When to Make a Baby Registry: A Simple Timeline

You can start your baby registry around your fourth or fifth month of pregnancy, then share it around your sixth or seventh month. This timeline gives you time to compare options, check what you already have, and get ready for the baby without deciding everything at once. Adjust it to your energy, your needs, and the date of any baby shower.

What month of pregnancy should you start your registry?

The fourth or fifth month is a good time to start your baby registry, but you don’t have to finish it right away.

At this point, you can lay the groundwork: where the baby will sleep, how you plan to get around, and what gear you can borrow. The goal isn’t to plan every detail, but to avoid last-minute shopping.

Timing	What you can do	Goal
Before the fourth month	Jot down ideas and offers to lend you things	Keep track without rushing
Fourth and fifth months	Put together an initial selection	Separate needs from nice-to-haves
Sixth and seventh months	Check product details and share your registry	Give friends and family time
Eighth month	Review the essentials	Get things ready that you’ll need on hand
After the birth	Make changes based on your actual needs	Avoid gifts you no longer need

Before adding an item, check its dimensions, whether it’ll work in your home, and its delivery time. To get started without facing a blank page, take a look at this baby registry example, then keep only what fits your life.

Should you make your registry before the baby shower?

Get your registry ready and share it before the baby shower if you want guests to use it when choosing a gift.

A good rule of thumb is to have a shareable registry ready four to six weeks before the shower. That gives people time to place an order, chip in on a group gift, or find a secondhand option. If the shower is coming up later, one to two weeks may be enough for items that are easy to find.

Ask the person hosting the baby shower to include the link with the invitation or send it in a separate message. Make it clear that the registry is a guide, not a requirement for attending.

If you’d like to get something for the baby, here’s our list of ideas. There are options at different price points, but no gift is expected—we’ll just be happy to see you!

If the baby shower is a surprise, give the link to someone close to you as soon as it’s ready. If you’re not having a baby shower, just use your pregnancy timeline as a guide: you don’t need an event to share your registry.

When and how should you share your registry with friends and family?

Share your registry around your sixth or seventh month, or earlier with people who are already asking for ideas.

You can do it in two steps. First, send it to people who’ve offered practical help or are considering a big gift. Then share it with a wider circle once your main choices are in place. Your registry doesn’t have to be final to be useful.

Send a personal message or share it in a family group chat you already use. Avoid repeated reminders or messages that make it feel like a group order. Instead, say what would be helpful and let everyone decide whether to participate.

A few people have asked what we’d like for the baby. We’ve put together some ideas here, from small gifts to bigger items. You can also just message us if you’d rather suggest something else.

With Seizenn, you can share a single link, and friends and family don’t need an account to view the registry or reserve a gift. Reservations help avoid duplicate gifts and stay hidden from the person who created the registry.

For gear you’ll need before the baby arrives, add a clear note: “Needed before the baby arrives, ideally by early June.” If no one gets it, have a plan for getting it yourself. Don’t count on an uncertain gift for something essential.

What should you choose before sharing your registry?

Before sharing your registry, identify priority gifts, the options you prefer, and a range of price points.

An initial selection of 15 to 25 ideas may be enough. That’s not a minimum or a target to hit: a small registry with clear details is better than a long list of randomly chosen products.

Start with three groups:

• Get ready before the birth: a safe sleep setup, a few outfits, diaper-changing supplies, and travel gear based on how you get around. Follow the official recommendations (American Academy of Pediatrics).
• Useful in the first few months: extra linens, books, and accessories that fit your routine.
• Decide later: bulky items, clothes for a far-off season, or gear you’re not sure you’ll use.

For prices, include a few ideas around $10 to $20, others around $20 to $50, and perhaps some more expensive gifts. These are practical guidelines, not expected amounts. For a big-ticket item, say that group gifts are welcome, without asking anyone to contribute a specific amount.

Include the size, color, dimensions, and acceptable alternatives. For clothes, think about the season when the baby is likely to wear each size. For a secondhand item, check its condition, make sure all the parts are there, and follow the applicable safety guidelines.

Seizenn is a free gift registry service with no ads. You can add a gift from any store by pasting in its link, then note “secondhand if possible” or “similar item is fine.” You can create your baby registry now and add product details as you shop around.

Can you make or update your registry after the baby is born?

Yes, you can create or update your registry after the baby is born to cover needs you couldn’t have predicted.

That can be helpful if you’d rather wait and see what daily life is like. You’ll have a better idea of which clothes you’re missing, what gear you actually use, and what’s just taking up space. Still, make sure you have another way to get the essentials for the first few days.

If you already have a registry, check which gifts you’ve received and what you’ve bought yourself before adding new ideas. Don’t change an item someone has already reserved without letting them know. Focus on updating sizes, quantities, and priorities.

Now that the baby is here, we’ve updated our registry with a few things we actually need. If you ask us for a gift idea, the link is still the same. There’s no rush or obligation.

You can also check out this guide to baby registries to organize your ideas. Keep only gifts that are still useful instead of making the list longer out of habit.

The bottom line

The best time to make your baby registry is when you can choose things without rushing and give your friends and family enough time.

• Start around your fourth or fifth month if that timing works for you.
• Share it around your sixth or seventh month—don’t wait until it’s perfect.
• For a baby shower, aim to share it four to six weeks before the party.
• Offer a range of prices and include sizes, options, and alternatives.
• Have your own plan for getting essentials that aren’t gifted.
• After the birth, update the registry based on what you actually need.
• Always frame the link as a helpful guide, never as an obligation to give a gift.