baby on boardWhen you're pregnant for the first time, the planning and preparation for your baby can be one of the most thrilling, fun experiences ever. The little clothes are so cute, and all that gear looks so helpful. So you buy, register, and scoop up any and every little thing you think you need for this journey.

Only the truth is, you need very little to raise a child, and most of these products marketed to parents are useless at best no matter how much they make you want them. But still you'll want/think you need them and you'll continue to accumulate them while your been-there-done-that friends and family will roll their eyes and maybe even giggle a bit behind your back. If they're the bold type, they may try to save you from yourself, but more often than not, they'll sit back and wait for you to learn the hard way ... just like most of us do.

So in case no one else will tell you, here are six silly baby products new moms get suckered into buying.

1. Baby on Board Sign

I almost made this mistake until a friend held an intervention. They seem like a good idea to me, but my friend informed me what a truly BAD idea they were through her hysterical cackling that I really was going to buy one. Interestingly enough, a new study just came out showing how dangerous they can be -- causing as many as 1 in 20 car accidents! So there's plenty of reason to bypass them.

2. A Wipes Warmer

It's a sweet idea, but your baby's bottom is going to be just fine with room-temperature wipes. You will have a lot bigger things to worry about when it comes to changing some of those messy diapers than the temperature of the wipes.

3. Videos That Teach Your Baby to Read and Do Quadratic Equations

I know some people swear by them, but if you do buy them, make sure you don't tell anyone and hide them when your moms' group meets at your house. Seriously.

4. Baby Perfume

Oh yes, it exists. Trust me, if someone says, "What's that smell?" and you reply, "My baby's perfume," people will laugh not only behind your back, but in your face.

5. Baby Robe

I cringe to think how many of these I gave as gifts before I had children. They're so ridiculously adorable, and, of course, every baby needs a robe, right? Wrong. There's really just no right time for a baby to wear a robe.

6. Hordes of Expensive Infant Clothes

One or two nice outfits for pictures are fine, but spending oodles of dollars on designer duds for your child before he can even sit up is pointless. No one can even see what babies are wearing when they're always in a carrier, sling, or huddled under blankets.

What products would you add to the list?

 

Image via Rusty Clark/Flickr