A New Parent Truth

Registering





Yes... after a nice 5 year hiatus, Mike and I found ourselves once again faced with the task of registering for yet another huge life changing event. If you recall, registering for our wedding started off a bit rocky but luckily, we pulled ourselves together and everything turned out just fine (and we're still thoroughly enjoying everything we received from our wedding almost 5 years later). Now, in my opinion, registering for a baby is substantially easier than registering for your wedding. There's less to think about and there are stores dedicated to all things baby therefore it is possible to get literally everything you need from one place... this is exactly the way I operate, one stop shop baby.

Here's how we navigated the world of baby registering...

When to Register:
We officially registered at the end of March but we definitely could have done it sooner. It's not like your needs change so it can really be done anytime before baby showers and baby's arrival. I will say it might be a good idea to think about how busy your life will be in the months/weeks leading up to baby's arrival and compare this to how organized and "set up" you want your nursery to be before baby gets here. If you want everything in it's rightful place before baby arrives you'll want to be sure you have time to wash everything (bedding, clothes, anything baby touches will need to be washed before you use it), figure out your organizational needs (some baby stuff is super small like socks, mittens, pacies, etc. so I found it was nice to purchase some small drawer dividers to separate these items to make them easier to access), and begin to set up a "flow" to the nursery arrangement (meaning your diapers, wipes, and butt cream are all within arms reach of your changing table, etc.). I'd say it took me two weekends in a row to putz around enough with everything in the nursery to feel like it was "set". Personally, I found this to be wildly fun. I was/am very excited about baby stuff and I really got excited that all this baby stuff was for our baby. Anyways, think of your due date and work backwards from there to plan according to your own needs and expectations.

Before Registering
Gather resources, read, and do your research. Here are some resources found to be most helpful:

This book, which you can buy here, will pop up in conversations all over the place once you broach the subject of baby registering. Very practical advice.








Lucie's List- This website has been a godsend for me! The main purpose of the sight is to help with registering for all things baby but I signed up for her emails and found she is a wonderful resource for having a baby in general. Seriously, sign up for the emails and you will not regret it. Plus, you can access her Printable Registry Checklist which correlates to everything she writes about on her blog.

Amazon and Popular Baby Stores (such as Babies R Us or Buy Buy Baby)- I spent many nights with two screens up on my laptop comparing Amazon to either of the stores listed. This gave me tons more reviews to read and was interesting to compare prices and information. I also found that some reviews on the store specific sights came from moms who received the item for free just to provide a review on the sight so Amazon was valuable for a different perspective.

New mommies!! Or other pregnant friends/family members- Never underestimate the value of someone who has been there, done that. Aside from a great girlfriend who walked me through the different categories of items to register for, a teacher friend of mine had a baby in March and coincidentally a sister who had a baby before her. Her sister had created her own registry checklist which she passed along to me. I used this in conjunction with the one from Lucie's List and felt well prepared when it came time to register. *Don't forget, you can also search other registries on these sights too. I actually typed in the names of a few people I knew who were also having a baby to see what they had on their registries.

In the end we went with Babies R Us and registered there only for the sake of simplicity. Wherever you register, the stores will be very helpful too in helping you navigate through their store. That being said, I felt so much more comfortable going in with a game plan created from the resources listed above.

Registering
Mike and I registered together and actually had ourselves a grand 'ole time! I'm glad we had a list because stores are just full of sh** you think you'll need when you walk through but the list kept us focused. A girlfriend of mine registered with her sister and said she also had a grand 'ole time. I had another family friend suggest taking a friend who just had a baby with you to show you the ropes. Also a great idea. Any way to choose to go, know it'll be an adventure :).

After You Register
If you can't find everything you need or want in the stores add what you want online when you get home, it's super easy. You'll also receive a "complete my registry" discount as your due date approaches. I actually went back into our registry after our showers and added practical items we still needed (formula, diapers, and bottles) so we could take advantage of the discount. Lastly, sign up for any rewards program offered through the store where you're registering. It's never too early to begin racking up points and saving coupons!

I'm excited to review our registry list in 6/7 months to see how we actually used everything and if our perspective changes on any of the items we purchased. I'd be lying if I didn't also say I'm just excited to use all this gear to begin with! Come on baby P, everything is waiting for you!

The world of baby gear and registering is a crazy one! Hopefully this helps if only a little. Happy registering mama!