What an autumn baby registry actually needs

The pram walk at four o'clock is suddenly in the dark, the flat is heated for the first time and the baby has outgrown the summer bodysuits in one go. A registry made in May does not cover any of that. Here is what to add before the grandparents ask what they can bring.

Clothes for a temperature that keeps changing

Autumn is a cold morning, a mild afternoon and a cold evening, so put layers on the list. Long-sleeved cotton bodysuits as the base, a cardigan or a zip hoodie on top, and a soft trousers-and-jumper set for crawling around the floor. Zips beat buttons on everything; a baby does not lie still for eight buttons.

Hands, feet and head go cold first. Put wool socks (Joha or Name It make them in baby sizes), a knitted hat with ear flaps and a pair of soft booties on the list. For the pram, one warm all-in-one suit is enough; two is one too many, because they grow out of it in eight weeks. Fleece-lined sleepsuits belong in the cold bedroom; in the pram they get too warm under the footmuff.

Sleep gear for shorter days and colder rooms

This is the section where the guidance matters, so keep it simple. The safe option in a cooler room is a sleeping bag with a tog rating, and nothing loose in the cot: no blanket, no pillow, no bumper. A 2.5 tog bag (a Grobag or a similar, reasonably priced bag from any brand) covers a bedroom between 16 and 20°C, which is the range the Lullaby Trust and most European health services give. A cheap room thermometer tells you which bag to use; a monitor with a temperature alert costs six times as much and tells you the same thing.

Blackout blinds earn their place now that the sun sets earlier and the afternoon nap slides. A white noise machine is optional; a fan or a phone app does the job for most babies.

Skip the humidifier unless a doctor suggests one. It needs cleaning every few days, and a neglected one grows mould in the nursery.

Toys for more time indoors

More hours inside means the floor becomes the playground. For a baby under six months, a play mat with a couple of hanging toys and an Oball to grab are plenty. Once they sit, stacking cups (cheap, and used for two years) beat any electronic toy on the list.

For the crawler, a set of soft blocks, a wooden shape sorter and a push-along wagon for the first steps, plus a few board books with thick pages that survive being chewed. Toys that light up and sing at the press of a button keep a baby busy for one afternoon and the parents awake for a year.

Gear for wind, rain and short daylight

The daily walk keeps everyone sane, so the pram has to work in drizzle. A rain cover that fits your model (universal ones flap; the brand's own fits) and a footmuff, which is a lined bag that clips into the seat, turn the pram into a warm spot for an hour outside. Footmuff prices vary a lot by brand, and the cheap one is fine.

For the parent who carries, a cover that zips over the carrier keeps the baby warm without a bulky suit. In carriers, a baby in a thick snowsuit overheats and the straps no longer sit right, so a cover and normal clothes work better.

Indoors, add a pack of muslins. Colds arrive with the heating, and the six you have will be in the wash.

Putting the registry together

Mix the cheap and the dear so everyone can pick something: a cheap pack of wool socks, the mid-priced sleeping bag, the footmuff at the top. The grandparents will want to buy the big thing, and the colleague who chips in wants a pack of socks and a card, so give both a place.

Go through the list in one evening and take off the summer items that no longer fit. You can create a baby registry or update the one you have, and share it again before the first cold weekend.