Now 27 weeks pregnant (third trimester, yay!) I’ve been developing my baby registry for close to a month now. Along the way other pregnant people have reached out to me like, “How are you figuring this out?!” Lol. It’s intimidating!

One of the most helpful things I saw online was a detailed overview one woman provided of what she put on her registry — she even updated it after the baby arrived to say how helpful/ not helpful different items were. That’s what I’d like to do as well! Hope it helps! And if you’d like to bless our family with a gift, we’d so appreciate that, too — you can do so here!

The Essentials
On every registry, there are some big-ticket items — crib, car seat, stroller, etc. That’s pretty much what’s on mine, too. I turned these items into cash fund requests on Babylist instead of linking the specific items so that folks could help contribute toward the cost rather than buy them outright.

BabyBay Original Cosleeper
I came across this cosleeper searching for safe co-sleeping options online. I love the minimalist look, the untreated wood, and the longevity of use — a railing can be added to convert it to a crib, and later down the road, it can be converted (with another add-on) into a bigger crib, too.

The only other cosleepers I could find that compared to BabyBay’s in style and function were from other countries — Australia and the UK.

Nuna Pipa Car Seat and Base
I really went back and forth trying to choose a car seat. The internal pressure to pick the right one felt surprisingly and unexpectedly enormous. The two key features I was looking for were: naturally flame retardant fabric materials (as opposed to fabrics that may include hazardous chemicals) and a load leg (which locks the car seat into the floor of your car for added protection).

I originally chose a different Canadian brand car seat for these two reasons, but it wasn’t compatible with our stroller selection — womp womp. Focusing solely on the car seats that were compatible with the Mockinbird stroller, I discovered that the Nuna PIPA had those same two key elements I was looking for and was also rated “best” in crash protection by Consumer Reports. Woo!

Mockingbird Single-to-Double-Stroller
I get Mockingbird IG + FB ads nonstop — lol. What made me want to add it to the registry? The simple, visually pleasing design — the ability to add on a second seat later on — big under-stroller storage bin — and car seat compatibility!

Elvie Wearable Pump
I’m kind of a hopeless multi-tasker. I knew I would want to explore a handsfree option for pumping — which I imagine will play enough of a role in my semi-exclusive breastfeeding journey to be worth the investment. I did some comparison research between Elvie and Willow and I liked that Elvie was smaller and holds an ounce more milk than the Willow does.

Black-Owned Business Specific Items
To see a full overview of these items and why I chose them, head on over to my previous post!

Cosmo Ring Sling
I absolutely adore this rich burnt orange baby carrier. Some baby carriers just look like baby carriers, but this looks like something you could even wear as a statement piece off of the ring. Beautiful and versatile.

Giraffe Swaddle
Sunrise Swaddle
Love these sheet and swaddle patterns so much. They are colorful, and the designs are so fitting for little ones, but I can also appreciate their beauty as a grown-up and I can enjoy seeing them draped over my bed or sofa (or floor or laundry bin lol).

Reusable Breastmilk Storage Bags
I hope to mostly breastfeed, but I know I’m going to want to be able to take a little break once in a while, so I knew I would need to look into some milk storage options.

Handwoven Changing Basket
I could not resist Design Dua’s absolutely gorgeous woven baby products. Because I already knew I wanted a cosleeper versus a bassinet, the changing basket felt perfect for my postpartum space.

Lion Doll
Soft Rattles
These lion + sheep dolls just looked so so sweet as I was browsing through the Yinibini Baby store. I could immediately imagine either of them being carried and snuggled and tossed (with love) around the house by our tiny little human.

Mod Feeder
Sunshine Teether
I love the colors and the styling of everything from this brand. The vibe is minimal and warm and all-around lovely. The sunshine teether stood out right away, and I’m sure I’ll be back in future months for more.

Baby Skincare Essentials
I’ve used Cocolene since about my third month of pregnancy — from head to toe. I use the stretch mark oil on my belly and chest almost daily, sometimes twice in a day. I loooove the smell. And how I feel after. Though honestly I won’t really mind if/when I do see a stretch mark, it really just feels good to know my skin is being well taken care of. I’m confident Cocolene will take wonderful care of my baby’s skin too.

Wooden Baby Gym
Natural Baby Gym Toys
As soon as I saw this adorable, modern, minimal baby play gym + hanging pieces I’m like — yep, this is totally going on here.

Little Lingo
I could totally imagine reading this little lingo book to my baby from an early age!

Etsy Small Business Specific Items
Note: I’m aware that Etsy Creators are on strike from April 11th through the 18th in protest of unfair and oppressive actions from Etsy throughout the pandemic. I would definitely encourage folks looking to support small businesses on Etsy to support this strike and wait until creators have given the green light to make purchases from their pages again.

