When I was having my first (and only) child a few years ago, I was overwhelmed by the process of creating a baby registry. I had no idea there was any such thing as a wipe warmer. It’s a great concept, though we never registered for one, and, in retrospect, I don’t think I was missing out by not having one. It can be tough to sift through what you may or may not actually need for your baby, especially when you are a first-time parent.

There are five things I rarely or never see on registries that soon-to-be-parents should know about before creating theirs. If I don’t see any of the following items on a registry, I will buy the parents-to-be one item from their registry and one from this list, and I always receive praise for the rogue item — the one thing they never knew they needed.

1. Magnetic onesies

These are a lifesaver in the middle of the night when you’ve already been woken up several times to feed and change your baby. Lining up the snaps on a regular onesie is hard enough during the daytime; at 2am, forget it. It’s so much easier to simply put the two sides of the onesie back together and let the magnets connect.

2. Sock-Ons

Before I had my son, I never realized how difficult it was to keep socks on a baby’s feet! At first, these seemed like a silly concept, but during the winter — and even into spring — they were so helpful. Not all of my son’s outfits had feet in them, and we didn’t put shoes on him until he was a little bigger, so I would slip sock-on over his socks and they kept his socks on all day, no matter where we went.

3. Nipple shields

I had a very hard time breastfeeding my son. After a few weeks, I got mastitis in my left breast. It was so painful to feed him after that, I would cry as he ate. Contractions didn’t even hurt that much (and I never had an epidural). My dermatologist (of all people) told me about these nipple shields a couple of weeks later, and I wish I had known about them sooner. They come in different sizes so you can find what size fits you best, and they reduce, if not eliminate, any discomfort while breastfeeding.

4. The Baby Brezza

If you aren’t planning to breastfeed at all — or you end up having a tough time breastfeeding like I did, and supplement with formula, the Brezza is a must-have.

When my son finally went to sleep at night, I would be exhausted. Often, this is when, instead of showering or going to bed myself, I would clean and prepare bottles for night-time and morning feedings. When my son woke up to eat, I would have to heat the prepared bottles to the correct temperature while he screamed. I knew the longer he was awake waiting to feed, the longer it would take to get him back to sleep.

When my son was about five months old, a friend of mine told me about The Brezza, which is like a Keurig for baby formula. Set it to the number of ounces you want, push a button, and voila! You have formula mixed and poured directly into the bottle at the correct temperature. While you do have to clean it out regularly in order for it to function properly, I found that it ultimately saves both invaluable time and frustration, and I wish I had known about it months sooner.

5. Sign-language book

Maybe you’ve read articles about teaching your baby sign language — how it helps babies communicate so they don’t get so frustrated when they can’t talk. It works. There are several baby sign-language books out there, and they all explain the basics. We began teaching our son sign language at about 7–8 months, and he picked up on it quickly. He used “more” and “all done” regularly, and I truly believe knowing even just a few key signs to express himself prevented many fits and tantrums.

I’m sure there are other must-haves that I don’t know about, and every year there are new baby items that make life a little easier. Right now, these are my top five. Even if you can’t use any of these items for your own child, they are great — and often pleasantly unexpected — gift ideas for others who may not have known to put them on their own registry. Maybe those people will also spread the word!