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Having Another Baby? Here’s What You Need for Your 2nd Registry
Having Another Baby? Here’s What You Need for Your 2nd Registry

Having Another Baby? Here’s What You Need for Your 2nd Registry

Whether you’re having two under two or a decade-long age gap, you’ll still need to refresh your baby essentials.

author-Latifah Miles
By Latifah Miles, Jen LaBracio, CPST and Briana Engelbrecht
Published Jan 22, 2024|Updated On Dec 21, 2024
Published Jan 22, 2024Updated On Dec 21, 2024
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In This Article

Baby Gear
Nursery
Feeding
Entertainment
Replenishments

There’s a lot about growing your family that gets easier after your first rodeo, namely navigating bouts of fussiness, random poop explosions and cooking dinner one-handed (often within the same 10 minutes). However, adding another baby to your family does create a few new challenges, and you may also need to create a second baby registry. Figuring out what you actually need for a second (or third or fourth) baby can feel like one more thing on your to-do list, so we’re doing it for you. 

One thing to keep in mind is a lot of these products will depend on the age gap between your children. I have two kids with a 10-year age gap, so most of the things I used for my 12-year-old were either banned due to safety concerns or are now obsolete. Creating a registry for my 15-month-old meant completely starting from scratch (besides the priceless knowledge of parenthood). But, if your kids have a closer age gap, you’ll likely be able to reuse some of your baby essentials like clothing goods (think bodysuits, hats and blankets) while other items you’ll need to replace (like an infant bathtub that might get kind of grimy over time). Then there are those products you’ll need to double up on (like car seats, strollers and a crib).  

We’ve rounded up the things that help you care for multiple kids, whether they’re a few years apart or both in diapers (and a few things you shouldn’t hand down). These are the essentials for staying sane as your life gets busier.

Baby Gear

Baby gear like car seats, strollers and bouncer seats are typically fine to pass down to your next child (barring any damages to the products, recalls or car seat expirations), but if you don’t have those items to pass down, they should be the first additions to your registry. You can opt for an infant car seat or an all-in-one, keeping in mind that it’ll have to fit your car's existing seating set-up (so a slim fit option might work better for some, especially if your other child is still in a car seat). 

And for strollers, you have a few options: you can either register for a car seat adapter for your existing stroller (assuming baby number 1 isn’t using it anymore or infrequently), go all in with a double stroller (perfect for a closer age gap) or if you have the Mockingbird or the UPPAbaby Vista V3, register for the extra parts to accommodate multiple kids at once. Other gear items like a sturdy carrier to allow you to be hands-free and a safe place to put baby, like a bouncer, are also must-haves, while a stroller wagon or a new tub are nice-to-have options.

Nursery

While your baby likely won’t be sleeping in their own room or even a crib right away, your registry is a good time to check off the must-haves you’ll need when the time comes. A crib will be at the top of your priority list—if your kids are closer in age, your first child might be using their crib in a converted state as a toddler bed. If you have a larger age gap like me, the older crib might not meet current safety standards. 

With a new crib, you’ll also need a mattress (our gear editor loves the Newton Baby mattress). If you’re a fan of the devices that track your baby’s movements and sleep stats (like Owlet or Nanit) or you’ve never tried one before but are intrigued, those are not a must but could be nice to have. Another nice-to-have item that might’ve gotten gross over time is a diaper pail, but if you have one that is in good condition, skip it. Lastly, items that likely have worn out over time, like swaddles and sheets, should be replaced.

Feeding

Whether you’re planning on breastfeeding, formula feeding or doing a mix of both, you can add a few things to your registry to simplify your transition. In particular, if you plan to feed your new baby differently than you have in the past (like formula feeding instead of breastfeeding or vice versa), you’ll need to account for that when building your registry. 

I breastfed my oldest child and decided to combo feed my second but ended up going full formula instead and needed to buy extra stuff later on. I’d never used formula before, so I couldn’t foresee what would make sense to register as a combo or formula-feeding mom. Also, though this isn’t a feeding tool, it’d be smart to add the Babylist Pacifier Box to your registry, as reusing pacifiers isn’t ideal, and your new baby might not vibe with their sibling’s favorite paci. The same goes for bottles; plastic can degrade over time, so it's worth replacing bottles and nipples. You can also replace old burp cloths and bibs by adding them to your registry.

Entertainment

So many of the really cool baby toys on the market right now are designed to grow with your child and be used through toddlerhood, which we love. But when your new baby arrives, it’ll be trickier to pass down your toddler's toys as they’ll still be enjoying them or just not age-appropriate for your newborn (or they might feel possessive over their things, which is understandable).

Replenishments

This is an easy-to-forget but important category, especially if your kids will have a larger age gap (so you don’t have these things on hand). Products like diapers, wipes, and diaper rash ointment will be used constantly. The more you can get via your registry, the better. Even if your kids are close in age, their diaper sizes aren’t the same, and your wipe usage will spike overnight, so it’s still worth adding.

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