Having a registry allows you to keep your baby gear shopping list in one place, lets your friends and family know exactly what you want — down to the brand and model — and can help you save on the overwhelming cost of everything you’ll need for baby. But where to register can be a complicated question. You can try a few different baby registries at your favorite big-box stores, or you can go all in on one registry with everything you need.

Many moms-to-be already have an Amazon account, so creating an Amazon Baby Registry can seem like a natural choice. With Amazon, you have access to almost all of the brands and products you love in one convenient place. Plus, you can get discounts, free samples, easy returns and free two-day shipping on registry items. Read on to find out why we think it’s one of the best baby registries.

Just so you know, What to Expect may earn commissions from the shopping links included on this page

The benefits of an Amazon baby registry

Completion discount: When you register with Amazon, you’ll get something called a “completion discount.” This gives you 10 percent off — 15 percent off for Prime members — a one-time purchase of products from your registry. You’ll get the email 60 days before your due date and you have up to 60 days after your due date to take advantage of it. That means you can save the big-ticket items — like the crib, car seat and stroller — until about eight weeks before you’re due or even do a big order after baby has arrived. Amazon allows you to apply the discount to up to two orders of up to an aggregate of $2,000, which means you can net savings of up to $300.

Free 365-day returns: If you don’t like one of your gifts, you can return it up to 365 days after the date of your shipment. The best part? You get a credit, and the gift giver never finds out! Keep in mind that baby products purchased by you, the registry owner, can be returned within 90 days.

Free two-day shipping: Prime members automatically get two-day shipping for free on their orders. If you don’t have Prime, you can take advantage of the free shipping perk by making sure your registry orders are more than $25.

Universal registry: If something you want isn’t actually on Amazon, that’s just fine. Amazon offers a Universal Registry button that allows you to add items from other sites, too. You install the button on your browser — it’s easy, we swear — and use it when you like a product on another site. The item goes straight onto your registry.

Welcome box: The Amazon Welcome Box is a great way to get some free stuff (and who doesn’t love that?) while trying out brands that you normally wouldn’t buy. It includes products for mom and baby (most are sample size) that you can test out after your little one arrives. The mix of products in every box is a surprise, which adds to the fun. It doesn’t come automatically when you sign up for your registry, though. You need to be an Amazon Prime member and have one item from each of Amazon’s checklist categories in your registry. Someone also has to have made a $10 purchase from your registry.

Diaper discount: Customers who receive or purchase $500 or more in products from their baby registry will get a 20 percent discount on diapers through baby’s first year.

How to create an Amazon baby registry

Once you get to the main Amazon Baby Registry page, click the “Get Started” button. You’ll be prompted to put in your name, address, expected due date and shipping address. That’s all you need to do to create a basic registry. If you want to personalize your registry, there’s a section for optional information. You can include the gender of your baby, let Amazon know if this is your first child and write a cute message to family and friends who check out your list. Amazon includes a helpful sample note where parents-to-be can tell gift givers the color of the nursery or, for instance, that they prefer compact items because their apartment is on the smaller side.

Once you have the registry ready to go, it’s time to add products. You can add them from the individual product pages or look at Amazon’s Registry Checklist, which shows you popular products without ever having to leave the registry page.

To install the Universal Registry Button, you just click the install button to add it to your browser. Go to any retailer’s site and use the button when you find something you like.

Using your Amazon baby registry

We created our own Amazon Baby Registry to find out how easy the process is. Spoiler: There were some hiccups with the setup, but overall it’s a good system.

We’d barely begun when we encountered the first hurdle: Where do you sign up? The Amazon homepage is a busy place — with plenty of products and deals that are begging you to click — which made it tricky to find the sign-up page at first. We finally found it under “Registry” in the top navigation (of course). If you hover your mouse over “Accounts & Lists” (where you usually sign in), you can also find “Baby Registry” under “Your Lists.”

Once we got to the sign-up page, the rest of the registering process was a breeze. We put in all our info — name, address, due date — and had a brand-new registry. We used the registry checklist to add our favorite products — from carriers to bath toys — right within the registry page. We could add everything we wanted by simply clicking a button, and we never had to navigate away from the list.

We wanted to see how Amazon’s universal registry feature worked, but there was no obvious way to add the Universal Registry Button. Once we located it (it’s hidden under “Bundle of Benefits” in the “Offers & Benefits” section), we installed the extension in our browser. From there, it was really easy to add items from other sites (we tested a few from Target and Buy Buy Baby).

