As a first-time mom, you want nothing but the best for your baby. Moreover, you want to ensure that you have everything your child needs to be safe, healthy, and comfortable once you bring them home.
However, getting all the items you want for your baby can be challenging. As an expecting mom, you can get tired easily and feel less energetic. Because of this, you will have difficulty walking around for hours to complete your shopping list.
Buying everything your child will need can be expensive, too. Even if you have set aside money for getting all baby essentials, spending too much money on all of them is not a good idea.
Fortunately, you can rely on your family and friends for some help. They will be eager to give you and your baby presents and make sure you get ones you like.
You can give your loved ones and friends hints about what gifts you want to receive by creating a baby registry.
A baby registry is a detailed list of products you would like to receive as presents for your child; things they will need once they are born. You can create this online on the websites of baby shops in Qatar or fill up a form when you visit their physical stores.
You can also sign up for a baby registry at department stores and other shops that offer this service.
Aside from being sure that you’ll receive gifts you need and like, a baby registry can help you in various ways. For one, you could come across items that you didn’t think you need or are aware of.
Also, with baby registries, you can avoid getting redundant gifts that you may end up not using.
Lastly, when you use a gift registry for your baby shower, you will have an easier time sending thank-you notes to the persons who gave you presents.
Table of Contents
Baby Registry Mistakes to Avoid
Although creating your first baby registry seems pretty straightforward, making your first one can be tricky. If you want to get the most out of this list, ensure you avoid these mistakes:
1. Over-registering for certain items.
When creating your first baby registry, you may get too excited that you will check or include too many items on the list. Moreover, you may think that you need several of these items so you end up requesting more of these products.
As a first-time mom, keep in mind that babies grow quickly. Because of this reason, avoid stocking items of the same size. If you receive too many newborn-sized clothes, your baby may end up not wearing all of them and you will be stuck with several unworn garments.
If you want several pieces of particular items, ensure you specify different sizes. Aside from requesting newborn-sized clothes, indicate some garments that will fit babies three to six months old or older.
Do the same for other essentials, such as diapers and feeding bottles.
2. Forgetting to be practical.
It would be great to receive cute clothes and fun, colorful toys that your baby will love. However, you will do well to prioritize getting the everyday necessities your bundle of joy will need.
Start by listing diapers of at least two sizes (newborn and 1) on the registry.
Other essentials you have to add to the baby registry are:
- Onesies
- Socks
- Blankets
- Sleepsacks
- Hats and caps
- Bibs and burp cloths
- Sweaters and hoodies
- Hypoallergenic stuffed toys
- Bottle drying rack
- Night light
- Diaper bag
- Portable changing pad
- Baskets or bins for storage
Again, remember to specify different sizes for the baby garments so that your child will have more clothes to wear as they grow bigger.
Also, another practical item you can put on the registry is gift cards. You can use this item to buy things you and your baby may need in the future.
3. Not registering big-ticket items.
Being practical also means trying to get baby items that are expensive but necessary for free.
Examples of these big-item baby essentials are:
- Crib
- Rocking chair or glider
- Changing table
- Good-quality baby monitor
- Baby swing
- Stroller
- Infant car seat
- Baby carrier
- Travel crib or playpen
Keep in mind that even if these items may be expensive, some of your family members and friends may come together to buy them. Because of this, you can expect a mix of small-ticket and big-ticket gifts.
And even if you don’t get them, you can still say to yourself that at least you tried.
4. Asking for too many infant toys.
Stuffed animals, light-up toys, rattles, and other newborn toys are great to have in the nursery. Aside from having something you can use to entertain your infant, these items make your baby’s room more appealing and suitable for your child.
However, avoid asking for too many infant toys. This is because you won’t know what playthings your child will like playing with until they are a few months old.
If you specify numerous stuffed animals, you may end up having too many that your child won’t play with as they grow old.
To be on the safe side, include different types of toys and think beyond the baby stage. This means asking for playthings that your baby can play with when they become a toddler.
5. Not including items you want to receive.
Lastly, although it is called a “baby registry,” you have many important roles as the mother. As such, don’t forget about yourself.
Think about what you will need after giving birth and add those to the registry. These items can include:
- Breast pumps
- Nursing bras
- Nursing covers
- Nursing pillow
- Bellyband
Even if you can get these items yourself when you go shopping in Qatar, receiving them as presents will save you money that you can spend on other things.
Also, don’t forget to ask for gift cards you can use for yourself. Gift certificates from restaurants or house cleaning services can help make your life a little easier and stress-free once you have your bundle of joy to take care of.
Baby registries are designed to make your life easier as an expecting mom. Avoid these mistakes to get the most from this shopping service and receive presents that you and your little one can appreciate and use.
AUTHOR BIO:
Hisham Elzubeir is the Marketing Manager at Doha Festival City, the largest entertainment, fashion, dining and shopping destination in Qatar. The mall has more than 400 international and local brands, including some of the most anticipated names, many of which made their Qatar debut, such as Harvey Nichols, Charlotte Tilbury, Kiehl’s, Dior Beauty Boutique, ACE and IKEA. Hisham brings over 15 years of international expertise to the communications team at Doha Festival City.