The first-time parent baby registry, by life stage
First-time parent registries fail in a predictable way: they're organized around baby category labels ("feeding," "sleep," "bath time") rather than around what life actually looks like in the first year. The result is a list with five swaddles you don't use until week three and zero of the things you desperately need on day two.
We organized this guide by life stage instead. The newborn weeks are not the toddler months. The things you'll wish you had at 2am with a four-day-old are different from the things you'll wish you had at month seven when they're starting to sit up. Register accordingly.
Day one to week six (newborn)
Sleep gear
A bassinet that fits next to your bed. Not a full crib — a bassinet. Newborns need to be in your room for the first months, and getting up to a separate room every two hours is brutal. A simple bedside bassinet is the highest-leverage purchase of the first six weeks. Sleep sacks in newborn size, several. A white noise machine. A pacifier variety pack — you don't know which shape your baby will accept until they pick.
Feeding (whether you breastfeed, bottle-feed, or both)
If breastfeeding: a high-quality electric pump, several breast pads, lanolin or nipple balm, and a pumping bra (not optional — you'll need both hands free). Insurance often covers a basic pump but the upgrade is usually worth registering for. If bottle feeding: a sterilizer, a drying rack, and bottles in 4oz and 8oz sizes. Most babies eventually develop preferences for specific bottle types — register for one or two to start, not the variety pack.
Diapering
A changing pad and a stack of contoured covers. Three diaper caddies for different rooms (bedroom, living room, anywhere you'll change them). A diaper subscription from your favorite brand — registering for diapers feels unromantic but is one of the most-requested items by experienced parents.
Clothes
Newborn-size onesies (8–12), zipper sleepers (4–6 — zippers, not snaps; you will care about this at 3am), and a few going-out outfits. Skip the elaborate matching sets. Your newborn will spit up on every outfit and you will rotate through them in 24 hours.
For the parents
A really good bottle of postpartum-friendly wine. A meal delivery service for the first month. Comfortable nursing/lounging clothes for the parent doing nights. These are registry-eligible and are some of the most-used gifts.
Week six to month four
The longer-stay items
A crib (or convertible crib that becomes a toddler bed). A glider or rocking chair if you've been making do with a hard chair. A larger sleep sack as the newborn one gets tight. A baby monitor — a video monitor, not just audio. The day you can put the baby down in the crib and go eat dinner without worrying is a milestone, and a good monitor is what enables it.
Mobility
A stroller. The big variable: do you live in a city (lighter, more maneuverable, fits on transit) or suburbs (jogging-friendly, larger storage, easier on uneven sidewalks)? A car seat if you didn't already have one. An infant carrier or wrap — you will use this an enormous amount in months two through six.
Bath time
Baby shampoo, a soft hooded towel, a sink-fitting infant bath insert. A full plastic baby bathtub takes up an enormous amount of space and is rarely worth the storage.
Month four to month nine
Solid food
High chair. Several silicone bib-and-tray sets that catch food. Soft-tipped spoons. A food processor or hand blender for purees. Bowls and plates with suction bottoms (this is non-negotiable; without suction the bowl flies across the room within seconds).
Mobility part two
Babyproofing kit (outlet covers, cabinet locks, corner guards). A safety gate for stairs if relevant. The babyproofing window is short — a few weeks between starting to crawl and being everywhere at once — and you want this stuff already in the house, not ordered after a near-miss.
Toys
Soft books. A play gym. A few rattles. Things that wash. You don't need much — babies under a year are largely entertained by household objects (kitchen utensils, empty boxes, your phone) and a few thoughtful toys are plenty.
What to skip (for now)
Wipe warmer
A solution to a problem most babies don't have. They'll cry the first few times no matter what.
Shoes for non-walking babies
They'll outgrow them before walking. Cute photos, no functional value.
Specialty branded baby clothes in newborn size
They'll outgrow newborn-size clothes in a few weeks. The expensive brands are worth registering for in 6m and 12m sizes, not 0–3m.
Crib bedding sets
Current sleep guidance is bare crib until at least 12 months — no bumpers, no blankets, no decorative pillows. The pretty bedding sets are essentially decorative. Skip them.
Anything that requires careful storage
Baby keepsake jewelry, hand-painted heirloom items. Lovely sentiment, almost always misplaced or damaged in the chaos of the first year. Save for birthdays once things settle.
Price-range strategy
Baby registries skew toward more thoughtful gift-givers (grandparents, close family and friends). It's reasonable to have a few higher-priced items in the $200–$500 range — a stroller, a crib, a high-end carrier — that group gifting can cover. But keep most of the registry in the $25–$100 range so guests at every price point have good options.
How Reggie handles this
Reggie's questionnaire for a baby registry asks the questions most online baby registries don't: are you breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or both? Are you in a small city apartment or a suburban home? Is this your first baby, or a second/third where you already have most of the basics? Each answer materially changes what gets recommended. The result is a registry that reflects your actual situation rather than a pre-fab category list.