Baby Gifts, What to ask for?

Baby Gift Registries are a new and modern invention since we now have ultrasounds that can let us know the sex of the baby before the actual birth.  Many cultures still believe in giving the new parents gifts when they first visit the baby and many more still just give cash. 

If you are going to do a baby gift registry I suggest doing it during your 24^th to 27th weeks for one simple reason.  You may find the stores daunting and this is a period of time when you will still be more mobile and able to stand and walk around comfortably.  If you are wondering what to register for most stores will have a very extensive and unnecessarily long check-off list.  These can be overwhelming and scary.  My solution was to poll both experienced moms and recent moms on what they thought was essential.  Since we like to be minimalists this allowed us to hone a list we thought was actually relevant for our baby showers. 

Of course the baby shower goers (especially when you having a girl) like to pick out clothing so I recommend not worrying about registering for much clothing or blankets as you will get quiet a few of these.  We selected two places that were both easy to order online and easy to get to for most of our guests.  Although you can register exclusively online like at Amazon, this may not allow you to touch, feel, and determine the ease of use of some items. It may also be difficult if you have non-tech savvy family members.  We choose Target, which is everywhere, and Buy Buy Baby as we felt they best fit our needs and those of our friends and family.  Here is a sample of what we had on our list.

Jogging stroller

Umbrella stroller

Moby Wrap

Changing table pad

Breast pump

Glass bottles and plastic (no BPA)

Several pacifiers

Cloth Diapers

Wet bags that were cute

High chair

Diaper bag

Temporal thermometer

Baby book

Portable changing station

Ergo baby

Lots of swaddle and burp cloths

Hair brush/comb

Spoons, bowls, sippy cup

Bath toys

Bath towel and wash cloth

Bath soap set

Food mill for on-the-go baby food prep

Bottle brush cleaner

Changing pad cover and crib sheets

Bibs