11 Things for Baby You Simply Don’t Need

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. See our disclosure policy for more information.

June 2, 2016 Ashlea 20 Comments

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 🙂 )

1.) 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!

2.) 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.

3.) 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!

4.) 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.

5.) 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.

6.) 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.

7.) 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.

8.) 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.

9.) 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.

10.) 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!

11.) 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!

Comments

Lina says
February 22, 2017 at 5:56 am

If you can't afford to buy these things, then yes you can live without them, but I had almost everything on this list (that was available 15-20 years ago) and thoroughly used them all. Of course they are conveniences and not necessities, but they sure made my life easier!

Reply
Erica G says
October 16, 2016 at 3:40 pm

I have 6 kids ranging from 15 years to 11 months old. Sometimes I have multiple kids in diapers so a changing table was always nice for me as a place to keep all the diapering paraphernalia. Wipes, creams, multiple sized diapers. Our dresser space is dedicated to clothes only, I wouldn't have room to house all the diaper stuff in them too! Small hangers have also been a necessity! But I have gotten 15 year use from them so far! ;) with so many kids we have so much stuff! Little kids love hooded towels but they are so easy to make from regular adult sized towels! All my kids, usually toddler up to 9ish, loved having their own special towels just for them, and the hood has helped the smaller one be able to keep the towel on their heads and the older ones run around like super heros :) This list is very much a preference, but all lists like this are. As breastfeeding mom I never had a use for bottle stuff. Just as someone who cloth diapers might need things different than someone who uses disposables. It's fun/interesting reading what other people find to be a necessity or not though! Swings have been life savers with some of my babies and others have completely hated them! One big thing I recommend is some sort of way to wear your baby. Makes doing other things around the house or with other children a tiny bit easier.

Reply
Jade says
October 9, 2016 at 9:10 am

I completely agree!! I had everything on this list except a bottle & wipe warmer. They just seemed ridiculous to begin with. When I needed to warm her bottles I just simply used the hot water from my faucet. And who has time to warm a wipe when you're out in public? The thought of that hassle alone drove me crazy & that's why I refused to get one. Instead of buying a changing table I just bought a dresser for her nursery & placed a changing pad on top. And after about 3 weeks it was no longer being used. It ended up being tossed in the closet. But the dresser wil last for a very long time! The cart cover & magic bullet were given to me as gifts but were hardly ever used. And neither did the diaper genie. I always keep my plastic grocery bags so I'd just tie the diaper in on of those & throw the pee ones into the regular trash can since it would be taken to the outside dumpster soon & the poopy diapers went outside to the dumpster immediately. The dumpster sits right outside my garage door so it literally took 30 seconds to do. The money I spent on the mama-rue was a complete waste. After she was about 2 weeks old she never really sat in it that much. I can definitely see how a mom could manage without the items on this list

Reply
- Ashlea says
  October 9, 2016 at 9:24 am
  
  I'm glad you agree! When I wrote this post, I didn't think there would be such a controversy. Ha!
  
  Reply
Jo says
September 26, 2016 at 12:34 pm

I must say I disagree with most of this also, I have a 5 month old and I have all of these things and have found them helpful! The mamaroo was a waste for me only because my son hated it, he likes the Fisher price swing way better - and I don't use the clothes hangers much - but everything else (especially the bottle warmer) has made life with a newborn tons easier - sure you can do without, but why put extra stress on yourself?

Reply
Dione says
September 17, 2016 at 7:44 pm

Totally agree with this list! I have four kids 6 and under and although with the first I did use the wipe water and changing table, those were very quickly not needed and I haven't used any of the others. I feel most of them waste space and money for me.

Reply
Laurelle says
September 15, 2016 at 6:24 am

My biggest waste of money item i do not understand is the changing pad covers. They instantly get poop or pee on them and they just add to the laundry pile. And without the cover on you just wipe the pad down and sanitize, super simple. I personally love my changing table that is just a pad on a dresser. I agree with everything else. Especially the baby hangers, why would anyone buy those? Most stores just give you the hangers the clothes are on if you ask for them. I also know a lot of people think buying baby shoes is stupid but i personally LOVE putting together little outfits with the shoes included, its so much fun. (For the record i would never buy a pair for full price)

Reply
Sofie's Mom says
September 14, 2016 at 6:11 am

This is all very subjective advice in this article, so take it with a grain of salt! I personally have found that a Diaper Genie is a must (if you use the genie properly, a refill goes a long way!). I also like a drying rack, baby hangers, baby towels and a changing table (try changing a squirmy baby at 3am in the dark...yeah, also save your back knowing your little one is safe and secure. I still change my 2 year old on it and still utilize the clips if I need to secure her for a minute!).

Reply
Anonymous says
September 14, 2016 at 6:07 am

I agree with all the other comments on this one and have to disagree. Using most of the items listed on a daily basis! Yes it's a personal preference on what you use, also a money factor as well. At the end of the day, some of these items are of course not a necessity but I have most of them and whatever keeps my baby happy or makes things more convenient for me, it's worth spending the money on.

