Are you struggling to decide what to buy off a baby registry for your expecting friends and family? I’m cutting through the noise and giving it to you straight with the best items to buy off a baby registry.
It’s Spring, which makes me think of babies. Usually I’m thinking about baby animals, but human babies can be born in the Spring too. And when human babies are on their way, that usually means a baby shower. Or, at the very least, a baby registry.
The Baby Registry Confusion
Most expectant mothers who are making baby registries are first time moms who are excited. But despite their excitement, these people are generally clueless about what they will actually need when baby arrives. This mix of excitement and cluelessness results in a baby registry that is full to the brim was all kinds of stuff, most of which is completely unnecessary. So where does this leave you? What are you supposed to buy off a baby registry?
Lucky for you, I have thoughts. I’ve had two kids in the last 5 years, and I’ve also had 5 nephews and nieces, with one more on the way. So, I’m very familiar with babies and all the crap that comes with them (literally and figuratively). I have made good buys and mistakes, and I’m hoping you can learn from my experience so you know exactly what to buy off a baby registry when you get invited to a baby shower.
My recommendations for what to buy off a baby registry are going to be the most helpful things for the new parents. They aren’t always exciting, but they’re always useful. I’ve separated my recommendations by price, so you can hone in on the best items to buy off a baby registry in your budget.
Ready to learn what you should buy off a baby registry? Let’s go!
Best Items to Buy Off a Baby Registry
Less than $20
The good news is that a ton of super useful baby items are less than $20. The baby’s parents might not be super excited about these items at the shower, but they’ll be glad you bought them off the baby registry when they need them after the baby arrives.
Rectal thermometer
I am starting this list of best items to buy off a baby registry with a bang. Don’t sleep on the rectal thermometer. The new baby’s parents will 100% need to use this. In fact, a rectal thermometer is the best way to take a newborn’s temperature, even though many people will squirm at the idea of using one. A rectal thermometer also comes in handy when baby is constipated, so this is a two-for-one gift.
Car seat mirror
When I was a first-time expectant mother, I was confused about why everyone recommended that I purchase a car seat mirror to hang on the headrest of the backseat of the car on which the car seat was installed. I thought I wouldn’t need to see the baby while I was driving and worried that I was wasting my money on this particular item. But, especially if the parents to be have an elevated baseline level of anxiety, a car seat mirror is absolutely necessary. It just provides that little extra peace of mind that your baby isn’t, in fact, dying when he is screaming his little head off on the way to the pediatrician’s office.
Baby bath support
When I was pregnant with my first child, someone recommended the Angelcare Baby Bath Support to me in lieu of a standalone baby bathtub. It was inexpensive so I decided to give it a go. Boy, am I glad I did! This contraption is the perfect set-up for bathing babies who can’t yet sit up. And it’s easy to rinse off and hang to dry so the new parents don’t have to spend extra time cleaning out a separate tub. When you choose this bath support to buy off a baby registry, you aren’t just buying a physical gift. You’re buying the new parents a gift of time.
Cloth diaper inserts
Even if the new parents aren’t planning to cloth diaper their new little one, buy them a pack or two of cloth diaper inserts. They make the best burp rags when babies are little and they turn into the best “booger rags” when they get older. They’re made to be absorbent, so they take spit up and snot like a champ. My kids are 5 and 3 and we still have them in every room of our house.
Diapers
You should always always always buy diapers off a baby registry. Even if the new parents didn’t register for diapers, buy them anyway. New parents can never have enough diapers.
I do have a few specific recommendations when it comes to buying diapers for new parents, though. First, don’t buy size newborn or size 1 diapers. The baby goes through these sizes quickly and these are the diapers that the new parents have ready to go. Instead, buy size 2 or size 3 diapers so the new parents have a stash ready to go when baby grows. Because baby will grow, that’s what they do best. Second, I like Huggies best. That is especially true if the baby is a boy. My son leaked through literally every other brand of diaper when he was teeny.
Wipes
Going along with those diapers, wipes are also a great item to buy off a baby registry. New parents cannot have enough wipes. If you choose wipes to buy off a baby registry, though, please make sure you’re buying an unscented variety. My favorite wipes for very new babies were Pampers Aqua Pure Wipes. They just worked best to get baby clean without upsetting his private area.
All Free & Clear laundry detergent
Babies require a lot of laundry. Spit up, blowouts, breastmilk – baby will likely require multiple outfits a day so the washing machine will be going constantly. Equip those new parents for all this laundry by gifting them with laundry detergent. Specifically, All Free & Clear laundry detergent. It’s the best laundry detergent for all things baby. Is this an exciting gift to buy off the baby registry? No. Will it get used? Absolutely!
Eucerin Baby Wash & Lotion
Continuing with the theme of less than exciting items to buy off the baby registry, I wholeheartedly recommend grabbing the new mom and dad a bottle of baby wash and baby lotion. These are things that the baby will need and use for years. My 5-year-old still uses the same products at shower time that we started using at his first ever bath. What are these products? Eucerin. Neither of my kids has ever had any reaction from any Eucerin product. A good starter pack is a bottle of Eucerin Baby Wash & Shampoo and Eucerin Baby Lotion.
