Congratulations! Chances are if you are looking at this blog post then you are on your way to becoming a parent. I hope you feel excited and are bubbling up with happiness. Nerves and a little stress about your upcoming big life change are normal, but I hope my complete baby registry guide and checklist help ease your worries about what to register for.
It can be hard to know exactly what to register for and the quantities of each item you should put on your wish list. That is why I’ve created a huge checklist to help you in your process of creating a baby registry.
Please keep in mind you certainly won’t need every single item on this list, at least not right away. I thought it would be more helpful to include everything I could think of and then have parents-to-be cross off what they won’t need.
Having everything in one place is beneficial. You could spend hours, even days, researching and combing through Pinterest but I’ve done the work for you. I’m a planner, let this post save you time and stress.
Below I’ve outlined the reasons why you should have a baby registry, where you should register, and for what items (plus quantities is you download the checklist!).
Some people feel awkward “asking” for gifts. But your friends and family love you and want to show how excited they are for your new addition by giving presents. Why not get baby items you’ll actually use? Plus, you don’t want to end up with 50 bibs and no bottles.
A baby registry allows people to gift you exactly what you want. It takes the stress out of shopping. I’m not a great gift giver. When someone has a registry I am so thankful because the guesswork is gone. I know the receiver will appreciate my gift.
Many registries these days allow for multiple people to go in on a more expensive item together very easily. No one has to coordinate money, it is all taken care of online or at the store. With a registry, you are more likely to get the big-ticket items you need for a baby.
It is so fun to have a baby shower and for presents to start arriving at your house. Opening the baby gifts helps make the change to your household feel real and you can start nesting.
Finally, babies are expensive. Baby Registries save your wallet in that first year when so much “stuff” is needed. You will have to pay for enough over the next 18+ years. Take the free gifts while you can!
I love technology! Stores are now really catching on to what types of baby registries parents-to-be want. From being able to add items from any store to including service gifts (such as babysitting), modern-day baby registries are great.
Below, I’ve selected four popular baby registry stores/sites and describe the advantages of each.
Spoiler – I personally used BabyList because I lived in a different state than the majority of my family at the time of my pregnancy. I thought BabyList allowed for the most flexibility for my friends and family when shopping for the baby. I was very happy with my selection. The only downfall could have been if I needed to return items to multiple stores. Luckily, I didn’t have to because everyone mostly stuck to the registry and I didn’t get many duplicates.
Target is known as a mom’s heaven for good reason. The store usually has everything you need in a single trip. Plus, a lot more that you don’t realize you “need” until you’re there.
Targets are all over the country making any returns you might have easy. You could register in person (allowing the ability to see the products up close), online, or a combination of both.
The Target Baby Registry includes over $80 worth of samples and coupons. You can see who gave you what making thank you notes very easy to organize. You can return unopened gifts for up to a year! I love that you can now add items to the registry from other websites.
Shipping is fast and usually free (over $35), Target carries popular baby brands, and multiple guests can contribute toward more expensive items. Better yet – Target gift cards are the best!
Another wonderful bonus is you get a one-time-only 15% off coupon to use on any baby registry items left unpurchased after your baby is born.
Genius move by Amazon to team up with Kohls for easy returns. That was the only reason I didn’t register with Amazon when I created my baby registry. Amazon is a lifesaver to parents. Between the video streaming service, discounts on diaper subscriptions, and super fast shipping, Amazon will be there for you in the years to come.
When you create an Amazon baby registry you receive a box of items valued up to $35. Like Target, you can add items from other websites as well.
There is a 10% (or 15% if you’re a Prime member!) completion discount on items left on your registry. You have 90 days to return most items and the site does allow for multiple people to contribute towards bigger gifts.
Babylist is the one I chose! A huge benefit to using Babylist is the website encourages you to add services to the baby registry. You can register for home-cooked meals, pet-sitting, babysitting, etc. How fun for guests to gift services instead of (or in addition to) material items?
