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This is a guest post from my thrifty friend, Charlotte of Confessions of a Thrifty Mom.
Every new mama asks on social media: What are baby registry must haves?
Every list of must haves includes baby items you don’t really need! Believe it or not, your baby will survive without some items people believe to be necessities.
In fact, some items may prove to be more of an inconvenience than something that will help you. If you are trying to save money and not waste it on unnecessary baby “things”, keep reading for 10 baby items you don’t need.
10 Baby Items You Don’t Need
As a mother of two children, I can honestly say there are some baby items that seemed like something I needed for one baby, while I didn’t use the same baby item at all for the other baby.
This is a list of items I either didn’t put on my baby registry list due to some really great friends giving me great advice or I used for one kid only to realize it was just clutter and wasn’t needed.
10 Baby Items You Don’t Need:
1. Diaper Pail
With my first baby, I didn’t have one, mostly because we used cloth diapers most of the time. With the second baby, I thought I NEEDED one. Wrong.
Diaper pails stink, they can attract bugs inside the pail, and the replacement bags can get expensive.
One of my dear friends suggested simply using a grocery bag and taking it out every day. Another idea would be to just use your regular trash can and double bag dirty diapers and take out the trash as you normally would.
Many people also change baby diapers wherever they are, meaning you may or may not be in the same room as the diaper genie especially if you have a two story house or larger house.
2. Crib Bumpers
Crib bumpers are not considered safe. They are super cute, but I cringe everytime I see a new mom get a set at a baby shower. These are not only unnecessary, but not safe!
For safe sleep tips, check out the American Academy of Pediatrics.
3. Wipe Warmers
I remember the first list of baby must haves from a friend included a wipe warmer.
Immediately another friend emailed me with her take on wipe warmers. She used one at home with her first, but when she wasn’t at home and had to use a room temperature wipe, the baby would scream as if being tortured.
Your kid will survive with room temperature wipes and will fare much better if they never know there is a such thing as a wipe warmer. Since I never used a wipe warmer, neither of my kids minded getting their diapers changed no matter where we were.
4. Baby Detergent
Some people will definitely tell you I am wrong about this one, but you don’t need the expensive baby detergent.
Both of my children’s clothes were washed in the same detergent I used for myself and my husband’s clothes. We never had any skin problems or rashes due to this.
Plus the leading brand is packed with a strong scent which doesn’t make sense if you are worried about sensitive baby skin. If you are super worried about a baby’s sensitive skin, use a clear and unscented detergent.
5. Lots of Toys
Babies just don’t need them. Some toys can also be overstimulating for babies. An overstimulated baby can lead to a cranky and fussy baby.
6. Shoes
And lots of socks.
My mother in law would probably disagree with this one, but the kids aren’t going to be walking around. Most of the time, infants wear footed pajamas or are swaddled in blankets.
I also didn’t put socks on my baby if I didn’t need them. So, in the summer or if we were somewhere comfortable, my kids were sockless. I know some old fashioned people think this is crazy, but really the baby will be fine.
7. Expensive Diapers
Most babies will be fine using the cheap and generic brand of diapers and this will save you tons of money. Many people use the cheapest brand without any problems and I did with both of my children.
Cloth diapers are also great and I recommend those as well. I was totally against cloth diapers and swore I would never use them, but then I did. It wasn’t that bad!
I will say my first, which was breastfed, was much easier to cloth diaper. My second was not exclusively breastfed after a couple months, which led me to switching to disposables.
8. Bottle Warmer
This may be convenient, but definitely not needed.
I will be completely honest with you. I didn’t warm my second’s bottles! It’s not medically necessary to warm your baby’s bottle.
According to the Mayoclinic, you can warm the bottle if the baby prefers it. If your baby never gets used to warm milk, your baby won’t prefer it.
9. Bottle Sterilizer
According to the Mayoclinic, your bottles only need to be sterilized for the first use.
After that, you can simply hand wash your bottles and nipples or use a dishwasher. You don’t NEED a sterilizer. Your baby will be fine if you don’t sterilize between every use.
10. Tons of One Bottle
Your kid is going to be picky about what bottle they will take, especially if they are breastfed.
I would borrow or buy several types of bottles so you can see which one works best for you before you buy several of one brand.
Quick Tip: When you create an Amazon baby registry, you can get a free welcome box full of samples.
Start your free Amazon baby registry here.
Want to know what to actually include in your baby registry?
Check out Charlotte’s Baby Must Haves to see what you really need for baby!
Charlotte Boehms is a mother to two young children, a wife, and a personal finance/culinary arts teacher. She has many interests including creating recipes, budgeting, and finding ways to be thrifty while also living a full life.
Follow Charlotte’s blog at Confessions of a Thrifty Mom!
