11 things you really need to add to your baby registry

BABY registries are good, as they give friends and family an idea of what the new parents actually need for their newborns, so they have a guide when shopping. But sometimes even the parents-to-be aren’t so sure and will choose items based on popularity and reviews, rather than actual need or usability. And then they end up with unusable items in their stockpile, which could have been substituted for other items they actually needed.

What do you really need to add to your registry? Natalie Summers, who heads a mom group for parents of multiples, has quite a few tips, having used registries for all four of her children, starting six years ago.

“As you do your own registries and purchase items from others for friends, you realise what works and what really doesn’t,” she said. “You can’t really rely on the stores for guidance as they’re just trying to offload merchandise, so many times you’re just trying to figure things out on your own.”

She suggests these 11 items as must-haves to add to your registry. 

Convertible car seat

“This should last your child from infancy up to the toddler stage,” she said. “This will prevent you having to spend money to buy more than one car seat as your child grows. Even if you start off with an infant car seat, you can follow with a convertible seat, which can even transition to a booster seat for older kids.” 

Body wash and shampoo

“You can never have enough of these as baby will be using these until around three years old,” she said. “These are items you can never get enough of as gifts, and even if you’re buying them for yourself, still add them to your registry for the bonus.” 

Diapers, wipes, rash ointment

“Here are other items that you will never not use. Just be careful to put a cap on the number of newborn diapers that you get, as the baby will grow out of these pretty fast. Ensure that you have diapers for all the stages — good diapers in decent quantities — as well as tons of wipes and diaper rash cream.” 

Baby-proofing items

“There will come the time when the little hands will get everywhere and in everything, and you will need to babyproof your entire house,” Summers said. “Asking for these on your registry means that you will get some of these often costly items as gifts, as they can put a dent in your budget when you really need to purchase them.” 

Baby carrier/sling

This is an item every new parent needs, for lugging around the baby when you need your hands for other tasks.“Whether it’s the traditional carrier or the more fancy sling, add it to your registry and tag it as a must-have,” Summers said. 

Electric breast pump

“Hand pumps are hard to use, so you will definitely want to have an electric pump, especially if you plan to exclusively breastfeed,” Summers said. “So this should be one of the more prominent items on your list.” 

Baby monitor

We can’t always be everywhere baby is at all times, so a baby monitor comes in handy, especially one with both audio and visual. 

Baby books

These will range from infant stage — the bath-time books — to actual books for toddlers to help them learn. Ask for a range, as books will be some of the most used items in your home. 

Diaper bag

Select a diaper bag that will meet all your storage and other needs, and which can transition well if your baby will be going to day care. 

Humidifier

Those nights when baby is stuffy, a humidifier will come in handy to add moisture to the air. “Good ones can be a bit pricey, so it’s a great item to add to the registry so your friends and family can chip in to fund it for you,” Summers said. 

Baby gates

You’ll probably have a little runner or explorer on your hands, so identify the areas in your house where you will need barriers, measure the space, and ask for gates for those spaces. “Baby gates are pretty essential, and you want to ask for the models that are safe and that work, so adding this item to your registry is an excellent idea,” Summers said.