September 2019- Registering for Winter Baby

Registering for a Winter Baby: Where to Register, What to Ask For, and What Not to Ask For 

As any mother can tell you, planning for a baby takes time. It can be stressful and expensive to acquire all of the things you and your baby needs in just 9 months. Making a baby registry, however, can help relieve a good amount of the preparation anxiety. From car seats to diaper bags, a registry covers your basic baby necessities. Now that September is upon us, many women creating their registries are prepping for winter babies. Here are some tips, resources, and advice for making a complete registry for your winter baby. 

Finding the right store to register with can be a bit overwhelming. There are so many options to choose from, and for first time moms especially, it’s not always easy to know which store has better options. It’s helpful to know which store offers what, and the services they offer. 

1. Buy buy Baby  

A great place to register with is buy buy Baby. One of the plus sides to registering with buy buy Baby is that their entire store is expecting mothers and baby merchandise. This makes finding what you’re looking for much easier than going through stores that have other departments. Creating a registry is done easily on their website. If you visit their homepage, the “Registry” tab is located conveniently at the top right of the page. The “Products” tab is right next to it as well, so you can browse their inventory. If you don’t have a lot of time, or have never made a registry before and need help, they have an option for a registry expert to create it for you. Buy buy Baby also has benefits such as an app, a free goody bag, an interactive checklist, a 15% completion discount, a registry analyzer, a gift tracker, and free shipping rewards. You can also view a friend’s registry if they registered with buy buy Baby, or see what popular items other parents chose for theirs. They also price match, so if you find the same item somewhere else for less, they’ll match that price. Below, you will see a breakdown of the prices for common registry items at buy buy Baby.

https://www.buybuybaby.com/store/page/BabyRegistry

2. Target 

Target is a very common department store, however, some people may not know that you can register with Target for your baby items. Although target doesn’t cater just to expecting mothers, it does have a wide range of items. It’s very simple to create a registry on the target website. It also comes with a free welcome kit, a 15% discount on anything left on your registry 8 weeks before your due date, and a checklist. Although Target doesn’t offer the option to have someone make your registry for you, it does have a mobile app, group gifting, and free 2-day shipping when you spend over $35 on your red card. The prices for common registry items at target are in the chart below. 

https://www.target.com/gift-registry/baby-registry

3. Amazon

Amazon is a popular, on-line store that carries just about anything you could think of. It also has a registry for moms-to-be. To create a registry, go to the Amazon website, and type in “baby registry” in the search box. An option appears which says, “create baby registry”.  Amazon has some great benefits to creating a registry with them, as well. They offer a free welcome box, valued at $35, a universal registry list, a 10% completion discount, free 90-day returns, and group gifting. Amazon is also a good option because it has “earth’s biggest selection” of baby and maternity products. The downside to registering with Amazon is that there is no department store outside of the online website. Any and all purchases must be made online, so people who prefer to see a product in person before purchasing may prefer a different place to register. Amazon also doesn’t have an option to have an expert help or make your registry for you. First time moms may not feel comfortable making a registry on their own, and Amazon may seem overwhelming with so many products to choose from. The good thing about Amazon is that it saves time, and has a wide price range to fit most budgets. Below is a table showing the prices for common registry items.

https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/homepage/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=285598392367&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1556229173910679263&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007455&hvtargid=aud-646675774026:kwd-3276398605&ref=pd_sl_421ytqzh3e_e

Now that we’ve covered where to register, let’s talk about items that you should have on your registry for a winter baby. Obviously the baby will need warm clothing, hats, and winter jackets, but there are some other necessities you may not have thought about. Even though they won’t start walking until around a year, foot wear is very important for infants. During the colder months, booties are a must. They’ll keep your baby’s little feet warm and look adorable too. Another item worth adding to your registry are baby leg warmers. You can put them under your baby’s pants or over top of them. They add extra warmth and protection from the cold. Additionally, short sleeve onesies are good to use as undershirts. You can layer more clothing on-top of them, and they’ll keep your baby’s body nice and warm. Another good thing to have for outdoor-wear are mittens to keep those little fingers toasty. Only put them on while outside though, so that it won’t affect their sensory development. For easy carrying, add a baby carrier or wrap to your registry. This will not only make going out with your baby easier, but will also keep them warm. Along with the baby carrier, ask for a baby-carrier friendly coat for yourself. Not all coats can zip up with a baby carrier or sling, but there are coats out there that are made to accommodate for baby carrying. 

Aside from clothing, there are other items which should be on a winter baby registry. Coconut oil and healing salve are essential for dry and chapped skin caused by the cold air. It’s important to keep an ample supply of these items so that your baby’s skin will stay moisturized. Both the coconut oil and the healing salve contain no toxic chemicals, and are safe to use on your baby’s fragile skin. A less pleasant item that will make life a bit easier is a nose frida. A baby’s nose can get runny, especially during the winter. This device sucks the snot out of their noses painlessly and quickly, and opens up their nostrils for easier breathing. Other health-related things to include on your registry include probiotics for a healthy gut, Vitamin D3 supplements since winter babies are exposed to less sunlight, and a humidifier to moisten the air where your baby sleeps. 

Now that we have covered what is necessary, let’s talk about what isn’t necessary to have on a winter baby registry. If this is your first child, it’s important to have everything you absolutely need instead of novelty items you don’t. One item that isn’t really worth adding to your registry is a wipe warmer. If you keep baby wipes in a room temperature environment, they will be fine and not be too cold for your baby’s bottom. Another item to be careful about adding to your registry are blankets. Blankets are inexpensive and abundant, so you will most-likely already have more than you’ll need by the time the baby comes. People may over-bye baby blankets if it’s on the registry because they’re cheap, adorable, and EVERYWHERE. Another sleep item to avoid are crib sets. Crib sets may look nice and decorative, but they serve no real purpose, and you’ll have to take them off every time you put your baby down for bed. They’re also usually very expensive. Finally, crib bumpers are not only unnecessary, but can be dangerous as well. Babies could potentially suffocate by putting their heads between the bumpers and the bars of the crib. They are more of a risk than anything, so make sure to avoid these on your registry.

Now that you have a good idea about which items you should and should not have on your winter baby registry, you can focus on being excited for the birth of your baby. Whether your due date is closer to Christmas, New Years or Valentines Day, your precious little gift is worth celebrating. The great thing about a registry is that it eliminates the stress of having to get everything yourself, and it allows friends and family to share in the excitement with you. A new baby brings warmth and joy, even during the coldest time of the year. We hope that all expecting moms have a safe and healthy pregnancy, and that when your babies arrive, that you have everything you need from your winter registry. If your ideal gift goes beyond something tangible on your registry, a 3D/4D ultrasound from Expecting Miracles can provide you with the unique. unforgettable experience of seeing your baby before birth. 

Book an appointment for you or your partner: https://www.expectingmiraclesllc.com/appointment/