Baby Registry Items You Need & Don’t Need
When you are having your first baby, it can be completely overwhelming to think about what you will need. These tiny little humans require so many things! I was completely guilty of flooding my registry with items I thought I needed, or honestly, that I thought looked nice. Once our son was born I learned very quickly that a lot of it was not required. Luckily, I had the guidance of some family members and close friends who told me their top picks of items they found they used and I was able to filter out what was deemed unnecessary.
Baby stuff, especially items for newborns, comes in the masses. Created to look glamourous and a requirement, marketing has magical ways to make you think that you must have all of the stuff to be able to raise your child. News alert: a lot of it is just fluff. While some parents find somethings absolute non-negotiables for newborns, others find completely useless and a waste of money.
Here is my list of items I found the most helpful versus what I saw as irrelevant.
Don’t Need:
Wipe Warmer – While it may seem luxurious to use a wipe warmer for your babies delicate little body and not shock them during changes, try warming the wipe in your hand first. Natural body heat can do wonders over something that requires power and quite likely will dry out the wipes if left for too long.
Sleepers with Snap Closures – There are so many cute sleepers out there, but I learned very quickly, wiggly babies and sleepers with snaps are not a good combo. They take too long and will test your patience.
Closet Dividers – These are cute, and as a mother who is obsessed with organizing, I thought I needed these so badly. No one purchased them for me during my baby showers and I can see why. I find if you only hang up what you can use right now and store the rest, it is much easier than creating a designated system of hung clothing for a baby and risk overcrowding your space.
Dishwasher Cage – I thought I was certainly going to need this. I was given one from a family member whose kids had outgrown it’s use, and I never once used it. It took up more bulky space in the dishwasher than I expected and I usually wash all of my kids stuff by hand anyways, so I had zero use for this.
Milestone Cards – While this is a super cute idea, if you can find the time to take a photo with a corresponding card for every single event and first of your babies life, I applaud you. I, on the other hand, do not have that kind of time. While we did try our best to capture the first few weeks and months milestone photos with numbered blocks, we were often late on taking the photos as time flies when your both sleep deprived and super busy managing a household.
Change Table – Change tables have one purpose, which becomes obsolete after you are no longer in the diaper changing stage of your child’s life. While many come with built in storage now (bonus!) we opted to use a dresser and installed a change mat to the top. The top drawer of this dresser has all of our diaper changing needs, with clothing and so much more beneath. Use what you find best, this was just what worked and made the most sense to us.
Need:
Infant Tylenol – One of the best gifts we received from a baby shower was from my best friend who gifted us Infant Tylenol. During the time of my due date with my first born, there was a massive shortage of this stuff in North America, and with this in mind, was such a thoughtful and precautionary gift.
Nightlight – We had purchased a cute lamp for our sons nursery that fit the theme we were going for. Little did I know, we would use that more often than the ceiling light. At night and after naps, to not shock our baby’s eyes with a super bright bedroom light, this offered enough light in the room for us to see but also didn’t disrupt the baby too much during midnight changes and feedings.
Electric Nail File – I swear by this device. The manual nail files for babies are pretty weak, and nail clippers can be terrifying and cause you to clip their skin by accident if you have a squirmy little baby like we did. The electric nail files are battery operated, come with different levels of buffers and are completely painless. I tend to distract my son whole using this and it’s over and done before he notices.
A Snot Sucker – The one I would highly recommend is the one by Frida Baby, with the hose and filter that you use your mouth to suck out the baby boogers. Super gross, I know, but it is so effective, especially during colds or any signs of sniffles.
Gripe Water – This one may be a little controversial to some, but we were beyond thankful when we started using this stuff on our colicky baby. I would suggest using the alcohol free version, this is a rather natural source of calming your baby from hiccups, gas and overall discomfort.
2-way Zipper Sleepers – You will be grateful you had these! The 2 way zipper prevents you from having to nearly fully undress your baby each time you give them a diaper change. Zippers are your best friend with newborns, heck, even still as they get bigger and try to run away from you when getting them dressed for bed.
There are so many bright and shiny new products and sales tactics that can suck you in and make you believe you will need so much more than what you will actually end up using with your newborn. Having too much stuff will create clutter and from my experience, take up room where the items I actually needed and used could be living more freely. Every parent will find their own methods and products that work best for them. Even from baby to baby of your own, some items may work for one but not another. Every child is different and every experience will be unique. We all just need to go with the flow and embrace the chaos as it comes. You are not doing anything wrong by using any of the products I suggested you don’t need, you are living your own experience and utilizing what you feel necessary. Parenthood is a beautiful thing, and something to be cherished with every new situation thrown our way.
Melanie xoxox