Feeding gear without the guesswork
Feeding is the category where over-buying before the birth costs the most, because you cannot know in advance how feeding will go. The five items in this section of the baby registry checklist are staged for that: a small bottle trial now, sterilising sorted early, the pump decision deferred, and the high chair timed for six months.
Bottles: trial two or three before buying a set
The government's Pregnancy, Birth and Baby bottle-feeding guidance notes that bottles sold in Australia have to meet safety and manufacturing requirements, and that different babies may simply prefer particular styles. So buy two or three bottles of one brand, see how the first weeks go, and only then commit to a full set. Start with a slow-flow teat and feed responsively, holding your baby upright, letting them draw the teat into their mouth themselves, pausing for breaks, and never forcing a bottle to be finished.
Sterilising is a 12-month commitment
Feeding equipment needs sterilising after every use until your baby is 12 months old, per Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's sterilising guidance, so this is a daily chore worth making easy. The guidance covers three methods: boiling everything for five minutes with the lid on, which works but is slow for daily use; steam sterilisers, electric or microwave, which it notes are popular because they work quickly and cost little to run; and chemical solutions, which need a fresh batch every day. That is why a steam steriliser sits on the checklist: sterilising happens every day for a year, and the quick method is the one that keeps happening. One habit to keep from the same guidance: sterilised gear that has sat unused for more than 24 hours needs sterilising again before it touches milk.
The pump: defer the expensive decision
Pumps range from a simple silicone catch pump to double electric models at many times the price, and the right answer depends on how feeding goes, which is exactly what you cannot know before the birth. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's expressing guidance frames the choice simply: manual pumps suit short-term or infrequent use, while electric pumps can express from both breasts at once for anyone expressing regularly. Our staged approach follows that split: put an inexpensive option suited to occasional use on the registry now, and hold off on an expensive electric until you know regular expressing is part of your routine. Washing is simpler than bottle care: for a healthy, full-term baby the guidance is hot soapy water and a good rinse after each use, with sterilising of expressing gear not required.
The high chair: no mandatory standard, so the checks are yours
Unlike cots and car seats, there is no mandatory standard for high chairs in Australia, which makes Product Safety Australia's high chairs guide your buying checklist. Falls are the most common high chair injury, so the guide's priorities are stability and restraint: a sturdy frame with a wide base, locks that cannot collapse a folding model, lockable wheels, and a five-point harness, which the guide calls the safest; a three-point harness is workable only when the waist and crotch straps are firmly fastened. In use, buckle the harness every time, set the chair away from windows, stoves, appliances and blind cords, and always supervise your child while they are in it.
The registry timing trick still applies: solids start around six months but gifts arrive before the birth, so the high chair belongs on the list now, and its price makes it a natural group gift. Guests unsure what feeding gear costs can check our guide on how much to give at a baby shower. Bibs are the anti-decision at the other end: cheap, constantly in the wash, impossible to over-own; ask for eight or more. Once feeding is covered, the nursery checklist handles the sleep side of the setup.
The feeding checklist at a glance
- Baby Bottlesessential
- Bottle Steriliser
- Breast Pump
- High Chair
- Bibs
Stage the feeding gear on a registry
List the bottle trial and steriliser for now and the high chair as a group gift, and guests fund the stages in the right order. An EasyRegistry baby registry is free to create.