How to Organize a Baby Shower Registry

My friend Sarah received five Sophie la Girafe teethers at her baby shower. Five. Same toy, different wrapping paper. The people who bought them all thought they were being original.

This is the #1 problem with baby showers that don't have a registry: duplicate gifts. And it's not just annoying for the parents — it's awkward for the guests too. Nobody wants to watch someone unwrap the same thing for the third time with a forced smile.

A good registry solves this completely. Here's how to set one up that people actually use.

Start Around Week 16-20

Too early and you won't know what you need yet (the nesting instinct hasn't kicked in). Too late and your guests are scrambling for last-minute options. The 16-20 week window gives you time to research what you actually need based on your living situation, not just what looks cute on Instagram.

Fair warning: you will go down a rabbit hole comparing strollers at 11pm. This is normal and expected.

Mix Your Price Ranges

This is the part people get wrong. If your registry is all $200 car seats and $150 monitors, half your guests won't buy from it because they can't afford to. If it's all $15 onesies, your parents and closest friends feel weird spending that little.

Aim for a spread:

• Under $20: Bibs, burp cloths, pacifiers, onesies in various sizes
• $20-75: Sleep sacks, bottle sets, baby books, swaddles
• $75-200+: Car seat, stroller, baby monitor, nursery furniture

This way every guest finds something in their comfort zone. Some guests will group together for the big-ticket items too.

Add the Boring Stuff (You'll Thank Yourself Later)

People love buying tiny shoes and adorable outfits. You know what nobody wants to buy? Diaper cream. A nose aspirator. Size 2 diapers.

Add them to the registry anyway. At 3am when you're out of diapers and the baby won't stop crying, you won't care that your gift wasn't Instagram-worthy. You'll care that it's there.

Pro tip: add diapers in multiple sizes (newborn, size 1, size 2). Babies grow out of newborn diapers shockingly fast, sometimes within a week.

Use a Shareable Registry With Real-Time Tracking

The whole point of a registry is preventing duplicates. But the old-school approach (print a list and hand it out) doesn't work when guests are shopping from different cities on different days.

You need a registry where claiming an item is visible to everyone in real time. When Aunt Mary reserves the stroller, Uncle Dave can see it's taken and pick something else. No coordination needed.

GiftDice's baby shower registry does exactly this. Guests don't even need an account to browse — just the link. They tap “Reserve” and it's done. You can also set quantities for items you need multiples of (bibs, bottles, etc.).

Set Quantities for the Things You Need More Of

Some items you need one of (car seat, monitor). Others you need a dozen. Bibs. Burp cloths. Sleep sacks in different sizes. Bottles.

Setting a quantity on registry items means multiple guests can each claim one of the same thing without duplicating. Three people can each buy you a pack of onesies in different sizes, and everyone knows what's covered.

Share It Everywhere

Put the registry link in the shower invitation. Pin it in the group chat. Text it to the relatives who “don't do computers” (they can still open a link on their phone). The easier it is to find, the fewer duplicate Sophie la Girafes you'll receive.

The Must-Have Checklist

Every family is different, but here's a starting point that covers the essentials most new parents actually use daily:

• Diapers in sizes newborn, 1, and 2
• Wipes (you will use approximately one million of these)
• Bottles and feeding supplies
• Sleep sacks and swaddles (2-3 of each)
• Car seat (non-negotiable)
• Stroller (research this one carefully)
• Crib sheets (3 sets minimum — trust me)
• Baby monitor
• Onesies in 0-3 and 3-6 month sizes
• Burp cloths and bibs (the unglamorous heroes)
• Baby first aid kit
• White noise machine (the secret weapon nobody tells you about)