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Having a second baby, it’s much easier to create a baby registry than with the first because you already know what products you love and will use. I really thought out what products I needed with this baby since I didn’t want to buy or register for anything unnecessary. I love using Babylist and Amazon for registries since you can find pretty much everything on those two. You can link your Amazon registry to Babylist so then when people ask where you are registered, you can just give them Babylist instead of multiple different registries. Also, you can categorize products on both of these registries, which I love since I tend to be a very organized person.
So to share my second baby registry must-haves, I figured I would categorize them all in this post to make it easier to locate products in case you are searching for something in particular.
Second Baby Registry Must-Haves
Strollers & Car Seats
We have this car seat in both mine and my husband’s truck for Ruby and cannot recommend it enough. It spins to make it easier to put your baby in. Your back will no longer hurt when trying to finagle your kid into their car seat. Plus, it’s a very safe car seat and the installation is just as easy as it is to put your kid in the seat. It makes life easier, which is what I’m all about when it comes to kid products. We plan to get this car seat for our second baby.
A mirror to see baby in the car. We’ve had different mirrors with ruby and the only thing I wish I had was a light that I could turn on at night to be able to see her if needed. I registered for this one based on the reviews and the fact that it has a remote to control the light.
3. Accmor Stroller Cup Holder with Phone Holder
We still have the Doona, which is an infant car seat and stroller in one, that we used with Ruby so we will be using that again with our second baby. It’s a must-have on it’s own. It doesn’t have any storage or cup holders though so I came across this cup holder with a phone holder that you can attach to it when using it as a stroller, and it’s under $10.
4. Cybex Gazelle S Double Stroller System
I have the Cybex Gazelle Stroller already and love it. It has a ton of storage on the bottom, the seat can face both ways, and it comes with a basket for shopping trips. Ruby LOVES taking walks in this stroller. What makes this stroller special, is that it turns into a double stroller when needed. You can have a seat and a bassinet, or two seats, or more combinations. I plan to get the bassinet attachment so that for walks, Ruby will be comfy in her seat and baby will be comfy in a bassinet in case she falls asleep. Also, bassinet type strollers are safer for babies to be in for naps than car seat strollers. I’ll be able to stroll both kids easily. Then when baby number 2 gets bigger, I’ll just get a second seat.
Baby Gear
I actually have two of the Cybex Lemo high chairs. Ruby uses one and I use the other for my desk since it’s ergonomically correct for sitting. But with the new baby, I’ll be giving up my desk chair for her. So we registered for this bouncer that attaches to the chair until she is big enough to sit in the high chair seat attachment. It will be so nice having baby up at our level, safely, while sitting at the dining table for all our meals. The Cybex Lemo chair is another one of those products that we can’t recommend enough! I tried out the Boon high chair and did not like it (I have a review here) so I purchased the Cybex Lemo and it was perfect.
2. BabyBjörn Baby Carrier Mini in Cotton
I had a few baby carriers with Ruby like the Solly Baby Wrap and the Sakura Bloom carrier. While I loved those two, this Babybjorn one seems great for when she’s a newborn. It doesn’t have a strap around your belly area, making it more comfortable I’m assuming. My husband also has shoulder pain and can’t reach around his back to put our other carriers on so this one is ideal for him when he wants to babywear. I like that it’s made out of 100% cotton (only some of the colors are) and not made out of synthetic materials that would irritate our skin like polyester.
3. Skip Hop Baby Activity Center
We had this activity center that turns into a table with Ruby and kept it in our garage and it got nasty. So I got a new one for the new baby and actually found a used one at Goodwill in great condition for $20! These things are all over Facebook Marketplace and very easy to find second hand. We don’t use walkers since they are dangerous and we try to not use too many baby containers since they aren’t the best for development but this activity center is great when you need to get something done and have a safe place for your baby to play and be contained. Just be sure to put a towel under their feet on the base so that their legs aren’t dangling!
4. Upseat
Something I kept from my first baby is the Upseat. It’s like the Bumbo but it’s developed with the guidance of physical therapists to promote proper upright posture and be safe for baby’s developing hips. It’s great for helping baby learn how to sit.
We used the Babybjorn Cradle with Ruby and while we loved it, it would have been more convenient to have something like the Babybay crib because then we wouldn’t even have to get out of bed to grab her and do a feeding or diaper change. I also love that it’s more of a co-sleeping type crib. I remember being so afraid of falling asleep with Ruby in my arms while breastfeeding her in bed in the middle of the night and the Babybay would have been easier to just scoot her over into it when done without having to get up out of bed while being sleep deprived. Plus, you get the benefits of co-sleeping without worrying about your baby getting suffocated by your own bedding or squished in-between you and your partner. This is definitely something I am registering for this time around!
Bathing
I wish we had this tub with our first baby because once she outgrew the Angelcare Baby Bath, we were puzzled on what to put her in next since she couldn’t really sit unassisted in the big bathtub yet. This tub solves that problem.
2. Bamboo & Organic Cotton Towels
These KeaBabies hooded towels are super soft bamboo and last until toddlerhood. We also love organic cotton muslin gauze baby towels and these are the ones I registered for. They are smaller than the bamboo towel and are great for newborns.
