New Baby Items: What's Needed and What's Not?

When you're an expectant parent, you anxiously await the arrival of your little one with as much patience as you can afford. Often, your patience will run out before time is actually up, and the baby arrives, so you begin to make sure you have everything ready. Luckily, with all of the books and websites, not to mention doctors and specialists, tons of information is out there just waiting to be discovered and utilized. This is all very useful content, but don't forget that close relatives, specifically your own parents, have a lot of information in this department, too. In a world where new ideas and inventions mature and develop at a rapid rate, you could spend a fortune having all of the best and latest equipment for your baby. It's hard to imagine that back in the day, we used to have these little bundles of joy without cribs, without breast-pumps, even without bottles!

Take a second to look around your home. Do you have a lot of extra things that you don't need? Maybe you saw a product advertised on an infomercial and just had to have it. Maybe you don't even use it now. If you have several things like this, whether it's clothing, shoes, technological equipment, then you may want to pay close attention to the idea of this article. Babies, especially newborns, don't need all of the equipment retailers and websites would have you believe they need. In fact, some things are considered unsafe for baby to have at all.

A pillow in a babies crib is quite dangerous. It could smother your little one while he/she sleeps. Crib bumpers offer the same concern if baby gets his/her face too close to it. Also, when your baby is old enough to stand, which can occur at around 6 months of age, crib bumpers become a new hazard. They can be used to help your child climb out of the crib. Mesh crib bumpers are more practical in their structure. Air passes through them, so your little one can breathe if he/she sleeps too close to it. However, they are difficult to install. I don't know if the one I had just wasn't compatible with our crib, but it was made with velcro attachments, which allowed it to slip and slide too much on the bars of the crib.

Generally, you want to keep everything out of the crib for the first 6 months. Swaddle your newborn in a receiving blanket, and make sure the temperature is comfortable in the room. Parents have a tendency to worry a lot about their little one being warm enough, and thus, babies tend to be too warm at night. Unless you live in an extremely cold climate, or your baby's room is just particularly cold, swaddling should be enough. On colder nights, my husband and I would swaddle our daughter, leaving her arms out because she hated being confined, and we'd tuck her in with another receiving blanket on top. We would only allow the second blanket to come up to her chest, just under her arms. We loved the idea of the swaddling blanket that is made just for that reason, but our little girl wasn't so sold on the idea. These blankets are shaped with flaps that wrap around your little one, and they even have a little pocket at the bottom where you can tuck their little feet in. They secure shut in various ways, some with snaps or ties, and they come in either cotton or flannel. I don't know why, but my daughter just didn't like it. I preferred using receiving blankets anyway because they are cheaper, and with as often as we had to wash the things, that was ideal.

A dust ruffle is also not necessary to buy. Although they do look nice, they tend to collect dust, just as their name suggests. How often will you actually look at the bottom of the crib? Many bedding ensembles include a dust ruffle, but several, including mine, do not. Sometimes, it's even cheaper to just create your own ensemble by purchasing everything separately. In the beginning, this is usually quite easy, since you really only need a fitted crib sheet and some receiving blankets to wash and use accordingly, but once your little one has grown up enough to have other things added safely, it becomes more fun. Did a grandparent make a quilt or crochet a blanket for the baby? Matching a fitted sheet to that generous gift will make the room unlike any other baby's room. Although bedding sets are adorable, they can be quite expensive. Sometimes just shopping around and picking things up as you can afford them results in not only spending less, but also being more unique, if that sort of thing appeals to you. Also, shopping in non-baby departments can be better on the budget. Baby stores know that births happen year-round, so a constant need exists for more baby items. I found that buying things such as lamps and throw blankets on clearance from other departments was not only cost-effective, but they can be used in other rooms of the house, or as my daughter matures.

Baby showers are wonderful ways to receive gifts before baby arrives. It's like people want to reward babies and their families for existing, which is great! If you run out of ideas for gifts to ask for, especially if you're trying to keep things simple, ask for gift cards. Don't forget this little one will grow up into a young adult with needs and aspirations in the future, so maybe opening up a college fund and asking gift-givers to donate towards the future wouldn't be a bad idea either. Gifts that keep on giving are special and everlasting in ways that little gadgets and toys just can't be.

Babies are exciting adventures. Remember that you are central to your little one's growth, not the latest toy, crib, video recording equipment, etc. Things are nice to have, but creating a warm and positive family environment is most important.