As the excitement builds towards baby’s arrival, “getting it all together” may seem extremely overwhelming. Luckily there are a lot of different stores that will help you put together the perfect registry with all of the essentials you will need. If you are a first time mom, creating a registry can be extremely difficult. You are going to have all of your family and friends telling you what you “need” for your baby and what the “best” gear is to get for your baby. We want you to remember to take a deep breath and don’t let this overwhelm you. We wanted to create this blog to provide you with on our suggestions on what stores offer the best registries, give you advice on how to create the registry and offer our opinions on what are the essential baby necessities and what product you can get away with not registering for.
Picking out the Best Places to Register
Showers are often given for moms-to-be a couple of months prior to their due date, so you’ll want to prepare your registry list well in advance. This way, your friends and family will have enough time to do their shopping, and you can make additions and changes to your registry as needed. Picking out the different places for your registry can be difficult and overwhelming. There are so many different options to register at that for a lot of soon to be moms; this can be the hardest part. Splitting up your wish list among two or three different registries can be confusing for everyone. It’s better to pick one place that has the majority of the everyday gear you want. Below we compiled a list of the top five registries to consider.
- Babies’ R us
- Buy Buy Baby
- Amazon
- Target
- Baby Depot
A store with a big selection that allows shoppers to buy from your registry online is ideal. Your family and friends that live out of state will appreciate being able to order your gift without having to go to the store. Although a lot of your friends will want to go to the store with the printed list and see the product for themselves. All of the above stores ACCEPT Amazon; give the customers the option to shop online or in their store for the baby registry!
A few of the important questions to ask when deciding which registry to go with is:
- Will the store deliver and assemble big items like a crib? If so, is there a charge?
- Can you update your registry online?
- What is the return policy? Look for a 30 day window at least
- Will you be able to receive a store credit when returning an item without a receipt?
Deciding What to Include in Your Baby Registry
Whether you create a checklist yourself or download them from a website, checklists will help to keep you organized throughout this process. If you decide to create them on your own, you should reach out to a friend or family who recently has had a baby. To keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed by all the baby items out there, remember that you don’t have to do it all at once. To prioritize, start with necessities – like a crib, blankets & sheets, car seat, stroller, bodysuits and sleep ‘n plays. Then move on to making decisions about other items like baby monitors and bouncers.
It is okay to include both the more costly items, like cribs and strollers, and those that are less expensive – such as burp cloths, bath and safety items. This will allow gift-givers the option of just how much they want to spend. Big ticket items are often bought by several friends who pool together to make the purchase or your close family and friends.
We also suggest doubling up on some of the bigger items such as a car seat and stroller. Keeping a few extra supplies and necessary baby gear at a place that your baby might be spending a lot of time at is a good idea. This doesn’t mean you should ask for two of everything on your list, just use your judgment. It will make life a lot easier not having to lug around EVERYTHING.
Top Essentials that you will NEED to Register for
Like we mentioned in the beginning of this blog, a checklist will be extremely important when creating a registry. It will help you tremendously if you break your needs and wants for the registry into different sections.
- Nursery
- Changing Table and pad
- Crib and Mattress
- Bassinet
- Glider
- Mobile
- Baby Gear
- Baby Carrier
- Stroller
- Car Seat
- Portable Crib
- Diapering
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Diaper Rash Cream
- Diaper Bag
- Diaper Pail and Liners
- Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding
- Nursing Pillow
- Breast Pump
- Burp Clothes- A LOT
- Bottles/Nipples
- Bottle Brushers/Warmers/Drying Rack
- Formula
- Solid Feeding
- Highchair
- Feeding Supplies ( Bowls, spoons)
- Sippy Cups
- Splat Mat
- Baby Food Maker
- Bathing
- Baby bathtub
- Bath time accessories
- Hooded Bath Towels/washcloths
- Baby shampoo/body wash
- Sleeping
- Wearable Blankets/Swaddle Blankets
- White Noise Machine
- Nightlight
- Crib sheets
- Baby Monitor
- Waterproof mattress pad
- Baby Soothers/Toys & Entertainment
- Pacifiers
- Bouncer Seat
- Baby swing
- Play mat/gym
- Jumper
- Toys/books
- Safety/Health
- Safety gates
- Childproofing product
- Baby monitor
- First aid kid/ Medicine
- Teething toys
- Baby nail scissors/clippers
- Digital Thermometer
- Clothing
- Clothing for newborns/0-6 months/6-12 months
- Sleepers/pajamas
- One piece outfits
- Hats/socks/booties/mittens
Remember that showers are often given for moms-to-be a couple of months prior to their due date, so you’ll want to prepare your registry list well in advance. This way, your friends and family will have enough time to do their shopping, and you can make additions and changes to your registry as needed. Even after you’ve created your registry, you should go back, check the status, and add or update items as needed. Most of the registry platforms will allow you to check up on your registry in store, online, or even on your mobile device.
Remember, your baby won’t be a baby forever, so you may want to include items designed for toddlers, such as high chairs, potties, walkers and jumpers. Your baby will need them before you know it!
Don’t get overwhelmed! Remember this is supposed to be a fun experience so don’t see it as a task but as a enjoyable project for you to work on the months leading up to the big day!
