Truly one of the most daunting things I've had to deal with thus far in my pregnancy is figuring out what to register for (I'm lucky, I know). My experience with babies and infants is scant, and my knowledge of baby "stuff" is virtually non-existent. So, of course, when it came time to put together a list of stuff my little one and I will need, I had an influx of (welcome) advice.
Most of the suggestions were invaluable. I'm now schooled in the various types of swaddling blankets, and I'm 100 percent confident in the stroller I've decided to go with. But, in spite of my lack of knowledge, based solely on common sense, other things just don't seem all that necessary. In fact, they seem completely superfluous, particularly for a person who lives in a one-bedroom apartment. Here are five items I refuse to register for.
A diaper wipe warmer. I get the concept behind this, but sorry kiddo, you're going to have to deal with non-luxurious butt-wiping sessions. My mother deprived me of this extravagance, and I turned out fine. Here's to hoping you will, too.
A bottle warmer. Look, I don't deny not liking "stuff" around -- a clutter-free space is zen to me -- but this just really doesn't seem necessary. What ever happened to hot water? We still use old-school fire to heat our food, what's wrong with using old-school water to heat her food?
A womb-noise machine. I realize that the sound of my womb is all little girl will have been hearing for the past nine months of her life, but ... she's going to have to get used to not hearing it at some point. Also, I've already registered for plenty of cute noise-making contraptions.
Bumbo Baby Seat. This has nothing to do with the fact that these have been dubbed potentially dangerous (I have enough common sense not to put a baby in such a seat on top of a table), it has to do with the fact that there are plenty of other places for baby to sit. She doesn't need a "special" seat that props her up.
Crib Bumpers. Okay, this does have to do with the fact that these have been dubbed completely dangerous. Once people start throwing around the word "kill" with an item, I'm going to skip it, thanks.
I'm pretty confident that my little girl is going to make it without any of these items. She may cry a little bit at first from feeling the cold of the diaper wipe, but she'll get over it. She's a fighter. I can tell already.
What items do you wish you didn't register for?
Image via boujiandnouna/Flickr
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Comments 111
wipe warmers are not my thing. i admit, I had one, it dried the wipes out terrible. So needless to say i tossed it.
Agree with everything except the bottle warmer- good luck with waiting for water to heat up on a stove at 3am with a whaling baby. The bottle warmer was invaluable to us.
So if crib bumpers are able to kill. do you put anything on the sides of the crib to prevent the child from hitting itself or just leave it be? Sorry first time mama of twins here
I LOVE my Bumbo :) And a bottle warmer is really handy when you are out somewhere and there isn't hot water readily available. Especially for moms who are breastfeeding but don't want to out in public.
I didnt register for any of those items.
The wipe warmer! LOL! My husband and I laughed at it when we were looking at registry stuff. Then one day my mother-in-law said with this really concerned face "You're going to get a wipe warmer right?" I said no. "I'm just worried about the wipes being too cold for his little bottom!" she says, the furrow of concern deepening on her brow. That's when I got a little evil. "Well, it's not like we're going to be changing him on the tailgate of the truck during a blizzard." That pretty much killed the subject.
And @Brie3209: They have "breathable bumpers" made of mesh and very thin padding that babies can breathe through. That's what we used. One of my friends whose daughter almost suffocated on a regular bumper swears by them.
I'm not planning on getting an infant seat, either. Convertible carseats fit most newborns, and I am not interested in carrying an extra ten pounds of carseat around with my baby.