Here’s what you need:
-crib, crib mattress, waterproof mattress cover/pad, 2 sets crib sheets
-infant car seat
-stroller w attachments to put infant car seat in if desired
-diapers & wipes
-onesies and zip up pjs in multiple sizes
-breastfeeding supplies and/or bottle feeding supplies
-digital thermometer
-baby nail clippers & hair brush
-baby soap/shampoo and lotion
-basic baby medicine (infant Tylenol, saline drops, gas drops)

Here’s what you may like to have:
-infant carrier
-bouncy seat
-swing
-playmat/baby gym
-monitor
-changing table
-diaper bag
-rocking chair/glider
-baby bath tub
-hooded towels, baby wash cloths
-swaddlers, sleep sacks
-pacifiers, teethers
-white noise machine
-nightlight
-pack n play

What you’ll need later so can put on registry or not depending on how much space you have to store stuff:
-high chair
-solid food feeding supplies
-convertible car seat
-clothes & diapers in larger sizes

What you really don’t need to put on there at all (because people will give it to you anyway):
-books
-toys
-any clothing beyond the basics
-baby blankets

My advice is to prioritize the items you will need right away and the must-have items and save some of your budget for things you want to acquire after the baby comes bc your needs will come into focus.

I delivered last fall; before I did I read this column by Emily Oster about COVID. At the bottom she had a terrific minimalist list of the things to have at home day 1. I found so much of the registry stuff seemed to be these exhaustive, overwhelming lists as opposed to here is what you need.
https://emilyoster.substack.com/p/birth-in-the-time-of-covid-19

Anonymous wrote:+1 about the baby bargains book and following the checklists that the registry site will give you. Definitely register at a brick-and-mortar store where you can go return and exchange stuff easily and look around for what you might like best. I found that helpful.

The idea of going to a brick and mortar store any time within 6 months of giving birth is a horror story to me, thank god for Amazon and covid.

I used Wirecutter and Lucie’s list but also, put a ton of books on the registry. It’s fun, and you can’t have too many.

Lucie's list is great.

+1 about the baby bargains book and following the checklists that the registry site will give you. Definitely register at a brick-and-mortar store where you can go return and exchange stuff easily and look around for what you might like best. I found that helpful.

Baby Bargains book is great (if it still in print). The author compares a bunch of stuff in each category and gives you a splurge, reasonable and on the cheap option for things.

I have gone with a few friends and walked BuyBuyBaby and pointed out what I liked and what I skipped. You could ask a friend. I also virtually did it for my sister. We went category but category and I gave my opinion.

Lucies list!

Babylist has really good sample registries, including one for “the minimalist.” Even if you don’t have any interest in creating your registry with them, it’s a great place to start to think about the essentials and go from there!

Also as someone who spent so much time researching baby gear and gadgets to build my registry, I wish I’d spent less time worrying about the gear and gadgets and more time actually researching caring for a newborn! At the end of the day, you’ll be just fine with a ktan or a moby, but spend a lot of time prepping for what caring for an infant actually looks like, bc as prepared and researched as I felt, I was so so so under prepared!

Anonymous wrote:I was completely overwhelmed by this (and DH was no help). I used a website called Lucie's List that I found really helpful. It takes you through the categories of things you need, explains some of the main considerations, and gives suggestions (all of which ended up being good, in my experience).

+1 Lucie's List is great.

I felt similar when I was pregnant, but don't overthink this. Just pick one registry - I used Amazon. Add a Chicco Keyfit 30 carseat, muslin swaddles, Halo sleep sack, Skip Hop changing pad, a baby K'tan, Fisher Price Take Along Swing, and a Baby Trend snap n go stroller. Add a bathtub and perhaps a baby gym. Along with the crib, this is most of what you'll need for at least 6 months. Register for gift certificates so you can purchase more things as you need them.

And to make your life hard OP - I loved Babylist precisely because I could register for items all over the internet. I avoided this for our wedding (Zola) in favor of a brick and mortar store (Macy’s). I ended returning so much stuff post wedding because I realized I had “settled” for what was available at that store instead of what I really wanted. Composite registry all the way!

It’s hard to know exactly what you’ll end up using. I did my registry all with one place (buybuybaby) so that I could easily return what I didn’t end up needing, in person and get store credit at one place. I found online registries like Amazon and baby list annoying to deal with for that reason. I think babylist is the most annoying because your friends can buy from anywhere, which means you have to return anywhere if you don’t end up using it. It’s also a pain for family and friends looking for a gift at a specific price point because the price can differ once you click on the link.

I had a great experience with buybuybaby and was able to use the credit over the next year or so as my baby grew and I needed all sorts of things.

One of my favorite registry things I always recommend is the Newton Baby mattress (https://newtonbaby.com/social). It’s made so that baby can breathe through it even if they end up face down on it. I had a lot of anxiety about my LO when I first brought them home, and this would have helped so much! Now I’m just loving that it’s 100% washable.

But I found really helpful was browsing other peoples registries. I give me a good sense of what types of products people are putting on their registry, what trends I liked, and in many cases, let me see how totally excessive people were and helped me streamline. Registries stay online for a while, so why don’t you do this: pick four or five friends whose style and taste you admire, and who have had children, and look at theirs. It helped me a ton!

You did not just as for a consultant for a baby registry.

If this is something that new parents are willing to pay for, then I’m doing this and charging.