I recently decided to give away ALL of the remaining baby stuff we were keeping “just in case.” So, this has caused some personal reflection for me. What are the baby things I didn’t need as a new mom?
What did I think I would use but ended up not finding as useful as I thought?
Let me tell you the reason for the purge. We had a big move and downsized, by choice, from a 3-bedroom home with a 2-car garage to a 2-bedroom apartment with a 1-car garage space. I gave ALL of the baby stuff away to pregnant friends and the rest to a nearby women’s shelter.
No, we are not done having kids. Yet I will need to start all over again when we have another child. And I’m okay with that.
The next time we have a child I’d like to be as minimalistic as possible about the stuff we bring into our home.
In my reflection, I’ve come up with a few items that we truly didn’t need. Want? Maybe. Like the idea of? Sure. Fell for the marketing hype? Most likely.
Nevertheless, here is a list of 8 baby things I didn’t need as a new mom.
READ ALSO: 10 Baby Items I used Most as a New Mom
1 | Fancy High Chair
I found that a booster seat like the Fisher-Price Space-Saver high chair made more sense for us. It can fit an infant that’s a supported sitter up to a toddler. Beyond 2.5 my daughter sat in a dining chair at the table with my husband and me. I liked the space saver high chair for 2 main reasons:
- It used the existing dining chairs that we had so it wasn’t an extra item in our dining room.
- It allowed my child to more easily transition to sitting in the dining chair at the table with the rest of the family.
If I do end up purchasing an actual high chair, I’ll most likely choose the IKEA one because it’s lightweight, easy to clean, and affordable.
2| Diaper Bag
A backpack purse that is large enough to fit all the things I need will do just fine. However, there are some SUPER cute diaper bags out there that are affordable and stylish enough to use beyond the baby years.
In hindsight though, a diaper bag was PERFECT as a potty training bag! I can honestly say that I carried the MOST stuff with me when we were in the middle of potty training versus the baby stage.
In my experience with an infant, I felt that it was really true that any bag will do. Their clothes are smaller and their needs are smaller. Even if there’s a diaper blowout, it’s not the same caliber as a toddler’s potty training accident could potentially be.
If you already have a nice purse like a large Louis Vuitton tote or something, put that stylish, high-quality bag to good use! A few small, zipper pouch organizers will do the trick to nicely separate the baby paraphernalia.
READ ALSO: 12 Must-Haves for a Potty Training Bag
3| Exersaucer
We received a hand-me-down exersaucer from a friend and I was SO GLAD we did! Mainly because we didn’t need to commit to paying full price for an item that our child would only use for about 3 months.
Of course, exersaucers can certainly save your sanity in that short, 3 month time period. So if you feel you need one or would like to try it out I recommend borrowing one from a friend that may have one to see if your child would even like it or checking out children’s consignment stores for one.
Doorway jumpers are a nice alternative to an exersaucer and they have a smaller footprint. They make it easier to store away in a bag somewhere for the next child.
Related Post: IKEA Kallax Hack – Playroom Storage Benches
4| Bouncer
This is one of those items that kids love or hate. Some moms say their kid loved the bouncer, while others say a swing was a game-changer.
My daughter preferred the swing because there was something to look at and she was higher up off the floor, unlike the bouncer.
So, with the next baby, I’ll opt for a space-saving or portable swing and skip the bouncer.
5| Hands-Free Breast Pump Bra
In hindsight, I should have just created a DIY version of this by cutting holes in a sleep nursing bra.
Because really, who wants to multitask when they’re in the throes of the newborn days? If I had worked full-time outside the home, a hands-free breast pump bra may have become essential, but I personally didn’t use it much beyond the first 4 months. In the end, I felt that the price point was a bit high for something that I used so infrequently.
Related Post: Create a Capsule Wardrobe for Kids in 4 Simple Steps
6| Over-abundance of Clothes
Two words: Capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe holds the same benefits regardless of age.
Less clothes. Less laundry. Less hassle when trying to match different items.
Plus, if you have a new baby, be prepared for people to give you clothes! Clothes like hand-me-downs and “I bought this just because it was cute” will start coming your way. They’re really a no-brainer gift that’s always safe to give.
You may want to make sure you have a place to store a few extra clothes. 😉
RELATED POST: How to Declutter Kids Clothes + Why You Should
7| Nose Frida
This was a really cool gadget and most moms raved about it when I was pregnant. In fact, most moms still do. If you feel that you absolutely have to have the Nose Frida, by all means, go get it. It’s a nice thing to put on your registry as well.
Looking back, the bulb syringe we got to bring home from the hospital was all around easier for us. It didn’t require the extra tube and foam thing that the Nose Frida comes with and it was easier to take on a trip.
When it came down to it, my husband and I always reached for the bulb syringe that the hospital gave us. It was easier to have on hand than the Nose Frida.
To be honest, I actually felt like the bulb syringe was more effective at getting the snot out. Especially on a squirmy child, because I didn’t have to hold one end in their nose and one end in my mouth, like the Nose Frida.
The Nose Frida worked better with a baby, but not with a wriggly toddler.
Bottom line, sometimes the simple items that have been around for awhile work just as well, if not better, than the fancier ones. The bulb syringe was everything we needed to clear our baby’s nose in one simple product.
8| Diaper Pail
On the bottom of the diaper pail we had, there was a cutter that’s used to cut the bottom of the bag, to then tie it off and pull a new one down before snapping the top back on.
I never mastered this entire process to where it became second nature to me. So, I would let the dirty diapers sit and sit until my husband had time to help me take the trash out. Which was not as often as I would have liked.
In hindsight, a small trash can with small simple trash bags would have been much faster and easier to use. I’m sure I would have taken the trash out more often, which doesn’t really take that long to do anyway. Then the smell wouldn’t have become unbearable. Oh, and the scented trash bags would have been even better!
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What were the baby things you didn’t need?
Those are the first 8 baby things I didn’t need that come to mind.
What were some baby things you didn’t need or use as often as you had imagined? Do you have any purchasing regrets for particular baby products? I’d love to know! Leave a comment below!
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