Baby Registry Checklist for Dads: What to Add, How Many, and What to Skip

Most baby registry lists are written by companies selling you what’s on them, and few say where “how many” comes from. This one does. Quantities come from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Stanford Medicine Children’s Health where they publish one, and anything marked “our suggestion” is our own call. You’ll also find what to take off the list, the rules for hand-me-downs, and which parts are your job. For a shorter list of what you’ll actually use in the first weeks, see our newborn essentials.

How we made this list: we checked each product on its maker’s site. We haven’t tested them ourselves. Registry perks change, so check each store’s page before you rely on one.

The short answer

• Can’t wait: a rear-facing car seat, a safe sleep space, diapers, and a digital thermometer.
• Take off the list: crib bumpers, inclined sleepers, loungers, positioners, weighted sleep sacks, mesh liners.
• Can wait: a high chair, a convertible car seat, baby shoes, bath toys.
• Secondhand: no crib made before June 28, 2011, and no used car seat with an unknown history.
• Start in the second trimester.

When to start your registry

No medical group sets a date. Registry sites point to mid-pregnancy, and one suggests “between weeks 16 and 26.” The practical reason to start early is that perks run on clocks:

• Target sends its completion offer eight weeks before your expected arrival date, and the registry must be active for at least 14 days first.
• Babylist’s discount window opens 60 days before the arrival date, and the registry must be active for at least 30 days.

By our math on a 40-week due date, a registry made by about week 27 clears both. Our suggestion: start in the second trimester, and share it a few weeks before any shower.

Dad’s job: enter the arrival date correctly. The clocks run off it. See our second trimester guide.

Where to register: Amazon, Target or Babylist

This is a feature list, not a ranking. Terms change, so confirm on each store’s page.

	Amazon	Target	Babylist
Returns	Eligible gifts from friends and family, for 365 days	New, unopened items, up to one year after the event date	Varies by store
Group gifts or cash	Group gifting, and a diaper fund paid as an Amazon gift card	Check Target’s page	Cash funds
Welcome box	Prime members, 10 items and a purchase	10 items and a purchase; shipping fees apply	Advertised, with restrictions
Completion discount	Yes, in an eligibility window	Yes, redeemable twice	Babylist Shop items only
Other stores’ items	Check Amazon’s page	Check Target’s page	“Add any item from any store.”

You don’t have to pick just one. Amazon also lets you set a quantity for each item, which is how you use the table below.

Dad’s job: read the returns line. “Unopened” matters if you plan to test-fit a car seat in your car.

The baby registry checklist, with quantities

The AAP calls its list “A suggested starting list to register for,” so treat these as a start. A dash means no source gives a number.

Sleep

Item	How many	Source	More
Bassinet or bedside sleeper	1	Our suggestion	Bassinet sleep
Crib	1	Our suggestion	Safe sleep
Mattress made for that crib	1	Our suggestion	Safe sleep
Fitted crib sheets	3 to 4	Stanford
Sleep sacks	3	AAP	Winter dressing
Receiving or swaddle blankets	4 to 6	AAP	How to swaddle
Play yard, for a second sleep space	1	Our suggestion
White noise machine (optional)	1	Our suggestion	White noise machines
Baby monitor (optional)	1	Our suggestion	Monitors without Wi-Fi

Swaddle blankets are for swaddling. “Use a fitted sheet only,” the AAP says, “nothing else should be in the crib with your baby.” A monitor is for convenience: the AAP says there’s no evidence that home monitors lower SIDS risk.

Feeding

Item	How many	Source	More
Small bottles	4	Our suggestion	Best baby bottles
Bottle brush	1	Our suggestion
Breast pump	1, through insurance first	HealthCare.gov	Night feeds
Breast milk storage bags	-	Stanford lists them
Burp cloths	5	Our suggestion	How to burp a baby
Formula	Only if that’s the plan	Ask your pediatrician	Formula by age

Check the pump first. HealthCare.gov says “Your health insurance plan must cover the cost of a breast pump,” except grandfathered plans. It may be a rental or a new one you keep, and your plan may set whether it’s manual or electric. Call before you register for one.

