Article by Jessica Pierce – Registered Nurse & Nationally Registered Paramedic
New parents face a lot of challenges while building and curating a baby registry. Trying to sort out the must-haves, like diapers and wipes, where to register at, and what is useless (a wipe warmer? really?) is quite difficult, especially for first time parents.
Of course all parents want to get the best stuff for their babies, but expectant moms and dads also face tons of expenses and it’s completely normal to wonder if you can skip something and save some of your hard-earned money.
And of course it can be stressful or even overwhelming with tons of advertisements constantly shouting “You need this! Your baby needs that!” from the sidebars of every website you visit (thanks, algorithms…).
As a parent preparing to welcome your new baby, you may be desperate to find out what is really a must-have and what you can safely leave off the registry. And it’s totally reasonable to want to save money on things you or your little one won’t really need!
This article is here to make it easier for you to decide what is really necessary for when your first baby arrives and what you can skip over – and also give some emotional support.
Keep reading for a comprehensive list of which baby items are actually useless or a waste of money, and should be left off your baby registry.
This article is not a substitute for medical advice or consultation.
What Items Should You Not Have On A Baby Registry?
It’s so very tempting to want to put the entire Baby section at Target onto your baby registry, but trust me, some of those adorable items will end up just becoming clutter in your nursery – or worse, junk in the top of a spare closet that never actually got used.
So before all the cute baby things get into your head, read through this list of nonessential baby registry items to truly get the most out of your baby registry.
1. Wipe Warmer
Why Skip It: Wipe warmers have been known to be a breeding ground for bacteria, which you definitely don’t want getting into your precious little one’s most sensitive areas.
A lot of moms who tried to use wipe warmers also complain that all it really did was dry their wipes out. Throwing away wipes is a rough way to waste money after baby is born!
Pro Tip: Skip the wipe warmer and just ask for lots and lots of wipes. I promise, you’ll need them!
2. Changing Table
Why Skip It: Especially if you have a small nursery, a changing table can be a large and bulky item that takes up much needed space in your baby’s room. In truth, all you really need to safely change a diaper is a flat surface away from any potential hazards.
Many of my mom friends simply use a dresser, regular table, or the floor covered by a blanket or pad for diaper changes. This eliminates the need for another bulky piece of furniture that will only be used until you start potty training your little one.
An added benefit of changing diapers on the floor is that it’s impossible for your baby to roll off of the changing table and fall, hurting themselves.
Pro Tip: Instead of asking for a full-on changing table, register for a changing pad that you can place anywhere. Changing pads are a fantastic option because they can travel with you, make public bathroom changing tables more sanitary and comfortable, and are easier to manage.
3. Baby Toys
Why Skip It: Let’s face it, you will probably get these during your baby shower or from family members visiting your newborn anyway.
Besides that fact, your baby doesn’t even know what is or isn’t a toy – their entire world is brand new and oh so fascinating. Everyday household items can become favorite playthings – as long as they are free from sharp edges or points and don’t pose any injury risks.
Pro Tip: Instead of toys, put teethers on your baby registry. Once your baby starts teething, chances are you won’t be able to get enough of these. It’s better to be prepared with a well-stocked supply in your refrigerator or freezer, ready to go as soon as teeth start popping out.
4. Stuffed Animals
Why Skip It: Most importantly, stuffed animals can pose a health hazard when placed in the crib with baby while they are sleeping. More likely than not, they’ll just end up collecting dust in a corner.
Pro Tip: Wait to purchase stuffed animals for your child until they are old enough to enjoy playing with them.
5. Baby Mittens
Why Skip It: Mittens are really only useful if your newborn has a big problem with scratching themselves with their baby nails – and not all babies do! Besides, even if the scratching is the problem, after a few weeks you’ll be able to trim your little one’s nails – the truth is babies don’t wear mittens for a long period.
Pro Tip: Ask for or buy a baby-sized pair of clippers to cut your baby’s finger and toe nails with after the first few weeks. If you end up needing mittens, they’ll be quick and easy to buy – or ask a family member to grab for you!
6. Baby Shoes
Why Skip It: Yes, I know – those tiny Nikes and adorable itty bitty crocs might be the height of infant fashion…but your baby won’t be walking for several months, at the very least!
Really, babies feet don’t need shoes. A nice warm pair of booties might be a good investment for your bundle of joy’s winter wardrobe, but when it comes to keeping those tiny toes warm, a footed onesie or good pair of socks will do the trick just fine for a much lower price tag.
Pro Tip: Instead of putting baby shoes on your newborn registry, ask for warm socks to put on your baby. A lot of expert and veteran moms suggest also asking for a mesh laundry bag to wash all of the tiny socks in, to keep them from getting lost in the laundry.
