Shop My Baby Registry is a series in which Forbes Vetted asks notable parents, mompreneurs and celebrities for their must-have baby registry picks. Read on for the product recommendations that make life with a newborn a bit easier.
Laura Modi, 38, the cofounder and CEO of Bobbie—an organic baby formula produced and sold by subscription and on the shelves of Target in the U.S.—just recently eased back into full-time work after the birth of her fourth child, Etta. I asked her what her mornings look like with four children ages 8 and under at home while she is also running a growing business. Bobbie has a primarily remote workforce of 160 employees across 28 states, along with two manufacturing plants in Ohio and Vermont that are working to keep up with consumer demand in an industry plagued by shortages and recalls in recent years.
“It’s a zoo. It’s chaos; you are feeding, changing diapers, trying to keep peace, and trying to get them all dressed and out the door, making sure they all leave looking like appropriate humans,” she says. “People ask, ‘Oh, do you exercise in the morning?’ No, I put on a pot of coffee—and I survive.”
Modi, who was born and raised in Ireland, is now raising four American children from the Washington, D.C. area with her husband. She also refers to her nanny as her “everything,” saying: “Life without her would be impossible.”
It’s this practical, honest approach to parenthood that makes me believe that Modi is likely that mom pal who you wouldn’t feel the need to clean up the kid messes before ushering her inside for a coffee and a catch-up while still dressed in your PJs. This no-judgment zone ethos is built into the culture of the company she founded. “We are here for the silent majority of modern parents who will at some point turn to formula without having the guilt associated with it,” says Modi.
Modi conceived of Bobbie in the throes of a bout of mastitis (a painful inflammation of the breast that is all too familiar to breastfeeding parents), and searching the supermarket shelves for a formula to feed her firstborn while she healed. Modi founded the company in 2018 with the goal to create a baby formula without corn fillers, palm oil and other additives that troubled Modi as a new mom, trying to combo feed her babies. The company captured the green light from the FDA in the heart of the coronavirus pandemic—August 2020—and began offering its cans of powdered baby formula into a market dominated by four multinational corporations that sell the majority of formula in the U.S., including Abbott Laboratories (maker of Similac) and Reckitt Benckiser Group (maker of Enfamil). The private company has fed half a million babies over three and a half years, Modi shares.
Modi’s busy but pragmatic parenting style makes her the perfect person to ask for an unfiltered opinion on the best items to add to your baby registry. She admits that the baby registry she’d build today would look different from the one for her firstborn. “With your first kid, you build a registry more on aesthetics and aspirational parenting—and after doing it a few times, you understand the reality of parenting,” Modi says. “You choose items that allow you to be more mobile. You find things that are more comfortable but less beautiful—and form over function. By the time you get to your fourth kid, you want it to work and be low-maintenance—you opt for ease.”
See Modi’s top baby registry picks below, from a smart bassinet to a wearable breast pump.A Wearable Breast Pump So You Can Keep Going
Amazon
“A hands-free pump should be on every working mom’s registry. It’s discreet and so easy to use. No need to sneak away somewhere to pump as I can just pump while I’m trying to check off the millions of things I have to do on my to-do list.”Elvie Breast Pump $550Shop At Amazon Her Go-To Baby Bottle
Amazon
“A tried-and-true classic that I’ve reached for since baby number one. There is no worry about air mixing with the formula. It’s a no-brainer gift idea to include for baby showers and has been a staple for parents for years.”Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow Anti-Colic Baby Bottles $26.65Shop At Amazon Extra-Soft And Adorable Baby Clothes
Bums & Roses
“Bums & Roses has footies and knotted gowns that are made from bamboo, so they are super comfortable and help the baby regulate her temperature. We dress Etta in affordable and gender-neutral options, because infants grow so quickly in that first year.”Bums & Roses Clothing $7.50 And UpShop At Bums & Roses A Baby Wrap To Free Your Hands
Ergobaby
