The Saturday Question: What baby gear didn’t you need?

12 Responses for "The Saturday Question: What baby gear didn’t you need?"

1. Lori March 21st, 2009 at 6:49 am 1

   Those window shades you use in the car to keep the sun out of the baby’s eyes? Never even installed them. Crib bumper: I used it for about 2 weeks, and shouldn’t have bothered buying it. Bottle warmer: I didn’t buy one, and I’m so glad because it would have been a waste. Just warmed the bottles in a dish of hot water instead. Baby shoes/booties for newborns: got a bunch of these as gifts, but socks always seemed to suffice for us until he started cruising.

2. Joy (from Just Plain Joy) March 21st, 2009 at 8:44 am 2

   My biggest regret was registering for an adorable crib bumper. It was super expensive, and I never used it. Plus, they are not safe either. I also did not use the wipe warmer that was given to me. And, I could have gone without the baby food lazy susan.

3. Hudson's Mom March 21st, 2009 at 10:25 am 3

   Things I didn’t use:

   Crib (we co-slept until he was in a toddler bed – when he napped it was in the Pack N’ Play in our bedroom)

   Baby Positioners (had two of them – my son HATED them)

   The million baby blankets we got as gifts. He used the same ones over and over. Still does.

   The Dr. Brown’s Bottles that I “had to have”. Supposedly so great – 3,000 pieces later, and numerous leaks, we switched to BPA Free Green To Grow bottles – my son loved them and they didn’t leak.

4. Serena March 21st, 2009 at 12:55 pm 4

   I never even got a bumper because I knew I wouldn’t use it. I have been given dozens of pairs of baby shoes, but I don’t put shoes on my girls until they’re walking around outside–and then I am very selective of what shoes they do wear. I didn’t use all of the baby dishes I was given, mostly because they were plastic, and I didn’t need that many! The changing table pad was okay for a while, but I could have lived without it. Fortunately it was a hand-me-down and on its last legs, so I didn’t feel guilty about not appreciating it! We registered for a minimal amount of stuff, so it was really the cluttery little gifty things that were most difficult to deal with.

5. Jillian March 21st, 2009 at 1:14 pm 5

   All bedding was a complete waste…except the organic sheets and mattress pad those where the only things we used. Changing table pad, we use a fluffy bath towel with a water proof mat by Gerber on top. This made it so much easier to change if it got messy…which it does often!
   Only needed 1 hooded towel, never wore shoes until he started walking (seriously whats the point?!), got a larger kiddie tub that will last longer then those infant only ones. We purchased XS cloth diaper and only used them for 3 months until he started to fit into his BG 1 sizes. Now those are in storage We didn’t register for any toys because i knew people would give them no matter what. U can find great 2nd hand stuff for way cheaper anyway. We really didn’t register for many clothing items because i knew no matter what people were going to give these things to us regardless of what we really needed and trust me they did, we still to this day have only purchased a handful of pieces for him. Family and friends just hear baby and can’t wait to buy clothes for you and thats not a bad thing! Bottles were a waste because we nurse on demand, along with that any bottle accessories were returned too. With cloth wipes a warmer just wasn’t needed. Ah, there is so much out there that is such a waste of space and money, this post is a great topic!

6. Veggiemomma March 22nd, 2009 at 6:43 am 6

   A really adorable crib set that had poleyester fill. We co-slept exclusively until he was almost 8 months, then put him in the crib until he woke up at night. I bought an all-natural wool filled, unbleached cotton quilt and never used the crib set…
   Other gifts I never used: baby wipes, vinyl bibs, dollar store toys and spoons, diapers (we use cloth), soothers.

7. Ana March 22nd, 2009 at 9:06 am 7

   I never bought special crib bedding and didn’t miss it. I ended up with WAY too many blankets and wish I hadn’t picked up any myself. We bought a changing table that converted into shelves, and that’s a fortunate thing because we very rarely used it as a changing table. We just kept a mat downstairs and changed him wherever we were. I also make use of towels. It doesn’t really need to be waterproof now that he doesn’t surprise us with pee anymore. I also could have lived without the Maya Wrap I never mastered. Lesson learned: never buy a baby carrier without knowing someone who has used it successfully and can give you a test drive. I use an Ergo instead, and love, love, love it. I could go on and on, ha. It’s crazy how many baby things you “have” to have until they come (or what other people insist you will need).

