Baby Must-Haves I Actually Used After Two Kids

There are approximately one million baby products you can buy, and before I had my first baby, I had no idea which ones I would actually use. Everything seemed like a must-have because every registry checklist told me it was.

Now that I have two kids, I have a much better perspective on what you actually need. My son was born full term, and my daughter arrived seven weeks early, so I've also learned that every baby is different. There are products I used constantly with both babies, things I loved but absolutely consider nice-to-haves, and plenty of popular baby products I would skip altogether.

If you're trying to figure out what you actually need for a baby, these are the baby must-haves that earned their spot in our house.

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My Baby Must-Haves

A Safe Place to Sleep

This is obviously the most important place to start. Your baby needs a safe sleep space, whether that's a crib, bassinet, or another sleep product that meets current safe sleep guidelines.

We borrowed a SNOO from my sister for both of my babies and loved it. Because we borrowed it rather than buying it, it was also one of those expensive baby products that felt much easier to justify.

With my second baby, my mom also bought us a bassinet on wheels. That was really helpful because we could keep another safe place for her to sleep on a different floor of the house.

You don't necessarily need multiple sleep spaces, but having somewhere safe to put the baby down where you spend most of your day can make the newborn stage much easier. We have an entire article about what you actually need during the first 3 months.

A Sound Machine

The Hatch is one of the few baby products I bought again when I had my second child. We already had one in my son's room, so my daughter got her own.

We use ours every single night. This is one of those products that starts as a baby item and continues being useful well into the toddler years, which makes it an easy must-have for me.

A Baby Monitor

Same story with the Nanit. We used one with my son and bought another when my daughter was born.

There are plenty of baby monitors available, and you certainly don't need the most expensive one. For us, though, having a monitor we already knew how to use made it worth buying again.

Not Sure What You Actually Need for Baby?

It's easy to get overwhelmed by all the baby gear out there. I created a free Baby Registry Guide with the essentials I actually used as a mom of two, plus what's worth skipping.

Bottles You Know Your Baby Will Take

Even if you're planning to breastfeed, I wouldn't go crazy buying bottles before you know what your baby likes.

I used Dr. Brown's narrow plastic bottles with both of my babies. My daughter was premature, so we started with an ultra-preemie nipple in the NICU and eventually moved up as she got stronger.

One thing I would do differently is skip buying a ton of 4-ounce bottles. I prefer having mostly 8-ounce bottles because babies can outgrow the smaller size surprisingly quickly.

If you are not sure how many to start with, here is how many bottles a newborn actually needs. And for the size question, this is my breakdown of 4 oz vs 8 oz bottles.

A Bottle Washer, If You're Bottle Feeding

This is technically a nice-to-have, but it has become one of my favorite baby products the second time around.

My mother-in-law gifted us the Momcozy bottle washer, and I am obsessed with it. It washes, sterilizes, and dries the bottles in one cycle. After daycare, I put my daughter's dirty bottles directly into it, run a load, and have clean bottles ready for her bedtime feeding.

Would I say every parent needs a bottle washer? No. You can absolutely wash bottles by hand or use the dishwasher if your bottles are dishwasher safe.

But if you're exclusively bottle feeding like I am, the convenience is significant. If I were choosing between a standalone bottle sterilizer and a bottle washer, I would register for the bottle washer every time.

A Formula Dispenser, If You're Formula Feeding

The Baby Brezza is another product I consider more of a luxury than an actual necessity, but I loved having it.

Both of my babies were formula fed, and being able to make a bottle quickly, especially during those middle-of-the-night newborn feeds, was incredibly convenient.

You absolutely do not need one to formula feed successfully. But if you're building a registry and someone wants to buy you a larger gift, this is one of the nice-to-haves I personally found worth it. We cover more newborn feeding essentials in this article.

A Changing Pad You Can Wipe Clean

I love the Keekaroo changing pad because there are no covers to wash. When you're changing multiple diapers a day and dealing with inevitable messes, being able to wipe the whole thing clean is incredibly convenient.

I also recommend keeping a diaper caddy wherever you spend the most time with your baby. In the early weeks, mine had diapers, wipes, diaper cream, burp cloths, extra onesies, pacifiers, hand sanitizer, and Aquaphor.

You don't need an elaborate diaper-changing setup. You need the basics within arm's reach.

A Baby Bouncer

The BabyBjörn bouncer was one of my most-used products with both babies.

