How Many Items Should Be on a Baby Registry?

When I made my baby registry for my first baby, I had about 75 items on it. Looking back after having two kids, I actually think that was a pretty good number.

There is no perfect number of items that every baby registry should have, but I think around 75 items is a good target for a first baby. That gives you enough room to include everything from small, inexpensive basics to bigger baby gear without adding a bunch of things just for the sake of having a long registry.

And if your registry ends up with 60 items or 100 items, I really would not stress about it. The number matters a lot less than making sure you are registering for things you will actually use.

Is 75 Items Too Many for a Baby Registry?

I do not think so at all. When you are having your first baby, you are essentially starting from scratch.

You need somewhere for the baby to sleep, bottles and feeding supplies, clothes, a car seat, a stroller, bath supplies, burp cloths and all of the other little things you probably did not own before getting pregnant.

Having around 75 items also gives your friends and family plenty of different price points to choose from. Not everyone wants to spend $100 on a baby gift. Some people might be looking for something around $15 or $25, while your closest family members may want to buy one of the major items.

I actually think having plenty of lower priced items on your registry is especially important. It gives people options without forcing you to add products you do not actually want.

Do Not Worry About Your Baby Registry Looking Greedy

I know it can feel a little strange to make a giant list of things you would like other people to buy for you. I really do not think anyone is looking at a baby registry and counting how many products are on it.

This is a huge moment in your life, and if it is your first baby, there are a lot of things you are buying for the first time. Your registry is also not a demand that someone purchase every item. It is a list of options that lets people choose a gift based on their own budget.

Some people may even want to go in on a larger gift together. Giving people more choices can actually make shopping for you easier.

Put Expensive Items on Your Baby Registry Too

I included my big ticket baby gear on my registry, including my UPPAbaby Vista stroller. My sister and aunt ended up buying the stroller for me, but I still liked having it listed on my registry and marked as purchased.

That way, anyone looking at my registry could see which stroller I had and could buy compatible accessories if they wanted to. The same idea applies to your car seat, baby monitor, bassinet and other larger products.

You do not have to leave expensive products off your registry because you assume no one will buy them. Your parents, siblings or other close family members may want to purchase them, or several people may decide to contribute together.

Include Plenty of Smaller Baby Registry Items

While the expensive baby products get a lot of attention, I would make sure you have plenty of smaller options too. My registry included things like bottle brushes and burp cloths, which are not particularly exciting purchases but are things I actually used.

I personally did not register for consumable products like wipes, diaper cream or baby medicine. You absolutely can, but I preferred using my registry for products I would keep and use repeatedly.

Diapers are one area where I might consider doing things differently. Babies go through so many diapers, and they get expensive quickly. A diaper subscription or diaper fund could be a useful registry option if your registry platform offers one.

Register for Things Your Baby Will Need Later

One thing I would absolutely do again is register for products that I knew my baby would need a few months down the road. When you are pregnant, four months or six months can feel very far away, but once the baby arrives, it comes incredibly quickly.

For example, you do not need every piece of clothing on your registry to be newborn or 0 to 3 months. You can add clothes in 3 to 6 month and 6 to 9 month sizes so you already have some things ready when your baby grows.

The same applies to other baby products you know you will use later. If there is something you expect to need within the first six months, I think it is completely reasonable to put it on your registry.

There is another benefit to adding future items too. Depending on the registry you use, you may receive a completion discount on eligible products that nobody purchased for you. Adding products you know you will need later can give you the option to buy them yourself using that discount.

How Many Items Should Be on a Baby Registry by Category?

You definitely do not need to hit an exact number in every category. I would use these ranges more as a gut check to make sure your registry is balanced instead of trying to get your total to exactly 75.

Sleep and Nursery: About 8 to 12 Items

This could include your bassinet or crib, mattress, sheets, sound machine, monitor and other sleep essentials. You do not need every sleep product you see online, so focus on the products that fit how and where you plan for your baby to sleep.

Feeding: About 10 to 15 Items

Think bottles, bottle brushes, burp cloths, bibs, feeding accessories and anything else that fits how you plan to feed your baby. You can always buy more once you figure out what you and your baby actually like.

Clothing and Swaddles: About 10 to 15 Items

Focus on practical clothes and include multiple sizes rather than registering for an enormous newborn wardrobe. Babies move through the smallest sizes quickly, so I would rather have a few things waiting for the next stage.

