Baby Registry Tips for the Mama-To-Be
Kelly Collopy
Welcoming your new bundle of joy into this world will truly be a moment you never forget, but let’s face it, there’s also quite a bit of planning that goes into it too! Don’t let baby registry stress get in the way of soaking in all these pre-birth moments. To help you out, we’ve collected some of our favorite tips for not only creating a conscious baby registry, but also one that includes all your infant must-haves!
Creating a conscious baby registry
When it comes to creating your baby registry, taking the time to make some sustainable choices will not only help reduce waste but also helps limit the purchasing of excess products you ultimately will not use or will not need.
- Think multi-purpose. A good (and likely self explanatory) place to start is by concentrating on what you know you’ll use immediately. Items like a car seat, stroller and crib or bassinet will be critical on day one. So once you’ve narrowed down your essentials, next take stock of your available space. At Stork Exchange, we’re big fans of multi-purpose items that can grow with your child or be used for a variety of different activities. That’s why you’ll find items like convertible car seats, double strollers and more, available through our second hand baby store. Finding multi-purpose items offers cost savings in addition to saving space!
- Quality vs. utility. Next up, is your high chair. We’re of two minds: you can either invest in a high-quality wood option from brands like Stokke or Keekaroo that will grow with your child, can be used for many years, and can ultimately be passed down to another family member, OR focus less on what looks good and more on utility. One of our favorite utility high chairs is the ANTILOP from Ikea: a super basic white plastic high chair that’s a cinch to clean, ultra-lightweight and stores easily.
- Consider cloth diapering. We promise, cloth diapering is not as daunting as it sounds! The statistics surrounding diaper waste are staggering to say the least. Around 20 billion pieces of used diapers end up in landfills each year, which generates more than 3.5 million tons of diaper waste. Yes, cloth reusable diapers may take some getting used to, but making the switch can massively reduce your parenting waste. When setting up your baby registry, don’t forget to add a diaper pail! Many diaper pails can also be used for cloth diapers, as long as you change out the inner bag as needed.
- Be conservative when registering for bottles and pacis. Since it’s impossible to know which bottle or pacifier your child will take to, consider registering for just one each of a few different brands/options, and then you can stock up once you find out what works best for your little love!
Don’t forget these often overlooked baby registry items
After you’ve added all your essential, need-to-have items, take a step back to think about yourself too! As a new parent, there’s something to be said about convenience and of course, self care. Here are a few of our favorite baby registry items that often go overlooked.
- Nipple cream and breast shields. For the moms-to-be who plan to nurse, nipple butter will help soothe soreness and dry skin, while breast shields can provide an optimum fit for comfortable pumping.
- Baby Brezza. If you have a feeling that formula feeding is in your future then don't hesitate to register for a Baby Brezza; it’s basically a Keurig for formula! In less than 10 seconds the Baby Brezza whips up a warm, perfectly mixed bottle, which can be a real lifesaver during those time-crunch kinda moments.
- Portable high chair or booster. A portable highchair can make life way more efficient when you're on the go! Forget worrying about whether there will be a booster seat for your little one next time you go out, let alone a clean one. Compact and travel friendly, it's perfect for taking out to eat, to a friend's home, to grandma's, the list goes on.
- Baby lounger cover. Let's face it you'll be doing enough laundry with onesies and burp cloths alone! A cover for your baby lounger not only allows you to change up your style every now and then, but also makes dealing with impending messes faster and easier.
- First feeding set. So often a baby registry is focused on those newborn months, but it's never too early to plan for the next exciting phase...self feeding! Silicone plates, bowls and spoons are our favorite way to start.
Last but not least, remember, there is always time! By registering and securing your must-have items that you know will be used in the first few months, you buy yourself some additional time to figure out the rest.
Don’t forget about shopping second hand too! Services like Babylist make it easy to add preloved, second hand items from our curated (verified & sanitized!) online marketplace to your baby registry! Spend less, use less, painless – we’re rooting for you, mama!
