baby items you don't need

when i got pregnant, i began to think about all the little things that babies need -- the things that go on a baby registry, the things that diapers.com and babies r us tried to convince me that we needed. i have friends that use these items but you can definitely get by without them. some of them include:


wipe warmers

it's a nice idea! a nice warm wipe for the baby's tush. however, babies survived for a hundreds of years being wiped with a room temperature or slightly cold wipe. if they are used to warm wipes, what if they have a hissy fit when they are out in public and have to be wiped with a cool wipe? it also scares me that this needs to be plugged in 24/7 in the nursery. i wouldn't be comfortable with that. this is definitely not necessary.


bathrobes

 yes, it's adorable, but when are you going to put your child in this? personally, i wouldn't spend $40 on any piece of clothing for my child, let alone something she would wear for five minutes and then poop on? no thanks. 


a changing table

where do you put it? nine times out of ten, we change our baby in the living room. i'm not going to walk her upstairs just to change her. especially with newborns, walking them upstairs twelve times a day? no thanks. and there's just not room for a changing table in our living room, nor would it look nice. and in her room, we have a changing pad on her dresser. it just makes more sense.


shoes

i understand they are adorable, but babies aren't supposed to wear shoes. babies can't walk, and putting shoes on them can restrict proper growth and development in their feet. it's also easier for them to learn how to walk correctly when they are barefoot.


exersaucer

 if you're going to buy this, you might as well just get this ...

get an activity jumper helps your baby's leg muscles develop while he's playing.


and buy second-hand! these things are used for a few months and, after a good scrub down, are still perfectly capable of entertaining your child.


i bought this swing

 at a garage sale for $20 (msrp $134.99). i threw the fabric part in the washer and wiped down the plastic part with cleaner. good as new. it works perfectly and my baby loves it -- well worth the money.


i also bought a charming wooden high chair at an estate sale for $15. i have seen them retail for $80 up through close to $500. i was very passionate about having a wooden high chair -- something that actually looked like furniture. it has been sitting in our kitchen up at our table for about eight months now, and few people have even acknowledged the fact that our baby is still too young to sit in it. it just looks like it belongs! 


thanks for reading, and happy saving!