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My Secret Obsession with Babylist

My Secret Obsession with Babylist

I’m not going to lie, my first trimester of pregnancy was rough. My morning sickness lasted from the time I woke up until the time I went to bed and by the time it subsided (well into the second trimester) I had already lost 10 pounds. Most days I barely managed to walk the dogs before spending hours parked in front of the tv forcing crackers and water down. But between all the waves of nausea, one of my favorite things to do was skim the internet adding to my Babylist registry.

There’s something about looking at cute baby things that takes your mind off the general sickness of pregnancy, and when it’s a website that makes building a registry simple, it’s even better.

Simple is Best

Parents need more than a fair share of items to help them welcome their newest member, and it can get confusing trying to keep up with all the different retailers that have the things you want and need. One key feature of Babylist is that you can add items from any store all to one place.

Instead of having separate registries at several different stores, you can have items from all over in one easy to find registry. Love that onesie from Target and that crib from Buy Buy Baby? Not a problem, they can both be added to the registry. What makes it even easier, is that they have browser plugins that can make it easy to add items with just a few clicks instead of having to copy and paste a long URL and manually input the information. You can also add your mailing address for family members that may not be able to attend the shower but want to help celebrate your new little one.

It’s also easy to get started! You can create your Babylist title and web link then follow the prompts from there. Get started on your own list here.

Babylist helps save money

As my husband can attest, I love a good deal. Even more than that, I love telling everyone about the good deal I found. Clearance racks call my name and getting the best sales are a border-line competition for my family.

So it’s no surprise, that one of my favorite things about Babylist is that it compares prices for the items that you add to it. Once items are added to the registry it lists all the locations where it can be bought AND the price at each. Forget price comparing across multiple stores, it has it for you right below the item.

You can easily get your partner involved

Though he may not admit it, my husband was excited to add his own items to the registry as well. He had a whole secret list on Amazon that he’d been quietly building while waiting for this moment. Granted most of these items were nerdy onesies, but in the beginning he had more items added than I did!

Involving your partner in the registry is a great way to bond and to have natural discussions about your parenting expectations and needs. Since my husband is currently deployed, this was more important than ever for me. Before we even told our families the big news, we would add items and spend time giggling over the phone at the latest funny onesie we found. You can easily add your spouse or partner to the registry by simply including their email and then let them do all the work.

Keep your gifts organized

I’ll admit I am a little crazy about lists being organized. When I make a grocery list I literally have to first plan the meal I will be making each day with the items I need and then after I have that list complete I have to rewrite the entire thing and divide it into the grocery sections.

Thankfully for both mine and my husband’s sanity, Babylist already does this for me. When adding items, you can select categories from a drop down menu that makes organizing your gifts a breeze. I think this is especially useful for family members that may be wanting to purchase a specific item. If they’re looking to buy the car seat they can scroll down to the transportation section and easily find it without being bombarded with clothes, bibs, bottles, and more.

Babylist makes tracking gifts easy

As your shower draws closer and your registry is sent out and public, you can actually track all the gifts that have been purchased. Babylist will send you a fun email telling you one of your gifts was purchased or reserved without telling you which item.

There’s also a tab on the registry for parents where they can track the gifts and the person that purchased them. This is especially useful after the shower when you are working on all those thank you notes.

You can view parent recommendations and reviews

It can be challenging to know where to start when building your baby registry. How much does a baby actually need? What stroller is best for your lifestyle?

Babylist is chock full of categories for parents to view with reviews and recommendations on each of the products. It’s easy to check through all the categories and find the item that fits best for you family in each one. For instance you can look at a list of strollers and read what other parents are saying about it and some of the features that it offers over a similar stroller by a different brand. It’s also a great base to help you build your registry and for helping you not forget an item.

Add favors or cash funds to you list

Sometimes the best gifts can’t be bought in the store. Babylist also has a section for help and favors. Guest can select from a variety of coupons that include walking the dog, babysitting, house cleaning, and more. It takes a village!

There’s also an option to build a cash fund. Even the smallest donations can be a big help when put together.

Tips on making the most out of your Babylist

  • If you’re looking to support local, you’ll need to find that business online and add the item specifically from that location. Babylist only uses large retailers when price comparing. If the business is not online, you’ll need to have a separate registry to include them.
  • Older relatives may struggle buying things online or even being able to find the registry. Although Babylist does offer free invitation inserts with the URL of your registry and you can even customize it to the baby’s name, you may have to either have a separate in-store registry with a few items or help the family member make the purchase online.
  • Babylist is 100% free to use and register. You can even earn some bonus freebies by using their registry, like a Babylist baby box. Start your own registry here.

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