One hotly debated topic among moms is whether or not it is acceptable to have a baby shower with your second (or more) baby. I honestly have never cared what a mom chooses to do and have attended many baby showers for moms with multiple kids (I seriously love baby showers). Every pregnancy should be celebrated!

But outside of the debate, there are actually practical reasons to start a baby registry with your second or more pregnancy even if you have no plans to have a baby shower.

I had a huge baby shower with my first son (I had three actually). We got so much stuff. It was such a blessing as first-time parents since we had very little that we needed to buy. We felt very loved. My second pregnancy was another boy. I did not want a baby shower at all. I had plenty of clothes that would be passed from my son to the new baby and thought that we really didn’t need anything at all.

Well, my sister really wanted to throw us a “Sprinkle.” If you have no idea what that is, it is a smaller baby shower but you “sprinkle” the new mom with items like diapers and gift cards. It was very small and felt great to celebrate the new baby without the big production. And I didn’t get a ton of things I didn’t really need (like 5 baby bathtubs or 15 blankets)

After the “Sprinkle,” I was shocked as I started to get into full on baby-readiness mode to realize how much I actually did need for the new baby. At that point, I was so thankful for the gift cards!

So what do you need for your second baby and how will a baby registry help?

Here are my 10 reasons to have a baby registry with your second baby. Here we go!

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1 – Completion Coupon

This is hands down the number one reason you should start a registry no matter how many kids you have. A completion coupon is something most all retailers offer when you have an established baby registry with them. The details vary from retailer to retailer but they all work about the same.

Basically, once you have set up a registry and an appropriate amount of time has past (some go off of your due date, some go off the date you sign up, etc), a coupon is sent to you either through mail or online that gives you a discount on the items remaining on your registry. 

That discount varies store to store. Amazon, for example, offers 10% or 15% to Prime Members. Babies R Us, Target, Buy Buy Baby all offer 10%. You will also find some stores have restrictions on what the coupon can be applied to. Target and Amazon, for example, don’t allow all of their products to be applied to the discount. Otherwise, people might be adding TVs, phones and such on there. 

As you go through the rest of the list, consider this benefit to work together with all the others listed here. The main reason you need a registry is to help you get the things you need at a discount. Pretty simple!

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2 – Cash Rewards

Another money saving benefit of having a baby registry is that some will give you cash or rewards back. It is typically based on a percentage of the total amount purchased from your registry. Babies R Us will give you 10% back in the form of store credit of the total amount purchased from your registry.

Not bad considering you may be spending some good money if you need to get a few things. It would be nice to have some extra credit on hand to go toward things like diapers, wipes, etc that you will always need. 

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3 – Stock up on Diapers

This might be one of the more obvious purchases, but just like your first baby, you will need diapers! I started my baby registry as more of an organized list of what I needed to buy instead of something I was sending to people. Not only did it organize me but helped keep me on budget since I knew exactly what I would be spending. 

Adding a few boxes of Newborn, size 1, and size 2 would be a good idea. But don’t open them! You can return unopened boxes to the store if for some reason you birth a giant (said lovingly, of course) and newborn size doesn’t fit or maybe that brand doesn’t work for your baby’s shape and it leaks. Wait until baby is here to open any diapers.

But the best reason to add diapers to your registry? Well to use the completion coupon, of course! You can score some big discounts by using that previously mentioned 10-15% off!

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4 – Replace Items From First Baby

The reality is that not all items that you purchased for your first baby will make it to your second. There are some items that you will need to replace due to wear and tear and others that you will need to replace because, well, it’s just gross to reuse them.

Consider replacing things like bottle nipples, pacifiers, and pump parts. And if your baby is like my first, you might need new bibs, burp cloths, and onesies (he spit up a ton so they were all stained).

I also made some crummy buying choices with my first baby and regretted a few items. So with my second baby, I opted to replace those items. One was the infant seat. I hated the one we had with my first. Another big item was the baby carrier. The one I had killed my back, so this was a new opportunity to get it right.

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5 – Babies Born in Different Seasons

Something I didn’t consider too much was how big an impact having babies born at different times of the year can make. My first baby was a late Spring/early Summer baby. He lived in Summer clothes for the first six months of his life since it is warm until late Fall here. 

My second was an early Winter baby… totally different seasons. I couldn’t put my newborn in Summer clothes in the middle of Winter, so I had to purchase new clothes. I, of course, could use some of the clothes but I did have to buy warmer items in those smaller sizes so I could take him out. 

So having your second baby during a different season is a major reason you may need to register for some additional baby clothes.

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6 – Double Stroller

This is one of those “hindsight is 20/20” things… When I had my first baby, I purchased a single stroller. I had first-time-mom tunnel vision. I could hardly picture being the mom of one baby, much less look ahead and plan for a second. So, a single stroller it was. 

I ended up selling my single stroller and purchasing a new one. I tell all first-time moms to buy a stroller that converts from a single to a double like the City Select stroller. It will save you in the long run but if you are like me and didn’t bother with that the first go around, then putting a stroller on your registry can equal some big savings when using your completion coupon!

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7 – Get Stuff for Toddler

This is a less obvious way to use your registry the second time around but consider putting things that you need for your older child. I registered for a bed rail, for example, for my toddler since he was being moved out of the crib to a big boy bed along with new bedding for him. He needed big boy plates and spoons, etc. 

Again, using your completion coupon for items you would need to purchase anyway is the way to go!

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8 – Matching Sibling Outfits

I was a nut about getting pictures made of my kids. I took them every month until they were a year to a professional studio. I still take my older kids picture at least once or twice a year. But the thing I love getting is sibling photos. Having had two boys first, dressing them in matching or corresponding outfits was so cute for some of those early photographs.

A lot of baby stores carry adorable outfits for your newborn and big brother/sister. 

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9 – New Nursery

I actually reused my same nursery and decor from my first baby with my second since they were both boys. Looking back, I do wish I had done a different room for my second since I enjoy that part of being pregnant a lot. The preparing and getting their stuff and space set up just the way you like is part of the anticipation when expecting.

But my third baby was a girl and, lord, help me. A boy room was just not going to work so I had to (I had to – haha) design an entirely new and very girly space for her. I registered for all of those nursery items and used my 15% off from my Amazon baby registry to purchase it. When you are talking several hundred dollars for new bedding and decor, that 15% is very welcome!

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10 – Free Gift

Did you know that most stores will give you a free gift when you set up a registry? Places like Babies R Us, Target and Buy Buy Baby all have welcome bags that they will give you if you register in the store.

I have gotten a variety of items in those welcome/free gift bags even from the same store. You will typically find samples of shampoos and lotions for baby. Diaper rash creams or sunscreen. Samples of diapers and wipes are usually included. I have even gotten bottles, thermometers, onesies, and sippy cups before. And all free gifts include tons of coupons and registry ideas and recommendations. 

Amazon has a welcome box that is mailed to you when you complete three steps on your registry: 1) Complete the Registry Check List, 2) Be a Prime Member, and 3) have at least $25 purchased off your registry. Once those three things are achieved, your welcome box is automatically mailed out. What you get seems to vary depending on when yours is shipped. Mine had an Avent bottle, diapers, wipes, lotions, diaper rash cream, a toy, and a lot of coupons. I’ve seen some moms get swaddle blankets and an outfit/sleeper as well. So it varies. 

Free gifts may not be a ton of stuff but it is a good starter so that you can try a few products before going crazy and buy all new stuff. And the coupons don’t hurt either!

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Did you start a registry with your first baby? Have any regrets? Products you loved? Or tips for other moms? Drop a comment here and let us know!

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Start Your Registry Today!

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