I am usually one to write a long intro, but I thoroughly believe that you are here because you want the good stuff… the information!
There are several things that were a waste of money for our home after our baby was born. That’s not to say some of these things won’t work for you or haven’t worked for others, they just didn’t work for us.
Baby Products that are a Waste of Money
-Pee-Pee Teepees: I know, I know, you probably knew this just from the words “pee-pee teepees”, but I honestly thought they would work. What are they you ask? Well, they are a cone shaped cover that you put over your baby’s penis. It’s like a shield from being fire hosed by your son. 🙂 Not only did we try one pee-pee teepee brand, we tried TWO. So we double wasted our money.
They just fell right off as soon as he moved or wiggled. One brand was bulky the other brand was too small. Each time we tried to use them they were just more of a nuisance than anything.
I found that the wash cloths from the dollar tree worked best to create a shield for us. They’re lightweight and they aren’t cold like laying a wet baby wipe on him would be.
Convenient Ways to Carry Baby
-A Binxy Baby: I really thought I would like the Binxy Baby cart hammock, but in the last year I have used it twice. It just didn’t work for us, at least for now. I think maybe if I had multiples, like one in the cart seat and one in an infant seat, maybe I will use it more. I ended up using my Moby Wrap and Lile Baby All Seasons Baby Carrier when we were out and about with our son.
What is the best diaper bag for a baby?
-A diaper bag: I spent so much time and energy trying to find the perfect diaper bag that fit our budget. I ended up getting a Skip Hop black backpack diaper bag. I wanted something both my husband and I could wear, so a pink leather bag was out of the question.
Turns out, it was the most uncomfortable diaper bag and didn’t hold much of anything. I ended up getting this High Sierra black backpack for less than $30 bucks. It holds EVERYTHING and then some. When I want something a little more dressed up, I just take our portable changing pad and put it in an oversized purse. I have two of these. One for on the go in and one downstairs in the living room area.
Best Breast Pump for a New Mom
-A cheap breast pump: Our insurance provider provided an Ameda Purely Yours breast pump that was mailed to us a couple days after we got home with our son. It. Was. AWFUL! I mean, it worked and pulled milk, but it was so loud, so ineffective, and I just didn’t like using it. It took me waaaaay to long to finally jump in and buy a Spectra S1 pump. I don’t know why I waited so long. Okay, maybe I do know. The cost seemed really high for our budget, but it really was worth every penny.
I love the night light. The built in battery pack that you can charge is a LIFE SAVER!
Snuggle Nest or Dock-a-Tot
Snuggle Nest: Okay, so I really thought I was going to love the Snuggle Nest, but I think we used it once or twice. It was just too small for our little big guy and the Dock-a-Tot was our go to for him instead.
Other Things I Really Didn’t Need
- Hand mittens: Hand mittens to help keep my son from scratching his face seemed great at first, but they seemed to be in the way or fall off when we used them. The best solution I found were long sleeve onesies or sleepers that had the sleeves that folded over the baby’s hands. Granted we had our son in February, so long sleeve was definitely an option for us.
- Infant shoes: While they are super cute, newborn size crib shoes are kind of pointless unless you are looking for something to dress your baby up with. They seem to fall off or are just plain ol’ difficult to get on. I didn’t really enjoy infant shoes until my son was about 8 months old and pulling himself up on things when we would be out and about. I felt like they were more protective than socks at that stage.
- Fabric bibs: Little fabric bibs, while they are super cute, are so annoying. Food gets stuck in the fibers and stains them. Also, when I wash and dry them, they get so wrinkled looking. My favorite bib is by PikaBaby! I love the fabric and the long sleeves to keep my little one mess free. If you are going to buy a mom or yourself a bib, buy a PIKABABY sleeved bib! Actually, buy multiples because they are amazing! I also love Nicki’s Diapers brand bibs and Bumpkins waterproof bibs. They are machine washable and line dry, but so amazing. They clean easily and have different styles as baby grows.
Must Haves for Baby
– I love my Skip Hop brand portable changing pad. I have two, one for the diaper bag and one for downstairs in our living area. I love that it folds up compact and it has several pouches and zippered pouches to use.
– Get a NoseFrida Snotsucker!! I guess the correct term is nasal aspirator. It works like a charm and is so easy to use. People get so weirded out by the idea of sucking your baby’s boogers, but there is a filter and long tube between you and your baby’s snot. It is so much more comfortable than the narrow tip of the bulb looking one.
– Water Wipes are the best wipes and I won’t buy anything else!! I tried Seventh Generation and Honest Brand wipes and both wipes gave my little one diaper rash.
PS… I was able to earn three giant boxes of Water Wipes FREE with a few other baby care items by having an Amazon Baby Registry. I added EVERYTHING to my registry on Amazon and anytime I made a purchase from Amazon, I would purchase off of my registry. Most of the stuff we were buying was for the baby, anyways. You also get a FREE welcome box when you create a registry and follow a couple extra steps. One of our favorite swaddles came free in our welcome box!
– Are you considering a diaper pail?? I really like our Ubbi Diaper Pail because you can use whatever type of liner you want inside of it. It also keeps the smell locked inside really, really well. You can use trash bags or even reusable diaper pail liners. I love diaper pail liners from Planet Wise.
– You have already heard me say this, but Pika Baby Bibs are AMAZING!! You can wash them in the washing machine! I love the fabric and the long sleeves to keep my little one mess free. They are worth buying multiples to have on hand.
-Baby Carriers: I had three different baby carriers for our little one. A Lille Baby structured carrier, a Moby wrap, and a canvas sling wrap. I LOVE my sling wrap from Hip Baby Wraps and I love my Lille All Seasons Carrier still, even at one year. The Moby was tricky at first, but worked great when he was a small infant. I highly recommend getting yourself a baby carrier to wear. Either a Lille or a sling is my favorite to suggest.
-Milk Snob Nursing Covers: My FAVORITE cover is from Milk Snob. It a stretchy, poncho type cover. I received one as a gift at my shower, but ended up purchasing a second after Isaiah had a spit up accident on my first one. I have the Modern Stripe cover and the Lumberjack print, which is not listed on their site as of writing this. I love the Butterfly Garden one if you are having a girl.
I love that it keeps me covered. I am not worried about it shifting or opening on the sides exposing me or Isaiah as we get settled. I also love that when the fabric is stretched you can’t see through it. Some of the cheaper ones at Target I could see through when it was stretched. It also doubles as a carseat cover when we are out!
Creating a Registry for Baby’s First Year
This list is only what did and didn’t work for us. I know there are so many people who swear by some of the things I listed above. Each family is different and each baby is different.
Wherever you are in your journey, whether you are a mom to be or looking for gifts for a friend, I hope you found this helpful! More importantly, I hope this list inspires you and saves you some money, because that’s what is most important!
Don’t forget to start your Amazon Baby Registry and get your Free Welcome Box!! Seriously, it was so awesome getting $100 of free wipes and diapers JUST for buying things I was already buying and or for gifts other people sent us!
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Thank you so much for stopping by!
