Our VBAC Baby Registry Must-Haves

Planning for your VBAC and the birth of your dreams can feel like a full-time job. You might be wondering what else you really need… “don’t we have all of the essentials from our first baby?”

The short answer: yes, you probably have the basics, which is a great start, but you likely don’t have ALL the essentials. The longer answer: we have the scoop on some extras that will make life with two (or more) a bit easier.

Our team of editors (VBAC parents and doulas who have seen it all!) partnered with seasoned VBAC parents in our community to share the absolute best baby products for bringing home your VBAC baby.

Nursing Essentials

⮕ProTip: Be sure to use The Lactation Network, a free service to check your insurance coverage for lactation support and get matched with a Lactation Consultant.

Pumping

Other favorites include…

• Pumping bra – Again, if it allows you to be hands-free, it’s a good investment! This pumping bra is a great option. 
• New pump parts – If you’re sticking with the same pump from your first baby, be sure to get new, refreshed parts.
• Medela Quick Clean Bags – These are a lifesaver for making sure your pump parts and bottles get sanitized. Super easy to toss in the microwave with just water. 
• Milk storage bags – Make sure you have enough milk storage bags on hand. And these organizer bins can be super helpful for freezer storage, too!
• Travel bag – Don’t forget something to transport all of your pump parts in, especially if you’re going back to work or will be traveling. This bag and these cooler ice packs are the best.

⮕ ProTips: First and foremost, check with your insurance before purchasing any pumps or pump parts. Most insurance plans cover one pump for each baby. Also, remeasure your nipples so that you know what size flanges you need.

Formula Feeding & Other Feeding Essentials

One more suggestion, as far as bottle warmers go… these things are hit or miss, some can cause more frustration than benefit, but they can be nice to have. The Kiinde Kozii is a good option for warming up breast milk, formula and baby food pouches.

Nursery

• Hatch Rest Baby Sound Machine & Night Light – This is a beloved item because it grows with you from the newborn stage to toddlerhood and more. The Hatch is modernly stylish and super easy to configure from your phone. You can set programs and timers, change sounds and lights and create a cozy ambiance in your babe’s room. 
• Blackout shades – With more than one kiddo, your sleep becomes even more sacred! Help your baby, your big kids and yourself sleep better with these peel and stick paper blackout shades!

Strollers + Other Travel Accessories

Other favorites include…

• Zoe Stroller – So many options here, but they are super lightweight and the very best for travel!
• Evenflo All-Terrain Stroller Wagon – Although this isn’t something you’d probably put your newborn in, this is such a good option for when you have more than one little and want to go adventuring.

Baby Carriers & Wraps

It’s pretty unanimous among parents of more than one kiddo that once that second baby comes along, you’ll want to be as hands-free as possible at all times! Enter: babywearing. There are so many options out there depending on what style you like best – structured, wrap, sling and more. Here are a few favorites from across our community:

Other favorites include…

• Solly Baby Wrap Carrier is a fan favorite with our community, most likely for it’s breathable and adorably colored fabrice + ease of use for babes 8-25 pounds
• WildBird carriers are super soft, super comfy and super easy to fold up, plus, there are several different options (read about the differences here)
• Tushbaby because you know you’ll constantly be carrying someone, this hip seat is great for your newborn or your toddler

Monitors & Other Gear

And don’t forget about safety door handle / cabinet locks. That toddler of yours might have a little more time to get into things when the new baby arrives. We like these door lever locks and these magnetic cabinet locks.

Diapering

Other favorites include…

• Diaper subscription – Our all-time favorite diapering hack is a diaper + wipes subscription. There are so many options out there these days, but a few favorites include Coterie, Hello Bello or Kudos. If you’d rather keep it super simple, you can also just set up an Amazon Subscribe & Save. Regardless of the brand you go with, diaper subscriptions give you just a little mental space back because you rarely have to even think about getting diapers, they just show up at your door every month.
• Wet bag – I love keeping a wet bag or two in my diaper bag for transporting dirty diapers, stained or wet clothes.
• Potty chair & liners – This is something that’s obviously for your older kiddos, but having one of these potty chairs is life-changing, especially when you’re out and about. And be sure to get the disposable liners – they absorb smell, don’t leak and make cleanup a breeze.

Clothing & Accessories

There’s a good chance you’ll have some hand-me-down clothes from baby number one (or from friends and family), but you may want to get a few brand new outfits for your VBAC babe, too. We adore the buttery soft, stretchy bamboo sleepers from places like Brave Little Ones, Little Sleepies and Caden Lane. No matter what brand you pick, the consensus is clear – ZIPPERS. Always get ZIPPERS instead of snaps!

And don’t forget to update your pacifiers, burp cloths and swaddle blankets if you didn’t like what you had with your last baby.

Playtime

Another favorite is the Snuggle Me Infant Lounger – This light-weight design is such a nice option for setting baby down during wake windows and lounging around. You’ll note on their website, the Snuggle Me crew is serious about sleep safety and intends for the lounger to be used during wake time only.

Essentials for Mom

Please, please, please do not be afraid to put things on your registry for yourself (even if that means help funding your home birth or birth center birth). Your baby, your family and YOU will be better equipped to navigate this important transition if you are supported and cared for. Here are a few things to consider…

• ​Be Her Village​ – This is an incredible platform designed to help you create a registry for the things you truly need but could use help funding – doulas, childbirth education, pelvic floor health, lactation support and more.
• Food delivery – Give yourself the gift of not having to cook for a bit during that postpartum period. You can obviously ask for Door Dash or Uber Eats gift cards, but we also really love ​Mama Meals​, a meal-delivery service that provides nourishing options for each stage of your motherhood. And if you’d just rather have home-cooked meals, consider asking someone to help coordinate a ​meal train​ for you.
• Water bottles – Pregnancy isn’t the only time to stay hydrated! You’ll want to keep water by your side at all times postpartum, especially during labor, in the hospital and if you’re nursing. Here are a couple we love – ​Owala FreeSip​, ​Waterdrop Edition Glass Bottle​ and ​Simple Modern Tumbler​.

For more suggestions on what you’ll want to stock up on postpartum, read 11 Postpartum Essentials Worth Every Penny and be sure to visit our Amazon storefront. 

And one last tip that’s not necessarily a registry item – gifts for big siblings. Be sure to check out our blog post on 8 Tips for Introducing Your VBAC Baby to Big Siblings for a ton of suggestions and gift ideas + links for those Big Kids!

---

Mama, we know that in some ways, planning for another baby seems simpler than the first time you did it. And in some ways… it seems more complicated, overwhelming and emotional. We hope this list of VBAC Baby Registry Must-Haves gives you a good starting place for the extras you’ll want to gather before your family grows even more. And at the end of the day, remember… it’s not the stuff you buy or acquire that makes the difference, it’s you, and you already have everything you truly need to continue growing and loving your family.

As always, we want to leave you with this affirmation and a reminder…