I especially loved having it when I needed to shower. I could bring the bouncer into the bathroom, put the baby somewhere safe, and actually get a few minutes to get ready.

This is another category where you don't necessarily need the exact product I used. The bigger takeaway is that having a safe place to put your baby down while they're awake is incredibly useful.

A Stroller That Fits Your Actual Life

There isn't one best stroller for every family.

We have the UPPAbaby Vista as our full-size stroller, and I love it. But during the first year, I probably used the Doona even more because of how convenient it was to go directly from the car to stroller mode.

For travel, we eventually added the Stokke YOYO.

You absolutely do not need three strollers. These accumulated over time because they served different purposes for our family. If you're buying your first stroller, think about your actual day-to-day life before buying whatever stroller everyone else has.

Check out our Baby Registry Must-Haves: What I Actually Used article for more. If you are stuck, here is how to choose a stroller.

A Baby Carrier

A carrier was especially helpful when I needed my hands free or was trying to do something while holding the baby.

I've used both the Artipoppe and BabyBjörn Mini. I don't think you need multiple carriers, and I actually consider this one somewhat baby-dependent. Some babies love being worn more than others.

If you're building a registry, I would include one and see how much you use it before buying another.

A Play Mat

The Lovevery Play Gym is another product we used a lot during the baby stage. It's somewhere to put the baby for tummy time, play, and eventually reaching and grabbing as they become more interactive.

Could you put a blanket on the floor instead? Absolutely. That's why I wouldn't call an expensive play gym a necessity.

But we used ours enough that I was happy to have it.

Baby Products I Don't Think You Need

One of the biggest things I've learned after two babies is that you need much less than the baby industry makes you think you do.

I would skip a wipe warmer. Neither of my babies needed warm wipes, and it's one more thing taking up space.

I would also skip a bottle warmer if you can. My babies took room-temperature bottles, which made feeding at home and on the go much easier.

I had a Diaper Genie with my first and it got so gross we ended up getting rid of it. I don't use one with my second. A regular trash setup worked for us.

I also wouldn't buy a standalone bottle sterilizer. I sterilized new bottles according to the manufacturer's instructions, but based on my pediatrician's guidance, I didn't routinely sterilize bottles after every use. Now my bottle washer happens to have a sterilizing function, so I use it because it's built into the cycle.

Fancy baby towels are another easy skip. They're cute, but regular towels work perfectly well.

And don't buy an enormous newborn wardrobe. Babies grow quickly, and you may have no idea what size your baby will actually wear at birth. My daughter came seven weeks early, which was a very good reminder that babies don't always follow your shopping timeline.

What I Would Buy First

If I were starting over tomorrow, I would focus on the basics first: a safe sleep space, monitor, sound machine, bottles if needed, diapers and wipes, a changing setup, simple clothes, a stroller or car seat setup, and somewhere safe to put the baby while they're awake.

Everything else can come later.

This is something I wish I understood before having my first baby. Amazon will still exist after your baby is born. Target will still exist. You do not have to predict every single thing your baby will need for the next year before they arrive.

Start with what you'll need immediately and add things once you understand your baby's preferences and your own routines.

Must-Have vs. Nice-to-Have

That is the difference I wish more baby must-have lists made clear: most of the expensive gear made our lives easier, but it was not necessary. I broke down the full list in my baby registry must-haves guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most important baby must-haves?

The true essentials are a safe sleep space, properly installed car seat, diapers, wipes, basic clothing, and whatever supplies you need to feed your baby. I would start there and add convenience products based on your family's routine.

What baby products should I buy before the baby is born?

Focus primarily on what you'll use during the first few weeks. You don't need to have everything your baby could possibly need during the first year waiting at home before you give birth.

What baby products are not worth buying?

For me, a wipe warmer, bottle warmer, Diaper Genie, standalone bottle sterilizer, fancy baby towels, and huge newborn wardrobe were all unnecessary. Other parents may love some of these products, which is why I always recommend considering your own routine before buying something just because it's on a registry checklist.

What expensive baby products are actually worth it?

The expensive products I personally used enough to justify were the SNOO, UPPAbaby Vista, Doona, Nanit, and Baby Brezza. Some were purchased for us or borrowed, and none is necessary simply because it's expensive.

Do I need everything on my baby registry before the baby arrives?

Definitely not. Your registry can include products you'll use later, especially if you want to take advantage of a completion discount, but you don't need to physically have everything before your due date.

If you're still building your registry, I put together my complete Baby Registry Checklist with everything I'd register for after having two babies.