Setting up a Registry? « Back to Group Discussions

[brooklynkat]

After much thought and discussion, we've decided to set up a registry. (this is our first baby) I was initially against it, but I KNOW that family members and friends are going to buy us stuff, and I'd love to be able to gently direct them to the things we want (cloth diapers, natural  fibers) and steer them away from the things we don't want (disposables, lots of plastic). People will probably buy what they want anyway, but maybe this will help a little.

Wondering if anyone else is thinking about setting up a registry? I'd love to know what everyone's thoughts are on what we should register for and what we should avoid. We're using myregistry.com. So far my list includes everything cloth diapering related, a little baby bath + natural bath supplies, and some cute leg warmers that I couldn't resist. 

Thanks!

[GISDiva]

I did something similar the first time around.  Honestly, mostly what we got was the stuff that was from either Amazon (easy and it's a retailer people know) or from Babies R Us.  I had a feeling that would happen, so I tried hard to find products I actually wanted (especially from BRU), and they do have a few organic/natural things or just things like bottles that I knew I'd need for day care and such.  I can't remember anyone buying us diapers, because I think to them $15 for a "just" a diaper seemed odd to them and it was unknown, you know?  But that will depend on who is in your circle of friends and family.

So my advice is just to have a good mix of things, because there are a certain subset of people who want to go to the store and touch and feel before they buy it, and they may not have the types of stores you'd prefer around them.  And then there are those that ignore your wishes and buy what they want anyway.  Hence the *giant* stuffed lion we have that is collecting dust. 

Also, the only big thing I had on my list was our Maclaren stroller, and to my surprise, my co-workers chipped in to buy us that, it was great.  Since we had hand-me-downs for most of the other big stuff, we really only needed smaller things, which will fit into a wider range of budgets that way.  But if you think you have people that want to spend more or chip in together, larger stuff is fine too.

[somegirl99]

I did similar to GISDiva, I registered on Amazon, which gives you the option of adding items only available from other stores.  I put cloth diapers and related supplies, a couple of baby carriers, some pumping supplies, bedding for the cosleeper, and a few odds and ends there.  Some people did buy off of the registry but nobody bought the diapers or anything that was not available through Amazon directly (with the exception of one friend who bought a joke item I put on).

I put one big item on which was a jogging stroller and my coworkers also chipped in to buy us that.

Friends who had recently had babies were more likely to get us one of the practical items.  But a lot of people bought things not on the registry, I guess I didn't put enough "cute" items on there.  One friend insisted that we needed a particular mobile even though it was not on the registry, actually it is still sitting in the box in the garage.  We got a lot of onesies (not on registry) even though we were all set for clothes, I had already picked up a ton of used stuff.

[greentoubab]

This is a good discussion as this is also our first and I have also been ambivalent about getting registered.  Actually I don't expect to receive a ton of things - my husband's family is all in West Africa and certainly won't be sending us anything, and my family probably barely knows what a registry is.  But some work colleagues and friends will probably want to give us something.  

I can't remember where I read about it now -- maybe in one of the zillions of baby books I'm reading -- but I read about an interesting "green" alternative to the standard registry.  It was simple, basically providing a somewhat generic list of things you'd like that you'd be happy to receive used, and requesting that if people felt they wanted to provide you a gift that you'd prefer something gently used (from a thrift store, their attic, whatever) as a way of re-using and living a more sustainable lifestyle.  Of course it's not exactly the same, since people can't see what others have already gotten you, but I liked the idea as a way to avoid the commercialism of registries.  And, of course some people might be offended at the idea of giving a used gift, so I think the article suggested some people might want to provide both options, so people who insisted on buying something new could still do so.  

I don't know what we'll do.  I was thinking of telling people we're registered at the Goodwill! :)

[GISDiva]

Originally Posted by greentoubab 

... but I read about an interesting "green" alternative to the standard registry.  It was simple, basically providing a somewhat generic list of things you'd like that you'd be happy to receive used, and requesting that if people felt they wanted to provide you a gift that you'd prefer something gently used (from a thrift store, their attic, whatever) as a way of re-using and living a more sustainable lifestyle.  ...

