Thursday 5 October 2017

Baby Items you can live without!

I am now 18 weeks pregnant with our second child and we have started to think about what baby items we will be needing. We could not keep many of Michael's baby items due to lack of space so we pretty much have to get everything!

My sister has a one year old and is very kindly giving us some baby bits which is great as not only will it save us money, babies use things for so little time second hand items are often good as new. However I also started thinking about how as first time parents we over did it with our son and bought far too much. This time round I am determined to buy only what will be really useful and have put together a list of items we had with our first child which will not be bought again.

1. A baby bath: We found a baby bath completely useless. We very hardly used it opting instead to just use the normal bath to wash our son or actually filling a bowl and giving Michael a wash that way. A baby bath was bulky, often got in the way and was unnecessary. 

2. A expensive changing bag or indeed any changing bag: While babies can need a lot of stuff changing bags are often very overpriced considering they are indeed just a bag! You really do not need a special bag to carry baby items in. Any bag you already have can be used. I especially do not like expensive changing bags because I don't believe you use them long enough to justify the cost and they can get ruined with baby spills. If you do want a changing bag, look around for one that does the job at a good price. I just bought one for £5 on ebay.

3. Baby towels: There is nothing special about baby towels apart from a slightly cuter design. They still perform the same function as the other towels in the cupboard so this time I am not bothering with special baby towels and will be using the ones we already have. Baby will still get dry the same way without the added cost.

4. Expensive baby clothes: Baby clothes are absolutely adorable and it can be easy in getting carried away and over buying for baby. However honestly babies often grow out of their clothes before they have worn all of them and what with those messes babies make, expensive baby clothes are just not worth it. Keep it simple, we love vests and sleep suits. I buy the ones with socks and scratch mittens included so I don't even need to buy them. I tend to buy cheaper plainer designs for night and then the nicer sleep suits for day. Not only are babies comfy, it is so much cheaper than buying full outfits for a baby that really does not care what they are wearing. Included in this is baby shoes! Your baby will not be walking for a while, they really do not need shoes on their feet!

5. Stuffed animals: When we had Michael, a few people gifted us stuffed animals and honestly while we were thankful for the gesture, he really did not care about them. Stuffed animals for a baby just get in the way when you have to find a spot to put them. I hate alot of stuffed animals anyway so we just kept one, which later got lost on a walk! Now Michael is 4, he does have stuffed animals but they are ones he has chosen and really loves. 

Some people will find these items useful and of course it is just in my experience these items were a waste of money. My biggest advice when buying for a baby is really asking yourself what is essential, what do you think you won't be able to live without. There are so many products advertised for babies it can be so easy to overspend. 

What baby item would you not buy again? 

H.

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