No, this isn’t some sort of baby announcement. That door is officially closed for business. However, we have lots of friends and family members who are still having babies. As such, the topic of gift-giving often comes up. After having gone through this process three times, I know that there are some baby items and accessories that are just not very useful for parents but there are some items that are a MUST when it comes to newborns and beyond. Together, with input from my readers and other parents of newborns, I’ve compiled a list of top 5 baby gift registry items for what parents really need!
1. Braun No touch + forehead thermometer
Almost 9 years ago, I was creating my first baby registry. While people told me to put a thermometer on my list, no one told me that the brand and quality matters. This is definitely an item that you want to buy that is top quality and best in its class. While I didn’t get the best one when Kyle was born, I purchased a Braun No touch + forehead thermometer of my own about 5 years ago. Even though Kyle is almost 9 now, we still use it on all three kids.
I recently gifted the Braun No touch + forehead thermometer to my brother for his baby. This updated model comes with Age Precision® technology which helps parents interpret their child’s temperature considering their exact age (clinical research shows that the definition of fever changes depending on your little one’s age). This thermometer literally takes out the guesswork when it comes to interpreting your child’s temperature. Here is what my brother had to say about it:
We love the Braun No touch + forehead thermometer. It gives us readings instantly. The best part, you don’t even have to touch the baby to take their temperature, so you can check on them while they’re sleeping!
The thermometer also has green, yellow, and red light indicators to help distinguish between normal, elevated and high results, helpful information for new parents.
We highly recommend this thermometer to anyone regardless of their child’s age.
2. Vicks® Mini FilterFree Cool Mist Humidifier
This was an item that I didn’t actually have on my baby registry for Kyle’s birth. Which is why I ran out and bought one shortly after he was born. After all, there’s nothing worse than seeing you baby sick, even if it’s just with a cold.
I also gifted my brother the Vicks FilterFree Cool Mist Humidifier for his son, and here’s what he had to say about it:
We’ve tried numerous humidifiers, and this is one of the better ones.
It is very easy to fill the tank. As small as it looks, it was on all night and didn’t use up as much water as we’d expect. Plus, it’s easy to control the amount of mist you want at any given time. Before we go to bed, we like to have it on high and we turn it to a lower setting after. This humidifier is also much quieter than our previous one.
It’s cute and given its small size it’s easy to tuck away in a corner when you don’t need it. It’s also very easy to clean; we just follow the simple instructions once a month (or as needed) and ta-da, all clean.
We use the VapoPads® only when we have a cold, but we love this added feature for when the stuffy nose strikes. With a baby in the house, it happens often!
3. Diapers
Often not included in gift registries (at least they weren’t 9 years ago), but it’s a very practical gift. Even if parents intend to switch to cloth diapers, they will still use disposable diapers frequently at the beginning and on-occasion as their child gets older. As we all know, diapers are a necessity when having a baby, but they are not cheap. The costs of diapers can easily add up, especially if you have multiple kids in them. When Nathan was born, both him and Ryan were in diapers, and Kyle was just out of pull-ups. Even if the soon-to-be parents forgot to include this item, just show up with a case of diapers. They’ll thank you for it.
4. Wipes
Just as important and necessary as diapers, this is another item that is used frequently and is not cheap. The truth is, wipes are my secret parenting weapon. I use them even now that the kids are older. I never travel without them and I sometimes even use them to wipe up the house. Multi-purpose and timeless. This is a great item to gift or include on your baby registry list.
5. Creams
This is another one that we still use even though my youngest is 4 years old. I’m talking about diaper cream and body cream. And don’t forget the mom too – nipple cream was my saviour during the first month of breast-feeding. Whether or not you end up breastfeeding or not, having nipple cream handy will ease your mind (and pain).
Although I would say that the above are my top 5 items to include in a baby registry or to buy a new parent, here are a few other recommendations from my readers: Gripe water, pacifiers, bottles, swaddle sacks, baby monitor, bouncy chair, white noise machine, breast pump, and for mom: coffee & wine gift cards.
What else would you include?
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Braun thermometers and Vicks humidifiers. In exchange for this post, I have received perks in the form of compensation and products. All opinions on this blog are my own.
For more information or to purchase the products mentioned in this post, click HERE for the Braun No Touch + Forehead thermometer and HERE for the Vicks Mini Cool Mist humidifier.