When you’re about to be a new mom, there is no shortage of items that you believe you must have in order to properly care for a baby and survive the first year. I’m guilty. Our baby registry was filled with items I thought would be necessities when bringing home our daughter. Truth be told, there are things that seem very enticing that you can do just fine without. Here are a few… (keep in mind, these are my personal opinions from my own experience with a newborn.)
1. bottle warmer
We’ve all read the warnings about heating up milk in the microwave. And when it’s your first child you’re feeding, you sure as hell aren’t going to break the “rules!” Truth be told, the bottle warmer nearly ended up being violently thrown out the window because of how complicated it seemed to be to use. (Or there is a possibility that we were just sleep deprived and unable to follow instructions?) After we got it to work, the milk was WAY too hot for a newborn to drink. Lesson: Don’t waste your time (and money!) with a complicated bottle warmer. Instead, use warm tap water, place bottle of milk in hot water for awhile, or microwave it (safely — not too long and make sure to shake shake shake it up after and test it before giving to baby!)
2. wipe warmer
Seriously — WHAT IS THE POINT!? I never even considered this thing. Call me crazy or maybe we just lucked out with a good baby (we did), but her little baby bum did not need warm wipes. The good news — she’s now 2 1/2 and has no signs of PTSD from regular “cold” wipes.
3. baby food blender
Ok, this could come in handy, but when you are a new mom falling asleep standing up or trying to remember to feed yourself too, sometimes buying pre-made baby food sounds much more appealing than the work involved in making your own. Also, if you still want to make your own (which I think is super awesome), just use your regular blender. I love this Cuisinart blender!
4. diaper genie
I know, I know, this could be a great thing to have, but instead of letting dozens of smelly diapers pile up in a pail and having to remember to empty it regularly, we chose to just toss them in a plastic bag or bring them straight to the garbage bin in the garage. A diaper genie is just a glorified garbage can anyway.
5. baby detergent
I don’t blame you for buying at least one bottle of baby detergent. I did it too! But when that one was gone, I never bought another. Again, maybe your baby has super sensitive skin and in that case, you may need special stuff, but not everyone will find it necessary!
6. baby shoes
Honestly, why? It took me two years to finally figure out Finley’s shoe size anyway! If you must buy baby shoes, I recommend Freshly Picked Moccs. They stay on, are comfy, come in a ton of colors, and are ADORABLE.
8 comments
I have to TOTALLY disagree with two of the items. The bottle warmer and diaper genie are two of my top 3 must have items (plus you’re not saving much cause they’re cheap).
Bottle warmers have one button, “on” so they’re not hard to use. You do have to monitor the milk temp but you’d be doing that anyway. It just does it faster. And seconds count at 3am with a crying baby.
Yes! I was going to say the same things were necessary (bottle warmer and diaper genie). Although, I tend to be sort of lazy and just change my LO where it’s convenient, but I do go out of my way to put her diapers in the genie when we are upstairs because they just stink too much otherwise.
On the bottle warmer, I made it just over a week before buying one. My tap water takes a bit heat up enough to use it as a warmer and I found myself constantly dumping glasses of water down the drain. It was such a pain in the butt and the amount I saved on my water bill paid for the warmer multiple times over! There was also the fact that the Dr. Browns warmer I got was super easy to use and the lack of hassel is priceless.
I totally respect your opinion that you love those items, Minnewinne! Like I said, these were my own personal opinions from my experience with our baby, fully knowing that some people probably would put some of these items on their “must have” list! Parenting is different for everyone. And not only does every second count at 3am with a crying baby (totally can relate), but every penny saved when raising children counts too… 🙂
I agree with the list, but since this is a “money saving” article… Recommending $60+ baby shoes seems a little out of place. Just my opinion.
I agree. Just checked on Etsy, and there are a bunch of cute moccasins there for $15-20. I may have to get my girl some when she’s an age that she needs shoes!
Agree with the list, except the diaper genie. It’s true, you don’t NEED a diaper genie. But once your child starts eating solids, and you live in a super cold climate, taking the poo diapers outside in the cold to the trash really sucks.
My only concern with your list is that you can’t microwave pumped breast milk because it breaks down the protein in the milk. Agree that you don’t need a fancy bottle warmer to warm the milk just hot water will do.
I use my bottle warmer 6-8 times a day. It has a timer. I can get the milk to the exact desired temperature and I don’t even have to think about it. I put it in and press go.
When I see these articles or videos titled “Top Ten Baby Items You Don’t Need,” I am reminded that all babies and family circumstances are different. Both of my girls hated the swing, other babies live in it. One of my girls sat nicely in the Bumbo seat, one screams bloody murder in it.
My advice would be centered around using the tools that make you and your baby happy. Whatever they are, whatever works for you and your baby, just use it and don’t worry about what is trending in infant care. Happy mom. That’s my motto. If a diaper genie makes you happy, love it up. Enjoy!