I have 5 children and have learned a few things about parenting along the way (although I think at the end of the day we're all just muddling through to an extent, trying and often failing to do our best). As a mom of 5, I have experienced the newborn/baby phase a few times now and I wanted to share a few tips that I've picked up and that hopefully will save you some money! (Money that you can instead invest in yourself and your new little one with a newborn session that you can cherish for years!) So in that vein, for you parents who are expecting your first baby, here are 5 things you don't need to buy for your newborn:
Bottle warmer. I bought one of these pre-loved just after having my first baby. It only ever collected dust in the cabinet. Because instead of a bottle warmer, I simply poured hot water in a mug and dipped the bottle in there for a couple minutes. So save yourself this expense and just use the mugs you already own and hot water from your tap.
Wipe warmer. I think literally every parent who ever purchased one of these for their firstborn found them to be utter wastes of time and money. Newborns need to be changed multiple times a day, usually in multiple places inside the house and sometimes out. Who wants to tote the warmer around and wait a couple minutes every time for the wipes to warm? Just no. You don't need this, baby doesn't need this.
Changing table/pad. So I know many baby dressers come with a top for a changing table. Of course, most of us do need a dresser or clothes chest for our babies, but we don't need a separate changing table or a changing pad to go atop our dresser. My baby dresser was meant to double up as a changing table, so I didn't buy a separate table for my first baby, but I did buy a separate pad. It was an expensive all organic variety. I also bought a couple washable covers for it. I used the pad maybe 10 times total, and not even on the table, but on the floor! At that time, our bedroom was up a flight of steps from our living area. The changing pad was upstairs in the baby's nursery, so I only used it if I was already upstairs. And soon enough, I simply changed the baby wherever I was--on the floor, on the couch, in the car. And also, baby can't roll and hurt herself if she is already on the floor! So save your money and don't buy a separate changing table or a changing pad. If you need a place to have diapers and wipes handy, consider instead a caddy or even a cute basket.
Baby shoes/socks. Okay, so I do have a caveat to this, which I will get to momentarily, but generally speaking, you don't need baby shoes or socks. Newborns can't walk, of course, so they certainly don't need soled footwear. More importantly, (most) baby shoes and socks do not stay on the baby's feet. I know they are cute, but you will save yourself endless torment of putting socks back on or trying to find missing socks or the other shoe (lost when you're out and about, oh dear!) if you simply don't buy these things in the first place. "But my baby's feet will get cold!" you say. Well, newborns spend much of their time in layettes, which usually have footsies built in. It's a clever system! But as for the caveat, there is one kind of basic shoe and sock I recommend. There are times when you do need to have your baby's feet covered by dedicated footwear, say if your baby is a winter baby and out and about in a onesie and pants and not a layette. In such cases, I recommend bubble socks (like these: https://www.amazon.com/White-Newborn-Socks-Nurses-Choice/dp/B00T9T9LPI/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2QISIGBJTG3CI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZYgeqFClHIE3z0WDruVzH_Cc49S1rsEC-wJp2utxzq_XjTwPKOhaaIrhged8ew3GbzlL-6Zf6fxC6BoVmhApKMZVvd-iceoYUyiOOydTGvlvPnC8aTpsxZex2-QgP2SOZBASApM0t9OHDL2bARlfUWQMXAGF73Z9PmBaK4GrxLbdcYoT84kQS3NcMVMvYGxsLOXW5iYuhq3GC8ZXo-MNvnx1ABUYLjKxXnHtjJ75mpAmupb-JPlLeHyVYZDm5JYXCAnt9AlaM1V6beTGJTK6_1MCERWyq0lBy4eNSZfsi0o.m9_5S83Ec8y7ab2i2ULhYHv4Ry8vEpWtCfbshL22nn0&dib_tag=se&keywords=bubble+newborn+socks&qid=1718247910&sprefix=bubble+newborn+socks%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-2), which are the only socks to stay on a baby's foot. As for shoes, I recommend Snow and Arrow shoes, which are made out of the softest natural fabrics and with cute prints. If you are local to Charlottesville, Virginia, you can find these as Green Bean Baby Boutique at Barrack's Road (https://www.greenbeanbabyboutique.com/products/organic-cotton-knit-slippers-pink-feather).
Bathtub. Somebody gifted me a used baby bathtub just before my first baby was born. We used it one time for the novelty. After that, I simply bathed her with me when it was bath time. And really, newborns don't need to be bathed often. Too much bathing is actually drying to their skin. So save the money on that baby bathtub!
Alright, that's the list! I hope you find this useful. Did I leave anything important off the list? Or do you disagree with any of these items? Let me know on my Facebook page.
Caveat: As is always the case, everyone is different and has different priorities. So if you feel you need to buy or want to buy any of these items then no criticism here :)!