“The Aura Wrap is very soft, made from sustainably sourced fabrics, and easy to pack in a diaper bag, so I always have it with me. I appreciate how Ergobaby has color-coded contrasting seams to help guide us parents as we wrap, making even the first few tries more doable with only two hands.”Ergobaby Aura Baby Wrap $59Shop At Ergobaby
AmazonA Tool To Prep Your Baby’s Formula Ahead Of Time
“This pitcher makes it so easy to prepare a whole day’s worth of formula. I can make it in the morning and be set for the day, which is great if someone else is jumping in to help with feedings. Even late night feedings are easy as your formula is ready to go.”Munchkin SmartBlend Formula Mixing Pitcher $11.49Shop At Amazon A Smart Bassinet For More Sleep All Around
Amazon
“With this being my fourth baby, a smart sleeper came highly recommended. The built-in cry detection in this Graco smart bassinet helps immensely in getting baby (and myself) a few more Zs. When Etta starts to fuss, it automatically responds by rocking her back to sleep. I can’t stop telling other moms about this functional baby product.”Graco Sense2Snooze Bassinet $330Shop At Amazon Anything That Helps With Bath Time
Amazon
“Any product that can grow with a baby makes transitioning from newborn to infant to toddler so easy. We love that from day one we were able to use this bathtub and will be able to use it for a couple of years.”Frida Baby 4-In-1 Grow-With-Me Bathtub $50Shop At Amazon A Must-Have Pacifier
Amazon
“Another essential for newborns, Etta loves these pacifiers and will not use any others. I love to gift these to new moms since newborns take to the bulb-style nipple so well.”Itzy Ritzy Natural Rubber Pacifiers (Set Of 2) $9Shop At Amazon Because You Always Need More Diapers
Amazon
“I love the Swaddlers from Pampers, and Amazon makes it easy to subscribe. Throw these in with some of the Dr. Brown’s bottles and you’ve got yourself a great gift idea, because who doesn’t need diapers and bottles? Plus, Pampers Swaddlers always work—and they’re easy to get anywhere.”Pampers Swaddlers (198 Count) $56Shop At Amazon A Formula Subscription—So You Never Run Out
Bobbie
“I might be biased, but all families need support throughout their feeding journey, no matter what that looks like, and Bobbie has the first European-style organic infant formula recipe that meets FDA standards. I combo fed, in different variations, with all four of my babies. Giving the gift of a subscription to friends and family is a great way to support moms for whichever feeding journey they take.”Bobbie Formula Subscription (4 Cans) $165.60 Per MonthShop At Bobbie Easier Feeding, No Matter How You Do It
Amazon
“There’s a reason parents have been recommending the Boppy—it makes feeding so much easier. Whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding, you get the support of the pillow to prop baby up to a safe feeding position.”Boppy Nursing Pillow $33Shop At Amazon A Convertible High Chair That’s Pretty, Too
Lalo
“We love this high chair. Another grow-with-baby product, it goes from a high chair to booster seat to play chair. Not only is it functional, but it’s not an eyesore like most high chairs. I 100% recommend this to all my mom friends.”Lalo The Chair $188Shop At Lalo This Portable Stroller Fan To Tackle Heat Waves
Amazon
“With higher-than-average temps so far this summer, this fan makes it possible to go on daily stroller walks. It’s so quiet and easily attaches right to the bassinet so Etta stays cool and comfortable.”Gaiatop Stroller Fan $16Shop At Amazon White Noise So Nothing Disturbs Baby
Amazon
“With three other kids around, a sound machine is vital so that Etta’s sleep doesn’t easily get disturbed at nap time or nighttime. We love that this one has six different sounds, so we can mix it up.”Homedics SoundSleep White Noise Sound Machine $21.45Shop At Amazon An Adjustable Pregnancy Pillow For More Sleep Before Baby Arrives
Bbhugme
“This pillow has carried me throughout my pregnancy for the best sleep of all my pregnancies. It’s adjustable, so as my body grew, I could adjust the firmness or shape, so I was comfortable at all times.”Bbhugme Pregnancy Pillow $209Shop At Amazon A Rotating Car Seat To Save Your Back
Amazon
“I’ve been through a few car seats by now, so I was excited to try a rotating car seat for Etta. It’s so much easier to get her in while facing me, then rotating it back to rear facing. We can use this until she’s 65 pounds (forward facing by then). It’s a great car seat hack since you only need to buy one, and it swivels so there’s no struggle to get the baby in.”Chicco Fit360 ClearTex Rotating Convertible Car Seat $399Shop At Amazon
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