This post is sponsored by Pampers. As always, all thoughts and opinions are our own.
When I was pregnant with my first child, I was so excited to spend a Saturday with my husband registering for baby gear. I’ll admit that I was a bit naive in the baby gear world and had no idea what I was supposed to register for. As the first one out of all of my friends to enter the pregnancy and baby world, I was the rookie that was going in blindly and crossing my fingers that I do it all right.
As we walked into the store and to the baby registry department, we were given a list of suggested registry items and a scanner. I took the list and looked through it. It was six pages long. I knew that babies required a lot of stuff, but I didn’t know they required six pages worth of baby gear.
One thing my husband and I didn’t think about at the time was adding diapers to our registry. It makes sense – the one thing a baby needs 24/7 is diapers!
My husband and I spent the next seven hours in this store scanning anything and everything that was on that list. We were very lucky that at our baby shower, a lot of those items were fulfilled. I know a lot of first-time parents have been in my shoes when it comes to registering. If you’re expecting a new arrival soon and haven’t started the registry process yet, here are some things to avoid before you begin.
- Don’t follow the store’s baby registry list. It’s long. Really long. Baby stores sell baby gear, so you’re going to bet that they will put as many items as you could possibly need on their list of recommendations. A lot of the stuff on their list you won’t need. Really try to prioritize what the best items are for your lifestyle. We’ve created a one-page comprehensive Baby Registry Checklist that will help make that trip to the store or registering online just a little bit easier.
- Don’t forget to be practical. While it’s fun to see all of the new and innovative baby items that are coming out on the market, don’t forget about the everyday necessities you’re going to need. Your little one will need diapers. We recommend registering for Pampers Swaddlers. These are the ones you’ll get in the hospital and likely will receive some to take home as well. Also don’t just register for the newborn Pampers because they will outgrow them quickly. Your baby will need diapers for at least two years so be sure to register for Pampers in a range of sizes. This will ensure when baby goes from a size 2 to 3 you’re prepared! Most importantly encourage people who are attending your shower to buy them for you! You can never have too many diapers in your home. Spend one day with an infant and you’ll find out why.
- Don’t get overwhelmed. While the idea of buying and registering for baby gear is exciting and want to make your little one happy with the latest and greatest in baby gear, you do not need every baby item ever invented. Enlist in the help of a friend who’s recently had a baby and have them help create your list of must-haves. Find someone who has a similar lifestyle that you do and ask what items they are using the most. You’ll find that there will be a lot of items on your original list that you might not even need.
- Don’t forget about you. Yes, they all it a “baby registry,” but you are a huge part of the process when bringing baby home. Think about what you’ll need postpartum and don’t be scared to put that on your registry. While you’ll think of the common essentials like nursing gear or a support belt, there are also other things that you’ll need to help you along the way. Housecleaning services, meal delivery, or even a subscription to Amazon Prime so you can stream all of those movies during those late-night feeding sessions. There is nothing wrong with registering for things that will help make your life a little bit easier when baby comes along.
- Think beyond the baby stage. You want to think of your baby being itty bitty forever, but reality is that they will only stay that way for a short amount of time. Think outside of the box and register for items you might need down the road. If you want to eventually move your little one into a convertible car seat, then register for one in addition to the infant car seat. Register for clothes that aren’t just in the newborn size (they grow out of them really quickly.) Think of things that will be useful for you nine months down the line and don’t forget to add those items as well.