Welcoming a new baby is such an exciting time. You are in for a wild ride that will change your life forever. Babies are adorable, cuddly and also uber expensive to care for. Not only do we need to care for the baby, but we need to baby-proof our homes as well. It all adds up, and there are some things we just should not pay for.
Being prepared without being over-prepared is so hard. You want to buy ALL the baby things.
Ohhhh! That adorable newborn outfit, those itty bitty little shoes, all of the hair bows and the bottle warmers and the Boppy, and the carriers and the towels. So. Much. Stuff.
Remember, women have been having babies for thousands of years. While many of the items on this list are nice to have, and can make your life a little easier, many of these items really aren’t completely necessary.
11 Things for Baby You Simply Don’t Need (that you may or may not agree with 🙂 )
Wipe Warmer – Sure they are neat, and the concept is great, but half the time when we used them with our boys it just made them pee on us. Ha!
Hold it in your hand for a moment to warm it up if needed. Wipe warmers also tend to dry out your wipes, which is just another big ol’ waste of money.
See how to make your own baby wipes!
Bottle Warmer – Some people use these religiously, but you don’t really need to spend the money. Pick up a small Crock-Pot and heat it up on warm.
Bonus: you can use and reuse the small Crock-Pot for years – a bottle warmer is useless within months.
Changing Table – Sure, you want it to complete the nursery set, but do you really need it? From one mom to another, I’ll tell you that I used ours for all of two weeks. We ended up changing him on the floor or in the Pack-n-Play (something we used a LOT) or on a changing pad, or on our bed.
Some people DO use their changing tables a lot. If you’re wanting to skip that expense though, I recommend having one cute basket that holds all of your supplies. This Dresser Top Diaper Depot is pretty cool!
Bath Thermometer – Is there a reason you need to know the exact temperature of the bath water? While you’re preparing the bath for baby you’ll be able to tell if it’s too hot or too cold. You simply don’t need to spend the money.
Diaper Genie – As a frugal mother, I find myself asking “why?!” For the cost of the unit itself and then the refills you need, it just doesn’t make sense to me. Yes, I had one but it never got used.
A diaper with #1 inside is no big deal, a #2 diaper on the other hand, can be taken straight out to the outside trash bin. The older they get the stinkier and more plentiful it gets and diaper disposal systems don’t always mask the smell.
Mamaroo – Whoa. Just whoa. These things are $250?! I’m sure – no positive – that some babies absolutely love theirs, but for $250 I can find an alternative.
Baby Bullet – While these are pretty cool, why not just use your blender? If you’re making your own baby food, portion it into ice cube trays, then freeze, label and sort accordingly. Pull one out when needed and you’ve just saved big.
Shopping Cart Cover – I have always wondered how parents handle it all. Not that the concept isn’t great, but how cumbersome when you’re trying to maneuver the cart, the diaper bag, the shopping cart cover and then there’s the actual baby. Sure, it’s great to have but not entirely necessary.
Keep some sanitizing wipes with you in the diaper bag to wipe down the cart in case the store doesn’t offer them or they are out.
Bottle Drying Rack – You really don’t need a designated place for the bottles to dry out all by themselves. It is handy if you don’t have a dish drying rack, but I used a simple kitchen dish towel to let ours dry. It’s just air.
Baby Sized Clothes Hangers – Sure, have some hangers, but you don’t need more than one pack in my experience. We always ended up folding and putting the clothes away in his dresser drawers – assuming they made it that far after laundry day. LOL!
Towels Specifically for Baby – Again, as a frugal mother I ask myself “why?” Why can’t I use the towel I use for myself for my baby as well? If your baby has sensitive skin, you could have designated towels for him/her, but they don’t need to be embroidered, or a certain size, or have a hood. It’s just a towel.
One thing we DO recommend? Buying a LOT of sleepers. If you’re doing laundry once or twice a week, you’ll want at least enough sleepers to get you through to wash day – and then get a couple more. In case you’re feeling lazy one Saturday during your normal wash time, or you’re spending the afternoon cuddling instead of cleaning you’ll have more clean sleepers in the drawer.
From one mom to another, soak up every single minute of that beautiful baby while you can. I know its cliche to say, and my boys are only 7 and 9, but it does go so very fast. Now my cuddles are few and far between and I cherish them and I miss them.
Give your baby a smooch for me, and don’t be alarmed if I ask to smell the baby’s head. Bahaha!! Love that newborn baby smell! ♥
Thanks to Ashley, Jenny, Aubrie, Jennifer, Becky, Janea, Liz, Renee, Stacy, Jennifer, Stephanie, Tarah, Nancy, Maureen, Sophey, Melinda, Lisa, Julie, Briana, Kathi, Amanda and everyone else that gave me their input! You girls are great!
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