Your baby registry
prepare for baby's arrival peacefully

A baby on the way sets off a wonderful — and completely disorganised — wave of generosity. Without a registry, a family ends up with six comforters, twelve newborn-size sleepsuits worn for three weeks, and still nothing to furnish the nursery. A baby registry doesn't restrain generosity: it points it somewhere useful.

It also saves you a string of repetitive conversations. Every relative asks the same question, and you have neither the energy nor the time to answer each one during the third trimester. One link settles it once and for all.

The fifth or sixth month of pregnancy is the most comfortable moment: the news is out, the anatomy scan is done, and there is still enough time for orders to arrive before the hospital bag is packed. If a baby shower is planned, the registry needs to exist at least three weeks beforehand.

Creating it early doesn't mean freezing it. You will adjust it along the way anyway, removing what you were given second-hand and adding what you hadn't thought of. The shared link stays the same and always shows the current version.

Think in terms of moments in the day rather than shop aisles: it is the most reliable way not to forget anything.

• sleep: sleeping bags, fitted sheets, a night light, a room thermometer;
• feeding: bottles, a nursing pillow, bibs, a high chair for later;
• going out: pushchair, car seat, baby carrier, changing bag;
• play and discovery: a play mat, rattles, first fabric books, a mobile;
• changing and bathing: changing mat, towels, toiletries.

This is the most common mistake: a registry built entirely around the first few weeks. A baby spends roughly three weeks in newborn size, and one-month clothes are often already too small. Ask for 3, 6 and 12 months instead — you will be glad to have them when the time comes.

The same goes for seasons: a baby born in February will be wearing 6-month clothes in the middle of summer. Anticipating both size and season at the moment the clothes will actually be worn avoids a wardrobe you can't use.

Pushchair, car seat, cot: these are far beyond the budget of an individual gift. Don't leave them off the registry for that — they act as a rallying point, and several people together can fund a piece of equipment nobody would have bought alone.

It is also the answer for colleagues, distant friends and relatives who don't know what to give: joining an identified purchase is simpler, and more useful, than yet another courtesy gift.

The registry is shared through a single link you can send to family, friends and colleagues. Nobody needs an account to reserve: a first name is enough. A reserved gift immediately shows as taken, which prevents duplicates between two branches of the family who don't talk day to day.

If you would rather stay discreet, the registry can be made private or password-protected. You can also invite the second parent as a co-editor so you fill it in together rather than putting everything on one person.