Top 10 Registry Items You DON’T NEED!

When it came time to do my baby registry I was so overwhelmed! Sure the stores give you a registry checklist, but still…there’s so much information on there! So how do you know what to register for, what to keep, what to return, and what you’ll never ever really and truly NEED?

Well, you continue reading this blog and see what real life experience has taught me in the registry department. Don’t get me wrong, you can definitely USE the items I’m about to list; however, you DON’T really need them.

1. Pacifiers: You don’t know if your baby is going to like pacifiers to begin with let alone what brand they are going to prefer. Take the pacifier the hospital gives you, see if they like it, and go from there.
2. No scratch mittens: Total waste of money. Yes your baby will put their hands by their face, but unless you have a total clawer they aren’t going to substantially scratch their face. See if your baby scratches themselves before getting a bunch of mittens that they’ll never wear again. And for parents that think they are keeping their hands warm: they aren’t. They are so thin!
3. Changing table: Never ever ever buy a separate changing table! Your baby will grow out of it before you know and then you’re stuck with a useless piece of furniture that looks out of place in your beautiful baby’s nursery. Try getting a dresser that has the place for a changing pad. That’s what we purchased and now I use it as a spot for all of Lincoln’s books.
4. Mobile: Okay yes, I had one… BUT, what a total waste! Won’t be getting one for baby #2. Your baby typically doesn’t sleep in the crib until around 3 ish months anyway and then who wants to wind that thing up when their baby is almost asleep anyway. Your baby won’t miss it if it’s not there, I promise. Oh and it poses a choking/strangulation hazard once they are old enough to care about it, because now they can reach it and pull it down or get stuck in it.
5. Baby wipe warmer: So you’re telling me that when you’re on the go you’re going to carry this thing with you? Ummmm, no. So get your baby used to cold wipes sooner rather than later, because they are going to have to deal with it at some point. Oh AND the heat mechanism dries out the wipes if you don’t constantly put water in the warmer. Total and utter waste!
6. Hooded towels: Baby towels were the BIGGEST waste for me! They are much thinner than a regular towel so my baby would get colder faster and they were super small! A regular towel may not look as cute, but I was able to put it around Lincoln’s head to keep it warm and wrap him up like a little burrito.
7. Wash cloths: I have talked to most of my mommy friends to make sure I’m not a weirdo, but I use my hands to wash Lincoln. I wash his hair, neck back, under the arms, etc all at the same time. So then I’m left with his little tush and legs. So I’m going to get an entire wash cloth wet just for those parts? No. BUT, if you are adamant about using something then use the regular wash cloths! You don’t need special baby wash cloths… what a rip off.
8. Crib toys: I do NOT recommend teaching your child to play in their crib. Beds are for sleeping not for playing and I promise you this much, when I lay my baby down in his crib he knows it’s for a nap or for bedtime… not for play time.
9. 4 oz bottles: Oh my gosh, they start eating beyond 4 oz so quickly that 4 oz bottles are a total waste! Just buy the 8-12 oz bottles and only put 4 oz in it. Seriously, no need for these little guys.
10. Bottle Warmer/Sterilizer/Drying Rack: I’m lumping all these together, because I’m about to go over 10 and would have to change the title of this blog to “Top 12 Things Not to Register For”. You do not need a bottle warmer! Sure you can USE it and I did, but once I discovered the microwave my world changed. It was more efficient and faster. I know everyone says not to do it, because it unevenly warms the milk, but shake it up afterwards and now it’s all mixed together. Who needs a sterilizer? I think most people today have dishwashers. They do a fine job. Enough said. The drying rack: It looks like crap on your counter, and forces you to leave your bottles there 24/7. Put them on a towel and then hand dry them and put those darn things away!

So there you have it, folks; All the crap that big time baby stores make you think you NEED that really you can totally live just fine without! What are the items you felt were a total waste?