If you are expecting, or know someone who is, congratulations! I know from experience that it can be so much fun to shop for baby but it can also be quite overwhelming trying to figure out what you will actually need for the baby.
Today, I am sharing my list of what you may not actually need on your baby registry, or what you can at least leave off of your registry leaving room for the more important items. I hope this helps you to finally narrow down your must-haves list for your baby.
Let me add that while none of these items will necessarily “hurt” to have for your baby, I am sure you can imagine that without a dedicated effort to minimize unnecessary baby items you will likely end up with an overwhelming amount of baby clutter.
Remember, less can be more, and you can always introduce what you find you need as you are presented with new parenting challenges that you need to overcome. I just think that with many of the items on this list if you can at least recognize that the items are not essential for all babies, that is a good start. Also know, however, that some of these items may be really helpful to parents in certain situations and that they do exist. While I’m no expert on the matter, my suspicion is that if you don’t give your child more than they actually need, they will be an easier- going child for it and so far this thought process has worked incredibly well for us and perhaps it is no coincidence that out child is an easier‐going child as a result of these efforts.
While I’m no expert on the matter, my suspicion is that if you don’t give your child more than they actually need, they will be an easier- going child for it
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Big Pack ‘N Plays
We all know there is some value to having a good pack ‘n play but I am here to say that there is nothing convenient about the big pack ‘n plays. You see, the big ones are hardly portable or practical. At first it can seem appealing to have all the bells and whistles that some of the bigger models provide, but unless you intend to keep it stationary most of the time, I suggest getting something much smaller, and much more portable. If you don’t, you’ll probably end up having 2 of them, like we did, unnecessarily.
Ideally, you will be happy to have something that you can actually bring along with you, right? Pick a pack ‘n play that serves the original purpose of a pack ‘n play. Like this one for example pictured below. Read more information on why I suggest lightweight pack ‘n plays.
Wipe Warmers
I get it, you want to do everything you can to make your baby comfortable and you don’t mind spending extra money or effort to make that happen. Here’s my opinion on the matter: babies only need wipe warmers if they are used to having wipe warmers. I say, do not get a wipe warmer for your child because it is just one more thing you will have to worry about weaning them away from later. You also create more stress for yourself on the go (you are going to want to leave the house from time to time, right?).
Just think how convenient it would be if your kid was always content with a room-temperature wipe. That would be a less picky and more easy-going kid, right? That’s my take on it and I’m just trying to be 100% real with you. Don’t make being a parent harder on yourself than it is already going to be. You will have plenty of ways to “spoil” your kids however you would like. Our kid never had a warm wipe and she still thinks the world of us.
Fleece Blankets
It’s not that you wont need some blankets… it’s just that you will receive a lot of them as gifts so I wouldn’t register for them or buy them for yourself. I’m not talking about crib bedding here, or swaddle blankets. I’m talking about the fuzzy fleece blankets that you WANT to buy. Instead of putting any on your registry, just hold off and see if you dont end up with 2 big baskets full like I did. It’s not just me either, I have heard this from so many other moms. While we do want them and use them, we just have 3X too many!
Crib Bedding Sets (other than sheets)
I don’t want to spoil your fun in setting up the nursery with a “theme” or “feel”. I know how exciting that is to bring it all together and it is all part of the nesting process. I’m not even going to get into how you don’t even really need a nursery for the first 6 months, because yes, it’s fun to create a welcoming space for the baby and it’s nice to have a dedicated space to put all the “stuff” you’re going to get. Let me tell you this much, you won’t actually need any other bedding besides fitted crib sheets (get a few of them). Wait to buy a cute bedding “set” when your toddler graduates to a big-kid bed! (That really does happen more quickly than you would think).
Why won’t you use anything but the sheet? Well, for your baby’s safety, as far as the crib is concerned the baby will need to be placed on their back with nothing else in the crib but a fitted sheet that fits your mattress nice and snug. This will be the case for the first 12 to 18 months. I only began allowing my daughter to sleep with stuffed animals at 18 months and a little fleece blanket at 21 months. Bumpers are also not necessary, but more importantly, they are unsafe and can be a suffocation and/or strangulation hazard. Everything but the sheets will literally just be for show and for pictures as you set up the nursery. Maybe you will lay the blanket out on the floor for tummy time here and there, but there are better options out there designed for that purpose.
