You’re pregnant! Or maybe a family member or friend is, and you’re looking for ideas on what to get her. The baby products industry is huge and sometimes confusing. From the must-haves like car seats to the hilarious products like pee-pee covers, you may wonder what you actually need for a new baby. I recently talked with a soon-to-be new mom about what she should have on her registry, and I took a look back at my old registry to get ideas. Y’all, I laughed out loud at some of the silly items I had registered for, only to use once or not even open the box! And did I mention how much room it all takes up? There’s no need to store unnecessary items for months.
Here are the things that I would NOT register for again and what I believe are pretty useless items for babies and moms.
1. Baby jeans or pants that don’t have a stretch waist
Anything that takes effort to pull on and off when changing so. many. diapers. is pretty silly. Our nanny basically refused to put on the cute jeans I had for my not-quite one-year-old and she was totally right. Let’s ALL go for an elastic waist during those first few months.
2. Baby knee pads
Kids have been crawling around on their bare knees since forever. Unless you have some very scratchy rugs or release your children on some very course grass, these seem pointless. Okay, they ARE cute, but pointless.
3. Blankets
Blankets are awesome, but I got so many, several of which were lovely heirloom quality handmade ones—anything from a store was not needed. So, skip those and assume one of your family members will purchase or make something special for you. The exception might be linens that complete your matching nursery décor.
4. Sleep sacks that don’t zip
The Woombie was our favorite, and a friend gifted it to me based on her experience. She was right. Any swaddle product with Velcro, buttons, or ties was inferior to zip ups and went unused. When you are in the middle of a nighttime diaper change, make it easier on your sleep deprived self and opt for a zipper.
5. Baby-proofing products
It will be months before your baby crawls or pulls up, so avoid storing these until then. Evaluate when the time comes, but don’t feel the need to get too far ahead on baby proofing. The locks we put on our drawers and cabinets pulled the finish off! And guess what, neither kid ever attempted to get in the kitchen drawers. And those padded corners we put on the coffee table just fell right off!
6. Baby shoes
Those baby Chucks are darling! But wait, if you send your kiddo to daycare, it’s a nuisance to keep them on and tied. Aside from photo opportunities or special occasions, your baby isn’t walking yet…and therefore won’t need real shoes.
7. Bottle steamers
Most everything can go in the dishwasher in a small dishwasher-safe basket or even a lingerie bag. From the CDC website: “If you use a dishwasher with hot water and a heated drying cycle (or sanitizing setting) to clean infant feeding items, a separate sanitizing step is not necessary.”
8. Baby meds
Medicine can expire before you even need it. Wait until you have a reason from your doctor to purchase anything for your little one.
9. All the breastfeeding accessories
With my first, my nursing experience was not like I imagined. See how things go before investing in expensive nursing bras, covers, and other equipment. DO get a breast pump and test it out before you need it! But, as someone who had boxes of nursing pads that were not necessary, My Breast Friend, and multiple nursing covers I barely used…I say wait a few days or weeks and go from there. You’ll most likely be at the hospital or at home for a week or so anyway. Your body and your baby will likely indicate what products you need. At that point, pick up or order online the products that help you best feed your baby.
Get excited about the new baby but spare yourself the shelf space right now. Be extra thoughtful about your immediate needs and what makes sense for you. And save money where possible! Have you bought any other items for your baby that you regretted later? Let me know what pointless baby products you’ve bought in the comments!
{Read More: 10 Reasons Why I Love Babywearing}
