Register for support
New babies come with diaper changes, smiling, cuddling—and a whole lotta stuff.
From towels to pacifiers to diaper cakes to a zillion tiny outfits, families get a lot of things when they’re expecting a baby. Whether it’s your first baby or your fifth, people tend to want to give things that baby needs. While all those cute tiny things are appreciated and needed, they aren’t typically geared toward making your life as a new parent easier.
What if you could receive the gift of feeling prepared for your birth? What if cost weren’t an issue to take childbirth education classes? What if you could actually try to sleep while the baby sleeps and wake up with folded laundry and a warm meal in the crockpot? I’m guessing that’s likely more appealing than a cute pastel pacifier clip.
You’re going to register for basic needs for baby; why not also register for some help with your own basic needs?
Childbirth educators, birth doulas, photographers, postpartum doulas, placenta encapsulators, pelvic floor therapists, lactation consultants—all of these professionals offer services that may very likely be of use to you throughout pregnancy, labor, and parenthood. They also likely don’t all take insurance and will need to be paid out of pocket.
That’s an awfully big box—must have a lot of labor support in it.
To soften that financial blow, consider adding these services to your registry. There are a few ways that well intentioned friends and family can make a meaningful difference in your pregnancy and postpartum journey.
Gift cards - Many professional services offer gift cards (myself included). This can be a great way for groups to go in on a gift together. If a perinatal professional you’re considering doesn’t offer them on their site, be sure to ask; most are happy to pull something together.
PayPal/Venmo/Zelle/etc. - Have folks send your doula/educator/lactation consultant money directly, with a note along the lines of “Jane Smith birth fund.” (Be sure to clear this with your professional first, of course!) Alternatively, all money can be sent to a trusted friend who can give it to you in one lump sum.
Babylist - Babylist is an awesome service that allows you to add items from many stores all in one registry. Once you’ve created an account and started your registry, click on “Add Gifts,” then “Add Cash Fund” from the side menu. Select “Babylist Doula Fund” and fill out any additional info you want. That’s it! This allows people to see your entire registry from one link and give money to something that you truly want.
Plumfund - Similar to the Babylist registry, Plumfund offers a babyfund contribution page to share with those who keep asking for gift ideas. Plumfund partners with PayPal, so fees are the usual 2.59% + $0.49 per transaction as of June 7, 2022.
Be Her Village - Be Her Village was created specifically for this situation! Create a free registry on their site, link your account through Stripe (so you can receive funds), and get to clicking. Register for all sorts of birthy providers, from birth team to postpartum to full body workers. I’m excited to be a provider on their site and am excited to see more in the future.
You so deserve this.
While it may feel awkward to ask for monetary gifts, social norms are changing and people recognize that 46 newborn onesies may not be the most practical thing to inundate new parents with.
Birth matters, and your loved ones want you to be taken care of. Folks are recognizing more and more the importance of “mothering the mother” and caring for someone during the postpartum period.
As birthy services are normalized, so too is asking for assistance. You are doing the absolute hardest thing your body can do—you deserve to be lifted up in all ways.