12 Less Obvious Things to Register For
1 Easy Theory Absorbent Wood-Fiber Dishcloths “Once my child was ingesting more than milk, 30 percent of my waking hours was spent wiping up food splatter,” says Chantel Tattoli. “Like sponges, cotton dishcloths get grimy. These are made of wood pulp and rinse out cleanly.” ($11) 2 La Petite Crème Organic French Diapering Lotion Tattoli, an expat in Paris, was given this cream at her daughter’s 1st-month pediatrician appointment. “It functions as an all-in-one barrier cream (thanks to limestone) and moisturizer (olive oil). All my friends with babies back home have experienced bum rash. So far, we haven’t.” ($17) 3 Picowe Silicone Pinch Bowls These foodgrade bowls do double duty as a developmental tool: “They’re like the wooden nesting bowls for stacking that my 1-year-old was forever losing, except they come in bright colors and are the perfect size for chubby baby hands.” ($16) —chantel tattoli 4 Comotomo Baby Bottle Leigh Batnick Plessner’s daughter—an “enthusiastic breastfeeder”—took immediately to these bottles, which, “like a Champagne coupe, are shaped like a breast.” ($28) —leigh batnick plessner 5 ABC Affirmation Cards “You’ll see a Black girl on one side and a Black boy on the other; A is for ‘amazing,’ and the little girl is saying something like, ‘I am amazing and can do great things in my community,’ ” says Jovian Zayne of these affirmation cards, which she bought when her daughter was 4 months old. “I’m raising a Black girl in this world—I’m pressed to make sure that she consumes words that remind her of the power that’s inside of her.” ($20) 6 Think Wing Baby Teething Toys Sophie the Giraffe has been described as a “status teether” (Kate Hudson’s son Ryder Robinson was an early adopter). She is also an expensive $25. Zayne prefers this “giraffe that is not Sophie, which is a nice, warm orange color and is smaller.” A more compact teething toy is easier to stick in your pocket or pop in an already full diaper bag. Zayne was also pleased that it comes in a pack of four other teething toys (fruits), all for only $13. —jovian zayne 7 Skip Hop Explore & More Bouncer Samir Hernandez’s son, Immanuel, has used this bouncer as much at 18 months as he did at 4. Then, he says, he would “hit the toys and move them in circles” (there’s a peekaboo cloud that pops up and squeaks, a wobbly lamb with rattle beads, and swaying stars, among others). Now, “he loves to play with cars and trucks on it.” ($136) 8 Holle Goat Organic Milk Formula This Swiss-and-German formula is, says Hernandez, “pure—as pure as you can get with formula. Immanuel was a gassy and reflux-y baby, and this helped relieve his issues so that he slept soundly.” ($32) —samir hernandez 9 Munchkin LullaVibe Vibrating Pad According to Samantha Shipp Warrick, this paddle-shaped device— which is meant to put babies to sleep—is extremely effective: “We took Wolfe on a trip to Martha’s Vineyard when he was 2 months, and he was a raving lunatic. I ordered this, put it under his travel-crib mattress, and it was a go.” ($30) —samantha shipp warrick 10 Newton Baby Crib Mattress This mattress is made with a special technology that allows babies to breathe even if they’re sleeping on their stomach. “We paid more, but it really was worth it in the sense that it knocks out the potential of kids sleeping on their stomach and suffocating,” Jason Morrison says. ($300) 11 Overcrest Portable Pop-up Baby Beach Tent Morrison bought this to protect his daughter from UV rays but says it really “performs as a portable play space. She’ll sit in it and watch TV. It’s basically a fort.” ($40) —jason morrison 12 Bloom Baby Coco Go 3-in-1 Bouncer This seat is utilitarian. “When my husband and I wanted to make adult dinner, we’d plop her in it and sit her near our feet,” Kelsey Keith says. But it also happens to be particularly aesthetically pleasing. “Most baby stuff isn’t so nice looking, but I think this bouncer is beautiful.” ($199)