How to use the baby registry checklist

The Registry Checklist is listed under the “Your Registry” dropdown. It has eight different product categories — with themes like “Feeding” and “Out & About” — that help you sort through what you need. If you click on each category, you’ll see another list of subcategories (yes, there’s a ton of stuff to sort through here).

A whole page of items appears depending on the products you’re looking to add. Each product box has an “Add to Registry” button that allows you to quickly add items that you’re interested in. If you need more information about a product, hover your mouse over the photo and a “More Details” button appears. That shows you a pop-up window with a bulleted list of the item’s best features.

Once you think you’ve registered for everything you need in a subcategory (strollers, for example), you check the box next to the subcategory name. Amazon keeps track of how much of your checklist you’ve completed. (You’ll need to complete everything to qualify for the welcome box.) 

At first, the checklist can seem quite overwhelming, especially if you start with the major purchases. There are a lot of products to choose from and so many categories to cover. But here’s a trick: You don’t have to pick a product from every single one. Just check the box and Amazon will mark it as complete. Amazon’s system is pretty great; you will probably need something from every category — you just need to decide whether you want to register for it on Amazon or get it another way.

How to return a registry gift

To return a gift you received from your registry, head to your “Thank You List & Returns” section and pick the item you’d like to return. If your loved one went off-book and got you something from Amazon that wasn’t on your registry, you can return the item through Amazon’s Online Return Center.

Pros

• Free shipping and a completion discount that can save you over $300.
• You can add items from any site.
• Almost everyone has an Amazon account, which makes shopping easier.

Cons

• You need to sign up for a Prime membership to get the most benefits.
• It’s confusing to qualify for the welcome box, and can be an investment if you’re not a Prime member.
• It’s hard to find the sign-up link.

Our review

Overall, the discounts and convenience make having an Amazon Baby Registry worth it, especially if you’re already a Prime member. Most of your friends and family are probably comfortable buying from Amazon, since they likely do it on their own quite frequently. Amazon will even wrap their gift for them. It’s a win-win situation for you and all the generous gift givers in your life.

The universal registry option is a great added bonus if you know you’ll want something super specific from another site, like a blanket from Etsy or a crib from Ikea. And the welcome box is fun to receive, but you won’t get any samples that blow your mind (although, free stuff is free stuff).There’s no reason not to register with Amazon, frankly. Even if you use it as your personal baby gear checklist (you can set it to private) and buy a stroller 30 days before your due date, you’ve saved money. You have no obligation to create an exhaustive list of stuff or complete your Amazon checklist to the fullest. The features are there for you to take advantage of if you want. And that’s one of the best parts about the registry: Whether you do the bare minimum or include everything you need on the list, it works to fit your needs.

10 Reasons You’re Always Tired (And What You Can Do About It)

Feeling tired on a regular basis is extremely common. In fact, about one-third of healthy teens, adults and older individuals report feeling sleepy or fatigued

Fatigue is a common symptom of several conditions and serious diseases, but in most cases it is caused by simple lifestyle factors.

Fortunately, these are most often easy things to fix.

This article lists 10 potential reasons why you’re always tired and provides recommendations for ways to get your energy back.

1. Consuming Too Many Refined Carbs

Carbs can be a quick source of energy. When you eat them, your body breaks them down into sugar, which can be used for fuel.

However, eating too many refined carbs can actually cause you to feel tired throughout the day.

When sugar and processed carbs are consumed, they cause a rapid rise in your blood sugar. This signals your pancreas to produce a large amount of insulin to get the sugar out of your blood and into your cells.

This spike in blood sugar levels — and subsequent fall — can make you feel exhausted. Craving quick energy, you instinctively reach for another serving of refined carbs, which can lead to a vicious cycle.

Several studies have found that minimizing sugar and processed carbs at meals and snacks typically leads to greater energy levels

In one study, children who ate snacks high in refined carbs before a soccer game reported more fatigue than children who ate a peanut butter-based snack

Luckily, research suggests that some foods may help protect against tiredness.

For instance, both okra and dried bonito broth contain compounds that may decrease fatigue and increase alertness

To keep your energy levels stable, replace sugar and refined carbs with whole foods that are rich in fiber, such as vegetables and legumes.

SUMMARY:Consuming refined carbs can lead to unstable blood sugar levels, which can make you feel tired. Instead, choose whole foods that minimally impact your blood sugar.

2. Living a Sedentary Lifestyle

Inactivity could be the root cause of your low energy.

But many people say they’re too tired to exercise.

In fact, in one recent study, this was the most common reason that middle-aged and older adults gave for not exercising

One explanation could be chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), which is characterized by extreme, unexplained fatigue on a daily basis.

