What is a baby sleep consultant?

A baby sleep consultant is a pediatric sleep specialist who helps families establish sustainable, restorative sleep routines for babies and toddlers. We provide personalized sleep plans, hands-on support, and ongoing guidance to help your child develop independent sleep skills.

Do you offer in-home sleep training in NYC?

Yes, we offer tailored in-home bedtime and overnight support for New York City families. Ella personally arrives before bedtime to provide real-time, hands-on guidance, setting a calm, reassuring tone as we gently implement proven sleep strategies.

What does your sleep consulting process include?

Our sleep consulting includes a personalized sleep assessment, customized sleep plan, and ongoing support. We consider the whole family and the whole child, meeting your baby exactly where they are and embracing their temperament alongside consistent sleep training principles.

What age babies and toddlers do you work with?

We work with babies and toddlers at various stages, helping families navigate sleep challenges including night nursing, bed sharing transitions, independent sleep at bedtime, sleep regressions, and establishing consistent sleep routines.

Is Ella Grace Sleep Solutions available 24/7?

Yes, Ella Grace Sleep Solutions is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support NYC families with their baby and toddler sleep needs.

What makes your approach different?

Our family-focused approach combines compassion for both parents and children with proven sleep training methods. As a newborn care specialist, postpartum doula, and pediatric sleep specialist, Ella brings extensive experience working with different family dynamics and goals, ensuring families feel heard, honored, and truly supported.

Building a baby registry can feel overwhelming. As an expectant parent, you don't know what you'll need, and you have tons of recommendations from friends, family, and social media to sort through.

Thousands of infant sleep product recommendations, trendy gadgets, and things you’re told you absolutely need make it hard to know what’s worth adding to your list to help you care for your baby.

As a baby sleep consultant, I’ve learned which products can make those early weeks a little easier and which ones you can skip altogether. Here are my favorite baby registry recommendations for sleep, along with a few popular products I don't think you need.

My Top Baby Registry Recommendations for Sleep

The first few weeks after welcoming a baby are all about simplicity, and you only need a few things to make life easier. Prioritize infant sleep products that simplify nighttime care, support safe sleep, and help you care for your baby without adding unnecessary steps to your new routine.

And if there’s anything you want to wait on until the baby arrives, ask for a gift card to purchase it later.

1. Nana Baby Burp Cloths

I recommend Nana Baby Organic Muslin Burp Cloths because they're thick and absorbent enough to handle spit-up without soaking through. An absorbent burp cloth saves you from outfit changes in the middle of the night.

2. Magnetic Me Pajamas

Magnetic Me baby pajamas make 2 a.m. diaper changes easier. The magnetic closures make nighttime changes quicker when you just want to get your baby back to sleep.

3. SwaddleMe Velcro Swaddle

Velcro swaddles make life so much easier. I recommend the SwaddleMe Velcro Swaddle because it’s easy to secure and fits newborns well.

Always put your baby to sleep on their back, and stop swaddling as soon as they show signs of trying to roll.

4. Pigeon Bottles

I love Pigeon baby bottles because they're easy to clean and lactation professionals recommend them. For newborns, the Pigeon SS nipple is best. The right nipple size is crucial for effective feeding and to help prevent gas and spit-up.

5. Angelcare Baby Bath Support

Many parents add a bath to their baby’s bedtime routine. The Angelcare Baby Bath Support provides a supportive place for your baby to rest during a bath, so you're not juggling everything at once. It’s also lightweight and easy to clean.

6. Mylicon Gas Drops

Tummy discomfort can make nighttime challenging for some babies, and Mylicon gas drops are a great option if your baby is gassy. The main ingredient, simethicone, helps gas bubbles merge into larger ones so your baby can burp or pass them more easily. Many parents find them helpful, although they won't resolve every cause of fussiness.

If your baby regularly seems uncomfortable, has persistent symptoms, or struggles with feeding, check with your pediatrician or explore colic and what underlies newborn fussiness in Newborn Sleep Foundations (on the house).

7. Pacifiers

My top pacifier picks are Philips Avent, MAM Newborn START, and FRIGG. Every baby has their own preferences, so you may need to try a few options to find what works.

Pacifiers are an incredible regulating tool for newborns that decreases crying in the baby and postpartum depression in the mother. For breastfeeding babies, you can introduce pacifiers at birth, as long as you use them for soothing and don't delay feeding cues.

