Top Baby Must Haves for 2020

This is a complete list of baby registry must haves, for all expecting mamas, from a veteran mama of 4! This list includes all of the must haves you need to prepare for your baby, and that you'll actually use, whether you're a first time mom or a 4th time mom.

26 Baby Must Haves for 2020

As a veteran mom of 4, the youngest being almost 8 months and the oldest almost 10 😫😭, I wanted to share my top 26 baby must have products with you today.  Every new mom needs these (veteran moms, too!), and many of them are real sanity-savers.

You probably already know to get a crib, mattress, car seat, etc.  And you've probably already started planning the adorable little nursery (or at least I did! So fun to put together a new little room!)  So I want to share some things that maybe you haven't thought of yet that will make your life easier with a newborn in the house.  We have had four babies, and I recommend all these products to anyone I know having a baby! Trust me.  You need these.

Top Must Have Baby Products for 2020

1. Boppy

I LOVE my Boppy.  I even brought it to the hospital with me for my last three deliveries!  It's great for breastfeeding because it helps to position the baby and allows you to have a hand free to assist with latching, which is particularly useful during the I-have-no-clue-what-I'm-doing newborn stage of breastfeeding (which I experienced with each of my children... Apparently breastfeeding is not like riding a bike...)

A Boppy is also great even if you don't breastfeed.  It can prop baby up during tummy time.  We used it to elevate our (reflux-y) babies while they were on the floor playing with their activity centers (supervised, of course). And it's also great for providing support to newbie sitters. They also last FOR-EV-ER. We have the same one we used with our now 10 year old, and just used it with our new baby! It's been through 4 kids, and is still in great condition. Grab one on Amazon.

2. Haakaa

These were not around with my first 3 kids! They are amazing! I have a deep freezer absolutely full of breastmilk, and it's literally all from the haakaa. A haakaa is just a manual silicone breast pump. You can suction it onto the opposite breast that you're not feeding the baby from, and it will catch all of the milk from the letdown, and probably a little more because of the suction, helping you build an effortless milk stash. They're really easy to wash, and don't have a million parts like a traditional pump. There are multiple sizes, but I just opted for the biggest one. I have 4 (one for each breast, and an extra set), and I really wouldn't recommend any less than that. Grab them on Amazon.

3. Milk Savers

I describe my early breastfeeding days akin to teenage boys' level of uncontrol of your body. The letdown reflex can happen anytime, any place for any reason. You hear someone else's baby crying, your baby ate at that exact time yesterday, a light breeze... I was wearing breast pads, but because they were frequently wet during those early days, it led to thrush. Which is when I decided to switch to these handy letdown catchers. They fit discretely in your bra, and they keep you dry and catch the milk so that you can actually store it too! Grab some on Amazon.

4. Velcro Swaddles

I'm going to tell you right now that I have no idea how to swaddle.  I asked the nurses to show me with our first two babies.  They did some kind of Jedi-master wrapping, and I just couldn't catch on.  Thankfully, I found these amazing velcro swaddles by the time we had our third.  No swaddling skills required! Just use the handy velcro to recreate the perfect swaddle.

There are tons of brands. The smaller SwaddleMe swaddlers are great for those first couple weeks as a tiny newborn, and I like the Halo Sleep Sack Swaddles after that, as they're a little sturdier. Compare SwaddleMe Swaddles and Halo Sleepsack Swaddles on Amazon.

5. Muslin Swaddles

These are basically just very thin, versatile blankets. You can use them to swaddle, of course, but they also double as car seat or stroller blankets, burp rags, a quick changing station, or a cool cover up for outside when babies aren't supposed to wear sunscreen yet. They're really useful, and it's really nice to have one around in any number of pinches. Get one on Amazon.

6. Thermometer

All moms need to have a thermometer in their home, especially during the first three months of baby's life when a fever is an emergency.  You'll need to know about a fever promptly so that you can seek medical attention immediately, if need be.  There's all kinds of fancy thermometers out there, but I really recommend getting just a plain old-school digital thermometer.  Rectal temperatures are the most accurate (Kind of gross, I know, but also true). These plain digital thermometers are easy to use for that purpose and also inexpensive. Of course, forehead thermometers are more accurate now than they used to be, so those would be your next best option. Get a forehead thermometer on Amazon.

7. Sound Machine

Did I mention newborns don't sleep?!  A great way to help baby sleep more soundly is by putting a sound machine or fan in baby's room.  This is particularly useful when you have older kids (or pets, or you're just plain trying to pick up the house a bit).  We used one with our daughters since by then we already had rambunctious kids running around our house, and it worked beautifully. Grab the one we have on Amazon.

