The Baby Registry Advice You Don’t Usually Hear

People make a lot of money these days recommending all types of items to put on your baby registry. And, usually if you’re a first-time mom, you think you need it all. I know I did. Now, I’m not saying being prepared or taking the advice of seasoned mamas is a bad idea – by any means. What I am saying is that – there exists some wise advice in the smaller, less publicized mom groups that you don’t usually hear:

Wait and see what you need.

I know – it sounds crazy, right? No “don’t forget about this” or “you’d be a fool to not have this” recommendations. Just wingin’ it – newlymom style. And, not to mention – this advice is coming from the research-queen mama – who looked up everything I could possibly need as a first-time mom and ended up using …maybe a third of what I actually bought (or was gifted). You don’t need to do the math to figure out that’s A LOT of wasted money. Yes, everything can be repurposed to some degree – future baby shower gifts, anyone? But, I can honestly say that I would’ve been so much better off waiting to see what I actually needed. And here’s where the baby registry’s best-kept secret comes in – GIFT CARDS. Then you can use them to buy what you ACTUALLY NEED, which you can’t really know until the time comes.

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Remember – you’re not supposed to have it all together.

Don’t get me wrong – there are essentials you’ll need no matter what like: somewhere for your baby to sleep, diapers, wipes, some onesies, etc. So, to not get these essentials confused with what I’m talking about – here are just a few examples of what I didn’t need or wouldn’t have purchased if I had just followed the wait and see approach:

Nursing Pads –

I didn’t leak.

Microwave Steam Sterilizer –

I opted for good, old-fashioned boiling water.*

Newborn Lounger –

It just didn’t make sense within our lifestyle and space. We used it twice.

Bottle Warmer –

Again, with the boiling water.*

 

And let’s not forget ladies – we are in the age of amazon. Actually – not just amazon, but amazon prime. Thus, anything you NEED, can be delivered to your doorstep before the sun sets the following day OR in some glorious cases, within the next 2 hours.

*Christine, my counterpart Newlymom got these starred items and used them, A LOT. Again, it’s all about what YOU will need/use. Every mama is different and everyone has a different lifestyle. And sadly ladies, you can’t predict your mama lifestyle until that baby is out of you!

So don’t stress that you’ll bring baby home, have nothing you need and feel like a failure of a mama because you didn’t spend hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars pillaging the walls of Buy Buy Baby. Luxury items (aka those beyond the baby essentials) aren’t inherently evil – but wait to see which ones you need and then hit up amazon prime. 2 days without a Mamaroo is not going to kill you – but it will make you stronger. And P.S. The Mamaroo really is awesome…just sayin’.

If you haven’t opened up a baby registry yet, sign up for a free one through Amazon here.

For more on baby registries, check out these related articles:

7 Reasons to Register with Baby Registry By Amazon, The Stroller I Wish I Registered For, How to Get A Free Welcome Box with Amazon Baby Registry, 1 Thing I Wish I Had Researched Before Creating My Baby Registry

Right there with ya,

Niki from