't doing anything compared to what this can do.
They have a more intense version for about double the price so I figured we'd try this one and can always use it for travel. It is really great and easy to use.
Additional items you want to consider:
Disposable changing pads - you can use these on your changing pad or for diaper changes away from the changing station. I always have extras of these in the car and in the diaper bag.
Disposable diaper bags - these are great to have in your diaper bag and in your car, for dirty diapers and clothes!
Extra changing mats - your diaper bag may come with one, but it's never a bad idea to have extras on hand! One of my best friends, Maggie, put me onto these and I love how luxe they look but still at a great price! I got 2.
Formula - Even if you plan to breastfeed, definitely get some just in case. More to come on this but with my second we started using formula around 10 months and he ended up doing great with HIPP. My baby girl won’t take my milk frozen so we just got her supplementing with Bobbie. She wouldn’t take HIPP (baby preferences!)
First aid kits - I got this small one for our diaper bag and a larger one for each of our cars
Medicine cabinet recommendations from Moms on Call! We just bought everything on the list so we didn't have to worry about it later - though it's important to note you should not be giving baby ANY meds without ped's approval in those early days. I recommend getting MOC on Kindle app so you can check it any time of day or night. Even if you don’t follow the schedule stuff like I did, they have so much great info in there for baby care and sickness!
Third time Mom POV - I now love Genexa for the entire family's medicine. Just the active ingredients, none of the dyes or junk ingredients added.
Genexa Infant's Clean Pain & Fever Acetaminophen (on Amazon)
Genexa Acetaminophen - for Adults (on Amazon)
Phew! A lot! I know. Just know that you basically can’t go wrong mama. You really can’t! Check reviews like you would with anything and move on. You can also utilize ChatGPT (it’s free!) to give you some objective side by side comparisons if you're stuck between a few options. Just get clear on what’s important to you - ingredients, budget, how eco friendly it is, whatever, and that will guide you.
Above all remember, this stuff feels big but once the baby comes you'll figure it out and you’ve got this 🫶
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Your friendly reminder that this blog is not medical advice! This blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if they seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment for you or your family.
Affiliate Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will be compensated if you click through and take action. These are all items that I purchased with my own money, or was gifted from my registry, so please know I am only recommending things I truly use.
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