Diapering

Item	How many	Source	More
Newborn-size diapers	3 to 4 dozen to start	AAP	How to change a diaper
Wipes	-	Stanford lists them
Diaper rash cream	1	Our suggestion
Diaper pail	1 per changing area	Stanford
Changing pad (optional)	1	Our suggestion

The diaper math, which is ours: at the AAP’s “as many as 8 to 12 a day,” 3 to 4 dozen lasts about 3 to 6 days. Stanford says about 10 to 11 a day for the first few weeks. Register for more than you think. The AAP says “changing tables aren’t really necessary.” If you get one, it says to pick a sturdy one with a 2-inch guardrail on all four sides.

Bath

Item	How many	Source	More
Infant tub, made on or after Oct. 2, 2017	1	Our suggestion on the count	How to bathe a newborn
Washcloths	4 to 6	Stanford
Hooded towels	2 to 4	Stanford
Mild soap	1	Our suggestion

Health

Item	How many	Source	More
Digital rectal thermometer	1	Our suggestion on the count	Best baby thermometer
Nasal aspirator or bulb, plus saline	1	Our suggestion on the count	Clearing a stuffy nose
Nail clippers or emery board	1	Our suggestion on the count
Cool-mist humidifier (optional)	1	Our suggestion	Best humidifier
Infant acetaminophen	Only as your doctor advises	Stanford lists it	Baby fever

On the go

Item	How many	Source	More
Rear-facing car seat	1	Our suggestion on the count	Installing a car seat
Extra base for a second car (optional)	1 per car	Our suggestion
Stroller	1	Our suggestion	Strollers for tall dads
Baby carrier	1	Our suggestion	Best baby carriers
Diaper bag	1	Our suggestion	Best diaper bags

Clothes (AAP’s counts)

Item	How many
Sleepwear sets	3 or 4
T-shirts	6 to 8
Onesies with leg snaps	3 to 4
Sweaters	2
Caps or hats	2
Socks or booties	4 pairs

Size up. The AAP says “Even three-month sizes may be outgrown within the first month,” and Stanford suggests mainly 0 to 3 and 3 to 6 months. And skip the shoes: “Do not put shoes on a newborn’s feet.”

Before the hospital: the one thing that can’t wait

The AAP says all infants should ride rear-facing, “starting with their first ride home from the hospital.” NHTSA says: “Test the car seat you plan to buy to make sure it fits well in your vehicle.” Then register it with the maker for recall notices, and have it checked: “Certified technicians will inspect your car seat free of charge, in most cases,” NHTSA says.

Dad’s job: all of this. Do it before the third trimester ends. See how to install an infant car seat and our hospital bag checklist.

What not to put on your baby registry

The AAP’s advice: “scan your baby registry or wish list and make thoughtful edits.”

Banned under federal law. The Safe Sleep for Babies Act, signed in May 2022, bans inclined sleepers and crib bumpers. That includes padded bumpers, vinyl bumper guards and vertical slat covers, “regardless of the date of manufacture.” The AAP warns that private sellers may still post them online.

Not safe for sleep:

• Loungers, pods and nests. The AAP says these “are still linked with dozens of infant deaths every year,” and the CPSC has warned about specific loungers.
• Sleep positioners. The AAP says they “have been linked with multiple deaths.”
• Nursing pillows, for feeding only: “never use them with sleeping babies.”
• Swings, rockers and bouncers are fine for play as directed, but not for sleep.

