How to Create a Baby Registry: A Guide

Before you welcome a new bundle of joy into your life, there’s plenty of preparation needed. From baby-proofing your staircase to designing the perfect nursery, expecting parents have their work cut out for them. Luckily, you can build a baby registry to allow friends and family to contribute all the baby essentials you might need—without all that much time or effort, either.

And if you’re wondering how to create a baby registry, this guide will show the way.

If you’re not sure when to begin, how to share a baby registry, and what to know before starting, follow this step-by-step guide to learn what to put on a baby registry worthy of your future ball of sunshine. We’ll even show you where you can go to get started with this baby registry checklist. 

#1 Figure Out the Right Time to Register

Pre-baby plans take time, so the question of when to begin your baby registry is key. Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all plan for baby registries, but there are some common practices. 

Consider the following timeline when building your baby registry list:

• 12 weeks along – Are you a planner, a prepper, or a chronic worrier? Twelve weeks along is a common time for expecting parents to begin building their baby gift registry.¹ It leaves plenty of time to organize and refine your wishlist, or you can finish early and continue on with all your other new mom and dad planning prior to your baby’s arrival.

• 18 weeks along – Are you waiting to register until you learn the biological sex of your new baby? Typically, an ultrasound around 18 weeks pregnant will provide an accurate answer to this question, though sometimes even earlier.² This could be a perfect time to decide what baby gear and baby clothes you’ll need.

• A few weeks before your baby shower – If you’re not in a rush to build your baby shower registry, there’s nothing wrong with waiting until a few weeks before the shower. Guests will still have enough time to shop, and you can focus on other more immediate concerns—after all, your baby doesn’t need an adorable flower-print baby romper before they’re even born.

#2 Find a Host & Create an Account

The purpose of a registry is to organize all the baby items you need (and want) in one place. Unlike our parents and grandparents of generations past, the whole process is streamlined and simple now that we have digital registries. In fact, it’s usually as simple as clicking, “Create baby registry.”

Once you’ve decided when to create your baby registry list, it’s time to determine where it will live on the internet. Picking your registry site should involve considerations like:

• Price range – Options are everything when sending out a registry—you want to provide baby registry items that everyone can afford. Some registry hosts may only have high-end or big ticket items, while others will offer affordable offerings mixed with higher-priced items so that your friends on a budget can find something just as easily as your wealthy aunts and uncles.

• Product range – Having a range of items to choose from can provide you with both fun and functional gifts across a spectrum—high-quality baby clothes, necessities, nursery decor, self-care for the new mom and dad, and more. Some registries are unfortunately limited to only a specific store’s product line while others let you add baby items from online stores across the worldwide web.

#3 Add Your Items

Knowing what to put on a baby registry is a task all its own. While it’s your registry and your decision on what to add, it’s also usually best to keep it simple with a few best practices to follow:

Think long-term – Baby clothes and shoes are adorable. But they also don’t last very long when your child is growing about a mile a minute. To get the most out of your registry, add a few high-quality clothing pieces for each of the early stages of growth and other gift items that they won’t outgrow before the month is up.

Balance needs with wants – A couple of practical necessities, some adorable and functional favorites, a few just-for-fun gifts—that sounds like the perfect registry recipe. If you get carried away and add too many “why the heck not” gifts, you might find yourself with ten colorful stuffed bears and not a pair of shoes or baby pajamas in sight. 

Luckily, once you know what you want, adding baby registry items is as simple as clicking a few buttons. So sit back and enjoy building your registry out of your very favorite items—within reason!  

Is It Okay To Ask For Cash?

While it may feel a little awkward, asking for cash is a completely acceptable part of building a baby registry. While it may feel easier to request a gift card as opposed to cash, there are plenty of ways to make asking for cash on a registry feel a little more normal.

One of the best ways is by specifying what the cash is for, such as:

• Nursery remodeling fund
• Daycare fund
• Diaper fund

By adding a brief note and giving concrete examples of how you’ll use the cash, those looking to hand over an envelope can feel excited about what they’re contributing to.

#4 Share Your Registry

Once you’ve completed your list, the only thing left to do is share it with your friends and family. Even those who aren’t able to make it to the baby shower can still be invited to the baby shower registry list. Just be sure to provide a mailing address for those out-of-towners.

Typically registries can be shared via:

• Text
• Email
• Direct links

Send a cheery invite, a digital greeting card, or a customized link to spread the word that the new baby is almost here—and the gift registry is, too! 

Build Your Baby Registry With Monica + Andy

Now that you know the basics of building a registry, you’re probably excited to begin the journey yourself. If you’re eager to find a registry host that lets you add their quality organic clothing plus gift items from other online shops, look no further than Monica + Andy’s universal registry. With Monica + Andy’s universal registry you are able to add gift items from any store, personalize your registry based on your specific preferences, set up funds for your baby's future, and sift through a streamlined product checklist that is up-to-date, on trend and has everything you need! 

Monica + Andy is here to assist you every step of the way. Ready to create your dream baby registry? Get started today with our seamless baby registry experience! 

Sources: 

1. Hartshorn, Jessica and Maria Vega, Maria. "How to Set Up a Baby Registry." Parents. 8 February 2021. https://www.parents.com/parents-magazine/parents-perspective/baby-registry-tips-only-a-mom-will-give-you/ 
2. "How Soon Can You Find Out the Sex of Your Baby?" Healthline.  https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/when-can-you-find-out-sex-of-baby#medical-tests