Handmade Natural Wood Baby Rocking Chair
Baby bouncer chairs have always made me nervous — I think I just always felt like they’re not the safest infant items and/or are frequently used in unsafe ways. I’m also not a fan of the aesthetic look of most baby bouncers — very metallic and all grey/black/multi-colored. This rocker I can imagine in my home, and I can imagine sitting outside of the shower with baby in there when I need to steal a quick rinse lol.

Silicone and Wood Building Blocks Set
How cute is this?! I love the wood tones and different silicone, colored pieces.

Line Print Baby Padded Playmat
Some of these playmats are ridiculously expensive. I liked the simplicity of this one and the price!

Fresh Sage Lines Shopping Car Cover
Not only do I love the idea of covering up the shopping car cart before my baby/toddler goes into it — but this is super multi-use. It can be used to cover the car seat, the stroller, the high chair, or as a nursing cover, too!

General

Sleep Time

Muslin Swaddle Blankets / 4-Pack
Need swaddles. Loved these colors!

The Ollie Swaddle
Need swaddles. This came highly recommended from someone else’s registry! So… we shall see!

Wyze Cam Pan
For my husband and I to huddle around and watch the baby from one room away, lol. I looked up a bunch of camera options — I don’t think we need all the bells and whistles, so I picked this because it’ll deliver the basics.

Frida Baby 3-in-1 Humidifier, Diffuser and Nightlight
Love a multi-use item! This can replace my existing diffuser in the bedroom and perk — I can put my current diffuser somewhere else in the house!

Play + Learning Time

Lovevery The Looker Play Kit for Newborns to 12 Week Olds
Lovevery The Charmer Play Kit for 3 to 4 Month Olds
Like a true child of the 2000s gifted + talented programs — I want my baby to learn while they play! Right out of the womb! Sigh. But seriously, I read recently that 85% of the core brain structure develops by age 5, so I love that Lovevery has developed these play kits. It’s comforting to know that I’ll be able to create fun, bonding experiences that also support well-rounded brain development right out of the gate!

The ABCs of Black History
Guess How Much I Love You
Corduroy
Dream Big, Little One
My First Book of Baby Signs
Books, books, books! I’ve read that reading to the baby in the womb promotes positive brain activity and can promote early literacy and language development, let alone in the first years. And of course, I want my baby to soak up meaningful content too — books with images and stories that will build his/her self-esteem, our bond, inspire him/her — all the good stuff.

Self-Care for Me

Bodily Care for Birth Box : Labor + Postpartum
A combo of stuff I’ll definitely need, probably want, and maybe use — I’m really looking forward to getting the most of this kit! Particularly looking forward to the inflatable cushion to sit on, I have a feeling that’s going to be… very good to me.

Earth Mama Organic Herbal Sitz Bath
I recommend this to all my expecting clients and I’m looking forward to using it myself. Herbal Sitz baths can be very helpful for healing the vaginal and perineal areas. You can sit in a shallow bowl of the bath or take a full bath — the latter will be my plan! And I’m sure I’ll bring baby with me (minding he/she doesn’t get too wet before the umbilical area is healed).

Bathroom Time

Parker Diaper Caddy
Simple, organized, and I like how it looks! Also looked easier to clean than some of the other options if anything spilled in it.

Esembly Cloth Diaper : Outer (2)
Esembly Cloth Diaper : Inner (3)
Esembly Cloth Diaper Wipe ups (2)
Esembly Cloth Diaper Stay Dry Liners (2)
I am super excited to be trying out cloth diapering with Esembly. I want to cloth diaper for a few reasons — contributing to less waste in the world, and saving money from buying disposable diapers all the time. That said, the initial investment into cloth diapering is no joke! I added a few of the items into my registry in hopes that some folks would help me get it going and my husband and I can wrap up our collection from there!

Note: I am partnered with Esembly to share my experience with their product and have an affiliate link, linked above! You can also get a 20% discount with the code: CHEY20

Diaper Bag Backpack
Fantastic 5-star reviews at a very reasonable price made this diaper bag a must-have for my list. I also really like the gender-neutral look — I know my husband will have no qualms tossing this thing over his shoulder when it’s his turn to take baby out for a stroll. :]

Portable Changing Pad
Just plain useful! Simple + cute!

Puj Soft Foldable Infant Tub
I went back and forth about whether we needed any kind of infant tub. Ultimately one of my mom’s really good friends who’s like an aunt to me — she suggested I get something for those days baby needs a rinse and I don’t want to get in the bath myself, too. I liked this option because it’s simple, doesn’t take up much space, and will get the job done.

Baby Brush Comb Set
Pretty self-explanatory! Loved that it’s wood!

