Baby Gear & Registry Essentials

Sleep space

One safe place for every sleep, day and night — this is the single most important item on any registry.

• ✓Firm, flat mattress with a snug fitted sheet — nothing else in the crib or bassinet
• ✓A bassinet or crib that meets current safety standards (look for JPMA certification or ASTM compliance)
• ✓A wearable blanket or swaddle for warmth instead of loose blankets

• Skip these
• ✗Bumpers, pillows, positioners, and loose blankets — not safe for infant sleep
• ✗Inclined sleepers and Rock 'n Play–style seats for sleep — recalled and unsafe

Feeding

What you need depends on how you plan to feed — build the starter kit, not the full kit.

• ✓If bottle feeding: 4–6 bottles in one size to start, a bottle brush, and a drying rack
• ✓If breastfeeding: a nursing pillow you like, lanolin or balm, and access to a lactation consultant's number
• ✓Burp cloths — more than you think, roughly a dozen

Travel

The car seat is the one purchase worth researching hardest — and installing before the due date.

• ✓An infant car seat with a base, or a convertible seat if you'll keep baby rear-facing long-term
• ✓Have the install checked — many fire stations and hospitals offer free car seat checks
• ✓A stroller that clicks the car seat in is convenient, but a simple frame or umbrella stroller is enough

Health and everyday basics

The small things that get used weekly, not the gadgets used once.

• ✓Rectal thermometer, nail clippers or a file, saline drops, and a bulb or nasal aspirator
• ✓Diapers and wipes in size 1 and size 2 — babies outgrow newborn sizes fast
• ✓Two or three fitted crib sheets for 3 a.m. changes, and a changing pad with a washable cover

• Skip these
• ✗Wipe warmers, bottle warmers, and fancy diaper pails — nice-to-haves, not must-haves
• ✗Baby shoes before walking — feet grow barefoot just fine