He Said/She Said: What He Wants to Register for vs. What She Does

For first-time mom Amanda R., car safety was her top concern when it came to registering for her baby.

“I was so worried about my daughter’s safety (and still am of course) that I spent hours and hours researching the best state-of-the-art car seats. That was my main focus. My husband was more worried about the fun stuff!”

Amanda’s husband Greg doesn’t argue there! Whereas Amanda was focused on the car seat, Greg put tons of research into the best backpack carrier he could find.

“The only thing I wanted,” Greg tells Mom.com, “was this military-style backpack to carry my daughter around in. It looks badass. I feel like a real dad whenever I wear it!”

Jeannine C., a breastfeeding mom of two, knew that for her second baby, a modern breast pump was essential.

“I knew I wanted a portable breast pump the second time around. The best part is that you don’t have to be plugged in! It was amazing. I used it at home while cooking, cleaning, and working out. I could wear it under my shirt and cover up with a scarf to use it while teaching and out with friends. I even pumped at a New Kids on the Block concert once!”

While Jeannine was prioritizing pumping, her husband, Dan, was prioritizing sleep.

“The only thing I remember wanting for our son,” Dan recalls, “is one of those bassinets that rocks them while they slept. We were so sleep-deprived the first time around that I knew we’d want anything and everything to get more rest.”

Luz R., a first-generation Chilean-American mom and co-host of the “Mamihood, A Thread” podcast, smartly registered for items that would help her raise her son bilingual.

“We had all the essentials on the registry (car seat, diaper pail, etc.), but my must-haves were bilingual books. I wanted my family to know how important it was for us to raise my son speaking both Spanish and English.”

Meanwhile, Luz’s husband, Mike, wanted a functional and sleek diaper bag to make sure errands were a breeze for the new family.

“I really wanted a cool diaper bag that had tons of storage but wasn’t too bulky or embarrassing to carry around.”

Mom Jessica B. agrees with Mike R. on keeping it simple. For her, it was all about the diaper bag. “I needed a sturdy diaper bag,” she tells Mom.com, “one that was a backpack. I knew I wanted to babywear, so having a backpack was ideal!”

Another popular response we received was the ever-appreciated smart bassinet that rocks baby while they sleep. Jessica’s husband, Mike B., tells Mom.com that when they were registering for their baby, “I was all about registering for a bassinet that moved.”

For Liz F., she was all about finding the best stroller that would grow with her little one.

“My main focus when creating my baby registry was finding a stroller that was lightweight and convenient to fold up. I loved the stroller we ended up with, especially because it had several seat settings that my baby could grow with — starting with a bassinet position all the way up to a fully upright seat that could face me or outwards!”

Liz’s husband Ronnie F. knew he wanted to prioritize taking over the late-night feedings for his wife, so he looked into ways to make that go smoothly.

“One of the things I wanted that I thought was really cool was this high-tech baby formula maker. It’s basically like a Keurig for babies that makes the bottles exactly right. I took care of the nighttime feedings whenever I could so my wife could sleep, and this thing made it way easier for both of us.”

Mom-of-two Jackie R is all about maximizing space and efficiency.

“I really wanted a playard,” she tells Mom.com. “It has a crib, a travel crib, and a napper, so it serves difference purposes: naptime at home, naps on the go, playtime, etc. It came in so handy for us!”

Jackie is a type-A teacher and mom of two who is used to taking the wheel on things. So when we asked her husband Mike what he was excited to register for, he had a hilarious reaction.

“I was allowed to register for things?! Pretty sure I had zero input there!”

Chaunie B., now a mom of five, looked back on her baby registry for her first daughter with a laugh. As a young couple who became unexpectedly pregnant, she and her now-husband admittedly had no idea what they were in for when registering for their little one!

“We were both 21 and in college and didn’t have a clue what we’d really need. I distinctly remember (for reasons I cannot tell you) wanting an all-white high chair. I looked high and low for that darn thing, and my husband, Ben, thought I was crazy, but I was determined.

“I had visions of feeding my beautiful baby serenely in her all-white high chair and I was convinced it would be magical. He thought otherwise, but of course let my new-mom self do whatever I wanted.

“Needless to say, after our fourth kid, we had to torch that thing to the ground it was so filthy and disgusting.”

Chaunie’s husband Ben, when reminded of this memory, couldn’t help but laugh.

“What did I want to put on that baby registry? I don’t remember now! But definitely not an all-white high chair that’s for sure!”

Hey, you live and you learn, Ben!

A baby wipe warmer is one of those things parents are either in love with or pretty “meh” about, but for mom Amber D, she is definitely pro-warmer!

“My husband did a monumental eye roll when I registered for a baby wipe warmer. But every single time I got up in the middle of the night to change the baby and didn’t have to put a frigid wipe on her, I knew I was right!”