Mamahood: The Baby Items You Don't Need

Prepping for a new baby is mostly fun. Nesting, washing and folding the tiniest clothes, decorating the nursery... But it can also be a little overwhelming, both mentally (for you) and physically (for your house) - not to mention expensive! I've come across a lot of useless baby items in the first year of my baby's life. Some I've bought, some I've considered buying, some I've seen in stores. 

Don't get me wrong - most of these items are a nice added bonus. But are they essential? No. Can you live without? Absolutely.

So if you are a little overwhelmed by all the gadgets, or working with limited storage space or on a budget, this one's for you! 

1// Wipe Warmer: they are bulky, need to be plugged in at all times which makes me paranoid, and dry up your wipes more than anything else. Sure, you tiny newborn might not love the feeling of the cold wipes at first, but warming up the wipe in your (clean) hands for a few seconds will work just as well.

2// Electronic Nail Trimmer: filing or trimming your baby's nails can be a little scary. But so is everything else when you're a first time parent. A good old nail filer will do just fine.

3// Changing Table: as long as you have a changing mat, you do not need a specific piece of furniture that cannot be reused for any other purposes. My Ikea dresser makes for a perfectly fine changing table.

4// Diaper Pails: I have never tried one of those but they strike me as an overpriced (the refill bags are pricey!), bulky item that has no other purpose but to contain dirty diapers. No. Just no. We use a regular garbage can with a lid for the "light" diapers and the "heavier" ones go straight into the kitchen trash which is emptied everyday. End of story. 

5// Babycook: this is a controversial one. I might only be saying that because I didn't have one, but what does it do that regular pots and pans on a stove can't do? I have been making my son's meals from the moment we introduced solids and if you have a good blender/robot, that is really all you need. 

6// Bath Kneeler: this is probably just an added-comfort thing but I am in charge of bath time every night and have never felt the need for an extra cushion...

7// Bottle Sterilizer: we sterilized our bottles and pacifiers by putting them in big pots of boiling water for 10-20min. Not the most convenient process, but I do like the fact that we didn't have to buy an extra appliance that I wouldn't know what to do with now that sterilizing everything isn't necessary anymore. 

8// Baby Scale: you go to the doctor quite a bit in the first few months, you should be well-aware of your baby's weight. If we ever got worried about my son's weight, we would just pop by the clinic where you can use baby scales. 

9// Monitor with Movement Sensor: I think monitors are necessary if you live in a house. We made a conscious choice to get a very simple one with no video in order to respect our son's alone time and stay sane. However at first we bought a movement detecting monitor and these things will just make you completely paranoid. While the idea is good, the technology just isn't there yet and those big, bulky pads will create more false alarms and sleepless nights than anything else. 

10// Bottle Warmer: just like the sterilizer, it is probably convenient? We used warm water and did just fine. 

11// Diaper Bag: another controversial one. I for one, looked for a cute one forever before giving up and realizing that any big tote bag will do. I alternate between a LeSportSac tote bag and my Longchamp Pliage tote bags and have no problems at all. I keep everything in little fabric bags (diapers and wipes in one, snacks, spoons and a bib in another, a change of clothes in another, etc.) and little pouches and everything is easy to find, always clean and ready to go. 

What are some baby things you could / could not give up?

2 comments Mamahood, Shopping

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