Baby Registry Checklist: All the Baby Products Under $50 I Asked For

If you take one piece of advice from this list, do it: invest in as many magnetic suits as your budget allows. It’s expensive, but in my experience, it’s worth it. No zippers, no snaps – tiny magnetic buttons allow for quick and easy opening and closing of baby pajamas, perfect for a middle-of-the-night bleary-eyed change. The fabric has a wonderfully soft, almost silky feel and there are many lovely patterns to choose from. (My toddler Pop-Pop loves them too because they’re easy to use, even with arthritic hands.)

We brought our little girl home from the hospital with tons of Halo scarves and blankets, only for her to blow them up or hate them all. He looked like he wanted to sleep with his arms up, and I ordered some dreamy love. It seemed instantly comfortable while sleeping, and we kept it until we were ready to transition (there are “transitional” options that let you close the sleeves as you grow taller). These mats provide the added benefit of making your little one look like a flying squirrel.

My lactation consultant recommended these bottles as the most similar in shape to a human nipple and the best for helping baby latch on. They are easy to clean and put in the cooler. Plus, they’re a steal compared to the much more expensive Komotomo bottles I’ve had on my registry. Although my baby didn’t seem to like one or the other, we stuck with Evenflo.

What do you actually do when a newborn isn’t eating or sleeping all day (which, to be fair, is most of the time)? This baby Einstein mirror might not be the prettiest, but my son loved it – it allowed him to look at himself and some high contrast patterns made stomach time much easier for us at first. He also enjoyed looking at the high-contrast animal cards that made him smile.

Speaking of tummy time, when your baby is three months old, this water mat will help make this activity fun and exciting. It is basically a small water bed for babies and it gives them a different feel when they are on their tummies and something to see with the floating fish. You can also test them in different ways using inflatable jaws. It helped us get a bit longer stomach time.

Newborns can become contaminated quickly between spit-ups, diaper leaks, and drinking contaminated milk. When you don’t want to take a full bath (or any of the fun times above happen right after a bath), these Johnson’s head-to-toe wipes are good to have on hand. These are simply large, soft, hypoallergenic, pre-moistened baby wipes that allow for quick cleaning.

Really, the goal here is to sign up for more bruises than you can imagine. Our son is a frequent spitter, so we always have clothes strewn around the house. This Hanna Andersson is nice and sweet and a little bigger than the Burt Bees I had on my registry for about the same price.

I subscribed to old baby nail clippers, I think I know how to cut nails, how hard can it be? At least for me, it was not difficult, but it was scary – the newborns were spinning, and their nails were so small that I was afraid to approach them with scissors. Newborn nails grow surprisingly fast and your Wolverine training needs to be clipped often to avoid scratching his face. This battery-powered electric nail clipper is a lifesaver: it has three different age-specific attachments for babies (and some adults too), a light so you can see what you’re doing, and two speeds in each direction. You can even collect while the baby is sleeping (strange, but true, at least in my case).

This is for parents. I thought I could fit all my nursing/showing gear in a cute little caddy. I was very wrong. This little storage cart holds everything you need—a pump, extra pump parts, snacks, water bottles, clothes, and more (and check out postpartum nurse and Instagram influencer Kari Locher for an idea). You can move it from room to room so you don’t have to be stuck on the couch all the time.

It’s an honorable mention because it was on my registry after a friend recommended it. If you’re someone who hates having sticky hands, you need this tool, which can only be called a Butt Spatula. Apply baby diaper cream to this small silicone brush and place it at the bottom to save your hands from getting dirty. It has a suction cup so it sits on the changing table by itself and is easy to clean.