If you’ve got a little one on the way, you’re going to need stuff…a lot of it. Here’s what I wish I knew before making a baby registry
Preparing for your baby’s arrival is an exciting (and overwhelming) time.
Baby registries are a wonderful way to acquire all the necessary stuff for your bundle of joy. It allows your friends and family to celebrate your newest addition, and takes some of the financial burden off of you. But what exactly should you add on your registry? What items will you actually need and use, and what items can you skip?
Truthfully, trying to make those decisions before your baby gets here is close to impossible. You can ask advice from friends, read articles like this one, and do all the research in the world, but ultimately you’ll need things you don’t already have and never use other things you thought would come in clutch.
Accepting that fact would have made making my own registry a lot less stressful. Here’s what I wish I knew before making a baby registry.
You won’t think of EVERYTHING you need
No two babies are the same, and while there are basic things you’ll need no matter what (clothes, diapers, etc), you won’t know it all.
When making my own registry, I was obsessed with adding every essential I could think of. In the days before my shower, I stressed about having enough clothes, bottles, swaddling blankets, and pacifiers listed.
Guess what? After I brought my baby home, I still had to order a lot of stuff I didn’t initially include on my registry. And that’s okay! Gift cards came in handy, so be sure to ask for those in addition to the usual fare.
You probably don’t need multiples of certain items
I loved the idea of baby wearing, so I registered for two Baby Bjorn body carriers — one for me, and one for my husband. We got both, and it was only afterwards that I realized we could just use the one and swap back and forth depending on who wanted to carry our son. I ended up returning one and using the money for something else.
There are definitely things you’l want multiples of, like swaddling blankets, onesies, and bottles. But for most other items, one should be enough.
Once our son was here, I figured out that while I loved the idea of baby wearing, he hated it. He would scream and cry whenever I put him in the carrier, so I actually ended up returning BOTH of the Baby Bjorn carriers. Which leads me to my next point…
Accept that there will be some things you don’t use
Like I said above, no two babies are the same. There were plenty of things I ended up returning because we just never used them — the Baby Bjorn carriers, the Boppy breastfeeding pillow (my son never latched well, so we switched to bottles pretty quickly), chilled teething rings and pacifiers (he showed zero interest), and a baby swing that I was very excited to use (he wasn’t).
Clothes are another example. You may get a few onesies sized for newborns, but if your baby comes out weighing 9 pounds, chances are they won’t be able to wear them.
Most registries make the returns process easy, but be sure to save gift receipts. There will definitely be a few items you end up not using, and you can return them for things you will use.
Register for a variety of things, then decide your preference
I knew I would have a preference for certain items once I started using them, but there was absolutely no way for me to know that ahead of time. I ended up registering for a bunch of diaper brands, different glass bottles, and multiple wipes. That way, I got to try everything and then decide what I liked and what I didn’t. Once I figured that out, I used my registry’s completion discount to stock up on my favorites.
Most registries offer completion discounts, which allow you to buy items off your registry for yourself with a certain percentage off (mine was 15%). Don’t be afraid to list lots of different options and then decide later what you prefer.
Include things you won’t need right away
The first few weeks and months of your baby’s life will be a whirlwind, and to be honest, that’s when I needed the most support (and the most stuff).
That being said, I’m so glad that I added items on to my registry for when my son was a bit older. He’s almost a year now, and we just installed the baby gate from my registry. It’s a game changer! I also added toys appropriate for various age ranges, clothes for up to 18 months, and books for when he starts to read. I’ve loved pulling out these things as he grows, it’s like opening presents all over again.
Above all else, remember to take it easy! Creating your baby registry is one of the truly fun parts of your pregnancy, so enjoy picking out all of the adorable things you’ll need.