Just kidding. Sort of. It isn't the clutter itself that I am actually fond of, it's the stuff. I love stuff. Baby stuff. Mommy stuff. Pet stuff. You name it. I like it. When things go on sale, I have a really hard time resisting.
Because of this
I don't want any of you soon-to-be-mommies to end up with the same problem that I had. I want your first precious weeks with baby to be clean and stress-free. Who wants to breastfeed on a mountain of unnecessary receiving blankets and bassinet sheets?
I have put together a list of the stuff that I feel is unnecessary for the first few months of a baby's life (or forever. For example, wipe warmers. You will never need one of those). This list is not exhaustive, nor will it work out for every family. This list simply comes from my own personal experience. Hope it helps you.
1. Receiving Blankets.
What are these things used for anyway? Too light to keep baby warm in a crib or stroller. Too small to swaddle with. Too large to use as a burp rag.
I ended up with mountains of these things (they come in the cutest patterns ever). Willa is almost eight months and still to this day I have not used a single one. I much prefer the bamboo Aiden and Anais Wraps for swaddling, and warm, thick blankets when baby needs to stay warm.
2. Newborn Baby Shoes
We were gifted lots of teeny tiny baby shoes. I mean, come on. They are adorable! However, during the first few weeks babies sleep SO MUCH. It doesn't make sense to get them all dressed up with matching shoes to boot if they are just going to be sleeping all day. The first month we were either holding her or she was sleeping in her bouncy seat or crib. Even when we did get her dressed up to visit family or go to church, I just couldn't bear to put her in shoes. They seem so uncomfortable and constricting.
Willa is seven and a half old and we are only just now beginning to put her in shoes every once in a while, and that is because she is cruising.
3. An Expensive Breast Pump
Now, this will only be true for you if you plan on either being a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) or just don't plan on being away from your baby much the first six months of her life.
Everyone told me that a double electric breast pump (about $300) was an absolute necessity for moms planning to breastfeed. However, I stood my ground and bought the $30 Medela manual. SO. GLAD. I. DID.
I was able to express milk just fine with the manual. It is super portable (and not noisy and embarrassing). I would just milk myself occasionally before I was going to leave for a couple hours. Even if I wasn't leaving, it was nice to have some bottles on hand for Jacob to feed W in the middle of the night. I am glad I didn't waste the money.
4. A Bassinet
Have you ever met a baby who actually likes sleeping in a bassinet? I never have.
My friend gifted me an awesome (and super cute) white lace bassinet. I was so excited to have it next to my bed and have Willa sleeping close to me every night. Little did I know that sleeping flat on her back and away from mommy and daddy would be like torture to her.
For weeks and weeks we tried to get her to tolerate it, but we never had luck.
We found that she much preferred a) co-sleeping, b) sleeping on one of us, c) sleeping at an incline, and d) sleeping on her tummy.
Willa still sleeps with us half of the night (and in her crib the other half) and we STILL have that dang bassinet next to our bed, taking up space. DON'T DO IT.
If you want something for your baby to sleep in, I would recommend this. It also rocks, so it could do dual duty and also be your "bouncer" while you do stuff around the house.
5. Myriad of Baby Toys
Okay, this is going to sound really crazy. Really insane. Get ready for it.......
Willa's favorite toys are kitchen utensils!
She has a ton of bright and colorful toys; some that make noise, some that have remote controls, and some that make me want to pull my hair out. Don't get me wrong, I am sure some of them are great for her development and hand-eye coordination or some BS like that. However, I really don't think you need a lot of toys, especially when baby is <1 year old.
Even at her age now, nothing makes her happier than me handing her a mesh teether with an ice cube in it, a wooden spoon, or the metal whisk.
So, don't splurge on
Well, that's all for now. I find it ironic that I am writing this post to help you stay away from too much stuff, but I can't write without too many words!
Stay tuned for my post coming up on my MUST HAVE baby items.
