When I was pregnant with my first child, I had no idea where to begin. I knew that I would eventually need to put together a baby shower registry, but had no idea how to go about doing that. I had a few registries that I’d opened at about 3 to 4 different stores.

We did two things. We went to the stores to scan things onto our wishlist, and added things online as well (since some stores didn’t have certain things in stock). It was a lot of work. After a while, we found ourselves just adding whatever we saw that was even remotely interesting to our baby shower registry.

We had 3 baby showers for the first child. One in each of our hometowns, and one in the city where we were living at that time. I realized that there were many things that we’d added to our registries that we did not necessarily need.

After lugging so many gifts home, and opening them, we quickly realized the mistake. Some people did not bother to buy things from our baby shower registry, resulting in multiples of items. Many people bought us clothing and some of the more fun and cheaper items on the registry. Others just gave us gift cards or egift cards, which always come in handy if you can remember to take them with you to the store.

We ended up making many store runs on a regular basis for essential things that we had not even thought of adding to our registries. These are the reasons why I choose gifts that I know many people won’t bother to purchase when I am baby shower gift-giving.

By the time I’d become pregnant with our second child, we still had pretty much everything that we used with the first baby. So, my registry was much shorter. Instead of a baby shower, we had a baby sprinkle. This way guests could purchase girl-specific gifts since our first child is a boy.

When it became time to prepare for our third baby, my husband had already detoxed our lives and living space of everything baby. If you can’t tell, we were not planning to have anymore babies. Since this was the case, our baby shower registry was a bit longer than it was the time before, but we still had a lot of support.

If you want to maximize your gift receiving potential, invite your baby shower guests strategically.

One thing that we always heard from our closest family members is “I am just waiting to see what people buy, then I will purchase the things that are left”. I believe those words were said with great intentions behind them. However, it doesn’t help you feel better about waiting until the baby is basically here for someone to purchase that expensive carseat from your baby shower registry that you’ll need in order to bring the baby home.

So here’s some quick advice.

Be sure to send your baby shower registry link(s) to all of your close family members and friends, especially if they have supported you before. Don’t be afraid to share it with co-workers, associates of social organizations where you participate, and anyone else who asks. Many times, they will purchase something from your registry quicker than some of the people who are the closest to you. List your essential must-have items and the more expensive ones first on the registry. Most people will not take the time to scroll all the way through it.

Save those gift cards.

Anytime there are things that come up that baby needs (and they will), you have gift cards to purchase them with. I had to strategically plant gift cards in my purse and car to ensure that I would have them with me when I needed them.

I had a lot of fun putting my baby shower lists together and trying out new items over the last 8 years. However, I wish I would’ve had someone tell me exactly what to do. It would’ve prevented a lot of anxiety for me.

So, here is my attempt at making your life easier.

There are many different brands and varying opinions on each item, but these brands can be trusted.

Table of Contents

Things You’ll Need Right Away!

For Diapering:

1. Diapers

2. Diaper Bag

3. Wipes

4. Diaper Pail

5. Wipes Warmer

6. Diaper rash cream

For Sleeping:

7. Swaddles

8. Bassinet

9. Crib

10. Crib Mattress

11. Crib Sheets & Sheet Protectors

12. Baby Monitor

For Feeding:

13. Bottles

14. Burp Cloths

15. Bibs

16. Bottle Cooler Bag

17. Bottle Drying Rack

18. Bottle Warmer

19. Bottle Sterilizer

20. Baby Formula (If you’re not giving your baby breastmilk)

For Transporting:

21. Baby Carrier

22. Car Seat

23. Car Seat Mirror

24. Car Seat Rain Cover

For Health:

25. Pacifiers

26. Infant vitamin D

27. Nasal aspirator

28. Thermometer

29. Nail care set

30. Humidifier

For Bathing:

31. Bathtub

32. Towels

33. Wash cloths

34. Baby 2-in-1 Shampoo and Wash

35. Baby lotion

For clothing:

36. Onesies (long and short sleeve)

37. Hats

38. Pants

39. Sleepers

40. Socks

41. Outerwear (coat, jacket)

42. Mittens & Hats

43. Formal outfit (for special occasions)

For education and development:

44. Books

45. Activity gym

46. Swing/Bouncer

For Breastfeeding Mamas:

47. Electric Breast pump

48. Manual Breast Pump

49. Breastmilk Storage Bags

50. Nipple Balm

51. Nursing Pillow

Things You Need After 6 Months!

52. Seat/Lounger

53. Walking Toy

54. Shoes

55. Teethers

56. High Chair

57. Meal-Time Bibs

58. Silicon Suction Plates and Bowls

59. Silicon Spoons

60. Cup

61. Bath Toys

62. Larger Bottles

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