Creating the perfect baby registry takes a good amount of thinking and research, especially as there are so many options out there.
Clearly every new parent wants to make the most of this opportunity and end up with items they will genuinely use, rather than receiving nice-to-haves that collect dust and are never opened or used.
So to help ensure you only receive the things you really want, need and will use, we’ve taken a look at the top 10 items not to include on a baby registry.
Table of Contents
What Not To Put On A Baby Registry
1. Newborn Clothes
From teeny tiny onesies and bodysuits to socks, hats and other accessories, seeing you precious new arrival wearing newborn clothing is enough to make anyone’s heart melt.
But newborn clothes don’t make a good addition to a registry for one simple reason – most babies will grown out of them within 3-6 weeks, and if you have a larger baby, you may only get 1-2 weeks use out of newborn clothing.
If you do want to add clothing or similar items, it may be a good idea to consider sleep sacks, as these often have a wide age range per garment (you can usually use the same sack from birth all the way to 6 months).
2. Baby Shoes
We know, baby shoes look utterly adorable!
But babies don’t need to wear hard-soled shoes until they start walking confidently, which could be anywhere between 9 to 18 months of age depending on your baby’s development.
So while you might be tempted to dress your little one in a pair of traditional shoes, there is no reason for a newborn to wear structured or hard-soled shoes.
If you are concerned about keeping your baby warm in cold weather, then a pair of socks or booties will do the job perfectly.
3. Wipe Warmer
The majority of babies don’t like having their diapers changed, and using a warm wipe unfortunately won’t make this any better.
In addition, wipe warmers may dry out the wipes, and can even create an environment for bacteria and mold to grow, so they are best left off your baby register.
4. Bottle Warmer
Next up on our list is a bottle warmer, because most parents don’t need to use bottle warmers given they take up space and may overcomplicate the warming-up process.
If your baby is mostly or exclusively bottle-fed, a bottle warmer may speed things up a little (although they don’t warm up bottles as quickly as you may think).
If on the other hand, your baby is mostly breastfed, or you are happy giving your little one cold breast milk or cold formula (both of which are totally safe and acceptable), then you’ll definitely want to avoid adding a bottle warmer to your register.
5. Diaper Bag
This one may be 50/50 because many parents find their diaper bag to be indispensable.
But if there are other things you’d rather include on your baby registry, you may want to skip the diaper bag, especially as many parents find that a tote bag or backpack does the job just as well and are items they already own.
6. Baby Blankets
Next up on our list of what to not put on a list is baby blankets.
There is no denying that babies need a range of blankets, but the thing is you’re probably going to receive many as gifts from friends and family.
That’s why if you look in the closet of most babies, you’re likely to see 10-20 blankets that don’t get used.
It’s also worth noting that according to the AAP, babies should not sleep with a blanket in their bassinet or crib until they are at least 12 months old to reduce the risk of suffocation or SIDS, so you will not need to use a blanket in your baby’s crib for at least one year.
7. Soft Toys
Soft or stuffed toys and loveies are another type of item that you are likely to be gifted by many people once your baby is born.
Most babies have baskets full of stuffed animal toys, and a lot of the time they prefer to only play with their favorites, so for this reason they are another type of item to leave off your baby register.
8. Books
There is no denying that reading to your child is a fantastic way to bond with your baby while helping to develop their language skills and development.
So why leave books off?
During your baby’s first year and beyond, you are likely to be gifted books by friends and relatives, and if you want to buy more books yourself, you may prefer to opt for second-hand or used books.
In addition, babies love (and learn from) repetition – so it can be better to read the same book over and over again rather than introduce too many new books.
9. Bathrobe
Much like newborn clothing, bathrobes and hooded towels are cuter than cute.
But they will sadly only last two to three months maximum, so it’s probably better to put soft, everyday towels on your baby register instead, as you’ll get much more use out of these.
10. Fancy Clothes
When your baby is in their first few months, or even during their first year, you are unlikely to take them to many places that require them to be dressed-up and look smart.
Fancy clothes often tend to be more difficult to clean, harder to take off and put on (making them impractical), and of course expensive.
So it’s probably wiser to put other items on your registry that you really need and are likely to use much more often.
How Many Items Should Be On A Baby Registry?
Somewhere between 80 to 130 items is typical, but this is just an average and there is no set rule regarding how many items you should put on your registry, so it really comes down to personal choice.
One important factor is whether you are about to have your first child or not, because clearly if this is your first baby and you don’t have any items to start off with, you’re going to need quite a few new things.
Another factor is whether you are prepared to get second-hand items (for example used strollers), or if you prefer to have everything new.
Finally, it’s important to consider how much storage space you have in your house and in your baby’s room, because if space is tight, you’re going to want to be quite ruthless in terms of the number of items in your house at any one time.
Are you wondering when exactly you should share your baby registry with friends and family?
While it comes down to personal choice, many parents-to-be like to send out the details of their registry around 4-6 months into their pregnancy.
Some moms and dads-to-be like to send out the details a little later, and closer to their diaper party or baby shower (say 2-3 weeks out), especially as guests are likely to buy the gifts after they’ve been invited to the shower.
One final thing to keep in mind is that you probably don’t want to share the details of your registry too soon, because there’s a chance some people may forget about it when it comes closer to time to buy the gifts.
Related: Deciding What Baby Gear You Really Need – The Complete Guide
