Building a baby registry is a strange kind of guesswork. You are shopping for a person you have not met yet, for a life you have not lived yet, using advice from people whose babies were nothing like yours are about to be.
Some of it you get right. Some of it sits in the closet for two years with the tags on.
So we asked moms a question with the benefit of hindsight: what did you not register for, that you now consider essential?
A bottle washer
This answer came back eight times. Not a bassinet. Not a baby monitor. A bottle washer.
Esra Gürayman put it plainly: she did not realize how much time bottle washing takes until she had kids. Anything that saves time and makes daily routines easier, she says, is a new parent essential.
Zoya Alam wishes she had gotten one sooner. With four children under five, she found it gave her time back while she was taking care of, in her words, “the whole gang.” Kay Hughes called it the thing that saved her as a tired parent with two kids.
And Courtney Willingham gave the answer that will land hardest for anyone on their second baby: bottle washers were not a thing when she had her first. She’s grateful they’re available now.
Strollers, but not ones you might expect
The second most common regret was regarding stroller size.
Lucia Pinto focused on full-sized modular travel systems when she registered for her first, and quickly found them bulky and heavy for everyday errands. What she actually uses is something sleek that folds in seconds and lifts easily into a trunk. Natalie Minarich echoes this and says a travel or lightweight stroller is a must-have.
However, Ashley Kogel wished she’d received an all-in-one stroller system that came with a bassinet so baby could easily nap on the go.
Jamiee Diaz wished for a stroller wagon. She finds this especially useful with several children and transporting kids’ gear.
Portable must-haves
Bianca Morriello did not register for a travel sound machine with her first baby. She now considers it essential for naps away from home, for travel, and for helping a baby sleep somewhere unfamiliar.
Lucimere Silva also likes gear that makes it easy to travel within the house and also on the road, such as a portable bathtub and a portable crib.
Diaper changing essentials
A foldable changing pad with pockets for diapers and wipes, says @Myria Dinkins, allows her to grab one small pouch instead of the entire diaper bag. She calls this a game changer. @Emily Smith learned that having a diaper caddy especially for the living room kept her from having to go upstairs for every change.
The small things that turn out to be the big things
Tailynn Brost says that her pre-kid self had no idea how incredibly helpful a carrier would be. Being able to keep her baby close while still having two free hands, she says, made the early months significantly easier.
Christina Cosgrove recommends a nursing pillow, something she didn’t have with her first child. She says it helps position a baby for an easier feed when you’re new to breastfeeding.
Cristina Alewelt credits swaddles and pacifiers as the tools that allowed her to get any sleep during the infant months, and she now considers them registry necessities.
What this list is really telling you
Almost nothing on it is exciting. A bottle washer. A caddy that saves a trip upstairs. A carrier that gives you back both hands. A stroller that folds in seconds.
The best baby gear is not only for the baby. It is for the parent, too. First time parents often build a registry thinking only about the baby. What these mothers learned is to think about yourself as well.
