5 Baby Items You Can Live Without

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baby feet in white blanket baby items you don't need There is a LOT to be excited about when you have a baby on the way! But there are so many products out there, that overwhelm can set in quickly. 

I took a hard pass on these 5 baby items that you can probably live without. See if you agree: 

1.Baby Shoes.

And these are going to be hard to resist. Is it because they’re smaller that they’re so cute?! But, guess what. You’re baby can’t walk, and getting them dressed will be the last thing on your mind when you’re covered in spit up, haven’t slept, and don’t remember what day it is. Socks are good, those little feet get cold, so keep some of those handy, but you just don’t need the shoesies. Trust me, there will come a day (when your kids are actually walking) that they’ll grow so fast you can barely keep them in shoes that fit, and not long after that they’ll start having their own opinion about which shoes they will wear. And at some point you may find yourself at the grocery store in the middle of the cereal aisle, and realize your kid is only wearing one shoe, but you know you left the house with two. Things happen.  Save your shoe budget for those days!  

2.Bottle warmer.  

Mmkay, this one’s a toss up. Ultimately it will come down to your baby’s personal preference, but I survived all the bottle years without this appliance.  If you’re breast feeding, clearly you won’t need this guy. And even with formula I found that if I used the recommended Distilled Water, straight from the bottle at room temp my baby was fine with it.  Of course, if you find your baby does prefer a warmer temp, the bottle warmer is the way to go. Many docs say to stay away from the microwave because of the danger of hot spots that could accidentally burn your baby. Consult your pediatriacan for best practices! ?

3.Bottle Dryer.

I know what you’re thinking: “But they’re so cute!” And they are. What’s cuter than a square of plastic grass on your countertop? Um, counter space. That’s what. I also found that some bottles wouldn’t even stay put, and have had countless bottles roll onto the counter or floor. Not exactly sterile. Most are plastic, and I even found mold (also not sterile!) on my grass quite a few times, to the point where I just had to throw it away.  For me, the grass was definitely not greener on the Bottle Dryer side.  They’re adorable, yes, but  instead, I just use a clean towel (clean or disposable paper towel is key, if you’re concerned about sterilizing.) or let them air dry on the counter and put them away. Done 

4.Wipe Warmer

Unless you want your kid to go berserk when you use cold wipes on them when you’re away from home, skip the wipe warmer. There have also been some studies saying the warmer temperature can cultivate bacteria (not ideal, particularly considering where these are used most), and there was a recall of one brand due to cracked basins and the risk of electric shock to those reaching in for wipes. Yikes. Cold wipes are just fine, thank you very much. 

5.Bassinet.  

Aren’t they lovely? So many good Pottery Barn nurseries have them. And YES, I wanted my sweet newborn baby to sleep inside the actual Pottery Barn magazine. Unfortunately, Bassinets can be only be used for short period of time, and they’re not super portable; it can be tough to put the baby down in a bassinet and then have to leave the room to get something done, especially for a newborn who is waking frequently.  If I was going to spend that money, I decided I’d rather it be on something a little more suited to my busy lifestyle. Two alternatives I really loved were The Dockatot, and the Fisher Price Rock’N’Play.  Not only are these easy to move from room to room when you’re home, but the Dockatot in particular works really well for travel too. 

What do you say?! Did you use any of these items and love them? Is there an item not featured here that you could have totally done without? Let us know in the comments! 

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