This post is sponsored by buybuy BABY.

Researching what we need for baby and the best things to register for was a much more daunting and time consuming task than I had already anticipated as a first time mom. I learned quickly from all the advice and guidance I’ve received from other moms that there’s no one list fits all answer, and a lot of it will come down to lifestyle/preference and what baby likes, which we won’t know how he’ll take to some of this stuff until later. Still, there were some pretty universal words of wisdom across the board and clear essentials, and I’m partnering with buybuy BABY to share my top picks which hopefully will help any of you new expecting moms feel a little less overwhelmed with your baby prep.

We set up our baby registry at buybuy BABY, which came up regularly as a source frequented by other moms I talked to. The biggest perks of registering with buybuy BABY that piqued my interest were their broad product selection including brands I already knew and loved, and their 20% off coupons and the 15% completion discount on all remaining registry items. I also found their registry checklist really helpful to make sure I had considered every category.

A large part of why I spent so much time researching items is that I really don’t want to overdo it. With both being conscious of clutter and my general desire for simplicity, I want to make sure we’re sticking to things we’ll truly need and get a lot of use from. I went ahead and picked up a few of those things and thought I’d highlight them here (list of other top registry picks will be at the end!)

Ok, so a high chair was never mentioned by mom friends as a newborn essential, but this particular one was something I knew I wanted before I even got pregnant. I was so pleased to see that buybuy BABY carries the Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair. I’m a fan of the iconic Scandinavian design and how the chair grows with baby, accommodating all the way up to a 300lb adult. It can be brought right up to the edge of the table, have a tray attached, or have a newborn attachment that will allow baby to hang out with us at the table during his early months. I think this will not only be useful for a long time, but it will also look beautiful in our home which is an important consideration to me for anything we bring in here.

A stroller was something we considered getting later because we were so overwhelmed by the options, but checking them out at our local buybuy BABY store brought a lot of clarity to our decision on what to get. buybuy BABY had a very good and large selection of strollers on display. We spent over an hour test driving and playing with all the ones we were interested in, and a sales associate was so helpful in showing us extra features we didn’t know about on some of the strollers. Oleg was by far more passionate about strollers than anything else on our registry and declared that the UPPAbaby Vista V2 was “the one.” We love that it comes with a bassinet which we think could also come in handy around the house, how intuitively and compactly it folds, the amount of storage space in the basket, and the potential to add a second seat if and when that times comes.

It determined our decision to go with the UPPAbaby MESA Infant Car Seat which is praised for its easy installation with the car seat base and easy direct attachment to the stroller without the need for an adapter. This was one item we knew we wanted to get sooner than later since 1) we can’t take the baby home from the hospital without a car seat and 2) we wanted to make sure we get enough practice with it so we know how to use it properly with confidence.

Perhaps my favorite category: baby clothes. Every mom has told me the same thing- don’t get too much, especially in newborn size because he will outgrow them fast or may not even fit at all if he’s huge, and onesies will be the easiest thing to dress him in especially footies that eliminate any need for socks. Everyone also told me to get ones that zip from both the top and bottom like this adorable Petit Lem Numbers Organic Cotton Footie since it will make it a lot easier to change a squirmy or fussy baby especially at night. One mom friend made a case for snaps not being entirely maddening, saying she appreciated that they stretch and grow with baby better than zippers do, so I’m trying out this Kyte BABY Footie– happy to see buybuy BABY offers some Kyte items, I love all their stuff!

One more thing every mom told me I’ll find very useful is a lot of burp cloths. In general, the advice on buying baby stuff is to not get a bunch of one type of item all at once in case it ends up not working out. Instead, try a variety or start with one kind and then get more later of the one you like the most. I used buybuy BABY’s curbside pick-up service to get these items and it was reassuring to see how easy it will be in the future to quickly stop by and get more of anything we need later. I’m starting with the green sprouts Organic Muslin Burp Cloths which I heard are great because they’re very absorbent and shaped comfortably to drape over your shoulder, and I’m going to use these aden + anais Cotton Muslin Swaddle Blankets as burp cloths too. This brand of swaddles was highly recommended by a lot of you, and I love the potential to also use them as blankets or seat/stroller covers in case baby doesn’t like being swaddled with them. We love a multi-tasking product.

