Baby registries are a great way to help new parents get off to a prepared start, but it can be pretty overwhelming, especially if you’re new parents like we were. We’ve got you covered, though, with some great tips and hacks to get the most out of your baby registry experience.
1. One Registry Or More?
It’s certainly fine to have more than one registry, primarily if you’re registering for gifts from a specialty store. But more than two or so can start to become overwhelming.
If you’re just getting started with a baby registry, you should check out our article on Setting Up a Baby Registry with Babylist.
2. Get Started Early
It’s never too early to be thinking about your baby registry. Letting others informally know that you’re expecting ahead of time can also bring great surprises. We were very thankful to friends and family who kept us in mind as they passed along gently used baby items as their little ones outgrew them.
3. Do Your Research
We recommend researching each item you’re adding to your registry. Some gear or toys look great on the surface, but as you dig deeper, you’ll learn more about their practicality and reliability. Many retailers offer user reviews, and we found these insanely helpful.
4. See It In Person
We found it helpful to visit stores like Buy Buy Baby and others to touch and hold the products we were considering. We also discovered many additional ideas and items just based on the wide selection you’ll find at a dedicated baby store.
5. Friends Who Are Parents Have Great Advice
There’s indeed an unlimited supply of opinions about the right baby items for you, but we found all of our friends giving incredibly valuable advice about their experiences. (And if you’re reading, we’re very grateful for that advice!) If you have any friends who are parents, ask for their perspective, or better yet, bring them along while you shop.
6. Consider Several Brands
Some babies can be very particular about things like bottles, for example, so you might want to try a few different brands until you learn what your baby prefers.
7. Over Register
If you’re having a shower or party, you should add more items than the number of guests you have on the list. It’s not greedy at all. Having a more extensive registry will give your friends and family a wider variety of gift choices. We found that people preferred to buy gifts around a specific theme. We added a ton of baby books to our list and were pleasantly surprised to receive gifts from friends who loved reading (and even gave some of their favorite childhood books).
8. Big Ticket Items Are Okay
It’s great to have a wide budget for your registry items, but don’t fear registering for big-ticket items. Some friends may want to go in together and give you something big, while others may want to provide you with several smaller gifts.
9. Think Long Term
Many people register for ideal items for the first few months of their baby’s life, and while that’s critical, we recommend thinking beyond that. What will your baby need in six months? Or ten? If you think you’ll have additional babies, registering for gender-neutral things will help you down the line as you reuse stuff for your next child.
10. Think Beyond Gifts
Many registries, including Babylist, let you add additional gifts to your registry, like diaper funds or coupons for favors, like dog walking or a home cooked meal. These are great ways to inspire others with valuable ideas that will help you become a new parent.
11. Look For Perks
As a ‘thank you’ for using their registry, many retailers also offer welcome kits with samples and other freebies. Many of these welcome kits also include tons of great coupons that help you rack up a ton of additional savings, from everything to diapers, formula, clothes, and more. Many retailers also offer a generous completion discount to help you purchase remaining items on your registry after your baby has arrived.
12. Keep Track
As you unwrap gifts, it’s critical to keep track of both who is giving you the present, what it is, and, if applicable, if there’s a gift receipt (in case you need it later). We used a simple spreadsheet to keep track of all our gifts, and it made it super simple to ensure we followed up with each person to say thanks.
13. Don’t Forget The Thank You
Which is the perfect time to mention, don’t forget to write a thank-you note! It would be best if you aimed to get these out as soon as possible, but a late ‘thank you’ is better than no ‘thank you’ at all.
14. Return or Exchange Gifts as Needed
Sometimes you get a gift that isn’t exactly what you expected or needed. It is perfectly acceptable to swap those gifts out for something else you need. Save all of your receipts and shipping invoices if gifts are mailed to you. (We kept all of ours in a little plastic box.) If you don’t have the receipt, you can often return or exchange it at a local retailer for store credit.
15. Keep Your Registry Updated
As you continue shopping around and doing more research, you’ll probably find more things to add to your registry. That’s great! Go ahead and add it! If you learn something that doesn’t fit the bill, make sure you remove it from your registry before someone chooses that as their gift. And finally, keeping your registry updated is a smart idea, just in case somebody buys a gift without marking it as purchased on your registry.
