When you’re a new mom, you’re inundated with a million ads and unsolicited advice of what you should buy for baby. And for the most part, most baby products are good — but not for every family. Every baby is different and it doesn’t matter if something has 5,000 good reviews on Amazon, it might not work for you. I made a lot of mistakes and wasted a lot of money when buying things for baby #1, but I’ve learned my lesson!
So I want to help all you new moms who are trying to determine which products to buy or put on your registry. I created a list of baby products I regret buying and products I should have bought instead.
This list is just from my experience with our first baby, so it’s more than okay if you disagree with certain products! If that’s the case, I would love to hear why you disagree with me in the comments and you can help others who may read it!
Baby Monitor
What I bought: Nanit Pro baby monitor
This is a wonderful monitor when it comes to quality and features. The issue is the cost over time. What made this monitor special (and justified the cost at first) is the nap tracker and log within the app — no more sleep deprived moms trying to remember when the baby woke up. However, after one year of use these features come at an additional cost of $119/year and this fact isn’t advertised when you buy it. This monitor was already $300 and paying any more wasn’t worth it to me, so we learned to live without the extra features.
I should have bought: Voger 360 degree monitor (similar product link)
After realizing we could live with a much simpler monitor, I searched and found this one. All I care about now is good picture quality, a strong wifi connection and the option for multiple cameras as our family grows and this one has it all. It has other features, too, like Alexa compatibility, a micro SD memory card slot to record footage, and you can have a 360 degree view. But best of all is this camera is only $29.99 (on sale right now for 19.99!!!) so you literally cannot beat the price.
Jogging Stroller
What I bought: Graco Modes Jogger
Let me start by saying, I don’t jog lol. I was buying this stroller for the person I wanted to be, not who I actually am. This was my first big baby purchase and I had no idea what was actually important in a stroller. I just bought a cheap option that had good reviews without actually seeing any strollers in person. And for the price, it was a fine stroller but it had some obvious flaws. It was hard to fold, the wheels are massive and would barely fit in my Jeep, and it wasn’t always easy to maneuver. After having it for a year, I realized that if you’re gonna splurge on anything, a stroller should be the thing. (Side note: we will continue to use the infant carseat that came with it for baby #2.)
I should have bought: Mockingbird Single-to-double Stroller
I just bought this stroller about a month ago and this is what I should have gone with from the start. Basically, this thing is equivalent to a $1000+ stroller but they sell it for only $395 because they sell direct to consumer. Everything I disliked about the Graco stroller was solved with the Mockingbird — they took every safety/function/comfort detail into consideration when designing this thing. The best part is it can easily become a double stroller if you have twins or plan on having kids close in age. I may even write an entire non-sponsored post reviewing the Mockingbird stroller because I love it that much. If you’re looking for a stroller, trust me, just get it.
Swaddle blankets
What I bought: A million swaddle blankets
They really get you with all the adorable patterns they put on muslin swaddle blankets, but for me, they’re useless. I wasn’t going to take the time to swaddle Leo in one of those — I’m not good at it and Leo was an escape artist. And they don’t even work well enough for a blanket or sun shade because they’re so thin.
What I should have bought: SwaddleMe, Love To Dream or Sleepea swaddles
All of these are great options, it just depends on the baby. We exclusively used the original SwaddleMe swaddles for about three months before transitioning to the Love To Dream so Leo could self-soothe. The only complaint I had about the SwaddleMe swaddles was how loud the velcro was, but now they’ve got a version with a zipper on the bottom so you don’t have to wake baby up to change their diaper. I want to try those for baby #2 and the Sleepea swaddles, which fully zip open while keeping their arms secure.
Pacifiers
What I bought: Way too many expensive pacifiers and wubanubs
I don’t know what I was thinking when I bought multiple pacifiers in every brand. I just wanted to be prepared I guess. And of course, I bought the cute, expensive ones because *aesthetics*. I didn’t even consider the fact that Leo might not like pacifiers — spoiler: he didn’t. I think pacifiers from Ryan & Rose, Bibs or even Wubanubs are SO adorable and there were times I wish my son loved them. But just do not buy these until you know your baby likes pacifiers. Start with 2-3 inexpensive options and buy more if you need to.
What I should have bought: One or two cheaper brands to try out
I could have gotten away without buying any pacifiers, but it’s always safe to have one just in case. The Phillips Avent pacifier is a safe bet for most babies and costs less than $4 for a pack of two.
Sooo many clothes
What I bought: Enough clothes for 5 or more babies
My weakness is baby clothes, and I have no problem admitting that. And I would never tell someone to not buy the fun outfits because that’s part of the motherhood experience. BUT, I guarantee you will waste money on clothes and your baby wont wear a lot of it. Like, I bought a jean jacket in 0-3 month size. What was I thinking? For baby #2, I’m really going to try and stick to comfy, easy outfits — but if it’s a girl, wish me luck.