3. Pipette Baby Shampoo & Body Wash
Ruby had bad eczema when she was little and we have tried a bunch of different soaps. Pipette has been our favorite and what we use currently. It’s very gentle and doesn’t irritate her skin while being made of safe ingredients. For conditioner, we use Babo Botanicals and love it.
Diapering
A must have for dirty diapers when you’re not at home. These completely conceal the smell of dirty diapers and you really do not want to be smelling poop in your car when you have to stop to change a diaper and there is not a trash can nearby. Plus, if you are throwing a stinky diaper away in a public trash can or restroom, these conceal the smell so you don’t feel bad about leaving a smell behind. A must have in your diaper bag!
2. Parasol Diapers & Wipes
We went through a lot of different brands of diapers with Ruby including Honest, Pampers, Huggies, Coterie, Millie Moon, and Kirkland brand. We loved Honest in the beginning but then they changed their diapers and weren’t the same. Coterie was a good one but expensive. Strongly disliked Pampers and Kirkland and those seemed to give Ruby the worst rashes. Ruby got a lot of rashes and had a lot of blow outs so when I came across Parasol, who claims they wipe out diaper rashes, we were intrigued to try. We loved them and eventually when she got a bit bigger, they have pull-up style diapers which made diaper changes extremely easy with a wiggly on-the-go baby. She barely ever got diaper rashes after switching. Their wipes are big and textured so you really only need one for poops! Parasol diapers and wipes are the best around in my opinion!
Feeding & Nursing
I breastfed Ruby for 2 and a half years and she never took a bottle. I found it easier to just whip out a boob and not have to worry about pumping and cleaning bottles. It bit me in the butt when I couldn’t have my husband help with overnight feedings or be away from her for longer than a few hours. My mental health suffered and I was exhausted. I don’t regret doing it because I know it was the best thing for her, but I could really use some help with the second baby. We are going to be doing bottles along with breastfeeding. These glass bottles are recommended by Led Safe Mama and are led free, which a lot of baby bottles are not, surprisingly. We also don’t want to do plastic bottles since we live a pretty non-toxic lifestyle and try to cut down on toxins as much as we can. A bamboo drying rack is something we registered for as well.
2. Organic Cotton Muslin Burp Cloths
These work great for burping and spit up and we went through a ton of them with Ruby on the daily so it’s good to stock up on them. I also registered for these WeeSprout brand ones since they look bigger and would fit over a shoulder for burping better.
3. Silverette Nursing Cups & LANACare Organic Wool Nursing Pads
Chapped, sore nipples are unavoidable when breastfeeding a newborn who is learning how to breastfeed. I struggled with this with Ruby and remember crying while feeding her from the pain in the first few weeks. I’ve read that the Silverette cups protect your nipples and some women never go through the painful stage. I’ve also read that wool nursing pads help with healing and absorb a lot of leakage.
4. Ceres Chill Breastmilk Storage Container
I came across this product recently and thought it was really cool. It keeps milk at a safe temperature for 20+ hours. This would be amazing for middle of the night feedings or pumping sessions so you can store milk until the morning without leaving your bed. It’s great for those early weeks when you’re sleep deprived or when you’re out and about and need to pump and keep milk chilled. I wish I would have had this when Ruby breastfed because I would wake up a lot in the middle of the night and be engorged and have to pump and didn’t want to waste the milk so I’d have to go out to the kitchen and transfer it to a bag and then the freezer and have trouble falling back asleep. Pumping into this container and then just putting it on my nightstand until morning would have been ideal.
Postpartum
Postpartum is TOUGH. I remember it being the toughest part of pregnancy. All of the Frida Mom products were amazing to use postpartum and I wish I would have had them in the hospital after I gave birth because I had to constantly ask for more ice pads throughout my stay and they didn’t work as well as the Frida Mom ones. These are a must have for sure.
I’m also looking forward to using some of the Earth Mama products like the Perineal Spray. We have used some of there other products like the Baby Face, Nose, and Cheek Balm which works amazing!!!
Other Baby Must-Haves
Among some of the other products I loved with my first baby are Bibs Pacifiers, Lovevery toys, Gerber side snap shirts for the first week since they don’t irritate the umbilical cord area, Owlivia organic cotton baby clothes, and the Lucy Darling baby books.
I’ve already bought the Bon Charge Blue Light Blocking Lamp to use for middle of the night diaper changes and feedings. We love using red lights at night since they don’t mess up your circadian rhythm and are great sleep aids. Red lights are a must for night time with babies because you don’t want to be turning on a bright fluorescent light. That way both you and baby can get back to sleep more easily.
Some other products that make parenting easier are mentioned in this post here. Remember, when it comes to babies you don’t need a ton of unnecessary things or all of the newest gadgets. You can also find a lot of baby products gently used on Facebook Marketplace or at childrens’ resale stores for fractions of the retail price. I buy a lot of things secondhand. Try to simplify and enjoy your time with your baby. You’ll learn what products you like and don’t like as time goes on. These are just things I have found that make life a bit easier during a time when life can be very challenging.
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