Baby
Baby registry: what you need before the birth and what can wait
In short
Before the birth you need four things: a safe place for the baby to sleep, a car seat if you will travel by car, what you need for changing and clothes for the first weeks. All of it should be at home by week 36. The high chair, toys and safety gates can wait several months, although it is worth leaving them on the registry for people who give later.
Full guide: Baby registry
| Key fact | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Deadline | The essentials at home by week 36 |
| Essential | Sleep, car, changing and clothes |
| Can wait | High chair, toys, gates, clothes for 6 months and over |
| Better borrowed | Bedside crib, baby bath, newborn clothes |
| Quantity | Little in the smallest size; plenty of consumables |
Why it helps to separate the urgent from the rest
The lists of baby items that circulate online run to more than a hundred lines, and most families do not use even half. The result is a home full of boxes before the baby arrives and spending that could have been spread over time. Separating what is needed on day one from what will be needed at six months has two advantages: you spend less in one go and you leave good gifts for anyone who wants to give something later on.
What should be at home by week 36
A birth can come early, so it is wise to have the essentials a month before the due date. It is less than people think.
- Sleep: a cot or bedside crib, a firm mattress that fits it and two sets of sheets.
- Car: a newborn car seat, already fitted and tested. If you leave hospital by car, you need it from day one.
- Changing: small-size nappies, a changing mat and hooded towels.
- Clothes: six or seven bodysuits, four sleepsuits, a hat and socks.
- Feeding: it depends on how you plan to feed. A nursing pillow is useful either way.
- Out and about: a pram or a baby carrier, depending on how you get around.
Sleep: the essentials
The baby needs a firm, flat surface, the exact size of the cot, with no gaps around it. Everything else is an accessory. Two sets of fitted sheets let you have one on and one in the wash. A sleeping bag in the right size replaces loose blankets.
If you are torn between a cot and a bedside crib, think about the space in your bedroom: the crib fits next to the bed but is outgrown within a few months, which is why it is one of the best things to borrow.
Car: the one thing you cannot improvise
If you are going home from hospital by car, the seat has to be bought, fitted and tested before the birth. Fit it in good time and read the manual carefully: it is the item where a fitting mistake has consequences. Check that it matches a newborn's weight and height and that it is compatible with your car.
If you have no car and get around on public transport or on foot, this expense can wait.
Changing and bathing
Two packs of newborn nappies are enough, because the next size comes within weeks and some babies are born big. A folding changing mat does the same job as a piece of furniture. For bathing, in the first days a washing-up bowl or the sink will do; the baby bath can be borrowed or bought later. Two hooded towels are enough.
Clothes: few and in several sizes
The most common mistake is stocking up on the smallest size. It lasts weeks, and everyone gives it. Spread the bodysuits across three sizes instead of asking for fifteen in the first. Choose garments that open at the front or underneath, which make changes far easier, and leave the pretty outfits to the gifts: you will receive plenty.
| Garment | Quantity to start with | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bodysuits | 6 or 7 | Spread across two sizes |
| All-in-one sleepsuits | 4 | With a front opening |
| Hats | 2 | Thin, cotton |
| Socks | 4 pairs | They are easily lost |
| Muslins | 6 | Useful for everything |
| Bibs | 6 | You will need more later |
Feeding: it depends on your plan
Do not overbuy before you know how it is going to work. If you plan to breastfeed, what helps at the start is a nursing pillow, breast pads and, if you are going to express, a breast pump that can be bought after the birth.
If you are going to bottle-feed, two or three small bottles, slow-flow teats and a way of sterilising them are enough. Either way, muslins and bibs are used from day one. What you do not need yet is anything to do with solid food: that comes at around six months.
Out and about: pram, carrier or both
The pram is the most expensive purchase and the one that depends most on how you live. Before choosing, think about three things: whether it fits folded in the car boot and in the lift, how much it weighs when it has to go up stairs and what kind of surface you will be pushing it over.
In a city with public transport, a baby carrier gets as much use as the pram, or more. It is a good candidate for a group gift: leave it on the registry and tell the grandparents or your friends it is the big one.
Health and hygiene: a small kit
- A digital thermometer.
- Single-dose saline solution and a nasal aspirator.
- Baby nail clippers or round-tipped scissors.
- Nappy cream.
- A soft hairbrush.
These are inexpensive things used from the first week that almost nobody gives. Add them to the registry or buy them yourselves. For any question about health products, ask your midwife or paediatrician before buying.
Prepare the home, not just the shopping
Having things is not the same as having them ready. By week 36 the cot should be assembled, the clothes washed and stored by size, the seat fitted in the car and the hospital bag packed. Decide where the baby will be changed and leave nappies, wipes and a change of clothes there.
If your home is on two floors, set up a small second changing point downstairs. These details save far more tiredness than any gadget.
What can wait
| Purchase | When it starts being used |
|---|---|
| Bouncer and play mat | Around the second or third month |
| High chair | Around six months, with first solids |
| Safety gate and socket covers | When crawling starts |
| Clothes for 6 to 12 months | From six months on |
| Children's tableware and training cups | With the introduction of solid food |
That they can wait does not mean leaving them off the registry. They make good gifts for late buyers or for people who want to give something you will not get twice. Leave them on the registry and say there is no hurry.
