How Zoe Latta (of Eckhaus Latta) Would Redo Her Baby Registry
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Zoe Latta, co-founder ofEckhaus Latta, is now pregnant with her second child and has a few takeaways this time around. “Don’t feel like you need to get it all in the beginning,” she says. “You end up in this room filled with crap that you don’t need, and at best you’re gonna pass it on to someone else. Don’t buy every single pacifier. Try one; if it doesn’t work, try a different one.”
Latta plans to skip a hugeglideror Snoo and instead invest in a “fancy” carrier that she’ll want to actually wear. She’s also making sure to prepare a few nice things for herself, something she admits she didn’t do the first time. “I had my first kid during COVID a few months after my dad died. I think with or without the loss of my own parent, there’s the shock of becoming a parent and specifically the loss of free time. Something as simple as taking a bath, putting on a face mask, watching a movie, or just,Oh, I’m gonna sleep for another hour— all of that gets ripped away from you, and you’re met with this hormonal cliff dive no matter how you give birth. I felt bad taking care of myself in order to, you know, serve the needs of the baby, but the baby’s gonna be fine. There’s so much attention to gearing up for the baby, but I would now advise my former self to gear up for her. I’m not saying, ‘Go check into Club Med.’ An espresso and a heating pad can go a long way.”
Latta, who has designed kids clothes herself, loves hand-me-downs, especially ones her older son wore and have made their way back to her. “I didn’t really plan to have another kid, but now that it’s happening and the stuff is coming back, I’m thrilled to see it. I’m like, ‘Oh, some of this stuff’s trashed, but it’s fine.’”
[Read Latta’s newsletter,Rotting on the Vine, dedicated to the best (mostly vintage) shopping online. She recently featured a roundup of quilts, Bargello needlepoint pillows, and the best sweaters for guys.]
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“This espresso machine is on my registry right now. My in-laws and their extended friends really want to buy us this West Elm rocking chair that takes over the entire room. I could see myself using it for maybe three months, but with another kid that I’m chasing around, I’m gonna be breastfeeding in the backyard. I’m not getting cozy in that glider. I convinced them to buy me an old rocking chair instead. I didn’t do any of this the first time around. I’m having a baby shower. I have a registry.”
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“Don’t forget to treat yourself. These are a few small things I love: Metal straws make hydrating more fun; IS Clinical masks sets from Costco (I am aCostco shopperand I just put this together); and a cherry-pit heat or cool pillow. I still use this goose pillow guy, also; I just love it.”
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“I have these Brooks Brothers basic old-man pajamas. I love them. Brooks Brothers is 200 years old so they’re doing something right. So is Tekla, and I adore these, but have a hard time justifying the price when they’ll inevitably be covered in bodily fluids after a few hours.”
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“There are a lot of products that capitalize on nesting hormones and the urgency to be prepared for the unknown. The thing is, in 2025, you can basically get any baby-related thing you need in 24 hours and do not actually need to gear up in advance. Theonlything I can actually recommend having on hand is some medicine and soothing creams. Being able to heal aching nipples or a diaper rash (or fever) in the middle of the night could actually improve your life significantly, and it’s nice to feel prepared in that way. I’m not a medical professional and am not going to recommend medicine here, but my friendDr. Maxjust made a very special line of balms for moms and babies. I’m really happy to have them on hand this time around. I’m honestly using the nipple balm as, like, the best Chapstick I’ve ever had.”
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“I think I bought one of those Lovevery ones; it was totally fine and that company’s cool and comprehensive, but I know he got really bored of it. So I just started cobbling things on. It’s more fun that way. Instead of spending $150-plus on an aesthetically pleasing beige gym, I would buy a simple frame likethisorthisand then some ofthese. This way, basically any toy, rattle, play silk, stuffed animal, teether can be part of the gym, and you can swap them out to keep the wee one entertained.”
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“I don’t think you can have enough baby blankets. I have these hand-embroidered vintage silk quilts I found the first time around, you know, and when there’s vomit on it, it’s kind of another project. I started using them in conjunction with these affordable, cozy, wash-a-million-times waffle-weave cotton ones. You won’t feel bad when you’ve realized it’s been dragging on the sidewalk out of your stroller for blocks.”
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“I’m not the first hip millennial mom to recommend this carrier. I’m well aware of what they mean at the Hollywood farmers’ market. But I’m just going to say it slaps and it’s cute. My first time around, I used hand-me-down wraps and another carrier that was just too small for me. I may have saved money, but I also carried my baby less because I wasn’t comfortable. I would splurge on this before a stroller (buy it used!) or bassinet (cardboard box or empty drawer is fine!)”
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“The Uppababy stroller. I love it, but traveling with it is insane. It takes up half the car. I live in a walkable neighborhood, so it’s great, but it is like having a Cadillac. Strollers really come in handy when you’re traveling, and we travel a lot, so we were borrowing Yoyos from people. When I brought the Uppababy to New York, it was the dumbest thing ever, schlepping it up two flights of stairs or whatever. It’s kind of like buying a car and then you make the wrong choice and you can’t go back. We still use it for the neighborhood. Someone gave me the scooter thing that goes on the back, and we also kept the bassinet thing so they both can sit in it, which is cool. But I wouldn’t suggest getting multiple strollers.”
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“I know it’s so fun to buy the ultratiny clothes, but it’s equally as heartbreaking to have them be worn once and then get grown out of the next week. If you’re going to invest in pieces that your kid actually wears, I would start with size 18M or 2Y: Then you might at least get six months to a year out of the wear. You can start them wearing it oversize. There used to be this epic resale app called Kidizen. It closed; it was so sad. I also shop a lot atParachute Brooklyn, which does Instagram Story sales. They just post, and you write back, ‘I want it.’ It’s very affordable. It’s kind of addictive. When it comes to searching for vintage baby clothes, I usually keep it simple. I like to go wide with the search and scroll really fast. There’s a lot of like, baptismal gowns you gotta weed through, but there are some gems in there. My kid’s really into sharks, so instead of him flipping out over some shark shirt at Target, I’ll try to find one on Etsy. I also have some friends we share clothes with, including the brand-name kids’ stuff. Mine is a year older, so I’ll say, ‘I just got this; it’s going to you next.’ It feels better if we’re all gonna use it. It feels really good to pass it on. It’s also okay, if you think you’re gonna have another kid, to have a convo and say, ‘If you don’t mind, could you give it back?’”
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