Diaper Pails that Require Specific Bags
Again, being a parent is hard enough, so don’t subject yourself to needing to stock up on another household item. I get that you have all heard of “diaper genies” but these days there are other impressive diaper pails out there that will do what you want AND you can use the same bags you use in your kitchen trash can. We love our Ubbi because it uses regular trash bags, does not absorb odors, is cuter than a diaper genie (comes in lots of colors and patterns), has a lock mechanism, etc. Check it out here. You can sometimes find them at TJ Maxx/ Marshalls too for less.
A Changing Table
It’s nice to have an organized space at the ideal height to change your baby. The reality is, this doesn’t need to be on a “changing table”. Instead, consider purchasing a bureau with drawers or repurposing one that you already have and placing a changing pad on top. The best part? When your baby is done using a changing table, they will still need their bureau AND it’s a better use of space!
We used the Ikea Hemnes 3 Drawer Chest in White and found it to be a wonderful match for our Pottery Barn Kendall Crib in Simply White. I splurged on the crib, but there was no way I was paying Pottery Barn prices for a kids bureau too. I dressed it up a bit by changing out the knobs with some we found at Homegoods that looked something like these. We then placed a non-slip, contoured changing pad like this one on top and secured it to the bureau with the included screw on tethers. We also anchored the bureau to the wall with the included anchoring hardware to prevent it from being a tip hazard.
A Bassinet
I thought I needed a dedicated bassinet too… after all the baby would be sleeping in my room for a while. Sure, it’s a cute thing to have but this is such a temporary need, maybe 6 months that will fly by before you can blink and you can honestly just buy a small, lightweight pack ‘n play with a bassinet feature like we did and be just as prepared.
You will have exactly what you need while the baby sleeps in your room, and you will be able to use it in so many other ways too for the first couple of years. I explain this more in my “7 Items You Should Add to Your Baby Registry” post. You can even choose one without a raised bassinet feature and it would be perfectly fine because ultimately what you are looking for is a firm flat surface to lay your baby down on. Chances are that the smaller more portable pack ‘n plays will fit in your room just as well as (or in some cases better than) a bassinet will.
PJ’s with Snaps
PJ’s with snaps aren’t that bad… but given the choice between snap up PJ’s and zip up PJ’s, you will likely want the ones that zip. Zipping up PJ’s is not only quicker, but also easier and less likely to wake a sleeping baby for a quick change.
Baby Gowns
They seem great in theory, and are arguably acceptable and useful for a quick and easy diaper change for a newborn, but once you get to 2-3 months you will have all kinds of problems. Those little legs will kick out and get cold, the gown will ride up, and heaven forbid you try to buckle the baby into a swing or rocker etc. while wearing a gown their legs will no longer be covered!
Baby Specific Laundry Detergent
If your family isn’t already using a free and clear detergent, switch them all over! That will also be an acceptable detergent to use for the baby too, so need to keep 2 different kinds stocked at home. Just leave any fabric softeners or other additives out of the baby’s wash.
Boogie Wipes/Paci Wipes
The only reason they sell these special wipes is that most wipes arguably have too many chemicals to use on the babies face or on something that will go in their mouth. If that’s the case, what makes you feel so comfortable with using them on your precious baby’s bottom? Instead, try using Water Wipes for everything instead. We have used these since day 1, and I registered for cases of these wipes knowing I would need a lot of them. We swear by them and I dont ever have to tell someone “those wipes are not for her face”. Added bonus, they don’t have that nasty baby wipe smell to them that I despise.
Sleep Suits, Sacks
Ok, I’m not saying these are not necessary because you may find that you need to introduce them to your baby to help them get comfortable enough to sleep well. What I do want you to consider, however, is not introducing these to your baby until they are needed. I was ready to jump the gun on these items so many times because of all of the positive things I was hearing. You “have” to have this suit, wrap, etc. Guess what? I’m glad I didn’t assume my daughter needed any of these things because she actually didn’t! All she ever needed was a regular old zip up onesie. Maybe you will be so lucky too? Just don’t jump the gun and provide crutches that you don’t really need until you actually really need them.
Snuggle Me Organics and DockATots
Similarly to the sleep suits and sacks, not everyone needs to introduce something like the “Snuggle Me Organic” or the “DockATot” for sleeping. While trendy and cute, most babies don’t actually need these items and will sleep just fine on a flat surface such as a crib or pack ‘n play. Again, I know some swear by having these items and there is no judgement on those parents at all, but I am just saying that you can give your kid the opportunity to succeed without these added items and you might just be surprised that they are successful sleeping without them. I almost bought one of these so many times, just in case, or because I could, but then I remembered that I would have to wean my child away from this item someday and that I didn’t want to buy it unless we actually found we needed it… and guess what, we never did. My daughter turned out to be a great sleeper without any added items like these.
