When to start a baby registry, and when to buy baby stuff
Start your baby registry around weeks 20 to 24, after the morphology scan at 18 to 20 weeks, and share it four to six weeks before the baby shower, which in Australia is usually held in the third trimester, often between 30 and 36 weeks. Buy the must-haves still missing after the shower, and have the capsule in the car well before the due date: RAC WA suggests about two months before.
Week by week: the registry and the shopping
The weeks below come from Australian health and motoring sources and baby retailers' shower guides. Your own dates move with your shower and your due date, so work back from those.
| When | The registry | Buying |
|---|---|---|
| Up to about 20 weeks | Take stock: what you have, what you can borrow and what family will hand down. | Nothing is urgent. Research the big items, like the pram, the capsule and the cot. |
| 18 to 20 weeks | The morphology scan (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby). Most parents build the registry after it. | Shortlist the exact models you want, so guests do not buy a well-meaning substitute. |
| 20 to 24 weeks | Build the registry: the must-haves first, the big items as group gifts, then the nice-to-haves. | Hold off on what guests are likely to give. |
| 4 to 6 weeks before the shower | Share the link when the invitations go out (Purebaby). | Nothing yet: let the shower fill the list first. |
| From 29 weeks | Tick off gifts as they arrive. | Get organised for hospital (Better Health Channel). |
| 30 to 36 weeks | Most Australian showers fall here, in the third trimester. | After the shower, buy the must-haves still missing. |
| About 2 months before the due date | Keep the list open for anyone who missed the shower. | Install the capsule, then have an accredited fitter check it (RAC WA). |
| Around 36 weeks | Nothing to do. | Pack the hospital bag (Better Health Channel). Hospitals differ on what they supply, including nappies. |
| After the birth | Keep it open: the buy-later items and a nappy fund give guests something useful for months. | Buy the later items as your baby needs them. |
Organise the list by when you need it
The baby registry checklist sorts every item into three tiers, which double as a buying order. Add the before birth tier first, because those are the things the first nights need; the later tier can wait until well after the shower.
Before birth: 15 items
Pram, Car Seat, Nappy Bag, Cot, Cot Mattress, Bassinet, Change Mat, Swaddles, Sleeping Bag, Baby Bottles, Bottle Steriliser, Clothes, Muslin Wraps, Beanies & Socks, Bath Towels & Washers.
First 3 months: 8 items
Baby Carrier, Baby Monitor, Night Light, Breast Pump, Baby Bath, Grooming Kit, Play Mat, Bouncer.
Later: 3 items
High Chair, Bibs, Baby Toys.
Before you buy: borrow, hand down, group-gift
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is clear that you don't need to buy everything new: second-hand, borrowed and handed-down things save money. Two items deserve care. A cot must meet the mandatory Australian Standard, with a firm, flat mattress within 20 mm of the sides and ends; our nursery set-up checklist covers the rest. A car seat must be an approved restraint, rear facing for babies up to 6 months, and the pram and car seat checklist covers fitting.
The big items are the ones to put on the registry as group gifts, so several guests can put towards the pram or the cot. If you are still choosing where to build the list, the best baby registry comparison sets the options side by side. Planning a smaller gathering for a second baby? See what a baby sprinkle is.
Baby registry timing questions
Is 12 weeks too early to start a baby registry?
Not for a private list. The Baby Gift Company's Australian guide says many parents start around 12 weeks with the core essentials and add the rest after the 20-week scan. Most keep it to themselves until the shower invitations go out.
When should I start buying baby stuff?
Research the big items from about 20 weeks, let the registry and the shower fill the list, then buy whatever must-haves are still missing in the last weeks. The capsule comes first: RAC WA suggests installing it about two months before the due date.
When is a baby shower held in Australia?
Usually in the third trimester, often between 30 and 36 weeks; Purebaby puts it around the seventh or eighth month. Mamamia notes that for a high-risk pregnancy, earlier is better.
When should the baby car seat be fitted?
Before your baby comes home from hospital. RAC WA suggests installing the capsule about two months before the due date and then having an accredited fitter check it, and NSW recommends an authorised restraint fitter. Babies up to 6 months must travel in an approved rear-facing restraint.
When should I pack the hospital bag?
The Better Health Channel suggests getting organised after 29 weeks and packing the bag at around 36 weeks. Check what your hospital supplies, because some provide nappies and blankets and others do not.
What if there is no baby shower?
Share the registry when you tell people about the baby, or send it privately to anyone who asks. The timing for building the list stays the same.
Start the list after your scan
Add items from any store, mark the big ones as group gifts and share one link when the invitations go out. It is free to create.