"Less is More" Baby Registry Checklist [FREE printable]

"Less is More" Baby Registry Checklist [FREE printable] 1We live in a consumer culture. Every day, the media whispers in our ears: buy-buy-buy. This message is particularly loud when a woman becomes pregnant. Retailers would have us believe that we need to spend big in order to successfully care for our babies. In fact, the opposite is true.

I am pleased to offer you a free printable - the "Less is More" Baby Registry Checklist. Here are 4 things that set the checklist apart from conventional lists:

The checklist includes brand names. As a product reviewer, I've experienced hundreds of baby brands firsthand [baby carriers, strollers, sippy cups, etc.]. Not all products are alike. When there are stand-out products in a particular category, I list them for your convenience.

The checklist assumes that you will be breastfeeding. Most checklists from baby stores assume the opposite - with a whole line-up of bottles, bottle warmers, formula, etc. The subtle message is, "If breastfeeding doesn't work out for you..." I'd prefer that the message to new moms be, "You can breastfeed. Your body and your baby were designed for it. It might be hard. It might take time and determination. But it will be worth it."

The checklist errors on the side of simplicity. The BabiesRUs checklist has 169 products. The Target checklist has 91. The "Less Is More" checklist has 40.

The checklist is NOT a must-have list. What your baby "must-have" is you and your love.

It's important to note that all babies are different, all moms are different, and all of our stories are unique. Use the baby registry as a guide, but let your heart and situation lead the way.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPY NOW: "Less Is More" Baby Registry Checklist.

Feel free to pass on this free resource to pregnant women that you know!

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23 comments on “"Less is More" Baby Registry Checklist [FREE printable]”

  1. This is good but I'd caution moms that you could very happily and easily get by with A LOT less than this (as the author/creator rightly points out). If you're really into simplicity and/or are operating on a tight budget, then you can certainly care beautifully for your new baby without a video monitor, a bassinet on wheels, and two carriers (to name a few).

    Also, try to borrow from friends (obviously certain items you'll want to get new!).

    Having said that, kudos to Stephanie for pointing the way to simplified baby registries.

  2. This is amazing!!! Thank you so much for posting this! As a first time soon to be a mother, my husband and I are clueless on what we need. I was just telling I'm how I'm kinda freaking out because the baby will be here in less then 5 months and I feel so unprepared!

  3. Great list. I would definitely add though, if you are going to be a working mama, you are going to need some kind of breast pump...and thus bottles. I just think that's more realistic. I also loved the Nippy nursing pillow way more than my Brest Friend ( I have both). The Velcro on the latter would always wake the baby up!

  4. Excellent list. I'm seconding the bouncy seat suggestion - it was very handy at times with both of my babies and was very inexpensive.

    Also my best friend had to double the amount of onesies/pj's because she had babies who spit up a lot - and preferred to do laundry every other day instead of every day :)

    I remember as a first time mom looking at the registry suggestions at Baby's R Us and Target both and being completely overwhelmed by the amount of things they said I "needed" this list is much more reasonable and is definitely on target with what things are actually useful during baby's first year versus all those things that use up valuable floor space.

    1. I agree that it is often helpful to have more baby clothes so that laundry doesn't have to be quite so frequent. That said, it's usually unnecessary to actually register for baby clothes at all because people tend to buy them anyway! It's just so hard to resist itty bitty outfits! ;)

  5. Oops...I think I just replied to someone in particular, instead of in general.. ;)

    I really liked the earth mama angel baby nursing cream, but be forewarned that it leaves stains on your shirt (not a problem if you are wearing a bra), but I'd often put it on before bed, and now all of my pj shirts show exactly where my nipples are from stains. :)

    Also, the earth mama angel baby booby tubes were a lifesaver for me. I had horrible engorgement (and would continue to have engorgement throughout the first year or so), and they were the only thing that gave me relief.

    Great list...thanks!!

  6. I would add cooling breast pads, and infant Tylenol. both things will be needed sometime in that first year and when you need it it is too late to run to the store.

  7. With baby #3, (7 yrs between babies) my goal was to buy as little as possible. My list was about the same size. One thing I wished I'd had for those first few months was a bouncy seat (or similar item). Not for the bouncy effect (my 2 older kids weren't fans), but for a safe place to strap in the baby when I needed to put him down. We used the infant car seat for this purpose instead. I'm also appreciative of the Jumperoo that I was gifted with for when my son wanted to stand. I wouldn't have purchased one myself but now I'm glad that I had one.

    1. I concur. I didn't use the bouncy seat for the bounce-factor (or the vibrations) (or the mobile). I used it when I needed to put baby down for a minute to make dinner, brush my teeth, eat breakfast, etc.

  8. Love it! ;) People keep asking me what I'll need... extra everything and I'm like, no, other than girl clothes I have a swing and a bouncer, that's one for each, plus my sling... I'm not even sure I'm going to get a double stroller. We just got a really nice Britax one (yay reviews!) so I can push one and carry the other. But I hardly ever used a stroller even with my other two.
    I am thinking I'm going to have to find some kind of twin nursing pillow thought that I've heard about... ;)
    Oh, and we have such a small house we never need a monitor (or a lot of stuff!), but we do have an audio only one for Grandma and Grandpa's house which is 2 stories.

    The only thing I'm sure we're going to have to double up on is the high chair! ;) Well, and the car seat, but we had one and then Britax sent us another one thankfully! Oh, and you know, a minivan! ;)

    PS. Rather than the Lansinoh cream you might look into Earth Mama Angel Baby products. I haven't tried nursing cream yet, but I will! And I LOVE all their other products!

    1. I used the earth mama angel baby nursing cream and LOVED it...it has great little moisture beads that feel oh-so-nice!!! The only thing I'd forewarn you about, is that if I put it on and then a shirt (no bra) I'd get stains on the shirt...and now I have a nice stash of pj shirts that show exactly where my nipples are. :)

      The only other product I'd add to this list, is earth mama angel baby booby tubes. I had awful engorgement, and never leaked or could self-express, and they were really the only thing that gave me any sort of relief...I used them for months and months.

    2. I can't wait to "meet" your twin baby girls when they arrive! Double the fun! But, as you mentioned, perhaps not double the products? ;)

      What kind of vehicle do you have now? We have an F-250 (from pulling our 5th wheel this past year) and it's super roomy, but I'm curious how it will work out with three carseats. Time will tell.

  9. Stephanie, I love this list! Thanks for the product recommendations too. I trust your judgment a lot more than a store's! I wish I would have had this registry for my son. We didn't register for nearly the amount of stuff suggested on the Babies R Us registry, but there were still a lot of things that rarely, if ever, got used. The only thing I would add is a manual breast pump (electrical if you're going back to work). When my milk came in, I was engorged and it was difficult for Nicholas to latch on. I just needed to pump a few ounces, and then it was much easier for him to latch on. Thanks for sharing your list!

    1. A breast pump is definitely something to consider - especially for moms who will be working outside the home.

      I bought an expensive Medela Pump In Style with my 1st baby because I thought I might return to my job part-time. In the end, I opted to stay home with her and barely used it. For my second baby, I didn't pump at all and I much preferred that arrangement.

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