When it comes to preparing for your baby - especially your first - it can be tough to navigate between what you need and items you’re not so sure on (but hey who couldn’t use an extra free hand?!) You may read countless articles with a gazillion must-have items. You will also have well-meaning friends and family with their personal views (I can’t stress enough how many times I heard ‘Ya gatta have a Sophie!!’) These inputs can be overwhelming, especially when your hormones are erupting like Etna. Not to freak you out more but registering for baby gifts may be the first time that you ask yourself the big questions like ‘What kind of a parent do I want to be?’ Ya, it can be a lot to handle.
What is a baby registry?
According to Google, the baby shower dates back to Ancient Egypt and Greece. However, the way we know them today, with baby registry and all is thanks to post-WWII when a bunch of retail geniuses noticed that a baby boom was happening and assumed that cute baby + women = buying lots of stuff (Because women, we love to shop right?! Aargh). At it’s core, a baby registry is just a real-time list of items that you would like to receive from friends and family that haven’t been purchased for you yet.
Why register?
What to buy: Baby registries can help you identify what you would like to receive from caring friends and family. If you’d like, this is a handy list that my mother-in-law sent me as a reference. If only we had one of these for everything in life… am I right?? #Ilovelists. For many gifters it’s super helpful to have some cues from you on what you need and will actually use.
Eliminate duplicate gifting: The key selling point of a registry for me is that it updates in real-time so you are unlikely to receive duplicate gifts. This will make your life so much easier because you won’t have to manage returns or figure out how to master the regift.
Save some cash: Preparing for baby can be expensive, so it’s a good time to rely on the help of friends and family. If only we could register for baby advice! Well I’ll settle for a diaper genie… because they make diapers magically disappear, right?
The lowdown on traditional registries
Still likely the most common way to do a registry involves signing up and building a registry from one store in-person or online (think Buy, Buy Baby or Babies R’ Us). In fact we were curious and polled a few friends - 75% of them had recently done their registry this way. With this method you either click around the store online or go in person, receive a registry gun and walk around the store beaming your way to glory. While it is fairly hassle-free, stepping into a mega-store brimming with baby stuff can be overwhelming. Ironically though the biggest drawback to registering in this way may be choice - while it seems like the products are endless, you and your loved ones are not given the option to support smaller, local businesses that may have unique, crafty and thoughtful products.
The Multi-Vendor Online Registry: The haps and why you should have one
In our poll 25% of mom friends had used this more flexible, completely online option to build and manage their baby registry. What is better than lying in your pjs, watching Friends in bed, while adding all the items you need for mom and baby across businesses big and small, global and local?
Our next blog will go over your multi-vendor online registry options and tips for how to get started.
Stay tuned! The internet is also a Mom Friend.
