Are you having a baby? Are you on a budget?? Are you dreading the piles of baby stuff piling up in your basement or garage???! This post is for YOU!
First, I’ll run through a few baby items that we had that we just didn’t need, and I’ll explain why. Then, I’ll describe a few things I was REALLY glad we did have with our little one.
Tiny Baby shoes- I know, they are so so so cute! BUT, they are totally pointless. Unless you find an adorable pair of tiny moccasins at a thrift store for your little part-native bundle as an adorable prop for a first photo shoot (yes, we did this-see photo below for proof)—skip the tiny baby shoes.
The shoes will either be too big or too small for your baby when (for some reason) you decide you want them to wear them. And, I know you know this, but your little squishy won’t be able to walk for a while. So their little feet don’t need protected the same way bigger kids’ feet do. If warmth is an issue, get some super soft warm booties and skip the soles. Every baby is different, but our little waddler fit into a size 4 (and maybe a few size 3s) by the time she was walking.A bottle warmer- We actually had one. I think it was a gift or hand-me-down. We never used it. For one, the bottles we used wouldn’t fit in it (see text below on our awesome glass bottles). Two, it seemed like a waste of electricity when we could easily put the milk in a glass bottle and into a small pot of water on the stove and warm up the milk from there (in case you didn’t know, you aren’t supposed to microwave breastmilk or formula).
A Baby Bath- Yes, we had a baby bath. No, we never used it. Here’s why: The baby bath that was gifted to us was meant to be put in the tub, with the water filled up around the whole bath.
What a HUGE waste of water for a little, tiny baby. Plus, I like to avoid getting on my knees. We discovered that our little bity baby (who couldn’t sit up) didn’t really need a full-fledged bath unless she had a blowout or one of us accidentally dropped food on her (yes, this happened and yes I usually just licked it off). So, we usually just gave her a good bird bath each morning, and when she did need a regular bath we would clean out our oval-shaped bathroom sink really well, lay a folded towel down in it, and bathe her right there in the bathroom sink. Yes, it meant getting a towel all wet to keep the little one comfy. But, it also meant I could use just the right amount of water and I could stand up to bathe her. When she got bigger and could sit, we would move the sink baths to the kitchen sink (washed out well). She loved sink baths. No, we didn’t ever need one of those expensive foldy-flower baby sink bath things. Those looked soooo cute and I almost decided that we needed one before she was born, until I saw the price and read some reviews on them from folks saying they mold easily.A Rocking Chair in the Baby’s Room— Okay, now let me explain this one. I actually really like rocking chairs and our little one really liked to rock. BUT, I RARELY used the rocking/gliding chair in her room and here is why: I much, much preferred the comfy rocker/recliner in the living room where I could put my feet up and also catch a bit of one of my favorite shows after I had rocked/nursed the little squish to sleep and I didn’t want to move. So, instead of getting a rocking chair for the baby’s room, I suggest you invest in a comfortable rocker/recliner for the living room instead. You will probably be grateful for the reclining option at some point.
A Crib and all the things that go with it: bumpers, the dust-ruffle thingy, matching bedding, etc.—For one, this stuff is WAY over-priced, in my opinion. We had ALL of it (most of it handed down to us) and she never slept in her crib-AT ALL.
Two, co-sleeping is amazing. Now, I know some of you don’t agree or can’t co-sleep for various reasons, but we found that co-sleeping is what worked best for us. We have a king size-bed, so there is lots of room. We have a mini-crib on wheels that is stuck right up next to my side of the bed. This acts as a great barrier and prevents her from rolling off the side of the bed (and since she never sleeps in it, it is a perfect receptacle for clean laundry we are too lazy to fold, extra blankets, stuffed animals, favorite bed-time books, etc.). When we were nursing, co-sleeping meant I could easily just roll over, lay on my side, and nurse the little pumpkin back to sleep without my sleep getting disturbed much at all. And when she woke up and was hungry again we’d roll over to the other side. It really made the multiple wake ups a night much easier for us both. She was/is safe, we love cuddling/being near each other, and waking up to her sweet smile and sometimes not-so-sweet morning breath 3 inches from my face is one of the best things in the world.
Now, here are a few things we really found to be useful and needed:
A Rock and Play- There is something about the angle of these things that wee little babies really like. These sit up higher than the normal bouncy chairs, they rock, and they are very easy to travel with because they fold up and are pretty light-weight.
Mason Jars with Comotomo Nipples as Bottles- You heard me right, MASON JARS. It was important to us to use glass jars whenever I wasn’t breastfeeding our little sugarbum. My brilliant Mother had the idea to use the 8 oz. wide mouth jelly mason jars and figure out which nipple would fit. We searched the internet and found out that others had thought of this too! The Comotomo nipples work REALLY well and don’t leak at all. I think there are a few other nipples that will fit the mason jars, but I can’t remember which ones at the moment. A 12 pack of mason jars can be bought online or at the store for much cheaper than the other glass bottle options. And, these are surprisingly durable. I don’t know how many times we’ve dropped these (even on concrete!) and they have not broken.
A Hand Held Breast Pump- So, while you are breastfeeding you might have to go back to work at some point, or, if not (I’m jealous), you might just want a bit of a break sometime. Then, you will need a breast pump. I think it’s all well and fine to have an electric breast pump. But, if you have an electric one, I recommend that you ALSO have a hand held breast pump as well. What if the power goes out and you are away from your little one and you need to pump? What if you are on a long car ride and your little one is sleeping soundly and your boobs are hurting from the need to pump? Yes, I’ve totally pumped in the car before. There could be many scenarios where you might need a hand-held pump. They aren’t super expensive, and I actually responded better to a handheld pump than an electric one. Here is the one I used and liked:
A Good Travel System- For us that meant: a decent convertible carseat that can be moved from backward-facing to forward-facing when the time is right; an awesome carrier or two (we liked the Moby wrap
and the Infantino Sash Mei Tai carrier); and a lightweight stroller (we liked the Urbini Reversi because it was lightweight, folded easily, the seat was reversible, and the seat could be used laid down or sitting up).A Boppy Pillow (or some other U shaped pillow)- I remember hearing the advice from someone while pregnant about breastfeeding: “Bring the baby to you, not the other way around.” I already have a bit of a slouching problem, so having a nice U shaped pillow that I could wrap around my midsection and help prop my little one up to the correct height made it much easier to NOT slouch while breastfeeding. It really made us both much comfier. Plus, you can prop your little sugarplum up on them and make faces at each other!
I hope you’ve found this list helpful.
Moms, Dads, Grandparents, tell me your other go-to items in the comment section.
About to be New Parents? Have a question about a baby item that you aren’t sure if you’ll need or not? Tell us in the comments! If I haven’t tried it, I bet there are others who have and are more than happy to share their experiences.