Feeding Time, Pt. 1

OXO Tot Bottle & Cup Cleaning + Drying Set
Need to clean and dry stuff! A lot of the other bottle cleaning and drying racks were wild colors, or seemed too small. This seemed just right for our kitchen and anticipated level of use.

Breastfeeding Boss Nursing Cover + More
I’m all for openly breastfeeding in public, but just in case I do want to cover up in some places I wanted a nursing cover on my list. I also like that this doubles as a swaddle.

Elvie Catch
I imagine using these when I’m pumping on side or breastfeeding on one side or if I’m feeling particularly leaky — I’d love to catch extra milk when I can and my good friend and IBCLC-in-training Francie pointed out that unlike the Haaka, this won’t create a suction on my breast — which is good because it won’t actively stimulate the breast to release more milk, just catch it.

Silverette Nursing Cups
I’ve heard such rave reviews about these, as well as Shellies — which I may get for myself as well. I really just want to try them out! The purpose is to help soothe sore nipples.

Dr. Brown’s 8oz Anti-Colic Glass Bottles
Dr. Brown’s 4oz Anti-Colic Glass Baby Bottles
I had lots of recommendations for Dr. Brown’s from family, friends, and my pediatrician! The plan is to breastfeed as exclusively as possible, but I want us to have options for bottle feeding readily available for if/when I need a break, or am inaccessible for a feeding.

Bee Essentials Burp Clothes / 5-Pack
Need burp cloths! Love Burt’s Bees!

Clothes

Pastel Short Sleeve Onsies / 5-Pack
Gerber Solid White Onesies / 5-Pack
Gerber Natural Onesies / 5-Pack
Cotton Bodysuits in Cream Bears / 5-Pack
Organic Cotton Bodysuits / 3-Pack
Hudson Baby Terry Rolled Cuff Socks / 8-Pack
Cotton Pants / 5-Pack
Pretty much a bunch of basics here in colors + patterns I like — neutrals. I’m sure folks will send us lots of colorful things as well!

Cotton Pajamas, Yellows Suns / 3-Pack
Cotton Pajamas, Green Animals / 3-Pack
Zippered Footed Pajamas / 3-Pack
Zipped Footed Pajama (3)
Everyone talks nonstop about the need for zippered pajamas, so (primarily) zippered it is!

Gunamuna Convertible Pajama
Zippers open at the bottom between the legs! Thought this was so neat and unique and I’m looking forward to trying and seeing how well it works.

KYTE BABY Sleeping Bag for 0-6 Months (2)
After reading lots of happy reviews on Amazon (and some poor reviews that didn’t seem really noteworthy to me) I decided to go with this brand! I like how minimal it is as well. Not a fan of overly “baby-fied” patterns.

Newborn Hat Set / 3-Pack
Honestly not sure how much we’ll use the hats, considering we’re having a July baby — but they’ll be good for a few photos at least! :D

100% Organic Cotton Neutral Bibs / 10-Pack
Too cute to say no!

H&M Hooded Bath Towel, White/Rabbit (2)
Baby needs some towels! And uhhhh… adorable much?

Feeding Time, Pt. 2

WeeSprout Glass Baby Food Jars / 12-Pack
Ah… one day my little baby will be ready for some foods — while I’m in no rush to get there, I’m sure when I do it’ll be an exciting little adventure to fill these jars with different tastes and foods for them to try!

Ingenuity Baby 2-in-1 Booster Feeding Seat
After going back and forth a bit I actually took a high chair off of the registry and replaced it with this booster feeding seat, with a tray. I just don’t think a high chair is really going to be necessary, and I think they’re needlessly expensive, too.

EZPZ Mini Mat + First Foods Gift Set
Self-explanatory and adorable!

Other

Solly Baby Wrap
My husband’s pick for a babywearing option!

Zacro Baby Car Mirror
Self-explanatory.

Kinsa QuickCare Digital Thermometer
I wavered more than I expected to on this. Originally I had a touchless one on the list but after consulting a few folks, they suggested something with better accuracy. Totally agree and went with this instead! Love that it comes with an app with recommendations of what to do given what temp baby has — will save me lots of frantic googling, I’m sure.

Fridababy Healthcare and Grooming Kit
Pretty convenient and self-explanatory!

Little Remedies Saline Spray + Drops
Little Remedies Gas Relief Drops
My aunt swore by both of these products and highly recommended I add them so — I did!

Baby Crib Mobile Arm
It’s all about the practicality with this one! Need one of these to hang up our lovely mobile!

Planet Wool Hanging Mobile
Looking at mobile options I wanted something that wasn’t just cute-cute but also could be something to talk to the baby about. These planets fit the bill! I can’t wait to learn a little something about each planet so I can nerd out to the baby about each one.