the one thing you need BEFORE starting your baby registry
how $12 saved me from hours of research
(and helped me gain hours of naps!)
Allow me to paint you a picture. [Cue spring-time classical music in the background.] You have just found out that you are expecting your first baby! You come up with a creative way to tell your partner, and an even more creative way to tell your close family members.
Soon enough, you near the middle or end of the first trimester, and decide to disclose your pregnancy to acquaintances, co-workers, even people at the gym (props to you…I ditched that in week 6!). Your news is quickly met with excitement, high-pitched squeals, hugs, and rubs of your belly (which probably still looks like you ate too many burritos at lunch).
You revel in answering the obligatory questions, “when are you due?” “Are you finding out what you’re having?” “Have you been sick?” “Any names picked out?” The excitement of those questions soon wears off and you learn to anticipate the questions and give standard responses.
As the newness of your pregnancy wears off a bit, the real inquisition begins. “Have you looked at car seats yet?” “What crib are you buying?” “Where are you registering?” “Are you going to use glass or plastic bottles?” “Did you hear this soap causes cancer?” “You need this $500 baby swing!”
You know exactly what I’m talking about. Many moms have been through this exact scenario, and still we end up putting other expecting mamas through it! We focus so much on all the stuff that you must have in order to be a good parent.
I remember this being so incredibly overwhelming early on in my pregnancy. In addition, since I was expecting twins, I had the interesting task of figuring out what I needed in sets versus what they could easily share (spoiler alert: almost everything).
Just as I got to the second trimester of pregnancy, I started to feel human again. But the bliss of feeling human was short-lived, as I felt so overwhelmed with rushing to figure out everything I needed for the babies (because you know you’re never allowed into a baby store again after those kids are born…ha ha!).
My husband and I suffered from new parent syndrome (NPS), and as such, we needed to find the best, highest rated, least-toxic items for our future bundles of joy. We started out doing this research on our own, and it took a LOT of time. Then, a sweet mama I met in our expecting twins class at the hospital told me about the most amazing book.
Here it is, ladies in gentlemen. The one thing I ever needed to create my registry. Introducing: the Baby Bargains book.
To be clear, I am in no way affiliated with the Baby Bargains book. All opinions are strictly my own, and I am not being compensated by the authors to promote their book. (I do receive a small affiliate commission when readers of my blog purchase items from Amazon after clicking through links on my blog, but this is an Amazon.com specific program and comes at no cost to you, the reader.)
After receiving my book, I sat down on the couch with my husband and got to reading. We had already made certain decisions (our car seats, for example). For the things we had already chosen, I looked up my choices in the book. It turns out I had done some pretty solid research and the book agreed that I had chosen good items!
Think of this book like the Consumer Reports of baby items. The book is divided into categories, and these categories are further broken down into budget, middle-of-the-road, and splurge categories. The authors employ a letter-based rating system (A-F), and also provide information about non-toxic / environmentally friendly products.
Before long, I was able to make decisions (and quite easily I might add) about which items I had chosen for my future babes. I predict that I saved hours of research, which I was then able to spend napping and filling my sleep bank (ha! who am I kidding. There’s no such thing as a sleep bank. If only…)
The Baby Bargains book is not only applicable to parents who are expecting; it also covers many toddler and early childhood items. If you have finished raising your family, consider grabbing a couple copies of this all-knowing bad boy, wrapping them up, and keeping them in a safe place for when family members or friends announce they are expecting.
Oh, and great news! The publishers just released the new 2017 edition of the book, and if you have Amazon Prime, you won’t even spend $12.
Happy reading!
xo,
Amanda
