Register early. You will change your mind and find out all kinds of new things during the process of registering. Do not wait until a month before your showers to do this. You will regret it.
Babies “R” Us might be what Hell is like. Just know, the first time you go to Babies “R” Us (BRU), you will probably be so overwhelmed you will cry. It is a horrible, yet necessary, place. Get used to it. It gets easier.
You CAN get everything at BRU, but some people are scared of that place, so register somewhere neutral, like Target. I know that I, personally, would never go to BRU for a shower gift. I hate that place.
Though you have a little girl or a bouncing baby boy this time, that doesn't mean you will the next time. So go neutral on the big stuff like carseats, strollers, pack ‘n’ plays, etc. Otherwise you will have to buy all new if you have a boy/girl next time or deal with the repercussions when your kid is 20...
Register for a few types of everything (strollers, carseats, etc). Then, come home and start reading the reviews on the web. VERY useful. Some seem great in the stores and then get HORRIBLE reviews. You will then have to take them off your registry. Since you already have a backup, no need to venture into hell, I mean BRU, again.
Ask other mommies what they loved/hated, used/didn’t use. Other moms are your greatest resource when you have questions about baby stuff. Though beware: some will say you HAVE to have a wipe warmer, other will say it is dumb (it is). Same goes with most things, just take it all in, then form your own opinions.
Don’t be tacky. Yes, you can register for your after-birth jumbo maxi pads and tummy-sucking-in-wrap, but don’t. Gross, girlfriend. Some things a mommy needs to keep private. Also, if you decide to breastfeed, get someone you know is going to buy you a big gift (like your mother or grandmother) to get you the breast pump you want without adding it to your registry. I think it is a bit gauche to remind everyone that peruses your registry that you will soon be milking yourself. Plus, it saves you the awkwardness of opening it as a gift from your co-workers at a co-ed work shower. Shivers.
This is FABULOUS. I had a non-mom friend who called me in a panic after just LOOKING at a mutual friend's online registry. So fucking overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteI put my breast pump on my registry (only so I could get 15% off when I actually purchased it myself) and I remember distinctly thinking, "I will judge ANYONE who actually buys this for me."
I would have argued to register some place neutral as well until I had a shower where no one purchased a single thing from Babies R Us. Everything came from Target. Don't get me wrong, I was grateful for the Target stuff, but I ended up returning most of it because I had so many duplicates-they only carry so much at our Target. However, the bonus was that I could use that credit for a video camera. If you're only having one shower, I might suggest only registering at the place where you really want stuff if not, then give the guests some variety. You'll probably get what you want either way.
ReplyDeleteAlso, return return return! A friend with 3 girls passed down tons of gear so I returned everything I got that was similar and had huge credits that I could later use for a convertible car seat, the expensive stroller I wanted, and all of those incidentals that pop up along the way. You don't need everything new. If someone is willing to hand something down take it and use your cash (or store credit!) for the stuff you really want!
Babies ‘R’ Us has been caught price fixing. It seems they have ripped off parents for years and years by forcing manufacturers to not discount their crap through other online channels.Your Baby registry tips saves me from R Us.
ReplyDeletethanks