Items You (and Baby) Can Live Without

There are a MILLION products out there designed for pregnant women, new Moms and their babies. We've already talked about what SHOULD be on your registry...but what about the items that you ready don't need. I've made a list of all the items that I actually registered for and received or have bought myself along the way, but never really needed. I'm not telling you to steer away from these things or that they won't make your lives more convenient...I'm just simply saying make sure you have all the "must haves" before you pick up some of these products:

1. Wipe warmers: These are a great concept and are handy when you are changing a poopy diaper at 3 AM and don't want to wake baby with a cold wipe...but here's the problem: baby gets used to having those nice toasty warm wipe on his/her booty and then HATES when you are out and don't have a stash of freshly warmed wipes. Also, warmers get terrible reviews for drying out your wipes and that's just money flushed down the drain. 

2. Diaper Genies/Pails: I'm going to go ahead and admit that I used this until my daughter was potty trained and we actually have two of them. The reason we have them is to keep our dogs out of the diapers which can be a serious hazard to them (not to mention completely disgusting). If you don't have this worry about animals getting into them...don't get one. The diaper pail itself won't seem like a huge expense...but the refills are terrible and generic brands just don't cut it. Just use a plain old trash can and wrap really smelly diapers in old grocery store bags.

3. Blow up bath tubs in the shape of a duck: Pretty specific huh? Ha! I thought this was great to use while my daughter was just learning how to sit up in the bathtub. Trouble is...she was so chubby she didn't fit well. I actually forgot it one time when we were traveling and just put a towel down in the bath to keep her from skidding around...genius! I never used the duck again. 

4. Clothing: I'm putting this on the list not because you don't need it, but because you really don't need to register for it. People are going to buy you clothes like they are going out of style! You'll end up having to dress your dog just so you feel like you are using everything. 

5. Pacifier holder and cleaning wipes: I'm talking about the cute little bags that snap into your diaper bag just for the purpose of holding your child's "binkie". These are the stupidest things I've ever seen. That thing is in your child's mouth...drool and all and then you are going to stick it back into its little "purse" to just get dried up spit and germs all over? No thanks...and skip the cleaning wipes, you have to wait 15 minutes for the pacifier to dry before you kid can use it again.

6. Dreft: I spent so much money on Dreft...I know it smells like a baby but it really makes baby's clothing kind of stiff and it is so expensive! Just use Tide Free & Clear...it isn't as expensive, just as safe for sensitive skin and you can use it on your clothes also so you don't have to do 100 loads of laundry separating everything. 

7. DVD's: I registered for a bunch of baby DVDs...I never used a single one. By the time my daughter was into TV, these were too "babyish" for her. These aren't educational, baby is going to get more out of playing with toys or in their jumper/walker so if you need a break, find something else for baby to do. 

http://news.discovery.com/tech/is-television-harmful-for-children.htm

8. Crib bumpers and quilts:  I had gorgeous bedding for Layla and if you have the extra money to decorate your baby's nursery with this stuff...go for it. But know that as soon as baby starts rolling over, it is time for those quilts and bumpers to come off the bed. My daughter's monitor alarm went off one night because the blanket we swaddled her with rode up on her...it was so scary!

9. Extra strollers:  Make sure you get one good stroller that the infant carrier will snap into and will grow with your baby but don't register and go out and by a jogging stroller, compact umbrella stroller, sit and stand...etc until you know you will use and need one! I really kick myself for getting 3 strollers before I even HAD my daughter because she started refusing to sit in them at around 18 months. This is what my garage looks like:

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=umJ&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1473&bih=878&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnsr&tbnid=2IU6TYIpPIZdZM:&imgrefurl=http://walingstrollersreview.wordpress.com/2010/09/16/welcome-to-my-strollers-review-site/&docid=1-V6opbpn0il5M&imgurl=http://walingstrollersreview.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/strollers.jpg&w=337&h=449&ei=FU5FT_HeHefbiAL639GoDg&zoom=1

This list could go on and on all day but I think those are some of the main things I goofed up on. Is there anything that you would add to the list?