Top 5 Things I Wish I Put on My Baby Registry: Must Haves and Checklist for Expecting Parents

When you're running around with the gift registry scanner in hand, you suddenly find a thousand things you didn't even realize you needed or existed!

Suddenly, all the gizmos and gadgets start calling your name. But, what items do you really need?

Knowing what they know now (the importance of good sleep), a lot of parents say they would have prioritized their registries differently to avoid sleep issues down the road. 

We’ve been in your position, and we know the stress that comes with preparing to bring new life into this world. So, read this list of the top 5 things I wish I put on my baby registry so you can feel confident for your child’s arrival!

If you’re not sure what to put on a baby registry, our complete baby registry checklist will leave you feeling confident in preparing for your child’s birth. Let’s get right into the top baby registry must haves!

What is a Baby Registry?

Before we get into our baby registry checklist and talk about what to put on a baby registry, what is this in the first place?

A baby registry is a curated list of items that expecting parents deem necessary or desirable for their newborn. This list typically includes a range of products from basic necessities like diapers and baby clothing to bigger ticket items such as a crib or a stroller. 

Registries can be created at various retail stores or online platforms, allowing family and friends to purchase gifts that the parents actually need or want. 

It's a practical tool that helps streamline the process of preparing for a baby's arrival, ensuring parents get items they require while minimizing the chances of duplicate or unnecessary gifts. So, why is a solid list of baby registry must-haves so important?

The Importance of Knowing What to Put on a Baby Registry

• Ensures Essential Needs are Met: By carefully selecting items for the registry, parents can ensure they receive the essential items needed for the early stages of their baby’s life. This is particularly important for first-time parents who might not yet have a collection of baby gear.
• Budget Management: A registry allows parents to plan and manage their baby-related expenses better. Friends and family can contribute to larger, more expensive items, easing financial burdens.
• Convenience for Gift-Givers: A registry takes the guesswork out of gift-giving. Friends and family appreciate knowing what parents need, which makes shopping for baby gifts more straightforward and meaningful.
• Personalized Choices: Parents can select items that suit their lifestyle and preferences. For example, eco-conscious parents might opt for organic baby clothing and reusable cloth diapers.
• Long-term Planning: A registry can include items that will be useful as the baby grows, such as convertible car seats or developmental toys, ensuring parents are prepared for future needs.
• Sharing the Joy: A baby registry is also a way for loved ones to feel involved in the excitement and anticipation of the new arrival. It allows them to give gifts that they know will be cherished and used

Top 5 Things I Wish I Put on My Baby Registry

You may not realize just how important sleep is quite yet, since your baby is still being compared to a garden fruit. But you'll soon see that the most important items to put on your registry are things that'll soothe your newborn so you can both sleep as long and as peacefully as possible.

1. Stock Up On Overnight Diapers

A few exhaustive nights of changing super-soaked diapers quickly put overnight diapers at the top of the I-wish-I'd-registered-for-this list.

While you'll certainly be up several times in the night with feedings and diaper changes, the longer you can keep baby dry and comfortable, the longer you'll both be able to sleep soundly.

2. Turn Your Nursery Into An Acoustic Whale Party

Unless you have endless amount of air to shush your baby to sleep with every stir...get a sound machine! White noise mimics the womb environment to help babies settle.

As part of your bedtime routine, place the sound machine in the nursery (not too close to the crib) and turn the volume on low. Your sleep will forever change when fussy babies get a gentle reminder that they are not alone- they are in a sea of peaceful whales singing, nature chirping, or another soothing setting.

Trust us - this will make life so much easier when it comes time to make the crib transition. Learn more about when should baby sleep in own room in our blog.

3. Tackle The To Do List With The Zen Swaddle

When baby starts getting those heavy eyes and rubbing his eyelids, but you've got a thousand things to accomplish around the house, put them in the Zen Swaddle® weighted newborn swaddle:

• It’s gently weighted to mimic your touch, so your baby can learn to fall asleep on his own—and you’re free to, you know, do life.
• The easy-to-wrap wing design means you spend less time trying to figure out how to put it on and more time getting stuff done.
• It’s 2 sizes in 1 and can be wrapped with arms in or out, so it’s going to last well through the newborn stages

We have other great weighted sleepwear including different swaddle types - such as our arms up swaddle, zipper swaddle, and bamboo fabric swaddle. If you don’t already know the importance of how to dress baby for sleep, read our guide.

4. Keep A Watchful Eye Wherever You Are!

At first, when you hear baby cooing and rustling around, you're going to want to get up and check on her each time there's a crinkle of the mattress.

You’ll get a lot more rest when you know there's nothing to worry about. You probably knew you should add a baby monitor to your registry, but you’ll rest even easier if you get one with these key features:

• Night-vision camera that allows you to check in on baby without disturbing her
• A thermostat, so you can avoid long nights getting up to just check on the room temperature

5. Add a Sleep Sack To Your Bedtime Routine

You know now that properly designed sleepwear can really make a difference when everybody's ready to rest their eyelids. From the best baby pajamas for sleep to the best transition swaddle, Nested Bean has you covered. 

Instead of filling your cart with regular old PJs, consider some sleepwear that will actually help your baby sleep longer. But, what about when it comes time to make the swaddle transition? 

If you don’t already know when to stop swaddling baby or how long to swaddle a baby for, just know this - your child will no longer be able to use a swaddle safely after the first 6 months or so of their life.

This leads to the dreaded signs of sleep regression when you try to take the swaddle away - but this is where the sleep sack benefits come in to save the day!

Wait - what is a sleep sack? It’s a unique twist on the swaddle that allows for freedom of movement while still keeping them wrapped in a cozy, tight embrace. 

And here at Nested Bean, we’ve applied the same weighted technology that makes our swaddles special to our weighted sleep sacks. Whether you need a bamboo fabric sleep sack for warm summer nights or a winter sleep sack for frigid winter evenings, we’ve got you covered!

Learn more about sleep sack sizing, what to wear under sleep sack, when to stop using sleep sack, and transitioning out of sleep sack in our blog. Or if you aren’t sure which specific sleep sack to add to your baby registry, read our guides to the best transitional sleep sack or the best sleep sack for winter.

New parents swear by gently weighted Zen Sleepwear™ because it’s designed to soothe like your touch. Gently weighted Cuddle Pads mimic your embrace, so babies fall asleep faster and sleep longer.

Add an assortment of our Zen Sleepwear products to your registry now, so you can give your baby a head start on a healthy sleep routine.

Complete Baby Registry Checklist: What to Put on a Baby Registry

We’ve covered the top baby registry must haves. But maybe you’re looking for more advice on what to put on a baby registry beyond the essentials. So, review our comprehensive baby registry checklist below and see what’s missing from yours!

Wrapping Up Our List of Baby Registry Must-Haves

The process of filling out a baby registry is a time of excitement and uncertainty. You’re so eager to get baby here earthside to meet them, and you want to have everything they could ever need by the time they arrive.

Your friends and family are excited to play a part in your child’s life as well, and they want to help you set out on the right parenthood path by buying things off your baby registry checklist. So, as we wrap up this list of the top 5 things I wish I put on my baby registry, get to work filling yours out and sharing it with your loved ones!

You can learn more about the world of parenthood with tips on how to hold a newborn, when to start sleep training, newborn sleep schedule, baby nap schedule, safe cosleeping, why your newborn cries when put down, newborn bedtime routine, and more in our blog.

But why not get a headstart on completing your baby registry checklist? There’s a lot to do as you get ready for your child’s birth, but step one is getting all the stuff they need - starting with Nested Bean weighted sleepwear so you can BOTH enjoy a restful night’s sleep!