If you’re a new mom, you’re more than likely to scour either retailers’ websites for baby registry recommendations (which is always an overestimate – i.e., getting way too much stuff than needed by 100-fold) or you search on Google for recommended lists from mommy blogs and parenting websites.
I got the book “Baby Bargains” (on Amazon), which doesn’t tell you what to get, but it is a useful aggregate of all baby products, by brand and by model, with summaries of all the user reviews found across all available websites. But to use this, you’d need to know what items you’re buying. But alas, I digress.
Here are the top items people tell us NOT to buy, but are actually extremely helpful. (Please keep in mind that NOTHING is ever “vital”. As my husband often reminds me, people have been raising babies for thousands of years. Yes, since the very early BC eras… and there was no Pampers or electricity back then…)
Wipe Warmer. Yes, that green and white thing that is often on sale on Amazon for $12. Most common reasons against it are 1) it dries out the wipes, 2) it’s not necessary for the baby / toddler.
Just to be clear, it does NOT dry out your wipes, unless you’re leaving them in the warmer for 6 months, which in that case would dry out any wipe that wasn’t in its original sealed packaging.
Now, for those that believe it’s not necessary, have you tried to wipe your butt in the winter with a wet wipe? It’s freezing! Now imagine your baby’s soft tush, yes, they’d be freezing, too. Friends that have used a warmer have babies and toddlers that don’t mind (even love) diaper changing. These kids don’t cry nor fight against diaper changing. Friends that haven’t used a wipe warmer often comment on how their kids extremely dislike (to the point of hate) diaper changing. One mom even said that when her toddler could finally talk, he asks for the heater to be on when he needs to be changed. There you have it, folks, from the mouth of a babe.
Once again, nothing is ever vital. But this one does seem to be quite helpful.
(This is the newer model. I couldn’t find the old model that I have – the green and white one)
Diaper Genie / Pail. Whichever brand you like, it doesn’t matter. But an actual diaper trash can is quite important. (We got the Playtex one (on Amazon))
I had friends / websites telling me to just use a trashcan that has a lid. It sounded like a nice life-hack, but I can assure you, that will not secure the smell. Unless you are physically removing the trash out of your house EVERY DAY, that smell will only ripen more as time goes on. And every time you open that lid to put in another diaper, the smell will permeate the entire room. And linger. Infants that aren’t on solids yet usually don’t have potent poop diapers (so you can delay this purchase for a few months). But once you start solids … oh goodness, those poopy diapers are potent with nuclear strength! Diaper pails have multiple compartments that stagger the opening and closing so the smell is trapped inside the bottom compartment and not released when you have to throw away another diaper (from the top compartment).
Simplehuman Trashcan (on Amazon) Playtex Diaper Genie (on Amazon)
(We have both trashcans shown above, and one of them DID NOT work in containing the smell… one guess on which one)
Rocker. Graco and Fisher-Price makes a rocker (Graco calls their’s Lounger (on Amazon), and FP calls their’s Rock N Play (on Amazon)) that also sings songs and vibrates. We got a Graco one.
They have ones that have a gentle incline to help you see the baby and the baby see their outside world (also great for any reflux issues). Best of all, it’s so light, you can take it with you all over the house. And the baby, by kicking their feet, can actually rock themselves. How awesome?! They start from $30 and to about $55 for ones with bonus features (like the vibration or music or auto-rocker.
Graco’s Little Lounger (on Amazon) Fisher-Price’s Rock ‘N Play (on Amazon)
Of note, this is NOT the fancy swings or “rocker swings”, which I find are not only more expensive but not easily moveable for around the house nor easy to pack up for on-the-go.
Swimwear.
Didn’t think this was necessary, but if you live somewhere like Arizona, California, Vegas, Hawaii, etc., you probably want to be prepared. We went to Vegas with a 6 week old, and only had one set of swimwear (last minute grab). Had a blowout at Mandalay Bay, so he spent the rest of the time in simply a diaper and rash guard …
Read here for: THINGS NOT REALLY NECESSARY TO BUY
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