Diapering and Bath: About 8 to 12 Items

This can include your changing supplies, bath products and other everyday essentials. You can decide whether you want to include consumables like diapers and wipes or purchase those yourself.

Travel and On the Go: About 8 to 12 Items

Your stroller, car seat, diaper bag, carrier and related accessories can all live here. These are also categories where you may have some of your most expensive registry items.

Play and Other Baby Gear: About 8 to 12 Items

This is where I would include the baby gear and developmental products you expect to use during the first several months. You can include products for later stages without feeling like everything needs to be used immediately after your baby comes home.

Those ranges can easily put you somewhere around 60 to 80 items without adding unnecessary products. Your exact number will depend on what you already own, what family members have offered to buy and how minimalist you want to be.

You Do Not Need Multiple Versions of the Same Product

I generally picked one version of something and put that on my registry. I did not register for three different types of bottles or several different versions of the same product just because I was not sure which one my baby would like.

Of course, babies can have preferences, so there will always be some trial and error once your baby arrives. I would still rather start with the product I researched and wanted instead of filling a registry with multiple versions of everything.

This is also where I think the idea of a 75 item registry can get misunderstood. You might have 75 items total, but that does not mean you need 75 different types of baby gear. A lot of those items are small basics, accessories and products your baby will use at different stages.

Why I Liked Having Everything on One Baby Registry

I used Babylist for my first baby and liked having everything together in one place. I could add products from different retailers, including by using the browser extension, rather than creating completely separate registries everywhere.

It also meant I did not have to worry about whether my registry was getting too long. I could keep inexpensive basics, bigger purchases and products we would use a few months later together in one place.

For me, that made the registry more useful as an actual checklist. Even if someone else did not purchase a particular product, I could still see what I needed to buy before or after the baby arrived.

What If You Have More Than 100 Items on Your Baby Registry?

I would not automatically delete things just because you crossed 100 items. Look at what is actually on your registry first.

If you have 105 items because you included multiple clothing sizes, plenty of inexpensive essentials and products you will use throughout your baby's first six months, that can be completely reasonable. If you have 105 items because you registered for four versions of every product and added a lot of things you are unlikely to use, I would edit it down.

I would focus much more on whether each item has a purpose than on the final number at the top of the registry.

What If You Have a Small Baby Shower?

You can still have a larger registry. You do not need to match the number of registry items to the number of people attending your baby shower.

Your registry can also serve as your personal shopping list, and you may be able to use a completion discount to purchase remaining eligible products yourself. I would rather have everything organized in one place than leave things off simply because I did not expect someone else to buy them.

My Baby Registry Rule After Having Two Kids

My biggest advice is to focus less on reaching the perfect number and more on giving yourself a good mix of things you genuinely need. For a first baby, around 75 items is a very reasonable starting point.

Include inexpensive basics, mid priced items and your big ticket baby gear. Add a few things your baby will need in the coming months, and do not worry that someone is going to think your registry is too big.

At the same time, you really do not need every baby product you see online. I would rather have 75 thoughtfully chosen products than 150 things that sounded useful while I was pregnant but ended up sitting untouched.

If you are starting your registry from scratch, read my Baby Registry Checklist for the full list of what I recommend. You can also read What to Put on a Baby Registry, What NOT to Put on a Baby Registry, Baby Registry Must Haves vs. Nice to Haves, and How to Build a Baby Registry if you are trying to figure out what actually deserves a spot.

Frequently Asked Questions About How Many Items Should Be on a Baby Registry

How many items should be on a baby registry?

There is no required number, but I think around 75 items is a good target for a first baby registry. It gives you room for inexpensive basics, mid priced products, big ticket baby gear and a few things your baby will need later.

Is 100 items too many for a baby registry?

Not necessarily. If you genuinely expect to use the products and have a variety of price points, having 100 items on your registry is completely reasonable. I would focus on what is on the registry rather than the exact number.

How many items should I put on my registry for a baby shower?

You do not need to base the size of your registry on your baby shower guest list. Give people plenty of options at different prices, and remember that your registry can also function as your own baby shopping checklist.

Should I put expensive items on my baby registry?

Yes. I put expensive products on mine, including my stroller,

Download my free Baby Registry Guide complete with a full list of all of our essentials.