What Baby Equipment Do You Really Need?

When you find out you are having a baby the excitement is often followed by dread when you realize all the stuff you are going to have to buy. Sales people will try to talk you into buying everything. Your baby shower will often give you a lot of cute stuff, but often not realistic or usable. You only have so much money, so where do you start? I think baby stuff falls into two main categories: Must haves and nice to haves.

So first there are the must haves: These are the essential items, these are things that you are going to want right away and things you will probably use everyday. As your baby gets older there will be a lot more must haves --like a highchair-- but I am going to cover the stuff that you will be using right away.
The very first thing you should buy is a car seat. You will need to have a car seat before you can bring your little bundle of joy home from the hospital so this is an important purchase. The car seat is something that is very important for safety reasons and something that you will be using regularly, so go ahead and splurge on this. I don't think you should ever compromise the safety of little ones, so if you are getting a hand me down be sure to check the date on it, and check to make sure there are no recalls.

Next you need to figure out your sleeping arrangements. If you plan on your baby sleeping in own bedroom then you will need a crib. If you plan on the baby sleeping in your room, you might want a cradle or a bassinet. If you are planning on co-sleeping consider getting a co-sleeper that attaches to your bed. If you still aren't sure where you will be comfortable with your baby sleeping you might want to just purchase a cradle or bassinet for now, then make the bigger purchase once you decide. I know a lot of co-sleeping parents that spent a lot of money on cribs that just ended up being a stacking place for clothes or stuffed animals.

Of course you will need clothes. But don't worry about getting to many to begin with, once the baby is here you will know sizes better and you will see what you use the most. You will also need some diapers, but once again don't buy to many. The hospital will send you home with some, and you will want to try some different brands to see which ones you like best.

Then there are the Nice to haves: These are the things that can be very useful but aren't completely necessary. A lot of these things you can purchase as you find the need for them. A baby bath is one item that a lot of parents run out and buy or get gifted to them at showers. You won't even be able to give your baby a bath until their umbilical cord falls off. Once you are ready to give your baby a bath you will have to see what works best for you. Some people find the whole baby baths odd and hard to use. Some people love them. Many moms gives their baby's the first few baths in the sink, its often easier. So I say wait until you are sure before spending much money on a baby bath.

Some other items that make life easier but are not necessary are things like a diaper Genie, Baby slings --for carrying your baby-- , changing table, pack and play, a bouncy seat, a swing, and a breast feeding pillow. These are all very helpful items, but none of them are things that you can't live without. So before you spend money wait and see what you will actually use and what will be right for you baby.

Having a baby can be very expensive. There are so many things that you have to buy, but if you pay attention to what you are buying you can save a lot of money by not buying things that you will never use. There are also a lot of things that you can buy as they become necessary rather then buying everything right away and storing it. Good Luck and Have Fun with your New Bundle Of Joy!