A Hatch sound machine was originally recommended to me, but I didn't like it for multiple reasons. One being, extra light is not good for trying to get babies to sleep. And two, it was more expensive because of the extra features, but I found pretty much all of the features unnecessary, so the price just wasn't worth it. Check out the Hatch for yourself here.

8. Owlet

We didn't have anything like this when my older kids were born, but I am so glad to have this nifty little device now. After 6 pregnancy losses, we have been even more nervous than a first time parent about leaving our baby alone to sleep. This little sock attached easily and comfortably to baby's foot and then sends oxygen and pulse data right to an app on your phone! If there's a problem, an alarm will sound to alert you immediately. It is kind of expensive, but it has brought so much peace of mind, which is why I recommend it.

You can also get it with a camera for just $50 more, and then you don't need to purchase a separate monitor. Grab one on Amazon.

9. DockaTot

This little bed is kind of like a portable bassinet or Moses basket, and it's really snuggly. I was reluctant to buy it, but our little sweetie loved it so I'm glad we did. We even bought the next size up because she loved it so much. Get one on Amazon.

10. Activity mat

Activity mats or gyms feature bright colors, patterns, and even textures to help stimulate baby's brain and teach baby about his environment.  You can start using these as early as you start tummy time, and they keep! Here's the one we have on Amazon.

11. Bouncer or swing

We actually have a separate swing and bouncer.  But the only outstanding and useful feature for the bouncer is the vibration feature.  The vibrating feature was one of the few things that allowed me to set our babies down for a couple minutes (Hello, shower!).  You can save space and still have the best of both worlds with a swing that has the vibration feature. Of course, if you have the space and money get both! Here is the swing we currently have, and here's the bouncer we have.

12. Diaper Bag with Lots of Pockets!

It's amazing how much stuff such a tiny person needs! And when you leave the house, you have to bring all of that stuff with you!  A diaper bag with lots of pockets will be able to hold all of your baby's stuff and will keep you organized.  You really don't want a crying baby while you dig through the depths of your diaper bag to find an elusive pacifier.  Pockets to the rescue! We used to have an over-the-shoulder bag, but we opted for a backpack this time, and we've all loved it. Hubby will even voluntarily wear it. Grab one on Amazon.

13. Baby Bath Sling

Those tiny baby bath tubs are just adorable, aren't they?! While I do think the baby tubs are cute, they're also kind of large for storage purposes, and baby probably won't use the tub for all that long anyway.  I recommend getting a baby bather.  A Baby Bather is kind of like a small baby lounge chair for the tub.  You can use these directly in your normal bath tub.  They're way easier to store than the clunky baby bath tubs, and it will make bath time a breeze until your baby can sit well enough to sit in the tub at bath time. They don't make the one we have anymore, but here's a similar one.

14. Gripe Water

A major reason for fussy babies is gas problems.  Small babies don't move around a whole lot yet, and this can lead to some gas build up and pain in their little tummies.  We always kept some Gripe Water or gas drops on hands, and when we couldn't figure out why our babies were crying (He's fed and dry and warm!!!), the gripe water or gas drops were usually the solution.  I recommend having both on hand ALWAYS. Of course, like all medications, you can't give these too often so we also practiced some baby gas exercises.

15. Baby Wrap

Babies require a lot of snuggle time.  Mine didn't like me to ever put them down, which made getting daily tasks done a little difficult. A baby carrier will allow for baby snuggles while still having hands free to accomplish other tasks.  It's like having four arms, just what every mom really needs! You can pick up the house a bit if you're feeling ambitious, or you could use it for something as simple as trying to eat dinner.  

For newborns, I really loved our Moby Wrap.  It's soft and easy to use, and it allows different wrapping techniques for different holding positions.  I even wore my Moby Wrap to the grocery store. There are TONS of Moby Wrap tutorials on YouTube to get you started. Grab a Moby Wrap on Amazon.

16. Structured Baby Carrier

When our youngest hit about 2-3 months old, we started using a more structured baby carrier. The highest quality on the market right now would probably be the Ergo Omni 360. A more budget friendly option, and actually the one we currently have, is an Infantino carrier. I do recommend buying one that is front AND back carry (which both of those are). The biggest selling point on these for me is that they're super easy to put on, AND Dad loves it! He would not wear the cloth carrier, but volunteers to wear her in the structured carrier All. The. Time! Grab one on Amazon!

17. Baby Hats

I'm not normally a hat person, for babies or for myself. However, newborns have difficulty regulating their body heat, and hats help to keep the heat in. This was particularly important for my babies born in cold weather in the cold, windy Chicago suburbs. Stock up on newborn hats on Amazon.

