5 Things Your Newborn Doesn’t Need (And What You Should Get Instead!)

5 Things Your Newborn Doesn’t Need (And What You Should Get Instead!)

Oh, the First-Time-Parent-Trap.

Everywhere you look, there’s something new that your baby must have! Your baby MUST look like a Gap model all the time, and sleep in an eco-friendly crib with an organic sheet set and you must be able to see them at every second of every day.

And the worst part of it is that you’re told constantly that failure to get these things for your baby makes you a “bad parent.”

Ready for this truth bomb? You don’t need to build a baby registry full of junk. You don’t need to burn through bank accounts in order to fund these purchases for your new baby.

Don’t be guilted into buying yourself into debt over things your baby genuinely doesn’t need. There are truly very few things your .

Related Post: The Only 5 Things Your Newborn Really Needs

Here’s the best, most ridiculous, over the top “must-have” baby gear that you absolutely do NOT need (plus some realistic alternatives):

1. That frilly circle newborn bassinet.

Ain’t it cute?! Of course it’s gorgeous and looks great in your bedroom or their nursery. But by the time they sleep enough for you to get any serious sleep, they’ve outgrown it… plus by week 3, when you’ve had 2 hours of sleep in the past 6 days, you’d put your baby to sleep on a rock if he’d actually sleep for you!

Skip it and get a pack n play with a bassinet attachment. Cheaper and much more functional. Plus you’ll use it for years and years (and more children in the future).

2. The newborn tuxedo (and any other nice, dressy clothes.)

Unless you have a wedding to go to, your baby will NOT need that adorable newborn tux. Or any crazy button-up shirts or dress jackets. Murphy’s Law dictates that they’re just going to have the biggest, stinkiest blowout diaper of their lives 5 minutes after you finally put them into that outfit. And then by the time you’ve washed it and gotten the huge poop stain out of it, they’ve outgrown it.

If you want to get a cute little sweater onesie for church or for showing off to the in-laws, there are some that are so cute! Just remember to look out for how easy it is to get on and off, the washing instructions, and if it’s comfy for baby.

3. Those newborn shoes.

Yes, they’re cute. But they’re a pain to get on.  And chances are, your baby will hate them. Or they’ll fall off. Or you’ll lose one. Either way, it’s a bad idea.

And did I mention that babies grow? You’ll blink and those $32 newborn shoes will be too small. Just a bad idea all around.

Instead, invest in some cute socks! They’ll fit from newborn to a year old. For girls, there are those precious Mary Jane socks. And boys have some pretty cute socks too! Pro tip: make sure you get knee socks! They’ll stay put much better than other socks.

4. That spongy sink-flower-bath

I mean, come on. How cute is that thing? The answer is “very.” However… “how practical is this thing for a newborn?” It isn’t. Not at all. This is a giant sponge. Can you imagine how messy this thing is? So on top of having a screaming baby who is cold and wet, now you have to clean and dry this ridiculous thing to make sure it doesn’t get mildewy. Otherwise, you’ll have a grumpy baby and a bathroom that stinks like mildew.

What did our parents and grandparents do before the days of giant sponge flowers? Well, I’d imagine they used a washcloth and some baby soap (HERE is the one I’ve used for all of my kids). Newborn babies don’t get truly “dirty.” Put a towel on your bed, and just use your soapy washcloth to clean up your baby. No need to submerge baby in water. Especially if it’s winter!

5. Those motion detector, night vision, touch screen baby monitors

You will, I repeat, you WILL wake up if you hear your baby crying. You’ll be like Spiderman when his Spidey Senses were tingling. You’ll hear your baby crying through 3 brick walls, over the traffic, over the loudest TV… even if you lived in the biggest house on the planet, you’d still hear your baby cry when he needs you.

This motion sensing, night vision, wifi capable, monstrosity can be hooked up to as many other cameras as you want. It’s a little unnecessary. Not to mention, have you heard stories about creepers hacking into these types of baby monitors? It happens and it’s horrifying. So now you have a crazy and unnecessary contraption in your baby’s room that might allow outsiders in? No. No, thank you.

If you feel like you need a baby monitor, get a basic one. You don’t need to take out a small loan to get 15 cameras installed to watch your baby sleeping. Again, you WILL hear your baby crying when he needs you.

First-time parents have it tough. As if adapting to parenthood isn’t bad enough, everywhere they look there’s a new thing that parents “must” have! The reality is very much different. There really are only 5 things that your baby (and you can get almost all of them from a consignment store!).

What was the most ridiculous thing you were told that you NEED for your newborn?