Leave these off too:

• Weighted sleep sacks and swaddles. There’s no ban, but the AAP, CPSC and NIH all advise against them.
• Mesh crib liners. They’re legal, but the AAP says they’re “not necessary” and can come loose.
• Add-on mattresses and mini-bassinets. The AAP says mattresses sold separately often don’t fit tightly enough, and many mini-bassinets don’t meet sleep standards.
• Baby tents and crib tents. The CPSC has warned about a baby tent that failed its sleep product rule. Anything added to a crib breaks the fitted-sheet-only rule.
• Bath seats, which the AAP says “can easily tip over.”
• Baby walkers. The AAP has called for a full ban.
• Baby floats. The AAP says they “easily flip over.”
• Teething necklaces. The FDA has reports of deaths and serious injuries. See our teething guide.

Instead of a blanket, register for a wearable one. And a bedside sleeper keeps the baby close without sharing your bed:

A play yard gives you a second safe sleep space, and it comes with its own mattress and sheet, so there’s no add-on to buy:

Dad’s job: do the scan before you share the link, and be the one who talks to a relative who buys a bumper set. The AAP suggests a “gentle and respectful” reply.

Secondhand, hand-me-downs and recalls

• Cribs. The CPSC says cribs made before June 28, 2011 are “very likely noncompliant, unsafe, and illegal to sell.” No drop sides, and all original parts. The CPSC says you can’t judge compliance by looking.
• Car seats. NHTSA’s checklist says a used seat may be OK if you can confirm it’s never been in a moderate or severe crash, has no recalls, has all its parts and has its instruction book. Check the label for its age. The AAP says to ask the maker how long it recommends using the seat, and to avoid used seats if you don’t know the history.
• Everything else. The CPSC says to check its website for recalls and sign up for recall notices.

Clothes are the easy win for hand-me-downs (our suggestion).

Dad’s job: run the recall search on every hand-me-down that goes near the crib.

What can wait

• High chair. Your baby needs good head control and solid food first, around 6 months.
• Convertible car seat, once they outgrow the rear-facing-only seat.
• Bath toys. The AAP says “Young infants don’t really need bath toys.”
• Bigger clothes, once you know how fast they’re growing.

Add these later, because registries stay open (our suggestion).

And a good bag for all of it:

Babyproofing can wait until your baby is close to moving. When it’s time, use our babyproofing checklist.

FAQ

When should you start a baby registry?

No medical group sets a date. Registry sites point to mid-pregnancy. Perks have waiting periods, so by our math a registry made by about week 27 clears both Target’s and Babylist’s.

How many items should be on a baby registry?

Nobody authoritative sets a number. The AAP’s own list is a short starting list. Count what you need, not items.

How many diapers should I register for?

The AAP suggests 3 to 4 dozen newborn-size to start, but at 8 to 12 changes a day that’s under a week. Stanford says about 10 to 11 a day for the first few weeks, so register for more.

Is a breast pump covered by insurance?

Most plans must cover one, except grandfathered plans. It may be a rental or one you keep. Call your plan before you register for one.

What should you not put on a baby registry?

Crib bumpers and inclined sleepers, which are banned under federal law, plus loungers, sleep positioners, weighted sleep sacks and mesh liners.

Can I use a secondhand crib or car seat?

Not a crib made before June 28, 2011. A used car seat only if it passes NHTSA’s checklist and you know its history.

Do car seats expire?

Neither the AAP nor NHTSA gives a number. Check the label for the date it was made, and ask the maker how long it recommends using the seat.

Sources

• American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): Choosing a layette, Inclined sleepers and other registry items to avoid, Safe sleep, Car safety seats, Changing diapers, Bathing your newborn, Making baby’s room safe and Starting solid foods
• Getting ready at home, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health
• Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021, Pub. L. 117-126
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Safe sleep, Infant sleep products, Stop online sale of recalled products, lounger warning and baby tent warning
• NHTSA: Car seats and booster seats and Used car seat safety checklist; NIH Safe to Sleep: FAQ; FDA: Soothing teething pain; HealthCare.gov: Breastfeeding benefits
• Registries: Amazon and how to create a registry; Target completion offer, welcome kit and manage your registry; Babylist registry discount; MyRegistry when to start