Everything You Could Possibly Need or Want for Your Baby Registry

Dec 26

Preparing for your baby’s arrival will be a busy time in your life, and I would recommend starting your preparation early on. Among many other tasks, preparing your baby registry should be at the forefront of your mind. I waited until I was six months pregnant to even think about a baby registry, and that’s only because people were asking me about it so they could start buying stuff for the baby.

You don’t need to start a registry the minute you find out you/your partner is pregnant but if I were to have another baby, I would probably start the registry shortly after my first trimester because that would have given me more than enough time to edit and add to the registry as needed. Creating the registry early on will also allow you to have your baby shower earlier in your pregnancy, unlike me. I was already 34 weeks along by the time I had my baby shower and I felt like I was ready to pop. A reasonable timeframe to have your baby shower is probably going to be in the 6-7 month range so you’re not too fatigued yet. My feet were swollen to the size of tree trunks at the time my baby shower was held, and walking around, talking to everyone, and thanking everyone for coming was a bit difficult and uncomfortable.

I registered through Target and the process was fairly easy. I went to the store and scanned the items I wanted on my registry through my Target app. Later on, I went to my Target account online and was able to add more items and remove other items that way without having to go back to the store. So, if you’re not sure where you want to register, Target is a safe bet in my opinion. I also know plenty of people who registered through Amazon or TheBump, etc. Before you decide where to register, it would be wise to take into consideration the convenience and price range of where you’re registering. If the store you want to register through is rather pricey, it may be more difficult for your family and friends to purchase items on your registry and you may not get everything you want. So, keep it reasonable and easy for them to access and make purchases.

A solid baby registry will be your best friend, especially if you’re a first-time parent. I recommend adding as many items as you think you might need so you don’t have to worry about it once your baby arrives. And if, after your baby shower, there are still items left on your registry, that will be your checklist for what you and your partner/spouse still need to buy. So, make your registry as exhaustive as you can.

You should also consider who is going to watch your baby during the day while you work (if you’re planning on returning to work after maternity leave). If a family member is going to be watching your baby, you may want to consider putting extra items on your registry for your caregiver to have in their home. If you’re planning on enrolling your baby in daycare, you may not need to.

Below, I have listed every single thing I had in my baby registry, along with some additional items I wish I would have had on my registry. Many of these items will depend on your preferences - if you’d rather go minimal, you’re not going to need everything. Some people believe that there are too many “baby gadgets” these days and will allude to the days when all babies had was love and boobs. To a certain extent, I agree. However, many of the items we used for our baby that we didn’t necessarily need made our lives much easier. For example, you don’t need a baby swing, but it will help your baby stay calm while washing the bottles or doing the laundry. On the other hand, a baby bottle sterilizer seemed like a bit much for us and we never ended up using one.

As you read the list below, you’ll determine what you think you might need or want. However, don’t stress it if, after your baby arrives, you find yourself wanting/needing more baby gadgets, or wanting to get rid of some items you thought you might need but didn’t end up using. It happens to everyone.

Hygiene:

DIAPERS: Sizes NB-4. Put several boxes of each size on your registry. That’s what I did and we didn’t have to buy diapers until Bebe was about 8 months old.
- An excellent idea would be to have a diaper raffle at your baby shower. Basically, everyone who attends is instructed to bring as many boxes/bags of diapers as they would like. For each box/bag of diapers they bring, they get to put their name into the “raffle.” Whoever’s name gets picked out of the raffle wins some kind of prize (something like a gift card).
Baby wipes: Similar to the diapers - put a few boxes in your registry. Personally, I like Pampers wipes the most but that’s up to you.
Baby shampoo/body wash: You don’t need to put a ton of these on your registry, maybe just a couple. One bottle will last for months, honestly.
Baby Q-tips: You need to be careful with these, but they’re useful for when you can literally see your baby’s earwax coming out of their ear canals, or for when you need to scoop up some snot from their noses.
Nail clippers.
Hairbrush.
Comb.
Baby lotion: My baby is over 12 months old now, and we’ve only gone through one whole bottle. Just 1-2 bottles on your registry should suffice.
Baby bathtub: You’re going to want a little bathtub that can accommodate both newborns and bigger babies.
Baby towels.
Baby washcloths.
Baby laundry detergent.
Hamper for baby.
Diaper pail (such as Diaper Genie).
Diaper pail bags.