7. Bottle Sterilizer
Why Skip It: If you are able to take the time to wash all of your bottles properly, a bottle sterilizer is largely unnecessary.
Experts recommend sterilizing bottles before the first use as well as every couple of weeks afterwards, but this can be done just as easily with boiling water or even in your dish washer if you have one with a sterilize option.
Pro Tip: Ask for some high quality bottle brushes and a drying rack instead of a bottle sterilizer. This will save money, and give your co-parent something to do when they are looking for opportunities to help!
Other feeding supplies you could ask for include a breast pump or breast pump parts.
8. Fancy Bottle Warmer
Why Skip It: This is another one of those baby items that is technically unnecessary. The cheapest and simplest way to warm a bottle is just to place it in a regular bowl filled with warm water.
As always, remember to test the temperature of the bottle before giving it to your baby. This is best done by squeezing a few drops of the bottle’s contents onto the inside of your wrist. The sensitive skin of this area is a good comparison to how hot the milk will feel on baby’s mouth.
Pro Tip: Skip the bottle warmer and just ask for bottles. One mom friend found a bottle trial pack for around twenty dollars that included multiple types of bottles, so she could test each of them out to see which one her baby took best.
9. Baby Blankets, Fancy Beddings And Pillows
Why Skip It: The main reason to leave these items off of your baby registry is that they can actually be quite dangerous. Having anything besides the essential fitted sheet in your baby’s crib or bassinet can increase their risk of suffocation or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Baby experts recommend leaving all blankets out of your baby’s crib. Blankets can become trapped over baby’s face until they are able to move around better on their own.
Pro Tip: Consider asking for a nursing pillow to help make feedings more comfortable for both you and the baby. You might also want to invest in a high quality baby wearing device, swaddle blankets or sleep sack that will be safer for baby. Register for a few tight fitted crib sheets – you might need to change them quite often!
10. Crib Bumpers
Why Skip It: Much like all of the other additional bedding, crib bumpers are more of a health and safety hazard than anything else. If your baby’s face gets trapped against the bumper or even worse, between the bumper and the crib, their risk of injury increases significantly.
Pro Tip: If you’re set on getting crib bumpers, look for a design made out of breathable mesh. This virtually eliminates the risks associated with the bumpers previously mentioned.
11. Gender-Specific Gear
Why Skip It: Chances are, you may know someone who spent most of their pregnancy decking out an entire room in pink or blue only to find out that their little girl was actually a little boy. Modern pregnancy ultrasounds are very sophisticated, but sometimes, mistakes happen!
An additional benefit of using primarily gender neutral baby clothes is that they can easily be re-used for multiple children. Now that’s a big money saver right there.
Pro Tip: Think about setting up a baby registry with items matching a specific color theme in a neutral tone that you’ll love to re-use. Don’t be afraid to let people know the specific colors you’re looking for either, it’s your baby, so you can ask for what you want!
12. Diaper Genie
Why Skip It: Let’s face it, diaper genies are complicated. The last thing you want (or need!) after a grueling diaper change is to wrestle with a clumsy device that may or may not eliminate the stink. A regular trash can will honestly probably be easier to deal with.
Realistically, there’s a lot of alternatives to Diaper Genie: a normal pail or trashcan will work just fine for disposing of dirty diapers. One recommendation for those especially fragrant used diapers is to wrap them in leftover plastic bags – think recycling on a whole new level.
Pro Tip: Diaper cream and diapers in a wide variety of sizes are much more useful items to put on baby registry. Baby registries should work for you and make your life easier as a new or experienced parent. It’s never wrong to ask for what you know you’ll need.
13. Baby Bathrobe
Why Skip It: Chances are, your baby will go straight from their bath to a towel to one of their onesies. There really isn’t any reason to put your baby in a bathrobe, other than the super cute aesthetics of it.
Pro Tip: Other baby products like newborn clothes are much better things to put on baby registry. Keep your friends and family focused on buying you things that you KNOW you’ll use all of the time to get the most bang for everyone’s buck.
14. Baby Towels
Why Skip It: Yes, they’re so cute. But will your baby also grow out of them in a matter of weeks? Also yes.
I promise you’ll have more than enough baby laundry to do without adding more miniscule linens to the ever-growing pile in the bedroom. These are one of the many baby products that your new baby will likely only be using for a short time.
Pro Tip: Instead of asking for tiny baby towels that will probably end up as little more than oversized wash cloths, put some soft new towels on your baby registry and treat your entire family to a warm and fuzzy post-bath experience.
15. Bath Thermometer
Why Skip It: Just like you would with a bottle, all you need to make sure that the bath water is a safe temperature for your little one is the inside of your wrist. If you test the water and it’s uncomfortable for you, wait for it to cool down and test again before starting bath time.
