Baby Registry Checklist

You’re pregnant? Congratulations! I’m sure you’re so excited to start preparing for your little one’s arrival, which includes setting up your baby registry. Weeee!

Every company that sells something baby related has a baby registry checklist available to you, but which do you use? What do you REALLY need?

I was the first of my friends to have a baby, so I kept a list of items I ACTUALLY USED during the first year, figuring the list would be helpful for practical and useful baby shower gifts in the future.

I’ve sent this evolving baby registry checklist to friends, family and co-workers over the years. Note that it doesn’t include the basics like: baby clothes, diapers, baby bottles, monitors, car seat, hats, baby bath, etc. because you can find those lists everywhere.

Although every baby is different and every parenting style is unique, this is my checklist of practical baby registry must-have items.

Prepare for arrival

• “The Happiest Baby on the Block” by Dr. Harvey Karp. The 5 s’s are clutch.
• “Secrets of the baby Whisperer” by Tracy Hogg. I wish I had read this before my first baby arrived, but it was so helpful to how I mothered my little one. It made me feel like I knew what I was doing.
• “The Wonder Weeks” by Frans X. Plooij helps you understand when and why your baby is going through a mental leap / stage so you can get through it. And, so you don’t feel like a crazy person when what’s been working suddenly doesn’t.

Prepare the nursery

• A nightlight for baby’s room that you can turn on and off (for the middle of the night when you need to see but keep nighttime lighting). Motion sensor nightlights are also great in bathrooms or to light the way around the house. Red/yellow light is better for going back to sleep than blue/green/white.
• Breathable mesh bumper. Since regular bumpers are a safety hazard, mesh bumpers are breathable but still help keep the pacifier and little arms and legs in the crib.
• Sound machine (and travel sound machine for car rides, outings, etc.)

To ease the fourth trimester

• Soothie pacifiers were such a win for my kids. Before becoming a mom, I said I’d never use pacifiers. Then my first used my boob as a pacifier for self-soothing and I realized why pacifiers are so important!
• Hooded bath towels and baby washcloths, which are smaller and lighter than regular washcloths. The gingham hooded bath towel from Pottery Barn Kids is quality! Other towels thinned or got stiff over time.
• A digital temperature tester for bath water so you can know baby isn’t screaming because the water is too hot or cold.
• Boudreaux butt paste is a staple for every diaper change. Diaper rash is awful, but this butt paste is such a winner. The green kind has natural aloe in it and is easy to wipe off when cleaning the little bums.
• Vitamin D drops with probiotics helped ease my third baby’s belly. She cried so much, I thought she had colic. A few days after I started giving her drops with probiotics, her crying got more normal. You should give vitamin D drops every day so why not add probiotics too?
• Swaddle sleep sack helps baby feel secure when sleeping, which keeps them sleeping longer (yay!). Yes, you could swaddle them with a blanket, but this is so much easier and sturdy.
• Organic cloth diaper inserts to use for whenever you wouldn’t want to ruin a pretty blanket. They hold up well, are absorbent and can be bleached or thrown away if necessary. I used these under baby’s butt when changing a particularly nasty diaper, as a burp cloth, etc. They’re soft and organic so I felt fine using them on or near my baby.

For when baby is sick

• Saline nasal spray is great for babies, toddlers, little and big kids
• Babycomfy nose nasal aspirator is dishwasher safe, doesn’t require a filter and doesn’t hold germs like the nose sucker bulbs. The popular nasal aspirator is Nose Frida but that requires filters. Either way, they were life savers for baby stuffy noses. SERIOUSLY.
• Vicks BabyRub soothing vapor ointment because you cannot use the adult version.
• A humidifier to help ease the baby at night. Baby tylenol can only do so much.
• A rectal thermometer. My pediatrician will only accept rectal thermometer temperatures for accuracy.
• Boogie wipes. Easier on the nose than tissues, and since they’re wet, they can grab the dried boogers too.

Baby carriers and holders

This seems like a lot but think about every room of your house and where you will put the baby. What about the bathroom? Have hardwood floors? Need to stay above dog height? What will you do with baby when you collapse the stroller?

• A play gym. It should have music, contrasting colors, different textures. Hanging washable toys is helpful. Play gyms are good for many reasons, but especially when it helps infants get out gas as they kick from excitement.
• A bouncer. I kept ours in my bedroom so I could get dressed or move to the bathroom to dry my hair or put on makeup. A portable item that’s better than laying baby on the floor.
• Boppy lounger. We actually used the Day Dreamer which apparently doesn’t exist anymore, but the Boppy lounger is similar. We used it in lieu of putting the kids always on the ground or holding them in the kitchen or living room.
• A swing. We loved our Fisher-Price Snugabunny Cradle n’ Swing.
• A comfortable body carrier. We started with the original Ergobaby and K’tan. For my third baby, I used a ring sling almost daily so I could hold her and work during COVID-19. There are lots of good carriers out there, but just stay away from the “crotch-danglers”… research and you’ll understand why.
• A stroller that works for your lifestyle. We loved our the Citi Mini GT stroller (they’re now at a GT2). I suggest a lighter color so it isn’t as hot in the summer sun.
• A frame stroller that was compatible with the car seat made running errands or going to a restaurant so much easier. It’s smaller and significantly easier to put away than the average stroller since it’s light without the car seat.

Breastfeeding Essentials

If you plan to breastfeed, there are so many essentials I recommend to make your life easier. Check out my Breastfeeding Essentials Checklist post »

If you’re creating your baby registry or looking for a practical baby gift, did you find this checklist helpful? If you’ve already been through one baby, what other must-have items are on your list? Please comment below!