8 Things New Parents Really Don't Need

It used to be that most soon-to-be-parents got tried-and-true items for their baby showers. The only gifts you would receive were things that other moms and dads had found to be completely essential when raising a baby. There were no registries and no gift cards. Basically, everything you got at a baby shower was essential!

Now, a huge chunk of whoever goes to a baby shower (or wedding, or bridal shower for that matter) gets something that the soon-to-be parents registered for. But, if you are that soon-to-be parent sometimes you don't even know what should be on your registry!

Will your baby like this pacifier or that one?

How many diapers and wipes do you actually need?

What about all those fancy toys, activity centers, and crib sets?

How do you choose?!

Some of it will be personal preference, and some of it will be trial and error, but here are some of the products you can make do without:

The Bumbo: Now, I love that they donate a portion of their proceeds to underprivileged kids, but an extra seat when you probably already have a high chair, a swing, a boppy pillow and a car seat? How many seats do these kids really need before they can sit on their own? A better alternative? Get a baby carrier! Baby carriers work through every stage of infancy up to 35 pounds for some of them! When you're teaching your baby to sit, put them in a forward facing position and sit down. They won't fall and you'll still be able to do what you need to do.

All Encompassing Baby First aid kits: A lot of hospitals actually give you baby nail clippers, a pair of scratch mitts, a bulb syringe, and ours even supplied a thermometer. So don't bother buying a huge first aid kit until after you've had your baby or you might end up with a lot of duplicate items that can clutter up your nursery!

Scratch mittens: Gerber mittens come off so easily we decided it wasn't even worth putting them on! Just keep their nails trimmed the first couple of weeks. After the first two months it doesn't seem to be a huge problem. If you really need scratch mittens, there are long-sleeved onesies that come with scratch mitts "built in".

Tummy time mats: The idea of a tummy time mat is great. They come with little pillows to prop up baby's chest and they are pretty small because babies usually don't scoot around too much the first couple months. The problem is infants outgrow them really fast! Soon they want more stimulation and are scooting off of that little mat. A better plan? Get an activity center! You may not use the top part right away, as some newborns are easily overstimulated, but you can use the bottom mat and pillow that most come with.

(We usually just put down a blanket!)

Tons of Newborn Clothes: Many babies outgrow the newborn size very quickly, and some babies don't even fit in them when they are born! My advice? Get a few newborn onesies, but wait to buy more until your baby is born. Instead fill your registry with a variety of baby sizes, like 3, 6, and 9 month clothing.

Lots of Baby Bottles: Breast milk storage bags are much handier to refrigerate and freeze than bottles. Here is our situation, for example: Our baby needs enzymes to help him digest breast milk. This means that I have to give him half to one ounce of breast milk in a bottle with 4 drops of Colief before he nurses. We only have 6 bottles so I wash bottles either once a day, but I have to wash dishes anyway, so it is not a huge inconvenience. My advice? Feel out your situation before you purchase more than 6 bottles. You might not need as many as you think.

Full Baby Crib Sets: Although they are really cute, the only thing you really need out of the set is the fitted sheet. Of course, you may use more of the set when your little one is a toddler, but by that point it may be fun to let them pick their own!

Diaper Genie: In theory, it's a great idea. Keep your nursery smelling nice and fresh by locking away the smelly diapers. In reality, diapers are not that bad. We have used disposable and cloth diapers over the last 4 months, and there were only 5 or 6 REALLY BAD ones. Most of the time, they really don't smell that bad. Instead you can just keep a few small trash bags in the nursery to contain the awful ones.



There you have it! The 8 items that you don't need to include on your registry.

Of course, these is my opinion! If you feel these are necessary, by all means put them on your registry!