Baby registry checklist

Admin

• The call that books the booking appointmentessentialThe NHS holds the booking appointment between weeks 8 and 12 and it has to be arranged in advance, usually by ringing a GP surgery or midwifery team. It is the first thing on this list for a reason: nothing else is time-critical yet. NHS, your antenatal appointments
• Family medical history, both sidesBooking asks about conditions on both sides of the family. Easier as a casual phone call to your parents now than as a form being filled in with a midwife waiting.
• The appointment schedule, in both calendarsThe NHS publishes the whole schedule in advance. Putting every date in both partners' calendars, with travel time, removes an entire category of argument later. NHS, your antenatal appointments
• Maternity notes and hospital numbersessentialKept together and taken to every appointment. Save the maternity unit's direct number in both parents' phones, not one.
• MAT B1 maternity certificateessentialAvailable from a doctor or midwife from around week 20 in the UK, and what maternity pay is claimed with. NHS, week 20 of pregnancy
• Parental leave paperwork, both parentsessentialBoth employers have notice deadlines. Sorting this in the second trimester is administration; sorting it in the third is a scramble.
• Freezer mealsEight to ten labelled meals, stacked somewhere reachable. The single highest-return hour of preparation available, and it needs no baby knowledge at all.
• Handover list for work, keys and anything that needs looking afterWritten and sent by around week 36, because from that point you could be unreachable with no notice.

Sleep

• Crib, carrycot or Moses basketessentialThe NHS asks that a baby sleeps in a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for every sleep for at least the first 6 months, so the first sleeping place needs to fit in your bedroom. NHS, Reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome
• Firm, flat mattress that fits snuglyessentialThe NHS wording is a firm, flat mattress that fits snugly, leaving no gaps. Mattress and sleeping place have to be bought as a pair for that to be true. NHS, What to buy for your newborn baby
• At least 4 fitted sheetsessentialFour is the NHS figure. Anyone who has changed a cot at 3am understands why the number is not two. NHS, What to buy for your newborn baby
• 2 baby sleeping bags, or sheets and a cellular blanketessentialThe NHS is explicit that duvets and pillows are not used, because of the risk of suffocation. That rules out most of what a nursery photograph shows. NHS, What to buy for your newborn baby
• Waterproof mattress coverOn the NHS list, and the reason a mattress survives the first year.
• Room thermometerNHS safer sleep guidance names a room temperature of 16C to 20C. A thermometer is the only way to know which side of that a bedroom is on. NHS, Reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome

Clothing

• At least 6 all-in-one sleepsuits or babygrowsessentialSix is the NHS figure and it is a floor rather than a target. Newborn sizing is outgrown quickly, so buying deep in one size is a common and expensive mistake. NHS, What to buy for your newborn baby
• 4 to 6 vests or bodysuits with poppers under the nappyessentialThe poppers matter more than the design. The NHS specifies bodysuits that close under the nappy. NHS, What to buy for your newborn baby
• 2 cardigans in wool or cottonessentialThe NHS says wool or cotton rather than nylon, and several light layers rather than one heavy one. NHS, What to buy for your newborn baby
• Hat, scratch mittens, socks or bootiesA sun hat for summer, wool or cotton for colder months. Scratch mittens exist because newborn fingernails are sharp and newborn aim is poor.
• Snowsuit or outdoor layer, if the season needs oneSeason-dependent. Bulky outdoor layers are not worn under car seat straps, so check what fits before buying.

Nappy changing

• Newborn nappies, disposable or reusableessentialSeveral packs to start. The NDBN puts newborn use at up to 12 a day, so the first fortnight consumes more than most people expect. National Diaper Bank Network, Fast Facts on Diaper Need
• Cotton wool, or gentle unscented alcohol-free wipesessentialThe NHS names cotton wool or gentle, non-scented, alcohol-free wipes for newborn skin. NHS, What to buy for your newborn baby
• Changing mat or a towelessentialA towel is on the NHS list as an alternative. Changing happens on the floor more often than on furniture.
• Barrier creamOn the NHS list for protecting skin.
• Somewhere for used nappies to goA dedicated bin or a routine for taking them out. Whichever you choose, decide before the first night rather than during it.

Feeding

• Muslin squaresOn the NHS list for both breastfeeding and formula feeding. The most-used item nobody puts on a registry.
• Nursing bras and breast padsOn the NHS breastfeeding list. Sizing changes late in pregnancy and again after birth, so buying very early is often wasted.
• Bottles, teats and sterilising equipmentOn the NHS formula feeding list, along with bottle brushes. Worth having even if the plan is breastfeeding, because plans change and shops shut. NHS, What to buy for your newborn baby
• Breast pumpOn the NHS list, and one of the items most worth deferring until feeding has actually started and you know what you need it for.

Bathing

• Baby bath, or a washing-up bowlThe NHS lists a washing-up bowl as an equivalent. This is the clearest example on the whole list of a thing you do not need to buy.
• TowelsOrdinary towels work. Hooded ones are pleasant and are not a different product.

Travel

• Rear-facing infant car seatessentialThe NHS specifies an infant car seat, rear-facing. If you are travelling home by car this is not optional, and fitting it correctly is genuinely fiddly - many retailers will check the fitting free. NHS, What to buy for your newborn baby
• Pushchair with a fully reclining seatessentialThe NHS wording is a pushchair with a fully reclining seat so your baby can lie flat. Measure your boot and your hallway before ordering. NHS, What to buy for your newborn baby
• Sling or carrierWorth trying before buying. Fit varies by body and by baby, and a sling that suits one household is unusable in another.
• Changing bagAny bag works. The useful feature is that it is already packed and lives by the door.
• Blanket or shawl for going outOn the NHS list for out and about. Not used as bedding in the cot - see the sleeping rows.

For the birth

• Hospital bag for the birthing parentessentialThe NHS has a specific list for this. Packed by around week 33, not week 39. NHS, Pack your bag for labour
• Hospital bag for the partnerLong phone cable, food, parking money, a change of clothes. Labour is frequently long, and a partner who leaves to find a sandwich is a partner who is not there.
• Coming-home clothes for the babyessentialIn the hospital bag rather than at home. Include a size up as well as newborn.

Health and safety

• Baby thermometerKept with the first-aid supplies rather than the nursery equipment. What a reading means is a question for a clinician, not a checklist.
• Baby nail scissors or clippersSmall, cheap, and consistently forgotten until the first set of scratches.

Keeping the list somewhere

This page prints, and ticking it is local to your browser. If you would rather keep a list somewhere other people can see and add to, a registry does that job.

Open the Amazon Baby Registry

Frequently asked questions

Where the quantities and the safety wording come from

• NHS, What to buy for your newborn baby — quantities for clothing, bedding, nappies and travel
• NHS, Reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome — safer sleep: separate cot in your room for at least 6 months, no pillows or duvets, 16-20C
• NHS, Pack your bag for labour — what goes in the hospital bag