Research suggests people with CFS tend to have low strength and endurance levels, which limit their exercise ability. However, a review of studies including more than 1,500 people found that exercise may reduce fatigue in those with CFS (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).

Research has also shown that exercising can reduce fatigue among healthy people and those with other illnesses, such as cancer. What’s more, even minimal increases in physical activity seem to be beneficial

To boost your energy levels, replace sedentary behaviors with active ones. For instance, stand rather than sit down whenever possible, take the stairs instead of the elevator and walk instead of driving short distances.

SUMMARY:Being sedentary can lead to fatigue in healthy people, as well as those with chronic fatigue syndrome or other health problems. Being more active can help boost energy levels.

3. Not Getting Enough High-Quality Sleep

Not getting enough sleep is one of the more obvious causes of fatigue.

Your body does many things while you sleep, including store memory and release hormones that regulate your metabolism and energy levels

After a night of high-quality sleep, you typically wake up feeling refreshed, alert and energized.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society, adults need an average of seven hours of sleep per night for optimal health

Importantly, sleep should be restful and uninterrupted in order to allow your brain to go through all five stages of each sleep cycle

In addition to getting enough sleep, maintaining a regular sleep routine also seems to help prevent tiredness.

In one study, adolescents who went to bed at the same time on weekdays and weekends reported less fatigue and less difficulty falling asleep than those who stayed up later and slept fewer hours on the weekends

Being physically active during the day may help you get more restorative sleep at night. One study in older people found that exercising helped improve their sleep quality and reduce levels of fatigue

Furthermore, napping may help boost energy levels. Taking naps has been shown to decrease tiredness in pilots, who often experience fatigue due to long working hours and jet lag

To improve the amount and quality of your sleep, go to bed at roughly the same time every night, relax before sleeping and get plenty of activity during the day.

However, if you find it difficult to fall or stay asleep and suspect you may have a sleeping disorder, speak to your doctor about having your sleep evaluated by a specialist.

SUMMARY:Inadequate or poor-quality sleep is a common cause of fatigue. Getting several hours of uninterrupted sleep allows your body and brain to recharge, allowing you to feel energized during the day.

4. Food Sensitivities

Food sensitivities or intolerances typically cause symptoms like rashes, digestive problems, runny nose or headaches.

But fatigue is another symptom that’s often overlooked.

Also, research suggests that quality of life may be more affected by fatigue in those with food sensitivities

Common food intolerances include gluten, dairy, eggs, soy and corn.

If you suspect that certain foods may be making you tired, consider working with an allergist or dietitian who can test you for food sensitivities or prescribe an elimination diet to determine which foods are problematic.

SUMMARY:Food intolerances can cause fatigue or low energy levels. Following a food elimination diet may help determine which foods you are sensitive to.

5. Not Eating Enough Calories

Consuming too few calories can cause feelings of exhaustion.

Calories are units of energy found in food. Your body uses them to move and fuel processes like breathing and maintaining a constant body temperature.

When you eat too few calories, your metabolism slows down in order to conserve energy, potentially causing fatigue.

Your body can function within a range of calories depending on your weight, height, age and other factors.

However, most people require a minimum of 1,200 calories per day to prevent a metabolic slowdown.

Experts on aging believe that although metabolism decreases with age, older people may need to eat at the top of their calorie range in order to perform normal functions without becoming fatigued .

In addition, it’s difficult to meet your vitamin and mineral needs when calorie intake is too low. Not getting enough vitamin D, iron and other important nutrients can also lead to fatigue.

In order to keep your energy levels up, avoid drastic cuts in calorie intake, even if your goal is weight loss. You can calculate your calorie needs using the calorie calculator in this article.

SUMMARY:Your body requires a minimum number of calories in order to perform daily functions. Consuming too few calories can lead to fatigue and make it difficult to meet nutrient needs.

6. Sleeping at the Wrong Time

In addition to inadequate sleep, sleeping at the wrong time can reduce your energy.

Sleeping during the day instead of at night disrupts your body’s circadian rhythm, which are the biological changes that occur in response to light and darkness during a 24-hour cycle.

Research has found that when your sleep pattern is out of sync with your circadian rhythm, chronic fatigue may develop (25Trusted Source).

This is a common problem among people who perform shift or night work.

Sleep experts estimate that 2–5% of all shift workers suffer from a sleep disorder characterized by excessive sleepiness or disrupted sleep over a period of one month or more

What’s more, even staying awake during the night for a day or two can cause fatigue.

In one study, healthy young men were allowed to sleep either seven hours or just under five hours before being kept awake for 21–23 hours. Their fatigue ratings increased before and after sleep, regardless of the number of hours they slept

It’s best to sleep during the night whenever possible.