18. Diaper cream

Small babies have very sensitive skin, so they end up with quite a few rashes in the first few months. A great diaper cream is important to keep baby's bum happy and rash-free. My favorite diaper cream was and still is the purple Desitin for all 4 of my babies. It stays on the best, and rashes would usually disappear in 24-48 hours when I used it. Grab some on Amazon.

19. Bottle drying rack

This sounds like one of the more useless things on a baby registry, but it's not. Even if you plan to breastfeed, you will probably still need one. We are constantly cleaning the haakaas and breast milk storage bottles. It's nice to have them clean, and ready to go on a neat little rack and drying area. Grab one on Amazon.

20. Diaper Caddy

Diaper caddies are amazing! It's everything you need for diaper changing, all in one neat little station. Diapers, wipes, ointments, creams.  You can keep it with your changing table, but it's portable so you can bring it into any room that you're changing diapers in. We had a changing table for our first two kids, but just used a caddy in the living room for the youngest two. It's nice to not always be looking for the diapers, wipes, or rash creams because they're all together in one place. Find one on Amazon.

21. Silicone Feeder

Baby feeders are great for newbie eaters! Babies won't start food until 6 months, but it's nice to be ready when they are! With these feeders, babies can eat normal, fresh foods without any choking concerns, which is obviously wonderful for both themselves and moms.  I recommend using the silicone baby feeders.  We had a mesh one, and while it worked great, it was a pain to clean.  In fact, we ended up throwing it out because after several soaks, rinses, and scrubs, we still couldn't get all the food out.  The Silicone Feeders work just as great as the mesh feeders and they are WAY easier to clean. Get one on Amazon.

22.  Lots of Socks

For some reason, unknown to me, socks DO NOT stay on babies! We have many MANY socks without a match that must have fallen off somewhere without us realizing it.  Between the strange sock disappearing act and the fact that babies grow so quickly, it's a good idea to have lots of socks on hand. Find cute socks on Amazon.

23.  Lots of Onesies

Onesies are great for so many things.  They're great for layering since baby can't have a blanket in his bed at night.  They're great attire for hot weather.  And frankly, they're great for putting under clothes to help catch blow out diapers or if baby spit up all over his outer shirt.  Onesies.  You need lots. Find some on Amazon.

24.  Lots of Burp Cloths

I mentioned before that three of our babies had reflux, so burp cloths were particularly essential to us.  But, like receiving blankets, burp cloths are versatile and useful to everyone.  They're great for burping and spit up, of course, but they're also useful for wiping noses and little milk faces, and just gentle clean-up in general. Get some on Amazon.

26.  Lots of Pajamas

I love baby clothes.  They are just so darling.  However, I found that, particularly in the newborn phase, pajamas are a lot more useful than those adorable outfits.  Pajamas are cuddly and comfortable, and with babies sleeping periodically throughout the day, they're very practical.  Because of spit up, diaper explosions, and practicality, I recommend spending a major portion of your clothing budget on pajamas, which are also adorable, in my opinion. Seriously, what's cuter than a sleeping snuggly baby? Find cute baby sleepers on Amazon.

27.  Repertoire of Pacifiers

Pacifiers were a major point of frustration, particularly for our first baby.  It turns out, not all babies will take all brands of pacifiers!  After trying basically every other brand of pacifier, our first son finally took GumDrop pacifiers.  Our second son and daughter both liked MAMs.  I recommend buying a few brands of pacifiers to test which kind your baby likes. You can always return unopened ones if your baby likes the first one you try! Then when you finally figure it out stock up! It's another one of those items that disappears on you! Plus if baby spits out his pacifier on a dirty floor, it's nice to have a back up (or two!). Here are some brands to consider:

• Gumdrops - they are so much cuter than when I had them with sweet patterns on them now!
• Soothies are the same general shape as gumdrops, but the part outside the mouth is round
• Ryan and Rose are super trendy right now. They look exactly like the soothies but they come in way more colors.
• MAMS are our family's personal favorite. My youngest three took them so easily without any problems. They also come in lots of colors and patterns. I do recommend being careful not to get the glow-in-the-dark ones. For some reason, those all retained moisture in the nipple when I washed them, and we had to throw them out because of mold concerns.
• Nuks are orthodontic pacifiers. I personally found them difficult because I would always put them in upside down (not a problem with the MAMs!), but my youngest liked them fine.

What do you think? Did I get all the Baby Must Haves? What was your favorite, must have baby product?

Remember to add these items to your Baby Registry!