8. Joanne March 22nd, 2009 at 11:22 am 8

   Another mom with and absolutely adorable crib bumper sitting in storage here…I think I will cut it up and make something out of it. For that matter, we didn’t use the crib, or his ROOM even, for the first eight months.

   Newborn clothes were silly because the babies are so floppy, need to be changed about every hour and want to be swaddled anyway. I just dressed my newborns in onesies and a receiving blanket.

   I’m going to agree with Ana about the baby carrier. Luckily mostly they were hand-me-downs, so I didn’t spend the money, but we have at least 7 baby carriers and probably only use 3 of them. And that is only because we don’t have the infant insert for the Ergo. If I had to do it over, I would buy the Ergo, a Moby and nothing else. Those are the only two that don’t hurt my back and my kids hate being horizontal in slings. The important thing is to test drive a few before you spend the money.

9. Bare bones March 23rd, 2009 at 5:14 am 9

   1. Boppy pillow – regular pillows do just fine.
   2. Fancy crib bedding – just a mattress pad and sheet are needed
   3. Bumbo – complete waste of money
   4. Diaper bag – just use an old backpack, you can fit more anyways
   5. Roll down window shades for cars – never even installed them
   6. Bottles and accessories – nurse exclusively
   7. Changing pad covers – they get peed and pooped on so much, all you really need is a couple absorbent pads to put under baby to soak up messes.
   8. Fancy swaddle blankets – just swaddle with regular blankets
   9. Although it is nice to have some of your own board books, I get most of mine at the library.
   10. Stroller system – use an inexpensive Snap-n-go stroller with your car seat and use slings
   11. Baby Einstein DVDs – babies up to 2 years old shouldn’t watch any tv
   12. I could go on and on – pretty much any gimmicky thing that someone has made to “make our lives easier” or to make a buck are things that are not necessary and you can live with out.

10. Lori March 23rd, 2009 at 6:44 am 10

    Oh, this is making me think of a bunch of things I didn’t put in my first comment! More things I never used:
    - diaper bags. I didn’t want any in the first place, but received 2 as shower gifts, and ended up using my own shoulder bags and backpacks that I already owned. I bought a folding changing pad that holds diapers and wipes inside, and for short outings I just threw that in my own bag and off we went (I was nursing so didn’t need to bring bottles).
    - baby bathtub. We used kitchen sink till he was too long, then went into the “adult” bathtub. What was great was this big baby-shaped sponge that friend gave me which fit right into the bottom of the sink or tub and gives him a little cushioning and helps him not slide around (although a towel probably would have worked just as well).
    - changing table & pad – I am still using the table as storage for his clothes, but we never used it as a changing place. Always just changed on the bed, floor, or wherever we happened to be with a towel underneath.
    - newborn clothes – he lived in onesies and sleepers for the first months! They were the easiest and most comfortable thing to put him in. Any other clothes were just too much hassle.

11. Larisa March 24th, 2009 at 9:41 am 11

    I agree with everyone on the crib bedding. We did use the crib (along with bumper and dust ruffle for the first 5 months) but could have managed just fine with just the sheet and mattress pad. Never used the matching quilt or valance, and now I can’t get rid of the set! (Also, I was advised to buy two mattress pads–never even opened the second one.)

    I registered for a bottle warmer, we couldn’t figure out how to use it so it was easier just to heat bottles in a cup of warm water. I was also given a wipes warmer that I never used–we do use wipes, but my son never seemed to care about the temperature.

    We definitely received way more blankets and hats than we ever needed. Many were passed on to friends or donated without being used.

    I never bought a changing table, just got a changing pad and stuck it on top of the spare dresser we already had which was just the right height.

    I loved my Boppy, it was sturdier than any of our pillows.

12. suzannah March 24th, 2009 at 4:41 pm 12

    i’ve barely ever used my stroller. i carry my baby in her sling whenever we’re out, and it’s so simple and low tech!

    i never nursed much with the boppy, but it was great for sitting on during those first few post-partum days/weeks. after that, it took up space.

    i do use a changing table with pad and cover, and have never found them to be superfluous. (using cloth diapers seemed to require some type of changing set-up). water-proof squares (called “lap pads”, i believe), keep the cover from needed to be washed often.