With a baby on the way, you may feel like there are a thousand to-dos. But one of the most important? Putting together your baby registry. Friends and family members will be eager to pick out presents for you and baby, so you may as well direct them to a list of items you actually want and need (and trust us, you’re going to need a fair amount). But with so many baby essentials to pick out, it’s hard to know where to begin. Which is why we’ve compiled the ultimate baby registry checklist, so you don’t forget a thing.
In this article:
What is a baby gift registry?
When to register for baby?
Where to register for baby in Malaysia?
What to register for baby?
Baby registry checklist
The wish list ensures the person gets what they really need and want and not worry about duplicate gifts, therefore reducing wastage.
Just like a wedding registry, you can then share your baby registry with family, friends and baby shower guests eager to present gifts to the parents-to-be.
When to Register for Baby?
While you can create a baby registry at any time, most moms-to-be start going through their baby registry checklist when they’re about 12 weeks along. That may seem early, but building a baby registry can take some work—infant care tends to call for a fair amount of stuff.
If you’re waiting to find out baby’s sex, you might want to hold off on creating your baby registry until you hear the news (which usually happens by 20 weeks), since it could influence which designs and color choices you go with. But don’t wait too much longer—you want to give yourself plenty of time to research the gear you’ll need and decide which items you’re going to count as baby registry essentials. (Plus, your guests will need some time to browse through your registry and pick out the perfect gift!)
Best Baby Gift Registry: Where to Register for Baby?
When it comes time to build your baby registry, there are not many options available in Malaysia. Here are some of the best places to register for baby:
The idea came about when May Leng, the founder was expected to pop for her very first time!While preparing all the necessities of a newborn, she finally realised that there is really so much to be needed for a newborn and so much fun can be made with organising a baby shower with her best friend. With all the research online for the newborn on “must have items with specific sizes and brands”, by accident, she saw a gift registry for weddings and she thought, “why not create my set of WishList for my baby shower too ? I could get what I need and my friends and family won’t need to be stressed thinking about what to get for my baby boy!”
With this idea in her mind and knowing there are other busy people who could benefit from such a simple service, she decided to develop a gift registry website. She then contacted her bubbly girlfriend, Karen who loves celebrations and always organising birthday surprises and random celebrations to tag along with this idea.
Now comes the slightly harder part—figuring out which are the baby registry must-haves. When it comes to creating a baby registry checklist, there are no right and wrong answers—what you put on your wish list is completely up to you. But there are some things that are going to be crucial when caring for a newborn. We quizzed Dyan Hes, MD, the medical director of Gramercy Pediatrics in New York City, on what those must-haves might be. Here’s what she finds hugely helpful, along with some of our own must-have baby registry items:
- Infant car seat
- Stroller or baby carrier
- Newborn clothing
- Crib, mattress, mattress cover and crib sheets
- Baby monitor
- Bottles, a breast pump if breastfeeding, formula if not
- Bibs and burp cloths
- Newborn-size disposable or cloth diapers and wipes
- Baby bathtub and toiletries
- Baby first aid kit, rectal thermometer and nail clippers
- Baby bouncer
These are some of the top baby registry essentials—see below for a complete baby registry checklist.
What not to registry for
There are plenty of must-haves to add to your baby registry checklist, but what are those baby items that you can actually skip? Here, a few products you can safely pass on:
• Crib bumpers. “They’re a hazard, because kids can gets their heads wedged between the bumpers and the bars,” Hes explains. The AAP strongly advises against the use of bumpers, saying they pose a risk of suffocation, strangulation or entrapment.
• Wipe warmers. In the end, baby’s bottom will be clean regardless of whether the wipe is warm or cold. If you think it’s too chilly for baby’s comfort, hold the wipe between your hands for a couple minutes to heat it up (without drying it out).
• Baby shoes. It doesn’t get much cuter than baby shoes, we know. But the truth is that infants just don’t need shoes—after all, baby’s not exactly walking anywhere, and your child is pretty likely to just kick them off. Stick with inexpensive booties or socks for now.
There’s a seemingly endless list of baby registry items that could land on your checklist—so which products actually deserve a spot? Here, your ultimate baby registry checklist for the necessities you’ll need to have on hand when baby arrives. Happy shopping!
Baby clothes
- 4-8 onesies (wide head openings and loose legs)
- 4-8 undershirts (snaps at neck or wide head openings, snaps under crotch)
- 4-8 one-piece pajamas
- 2 blanket sleepers for winter baby
- 1-3 sweaters or jackets (front buttoned)
- 1-3 rompers or other dress-up outfits
- 4-7 socks or booties (shoes are unnecessary until baby walks
- 1-3 hats (broad-brimmed for a summer baby, soft cap that covers ears for a winter baby)
- No-scratch mittens
- Bunting bag or fleece suit for a winter baby
Nursery items
- Crib, cradle or bassinet
- Firm, flat mattress that fit snugly in crib (less than two fingers should fit between mattress and crib)
- Rocking or arm chair
- Baby monitor
- Nightlight
- Dresser
- A cool mist humidifier (warm mist can breed bacteria in the humidifier)
- Toy basket
Baby bedding
- 1-3 washable crib mattress pads
- 2-4 fitted crib sheets
- 4-6 soft, light receiving blankets
- 1-2 heavier blankets (for colder climates)
Diapering must-haves
- Changing table or cushioned changing pad for low dresser or bureau, with safety strap or railing
- Diaper pail and liners
- Diaper bag
- Diaper cream
- Unscented baby wipes (causes less irritation)
- Soft washcloths
- 6-10 dozen cloth diapers and 6-8 diaper covers, or 2-3 large boxes of disposable newborn-size diapers
Bath items
- Baby bathtub
- Baby soap
- Baby shampoo
- 2-4 soft towels or hooded baby towels
- Baby hairbrush
- Soft washcloths (use a different color or pattern than your diaper washcloths!)
- Gentle laundry detergent
Feeding essentials
- 10-16 bottles and nipples, both 4- and 8- ounce (if fed strictly by bottle, baby will go through about 10 in the 4-ounce size per day)
- Pump (if you plan to breastfeed)
- Milk storage bags (if you plan to breastfeed)
- Nursing pads (if you plan to breastfeed)
- Nipple cream (if you plan to breastfeed)
- Nursing pillow (if you plan to breastfeed)
- Bottle brush
- Dishwasher basket for small items
- 4-8 bibs
- Burp cloths
- 2-4 pacifiers
- Formula (if not nursing)
Health products
- Baby nail clippers or blunt scissors
- Baby thermometer
- Petroleum jelly and sterile gauze (for circumcision care)
- First aid kit
Baby gear
- Infant or convertible car seat
- Stroller or infant carrier
- Baby swing or bouncer
- Playard with bassinet
- High chair
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