What do you need for a newborn? Here’s a complete baby registry checklist and free printable so you know which essentials to stock up on.

I will never forget the feeling of when I walked into a baby store to register during my first pregnancy. There were so many baby essentials I had no idea I needed, and it was overwhelming.

But come to find out, I didn’t actually need all of the baby items I was told were “necessities.” Yes, it’s true that there are a lot of things you need, but you don’t need everything people tell you to get.

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Out of the thousands of baby items out there, we’ve compiled a complete baby registry checklist- the baby items that are the most essential to (1) have and (2) have ready before your baby is born.

Just a note- in this post I only focus on items you need for your baby, (not postpartum needs for moms, etc.,) and mostly items you’ll want from when they are newborn to 3 months, although a lot of these things can be used for longer.

So if you’re doing a registry- these are the main things you’ll want to register for- whether you choose to register at a store in person or make an online baby registry, (such as with Amazon’s free baby registry.)

I can also send you this full list of baby essentials, so you have it for later.

Baby Clothing Items You Need

Register for/stock up on newborn, 0-3 month, and 3-6 month sized clothes. (And if you also get bigger sizes that’s good too, but I suggest you at least have these sizes before your baby is born.) Note that babies grow fast and sometimes are in a higher month size than their actual age.

Types of Baby Clothing to Stock Up On

• Onesies
• Sleepers (these look like one-piece zip-up/button up PJ’s and are my FAVORITE type of baby clothing)
• Pants (for daytime and PJ bottoms)
• Shirts (for daytime and PJ tops)
• Socks
• Sweaters/sweatshirts
• Dress clothes (such as for religious or formal occasions)- pretty dresses & stockings for girls; dress shirts, pants & ties for boys
• Shoes/boots
• Coats/jackets
• Mittens
• Hats
• Dresser (or something of the like) for clothing storage
• Blankets
• Burp cloths

Baby Changing Items You Need

• Changing table & pad
• Diapers– Have enough to last you for the first several weeks at least. I recommend stocking up on sizes Newborn to 2. You don’t want to be rushing out to buy diapers right after you have your baby.
• Wipes
• Diaper rash cream/ointment

Feeding Supplies to Stock Up On

• Breast Pump
• Freezer-friendly containers/storage bags for milk– if you plan on nursing.
• Bottles– Even if you’re nursing, I’m sure you will want to use them at some point.
• Formula– (for moms who aren’t nursing or want to supplement)
• Boppy pillow– This is optional, but I highly recommend having one to use during feedings, especially if you will be nursing. (It makes it a million times more comfortable in my opinion- for you and for baby.)
• Bibs

Travel Necessities to Have

• Baby’s car seat– Although it may cost a little more, I really like this car seat brand for newborns, because it’s super easy to install and stays secure and in place in the car- we’ve used it in at least 4 vehicles and it worked well in all of them. (There was a different well-known car seat brand we previously used that wasn’t as secure- it would slide around when you turned the car despite it being as tight as possible- not cool.)
• Newborn insert– The car seat I linked above includes support for newborns, but surprisingly, some brands of newborn car seats don’t include these. So you may have to purchase one separately if your newborn seat doesn’t come with one. A newborn insert protects and supports your little one’s head from moving around too much while they’re in their car seat, and you can also use it for other things, like strollers and swings. With both of our babies we had to use it for the first month or 2 at least, and I didn’t feel like they were safe without it. I had never even heard of a newborn insert before someone gave us one at my first shower, but I’m so glad they did.
• Stroller
• Baby carrier– I like this one because it can be worn 4 different ways which works well both for when they’re little and as they get older. I always took this shopping when my babies were young because they didn’t always want to stay in their car seat in the cart.
• Diaper bag

Items to Stock in Your Diaper Bag

• Diapers
• Wipes
• Portable changing pad
• Baby blankets & burp rags– Keep a couple of each in the diaper bag.
• Diaper rash cream
• Extra change(s) of baby clothes
• Nursing cover
• Hand wipes / hand sanitizer
• 1-2 extra clean pacifiers
• Bottles/feeding supplies– Add any fresh bottles/supplies to your diaper bag right before you leave for each trip.
• Small disposable bags

Bathing & Hygiene Supplies for Baby

• Baby bath tub or bather
• Baby wash & shampoo, baby lotion/baby oil
• Baby wash cloths
• Baby bath towels
• First aid kit
• Baby care kit– this should include:
• Thermometer
• Baby nail clippers/files
• Comb and brush
• Nasal aspirator

Note: a lot of parents opt for a Nosefrida nasal aspirator. Regular aspirators don’t always work so well. You’ll likely need to purchase it separately from the other supplies in a baby care kit.

Items for Baby’s Sleeping Area

• Sleeper, bassinet, or crib
• Crib sheets and mattress– if you will be using a crib.
• Baby monitors– If you can afford it, you may want baby monitors that also have video, so you can actually see how your baby is doing.
• Pacifiers
• Humidifier or vaporizer, optional- I personally didn’t use either, but I know other parents have. I would research your options on these first as there seems to be conflicting medical opinions, pros, cons, risks, and benefits to both of these.

Items to Keep Baby Occupied & Content

• Toys
• Bouncers– I like having these in multiple rooms throughout the house so I have different places to put my baby down when I need to.
• Baby Swing– These are great for keeping babies content and also puts them to sleep sometimes!

All these items we just discussed are the main baby items to register/stock up so you can have them before your baby is born. They should last you for the first few months, without you needing much else for a while.

Some Other Items to Register for and/or Have for When Baby gets Older

• Playpen
• Walker
• Baby spoons
• Teether(s)
• Baby food- I personally waited to buy baby food until my baby was old enough to eat solids, but if you find baby food with a far off expiration date, you can purchase some in advance, especially if you catch sales.
• Plug covers and other baby-proofing items like baby safety gates, etc.)

These last several items I just mentioned because you may want to register for or stock up them on in advance, although they may not be necessities right away.

So this is the complete baby registry checklist- the baby items every new mom should register for and stock up on before her baby is born. Granted, there are a lot of baby items you need. But there are also a lot of things that are unnecessary, so try not to get caught up in all the things you could get.

Thanks for reading.

✅Remember to download the complete baby registry checklist. You don’t want to forget anything!

Have a great day!

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