Guest Post by Sarah Hollingsworth
When you start building your baby registry, getting lost in the myriad of baby products is easy. The tiny onesies, the aesthetic high chairs, and strollers, the nursery furniture, and bath essentials. And while all of these deserve attention and research, we want to make sure you're thinking about other essentials that aren't as obvious.
If you're still here— great! My name is Sarah Hollingsworth, and I'm the Founder of Poppylist, a simplified baby registry platform for expecting parents. As a second-time mom, I understand now, in a way I didn't before, that preparing for parenthood is more than just "purchases.' I love writing about these topics because I wish someone would have told me these things!
When my first daughter arrived in May of 2019, I was ill-prepared. I didn't have what I needed to heal postpartum, I didn't have the quality products and necessities to care for my baby when she got sick, and I didn't take the time to understand how I could create a healthier living environment for my girls. But I know now— and I'm so excited to share this list with you!
Top 10 Health & Wellness Essentials for Your Baby Registry
Here are the ten products you should have on your baby registry (and why) to set you and your growing family up for the most healthily and safely possible success!
1. Best Infant Nasal Suction Device: Baby Nasal Aspirator by Dr. NozeBest
It's no surprise that parents don't want to manually suck out their baby's congestion (yes, this is a thing!), and the nasal aspirator by Dr. NozeBest makes clearing your baby's congestion as easy as possible. There are three hospital-grade suction levels to remove mucus, plus the parts are dishwasher-safe. You'll be so thankful to have this on hand when your baby gets a cold because everyone sleeps better when they can breathe better!
2. Best Overall Microbiome Test Kit for Babies: Baby Gut Health Test by TinyHealth
If and when your baby develops eczema, allergies, or asthma, you'll want the science and data to understand the root cause with actionable insights to help prevent and reverse it. The baby gut test kit from TinyHealth makes understanding your baby's immune strength easy with a test kit you can do from home. This is a great option to add to your baby registry so you can use it when needed.
3. Best Preventative Lotion for Newborn Skin: All Over Ointment by Tubby Todd
Somehow, the All Over Ointment has become a balm for literally everything! I love that this particular lotion is made from plant-based ingredients and designed for the most sensitive newborn and even toddler skin. You can use this daily or apply it when you see a rash, eczema, etc. This is the perfect stop-gap to put on your baby's skin while waiting for a call back from your pediatrician or the test results from your TinyHealh kit!
4. The Cleanest Diaper for Tiny Tushes: Kudos Diapers
The only diaper on the market that doesn't use plastic! Kudos guarantees that 100% cotton is the only thing touching your baby's skin— and that's pretty amazing! As we know, baby butts don't need irritating extras to feel extra clean (and cute). And the cleaner the diaper, the less chance of diaper rash. In addition to the 100% cotton material on the skin, Kudos is also free of chlorine, latex, lotions, fragrances, phthalates, and parabens. Maintaining non-toxic materials when it's on your baby's skin 24/7 is a great option to strive for!
5. The Best Prep Kit in case of an Emergency: The Mover Max by Judy
I know— it's hard to picture an emergency situation, but they're even harder to predict when life is busy with a family. In an emergency, having a go-bag for quick evacuations is a must and the responsibility of mom and dad. We love this on baby registries because it's equipped with over 53+ life-saving survival essentials, designed to sustain a family of 4 for up to 72 hours. This is the kind of baby registry item that offers peace of mind. At the end of the day, you can't put a price on that.
6. The Best Way to Breath Healthier Air: Air Mini+ by Molekule
Did you know indoor air can be up to five times dirtier than outdoor air, and the World Health Organization believes 9 out of 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air? Not in our house and not where our newborn baby is sleeping. This air filter is whisper quiet, it's ozone-free, and you can subscribe for auto-refills on your filters. It might be mini, but it maximizes the air quality in your space better than any other air purifier on the market.
7. The Best Non-Toxic and Eco-Friendly Breastmilk Storage Bag: Junobie 4-Pack Bundle
We don't cry over spilled milk, but we will cry over breast milk. And if there's one thing that deserves to be kept in a leak-proof, sterile, safe, and well-protected bag, it's breastmilk. Say goodbye to plastic and one-time-use, and meet the first eco-friendly and reusable breastmilk storage bag. Finally, a bag that meets the highest quality standards and is free from BPA, BPS, phthalates, and lead. This bag is dishwasher and freezer safe, too. So, how many are we registering for?!
8. The Cleanest Clean for the Toughest Germs (and stains): Multi-Purpose Cleaner Concentrate by Grove Co.
This very well may have been designed for cleaning up diaper-changing stations! We love this brand because it was purposefully crafted to be sustainably powerful for a healthy home and planet. This concentrate is made with 92% plant-based ingredients — no parabens, phthalates, phosphates, formaldehyde, synthetic dyes, ammonia, or chlorine bleach — and made with 100% natural fragrances. By adding it to water, you can confidently use this cleaner on any surface in your home, especially in your baby's nursery.
9. The Best Device to Detect Illness: QuickScan Smart Thermometer by Kinsa
This is more than your average forehead thermometer. This fast, accurate, and non-contact thermometer lets you get accurate temperature readings on multiple family members and, most importantly, squirmy toddlers. Once it reads your results, you'll get personalized guidance to feel better faster. If you're a tech-savvy parent, you'll love pairing this with the free Kinsa app to track symptoms and take action in real time.
10. Free & Clear Sanitizing Alcohol Wipes by The Honest Company
When you become a parent, you also become a semi-germaphobe. You wipe down surfaces more often. You wipe hands, faces, changing tables, and everything in between. Sanitizing wipes in your car, inside your home, and diaper bag will be essential. Honest alcohol wipes sanitize with 65% ethyl alcohol and a touch of aloe. You can easily remove dirt, grime, and germs from anywhere. They're perfect for use on the go, especially when there's no soap and water around!
If you're researching products for your baby registry, you can create a free account with Poppylist to view their product catalog. Plus, it's a universal registry, allowing you to add any product (and more) from this Top 10 list to your baby registry.
We hope this list helps you jumpstart all your health & wellness registry essentials!
Looking for more new mom tips? You'll love these:
- What New Moms Really Want As They Celebrate Mother's Day
- Productivity Hacks For Work At Home Moms With A New Baby
- 5 Spring Cleaning Toy Hacks For A Germ-Free Playroom
- 3 Baby Registry Mistakes To Avoid
- Mom Influencers We Love Who Are Raising Awareness For The Down Syndrome Community
Sarah Hollingsworth is the Founder & CEO of Poppylist. A first-of-its-kind baby registry platform powered by real parents, Poppylist offers delayed delivery, and it is the only baby registry to allow parents to exchange a gift before it’s shipped. Poppylist parents also get access to real-time help from Ask Poppy, an AI-powered chat tool for people in all stages of their pregnancy and parenting journey.
Sarah lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Scott, and two daughters, Amelia (4 y/o) and Zoey (1 y/o).
The Nozebot is a battery-powered suction device designed to clear nasal congestion in babies and children.
