Top Seven Baby Products You Can Live Without

If you are a first time mom-to-be, just strap on a giant target and get ready to be taken advantage of.  Marketing gurus know that raging hormones and nesting impulses are a perfect recipe for high credit card mileage.

They even offer "registry assistants" at the baby megaplex who are exceedingly helpful and eager to reassure you that yes, indeed, you need a special stirrer to "integrate" the formula and water.  When beholding rows of shiny, colored food accessories it's hard to remember that a spoon would blend the formula just fine.

New moms beware: reign in the beast to steer clear of serious overspending and buyers remorse. Consider avoiding the following products:

1. Wipe Warmer
My Mommy and Me playgroup would shoot me for heresy, but I am willing to be the lone voice of reason. Wipe warmers are a hassle! The one I have requires that I purchase a special sponge that I must saturate with water once a week. They have to be replaced every couple of months; it is yet another gadget to maintain and keep up with. And when you are out and about, little precious has no choice but to submit to inhumane treatment with a cold, frigid wipe. A regular container is sufficient for your baby's rear end.  If you are still concerned about long term psychological damage, rub the wipes together with your hands to warm them up and save the cash.

2. New Breast Pump
The key word here is "new".  Before you fly into a germiphobe fit, think about the cost of a store-bought pump (that actually gets the job done).  Unless your mother-in-law is dead set on making sure her grandbaby has a brand new machine, look on Craigslist. I bought my Medela pump that retailed $350 for just $80 from a mom down the highway who used it a few times.  Large baby stores sell the plastic parts that go with the pump if you are concerned about hygiene.  

3. Shopping Cart Cover
I'm with you on the nastiness of shopping carts.  Even before baby I came armed with some kind of disinfectant before laying hands on it. While the idea of a buffer between cart and baby seems appealing, the grime that was previously on the cart now hitches a ride on your fancy fabric and travels home afterward (where you will need to wash yet another thing). Bust out a wet wipe and give the seat a twice over.

4. Natural Baby Food Processor
When I first saw these natural food processing systems specifically for baby I thought it was a joke! KidCo makes blenders and special trays with individual serving sizes. After freezing each tray there is a serving dish with the same shape tray that may be used to heat and use to feed. Puree the food in a blender, pour into ice cube trays, and after they are frozen, pop them into a freezer safe ziplock bag.  Two cubes are a serving.

5. Pre-Crawler Baby Shoes
The next time you travail to the mall, make it a point to look at baby feet.  Nine out of ten have no shoes on their feet.  Perhaps six of these arrived with shoes and have kicked them off within two minutes.  Mom is carrying them or frantically re-dressing the feet every few minutes.  Sure they are cute, but again, another think to keep up with that Junior doesn't need yet.

6. Video Monitor
Can we say 1984? We are spied on enough in the day and age; give the baby a break.  I understand how nerve-racking it can be to bring home your first little bundle and to be hyper-concerned about her health those first few days.  However, a video monitor will only increase your lack of sleep and make you even more of a basket-case those first long week.

7. A Plethora of Strollers
If you peek in my garage, you'll see a parking lot of strollers.  The infant travel system stroller (with car seat), the jogger, the fancy umbroller, the cheapy umbroller, and the double-seater.  You are probably wiser than I and have stuck to one or two.  If I had it to do over again, I would purchase a smaller infant travel system--I am becoming one of those moms who occupies an entire lane and a half with my traveling baby cruise ship.  Smaller is better when it comes to strollers.  And the umbrella stroller is a definite must.  

So moms, be a wise spender and before registering, do some product research and just say no to the registry assistant's must-have list. Stay tuned for more info on top baby products that you can't live without!