9 Unnecessary Baby Items You Don’t Need To Put On The Registry

Here’s a quick list of 9 Baby Items You Don’t Actually Need!

When it’s your first go around at the parenting thing, you don’t know what to expect, much less what to ask for at the baby shower. Some baby items seem like they would be nice to have *in theory* but prove to actually be kind of a waste of money, space and a disappointment in general. 

Yes babies are expensive, but there’s actually a lot of things you see on the standard baby list that you could definitely go without. Think about the fact that our ancestors raised babies without all the bells and whistles, and their babies turned out just fine. After all, we’re here today!

With that being said, some things are absolutely necessary, but some aren’t at all. We live in a very consumeristic culture, and we’re really good at convincing ourselves we need things that we really DON’T actually need.

If you’re trying to baby on a budget, you want to be as methodical and frugal as possible when purchasing baby gear and strategic about what you put on the registry. 

I have personally used (and been disappointed) by many of the items on this list, and I’ve talked to other moms who have felt the same. 

Here are 9 Baby Items You Don’t Actually Need!

9 Baby Items To Go Without

Diaper genie

My baby’s been kicking for over a year now and I can personally say that her diapers have not been smelly enough to warrant their own diaper disposal system.  Yes, she has some stinky diapers sometimes but nothing a plain-old, ordinary trash can can’t handle. As long as you’re changing your trash bi-weekly at the least, I think you’ll be just fine with the regular bin. 

Wipe warmer

This is one of those things that sounds like a good idea but turns out to be a waste in the end.  I loved the idea of having warm wipes ready for my baby’s bum, but the thing is…Unless I opened the whole contraption and tucked the wipe back into the wipe package, they would get dried out come the next diaper change. 

So I gave up on the wipe warmer probably by the third diaper. Yes, your baby is going to cry momentarily when the cold wipe touches them…But they will have forgotten all about it once they’re diapered up and playing with mom again. 

Too many newborn clothes

I know, itty bitty newborn clothes are hard to resist; but here’s the thing…Your baby is going to outgrow them before you even bat an eye. Some babies NEVER fit into newborn clothes at all, so it’s best to stick to only a few outfits in the newborn size because (sadly) it goes by so fast. My daughter only fit in hers for a month.

At your baby shower, ask your guests to get you clothes from 3-12 months so you can start stockpiling clothing that your baby can grow into. 

Jammies with snaps

When you’re up in the middle of the night, the last thing you’ll want to do is battle with a screaming, kicking baby in their snappable jammies. They’re just a pain, because when your baby is little you’ll be changing a lot of diapers. So in my humble opinion, it’s not worth the extra aggravation.. I recommend going with zippable or magnetized jammies instead; you’ll thank yourself later.

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A changing table

Some people have a whole area in the nursery designated to diaper changing. While I did find my diaper caddy to be a useful tool to keep everything organized and easy to access… The foam diaper changing pad we had that fit on top of my dresser could be described as useless.  I probably used it a grand total of 4 times in my whole diaper-changing career. 

I found it so much easier to purchase these waterproof changing pads and just change my daughter on the floor or on my bed.

Expensive crib bedding

Since babies sleep the safest without any bedding for the first 12 months of life. There’s no need to go overboard with purchasing baby blankets, bedding or stuffed animals. As long as you’re keeping your room at a neutral temperature, they will sleep just fine in their swaddle. All you really need for your baby’s crib or bassinet is the fitted sheet.

Bottle sterilizer

If you’re bottle feeding your baby, you may have wondered if a bottle sterilizer is a necessity to make sure your baby’s bottles are cleaned properly. I’m here to tell you that boiling water or a run through the dishwasher is sufficient for cleaning your baby’s stuff. I don’t think there’s any need to buy or request an expensive bottle sterilizer that will just take up space anyway. 

Bottle warmer

This item would probably fall under the “want” category more than the “need”. For people who are strictly bottle feeding, this may be a worthy investment, but warming up the bottle in warm water works just fine too.  

Special baby detergent

Sometimes companies are really good at marketing and can convince us that we need a “special” and “specific” product for “special” and “specific” things. So no, you don’t need to buy your baby their own laundry detergent. It won’t make their clothing and safer or softer than the big people detergent. And since baby clothes are tiny, it may take you a week or two to accumulate enough laundry to run their own load with the special baby detergent. Not necessary!

Final Thoughts

I hope this list has been helpful for you, Mama. I know first hand how overwhelming it can feel getting everything ready for your little one’s arrival and not really knowing what the heck you actually need. It’s important to keep in mind that although babies have a reputation for being crazy expensive,  all they really need is a boob, some cuddles and a lot of love!

FREE Printable Hospital Bag Checklist!!

By the way, here’s a free hospital bag checklist to help you keep track of what you need to bring when it’s time to go to the hospital to have your baby!