Shopping for a new baby, should be a lot of fun, but the reality is that it can also be very stressful , so here are a few tips to make your new baby shopping experience more enjoyable and easy going.

Go while you still have energy

Try not to wait too long before going shopping …the more you wait, the bigger your baby bump will be and the more tired you’ll be! I would recommend to start shopping before your third trimester while you still have some energy.

Register at different stores

Registering in different stores gives you and your friends and family more options, and you would not have to settle for prints or colors that are not exactly what you were looking for. You can also create an account to a website that will allow you to pull registry items from different stores and keep them all in one single place which makes it easier to manage. I am using myregistry.com (you install a button to your bookmark bar and just add items as you find them).
Even if you register online, visit a store at least once, as you can get a better opinion of the items when you see them in person.

Some of the items you will need, you really need to see in person…Pushing and testing strollers, and to make sure the car seat you wanted works with the stroller you want. Also make sure that the car seat fits in your car, that the crib you have fallen in love with is sturdy enough, that it is not too low…You get the idea.

Don’t register for everything that they suggest

Sit down and think of what you really need. Do not buy or add to your registry all the things they suggest to register for as a lot of them are not really useful and end up being clutter in your home.

Learn about the return policies

There are some items and some of them expensive, that cannot be returned like some breast pumps, furniture and personalized items. So, before you add them to your registry, make sure you know what the return policy on those items is. Make sure to keep all tags and receipts ( I keep them in a small box that I have specifically for that purpose).

Check delivery times

You can register for big ticket items, but give yourself a time line of when to buy them if no one buys them from you as some big items can take several weeks to be delivered.

Sign up for diapers

A year’s supply of diapers is about $500 to $1,000 , so registering for diapers and getting a few months’ supply is not a bad idea (tape the receipts to the box so you know where to return them if you do not use them.