What I should have bought: Only my absolute favorite COMFY outfits + zipper pajamas
The most important thing is that your baby is comfortable and easy to change. I should have just stuck with a bunch of zipper jammies and a few comfortable two-piece outfits for anytime I wanted him to look a little nicer. No jeans, no rompers, no sweaters or jackets at all. I think 4-6 months old is a good age to start exploring the other fun outfits.
Baby carrier
What I bought: Lillebaby carrier
I know a lot of people love the Lillebaby carrier, but I didn’t — and I’m not sure I would like any similar carriers with all the buckles and thick straps. I originally bought it for my husband since it’s a “manlier” carrier than a wrap, but he literally never wore it. I’ll hold onto it for baby #2 since baby wearing will be more necessary with also having a toddler, but it’s just too complicated, big and I don’t love baby wearing unless I have to.
What I should have bought: Only the Baby Ktan
This thing is 500x times better than any carrier for the newborn stage. It’s soo simple to put on and slip your baby into. You don’t have to know how to do some complicated wrap and it’s comfy for mom and baby. The only downside is that it doesn’t work well for independent babies who want to look around. Leo could eventually push away from me and get out of the wrap if he wanted. But for newborns, it’s perfect!
Breast Pump
What I bought: Ameda Finesse
I didn’t actually buy this, but this was the only option my insurance would cover. It worked fine, but it’s insanely loud. It was impossible to pump at work without my coworkers hearing the whole thing. Even in my own office with the door shut. I ended up keeping this one as my home pump and bought a second one for work.
What I should have bought: Spectra S1
This is the holy grail of electric pumps. I’m sure if you’re in the market for a breast pump you’ve heard all the great things about this. It’s quiet enough that I could be on the phone while using it and I didn’t feel like I was forcing my coworkers to listen to something they didn’t agree to. Best of all, it’s wireless so you’re not tied to the wall outlet. I was finally convinced to buy this after completely suffering through a 14-hour road trip where I couldn’t pump.
High Chair
What I bought: Fisher Price Space Saving Highchair
I don’t want to totally hate on this product because it’s held up very well for 14 months and does save space like it claims. But the tray on this thing is kind of awful. It has a bunch of crevices that are hard to clean (and doesn’t fit in the dishwasher) and there are sections on the sides that are supposed to hold a cup and silverware but they’re weird, useless sizes.
What I should have bought: Ikea Antilop
I wanted this high chair from the beginning, but our closest Ikea is over an hour away (I know that’s not far, but I hate driving anywhere further than 20 minutes lmao). It’s only $20 and isn’t overcomplicated with useless features like every other high chair. And if you’re doing baby led weaning, this comes highly suggested because of the posture baby has to sit in and how easy it is to clean. And if you want to make it cuter, Yeah Baby Goods sells the cutest tray mats, padded seats and wooden leg options.
Burp Cloths
What I bought: Small, white burp cloths
A word of advice to new moms: do not buy those tiny washcloth-sized burp cloths. They’re just way too small. I guarantee your baby is going to spit up on you, and when it happens, you’re going to want your entire shoulder/lap/whatever covered. I have about 12 of these that will never be used.
What I should have bought: Receiving blankets
These are so inexpensive and much bigger than burp cloths. They actually cover your entire shoulder when burping your baby. You can use these for a million things like a carseat cover for shade or privacy, a place to lay baby down when changing them, a little blanket, nursing cover, whatever. I still keep 1-2 of these in my diaper bag at all times.
Shoes
What I bought: Shoes before he could walk
We all know that babies aren’t going to be walking until they’re about one years old, and even if it’s earlier than that, they aren’t going to be good at it. So there’s absolutely no reason to buy your baby “crib shoes” besides maybe one or two photo ops. Yeah, I know, they’re super cute and tiny, and I fell victim to that too, but really they’re just a waste of money.
What I should have bought: No shoes til 12+ months
Leo was “walking” at 9 months, but he was still falling all the time and shoes would have made learning more difficult — it’s best to let a baby learn how to walk without shoes. I should have just waited until he was in toddler sizes since they’re made for walkers. Also, only buy shoes that are stretchy or have velcro so your baby’s chunky foot will actually fit in them. (Crocs are also great shoes that slip right on for summer weather!)
Other things you just don’t need:
- Bottle warmer (just put hot water in a mug)
- Wipes warmer
- Bottle sterilizer (the microwave bags are okay)
- Crib bumpers or bedding sets (crib sheet only)
- Boogie wipes or pacifier wipes
- Baby-specific detergent
- Those “pillows” to prevent flat head spots
- Pee pee teepees
- Baby food processor
Part of being a new mom is making mistakes, which is unavoidable — but hopefully this list will save you from some of those money mistakes that a lot of first-time parents make. It’s fun and exciting to buy baby products, but don’t get fooled into thinking you need to buy all the expensive things.
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