Baby registry checklist: what you need, how many, and what to skip

Feeding

Don't register for a breast pump your health plan covers. Marketplace and other health insurance plans, except grandfathered ones, must cover breastfeeding equipment for as long as you breastfeed, as a rental or a pump you keep ^[7]. The HRSA guidelines behind that rule list double electric pumps, pump parts and milk storage supplies among the supplies covered without cost sharing ^[8]. See getting a breast pump through insurance, or breast pumps through Medicaid, by state.

• Breast pump (0 on the registry, must-have if you'll pump): order it through your plan, and use a gift card only for an upgrade fee.
• Milk storage bags (1 box, can wait): ask your plan first, since HRSA's guidelines include storage supplies ^[8].
• Bottles (4 to 6 if you pump or use formula, 2 to 3 if you mostly breastfeed, must-have): start small and add more once you know which ones your baby takes.
• Bottle brush (1, must-have with bottles): CDC says to scrub feeding items with a brush used only for them ^[9].
• Wash basin (1, must-have with bottles): CDC says not to wash feeding items directly in the sink, which may hold germs ^[9].
• Burp cloths (6 to 10, must-have): cheap, and they end up in every room.
• Nursing pillow (1, optional): CPSC says never to use one for infant sleep or lounging ^[10].
• Bottle drying rack (1, optional): CDC says air-drying on a clean dish towel or paper towel is probably more hygienic than a rack ^[9].

If you'll buy a pump yourself, the breast pumps guide starts with what insurance covers. For bottles, see baby bottles by feeding need.

Diapering

The National Diaper Bank Network says infants need up to 12 diapers a day ^[11], or up to about 84 a week by our math. The trap is newborn size: Pampers' chart fits newborn diapers to babies under 10 pounds and size 1 to babies from 8 to 14 pounds, and says many babies outgrow newborn size within the first month ^[12]. Our guide to how many diapers a newborn needs has counts by size.

• Newborn-size diapers (1 to 2 weeks' worth, must-have): keep this count modest so you aren't left with boxes your baby has outgrown.
• Size 1 diapers (more than newborn, must-have): this is where most of your diaper boxes should go.
• Wipes (4 to 6 packs, must-have): wipes come in one size, so extras won't be outgrown.
• Diaper cream (1 to 2 tubes, must-have): ask your pediatrician if a rash doesn't clear up.
• Changing pad and covers (1 pad, 2 to 3 covers, must-have): a pad on an anchored dresser can replace a changing table.
• Diaper fund (1, optional): as of October 2026, Amazon's registry lets friends and family contribute toward diapers ^[13].

For the bag itself, see diaper bags compared.

Bath and health

Newborns get sponge baths until the umbilical cord stump falls off, usually within one or two weeks ^[14], so the tub can wait.

• Washcloths and towels (4 to 6 washcloths, 2 towels, must-have): the AAP's sponge-bath setup is a basin of water, a damp washcloth and a dry towel ^[14].
• Digital thermometer (1, must-have): the AAP recommends a digital one, never mercury, and says a rectal reading is most accurate for babies under 3 months ^[15].
• Baby nail file or clippers (1, must-have): to keep tiny nails from scratching.
• Water heater check (1, must-have): the AAP says the hottest water at the faucet should be no more than 120°F ^[14].
• Infant tub (1, can wait): the AAP points to a hard plastic tub made on or after October 2, 2017 ^[14].

Clothing

Spread clothing across sizes instead of piling up newborn outfits. These counts are our estimate of what covers two or three days between laundry loads.

• Newborn-size sleepers or one-pieces (3 to 5, optional): you won't know until the birth whether your baby fits this size.
• 0 to 3 month sleepers and bodysuits (10 to 14 total, must-have): pick styles that sit loose around the belly while the cord stump heals.
• Layers for the season (a few, must-have): the AAP's rule of thumb is one more layer than you're wearing ^[1].
• 3 to 6 month outfits (4 to 6, can wait): a good size to point gift-givers to.

Nursery and gear

• Furniture anchors (1 per dresser or bookcase, must-have): CPSC urges anchoring TVs, bookcases and dressers to the wall, even though new dressers have had to meet a stability standard since September 2023 ^[16].
• Bouncer or swing (1, optional): fine for supervised awake time, but CPSC says inclined products such as swings should never be used for infant sleep ^[2].
• Stationary activity center (1, can wait): the AAP suggests one as an alternative to a wheeled walker ^[17].
• High chair (1, can wait): the AAP recommends breast milk alone for about the first 6 months, with foods after that ^[18].
• Baby gates and cabinet locks (as needed, can wait): add them once your baby starts to move around.

If you do add these, see swings and bouncers by use and high chairs for small kitchens, travel and growing kids.

What to skip

These are banned or advised against. Don't register for them, and decline them as gifts or hand-me-downs.

What can wait: the high chair, infant tub, full-size crib, bigger clothes, toys and baby-proofing gear.

Used and hand-me-down gear

Most hand-me-downs are fine. These items have hard rules.

• Car seats. NHTSA says a used seat may be okay only if it has never been in a moderate to severe crash, has labels showing its date of manufacture and model number, has no recalls, and has all its parts and its instruction book ^[21]. The AAP says to avoid a seat whose history you don't know and to ask the maker how long the seat can be used ^[20]. Search the model on NHTSA's recall site ^[22].
• Cribs. The AAP says not to use cribs with drop rails, and slats should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart ^[3]. CPSC tells resellers not to resell a full-size crib made before June 28, 2011, without written proof that it meets the requirements ^[23].
• Everything else. Search CPSC's recall list ^[24] and the safety reports on SaferProducts.gov ^[25] before you accept a bassinet, play yard, swing or stroller.
• Breast pumps. The FDA considers breast pumps single-user devices unless they're designed for multiple users ^[26].

If buying new is out of reach, see how to get a free crib or a free car seat, and have a certified technician check any seat you're given.

When to register and when to finish

Timing is common practice, not a rule. Many families start in the second trimester, share the registry with shower invitations, and aim to have the must-haves several weeks before the due date.

Perks reward starting early. As of October 2026:

Terms change, so read your registry's own terms. To start one: create an Amazon baby registry Affiliate link or create a Target baby registry. The Amazon link is an affiliate link, so we may earn a fee if you sign up or buy; the Target link isn't. Either registry works with this checklist.

For the welcome box rules at Amazon, Target, Walmart and Babylist, see registry welcome boxes.

Small spaces and second babies

Short on space? Start with a bassinet or play yard in your room, which fits the AAP's room-sharing advice ^[1]. Use a changing pad on an anchored dresser instead of a changing table, and pick a bouncer or a swing, not both.

Second baby? Check your car seat's manufacture date against the maker's recommended use period ^[20][21], and check stored gear for recalls ^[22][24]. Ask your plan about a new pump or replacement parts; HRSA's guidelines include pump parts ^[8]. Then register for what wore out and a second sleep space if your older child still uses the crib.

Registry for things money can't buy

Some of the most useful gifts are help: meals, house cleaning, rides for older kids. If your registry takes cash funds, consider one for a postpartum doula, who supports you at home after the birth. Our newborn checklist shows what those weeks involve.

Before you register for big-ticket items, check our guide to free baby stuff for programs that give families a pump, formula, a crib, a car seat or diapers.