If you’re expecting, one of the most exciting things you can do as you prepare for birth is to create your baby registry.
When you create a baby registry, it’s fun for everyone. Your friends and family are excited to give you gifts, and you can raise the chances you’ll get what you want and need for your baby. Registries can also help you stay organized, so you know what you have and what you still need to get before the baby’s arrival.
You want to make sure that you’re checking for any product recalls and choosing safe items in addition to stocking your nursery. You also want to focus on the things you’re actually going to use, rather than the unnecessary baby items that will get shoved into the back of a closet.
With those things in mind, the following is a guide to creating the best baby registry.
How Does a Registry Work?
If it’s your first baby, a registry includes the items you’d like to get as gifts. Then, the idea is that you have everything you need when it’s time to bring the baby home. You can set a registry up in a store, or you can do it online. There are some registries that will let you combine multiple retailers.
A lot of baby registries will have added features that make them appealing, like price matching and free returns.
When you’re choosing where to register, you probably want an option that’s going to give you access to most products and brands.
When Should You Make a Registry?
There’s no right time to make your registry. You can make it right away if you choose. Some people do it in the first trimester, and others wait until their further along. You might want to wait until the 20-week mark to make it, which usually falls around the time you get an anatomy scan.
When you make the registry, you don’t have to make it public right away. You can keep it private until you’re ready to share it.
If you have a baby shower, you should ensure your registry is live and public as soon as you give out invitations.
Making it public around the start of your third trimester is most conventional, but again, you can do what makes you comfortable.
When you’re adding items, don’t worry about how many or how few you’re putting. Do what you want.
Some people also wonder if it’s okay to ask for cash. Most registries do offer cash fund options, or there might be a spot for gift cards. Some of your friends and family are going to prefer this option, so don’t hesitate to add this if it’s right for you.
Should You Include Big Purchases?
Parents-to-be often worry about adding big purchases to their registries like the crib or stroller. In reality, it’s a good idea to do so because these big items are what you actually need. A lot of registries will feature an option where groups can contribute to the same item, pooling their funds for the bigger purchases if they don’t want to buy it fully.
Think About Your Lifestyle
It’s important when you’re registering for baby items to think honestly about your lifestyle. For example, if you live in a small apartment and you’re adding a lot of big furniture, it’s not realistic. Think about what you’re going to use and what your space allows for.
Think about your preferences as well. For example, maybe the thought of having an advanced baby monitoring system stresses you out, and you’d like to stick with a basic option that gives you audio.
Give it thought before you get started selecting the actual items for your registry.
You also want to break things down into categories of need versus want. Put the emphasis on the needs. You can buy the wants later if they’re very important to you. You’re likely to figure out those wants aren’t that important once the baby arrives, though.
Registry Strategy
A few things to consider in your registry strategy include:
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Babies grow quickly. The baby stage lasts a very short period of time, and during the first year, your baby is probably only going to wear certain sizes for a couple of weeks. Most babies never fit into newborn sizes of clothes or diapers. Keep this in mind and minimize the smaller sizes you ask for.
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There are likely going to be some people who want to give you gifts that aren’t on your registry, like a personalized blanket. Keep that in mind too.
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Put the focus of your registry on the first six months. Think about those things you’re going to initially need the most and want to have access to when you’re nesting with your new baby. Other things wait.
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Do some research. There are great product guides you can find for pretty much every item you’ll add to your registry, and some sites have a consultant team who can help you. You might be able to find themed sample registries too.
What to Wait On
There are some things that you should wait on or avoid adding to your registry altogether.
For example, while you might want to add enough diapers and wipes to last a year, in reality, you might find that you like one brand over another. Then you could have a stock of other brands you never use.
This can also be the case with things like bottles, baby wash, and formula. Add a few brands to the registry but don’t go overboard with any one type so you can see what you like most and what your baby prefers.
You should skip the baby wipe warmer completely unless you have your heart set on it. So many parents say they never used it when they got one. Crib bumpers are a no because they are a safety hazard, as is other bedding. Cribs should only have a fitted sheet.
Finally, you won’t need any dressy clothes, and you also don’t need a ton of toys. Your baby won’t have any need for toys for a while.
