Most Useless Baby Items

There seems to be a fear among many parents that lead them to believe that they need to have nearly everything out there made for babies. This is so far from being true. For the most part many baby items out there on the market today are a real waste of money. Better to save this money for a future need for your child, such as a college fund. 

The following are items which I chose not to purchase and my reasons for not doing so. They may work for some moms and that is great. These are simply my own opinions. If there are products listed here that do/have helped you please share your experiences. 



Changing/Cleaning:

1. Changing table. No matter where you place baby when changing a diaper they should never be left unattended. This even includes a changing table with a belt. So we did not see the need for a special table just for changing a diaper. We found either the bed or sofa worked fine. We would place a change pad or receiving blanket under baby and change him. So simple.

2. Diaper pail such as the diaper genie. I absolutely dislike this one. I remember visiting a friend of mine who was using one. What I noticed is that it becomes a habit to first fill the pail before emptying it. Maybe its because of the cost of the refill bags. I always found that when we do occasion use disposables that it is better to add them to the household trash which get emptied at least twice per day.

3. Disposable wipes. I purchased one package to use at the hospital following birth and then changed to using cloth wipes. Huge money saver and also better for baby's skin. 

4. Baby laundry detergent. People see a cute little baby on a bottle of "baby detergent" and may think it is an absolute must. I found that washing our baby's clothes separately for the first three months and using a small amount of our family detergent worked just fine. If you are still worried you can switch your family soap to a natural kind so that it will be safe for everyone. 

5. Wipes warmer. These are made for both cloth or disposable wipes. Just wet cloths under warm water and you are good to go. No need to make them hot. I cannot speak much for disposable wipes however when I used these wipes at the hospital I did not see any need in heating them. 

Feeding: 

6. Baby food maker. I felt no desire whatsoever for this. I thought it would be something that would probably sit in the cupboard and never used. We have a blender in our home which works just as well.

7. Boppy (breastfeeding) pillow. Even though I do breastfeed my son I did not feel the need for this simply because I already have pillows in my home that I can use for the support if needed. A rolled up blanket also works just as well. 

8. Bottle warmer. As mentioned above I have breastfed. I did on occasion express my milk for bottle feed. Breast milk is fine at room temperature for several hours. If it has been cooled in refrigerator it can easily be heated by placing in a pan of hot water for a few minutes. 

9. Bottle drying rack. This just takes up more space on the kitchen counter. Most kitchens already have a dish drying rack. That is just as effective. 

10. Burp cloths. I just don't see any effectiveness in these. When my mom would use them on my son while she was caring for him he would usually manage to miss the cloth by an inch or two every time. Just having a facecloth handy for wipe up is just as effective.

11. High chair. We just kept baby with us when he first started eating. It was so much easier just sitting him on our lap and feeding him. 

12. Sippy cups. Once our son started to have a little water at 6 months we started with a cup. Personally I just do not like sippy cups.

Playing:

13. Baby specific DVD's. Some parents say these are a must for those times when baby is being a little fussy or you need a quick babysitting tool. Most of these DVD's or ones similar to are available on Youtube for download.

14. Bumbo seat. This allows young babies to sit upright before they are able to do so on their own. I would not use this simply because I do not want to force any of my babies before they are ready to do so.

15. Exersaucer. These can be fairly expensive and does not do a whole lot for babies. Most moms I have spoke to who have owned these have said that their babies did not use them much at all and if they had known they would not have invested in one. 

16. Crib Toys/teddy bears. Most of these are made specially to clip on to the crib rails. I opted from this also as we do not have a baby crib. We chose to co-sleep with our baby. If we did have a crib I would still choose not to have these simply as they can pose a risk to newborns and cause sleep distractions for older babies. I did not include baby crib is my list as this is one item though we do not use it I do not consider it a useless item. 

Sleeping: 

17. Baby monitor. Since our home is not all that large and all one level I felt this to be totally an unnecessary item. Additionally with me being a stay at home mom I am always within hearing range of any sound my baby makes no matter how low. 

18. Bedding sets baby crib. These are often very expensive and the bumper pad as well as comforter can be a breathing hazard for baby. I just find them completely unnecessary. 

19. Rocking chair. So many moms say that this is an absolute must. Well we did not buy one for our baby and we did just fine without it. If our son was having a hard night often just walking with him helped put him to sleep.

Travelling:

20. Shopping cart cover. Until our baby reaches the age of about 6 months or older he will be carried around and not placed in a shopping cart. By the time he is he will already be exposed to so many germs as germs are everywhere. Also some germ exposure is a must in order to help build a strong immune system.