Baby Registry for a One Bedroom Apartment

A long registry makes it hard to tell what you need before the baby arrives and what can wait. In a one-bedroom apartment, every purchase also needs somewhere to go.

Start with the first three months. Have feeding, sleep and everyday cleaning supplies ready before your baby comes home. Leave the high chair and larger toys on the list for later, when you're closer to using them.

What to buy before your baby comes home

Start with a crib or bassinet that's suitable for a newborn and meets the safety standards where you live. You don't have to buy both. Once you've chosen one, get the matching mattress and fitted sheets. The mattress should be firm and flat, and the sheet should fit snugly. Leave pillows, bumpers, loose bedding and soft pads that aren't suitable for infant sleep off the registry.

Check the use limits, too. Stop using the product as soon as your baby reaches any weight, height or developmental limit in the instructions. Being suitable for a newborn doesn't mean it will stay suitable as your baby grows.

Have a starting supply of diapers, wipes or other diaper cleaning supplies, and a changing mat ready. Hold off on buying lots of diapers in one size until you know how they fit and how many you're using. If shopping is difficult or deliveries take several days, allow for that when deciding how much to keep on hand.

Choose clothes for the season that are easy to put on and take off, along with burp cloths, washcloths and bath towels. Think about your laundry routine: how often you'll wash them, how long they'll take to dry and what you'll need in between. Start with a few newborn outfits and add more if you need them. Check what friends and family have already given you before buying more.

Feeding supplies depend on how you expect to feed your baby. If you'll be bottle feeding, have bottles, a bottle brush and a washing basin ready. If you'll use formula, have suitable formula on hand as well. If you plan to pump, or your clinician recommends having equipment ready, choose a pump and milk storage supplies in advance. If you expect to nurse directly, buy for your needs rather than getting several complete feeding setups at once.

An age-appropriate infant bathtub, baby wash products and a digital thermometer suitable for infants are also worth having before your baby comes home. Look through larger care kits before buying one; you may already have some of what's inside.

Don't leave the car seat until the first ride. If the trip home or another early outing involves a car, have a seat ready and learn how to install it beforehand. Under US guidance, babies younger than one should ride rear facing. The seat also needs to fit your baby and the vehicle. Even if you don't own a car, work out how you'll get home from the hospital and travel to appointments.

A small starting collection of folded newborn clothes, cloths, a towel, diapers and a changing mat on a wooden table.

Have the bottle warmer and sterilizer ready too

Plan to have a bottle warmer and a bottle sterilizer and dryer ready before your baby comes home. If you're planning to use bottles, choose and try the equipment alongside them so you know how it works.

For the warmer, check that it fits your bottles and works with their material and the warming method you plan to use. For the sterilizer and dryer, look beyond the stated capacity. Check how your bottles, nipples and any pump parts will fit on the racks, and whether those parts are suitable for its sanitizing and drying methods.

When the appliances arrive, clean and try them according to the instructions. Anyone else who will help with feeds can learn how to use them, too. Measure the space needed to lift a lid and take bottles out. An appliance that fits with its lid closed still needs room to open.

You still need to wash bottles after use, then sanitize, dry and store them as required. Under CDC guidance, daily sanitizing is especially important for babies younger than two months, babies born prematurely and babies with weakened immune systems. Use the warmer when you want to warm milk, following the bottle and appliance instructions.

A compact bottle warmer and a separate bottle sterilizer and dryer on a clear countertop, with empty bottles and space above the lid.

What can wait

High chairs, feeding utensils and larger toys for later stages can stay on the list until you're closer to needing them. You'll know more about your baby's abilities and your household by then. If something is on sale, consider how many months you'll have to store it before ordering.

Buy a stroller or carrier around your earliest plans to use it. If you'll be walking with a stroller from the start, choose one before the birth. If you won't need it yet, you can wait. Begin with an option that's suitable for a newborn and manageable for you, rather than buying several strollers or carriers at once.

A dedicated changing table or feeding chair depends on what you already have. If an existing chair is comfortable and suitable for you to feed in, you can skip a separate feeding chair for now. If bending, crouching or getting up from the floor is difficult, a suitable changing setup may be worth choosing early. Putting a pad on an ordinary dresser doesn't automatically make it a safe changing table.

Before adding a diaper pail, think about how often you take out the trash. When choosing one, check how it opens and whether it needs special refill bags. If you already have a workable way to handle used diapers, you don't need to rush to add another bin.

Check the space before you order

You might be able to clear a drawer for smaller supplies. Measure before ordering larger items and appliances. Use the table below to check each item before you buy it.

Item	When to have it ready	One thing to consider	Space to allow at home
Crib or bassinet and matching bedding	Before baby comes home	Choose one first, then get its mattress and fitted sheets	Measure it in use, not just the package
Diapers, wipes and changing mat	Before baby comes home; start small	Allow for delivery time; avoid overstocking one size	Everyday supplies and a small refill supply
Clothes, burp cloths and towels	Before baby comes home	Allow for laundry and drying time	A drawer or compartments where you can check sizes and quantities
Bottles, brush and washing basin	Before baby comes home if bottle feeding	Start with what you need and add more later	Room to wash, dry fully and store clean items
Bottle warmer	Before baby comes home	Check bottle size, material and warming method	A stable counter with room to put bottles in and take them out
Bottle sterilizer and dryer	Before baby comes home	Check capacity, compatible parts and loading instructions	A stable counter with room for the lid, access and cleaning
Breast pump and milk storage supplies	Before needed, based on your feeding plan	Choose for your plans and professional advice	Decide how you'll store milk; allow room to wash and dry parts
Bath supplies, infant tub and thermometer	Before baby comes home	Choose for your baby's age; avoid duplicates	Somewhere the tub can dry and care supplies can be put away
Car seat	Before the first car ride	Check the fit for your baby and vehicle	Confirm correct installation; store as instructed when not in use
Stroller or carrier	Before the first outing that needs it	Start with an option you'll use	Room to take it out, unfold and use it, as well as to store it
Changing table, feeding chair and diaper pail	If needed; check what you already have	Existing suitable options may cover the need	Room to use it, open it and clean around it
High chair, feeding utensils and larger toys	Closer to the stage of use	Keep them on the list without stocking up yet	Buy or arrange delivery later if there's nowhere to keep them

Make gift requests specific

If friends or family want to buy a gift, tell them what's already been bought and what someone else has offered to give. Agree on larger purchases before anyone orders, especially a crib, stroller or feeding appliance. The size, parts and way you'll use it need to work for your household.

Gifts for a later stage can arrive later, too. If you haven't chosen a model yet, leave it open rather than picking one just to complete the registry. Update the list when clothes, bottles or other easily duplicated items arrive so you know what you still need.

Two small wrapped gifts, folded baby clothes and an open blank notebook on a wooden table for planning registry gifts.

There's plenty to get used to when you bring a baby home. Having the things you'll use ready, with bottles and appliances already tried, means less time spent looking for something or reading instructions in those first few days. The high chair and toys for later stages can wait. When you need them, you'll be able to choose for your baby's current size and abilities, without storing them for months first.

Download the one-page baby registry buying planner