What You DON’T Need to Buy for your Newborn

As a first-time mom, I didn’t really know exactly what I needed. I did a lot for research and read a lot of blogs and scoured the baby section at Target to try and figure out what I needed to buy for my baby. After she arrived, I learned that I bought a lot of stuff I didn’t need. And now that she is 3 months old, I made a list of all the things I bought and haven’t used, so I definitely did not need them in the first place!

I want to preface this list by saying, these are the things that *MY* baby and *I* did not need. Maybe for you, some of these are on your must-have list, and that’s okay too! But they just weren’t necessities for me and I wish I would’ve known, but hindsight is 20/20 and I will know better for the next baby.

Gloves/Mittens: I had so many gloves and mittens to prevent scratches. I tried to put them on her once and they were off in about 5 seconds. Don’t waste your time. Just get pajamas with the hand covers (old navy is my favorite) and learn how to cut your baby’s nails.
Hats (and outfits with hats): With the exception of the one they gave us in the hospital and one to wear outside (a winter beanie) because she was born in january, we did not use hats! After you take your baby home, they shouldn’t wear a hat indoors because it could cause them to overheat. And if it is cold out, you just need one nice hat. And if they are born in warmer months, they don’t need hats at all!
Different Formula: I bought 2 kinds to try but I ended up just using one and sticking with it because it worked for her and why rock the boat? I was able to return the unopened one for a refund.
Different bottles: I bought two kinds of Dr. Brown’s bottles, regular and wide-neck. She did great on the regular ones and then I tried the wide neck and she wouldn’t even take it! So, I would just buy one kind and stick to it. They will get used to whatever they start with in my opinion.
Gowns: I saw multiple people say that newborn gowns were the way to go, but not true for my baby! She hated things going over her head and they were so hard to get on her. Zipper PJs were much easier and more comfortable for her.
Onesie and Pant Outfits: I bought so many onesies and pants in 0-3month size and she barely wore them. It’s really annoying to take off the pants, unbutton the onesie and put the pants back on for a diaper change. We barely went anywhere anyway those first three months.
Cute/Nice Outfits in 0-3 month sizes: Along with that, very similar, but it was pointless to buy any cute outfits because we went nowhere – and even when we did, she wore PJs because if she needed changed, that was easier.
Sterilizer: I thought I would use my sterilizer all the time but I really haven’t. It’s more of a pain to get out and use than to just wash by hand in soapy water in my opinion. (And sterilizing does not replace washing – it is in addition to washing!) I have done it a couple of time for a deep clean, but with a healthy baby, it isn’t necessary.
Owlet: I tired to use the owlet and she would not sleep and just tried to kick it off. Not worth the effort (and a waste of $250)
Swaddles other than Halo – Including the Ollie: The Halo swaddles worked the best from the start for us. I tried to introduce the Ollie (supposedly the best swaddle) and she HATED it! She couldn’t get comfy and the Velcro was just too loud. She went straight back to the Halo and slept like a champ.
Winter jumpsuit/snowsuit things: We had 3 of these in 3-month size and it was very unnecessary even for a January baby because she never went outside lol (and they can’t be worn in the car seat)
Baby Wrap: Now I think using a baby wrap may be more helpful if I had other children to take care of. But for my baby, she napped really well in her crib, in her dark room and with a sound machine on – not really anywhere else – even if I was holding her. If I was holding her in a bright environment, she thought that was awake time. She also enjoyed being put down and playing on the floor over being held when she was awake. So using a wrap just didn’t make sense for me or this baby. Again, your baby may be different or you may have a different lifestyle!
Bassinet: I actually never bought a bassinet because I knew I didn’t want one. We bought a pack-n-play with a bassinet insert that we used for the first few weeks but after that she slept in her room! I didn’t want another piece of furniture to have to figure out what to do with once she grew out of it and a pack-n-play could be used for years but also served the purpose of a bassinet when needed so it was a win-win!

Whew, I hope no one quits following me after reading that. I know some of the things may be controversial, but I just wanted to share my thoughts! Like I mentioned before, some for these things might be on the top of your list, but everyone and every baby is different. I may even change my mind for future babies! And as she gets older she will wear more cute outfits (so just save your money for that instead of tiny baby ones). But if I could’ve saved my money, this is where I would’ve done it.

Be sure to check out my most used baby products and my bath time essentials as well!.