Baby Registry Items You Can Skip

Baby stores are full of products marketed as must-haves, but most just add another expense, more cleaning, or complexity. Here are a few things I'd leave off your baby registry, at least until your baby comes.

1. Pacifier Cleaning Wipes

You don't need to add pacifier cleaning wipes to your baby registry. For everyday cleaning, soap and warm water will do the trick. Just follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and sanitizing, especially when your baby is very young. One less specialized product to buy means more room in your diaper bag for the things you'll actually use.

2. Separate Baby Laundry Detergent

Families don't need separate baby laundry detergent or wash cycles. Instead, stick with your favorite brand and switch to the "free and clear" version. This option avoids fragrance, dyes, and perfumes. I like the Rosey brand, which I order from Thrive Market. If you're not a Thrive Market member, Attitude is great too!

3. A Dedicated Bottle Dishwasher

A separate bottle dishwasher might sound convenient, but it's another appliance taking up space. Buy dishwasher-safe bottles so you can wash them in your other dishes. Just make sure you're following appropriate cleaning and sanitizing guidance for your baby's age and health.

4. Baby Brezza Formula Maker

Preparing a bottle by hand is quick and straightforward, so you may not need another appliance to clean and maintain. I recommend waiting until baby comes to see if this would genuinely help your routine.

5. The SNOO Smart Sleeper

The SNOO is a popular smart bassinet, but I wouldn't automatically put it on every family's registry. Some babies seem to enjoy the motion, while others don't respond to it the same way.

Consider whether you'd be comfortable using it as a bassinet without relying on the motion features. No sleep product can guarantee that your baby will sleep longer or through the night.

What You Actually Need for Better Newborn Sleep

I wish I could give you a list of magic infant sleep products that can help newborns sleep easier and better, but that doesn’t exist. You definitely don’t need a nursery full of gadgets to help your baby sleep safely and comfortably.

Here are a few things worth prioritizing instead:

A safe sleep space (bassinet and cribs are interchangeable)
A sound machine to block out noisy newborn sleep and help both parties sleep better.
A manageable nighttime setup so diaper changes, feeds, and settling are as easy as possible
Dim light or red lighting for nighttime wakings
A simple bedtime routine (bath, feed, song, crib)
Realistic expectations about the first few weeks and months of newborn sleep
Support for the parents (find a nighttime doula here)

Build a Baby Registry with Infant Sleep Products That Work for Your Family

It's easy to spend months researching the best swaddles, bassinets, bottles, and sleep gadgets because buying the right products can make us feel more prepared and in control. But the truth is, no product can replace the support parents need during those early weeks. Instead of focusing all your energy on what your baby might need, think about what you will need to feel cared for, rested, and confident as you adjust to life with a newborn.

That could look like:

Investing in a daytime postpartum doula who can teach you how to care for your baby while providing an extra set of hands around the house.
A nighttime doula or baby nurse can help protect your sleep so you have more energy to recover and care for your baby.
Ask friends to come over for a meal-prep afternoon, cook together, and stock your freezer.
Looking into a postpartum meal service like Feed Your Sister.
Making time to invest in your relationship with your partner and work through the challenges that commonly arise when a new baby joins the family.
Scheduling a proactive visit with a lactation consultant before you run into feeding difficulties.
Connecting with friends before your baby arrives so they know how they can help during those first few months.

The more you can plan for genuine support, the less pressure you'll put on yourself to control every part of the newborn experience. Your baby doesn't need you to have every product figured out. You need people and resources that help you feel supported while you recover, learn, and adjust to your new life as a parent. That's what deserves a place on your registry, too.

That might mean bringing in an expert to help with newborn sleep in the beginning. My clients Allie and Michael are great examples:

“Merritt has been sleeping regularly through the night since 7 weeks and given that Mike and I did absolutely nothing special, we know a huge part of that was your suggestions on how to treat daytime naps and feeding every 3 or so hours, etc. We feel so fortunate that we’re both getting regular sleep (at least for now, hah!) and are definitely more patient parents, and I'm really enjoying my maternity leave with her ❤️”

Start with the basics, keep your registry practical, and remember that the best infant sleep products are the ones that work for your baby and your family.

Understanding newborn sleep, having realistic expectations, and establishing good sleep habits early on is the secret sauce to great sleep as a family. All that and more is available through our beloved sleep strategy call!

Want to feel more confident about your newborn’s sleep before your baby arrives? Check out my Newborn Sleep Foundations guide for practical tips to help you prepare for those early weeks.

My Top Baby Registry Recommendations for Sleep