Registering Tips for Your First Baby!

When I registered for Maggie I had NO IDEA what I was in for. In fact, when I got to Babies R' Us I was in awe of how many things a tiny little baby was going to need. I came home and told my husband, "We're going to have to move out just so the baby's things can fit in our house." 

I had no idea how much a baby needed. AND HOW EXPENSIVE! 

That's why registering is so great! So your friends and family can bless you with things you need and you don't have to break the bank too much. It's wonderful! 

So here are some tips that may help you if you are registering for your first child:

1. Bring a friend who has registered before.
My friend, Kerri, came with me and she was a serious lifesaver! She gave me tons of great advice about what I would need and what I wouldn't need. 

2. Stick to things you absolutely know you will need.

You obviously need a place for the baby to sleep and a way for your child to ride in the car. Don't get too side-tracked with the little cutsie things at the end of the isles. You will need a carseat a lot more than a giraffe pillow puppet. 

3. Research, Research, Research! 

I did a TON of research on carseats, strollers, high chairs, baby baths...you name it, I researched it. It's very time consuming, but on the plus side- this is your first child, so you have a little more time to do research since you don't have kiddos running around....yet:) 

4. Space and Sizes. 

As much as I wanted a giant exersaucer, we have a tiny townhouse, so I had to keep that in mind when registering. Some things were super important, while others were just extra bonuses. Don't get extra bonus toys and gadgets for your baby if you don't have the space. You will just end up tripping over it and wanting to take it back. 

Also, keep in mind the space in your car. I did a ton of research on strollers and car seats and as much as I wanted to get the big travel system, I just didn't have space in my little Honda. So we ended up going with the Chicco Snap n' Go and transitioned Maggie into a Chicco Umbrella Stroller when she was a bit older. It definitely worked for us since we don't have a ton of space. 

5. Remember the main thing your baby will be doing- eating! 

When your baby comes, it will be doing a lot of eating, sleeping, and burping. So you're definitely going to want to get things to accommodate that such as burp cloths, bottles, swaddle blankets (LOVE the swaddle blanket) and bibs. And keep in mind that your hubby will be helping with this, so if you are having a girl don't get all pink burp cloths- do some fun green, gender neutral burp cloths so your hubby doesn't feel strange wearing a pink burp cloth on his shoulder. I honestly know this from experience! 

6. Sometimes you will have to switch it up. 

Remember that there are things you are going to get that your baby isn't going to like. You may want "Dr. Brown's Bottles" because of their awesome reviews, but your baby may not like that type of nipple. So you will have to take back the awesome Dr. Brown's and get a different type. And sometimes you won't end up using the things you registered for at all. For example, I got a great type of pacifier, but in the end, Maggie just didn't want a pacifier. So we took packages back. 

7. Don't register for clothes! 

We didn't find out what gender we were having, so we didn't really have an issue with getting too many clothes. But I have heard that if you find out if you are having a boy or a girl that you tend to get a lot of cute clothes. Don't get me wrong, that is wonderful. But what you REALLY need are the essentials: a highchair, changing table, carseat, burp cloths, etc. Plus you can get clothes very inexpensive on sale, at garage sales, and at consignment sales. I hardly ever buy clothes first hand. It's just too expensive, and you can get equally adorable outfits for much cheaper and still in great shape! 

8. Don't wait too long to register. 

You are going to need a car seat to bring the baby home in, so you are going to want to definitely get that on your list ..... and early:) We hooked our car seat in the car almost a month early JUST IN CASE. Plus you will start getting the "nesting" feeling as you get further into your pregnancy, so you will want to organize your baby shower gifts. Don't wait too long to register. 

9. Options. Options. Options.

Don't be afraid to register in multiple stores. Your friends and family like options when finding the perfect gift for your sweet baby. We registered at Babies R' Us and Pottery Barn Kids (which I highly recommend both). I got a lot of our necessities at Babies R' Us and a lot of our bedding and nursery decor at Pottery Barn Kids. At both stores, the associates were wonderful and helped us so much when we were registering. Also remember to register for expensive and inexpensive things. Not everyone has a huge budget, but they still want to get you something. And others do have a big budget and will want to bless you with something more expensive that you need. People like options!

10. Gift Cards and Diapers are more AWESOME than you think!

A lot of your friends and family won't have time to look at your registry. We live in America, for crying out loud- we are busy, busy! So you will get a lot of gift cards and diapers. And you will definitely use them! I didn't know what to do with all the diapers we got and guess what- we used every last one! And when I ran out, I used my gift cards to buy more diapers. It was so wonderful! It really helped our diaper budget! 

I hope this is helpful if you are feeling overwhelmed about registering. It's super fun getting ready for your new addition! Enjoy it!