Ahh the baby registry…what a fun time I had creating that little number.
I’m kidding, it was not fun…it was kinda stressful as a first-time mom. There are so many unnecessary baby items, but I only searched the internet to get information on things I needed. Unfortunately a lot of people are trying to sell you stuff on the internet so I ended up putting some very unnecessary baby items on my first baby registry.
All of these unnecessary baby items are still currently sitting around my house creating clutter because motherhood makes it very difficult to get to the store and return things. Honestly, I never liked returning things to the store in the first place. No clue why but it gives me anxiety (why am I like thisss??).
Hopefully I can help some other people avoid the mistake that I made!
Here are 7 things I put on my baby registry but never used:
Unnecessary Baby Item #1: Pacifier clips
Okay, I have definitely seen people use pacifier clips before and I think they can be super cute. HOWEVER, I have never ever ever used the 3 that I have. NEVER.
There are 2 main reasons why these should not be on your registry:
They are unnecessary
My baby was only really given a paci at night or during nap times and even then he did not like the pacifier! I had to do some trial and error to even find a paci he would take in the first place. It’s very common for babies to refuse pacifiers, so in these cases you obviously wouldn’t need the clip either.
They give me more anxiety than I already have to begin with
Maybe it’s just me, but having a clip and string attached to my baby’s clothing gives me extreme anxiety. I don’t know how I didn’t realize I would feel like this when I was pregnant, but I really thought 3 pacifier clips were going to be used. NOPE.
So for me, it was a no on the pacifier clips. Don’t bother with them!
Side note on pacis: The ONLY pacis my son would take are MAM pacifiers and Tommee Tippee air pacifiers. He preferred the Tommee Tippee. HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Tommee Tippee. Haven’t heard of a baby who wouldn’t take it yet.
Unnecessary Baby Item #2: “Cute” outfits
I put “cute” in quotes because literally all baby clothes are cute to me, but the “cute” ones I’m talking about are the fancy-type clothes. You know, the uncomfortable, not-easy-to-put-on outfits. You don’t need nearly as many as you wish you did.
There are at least 5 newborn or 0-3 outfits that have never been touched. That’s like the minimum number, there are probably more still hanging in my son’s closet.
Now don’t get me wrong, in my humble opinion a few fancy outfits are okay (maybe 1 or 2). But when you’re in newborn/fourth trimester survival mode, you’re not dressing your baby in those “cute” outfits. They’re getting a onesie or footie pajamas. Let’s keep it real.
Unnecessary Baby Item #3: Booties
I put 2 pairs of little cute booties on my registry, received both of them, and used zero of them. They were so cute, but ultimately so not needed. I don’t know why I thought we would ever need booties for our newborn son…must’ve been the pregnancy hormones or something.
All shoes are honestly useless until like 6 months. Even now, my son is 8 months and shoes just get in the way. It’s better to just keep them off your list!
The same is NOT true for baby mittens–we used our Goumi ones A LOT and loved them. But pass on the booties!
Unnecessary Baby Item #4: Hats
So I feel like I’m saying a lot of clothing items but this is the last one I have to add. I got a little crazy and put like 10 hats on my registry. I thought they were so cute and was sure I would use them.
Spoiler alert: I didn’t. I used maybe 3 of the 10 hats, but I could’ve limited it to 2 hats on the registry. I thought I would put my son in a hat every day, but he didn’t need one and it was just another thing that got in the way. They’re necessary but only for a few days or weeks.
Unnecessary Baby Item #5: Nursing cover
Okay I know I said I was done with the clothing, but I don’t know if this is considered clothing? I had a few nursing covers on my registry. I didn’t use any. Nursing-friendly clothing > nursing covers.
Also, I’m going to get really honest real quick–most of the time I was nursing at home I was just topless. In the beginning, I truly believe this is the only way to do it. I only wore a nursing bra because my boobs were leaking and I wanted to maintain some sense of modesty (lol).
Skip the nursing covers on your registry–there’s other things you can use to cover up if you feel like you need to.
Unnecessary Baby Item #6: Car seat cover
I’m a weirdo and actually had a few of these on my registry, thinking I’d need them. They’re collecting dust in a drawer somewhere because they were not used.
You really don’t go too many places with a newborn (at least I didn’t), so there’s not a huge need for a car seat cover. When we did go to the doctor or somewhere else, we just used a blanket.
This is another item that kind of made me more anxious…I did not like the idea of not being able to see my baby fully. I wish I would’ve realized that I would feel like that when I was making my registry.
Unnecessary Baby Item #7: “Pocket Nanny” timer/any other timer, notebook, etc.
We got a Pocket Nanny thinking it would be helpful for timing out diaper changes, feedings, naps, etc. However, we still have not touched it. We didn’t need it and it was one of those unnecessary baby items that kind of just became an extra chore. Who can even remember to press the timer and keep that thing with you??? I couldn’t.
We did use the Huckleberry app to track feedings, pumping sessions, and diaper changes, and we loved that. We used our Nanit to help us monitor our son’s sleep better and that is still helping us today.
You can skip the special timers, notebooks, and whiteboards though, because who can be bothered with all that stuff? It’s too much for me.
The last thing to know about your baby registry
Keep in mind your individual personality and needs for your registry. Try to be honest with yourself about what you’ll actually use and what items are just unnecessary baby items that will take up clutter in your house. This was super difficult for me and you see where I ended up, stuck with at least 7 unnecessary baby items that I got from my registry. Yikes.
I hope this helps you narrow down your list! Good luck, Mama!!
Want more first-time mom advice? Check out this post:
10 Amazing Tips for a First-Time Mom
Let me know your thoughts on some other useless baby registry items in the comments!
Mary
This is such an insightful post! Thank you!!!!