Which Baby Products Do Moms Actually Need? As Seen on the Today Show!

I’m a mom of three and when I registered at BabiesRUs the first time I registered for everything. The wipes warmer, the Diaper Genie and a myriad of different things that I eventually found out I did not need. Although this was fun, and despite my big baby shower, I wasted A LOT of money.

On the Today Show today they ran a segment about what baby products you really don’t need and which products are parents favorites.

Jessica Hartshorn, the senior editor of American Baby Magazine, identifies the following baby items as unnecessary. I am not sure I agree with the changing table as unnecessary, having one of these really helped my back.

• Crib Bumper – I found out from the segment that these are actually banned in a few states, babies can roll over and get stuck in them.
• Walkers – Puts babies up at heights higher sooner and they can pull stuff off tables that can be dangerous to them. Not really shown to help babies walk any faster.
• Wipes Warmer – It is nice but not really necessary was what they have to say about this. I had one but it often dried the wipes out if I forgot to add water.
• Doorway Jumper – Sometimes difficult to install, calls safety into question. We had the Jumperoo and all my babies adored it.
• Changing Table – If your baby budget is tight you can change the baby in any number of places including the floor and save a few hundred dollars.

And now here is the list of equipment Jessica says you actually do need in the form of parents favorites:

• Graco Snugride Infant Car Seat –  on Target.com – About 38% of people polled had this car seat. Holds babies up to 40 pounds and can be rear facing for 2 years.
• Chicco Cortina Stroller  – Top stroller in poll, light and easy to fold and best of all it is under $200
• Summer Infant Swaddler Me Swaddlers  – Makes it easy to swaddle little babies. Swaddling can be tough sometimes, it takes getting the hang of!
• Johnson’s Baby Wash  -A brand that has stood the test of time, many parents polled felt the lavender scent did calm babies down before bed time.
• Dr. Brown’s Bottles  – These bottles have an anti-colic insert that reduces the amount of gas babies swallow while feeding. I loved them. They do have more parts to wash than other bottles though
• Medela Breast Pump – This one actually works well. If you are going to breast feed and plan to be pumping for a while you definitely want to spend more on the breast pump  you buy, it is worth it. This is definitely one of those situations where quality matters.
• Bobby Nursing Pillow  – Brings the baby up to a comfortable height to feed and gives your arm something to rest on especially if that cute little bundle falls asleep on you!
• Skip Hop Diaper Bags – Very functional yet have chic mommy style.

As you can see from some of this prices, having a baby in no inexpensive endeavor. Knowing what you actually need beforehand is helpful.