Baby Registry Re-Do

Baby Registry Do-Over

As their children get older, parents often think about things they could have done differently. One thing I wish I could re-do is my baby shower registry.  Parenting magazines and websites like to make you think everything is either necessary or will save you space or money, when the opposite is true for a lot of things.  These are the products I either wish I had registered for or wish I had skipped.

Skip: Convertible Crib

Don't fall for it!

 In theory these things are great, and you can get a good deal on them sometimes. However, the majority of them will not save you money in the long run.  Many of them are upwards of $300, and that doesn’t include the conversion rails, which you have to buy separately. The one we got was almost $400, and you had to buy the rails which cost another $300! It might save you some space, but in my opinion, it’s not worth the investment in the long run.

Register for: More newborn clothes

While it’s not smart to register for only newborn clothes, we definitely should have registered for more. Large babies are common in my family, so I took everyone’s advice and barely registered for any of the small sizes. What I failed to take into account is that smaller babies are the norm in my husband’s side of the family (my sister-in-law’s largest was just over six pounds). Our peanut was born 7 pounds, 7 ounces. We ended up spending more than we needed to because I didn’t register for enough newborn clothes.

Skip: Separate Swing/Chair

Grab the playyard without the chair, and skip the portable swing and just get the combo below.

The playyard we registered for came with a vibrating seat, so I thought a swing wouldn’t be necessary. Boy, was I wrong. She was a super fussy baby and had a lot of tummy troubles, and within a few weeks, the seat was just not cutting it. The doctor suggested using a swing, so we went out and got a swing/seat combo, and it definitely did the trick.

Register for: Good Jogging Stroller Travel System

Seat/carrier is great. The stroller? Not so much. 

Whoever invented the travel system is deserving of a Nobel Prize. They are so convenient and save a ton of space and money. Now don’t get me wrong, the one I registered for was great: if I lived in a city or town that takes good care of its streets and sidewalks.  It had plastic wheels, and they would get caught on cracks in the sidewalk. It almost tipped over several times, and I and my husband actually hurt ourselves on it because it would stop suddenly and we’d whack our shins on the metal axle that held the back wheels on. The one we have now is actually compatible with most of the Graco car seats/carriers, and it has rubber tires, so I don't have to worry about the stroller tipping. 

 Skip: Cute Baby Bib Sets

Adorable, but impractical.

Aw, come on, who can resist those adorable little pieces of fabric with their cute little sayings?  Don’t fall into that trap.  For one thing, they’re too freaking small to protect their clothes. For another, they’re too soft to stop them from getting all wet and rashy. You can’t even put them in the dryer! Save yourself the aggravation and just use a plastic or silicone one. Bonus points if you can find one that has an adjustable neck. Memo to baby product companies: why are the neck holes so big on baby bibs? I’m pretty sure not even Super Colossal Big Fat Baby has a 10-inch wide neck (side note: check out Boss Baby: Back in Business on Netflix. If you’re an adult, t’s even funnier than the movie.)

I hope this post helps an expecting mother choose what to put on her registry and what you don’t really need. If anyone else wants to add to this post, feel free! Do you wish you had added something to your registry that you ended up needing later? Do you regret putting something on your registry that was a waste? Let us know in the comments!