Putting together a baby registry for friends and family to know your “must haves” is overwhelming, to say the least. You’re preparing to be a first-time mom, but you have no clue what you’ll actually need or what you’re doing.
There are tons of websites that offer helpful guides on what to add, and plenty of friends and family will be more than willing to offer their advice on registry must haves. But some things work for some people, and others just don’t. There are certainly no-brainer items that you’ll need, like onesies, bibs, and a stroller. But there are many items that aren’t essential. Because babies grow so quickly, there is a very limited window of time for almost all the things they use.
I tried to be very minimalist with my baby registry for this reason. Here are a few “must have” items we skipped out on:
Sophie la Girafe
Yes, she’s adorable. Yes, babies love her. But she is $25. For what is basically a chew toy for babies. I didn’t believe in shelling out that kind of money when there are far cheaper teething toys out on the market, which is what we opted for. I don’t think my son will need therapy for never having had a Sophie, but I guess only time will tell on that one.
Pacifiers
When I was in high school I worked at a daycare, so I saw firsthand how hard the pacifier addiction can hit toddlers — panic attacks, meltdowns, the whole nine yards. So I was well aware of the difficulties of binky weaning. And knowing that, I was very wary of even introducing them to my child, so I didn’t bother putting any on my baby registry. My baby was a preemie, and he had a pacifier in the NICU to help develop reflexes for feedings. It came in handy for the first couple of months, but past the newborn stage he was well over the pacifier and we haven’t needed them since.
Mamaroo
It’s been proven that movement helps to calm and soothe babies. Various methods and techniques have been used, from driving around in the car to rocking chairs, bouncers, and baby swings. The Mamaroo is touted to be an infant swing on steroids, replicating the bouncing and swaying of a parents’ arms to help soothe a baby. The retail value for one starts at $219. And I can say with assurance that you will get less than a year’s use out of one. We opted for a simple swing at a fraction of the price that we got decent mileage out of.
There are no hard and fast rules for organizing a baby shower registry. Don’t feel pressured to add something just because it is hip or popular. Research, read reviews, compare prices. And trust your instincts — it’s what you’ll be doing throughout most of your parenting journey, so you may as well start doing it early on!
