I’ve had a few conversations with friends recently about all the stuff you DON’T need when having a baby and thought it might be helpful to share! There are soooo many products and so much you can read about what you do need, but the reality is – there is a lot you truly don’t need!
Note: Obviously every mom is different and every baby is different, so these are my opinions based on my experience with my 2 babies. Always do what is right for you and your babies!
Bassinet
Most people have their newborn sleep in their bedroom for at least a few weeks when they first bring them home. And most get a bassinet to put them in (since their normal crib is in their nursery). But this is truly an unnecessary purchase. You can easily use a pack-n-play or other travel crib (which you need for use when traveling for the next few years). With both babies we used a pack-n-play that was a hand-me-down (aka free) with the shelf thing that comes with it to make the mattress higher for a newborn and we put the SnuggleMe Organic baby lounger in there. That was also a hand-me-down, but I do recommend spending the money on the SnuggleMe instead of a bassinet. Both times we only kept our newborn in our bedroom for a few weeks, so buying a bassinet to use for a few weeks would have been a huge waste. I know some people keep them in their room for longer, and our plan was a little longer, but it just didn’t work out that way so I was glad I didn’t spend money on the bassinet!
Wipe Warmer
Would a baby prefer a warm wipe on their booty? Probably. But do they know the difference if they’ve never experienced it? Definitely not. But if you have a warmer at home and set the precedent of it, then you’re baby is going to haaaaate ever not having a warm wipe. Which seems like a lot of pressure. Not sure how you’d warm a wipe while you’re out and about and grabbing wipes out of your diaper bag.
Bottle Warmer
Same concept as above really. If a baby is just used to room temperature bottles, they never know any different. And again, not sure how you warm a bottle if you’re on-the-go and not at home with your warmer.
Baby Brezza
I have a feeling this one will be controversial, as I’ve heard many people list this as one of their top 5 baby items. I just cannot for the life of me figure out why. When I ask why, the response I’ve gotten is “it’s like a coffee machine for formula”…but you don’t need a coffee machine for formula. It’s so quick and easy to make with no appliance at all. You just pour the amount of water you need in a bottle, scoop the appropriate number of scoops needed of formula into the bottle, screw the top on and shake it up. Pop it in baby’s mouth. Done. It takes like 30 seconds. So I just don’t understand why an appliance is needed for this.
Changing Table
If you’re planning on having a dresser in the nursery, which most people do, just pop a changing pad on that bad boy. Done.
Lots of small bottles
Bailey is 6 weeks old and is about to be eating more than 4 oz per feeding which is what most small bottles hold. So basically, you won’t use them for too long so don’t buy a ton (even though washing bottles is super annoying). On the contrary, buy the amount you need for a full day of large bottles (once you know which bottles your baby likes and you’ll be using). You’ll use those for like 10 months (until your babe is 12+ months and no longer using bottles). So if you have the amount you need for a day, you only have to wash bottles once per day, which is a win in my book.
Multiple Strollers
Invest in a good one that’s versatile and super user friendly so that you don’t have to buy a bunch of different ones for different purposes. Our stroller/carseat combo was our splurge item when I registered for my first baby, and I’m so happy that we went that route. It’s an item you use pretty much daily for many years (especially if you have more kids) and it’s key for it to be super user friendly, functional and well-made so it can last for a while. We got the Uppababy Vista stroller and Mesa carseat and absolutely love it. It’s met all of our needs for 3.5 years with Hudson and now with 2 kids, and we’ve never felt like we needed anything else.
Newborn Shoes
They kick them all off. Just get 1 or 2 pairs of booties or socks that actually stay on for the few times you actually need them during the newborn phase. I recommend Zutano booties – only ones my babies haven’t been able to get off, and they’re machine washable which is great if they’re wearing to daycare. I’ve heard good things about Guomi brand booties too. Trust me, I’m not saying don’t buy cute baby shoes. I’m just saying buy them starting at 3 or 6 month size so you don’t waste them 😉
I hope this was helpful for those trying to figure out what to register for (or what to gift someone)!
Xo,
Shannon
