Feel confident in the nursery must haves items needed for your baby nursery checklist. Here’s what I learned.

---

Baby Checklist 411

What are the baby nursery checklist essentials? I had no idea.

Registering for the things needed for the baby nursery can be complete overwhelm for a first time mom. At least it was for this one!

What to choose was hard enough, and combine that with the sticker shock of big ticket items. Especially considering I was pregnant with twins!

Yes, when it comes down to it, babies need love, food, and a safe place to sleep, but… BUT. Wasn’t there some sort of magic baby checklist that could help?

What if I missed purchasing the key to making baby sleep? What if I missed some sort of safety must that was crucial to keep baby alive. And what if I neglected an amazing product that would keep our house from being permanently covered in poop, spitup, and tears?

Update: that doesn’t seem to exist. But you get the idea.

First, let’s talk about the five big ticket must-haves that are crucial to add to your baby registry, especially if you’re having twins.

These higher dollar baby products are also great for ‘group buys’ if you need ideas for a baby shower for a girl or boy. if you have an expecting friend.

Then we’ll cover more of the everyday items needed for your baby registry, specifically for the nursery. I’ll also link to the comprehensive checklist I used to make sure I had twins covered.

Okay! Let’s get started.

---

Researching baby products

I read all-the-things about twin products, determined to invest in the best and not over-buy. That said, if I could go back, I would skip some things and double up on others.

There were several products that I felt were absolutely essential, and others I could have done without.Today I’ll share what I learned with you. 

---

Pro Tip: If you’re just setting up your registry, start at Amazon. One thing I didn’t realize is that you can add things to your list that aren’t even on their site!

---

Twin Baby Checklist Registry Essentials

1. Table for Two

I had heard lots of good things about this the Table for Two twin baby feeding system, but I didn’t get it. Why do you have to prop twins at the same angle next to each other to tandem feed anyway. **Cue canned laughter**

Fortunately, I had the wherewithal to put this on my registry, and thankfully my Grandma was nice enough to purchase it.

I had no idea how crucial the propping of the babies would become. It’s everything–saving hours of time per day and frankly, your sanity. Trust me. The art of tandem feeding is only made possible by the table for two.

---

Pro Tip: If I were having a singleton instead of twins, I might just opt for a boppy. But if I had the budget I’d still look into the Solo Diner product.

---

2. Double Stroller

I did so much research on double strollers. Looking back, I think my anxieties about babies manifested themselves in way overpreparing on the product front. But that’s a topic for another day.

My dream stroller was the Bugaboo Donkey Duo, however, in the end I couldn’t justify the cost–even with plenty of gift cards and the Amazon registry completion discount.

Instead, I opted for the Bumbleride Indie Twin which–even with all the extra accessories–rang up at far less than the Duo. And we absolutely love it.

Your perfect double stroller depends on what you’ll use it for. Since we kept our very preemie twins home for the winter, our stroller is pretty much exclusively for neighborhood walks. If you’re in an urban setting and go to a lot of stores, you might want something different.

3. iBaby Wifi M7 Video Monitor

This thing is so cute and functional. It has really great picture clarity and you can mount it many different ways. You connect it to your phones and can allow different types of access. [For example, you could allow your babysitter access to see but not control the camera angle.] Yes, control the camera angle is as simple as swiping on your phone.

Really my only complaint about this monitor is that when we purchased, you could only use it with one camera. But instead, we found a way to mount it so we can see in both of the twins’ cribs. I’ve heard that the latest update actually does allow dual camera viewing.

4. Maxi-cosi Mico Infant Car Seat

I’m sure there are many other car seats that work well, but this one is the most adorable. For sure. These seats were among the first items I put on my registry, and after receiving them at my baby shower, did not disappoint. They’re easy to adjust, lightweight, and did I mention adorable?

5. A really nice chair

I obsessed over chair reviews. If I wasn’t having twins, I would have settled on one like this.

Since I needed the chair to be wide, I finally landed on the San Francisco Palliser Rocker Recliner–without seeing it in person. This is the best chair! We absolutely love it. It’s comfortable and big enough to hold two babies in at once. This chair has been slept in, so it’s comfortable enough for that, too.

Pro Tip: If you’re expecting, check out my five essential items for your hospital bag.

---

Now that we’ve talked about the high dollar fancy stuff, let’s look at more of the everyday baby registry essentials.

Baby Nursery Staples

These are the basics you need, what I chose, and why:

The Crib:

Key questions you need to answer about the crib:

• Do you want an investment piece, that can transition to toddler bed and possibly beyond? Or is budget the primary concern?
• How much space do you have?
• Will you have another place for baby to nap (ie pack and play downstairs) or does this crib solution need to be portable?

