8 More Baby Registry Items I Was Wrong About
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
If you’ve read any of my other baby registry posts, you know I’m usually the minimalist-leaning mom trying to convince myself not to buy something. I hate clutter, I’m skeptical of products marketed as baby “must-haves,” and I’d much rather figure out whether we actually need something before bringing it into our home. However, motherhood has made me much more willing to admit when I’m wrong.
In this previous post, I shared 12 baby registry items I didn’t know I needed. Now that my son is a little older, I’ve accumulated a few more products I originally dismissed, substituted with something we already owned, or simply didn’t think we’d need—and then ended up buying anyway.
Here are eight very practical baby registry items I’m happy to admit I was wrong about.
1. Hatch Go Sound Machine
What I Used to Think: “I can stream white noise from my phone to the mini Bluetooth speaker we already have.”
What Actually Happened: In this post about popular baby registry items we didn’t buy, I admitted I was on the fence about a sound machine. Streaming white noise to a Bluetooth speaker we already owned was a great way to test whether our baby even liked it, but it got old quickly. When streaming white noise from the Spotify app, I couldn’t use my phone for calls or watching videos. I finally caved and bought the Hatch Go sound machine, and we love this thing! It almost always stays plugged in on a side table in his bedroom, but we do occasionally use the sturdy ring it came with to clip it onto his car seat or stroller on the go. It has a good variety of sound options, looks cute, and feels high-quality.
2. Extra Crib Mattress Protectors
What I Used to Think: “The protector that came with our crib mattress will be more than enough.”
What Actually Happened: We have a beautiful (and ridiculously expensive) Naturepedic crib mattress for our baby, which came with a waterproof mattress protector. As a first-time mom, I figured he would rarely ever leak through to that layer, and changing it would be rare…HA HA HA. My little pee-pee monster soaks through his diapers, pajamas, and sheets several times per week (despite frequent diaper changes and wearing overnight diapers). I have thanked myself many times in the middle of the night for purchasing a couple extra protectors so his actual mattress doesn’t get soiled.
3. Baby Washcloths
What I Used to Think: “I can just use our muslin burp cloths as washcloths.”
What Actually Happened: I quickly realized that while very versatile in other areas, muslin burp cloths get too stretched out when wet and therefore are too large to effectively use while cleaning a tiny baby. A family member gifted us some little baby washcloths that we now use every single day for bathtime. I also didn’t realize how many we would actually need for each bath (one to clean his face, one to clean his body, one to clean his privates, and one for him to violently splash me with). They continue to be my son’s favorite bath toy, despite all of the other fun options we have presented to him!
4. Dreft Stain Remover
What I Used to Think: “I can use the same stain remover product we’ve always used.”
What Actually Happened: I was already a very stain-prone person prior to motherhood, so I definitely expected even more with a baby, but I didn’t realize how strong the stains from that bright yellow baby poop would be. Regular stain remover just wasn’t cutting it, so a family member recommended this Dreft stain remover spray, which is a miracle product. I have even had success using it on stained clothes I had accidentally run through the dryer.
5. Burt’s Bees Multipurpose Healing Ointment
What I Used to Think: “I only need one kind of diaper cream that can do it all.”
What Actually Happened: My poor baby has been a victim of diaper rash since day one. His delicate skin usually does pretty well with a generous amount of a zinc-based diaper cream like Desitin, but when his rash is flaring up, we have to add a coating of Burt’s Bees multipurpose healing ointment underneath. (I have also had success with Boiron calendula ointment at our pediatrician’s recommendation, but it’s way more expensive for a much smaller amount.)
Side Note: My baby’s diaper rash was such a hyperfixation for me as a new mom—I felt so terrible! Fortunately, it never seemed to bother him, and our pediatrician assured us that as long as we are keeping him clean and comfortable, there is no reason to worry.
6. Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream
What I Used to Think: “My baby will only need one kind of lotion, or maybe even none at all.”
What Actually Happened: So many of these items are related to my baby’s very sensitive skin. He started getting really dry, red, scaly patches on his arms and legs, which we realized was eczema. Like his diaper rash, it doesn’t seem to bother him, but obviously we wanted to do something about it before it got worse. The gentle baby lotion I thought we could use for everything wasn’t making any difference at all, but within just a day of using this Aveeno baby eczema cream, we noticed a huge improvement. It’s now something we use frequently to protect his eczema-prone skin. The pediatrician said we could seek out a steroid cream if it became a lot worse, but so far we have been able to avoid escalating to that.
7. UppaBaby Ciro High Chair
What I Used to Think: “A fabric clip-on high chair will be easy to clean and take up way less space!”
What Actually Happened: I love the concept behind the Inglesina Fast Table Chair, but I think it will work better for toddlerhood when our son is a little more coordinated with food. Within two days of starting to feed our son baby oatmeal, my husband and I agreed it wasn’t going to work for us. While the fabric is entirely washable, it’s difficult to remove and therefore not something we want to do every day. We ended up getting the UppaBaby Ciro high chair, which takes up a bit more floor space than I wanted but is so easy to wipe down after our messy baby enjoys his meals.
8. Comfy Cubs Playpen
What I Used to Think: “We will always have an eye on him; why would we need a playpen?”
What Actually Happened: My son started army crawling before he was even five months old, so I could no longer put him down on his playmat and walk away for even a minute, or he would quickly end up somewhere else. We set up a fun little “baby jail” in our living room with this wood playpen from Comfy Cubs, and now I can leave him to safely play independently for a few minutes while I run to the bathroom, unload the dishwasher, eat a snack, etc.
NEED a little help building your BABY registry?
My simple baby registry guide helps you decide which baby items your family actually needs, without overwhelming you with an extensive “must-haves” list.
Sometimes the “Boring” Baby Stuff Is the Best Stuff
Something I’ve learned from buying baby products is that the things I expect to love aren’t always the things that make the biggest difference. None of these eight products are particularly exciting…they all solve very ordinary problems. But they’re also things we reach for constantly as new parents, which is exactly what makes them worth having.
Being intentional about what we buy doesn’t mean proving we can live without everything. For me, it means starting with less, paying attention to what would genuinely make our everyday life easier, and being willing to change my mind when something earns a place in our home. I’m sure motherhood will keep giving me plenty of opportunities to admit I was wrong!
