Things you want…Things you need

If you are anything like me, once you found out you were having a baby, research started. What do I need?  What do all the other moms use?  What’s best for baby ingredient wise?  I am a regular investigator for the who, what, where, and why of baby needs.  I mean, we all want our kid to have the best, right?  So, as I painstakingly poured over making a baby registry, I learned my first valuable lesson.  No one gets you what is on the registry.  Sure, some people will, but most go rogue and buy whatever they want to buy.  So, really, there is no reason at all to make a registry.  

The other lesson I learned pretty quickly, was that baby stuff costs a fortune.  So, all those designer baby things start to add up really quickly.  Pick and chose wisely when being fashion forward with an infant who will literally out grow something in the blink of an eye.  I wanted to dress Emma in Burberry and Ralph Lauren since I adore their baby line.  However, it didn’t financially make a lot of sense to purchase her a $200 dress to lay around in.  I don’t really live in a high fashion area, and no one would even know what a Burberry dress was.  I’m raising a kid in the backwoods of Ohio, not 5th Ave.  

I will start by telling you what I wanted.  And if they were useful or not.  

MY WANTS:

• Wipe Warmer:  Not a necessity in any way, but I love it.  I had my baby in the winter, and I didn’t want her to be anymore cold than she already may be in the winter.  I feel like it is a nice little luxury for her.  It’s not really something you can’t do without, but I like having it for her.  Go ahead and splurge on this.
• Avent Bottle Warmer:  I like this very much.  I started with a Kiinde, but it broke almost immediately.  Upon returning it, I was told to get an Avent, and it has been great.  Grant it, you can always heat things up on the stove, but this warmer let’s my husband drop in the bag of milk and walk away until he is ready to feed kiddo.  It gives an hour of warmth before we even have to use it.  It also fits our Kiinde bags, and is compatible with other brands, so I’m a fan. 

  

• Honest Wipes:  Just go ahead and buy like 1 million bags of wipes.  I don’t love everything from this company, but I do really really like the wipes.  The ingredients are minimal, and that is important to me.  I even switched a few brands to see if there really was a difference, and there is.  Emma immediately had a reaction to the other brands, so I went back to Honest, and everything went back to normal.  This is a higher cost brand, but it’s worth it to me.

  

• Wubbanub:  I thought this was such a cute way to hold a pacifier, so I paid the $15 for this thing.  My child hates pacifiers, and hates the dog attached to it.  Some kids may be into it, but for me it was a want and definitely not a need.
• 4moms MamaRoo:  I wanted one of these really bad as soon as I saw it in the store. It is a very expensive investment for a baby, and I was lucky enough to have amazing in-laws that purchased it for us. Emma allowed us to put her in it for about the 1st month.  After that, she wasn’t having it.  Now, it did buy me a lot of time to get some stuff done as she rocked while she was a newborn, but I would say this is not a need. At all.  It is a pure want.  So, you better make sure your kid likes it before you drop the dough. 
• Cool Diaper Bag:  I wanted a really handy diaper bag that also was manly enough for my husband. I got a Jeep Bookbag, and it’s great. However, I only use it for long trips.  I use a 31 bag daily, and prefer it.  Don’t pay a ton for a diaper bag.  It’s dumb.  Most days, I could toss some diapers in a tiny bag and go.  
• Shoes:  Stupid.  None of them fit my child.  I guess one day they will, but as of 3 months, there is still not a pair she can wear properly.  Dumb investment. 
• Cloth Diapers:  For us, this was a great investment and decision.  It is not for everyone.  There is a certain dedication level that must be given to cloth diapering, and it can be tedious at times.  Economically, environmentally, & health wise this made the most sense to me.  It is a bigger investment up front than traditional diapers, but long-term you save an average of $2000-$2500/yr.  Plus, they are so stinking cute…
• Breastfeeding Covers:  It’s a silly purchase.  I have several.  I have expensive ones to super cheap ones.  You know what I use?  Aden + Anais Muslin Blankets.  I adore these blankets, and Emma can breathe well thru them.  She was so sweaty under all the other covers, and I couldn’t imagine that making meal time fun.  No one wants to eat while sweating the whole time. 

Let’s move on to things you will NEED.  

• Onesies:  Go ahead and buy a big ole stack of 0-3 mo, and 3-6 mo.  I only suggest a handful of Newborn size because they will outgrow it in like a week.  Pending the season you have your kid, you may want to get a lot of pajamas and pants.  I felt like I stayed buying pants the first 3 months because I didn’t really get any at my shower & didn’t buy them when I was first clothes shopping for her.  You will go thru several onesies a day, so just stock up.  It’s like a never-ending sea of onesies in the laundry. 
• Bibs:  No one mentioned to me how many bibs I would need.  It’s like a secret or something.  And bibs are kind of expensive for what they are.  I HATE the bandana bibs.  They are cute, but don’t work well for us.  I prefer a regular, plain bib.  I ordered bulk off Amazon 3 times now because my kid is a drool factory and goes thru at least 6 a day.  It’s ridiculous.  Buy truckloads ofbibs.  
• Blankets:  My child loves soft, furry blankets.  She loves silky blankets.  She loves all blankets.  They have become a bit of a chew toy over the last month or so, but that’s ok.  Since she was a winter baby, chenille and fur blankets were key.  Now, that is summer, I use a light weight cotton or muslin blanket. 
• We touched on wipes above.  Just buy a bunch of them.  
• Mobile:  Get one.  This was something my mom got for me.  I had no intention of buying Emma a mobile.  I’m not sure why I thought it wasn’t needed, but it most certainly is.  My child could spend hours and hours laughing at her mobile.  I think it is what made her fall in love with her bed.  I got the Tiny Love Tiny Princess Soothe and Groove.  It was a great gift to get.  

  

• Car Seat:  This sort of goes without saying.  Do a lot of research regarding this purchase.  It is the safety of your kid that is on the line.  We ended up going with Recaro, and also got the matching stroller.  I’m incredibly pleased with the brand, and will stick with them as we move into bigger seats.  You have no choice on whether or no you get a car seat. They don’t let you leave the hospital with your kid unless you have one.  

  

• Waterproof mattress cover:  A baby mattress is expensive.  Protect it.  
• Lots of Links:  My child adores these.  Not only do they attach toys to things, but they are her favorite toy to travel around with just as a bunch of links.  The colors are vivid to peak her interest, and they are different textures to heighten her senses. They are a must have, in my opinion.  

  

I could go on for pages and pages.  But, I will stop here for now.  There are a million things you can buy.  A million things that you will want to buy.  But, here is a good starting point to build from when looking to shop for your kid.  In reality, a baby doesn’t need nearly as much as society or media says it does.  They are basic creatures.  They really just need their mommy and daddy, some delicious milk, and a safe place to call home. There is not one materialistic thing on this earth that can compare to your love.