When building a baby registry, it’s easy (and important!) to focus on all the things you’ll need when baby first arrives. The list of newborn essentials is long. Still, thinking ahead and building out your registry to accommodate more than just those first few months is a wise idea. Within a few short months, you’ll find there are many things your growing baby could use that they didn’t need as a newborn.
We asked Solly’s copywriter (and mama to 6-month-old Cade) to share some of the items she wished she had registered for beyond the newborn stage. Here’s what she said.
Sleep supplies
Take it from a mom who’s made a 10 pm Target run a few too many times, having the right supplies on hand when your baby starts rolling out of nowhere will save you some headaches (though I can’t promise it’ll save your sleep). When our little guy started flipping himself over during the night while swaddled, we started using this Magic Sleepsuit instead. The name fits—it worked wonders and kept him sleeping soundly on his back without rolling.
…Until it didn’t. Once he started rolling over with the suit on, we transitioned him into a sleep bag (aka the generic term for SleepSack, which it turns out is the Band-Aid of baby products). There are all sorts of sleep bags on the market, but we were gifted this one, and it’s been perfect for winter and spring in the Pacific Northwest! I’d recommend registering for a few with different temperature ratings depending on where you live and what time of year your baby is born.
Feeding supplies
In the midst of trying to figure out everything I’d need for breastfeeding and pumping as a first-time mom, I didn’t even think about when my baby would start eating solids. Then, all of a sudden we had a 6-month-old (!) who was really interested in everything mom and dad were eating—and realized we had exactly zero supplies to feed him anything that wasn’t milk.
First on our list: a high chair. We opted for this one because it’s easy to clean, easy to transport, and looks nice. So far, we love it.
Next, this splat mat (because as it turns out, feeding babies actually means feeding the floor). Plus plenty of silicone bibs (so easy to clean!), suction plates, cups, and eating utensils.
Places to sit and play
When our little guy was a newborn, he was either laying under his play gym, hanging out in his Wrap, or being held by mom and dad. Now, he’s able to sit up and roll over and play—and he needs tools to facilitate those activities.
To help him sit up, we’ve been using this floor seat. It’s soft yet sturdy, easy to clean, and convenient to transport. Cade loves to sit in it on the counter while I prep dinner.
For play time, he needed something more spacious than the small mat that came with his play gym. This wipeable leather mat looks beautiful (like cute enough to keep out in my living room at all times) and is super easy to clean and transport (we use it outside, too!). These padded options are lovely, as well!
What to put on your first baby registry
You can’t fill a registry with everything your child will need for the next 18 years (although that’d be nice, huh?), but creating a wishlist of items that will help to carry you and your little one through that first year together is a kind thing to do for yourself. If you’re in the middle of building your registry, consider adding a few items that baby will need beyond the newborn stage. And if you’re trying to figure out what they need for the newborn stage, take a look at our registry guide for first-time parents.
