Creating Your First Babylist Registry

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Creating your first baby registry can feel like trying to learn a new language overnight. Bottles, bassinets, carriers, pumps, swaddles—suddenly there are fifty versions of everything and every friend has a completely different recommendation.

So if you’re staring at your laptop wondering where to even start, take a breath. You don’t need to know everything. You just need a simple system and a registry platform that keeps it all in one place.

Enter: Babylist.
A universal registry that lets you add anything from anywhere—indie shops, big retailers, local boutiques, Etsy finds, or even handmade items from your auntie who knits. It’s flexible, it’s clean, and it’s designed for new parents who don’t want to manage seven different registries.

Here’s how to set yours up with confidence (and zero overwhelm).

1. Start With a Babylist Account

Go to babylist.com and create an account—it takes 30 seconds. From there, Babylist automatically creates a blank registry for you.

This is your home base: one link, one list, everything in one place.

2. Add the Babylist Button to Your Browser

This is the magic trick.
Babylist gives you a little “Add to Babylist” button you can install on your browser. Once it’s there, you can:

• Add a stroller from Nuna
• Add onesies from Target
• Add a handmade mobile from Etsy
• Add books from Amazon
• Add a postpartum item from a small boutique

If it lives on the internet, it can live on your Babylist.

No juggling registries. No checking multiple lists. It’s all yours, all in one spot.

3. Use the Babylist Starter Checklists (They’re Actually Helpful)

Most websites give you checklists that feel like shopping carts in disguise.

Babylist’s lists are more grounded:

• Must-haves
• Nice-to-haves
• Optional
• Season-specific items
• Postpartum supplies
• Feeding supplies
• Nursery basics

These checklists are a great anchor—especially if this is your first baby and you don’t yet know what “snotsucker,” “sleep sack,” or “Hakaa” even mean.

You don’t have to add everything.
But it gives you a starting point, and that alone saves a lot of stress.

4. Choose Your Big Items First

Before you even get to the cute stuff, focus on the items people actually want to gift:

• Stroller
• Car seat
• Bassinet or crib
• Baby monitor
• Carrier
• Bouncer
• High chair
• Swing (optional but loved)

Guests like contributing to meaningful, high-impact gifts. Once your larger items are chosen, the rest of the registry feels easier.

5. Add a Variety of Price Points

Not everyone has the same budget, so mix it up:

• Under $25 items (books, bottles, swaddles)
• $25–$75 items (sleep sacks, toys, bath gear)
• $100+ items (gear and essentials)

Babylist even shows you which items are more likely to be purchased based on price ranges.

6. Think Beyond “Baby Stuff”

(You’re Creating a Life, Not Just a Nursery)**
Some of the best registry items are not for the baby—they’re for you.

Think:

• Postpartum care kits
• Meal delivery gift cards
• Housecleaning gift certificates
• Freezer prep gear
• Breastfeeding supplies
• Nursing bras
• Robes and comfy clothes
• A soft throw blanket for late-night feeds

Your baby doesn’t need much at first.
You, on the other hand, need support.

Add it guilt-free.

7. Don’t Sleep on Group-Gifting

Babylist has a feature where multiple people can chip in on one higher-priced item.

This makes it easier for friends and family to contribute without overspending, and it increases the chances that your “dream” items (the nicer stroller, the smart bassinet, the nursery chair) get purchased.

Use it for anything over $150.

8. Add Personal Notes (They Matter)

Babylist lets you add notes next to each item:

• why you chose it
• the color/size you prefer
• alternatives if something goes out of stock
• “open to used!” if you’re sustainability-minded

This makes the registry feel curated instead of chaotic—and helps gift-givers feel confident in what they’re buying.

9. Share When You’re Ready (Not When You’re Pressured)

Your registry is for you first, not for the group chat.
Wait until you feel good about it.

Most parents share around:

• the baby shower invitation
• the second trimester
• when family asks directly
• the birth announcement (for late gifters)

Babylist gives you one simple link to send out when you're ready.

10. Take Advantage of the Completion Discount

Once your due date approaches, Babylist gives you a completion discount for anything left on your registry.

This is where you buy last-minute essentials at a discount.
It’s basically a mom hack wrapped inside a registry perk.

A Quick Q&A for First-Time Babylist Users

Q: Should I register at multiple stores?
A: With Babylist, you don’t need to. That’s the point. Everything goes in one place—even items from other registries.

Q: How many items should I add?
A: As many as you want, but aim for variety to give guests options.

Q: What if I don’t know what I’ll actually use?
A: Add the basics and skip anything that feels unnecessary. You can always update or add later.

Final Thoughts: Build What You Need, Not What the Internet Says You Need

Your registry doesn’t have to be packed or perfect.
It should reflect your lifestyle, your home, and your own version of motherhood.

Keep it simple. Add things that make life easier. Choose items that feel aligned, not pressured.

And remember: your baby doesn’t need every gadget.
They need you—and a few well-chosen essentials.

Babylist just makes everything else easier.