22 Jun Tips For Creating A Baby Registry: How To Make It Easy & Simple

Your doctor has confirmed that you are having a baby or you just received an adoption match, and you can’t wait to get together with loved ones to celebrate. We understand – pregnancy or adoption is happy news! Sharing your joy with everyone on your social media accounts is a great way to announce the news. No doubt friends and family will want to throw a baby shower for you. Before circling the date of the shower on the calendar, however, take some time to set up a baby registry. This is a convenient way to let loved ones know what you need and want for your newborn baby.

In this post, we offer tips for creating a baby registry that’s easy to set up and easy for others to navigate. Whether you choose to do an online registry, a store registry, or a combination of the two, there are things to keep in mind that will make it fun and simple for everyone to go shopping!

1) Spend some time doing research.

There are lots of online baby registries, and it’s important to read up on several before making a selection. You may love the wares at one site, for example, but if they don’t have guaranteed return, refund, and/or exchange policies, things can get complicated quickly. Those are the details you need to know before signing up, along with delivery fees, whether gift cards are offered, etc.

2) Remember: some people want to shop at stores.

This is often true of older generations. Perhaps your grandma wants to buy a crib but is loath to do so without seeing it first. How to accommodate her preferences? Ideally, set up a registry at a brick and mortar shop that has an online service, too. If for any reason you can only use an online registry – Amazon, for example – be sure the list you create is very specific. That means that family and friends can find your exact choices, and see photos and costs, and other details.

3) If you have preferences, include them.

If you are doing your nursery in gender neutral colors (yellow, green, etc.) and want to be sure gifts are selected that are in keeping with that, be explicit on your baby registry. If an item you want isn’t available in a neutral color, white is always a great fallback choice. It’s important that you give buyers as many details about the items on your registry as possible – color, size, even fabric if that’s important to you.

4) Keep the registry limited at first.

Experts recommend keeping your baby registry fairly small, at least initially. For example: go with essentials for the baby’s first three to six months, then expand the registry later if you need to. You don’t want to end up with too much, as that’s a sure way to clutter up the baby’s room. One exception is clothing – choose clothes that carry you through a couple of seasons. If your baby is born in the fall, for example, pick a few sweaters and pants with a holiday theme that they’ll grow into. Try to think ahead several months – what will your baby need when they’re four months old?

5) Even staples should be limited.

What happens if you set up a disposable diaper fund on your registry, and it turns out that the ones you’re sent are inferior in fabric or fit? Set a limit so you don’t wind up with hundreds of dollars in diapers you aren’t satisfied with! Putting a ceiling on spending, even for essentials like diapers, is a good idea until you’re certain you’re pleased with the supply.

6) Gifts for mom matter too!

Don’t be shy about including a few things for yourself on your baby registry. A nursing bra, for example, or a basket of health and wellness products makes for a departure from the usual supply of tiny socks and baby blankets. And you need and deserve these items! When you finally have a few moments to yourself to soak in a hot tub while your partner or nanny tends to the baby, you’ll be grateful for the new bubble bath. Many registries have items like this geared to moms, so include a few on your list. You’ll be glad you did!

7) Think beyond the usual registry goods.

This is related to #6. Once you are home with the baby and settled into a routine, what could be more welcome than a paid-for takeout meal from your favorite Chinese restaurant or pizza place? Include coupons or gift cards for these types of things in your registry. The time will come when you’ll be thrilled to turn to them so you don’t have to cook. A month at a diaper service is a great registry addition, too, if you’re using cloth rather than disposables.

Setting up a baby registry is a fun and productive way to pass an afternoon before the baby comes. Your friends, family, and colleagues will be thrilled because it takes the guesswork out of shopping for mom and baby. Do it soon, before the sleepless chaos and boundless joy of new parenthood set in! Trust us on this – you’ll be very glad you did when you and the baby come home.