What is worth borrowing
The bedside crib, the baby bath and newborn clothes are used for a very short time. If someone close offers them, accept, and keep that space on the registry for something you will use for years, such as the pram. There is one exception: only accept a car seat if you know its history, it has not been in a collision and it is still within the service life stated by the manufacturer.
What is almost never needed
- Wipe warmers and single-purpose gadgets.
- Shoes for a baby who cannot walk.
- Lots of toys: two or three are enough in the first months.
- Smart outfits in the smallest size.
- “Just in case” duplicates of things you can buy in a day.
How to order the registry
Start the registry with the week 36 items and tell close family those are the urgent ones. Mix prices: consumables such as nappies or muslins are inexpensive, always useful gifts, and the big items can be bought by a group. Review it every two weeks and top up the affordable items that have already been bought.
If the baby arrives early
It does not matter if not everything is there. What truly cannot be missing is a safe place to sleep, nappies, some clothes and, if you are travelling by car, the seat. The rest can be bought in a matter of hours or brought by someone. That is why we recommend having the essentials sorted by week 36 and leaving the rest without stress.
The budget, spread over time
Buying at three moments eases the cost. Before the birth, the essentials. Around the third month, the play and outing items nobody has given you. Around the sixth, the feeding items. Between one moment and the next the gifts arrive, and the registry tells you what is still outstanding.
It is much easier to decide what to buy once you know the baby and how your days with them actually work.
Making the registry on Amazon.es
The Amazon.es baby registry is created with your account, giving your due date and delivery address, and is shared with a link. It can be edited at any time. The baby registry guide includes a timeline based on your due date and a sheet with every category to tick. On when and how to send it, see how to share your baby registry.
Frequently asked questions about what to buy before the birth
What does a newborn need in the first days?
A safe place to sleep, nappies, clothes in the right size, towels and, if travelling by car, a suitable newborn car seat.
When should everything be ready?
The essentials should be at home by week 36, a month before the due date.
Which baby purchases can wait?
The high chair, the safety gate, most toys and clothes for six months and over.
How many newborn clothes should we buy?
Few: six or seven bodysuits and four sleepsuits, spread across two sizes, because the smallest lasts only a few weeks.
Which baby items are worth borrowing?
The bedside crib, the baby bath and newborn clothes, which are used for a very short time.
Which four things do you need before the birth?
A safe place for the baby to sleep, a car seat if you will travel by car, what you need for changing and clothes for the first weeks.
Why should the essentials be ready by week 36?
Because the birth can come early. Having them a month before the due date avoids emergency shopping.
What does a newborn need for sleeping?
A cot or crib, a firm mattress of the exact size and two sets of fitted sheets. A sleeping bag in the right size replaces loose blankets.
Cot or crib for a newborn?
It depends on space. A crib fits beside the bed but is outgrown within months, which is why it is one of the best things to borrow.
When should we buy the baby's car seat?
Before the birth if you are coming home from hospital by car: bought, fitted and tested. If you have no car, it can wait.
How many newborn nappies should we buy?
Two packs are enough, because the size changes within a few weeks and some babies are born large.
Do we need a baby bath from day one?
No. In the first days a basin or the sink is enough; the bath can be borrowed or bought later.
What should we buy for feeding before the baby is born?
Little. For breastfeeding, a nursing pillow and breast pads; for bottle feeding, two or three small bottles with slow-flow teats and a way to sterilise them.
Pushchair or baby carrier?
It depends on how you get around. In a city with public transport the carrier is used as much or more; the pushchair makes a good group gift.
What should we check before choosing a pushchair?
Whether it fits folded in the boot and the lift, how heavy it is to carry up stairs and what kind of ground you will be pushing it over.
What goes in a newborn's first-aid kit?
A digital thermometer, single-dose saline, a nasal aspirator, baby nail clippers and nappy cream. If in doubt, ask your midwife or paediatrician.
When does the high chair start to be used?
At around six months, with the first purées. It can stay on the registry for those who give later.
Can we accept a borrowed car seat?
Only if you know its history, it has not been in a crash and it is still within the service life stated by the manufacturer.
Which baby items are almost never needed?
Wipe warmers, shoes for a baby who cannot walk, lots of toys and smart clothes in the smallest size.
What if the baby arrives before everything is ready?
The essentials are a safe place to sleep, nappies, some clothes and the car seat if you travel by car. The rest can be bought within hours or brought by someone.
Sources and date checked
- Terms published by Amazon.es for the baby registry, checked in October 2026
The practical advice, examples and calculators are the work of Global Store Afiliados. Facts last checked: 10 October 2026. How we check the facts: editorial methodology.
Articles about the Amazon Baby Registry
- Baby
How to share your baby registry without it feeling awkward
When to send your baby registry, to whom and in what words. With example messages for family, for friends and for the baby shower invitation.
- Baby
Baby shower: how to plan it step by step and where the registry fits
When to hold a baby shower, who organises it, who to invite, what to prepare and how to include the baby registry in the invitation without awkwardness.
- Baby
Useful newborn gifts when the budget is small
The most useful gifts for a newborn tend to be the cheapest. Ideas by budget, what to avoid, which sizes to choose and how to present a simple gift.