We all know that setting up your baby registry can be an overwhelming task. As first time parents, how can you be expected to know what you need and what products are best? I’ve been involved with the baby product industry for over 10 years, so at this point, I’m familiar with what is out there, but if you’re starting from square one getting ready for a new baby, you’re going to feel like you’ve got a lot of catching up to do.

My #1 advice to you is to keep it simple. I’ve seen lots of recommended registry lists over the years, but you do NOT need everything on any of those lists. Making things modern includes keeping things minimal, so I believe in getting only what you really need and no more.

The first thing you’ll need is a car seat. You’re not going to be able to drive home from the hospital without it. Even if you have a home birth, be ready with the car seat at least by the time you get out for baby’s first check up! If you only want to buy one car seat, you can start off with a convertible car seat.  If you want to carry the baby in and out of the car in their seat, if they’re sleeping, for example, you’ll start off with an infant car seat and then move up to a convertible car seat.

Pictured: Britax B-SAFE 35 Infant Car Seat

The next thing you must have is diapers. You can use disposables or choose cloth diapering. We don’t talk about cloth diapering here on the blog since I didn’t do it and don’t know much about it, but Babylist has a great guide to get you started and help you understand how it all works and what you need to know to make a great choice for cloth diapering.

Pictured: BumGenius All-in-One Cloth Diaper

Once baby is home and dry, they’re going to need a place to sleep. If you’re co-sleeping, this isn’t going to require any additional purchase, but you can choose a bassinet or travel bed for room sharing and nap time, or a crib for when you decide to have baby sleep in the nursery.

Pictured: Halo Bassinest Swivel Sleeper

To help baby sleep and keep them comforted, I recommend swaddling. There are lots of different types of swaddles, from simple muslin blankets, to specially designed zipper or velcro models. Pick what works best and makes sense to you, then try it out to see if it works for baby. Once you find something you both love, stock up on a few.

Pictured: Classic Swaddles from Aden + Anais

The next thing you may want to consider for your newborn is a bath. You could skip the infant tub by showering or going into the bath with your baby, but unless you’re willing to do this every time until baby is ready to sit up on their own, there are lots of different bathtub options specially designed to make both you and baby comfortable for an enjoyable bath time.

Pictured: Puj Tub

So, to sum it all up, in order of importance, my newborn registry list would include:

Car Seat (Infant and/or Convertible), Diapers, a Place to Sleep (Bassinet, playard and/or crib), Swaddles, Bath

A handful of items are all you’ll need right off the bat to get started with your precious newborn. Babylist has put together a series of really great “Best of Guides” that include the top picks of thousands of parents to help you make a great choice in any of these categories. You can add your favorite products to your Babylist Baby Registry.

Thanks to Babylist for sponsoring this informative series. Next week, in part 2, we’ll share the most important pieces to help you prepare the nursery!

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