Baby gift registries are great when you are expecting a baby because it can help all of your friends and family know exactly what you want and need – without everyone buying the same things!
But how can you decide which one to choose? Here are some things to consider when signing up for a baby gift registry:
Online Access: It is nice to choose one that has online access for two reasons: 1. You can “shop” online to add everything to your list and 2. Your friends and family can check it all out online too without having to mess around with complicated systems at stores.
Can People Get to the Store? I have had many friends register at Babies R Us and other types of specialty stores for baby gear. Unfortunately, while those stores are great for finding and buying baby gifts – if you don’t have one near where you live it can be difficult to get there!
What Should You Ask For?
A lot of people when they start signing up for baby gift registry programs don’t really think a whole lot about what they need to ask for. You should as the very least ask for clothes, diapers (at least size 1-2), a Boppy pillow (they really are nice!), crib bedding, portable crib/playpen, bouncy seats, car seat and an exesaucer. You might also want to add in the smaller stuff, like soap, towels, washcloths, etc. I’m a minimalist mom (I don’t even own a diaper bag!), but some things are definitely worth asking for! Other things you will likely never use: a bottle warmer, stuffed animals, three million blankets, etc. Never ask for blankets – you can’t give them to a baby anyway and everyone buys them for you. I believe I have about 45 baby blankets in my closet!
What Should You Not Ask For?: You’re having a baby, so stick to things that are only baby related. It wouldn’t be appropriate for example to list a lawnmower or big screen TV on your baby shower registry list!
Should You Have More Than One Baby Registry?: Some people wonder if they should register with more than one store or not. Personally, I don’t think there is anything wrong with having a few stores to choose from, since that will make it easier for guests to buy for you. BUT, and this is a very BIG BUT, make sure you don’t ask for the same things on both registries. Otherwise, what will likely happen is that people will go to one store and buy something and people will go to another store to buy another thing.
How to Tell People About Your Baby Registry? If you will be having a baby shower, then it’s certainly appropriate to include a note in your invitation that reads “The parents-to-be (or use your names) are registered at XYZ and TYQ Stores. If you are not having a shower, it’s still fun to create a registry anyway, and then if anyone asks you can just tell them you are registered and they can take a look there if they want but you’ll be happy with whatever.
If possible, you may want to consider adding a gift card to your registry as well. That tells guests that if they do not buy a gift off of your baby gift registry that a cheque or cash or gift card is perfectly fine. A lot of people worry about baby gift registry etiquette, but usually it does not really matter. I have yet to think that any of my friends or family members who were having a baby were being rude. I LOVE buying gifts for people who have babies, especially because I’ve had three and I know how nice it when someone gives you a gift, even if it’s not something you exactly needed or had on your wish list.
So, Where Can you Find a List of Baby Gift Registries? Right Here, of Course! Here are some of the ones we’ve used before:
Amazon – You Can Sign Up or Search Here
Target & Walmart - These two box chain stores are always big ones that I see a lot. Their registries aren’t too complicated to use, though Wal-mart is a little clunky. You can also go to the store nearest you with a scan gun and scan for things which is always fun, too. Sometimes it helps when you can see all the things in the stores to help you decide what you like.
Babies R Us & Baby Depot: These two stores are slightly better as far as selection goes compared to the big box chain stores for things for having a baby, since that is all they sell! You’ll want to make sure if this is your only registry place however that it is convenient for people to get to or that they can order stuff online, otherwise it can be tough.
Do you have any suggestions for other places to create a baby registry? Share your comments below!
I ended up using an online registry site called myregistry.com so that I could add a few things from any store I wanted to one list. I live in a very small town and was worried about people having to travel over an hour to get to the nearest big baby sotre, but I didn’t want to just stick to the baby store here (it’s awful), so this was I got to find all of the stuff I wanted without having to worry about where it’s from. I think the best way to let people know about the registry is to send everyone an email. The site I used has cute little eCards that link to the registry, but a well written regular email would work fine as well.