Creating a baby registry can feel overwhelming, especially with so many products out there claiming to be “must haves”. You can take it from me though (a mom of 3, plus twins) a well thought out registry can make all the difference.
In this post, I am sharing practical baby registry tips to help you focus on what you truly need, avoid common mistakes, and make the whole process smoother for both you and your gift givers. From what you need to when to start and share your baby registry, let’s get started with this complete baby registry guide.
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When Should You Start your Baby Registry?
You can start your baby registry as early as when you find out your pregnant. There are no set rules. But, if you are feeling behind in creating one, I would recommend getting started by 20 weeks into your pregnancy. By this time if you are finding out your baby’s sex, you should know it, which can make it easier to create your registry.
At the end of the day, you want to give yourself enough time to pick out the items you want without feeling too overwhelmed or stressed. Personally, I started my registry around 12 weeks of pregnancy. I wanted to make sure I was past the highest risk for miscarriage phase, but also give myself plenty of time to research what to add (and what items to not add).
The Best Places and Stores to Create Your Baby Registry At
My 3 favorite stores for creating a baby registry include:
You can create your registry at just one store or you can create a baby registry at multiple stores. Amazon and Babylist definitely have universal baby registries, and Target used to offer this option, but it looks like it may have been discontinued.
A universal registry means if you want to add a product from a different website to be listed on your baby registry, you can! For even more details and options for places to create your baby registry, check out this article on the best baby registry stores.
Tips for What To Put on your Baby Registry
I have written extensively about this topic. Below I am listing out a variety of different registry types, so you can pick the one(s) that apply to you. I think that’s the easiest way to get you all this information.
To start, I recommend signing up for these FREE printable Pregnancy Checklists. It includes a comprehensive baby registry list. You will learn how much you need of each baby item and whether it’s a must have or optional item. You also get a hospital bag and trimester checklist. You can get these printable checklists by clicking the button below.
Here are the different baby registries lists you will want to check out:
- Typical Baby Registry – includes both must haves and optional items
- Frugal Baby Registry – just the bare essentials
- Minimalist Baby Registry – for those interested in practicing minimalism
- Eco-Friendly Baby Registry – if you want to pick environmentally-friendly baby products
- Montessori Baby Registry – if you want to use Montessori principles during your baby’s first year
You should be able to find what to put on your baby registry and the top products I personally recommend based on my own experiences in the links above.
Completing & Sharing your Baby Registry
Once you have added all the items you want to your registry, or at least added most of the items you want (you can always edit it), it’s time to add a message to any friends and family that visit your registry.
You can check out five sample baby registry greeting messages here. This will ensure a nice welcome message and give you a spot to express your gratitude to those closest to you.
That should complete your baby registry, which means it’s time to share it. First up, when should you share it? If you are having a baby shower, you will want to make sure your registry is complete and viewable by the time invitations have been sent. It’s totally okay to share your registry before this date too.
Finally, you will want understand how to politely share your baby registry as well. Often it’s shared via the baby shower invitations. Here are some more ideas, including for those not having a baby shower.
- How To Share your Baby Registry Including on Social Media
- How To Politely Announce your Baby Registry Without a Baby Shower
You can use this post as your one-stop shop for assembling your baby registry!
Putting together and actually completing a baby registry is a lot more complicated than it seems. At least that’s how I felt. I hope these baby registry tips have helped you understand the steps of assembling a baby registry.
From when to start to your baby to what to add and how to complete it, you have all the baby registry information you need at your fingertips with this post. Be sure to bookmark it now for reference as you work at putting your baby registry together. Finally, don’t forget to get your FREE printable baby registry checklist before you go too.