Here are my other top picks for our baby registry based on recommendations from other moms, simplified to the top 3 in each category:

FEEDING

1 | Bottles- Moms advised to not get a full set of one brand and instead try a few different ones before committing since baby might show strong preference for one over the others. A few I’m eyeing are Dr. Brown’s, Kiinde, Nuk and Evenflo.

2 | OXO Tot Cleaning Essentials for Bottles and Cups– Bottle brush, detail brush, and bottle drying rack. I like that it comes all together in one set and that the drying rack looks easy to rinse off any potential gunk. Top-rack dishwasher safe!

3 | Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump– Frequently heard this being referred to as a “life-saver” for breastfeeding moms. It suctions to the breast that baby isn’t feeding from and catches the let down milk that otherwise would’ve leaked into your nursing bra and been wasted.

BATH

1 | OXO tot Splash & Store Bathtub– Collapses to save space and grows with baby from 0-18 months.

2 | Mustela 5-Piece New Born Arrival Gift Set– Plant-based baby skincare that I’ve heard great things about. Lotion, shampoo, no-rinse cleansing water, cleansing gel, and diaper rash cream.

3 | Burt’s Bee’s Baby Organic Cotton Wash Cloths– For bath time or wiping him off after meals. I hear these are really soft and wear well.

TRAVEL/GEAR

1 | Ergobaby 360 All Positions Baby Carrier– Less hassle than a wrap (still got one of those to see how I like it) and baby can face in or out on your front or back.

2 | BABYBJORN Travel Crib– Looks very lightweight and simple to setup. For trips to grandma and grandpa’s house, perhaps around our house too as another safe spot to put baby down, and baby’s first vacation which we plan on taking next year.

3 | BABYBJORN Bouncer– A safe place to put baby down that he can bounce himself in it. I like that it’s lightweight, won’t take up a lot of space, and the cover is easy to wash.

DIAPERING

1 | Keekaroo Peanut Changer– I’ve read everywhere that this is a big favorite for how easy it is to simply wipe clean and that it stays put well on top of a dresser.

2 | Pampers Pure Protection Diapers– Repeatedly heard from moms that Pampers worked great for them. Starting off with a small supply to see first that they work great for us too.

3 | WaterWipes– All natural, chemical free, 99.9% water with a drop of fruit extract. I trust these wipes won’t irritate baby’s skin.

SLEEP

1 | Nanit Plus Smart Baby Monitor– A few of you mentioned you loved this monitor. This has a lot of features like sleeping and breathing tracking, built in white-noise and nightlight, remote viewing via phone over wifi even when the internet is down, and has the option of mounting on a stand to make it portable.

2 | HALO SleepSack Newborn Organic Cotton Swaddler– Has the option of swaddling baby’s arms down or if he doesn’t like that, just around his body so his arms can stay free.

3 | HALO Bassinest Luxe Swivel Sleeper– Multiple moms told me this worked out best for them during those early months when baby sleeps in your room. It swivels and rotates to bring closer to the bed, has soothing sounds and vibrations, and the bassinet is removable.

MISC.

1 | Copper Pearl Bandana Bibs– Cute way to help keep a drooly baby clean. I anticipate using these all the time and going through them quickly, which will be much easier than changing baby’s clothes every time he spits up.

2 | NoseFrida Snotsucker– I don’t think I ever saw a registry that didn’t have this on it. For sucking out baby’s boogers and snot to clear his stuffy nose.

3 | bbluv Trimo Baby Electric Nail Trimmer– Looks way more convenient and way less scary than nail clippers.