First Aid:

Thermometer for baby.
Baby Tylenol.
Diaper rash cream/ointment.
Suction bulbs - nose and mouth.
Baby sunblock.

Clothes:

Onesies: long and short sleeves. Sizes should range from NB to 12 months.
Pajama onesies: When Bebe was a newborn, I only wanted to use the ones that covered her hands and feet and had zippers. You’re probably not going to want to deal with button-down onesies in the very beginning.
Socks: Ranging from NB to 12 months.
Pants: Ranging from NB to 12 months.
Shirts: Ranging from NB to 12 months.
Shorts: Ranging from NB to 12 months.
Baby sunglasses.
Leggings: Ranging from NB to 12 months.
Baby coats: Ranging from NB to 12 months.
Sweaters: Ranging from NB to 12 months.
Sun hat(s).
Swimsuit (and swimsuit diapers).

Nursery:

Crib.
Crib mattress.
Crib mattress protector.
Crib sheets.
Crib liner.
Sleep sacks: At least two (2) to begin with, and you can get bigger ones as your baby grows. Since pillows and blankets are not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (“AAP”) for babies 0-12 months old, sleep sacks are the next best thing. Bebe still uses one to this day.
Bassinet.
Bassinet sheets.
Changing table/dresser.
Changing pad.
Changing pad covers.
Diaper organizer.
Diaper caddy (for your living room, or wherever else you plan to hang out with your baby).
Extra bins to keep everything organized/compartmentalized (stuff will accumulate fast!).
Toys: Ranging from NB through 12 months+
Toy chest.
Nursing pillow (such as Boppy).
Night light.
Rocking chair.
Sound machine: The one we have comes with a night light and air purifier. We love it.
Video monitor.
Mobile for baby’s crib.
Baby swing.
Bouncer.
Tummy time play mat.
Activity jumper.
Humidifier.

Feeding:

Bottles: My partner and I are split on this one. I personally favor Comotomo bottles because it resembles a real nipple the most and it has few parts to clean; he favors Dr. Brown’s bottles because of their anti-colic features/parts.
Extra nipples: Baby bottles usually come with sizes 1-4.
- Newborns would need a size 1;
- 3-6 month olds would probably need a size 2;
- 6-9 month olds - size 3;
- 12 month+ - size 4.
Bibs.
Burping cloths.
Breast pump & breast pump replacement parts (if you’re planning on nursing).
Milk storage bags (your milk needs a place to go after you pump!)
Milk storage container for your freezer. The one I used is the Milkies Freeze Breast Milk Freezing and Storage from Target. This will be great for you if you’re planning on building a stash of breast milk.
Nipple shields: These can help your baby latch on if they’re having a hard time, or if breastfeeding is painful for you.
Formula: Even if you’re planning on nursing, consider keeping a couple of cans of formula on hand. All too often, mothers have a hard time producing milk and you don’t want to risk having a hungry baby. I’ll go more into this in another article, but I worked as hard as I could to exclusively breastfeed for the first seven months after Bebe was born and I was mostly successful, but still had to occasionally supplement with formula.
Sippy cup(s).
Highchair.
Baby/toddler seat (such as Bumbo).

Car/travel:

Car seat/stroller set (you may see this duo referred to as a “travel system”).
2 car seat bases - 1 for your car and 1 for your partner/spouse’s car.
Rear-facing car seat mirror.
Sunshades for your car windows.
Baby carrier.
Hip carrier (such as Tushbaby).
Pack ‘N Play Portable Playard.
Pack ‘N Play mattress.

Alexis Valle