Reply
Maldrich says
September 14, 2016 at 6:05 am

I actually agree with this whole list. Wit our first we used his dresser as a changing table, or I used the floor. You don't need to specifically buy a changing table. Our pack n play also has a changer, so that got used as well. I never used a diaper genie, just a small trash pail with a cover. We skipped the warmers as well. The only thing I did have was the shipping cart cover, but it was purchased for us. We only used it occasionally, so I wouldn't spend my own money on one.

Reply
Tina says
September 9, 2016 at 12:12 pm

Yikes, I think this article should be renamed as 11 things you DO need for baby (the exception being a mamaroo--more of a luxury item--nice if you can afford it). I have 4 kids, 2 are under 2. I use a majority of these items daily. My 1 yr old isn't going to sit still long enough for me to warm a wipe w/my hands. And I definitely would choose not to change a blowout on my bed. If I didn't have a bottle rack I'd have nipples and rings all over the place; I also personally don't have enough drawer space (or time) for folded little people clothing. Hangers are a must-have. My blender is used to make salsa, so baby bullet is great for non-cross contamination. I'm going to strongly disagree like the rest of the commenters on this one.

Reply
Riama says
September 7, 2016 at 5:25 am

I think all the stuff above is preference if you have an extra money. Me, i love the bottle warmer, changing table ( good for your back), diaper genie ( the smell of a dirty diaper is not good for the air ). I prefer choose food processor than baby bullet and steam the food with reguler steamer. Everything back to the mother itself, as long it's make mom feel more easy and happy :)

Reply
Erica says
September 3, 2016 at 2:06 pm

I would also have to disagree! I use my bottlewarmer, diaper Genie everyday! And no changing table!!! What???! I use that sucker multiple times thru out the day!

Reply
Brandi says
September 2, 2016 at 10:59 pm

A lot of these are a matter of opinion. We have used our changing table and diaper genie every diaper change for the past 7 months, I just like changing her in one spot and my daughters doubles as a dresser too. The poo and pee that has ended up on it I'm glad I wasn't changing her anywhere else! We also use the shopping cart/high chair cover and baby towels, not necessities but I like having them. Our bottle drying rack and baby hangers are used daily. She has about 100+ baby hangers and uses every single one. The only clothes that get folded and put in her dresser are her pajamas and spare onsies. So you may not need them but some mom's might!

Reply
Nichole says
September 2, 2016 at 7:42 pm

I totally agree on all this except the hangers.... I hang everything that is not just a simple onsie, sleeper, or bottoms. I folded at first and could never find anything. The hangers I have are for kids and they should last through elementary school. And even if not, the pack of 10 is $2.

Reply
Michelle says
August 30, 2016 at 9:00 pm

I have to disagree on some points as well. Diaper Genie--a must!! Who has time to gather up one, two, or three kids to run outside and drop every diaper they change? Even pee diapers are stinky, and once they're eating solids, #2 MUST be instantly contained. Doesn't matter where you live...the bears will find that sh*t! Haha Couldn't live without a change table. I agree actual change tables are a short-lived waste of money, and open sides are not practical for older toddler siblings. But the right height dresser with a change pad on top--SUCH a back saver. You need a station where everything is, and clutter is contained. And for those explosions, it's nice when a change of clothes is near enough you can keep one hand on baby. Hangers are a preference. I too feel that things get lost when all in drawers, and it's just easier to hang some stuff. Dresses, for example. Even sweaters and hoodies. Folding tiny clothes is time consuming, and whatever is on top of the drawer gets used, while the rest is ignored. Adult-size hangers are just too big.

Reply
Jenna says
August 23, 2016 at 6:32 am

I do have to beg to differ on a lot of these things especially the bottle warmer. I have used our bottle warmer for almost 17 months now. He still has to have his milk warmed up. I don't think the crock pot is practical in my experience because even a small one takes up more space on my counter than my bottle warmer and I take my bottle warmer if I take my son to other people's homes and to his daycare, so its easier to transport. The changing table is a preference, but I am still able to use our changing table because my son is so little still at 17 months, but I don't like to bend over on the floor and I like having everything in one place. We have own a Diaper Champ, which is similar to a diaper genie but there are no bag refills or anything. You can simply use a regular trash bag, so you are not paying for special bags. I agree with the baby bullet, because I made my own baby food, but I used a combination of the food processor and my nutribullet. I felt the nutibullet got it to the smooth consistency that I was wanting. The shopping cart cover is so much easier to put on the cart and sit my son in it then trying to hold him and sanitize the whole area at the same time. I can just whip out the cover put it on and put him in the cart:) The baby size clothes hangers may be a preference, but I like to see all the clothes and outfits that we have. I feel that when I put his clothes in his dresser, we have so many, that i feel alot of them then never get used and then by the time I discover them in the drawers, he has already out grown them.

Reply
- Anonymous says
  October 9, 2016 at 10:52 am
  
  I'm with you on the bottle warmer, changing table and hangers!
  
  Reply
  - Gammy of 5 says
    October 24, 2016 at 8:36 pm
    
    I am a mom of 3 and now have 5 grandkids and I totally disagree with you on everything except the Momaroo. EVERY single item you mentioned is a blessing to have especially the changing table. Dont change your baby on the floor, couch, bed it is a sanitary thing that should be done in a designated area! Also, the shopping cart cover, I wish there were things like that 30 years ago! You are crazy lady!
    
    Reply