Pro Tip: Double check: do you have a regular thermometer? This would be a good replacement on your baby registry because it’s a great way to monitor for signs of illness should your little one seem to be feeling under the weather.
16. Nursery Decor
Why Skip It: This is one thing that is probably best to do for yourself, if for no other reason than to make sure your nursery turns out looking the way you hoped it would.
Pro Tip: It’s also a good idea to hold off on asking for baby proofing supplies, since you won’t need many of them for a good while after baby is born. Although if you have a two story house, you might as well invest in a good baby gate just in case!
17. Baby Food Maker
Why Skip It: Most babies start off with breast milk, or formula. There’s no need to have a baby food maker on standby before the little one is even born.
Pro Tip: A good blender or food processor is typically just as effective, and will save you money. If you don’t already have a food processor, ask for one!
18. Baby Food Storage Containers
Why Skip It: Again, this is one thing you won’t need right away since your baby won’t be eating solid food for a while yet.
Pro Tip: Use ice cube trays to make ahead and store pre-portioned baby meals.
| PRO TIP: I also made of list of items to stock up on before baby’s arrival, including pantry and household items, postpartum essentials, and self-care products for new moms. |
19. Tons Of Baby Clothes
Why Skip It: More than likely, you will get lots of adorable outfits as gifts anyway, or maybe you will receive hand-me-downs. Chances are, you won’t lack for clothes to put on your baby.
Pro Tip: Ask for things like sleep sacks, receiving blankets, newborn pajamas, etc.
20. Baby Swing
Why Skip It: For the first few months, a baby swing might be another one of those unnecessary items. Many babies aren’t a fan of specific types of swings, and those can sure get expensive.
Pro Tip: For new moms, ask a friend who’s on baby number two or three to borrow a swing or bouncer to see if your baby likes it before investing in your own.
21. Baby Powder
Why Skip It: This one’s pretty easy – in recent years, baby powder has been scientifically proven to be unsafe for your newborn, and for you.
Pro Tip: Register for safe and natural diaper rash creams and butters.
22. Travel Sized Supplies For Your Diaper Bag
Why Skip It: Travel size toiletries simply aren’t cost effective.
Pro Tip: Ask for multiples of your most essential baby supplies, so you can keep a full-size package everywhere you might need one!
Tips For Creating Your Baby Registry & What To Skip
Here are a few more tips& tricks for creating baby registry:
- Not everything has to be new. Hand-me-down newborn clothes that have barely been worn? Yes, please!
- Register for stuff for older babies, not just for the newborn phase.
- You don’t really need super pricey items.
- You don’t have to register for latest (and most expensive) versions – this particularly applies to strollers.
- Register not only for baby stuff, but also for new mom essentials!
What Not To Put On Baby Registry – FAQ
Here, I’ll answer all your most pressing questions about what not to put on baby registry lists.
How Many Items Is Too Many On A Baby Registry?
Another example of what not to put on baby registry – too many items.
This can distract gift givers from getting you the essentials that you need the most, or lead to even greater overwhelm. The last thing you want is a baby room full of junk that wasn’t exactly what you wanted.
The typical recommendation is to stick to between 100-120 items on your registry.
Should You Put Expensive Items On Baby Registry?
It’s generally best to avoid putting big ticket items on a baby registry, as people are less likely to buy them – and you don’t want to be without at the last minute.
One thing I have seen is new parents setting up a fund for their more expensive must haves, so that multiple people can donate and make a big purchase cheaper for the parents.
What Should You Not Register For A Baby Shower?
Here are just a few more reminders of what not to put on baby registry:
- Baby laundry detergent: Just use a clean, non-toxic or hypoallergenic laundry detergent for the whole family.
- Baby proofing gear.:Your baby won’t need these right away, anyways.
- Things that you aren’t certain that you will use.
- Things that other people tell you to register for, but you don’t really want them: Remember, this is about you and your happy, growing family!
Article By Jessica Pierce, RN
Jessica Pierce is Registered Nurse, Nationally Registered Paramedic, writer, and contemporary dance artist based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She holds two undergraduate degrees from Oral Roberts University – a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (2018) and a Bachelor’s of Art in Dance Performance (2019).
The purpose of this article is informative. It’s not a substitute for professional medical advice or medical care. Remember: safety first! Consult your doctor/pediatrician in case of any doubts. The author of this article does not accept any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from any information or advice contained here.
Resources:
https://theexperiencedmama.com/
https://thepostpartumparty.com/
Hello Moms! I am Zooey. I am a wife and a mother of three amazing kids: almost 5-year-old Haley and 2-year-old twins Jesse and Matthew. I am a jogger, cooker and blogger.If you have a question or a comment, do not hesitate to write to me! 🙂