Yes, this is the kind of list we did and I can't for the life of me remember what it was called.  It was five years ago, the website might not even be around.  But it allowed you to put anything you wanted, even if it wasn't a real "thing".  For instance, we requested books and said that it didn't matter to us if it was new or if it was a dog-eared favorite looking for a new home, we just wanted to build a library for DS.  We got many favorites from co-workers' children who were ready to move on and clean out their shelves, it was so fun.

[Calladona]

It really depends on your friends/family.  If you think they're very into alternative thinking/etc, then go ahead and only register for the real stuff you want.  But if you think they're like most people and mostly just shop at Target, BRU, and maybe Amazon, then you will want to be sure there are at least a few items from those places...

[TiredX2]

Originally Posted by GISDiva 

I did something similar the first time around.  Honestly, mostly what we got was the stuff that was from either Amazon (easy and it's a retailer people know) or from Babies R Us.  I had a feeling that would happen, so I tried hard to find products I actually wanted (especially from BRU), and they do have a few organic/natural things or just things like bottles that I knew I'd need for day care and such.

This was my first thought.

Depending on who is going to be using the registry, you might want to consider actually registering at either Target or Babies R Us.  I know that the older people I know (aunts/ grandparents/ etc...) generally prefer to buy from and actual store so would be MUCH more likely to get something on a registry from Target than order it online. Target now sells a number of cloth diaper options, with Charlie Bananas in actual stores so that may be a viable option.

No matter what you do you will probably get a lot of unresitered clothes/ "cute" stuff.  Groups of people may end up preferring to get you a larger item (car seat, stroller, crib, etc...) so put a WIDE variety of priced items on so if people *want* to use the registry they can.

I've never used a baby registry (my kids are 11 & 14 so before they were popular) and won't this time (not having a shower, etc...) but I, personally, love that they exist!

[LeighPF]

The other nice thing about a registry is the completion discount, usually 10% , most give. I sure used it with my amazon registry with my second. The only reason I registered after the first kid.

Know your audience. My family was all out of town/country and liked and used Amazon to get us stuff. Or just sent money.

Register for he stuff you need later too, like a high chair

[CraftyMcGluestick]

We registered at Amazon because so many of our friends and family wanted to get us items we wanted and were far flung. I was very happy about the number of wonderful and beautiful cloth diapers (I got some Fuzzibunz, BumGenius, and Thirsties) available on Amazon that friends generously sent us. We didn't really register for clothes because I am such a minimalist in that department anyway and because as others have mentioned, people will buy you what they want in that regard anyway. I loved the Amazon universal registry so I added many lovely handmade items from etsy such as wool soakers, organic wash cloths, and organic nursing pads. Many friends and relatives took the hint that we love handmade and knitted or crocheted us such beautiful blankets, hats, and sweaters. The other thing is, for the items people don't get you, Amazon offers a 10% completion discount, so if no one gets you a car seat, you can still save some money when purchasing your own. I have even set up a registry for this (my 2nd) to be able to get the items I want at a discount if needed and to keep track of stuff I want to get, even if I plan to get the items secondhand or borrow from a friend. Even if you don't tell anyone about it, a registry can be a really helpful planning and organizational tool.

[carmen358]

We were "pressured" into setting up a registry for our DD....we had 2 showers after she was born.....we didn't want one before baby arrived. Anyway, we finally got one set up online at a natural type baby store - lots of cloth diapers, covers, wool changing pads, etc....we didn't need any gear or anything....only one person out of 2 showers got us anything off the registry...it was annoying that everyone asked us to do it and then chose to ignore what we actually asked for!! We were grateful for the gifts we did receive but it was silly.

[brooklynkat]

Thanks for all of the awesome feedback! We decided to go with an Amazon registry for ease of use for our families, and we'll be making a note that we would love to receive second hand items. I'll go ahead and register for all of our cloth diapering needs, and if nobody gifts them then we'll just buy them ourselves.

