What to Add to Your Baby Registry If You’re Going Back to Work

When you’re building your baby registry, it’s easy to focus on the sweet newborn stage. The swaddles. The nursery decor. The tiny little outfits you absolutely cannot resist.

But if you already know you’ll be going back to work after maternity leave, there is another phase of motherhood you need to plan for. Not just the newborn days, but the working mom routine that comes next.

As a busy full-time working mom who goes into the office five days a week, I can tell you this: the best baby registry items for working moms are not always the cutest ones. They are the items that make busy mornings smoother, daycare transitions easier and evenings at home feel less chaotic.

If you are creating a baby registry and know you will be returning to work, this guide is for you. These are the baby registry must-haves for working moms who want to feel prepared, organized, and a little more confident when maternity leave ends.

Here is exactly what to add to your baby registry if you are planning to go back to work.

Baby Registry Essentials for Moms Returning to Work

Pumping Essentials for Working Moms

• A second pump for work (or a wearable pump) – with my first born, I bought a second smaller pump (sadly they don’t make it anymore) that still used the same Spectra parts. But I much preferred my Spectra S2, so the second time around I just got a new bag that held my Spectra and brought it back and forth. I did have this wearable pump that I used in an emergency, but it was a very affordable option as well.
• Extra pump parts – Learn from my mistakes! Don’t have your partner have to drive extra pump parts to your office that you forgot. Keep an extra set at work in case you forget something!
• A structured, professional-looking pump bag – My husband bought me this bag that holds my Spectra. I still use it even though I’m not pumping anymore and keep my Diet Cokes in that pouch. Sadly, it’s out of stock, but this one is very similar.
• Milk storage fridge/freezer – I used this tiny little fridge for Diet Cokes before babies, but once I had babies, it turned into my milk fridge. I would just pop the storage bags in there during the day and then take them home in my insulated bag when I went home.
• Travel Bottle brush + drying rack – I didn’t bother with this so much and just cleaned when I got home, but if you want to clean your parts you can buy a travel bottle brush drying rack to clean your pumping parts at the office. This set also has a cleaning fluid you can add.
• Hands-free pumping bra (more than one!) – I liked these with both of my kids. There are plenty or nursing bras that unsnap at the cups, but you want hands-free so you can keep working while you pump.
• A LOCK FOR YOUR DOOR – I had someone unlock my door and walk in TWICE while I was pumping. (Two different people). I pumped in my office and put a sign on the door with it locked. They ignored/didn’t see the sign, used their master key and walked in anyway. Don’t let this happen to you if you don’t have a designated pumping space at work. Get a lock for your door. And shove a chair up under the handle. I’m still so mad about this and it’s been years. I’m not sure I will ever get over it, really. So learn from me. If you have a round handle, here is no-drill lock. You can also get a travel lock like a hotel lock.
• Car charger for your pump – in case of emergency or travel days. I have this one for my Spectra.

Daycare Must-Haves to Add to Your Baby Registry

• So many bottles. You have to send them to daycare and then have them ready for when they come in the door hungry and you have to make dinner. We loved Dr. Browns with both my boys.
• Duplicate essentials – bottles, pacifiers, sleep sacks, pajamas, favorite stuffies. Anything your daycare let’s you bring in, get several.
• Clothes – you have to have several sets of clothes as back up ready to go at daycare. Make sure you have registered for lots of clothes that you don’t care if they sit at school as their back-up outfits.
• Label maker (seriously, daycare labeling is no joke). I really love Name Bubbles as well. We also love painter’s tape and a sharpie for daily dated bottles.
• Ziploc bags – We used a gallon ziploc bag every single day for 18 months with each kid. They fit four Dr. Brown’s labeled bottles and then you can just label the bag with a sharpie.
• A high-quality diaper bag that fits your work essentials too. I use my work bag with the pump compartment for a lot of things, but sometimes you run from work to daycare pickup to other activities and it’s nice to have a diaper bag that doubles as a work bag. I also like this one (and it comes in black too).

Evening Survival Items for Working Parents

• Baby carrier (for clingy post-daycare evenings) – They miss you while they are at school, but you still need to get things done. Let them snuggle while you still have free range of motion for errands and activities.
• One-touch bottle warmer – We love the Dr. Brown’s bottle warmer.
• Bottle sterilizer WITH DRYER – You don’t want to dry and deep clean these parts. Wash and pop them in the sterilizer and dryer. Let it do the hard work.
• Large playpen or safe play zone for quick dinner prep – When they were mobile, the playpen was a GAME CHANGER. Ours was 9×13, but that took up our entire living room. (It was the best, though.) They also have smaller options, of course, if you want something a little more compact.
• Cup holders for your playpen – so niche. But I needed a Diet Coke after work and we had taken our our coffee table for the playpen. These cup holders clipped on to the side so you still had a spot for your drink. They also make them with a phone holder as well.
• Grocery delivery subscription or meal kit gift cards (yes, this counts!) – Register for a Costco or a Sam’s club membership for diapers, wipes and bulk essentials. We also got Walmart+ for grocery deliveries (we also use Rascals diapers now from Walmart) with my second and it has seriously changed my life. I can’t say enough good things about it.

Baby Registry Items That Make Working Moms’ Lives Easier

• Shared calendar – we don’t have a shared digital wall calendar, but gosh I wish we did. This has your calendar and schedule on the wall ready to go so everyone in the house is on the same page.
• Extra sleep crib sheets (because laundry timing gets tight) – mattress pads, crib sheets and sleep sacks you never want to be without. If they blow out or get sick in the middle of the night, you don’t want to do laundy and figure out what to do. Register for multiples of all of the these things.
• Easy car seat base system – We loved our baby car seat because everyone who needed to drive our little ones had a car seat base in their car, then we could just leave the bucket seat at daycare. So no matter who picked up the baby, the car seat was already there. Then it would just pop into the base in our cars.
• Car seat mirror – my anxiety SPIKES when I drive with my kids in the car. It makes me feel better when I can see them rear-facing.
• A backup childcare contact list (not a registry item, but a must). You should have your emergency contacts, pediatrician number, daycare contact and any other childcare contacts on a list in your wallet or on your person in case of an emergency. Not to be dark, but if something happens to you, emergency services will need this. Have I mentioned I have anxiety? Type 6 girlies unite.

Things Working Moms Forget to Put on Their Baby Registry

• Milk storage bags – If you are going to pump or even if you are undecided, register for hundreds of these. They aren’t cheap and I don’t even want to do the math of how much money we spend on these. I exclusively pumped with both of my kids for 18 months each. It was so much money. If you don’t use them, you can donate them to women’s shelters or another mom. These are my favorites because they stand up the straightest in your fridge.
• Quality travel coffee mug – register for a warming one if you drink it hot. It won’t stay that way haha.
• Work tote with insulated pocket – I’ve mentioned this three times now, but seriously, this was a game-changer with my second and wish I had one with my first.
• Postpartum-friendly workwear staples – They don’t all have to be ugly. Here are some of my favorites! And with my second baby I just changed my regular bra for my nursing bra at work and said, forget it I’m wearing my regular clothes. Either is an option!
• A cleaning service gift certificate – A little out of the norm, but you’ll be thankful.
• A stick vacuum – along the same lines, but your kids will throw Cheerios constantly. We use our stick vacuum almost daily.
• A deep freezer – so the milk doesn’t take up your whole freezer.
• Stoller caddy – just trust me and put this on your list. The cup holders on your stroller aren’t deep enough. Your phone will fall out of the little tray. You need this.

BABY REGISTRY ITEMS FOR WORKING MOMS