Like other registries, you can add products from any websites. It keeps track of who gifted what so thank yous are easy to send. Unlike other websites, you can also register for monetary gifts like starting a college fund.
When registering you will receive a sample box filled with up to $160 worth of samples and coupons. Plus, 60 days before your due date you will get a 10% discount on all remaining items from Babylist on your registry.
Buy Buy Baby is the sister store to Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Similarly to the other registries, you will receive a bag of samples and coupons. Also, you will get 15% off remaining registry items and free shipping for the first year of your baby’s life if your registry is worth over $1,500.
For those who are a little stressed about registering, you can schedule an in-store appointment with one of the store’s expert baby registry consultants.
Now the meat of what you need to know. What should you register for? I have made it super simple and created a BIG checklist (including quantities!). As you go through the checklist cross off what you won’t need. You’ll find my baby registry checklist in my FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY by signing up below.
Consider the following when selecting what you personally will need for your baby;
If you live in a four-story walkup in NYC compared to a home in the midwest with a three-car garage, your needs will be very different. People with limited space shouldn’t register for a bassinet, crib, and Rock ‘n Play (I know they are recalled but you may still want one!). We have all three of those items because we have enough space in our home to store the other two when one is in use.
Believe it or not, with two kids I now have three different types of strollers that get used on a regular basis. But I have an SUV and a garage. Really think about your space and where you will put everything when not in use.
When I say budget, I mean both your budget and the people most likely to be buying your baby gifts. Try to register for a range of prices. Will anyone actually purchase a $700 crib for you or will the $200 version be just as good?
Some couples end up purchasing the majority of the baby items themselves. Maybe a baby shower isn’t planned (for whatever reason) and you need to consider the total amount of money you want to spend on upfront baby costs.
I would recommend considering if you plan on having more children. Do you want to register for items that are more gender-neutral? Is quality over quantity an important factor so that items can be used for multiple babies? If you are planning on being a “one and done” family you might spend more on baby gifts knowing that there is only one college tuition down the line (haha).
Below I have broken the baby registry into manageable categories. In each section I have exactly what item/brand (with links) I would recommend and why. I also give pointers for you to consider when creating your baby registry. Remember if you want the entire checklist to sign up above for access to the resource library!
Planning your baby’s nursery is a category in which you can really showcase your style and personality. Picking a theme or colors will help you determine what designs to go with. Check out my recommendations for your Baby Registry: Nursery items.
In the Baby Registry: Gear category you will determine your baby carrier, stroller, and activity needs. Please remember to consider your storage availability when registering for baby items in this registry category.
You will spend a ton of time feeding your baby in his/her first year of life. In my Baby Registry: Feeding post I cover breastfeeding supplies, bottles, and solid food needs.
One of my favorites categories is actually Baby Registry: Diapering because I am such a fan of my cloth diapers. But not to worry! If you are not going the cloth diaper route I have included all the other diapering needs for your baby registry.
A fairly simple category to register for is Baby Registry: Bathing items. I found picking out a bathtub, washcloths, towels, etc to be easy compared to the analyzing I did with some of the other categories.
People will tell you not to register for clothinig but I disagree! Read through my Baby Registry: Clothing post to make sure your newborn clothing needs are covered before your child arrives.
An incredibly important category, but one often overlooked, is Baby Registry: Health & Safety. I cover medications you’ll want to have on hand and items you’ll want for baby-proofing your home.
Have some fun picking out what you want to put on your registry for the Baby Registry: Toys & Books category. I’ve included some very popular toys and books that were hits with my girls as well.
Many people forget to register for seasonal items. Baby Registry: Seasonal Items will make sure you think about during what season your baby will be born thus determining when (and possibly what size) your baby will need for winter and summer items.
Rarely seen on any other baby registry checklist is a category I’m quite fond of – Baby Registry: For the Parents. Take a look to see what you should register for for YOU!!
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I love how you divided this up into sections and explained each with some examples. Great read!
Thanks Patty! I hope the category sections make it easier for people to tackle the task of creating their own baby registry, otherwise it could easily become overwhelming.