However, if your job involves shift work, there are strategies to retrain your body clock, which should improve your energy levels.

In one study, shift workers reported significantly less fatigue and better mood after being exposed to bright light pulses, wearing dark sunglasses outside and sleeping in total darkness.Using glasses to block blue light may also help people who perform shift work.

SUMMARY:Sleeping during the day can upset your body’s natural rhythm and lead to fatigue. Try to sleep at night or retrain your body clock.

7. Not Getting Enough Protein

Inadequate protein intake could be contributing to your fatigue.

Consuming protein has been shown to boost your metabolic rate more than carbs or fat do

In addition to aiding weight loss, this may also help prevent tiredness.

In one study, self-reported fatigue levels were significantly lower among Korean college students who reported eating high-protein foods like fish, meat, eggs and beans at least twice a day

Other studies have found that high-protein diets tend to produce less fatigue among weight lifters and people who perform resistance training

What’s more, research suggests that fatigue may be reduced by branched-chain amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein

To keep your metabolism strong and prevent fatigue, aim to consume a high-quality proteinsource at every meal.

SUMMARY:Consuming adequate protein is important for keeping your metabolism up and preventing fatigue. Include a good protein source at every meal.

8. Inadequate Hydration

Staying well hydrated is important for maintaining good energy levels.

The many biochemical reactions that take place in your body every day result in a loss of water that needs to be replaced.

Dehydration occurs when you don’t drink enough liquid to replace the water lost in your urine, stools, sweat and breath.

Several studies have shown that being even mildly dehydrated can lead to lower energy levels and a decreased ability to concentrat

In one study, when men worked out on a treadmill and lost 1% of their body mass in fluid, they reported more fatigue than when they performed the same exercise while remaining well hydrated

Although you may have heard that you should drink eight, 8-ounce (237-ml) glasses of water daily, you may require more or less than this depending on your weight, age, gender and level of activity.

The key is drinking enough to maintain good hydration levels. Common symptoms of dehydration include thirst, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches.

SUMMARY:Even mild dehydration may reduce energy levels and alertness. Make sure to drink enough to replace fluid lost during the day.

9. Relying on Energy Drinks

There’s no shortage of beverages that promise to provide quick energy.

Popular energy drinks typically include the following:

• Caffeine
• Sugar
• Amino acids
• Large doses of B vitamins
• Herbs

It’s true that these beverages may provide a temporary energy boost due to their high caffeineand sugar contents

For example, a study in sleep-deprived healthy adults found that consuming an energy shot led to modest improvements in alertness and mental function

Unfortunately, these energy drinks are also likely to set you up for rebound fatigue when the effects of caffeine and sugar wear off.

One review of 41 studies found that although energy drinks led to increased alertness and improved mood for several hours after consumption, excessive daytime sleepiness often occurred the following day

Although the caffeine content varies widely among brands, an energy shot may contain up to 350 mg, and some energy drinks provide as much as 500 mg per can. By comparison, coffee typically contains between 77–150 mg of caffeine per cup

However, even at smaller dosages, drinking caffeinated beverages in the afternoon may interfere with sleep and lead to low energy levels the following day

To break the cycle, try cutting back and gradually weaning yourself off these energy drinks. In addition, limit coffee and other caffeinated beverage consumption to early in the day.

SUMMARY:Energy drinks contain caffeine and other ingredients that can provide a temporary energy boost, but often lead to rebound fatigue.

10. High Stress Levels

Chronic stress may have a profound effect on your energy levels and quality of life.

Although some stress is normal, excessive levels of stress have been linked to fatigue in several studies

In addition, your response to stress can influence how tired you feel.

One study in college students found that avoiding dealing with stress led to the greatest level of fatigue

While you may not be able to avoid stressful situations, developing strategies for managing your stress may help prevent you from feeling completely exhausted.

For instance, large reviews of studies suggest yoga and meditation can help relieve stress

Engaging in these or similar mind-body practices may ultimately help you feel more energetic and better able to cope with stress.

SUMMARY:Excessive stress can cause fatigue and reduce your quality of life. Practicing stress-reduction techniques may help improve your energy levels.

The Bottom Line

There are many possible causes for feeling chronically tired. It’s important to rule out medical conditions first, as fatigue often accompanies illness.

However, feeling overly tired may be related to what you eat and drink, how much activity you get or the way you manage stress.The good news is that making a few lifestyle changes may very well improve your energy levels and overall quality of life.feedback or send us email us@ brightokafor45@gmail.com

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written by bright okafor on august 27 2019

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