Books
Your expectant friends and family likely won’t specifically register for books, but you should still buy them some. Reading time with baby was absolutely my favorite activity when my kids were small (and still is!). And babies love books. You can go with a classic like Guess How Much I Love You, a tactile experience like Never Touch a Shark!, or an empowering book like A is for Awesome!
$20-$50
If you’re looking to spend a little more, but not go overboard, there are great options to buy off a baby registry in the $20-$50 range.
Baby gym
From birth to six months, baby will spend a lot of time in his or her baby gym. It’s a great place for play and for the dreaded tummy time. The Fisher-Price Kick & Play Gym is a perfect option to buy off the baby registry because it grows with baby past those first six months. The kick piano detaches for fun into the toddler years!
Boppy
Even if mom isn’t planning to breastfeed, she will still get use out of a breastfeeding pillow. We used our Boppy Nursing Pillow for breastfeeding, but also for bottle feeding, tummy time, being propped up after a feeding to avoid spit up, a butt cushion for mom, and support for sitting when baby got a little older. Basically, this thing is a workhorse and is definitely one of the best things to buy off a baby registry.
$51-$100
Want to spend just a touch more, but not go over $100 when choosing what to buy off a baby registry? These are the items for you!
Diaper pail
When I was pregnant with my first kid, I was so skeptical of diaper pails. I didn’t understand why I needed to buy an expensive trash can for a singular purpose. Certainly not the Diaper Genie that also required special trash bags. I landed on the Ubbi Diaper Pail and I’m so glad I did. It uses regular old trash bags but definitely keeps the odor in the can and out of your house. That’s especially important when baby starts eating solid food. This thing is gold.
Changing pad
You might be surprised that I’m listing a changing pad in the $51-$100 category of items to buy off a baby registry. That’s because I firmly believe in the wipeable changing pad. It’s quite a bit more expensive than a traditional changing pad, but it’s totally worth it in my opinion. Over the last 5+ years of parenting, I have been so glad I had the Skip Hop Changing Pad. From poop to blood to snot, everything that gets on the changing pad just wipes away. No need to keep multiple changing pad covers around to clutter up the nursery, less laundry to wash, and quicker resolution of the mess. It’s such a good gift.
Over $100
Want to really treat the new parents and give them a big-ticket item? Here are my favorite splurge items to buy off a baby registry.
Bouncer
Sure, you can get a cheaper bouncer. In fact, we had a cheaper bouncer with my first baby, and it was totally fine. But if you really want to go all out for the new parents, a fancy bouncer is worth it. Why? Your baby will spend a ton of time in a bouncer in his first few months. No, I’m not suggesting that you just park a baby in a bouncer all day long. But mom needs to shower, cook dinner, go to the bathroom, and she needs a place to park the baby when she does these things. Every baby I have witnessed in the Baby Bjorn Bouncer has loved it. It’s adjustable as baby grows, it’s washable, and it folds flat for travel! It’s literally the perfect bouncer.
Swing
If the new baby lives in a house with a bit more space, the parents may also ask for a swing. We did not have a swing for my first baby, but we did for my second and it was her favorite spot to hang. You don’t need to go overboard when buying a swing. The classic sway swing is perfect.
Baby carrier
Another item on the list of places to stick baby, a baby carrier is a great item to buy off a baby registry. I used my baby carrier all the time with both kids. It came in handy for trips to the grocery store, family outings, and making dinner during the witching hour. These are expensive, but they’re totally worth it. We had two: the Baby K’tan for tiny babies and the Ergo Omni 360 when they got a but older. Both got so much use in my house.
Video monitor
A video monitor is a great item to buy off a baby registry if you want to get a high ticket, useful gift for the new parents. It gave me such peace of mind to be able to see baby when I wasn’t right next to him. The video monitor continued to earn its place in the house when transitioning to a toddler bed to make sure the kiddos were staying in their beds after lights out. Even with our 5-year-old, we still use the video monitor to make sure he’s staying in bed!
Because this thing gets use for so long, I highly recommend getting a system that can expand if other babies are added to the family. We have the Infant Optics DXR-8 video monitor and two cameras. We have been incredibly pleased with it for the last 5 years, so this is a good one, folks.
Diaper bag
A diaper bag is crucial. It will become like an extra appendage for the parents for years to come. But it’s also a very personal choice. If you choose to buy the diaper bag off the registry, buy the one the parents have selected. They can often be pretty pricey, but it’s worth buying a bag that works for the family and lasts a long time. We went with the JuJuBe Backpack and couldn’t be happier with that choice. It lasted 5+ years and served its purpose valiantly. Thank you, JuJuBe diaper bag!
Other posts
Looking for other posts that could help new parents? Check these out:
I hope this helps you make decisions about what to buy off a baby registry. What each parent finds helpful is super personal, so please comment down below or over on Instagram @sarainseason with what other items you would add to this list!