Help and Favors Registry

Sure, a baby registry’s main purpose is to let friends and family know which baby essentials you want and need. And there is something so special about everyone gathering at your baby shower to celebrate your new addition. It’s also exciting to open all of the baby products you’ve spent hours researching and adding to your registry.

Once you’ve gone through your baby registry checklist and added a stroller, car seat and crib, there’s one more step we recommend. Our biggest tip–don’t forget about yourself! Asking for help can feel really hard for some people, while others may not even know what kind of support they’ll want or need. The truth is, your friends and family want to be there for you in a meaningful way. Adding help and favors to your registry is a great way to let your people rally around you.

There are two ways to add alternative gifts to your Babylist registry: help & favors and cash funds.

Help & Favors

Once your baby arrives, your whole life will change (in the best way!); however, life still goes on–those dishes aren’t going to wash themselves. Adding help & favors to your baby registry can ensure you line up support for day-to-day tasks, such as setting up a meal train or taking your furbaby for a walk.

Here are some more help and favors you might want to add to your baby registry:

• Home-Cooked Meal: A delicious home-cooked meal from a loved one? Yes, please! (Or even a meal-delivery service).
• House Cleaning: Chores are usually the last thing any new parent wants to deal with. Ask a loved one to help keep things tidy or register for a cleaning service.
• Baby Books: It’s never too early to start reading with baby. Reading to your baby is a great way to bond with baby and beneficial for their development. Adding our baby books coupon can help you build their little library.
• Dog Walking: Fur babies still need love even after baby arrives. Asking for help walking your dog means their need will be taken care of while you have your hands full with baby.
• Used Baby Clothes: Babies grow fast, which means they probably won’t wear their clothes for very long, especially the first year. Pre-loved clothes from a friend or family member’s child makes a great eco-friendly gift.
• Babysitting: Every new parent could use a nap, a hot shower or even a date night! Ask a loved one to care for your baby while you take a break.
• Blank Coupon: Have another idea not listed? Get as creative as you’d like with this blank coupon and ask for what you really need.

Cash Funds

A cash fund allows friends and family to contribute money toward big-ticket items such as a crib or stroller, or if you’re thinking ahead, even a college fund. You can also set up a diaper fund in which guests can contribute cash gifts toward restocking the diaper stash over baby’s first year.

Here are some more cash fund ideas you may want to add to your baby registry:

• Adoption Fund Donation: Adoption costs on average between $30,000-$40,000, which often doesn’t include additional travel costs and attorney fees. Give your friends and family a chance to chip in. Adding an adoption fund to your registry lets you set up a secure way to donate online via your Babylist registry page.
• Diaper Fund: Babies go through a ton of diapers–adding a diaper fund to your registry can help you restock your diaper stash once you go through the diapers you receive at your shower.
• College Fund: Thinking ahead? Start your baby’s college fund with help from your village. They’ll be able to contribute cash gifts to your registry that you can then use to set up a 529 as a tax-advantaged way to save for college.
• Parental Leave Fund: It’s no secret that parental leave legislation is severely lacking. Taking time off to spend time with your new baby can be one of the most memorable times of your life. However, it can be really expensive and complicated to take that time. Let your people help you out with a parental leave cash fund.
• Meal Fund: Cooking is the last thing you’ll want to do, let your friends and family help you out with a meal fund to use toward your favorite takeout.
• Doula Fund: Doulas can be an invaluable source of support during labor, childbirth and the first couple of weeks after birth. Unfortunately, most aren’t covered by insurance and it can be expensive to pay out of pocket. Adding a doula fund is a great way to get the support you need during this exciting time.
• Childcare Fund: Childcare is expensive and most families can use all the help they can get. A childcare fund can help you save money to help with the high costs.
• Create Your Own Fund: A general cash fund lets you ask your village for financial support to make your transition to parenthood easier, whether that’s hiring a night nurse or paying for pelvic floor physical therapy–the options are endless!