Top 10 Baby Registry Items Under $35

Arriving at Babies R Us to register for my first, I was excited. Registering for my wedding had been so much fun, I imagined registering for my baby and all of the cute little things she would need would be just as fun. Ten minutes later I was sitting on the floor in BRU overwhelmed and crying. I am not kidding.

I got as far as the first aisle, baby bottles, nipples and pacifiers, and there were so many choices that I was immediately certain of one thing — if I couldn’t make the right decision on fast or slow, latex or silicone , etc. etc. I was going to be a terrible mom and chances were my baby would starve to death.

Yes, pregnancy hormones were running wild, but registering for a baby can, without a doubt, be overwhelming. There are so many products and choices, how is a new mom to narrow down an entire store into the things she will really need for her baby? Ask someone who has been there, ask an experienced mom.

When my husband was finally able to calm me down, I was able to do a preliminary trip through the store and add a few important items to my registry. But I was far from done, and I needed help. I enlisted the help of a friend with a three year old. She went through my incomplete registry and made a list of things I should include and another list of things I didn’t really need. She “fixed” my registry, and in the end I got everything I needed and then some.

Planning for baby #2, I feel much more confident, and I want to pass along a few of my must have baby registry items to you. But first-time moms, I also recommend finding an experienced mom to review your registry and give you their tips. (Note – I am skipping right over the obvious things like car seat, stroller, bedding, bottles, etc. Instead my list is things you might not think about until you’ve been there.)

1. Itzbeen Baby Timer – This little gadget was brand new to the market when my first was born, so it was a product I discovered on my own, and I don’t know how we would have survived without it. During those first sleep-deprived weeks  months, this helped my husband and I keep track of late-night feedings/changings without waking each other. Available on Amazon for $19.54 it is the best $20 ever spent.
2. Diapers – Register for diapers. I will say it again, register for diapers. One of the great trends in baby showers these days is to encourage guests to bring a pack of diapers to be entered into a raffle for a little prize. Great idea. You will need LOTS of diapers, so go ahead and register for them. (Oh, and skip the newborn size. They will FLY through those, and if your baby is born big your baby might never wear them. Just register for size 1 & 2s. People will buy you the newborn anyway, and you don’t want too many. If you happen to have a tiny baby, you’ll have to buy little ones but your baby will always grow into the bigger ones.)
3. Nursing Cover – If you are even considering nursing, register for a nursing cover. A nursing cover never crossed my mind when registering with my first, but another experienced mom friend thought for me and bought me one. It was GREAT! There are tons of choices, but my brand of choice is a Hooter Hider – comes in tons of cute colors and available on Amazon for $34.29.
4. Waterproof Pads – These highly useful and inexpensive pads have oh-so-many uses. One of my top uses, place on top of the pretty changing pad cover and keep a stack handy. This way every time your little one has a little leak you can just swap out the pad on top without having to change the whole cover. (My husband also made me sit on one in the car as my due date approached, he was paranoid my water would break unexpectedly. In reality, the Dr broke my water in the hospital.) Available on Amazon for $5.99.
5. Table Toppers – Whenever possible, I try not to make extra waste, but this was one handy helper that I allowed to make a little extra trash. Table toppers are a must with little ones in restaurants. Restaurant table surfaces are ick, ick, ick. It isn’t just the germs, those nasty chemicals that they smear on the table – ewww. I used these things everywhere, plus it makes clean up easy. I did stay on the green side by always using the biodegradable toppers. Available in tons of cute patterns including Disney. Register for a big pack – 45 count for less than $20 on Amazon.
6. Wubbanub – Wub-a-what? Wub-a-moms-best-friend. Soothie pacifiers are the pacifiers of choice in many hospitals, and my daughter fell in love with hers from the get go. The only problem, babies can’t put their pacis back when they fall out. The solution, a cute little animal attached to a paci. The Wubbanub lays on your baby’s chest while they suck on their paci, and for the most part it stays put (not perfect, but it helps). As I recall, the tag says “spot clean only,” I used to throw the whole thing in the washer and dryer, then I would take a paci wipe to the paci part. Pick your favorite lovable stuffed Wubbanub and a back up, you will want two. Available on Amazon for $12.50 – $19.95.
7. Sippy cups – Your mindset may be all baby right now, but months pass quickly and soon your baby will be moving from bottles to sippy cups (and solid foods). By registering for some of the “older” items now you will be ready when baby is! For on the go, throw some of the Take and Toss cups, bowls, flat wear, etc on your list. They are inexpensive so you won’t feel bad when they get lost, and if they break they are 100% recyclable. Available on Amazon for $7.29 for 2 sippy cups & $2.99 and up for Take and Toss.
8. Closet Dividers – Soon the empty closet will be filled with little tiny clothes of varying sizes. If you don’t keep all the various sizes organized you will very likely find that your little one grows out of clothes that were “lost in the closet” before ever being worn. Enter an easy and cute solution — closet dividers. Label the mini wardrobe by size and you will always have what you need at hand. (Sugar Boo now makes dividers that can be written on with a dry erase so you can later reuse the dividers to label seasons, days of the week, style, etc. — wish I had those!) Available on Amazon for $9.95 – $12.
9. Sound Machine – Referred to as baby crack on many baby forums, this little gizmo is life-saver. Seriously, great purchase. You will thank me later. Read my full review of this sound machine here. Available on Amazon for $20.99.
10. Kick Mats – Your car will soon be taken over by your kiddo and your kiddo’s stuff, there’s nothing you can do about that, but those dirty feet prints on the back of your cars seats – that you can prevent. Simple, inexpensive and totally worth registering for, since they come in a two pack you can use one in each car (until kiddo #2). While we are talking about keeping the car clean, get a car seat protector too (we never used the back part, but we still use the bottom part).

Alright, there’s my list of top 10 things you must register for from an experienced mom all under $35 and most under $20. Happy registering!

For more registry help, check out my post on want 10 baby things not to register for.