Planning Your Registry
Pregnancy is such a wonderful, exciting time in a couple's life. One of the biggest steps in making this baby living inside of you feel a bit more "real" is by registering for baby products. You start to imagine your baby in these items and it can be very, very overwhelming. There are so many products and so many variations of those products that narrowing down the items can be very difficult. In planning your registry, there are lots of things to consider. Budget, lifestyle, and unique circumstances all come into play.
Budget generally has a huge impact. It can be very overwhelming when looking at the price tags of all the items. The major items on a registry are generally the car seat, stroller, and furniture. When looking at all the different products make sure you understand the overall impact of that cost. For instance, a stroller that costs $400, but turns into a double might be worth the extra cost up front if you plan on having more children. Just like the $75 infant seat might make more sense than the $250 one if you plan on moving to a convertible car seat as soon as possible. Take the time and research your choices for car seats, strollers, and furniture. Really analyze if spending more money up front will benefit you down the line. It's also worth mentioning that a lot of times family members are the ones purchasing these items for you. So, make sure your aunt who says "I'll buy you a stroller" understands that the stroller you want is $800. There is no need to cause a family feud over baby gear!
Next, take a good look at your lifestyle.
- Are you a city dweller?
- Do you live in a tiny apartment or a sprawling house?
- Are you in and out of the car or in and out of a subway?
- Do you plan on having a singleton or do you want a handful of kids?
It's a good idea to research the products before going to the store for a view to find out if they are aligned with what your lifestyle requires. When choosing furniture, consider the size of the room, number of children in a room, and your future use of the furniture. Someone who wants a large family will probably be better off buying a crib with a lifetime warranty so it lasts through the years.
Unique circumstances definitely come into play when looking at your registry. Do you have medical issues that might prohibit lifting heavy items? If so, you may want to find the lightest car seat versus registering for a heavier one with a larger weight limit. Will your baby require multiple pieces of equipment for either a shared custody situation, or a grandparent who might be taking on the role of babysitter? Do you know ahead of time if your baby will have a condition that may require special equipment? All of this can come into play. Research whatever your situation is and find out exactly what other mom's in your situation find helpful.
Besides the car seat, stroller, furniture and bedding, you will find most things are really based on your style vs. functionality. For the most part, a play mat is a play mat... just different colors and shapes. The same goes for the swing and baby seat. Pick what you love and what you'll still want to look at in a year! (Maybe 3-5 years if you have more children!).
Don't be afraid to put "too much" on a registry. Make sure everything you think you may want gets on that registry, as lots of stores will offer you a discount after the date of your baby shower to close out your registry. Make sure you have enough lower priced items for the average guests attending your shower. Otherwise, you will end up with lots of items you don't necessarily want.
Try not to stress out about picking the perfect product. Concentrate on getting the basics correct and everything else will fall into place!