[mellybelly]

The only thing I would caution is about cloth diapering, actually. Call me crazy, but I would wait until the babe is here before you really stock up, especially if you are considering AIOs or pockets, since different ones work better with different kids. For instance, we bought bumgenius for our older guy, and ended up selling all of them - they leaked like crazy with his skinny legs. I know the last thing that you want to hear is "wait" (I know it's exciting!), but I would maybe register for prefolds and covers to get you through the newborn phase and then hold off on the rest... Just my $0.02. Have fun, though, whatever you do.

[GISDiva]

Originally Posted by mellybelly 

The only thing I would caution is about cloth diapering, actually. Call me crazy, but I would wait until the babe is here before you really stock up, especially if you are considering AIOs or pockets, since different ones work better with different kids. For instance, we bought bumgenius for our older guy, and ended up selling all of them - they leaked like crazy with his skinny legs. I know the last thing that you want to hear is "wait" (I know it's exciting!), but I would maybe register for prefolds and covers to get you through the newborn phase and then hold off on the rest... Just my $0.02. Have fun, though, whatever you do.

Very true...

[LeighPF]

I work at a cloth diaper store and strong agree about the cloth diapers. Get your newborn(ish) diapers and then wait to see what shape of baby you get. Different brands fit different kids, kind of like bras or soft structured carriers. Unless you are doing flats or prefolds which are very size flexible.

[somegirl99]

Totally agree on the CDs!
 

[brooklynkat]

Oooh, thanks for the CD input. It IS hard to wait, but I totally see why we should hold off on buying everything. I think we'll start with pre-folds and some covers and then go from there. I'm leaning towards Thirsties covers- does anyone have any experience with those?

[LeighPF]

Thirstiest have an nice fit but thinner pul that can get cracks where it gets pulled and they have Velcro issues after some time. My go toos are Bummies, particularly the superBrites. They have gussets too and after 1.5 years each on two kids the velcro is still strong. Small suprbritesfit my 8 and 9 lb newborns well.. You need sized covers for a newborn ( or two size ones ) also look at Rumparooz newborn covers. For a small newborn, under 8 lb at least, pro wraps makes a basic cover that fits well. If you will be using pins or snappis look at Bummies pull on covers too.

[thecoffeebean]

Originally Posted by brooklynkat 

Oooh, thanks for the CD input. It IS hard to wait, but I totally see why we should hold off on buying everything. I think we'll start with pre-folds and some covers and then go from there. I'm leaning towards Thirsties covers- does anyone have any experience with those?

I actually ADORE Thirsties covers, specifically the Duos covers. I used the few we had until my three year-old potty trained herself, and they're still in great condition. No cracks yet!

[CraftyMcGluestick]

Originally Posted by thecoffeebean 

I actually ADORE Thirsties covers, specifically the Duos covers. I used the few we had until my three year-old potty trained herself, and they're still in great condition. No cracks yet!

Me too! We love Thirsties and I enjoyed the sized/not-snap ones (not the duos). They were very nicely priced and because of switching sizes after 4 or 5 months, they are in perfect condition for baby #2. I also agree that registering for pre-folds (I got organic Bummis at Amazon!) and covers is the way to go. We also didn't love the BumGenius, but we only had three of those and I traded someone else for Fuzzibunz, which I loved (and did register for and did get). Alternately, you might register for AIOs, if you think you want some and keep them new in package until you decide. You can then return them for store credit on the kind of diaper you DO want or keep and open them. It's kind of like a gift certificate for diapers! Of course, I do love some types of diapers not on Amazon (Goodmamas, especially!), but the CD selection at Amazon is definitely decent and is accessible to even those with no typical exposure to CD.

Also, most registries have a "jump start" idea list for registries. While I didn't get most of the suggested items, it did spark me to put things in the same "category" (such as feeding) that I did want. I got so much nice stuff from my registry: CJ's BUTTer, bamboobies nursing pads, lansinoh (used for nursing and wool cover lanolizing), a maternity pillow (snoogle), changing pad, lots of books (which can be bought used in Amazon marketplace), plus many lovely things added from external web sites. I hope you enjoy and make your registry fun for YOU!

[LeighPF]

I should say, the velcro issues are newer, and seem to cause the most trouble on their pockets (I really notice it on my size two pocket). But I think the duo sizing is brilliant and they really do fit the size range and on chunkly and skinny babies.