Baby Registry Must-Haves vs. Nice-to-Haves
Every registry list calls everything essential, because every list is trying to sell you everything. This one draws the line where we'd draw it for a friend: the things you cannot manage without, the things that make life nicer, and the things you shouldn't buy until you've met your baby.
The third category is the one nobody warns you about. Bouncers, swings, pacifiers, certain bottles — some babies love them and some refuse them, and no amount of research tells you which baby you're getting.
The three lists
| Must-have | Nice-to-have | Wait and see |
|---|---|---|
| Infant car seat | Stroller (essential in a city) | Bouncer or swing |
| Somewhere safe to sleep, one firm mattress | Baby monitor (when they move rooms) | Pacifiers, and which kind |
| Sleep sacks and a sound machine | Glider (a good chair works) | A second bottle brand |
| Bottles, a brush, a drying rack | Silicone hand pump | Play gym (around six weeks) |
| Diapers, wipes, cream, a wipeable pad | Diaper pail (a lidded bin works) | Bottle warmer |
| A carrier or wrap | Diaper bag (any backpack works) | White-noise app vs. a machine |
| Tub, towels, a gentle wash, thermometer, nail file, aspirator | Humidifier | Baby detergent |
| Eight bodysuits, eight sleepers, socks, hats, muslins | Going-home outfit | Shoes, headbands, anything with buttons |
| Postpartum supplies, nursing bras, nipple cream | A robe, a good water bottle | Nursing cover |
Why the wait-and-see list exists
A bouncer is either the most-used object in the house or a place to store laundry, and which one depends entirely on the baby. Same with swings, pacifiers and a surprising number of bottles. Buying all of them in advance means buying the ones your baby ignores.
The move is to borrow. Ask the friend with a one-year-old for the bouncer and the swing for a month. If your baby loves one, buy that one — or ask for it as a gift once you know. You'll spend less and own less.
How to use this on the registry
- Put every must-have on it, with quantities, before anything else. If the registry ends there, you're fine.
- Add the nice-to-haves at a range of prices so there's something for everyone to buy.
- Leave the wait-and-see items off entirely, or add one as a group gift with a note that you'll choose after the baby arrives. Cash funds are made for this.
- Add the things for you — the postpartum kit, the meal cards — to the must-have tier. They are.
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