Second Baby Registry | What to Include

Expecting baby number two and not sure what to include on your second baby registry? Or if you should even create one. If so, let me guide you through the process. Welcoming another child into your family is such an exciting time, but it can also feel a bit hectic and slightly chaotic, at least it has for me. Not only do you have to figure out how another little life will fit into your current one, but you have to remember what that little life is going to need on a day-to-day basis. While most everything will be like muscle memory, some things like “what paci will this baby like” and “how many changes of clothes did my newborn go through” can feel a little fuzzy. In the end, your baby will be loved and taken care of – but why not set yourself up the best you can in the meantime?

Before we decide WHAT should go on your second baby registry, let’s decide if you even need one. My short answer is, YES, you do. The two biggest reasons for needing a second baby registry is:

1. For staying organized yourself
2. If you are going to have a sprinkle this time around

For Staying Organized

When you are going through all of the things you still have from your firstborn, you need to be able to keep track of what you need. Creating a second baby registry will allow you to not only keep a list of what you need but also show you the current prices of things and potentially give you a discount to purchase them. My favorite platform to use for baby registries is Babylist. It is modern, easy to use, and allows you to add items from ANY website. The best things about it are that it will show you the price of an item on different websites (Amazon, Target, Babylist, Walmart, etc.). It will also give you a 15% off coupon to use before the baby is born. The coupon itself is worth creating the registry

For Your Sprinkle

Showers, or sprinkles, for your second child, are gaining popularity very quickly – and I am HERE FOR IT. I think every baby on the way (and their momma) deserves to be celebrated! Every life is a gift, so I think we should treat it that way. What better way to do that than to throw sprinkles (maybe not literally ;) though. Some people choose to go the diaper-only route for their sprinkle, which is totally acceptable. However, as a buyer, I don’t like buying only diapers – I would much prefer someone give me other options that they actually want. This is where a second baby registry would come in…

What to Include on Your Second Baby Registry

So, now that I have convinced you to create a second baby registry, let’s talk about what to put on it. When making this decision, I recommend you ask yourself these four questions:

1. Do I need to replace anything from the first go-round? Or do I need more of something?
2. What did I not like from my first registry?
3. What were my favorite things?
4. Has anything new come out that would be useful?

Here are a few things that fit into these categories for me.

Needed Duplicates for Second Baby Registry

1. Graco 4Ever Carseat – Considering that my first born is still in his car seat, the need for another one is crucial. I chose the Graco 4Ever because it lasts through the booster stage, which I love. I am all about purchasing quality items up front that will last. We have this one for my first born and have loved it so far.
2. Uppababy Vista Rumbleseat – When we picked out our stroller the first time, we chose something that would grow with us (sense a theme here?). We even went ahead and purchased the rumble seat in case we ever needed it because we didn’t want the color we had to retire. However, most colors are more common and most people don’t purchase the rumble seat ahead of time. With this stroller you also have to have the adapters, so that is something to add to the second baby registry!
3. Infant Carseat Base – Luckily, our infant car seat has not expired yet so we are able to use this again. However, we only had one base for our firstborn. This time we want to add another base to use in our other car or for the grandparents to use.
4. Pacifiers – This may seem like a no-brainer, but I just realized how worn out our firstborn’s pacifiers are. Also, some pacifiers need to be replaced after a certain time period – so make sure you know the longevity of the ones you have. You should also think about the fact that the second baby might not like the same kind of paci that your firstborn liked. So, it never hurts to throw in a few different types of pacis on your second baby registry. Our firstborn preferred the Nuk & Bib pacifiers the first year or so and then switched to the Wubanub pacifiers once he was a little older.
5. Highchair -I made the classic first-time mom mistake of picking a highchair that I ended up hating. I thought it was so cool looking and had really great features, only to realize it was terribly hard to clean and not well suited for baby-led weaning. This time around I am listening to my husband and going for the ever-practical $30 Ikea highchair. I am also opting to register for the cute (and practical) add-ons, like the placemat, footrest, and cushion cover. One of the things I didn’t realize the first time around is that babies need to be in an upright position with a place to rest their feet when eating. Both of which this highchair and accessories help with. If you want to learn more about baby-led weaning, check out this resource.
6. Sound Machine – Our firstborn still uses his sound machine in his room, so we will need another for this baby. We loved the sound machine we have so we are just asking for another in the newest model.

The Essentials for Your Second Baby Registry

Some of my favorite things that I used with my firstborn were things that are one-and-done. So, I need to replenish my supply. Some of those things include:

1. Boogie Wipes – these are must-haves for all those stubborn little boogies.
2. Disposable Changing Pads – I was not a huge fan of the changing pad that came with my diaper bag – I didn’t love having to be careful about not getting it dirty or worrying about spit-up. These Munchkin changing pads were a great alternative for me. Not the most eco-friendly, but great to lay down on “not so clean” places or the back of the car.
3. Paci Wipes – It’s inevitable that your little one will throw their paci on the ground. So, I loved having these handy.

New Things on the Block

If there was any amount of time between the arrival of your firstborn and secondborn there are bound to be new things on the market that you missed out on the first time. Here are a few “hot market” items that I missed the first time.

1. Slumberpod – Apparently this item is hard to get your hands on because they sell out often. However, I have only heard great things about it.
2. Wonderfold – Word on the street is that wagons are the new stroller. Well, maybe that is a little extreme, but for multiple children wagons seem to be a popular option. With more room and more uses (hello future ballpark runs & beach trips) than strollers, it seemed like something I would like to have around.
3. Bassinet – While bassinets are nothing new, I didn’t have one with my first and decided that it might be helpful this time around.

Just for Fun Items

While I am all for sticking to the necessities, I don’t see any harm in adding things that just catch your eye or new clothing items that this baby can call their own. One of the big pulls for this would be if you are having the opposite gender of your first. Here are a few cute things that I am adding just because.

1. Angel Dear – I recently discovered this brand and thought that their clothes were adorable – for baby girls and boys.
2. Copper Pearl Bibs – While we have a ton of these from our firstborn, a lot of them are stained (#reflux). So, I thought adding a few fresh ones to the rotation would be wise.
3. Kyte Baby Sleep Bag – Our firstborn is VERY attached to his sleep bag, so there will not be any “handing down” of the sleep bag. Therefore, the little one will need one (or two) of their own.

Unconventional Things for your Second Baby Registry

1. Newborn Photo Session – Have you considered asking for a service on your registry? You could ask for a gift certificate or even add a cash fund for your newborn session. I think this is a GRAND idea :).
2. Sleep Training Course – I didn’t even think about asking for this kind of thing on my first registry. I found myself desperate for help with sleep training around 5 months and ended up purchasing the Taking Cara Babies course.
3. Doula – Another out-of-the-box idea would be to add a cash fund to hire a doula for your birth. I didn’t have one for my first, but I have heard they provide incredible birth support.

What About You?

I am sure there are plenty of things that I could add to the list, but ya know #pregnancybrain. Are there any other items you would suggest for second-time moms to think about?

If you want a peek at what my actual second baby registry includes you can see it here.