The Only Baby Registry List You Need
If you’re new here, Hi! My name is Erika Davis. I’ve been a birth worker for 15 years, I’m the owner and curator of Whole Body Pregnancy, and the mother of an amazing three-year-old. This post is meant to be part humor and part informational - there are also links attached to help you find what you’re looking for from my Amazon shop.
If you’re pregnant and this list has helped you, please share it widely! Now, onto the list.
Baby Registry Items That Aren’t “Items”
Birth and Postpartum Doula - Generations ago, most of us would have been familiar with birth; birth would have happened close to home or in the home with the help of midwives, wise women, or the town shaman. Mothers and grandmothers, aunties, and cousins who had given birth would surround the pregnant person in labor to help them through the rhythm of becoming a parent.
In the last hundred years, the wisdom of midwives (many of them Black women) and wise women was stolen and birth moved away from home. I am in no way saying that hospital birth is bad - I gave birth via planned cesarean birth! What I am saying is that by moving birth away from home and into the hospital, we have come to see birth as a medical event rather than a life transition event.
A DOULA helps bring a piece of that village into your birth. Many states currently offer reimbursements for doulas and there are a variety of organizations that provide low-cost doulas for folks who need them. A doula is a non-medical person to helps you plan for your birth and postpartum from a non-judgemental place. Putting a birth and postpartum doula on your registry allows your community to help during these vital transitions.
Mental Health Therapists
For both the person giving birth as well as any non-gestational parents, mental health therapists are vital to a positive postpartum experience. The scenario I gave in the first item, the lack of community/a village, means that many people are overwhelmed with the isolation of becoming parents. I recommend looking into a mental health therapist while you’re pregnant to make sure you have someone lined up when you’ve got space and time, rather than when you’re wading the deep waters of early parenthood.
A Meal Train
Feeding yourself when you’ve given birth is a vital part of assuring your postpartum and long-term health. Focus on eating foods that are nutrient-dense, easy to digest, and warm. Think stewed meats, slow-cooked grains, soups, teas, and broths.
Keep in mind that if you’re planning on feeding from your body (body feeding/chestfeeding/breastfeeding/nursing) you’ll need to take in an additional 500-600 calories a day to maintain your supply and to make sure you have enough energy to also support your own healing.
When planning for your Meal Train, compile a list of your favorite foods and recipes. Make sure you let folks know about any food preferences and allergies, as well as foods to avoid. Another recommendation is to make your Meal Train long - at least six months.
So, if you’re here for what items to include on your baby registry, you’ll find that list below - based on my own personal use. I will encourage you to consider the list of non-item’s for your registry as well. With so much love,
Erika
Baby Registry Items I Couldn’t Live Without, as a Mom of a toddler.
Lactation
Haaka (with Cap)
The Haaka was a game-changer for me in my early days of feeding our kid, especially as my mature milk was flowing. I’d use it on the side I wasn’t nursing on to collect the milk that was spilling out of my body. To me, using this product, vs nipple shields/pads made more sense because I’m not wasting that milk!
Pro-tip - Spend the extra money to get the one with the suction cup base and the cap. Ask me why I know.
Spectra Plus
The Spectra Plus is the electric pump that we used and loved. We got a portion of it covered by insurance, so be sure to check in with your insurance carrier.
Lansinoh Manual Pump
We used this one as well as the Medela, and I like this one much better. I found the manual pumping mechanism to be more comfortable in my hand vs the Medela, which I could never get the hang off because of how it sits on the pump. I ended up getting two of these; one I kept in the car for on-the-go pumping (which is a thing) and the other near the bed when I didn’t want the noise of the electric for middle of the night pumping.
You can alsoo adjust the flanges with other flanges/brands which can be helpful
Something to keep in mind about pumping and pumps, you need to replace the parts about every month. I wouldn’t register for them, though, so that you make sure you have the right size for your body.
Toys for Baby
Montessori Toys for Babies
We got the subscription baby kit for Ari and, while it was great for her as a little one, as she got older it became less-valuable and we cancelled our subscription after the first year. There were some things that she’d already experienced, or toys we wanted but could only get in future kits. Around one and a half we began to order these and loved the ease of purchase, the price was comparable, and we could customize a bit more.
Baby Carrier
Below you’ll find a list of baby carriers we used and love. Some include an affiliate code to save you 10% off, others are without codes or affiliate links - we just used/loved them.
Keep in mind that your baby wearing needs will change as your baby grows and as you get more comfortable with what you like and don’t like. As of this blog post, our kid is 3 years old and weights about 38 lbs and we still wear her to sleep on hard nights or when we’re out and about.
Soft Carrier
Boba - Really, any soft, stretchy carrier will work. You just want to find something thick enough, and I like this one and the Moby for thickness. Please remember to follow all safety guidelines around baby carrying!
Sakura Blom Scout
Semi-Structured
Sakura Bloom is a company based out of California. I used the Scout Carrier until we couldn’t any longer and we still have it! I use it when I’m working as a postpartum doula or let families borrow it. I love the softness of the linen (which gets softer over time) combined with the structure of the waist.. It feels more secure than a stretchy carrier, but doesn’t have as much stiffness as some of the more structured ones.
Ring Slings
Wildbird Baby Carriers were a splurge for us, but I LOVED them so much I became an affiliate. Use the code WHOLEBODYPREGNANCY10 to get 10% off your purchase.
We purchased and love the ring slings. Since our child was born, they also introduced a snap carrier, though I’ve not used it so can’t say anything about it.
These slings also retain their resale value; when we were done using them we were able to sell them on resale sites for roughly the same price we purchased them for.
Structured
Lille Baby Structured Carrier was given to us by a friend, we purchased our own after using it. We also received the Ergo carrier as a gift, but liked the Lille better for it’s ease of use, more structured back support, and overall comfort in wearing Ari.
Hope and Plum gets a mention here for being a bad-ass company run by a bad-ass woman. It’s also incredibly size inclusive. Their Lark carrier is spendy, but it’s made ethically. It also has a really good resale value.
December 2024 in Tula Carrier - 3YO
Toddler Carrier
Tula Baby generously sent me a toddler carrier for us to have and we STILL USE IT. While it’s something you may not need right now, it’s good to plan out for things that will come up down the line.
Monitor
I was an ANXIOUS new mother. Folks who know my story, know why. I was eventually diagnosed with PPA and PPD, but I will say with my hand on the Tanakh, that having the Owlet monitor and Dream Sock helped ease my anxiety more than spike it. For some people, it did the opposite, so take this with a grain of salt, only you know you.
It IS glitchy, and you do need to set it up with wifi, but, again, to this day if I’m worried about Ari’s breathing or heart rate when she has a bad chest code, I put it on and feel a bit better. It DOES NOT replace a doctor’s opinion and I would OBVIOUSLY take her to the doctor if I felt something was off, with our without the owlet. AND being able to see her on my phone and see her Oxygen levels helped me.
Maybe not for your registry, but have it on hand.
Earth Mama Nipple Cream
I STILL use this today as a moisturizer for our kiddo’s face on cold and windy days. It’s the SAME jar I bought when I was pregnant - a little bit goes a long way. It’s free of ingredients you cannot pronounce and is safe to use while body feeding and pumping. I recommend putting it on after your nursing sessions, even if you’re n not having cracking to prevent said cracking. Again, ask me how I know this.
Nose Frida
It’s so satisfying to suck out the snot. Just sayin’