---

After searching tons of cribs, we went with the Simmons Kids Slumbertime Monterrey. It was a mid-priced option–expensive when you factor in x2. But, I love the fact it’s a four-in-one. If we can find the space for it, we’ll never have to buy the boys a bed again. And with that in mind, I wanted something I could stand the sight of for years and years. These cribs are truly beautiful–the pics don’t do them justice. They’re just very slightly weathered and would go perfectly in any modern farmhouse type decor.

---

The Changing Table:

Key questions for the changing table:

Do you want something that converts to a dresser?

Is the changing table tray removable?

If yes to the above, can it realistically pass for a dresser?

Simmons makes a very nice dresser- changing table that coordinated perfectly with the dresser, so we went with that.

---

The Mattress:

Questions about the mattress:

Is it safe?

Is it waterproof?

Is it easy to clean?

---

After reading over and over that you want a firm, minimal type mattress (for safety), I went a bit lower-end on this Milliard one. But I ended up loving it! So much so–and this is weird–I bought my dog one after she kept laying on the boys’ versions during assembly. Then after my SIL visited, she got one for her dog, too. Maybe they should also market these to dogs? 🙂

What I would have done differently: Everyone knows that cloth bumpers are unsafe at this point but bedding sets still include them. So you end up paying for them even though they’ll set in your attic unused. If I was purchasing bedding again, I’d skip the cute set and buy sheets and a bedskirt individually.

---

Pro Tip: If you’re just setting up your registry, start at Amazon. One thing I didn’t realize is that you can add things to your list that aren’t even on their site!

---

The Baby Monitor:

Key Questions:

Do you need audio and video?

Will it double as a noise machine?

Do you use it with your iphone or a separate tablet/monitor?

---

iBaby Wifi M7 Video Monitor – This thing is so cute and functional. It has really great picture clarity and you can mount it many different ways. You connect it to your phones and can allow different types of access. [For example, you could allow your babysitter access to see but not control the camera angle.] Yes, control the camera angle is as simple as swiping on your phone.

Really my only complaint about this monitor is that when we purchased, you could only use it with one camera when we thought we’d require two. But instead, we found a way to mount it so we can see in both of the twins’ cribs. I’ve heard that the latest update actually does allow dual camera viewing.

---

The Rocking Chair:

Key Questions:

Does it have horrible reviews?

Do you want it to mix into your house decor afterwards or can it just be a nursing chair?

---

I obsessed over chair reviews and finally landed on the San Francisco Palliser Rocker Recliner–without seeing it in person. This is the best chair! We absolutely love it. It’s comfortable and big enough to hold two babies in at once. This chair has been slept in, so it’s comfortable enough for that, too.

---

Baby Checklist Nursery Accessories

Storage: For closet storage, I used these bins to quickly sort clean laundry. The only items I fold are big blankets, everything else goes in a little bin or container.

Drawer Organizers: Use pretty drawer organizers to separate clothes into categories: onesies, pants, mittens, etc. I use these chevron ones.

Changing Table Gear – I way overplanned for this. I think we have every type of cream recommended! Here’s a good list to use.

Medicine Cabinet- I also worried way too much about this. Things we end up using fairly frequently: infant Tylenol and Gripe Water. But you want to have a more comprehensive checklist of items just in case.

---

I could have skipped these nursery items:

There were a number of recommended items I could have skipped. YMMV. Here’s what I’d leave out next time.

Halo Double Bassinet–This item is perfectly nice, but our twins didn’t end up staying in our room so we only used it a couple of times. Thankfully I bought it used and can easily resell.

Kiinde pumping / feeding system–This would have been great if I was able to feed my twins with exclusive pumping. Since I ended up mixing formula and breastmilk instead, it didn’t make sense to pump into these little bags.

Nursing Bras–YMMV on this one. Since my fellas were in the NICU while I pumped for months, what I actually needed were hands free pumping bras. Five months later, I still have unworn nursing bras.

What big ticket items did you add to your registry? Did you regret any of them? Let me know in the comments!

More Baby Nursery Checklist Resources:

Setting Up A Nursery: What You Really Need (+ Baby Checklist Printable)

Baby Checklists: Gender Neutral Nursery Tour & Checklist – unOriginal Mom

Preparing the nursery for baby checklist

Nursery Checklist – What Furniture And Equipment Your Baby Needs

New baby nursery checklist – a guide to newborn essentials | Gestational Diabetes

New Baby Nursery Checklist – a Hubbers Guide to Newborn Essentials

Important Nursery Safety Checklist For Baby – Health Plan Partners

---

Here’s a great video that lays out what you need for your nursery baby checklist!

---

You might also like:

• 3 new mom hacks to save you hours per week
• How to tandem feed twins to save time
• 5 tips for a productive morning routine with babies
• Four most comfortable and flattering maternity dresses [for 2019]
• The real deal on getting back in shape after baby

Like this idea? Pin it!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.