Time to Prepare

"A winning effort begins with preparation."
- Joe Gibbs

The marketer in me decided that the best way to tackle (no pun intended based on the quote above) this whole baby registry business (i.e. figuring out exactly WHAT to register for) was to conduct a survey of new moms with children ages 2 and under and analyze the data to determine the optimal products based on user feedback. In other words, I asked a bunch (probably 10-12) of my friends with kids what specific brands they use, what was worth getting, what wasn't, etc.

What I learned was pretty interesting. Every single person recommended Pampers Swaddlers diapers—some even tried other brands and went back to these because they were the best (softest, no leaks, etc.) Most respondants who use a pump at work recommended the Medela Pump In Style. Nearly everyone said activity mats and jumperoos/exersaucers were worth getting but bouncers and swings weren't. (Incidentally, I scored a free bouncer from a friend during this process and will be borrowing a swing from another—a much better deal than paying $50 and $150 respectively for something the baby might not like.) One person recommended a monitor that another person had and said they would not recommend. Some people's children loved the Swaddle Me blankets and others hated them.

I was able to compile all of this information into a handy spreadsheet, including pricing and additional notes, that we can take with us when we go to register. Hopefully all this prep work will mean that I won't find myself crouched in the corner of Babies R Us breathing into a paper bag (you may laugh, but I've heard this is a real possibility)!