diaper change table.

I only used my baby monitor once. In our small house I certainly did not need it.

bumbo.

diaper genie

I had a changing table with my first child and I liked it - it had built-in storage that was handy - but I got rid of it when I had to fit in a second crib for my second child and I haven't really missed it.

I'll second the bumbo.. just takes up space.

a crib

Bumbo (gift), baby monitor (house small and the lungs on my babies! ;), didn't get a changing table (used top of dresser), and baby tub - used such a short period. I took baths with my babies most often or used the sink.

Crib that transitions to a full sized bed. Ugh.
Bumbo, used it like twice.
Swing, kid hated it and it was big and ugly.

Bumbo.

crib, baby monitor, sound machine. I quickly learned that every baby is different and may not actually like the things that we often consider nursery staples.

Anything that can't be easily washed.

We got one of these doorway jumpers:

http://www.amazon.com/Sassy-Seat-Doorway-Jumper-Toys/dp/B001H9NXJ8

Kid loved it. But had a very nasty diaper blowout. And there was no way to remove the fabric seat and wash it.

Even if you plan to buy used/online or register for things, check them out in person and make sure they are easy to clean.

we actually used the Bumbo A LOT, but I definitely agree on the baby tub and monitor. Way underutilized and I ended up selling both. We washed in the kitchen sink and only used the monitor the first week he was in his own room.

OPPS....
I wrote the items MUST HAVES.

Organic bedding.,cloth diapers and hemp washcloths with hooded towel
http://www.etsy.com/shop/turnanewleafdesigns?ref=pr_shop_more

What I would never buy would be non organic bedding.
I would do without the monitor.

Crib Bedding SET. All a baby needs is some nice sheets.

I've been really burned by expensive, "designer" kids products that don't last. We just got rid of our fancy Argington kids table set after three short years and couldn't even sell it on CL. Table leg broken off twice, TWO chairs broken.

Our Argington high chair arrived broken, terrible customer service, got a new one from seller, then the tray table was a mess with missdrilled holes and it took SIX phones for them to replace it. Again, couldn't sell it on CL because of lousy reviews on amazon. Designer + Made in China = Avoid

We're replacing our table with one from Community Playthings. Preschool-quality. Bullet proof. Cheaper. Made in the US.

Expensive crib, bumbo, and this bath pod. Some like it, some think it's too hard to use and baby outgrows it fast. I was part of the latter.

If you had asked me two months ago (prior to the birth of #2), I would have said a rocking chair, which my first daughter hated and took up a ton of space in our tiny apartment. But #2 LOVES to be rocked. That's why I always think lists like these are kind of useless. It varies so much from family to family and kid to kid.

Crib

Bumbo, full-sized swing (baby #1 did like it, so we got rid of it and borrowed a travel swing for #2, so much better), and the big plastic bath tub (got a cheap mesh seat for #2, much easier to store, dry, and use).

I have three kids. Here are the products that I ditched quickly:
baby bathtub (can wash the kids in the bath or in a sink)
bottle warmer (my kids didn't mind the milk the way it was)
prenatal monitor (to apparently hear your unborn baby) What a scam.
Boppy (Brest friend is so much more supportive for nursing)
Frog Pod (to apparently hold bathtoys) It kept on crashing to the floor when the suction cups failed. What a piece of junk!)

I agree with Nellymom. It depends on the kid. We used the bumbo a ton with our first (we're preggers w/#2). But it sounds like a ton of people didn't use it.

Definitely the monitor. I found that we could hear our son everywhere. (But I guess that would depend on the size the the house).

And baby towels, (the thin ones). They don't really absorb much water and they outgrow them so quickly.

Bottle warmer - I found the bottles were always too hot.

Wipe warmer - dries out/burns the ones at the bottom and really, a cold wipe isn't that bad.

Swing, bouncy chair, exersaucer, pretty much all of the baby containment devices - these only came in handy when I was working with twins. I preferred holding/wearing infants when they were little and putting them in the crib, high chair or pack'n'play when I needed a moment to do something. I think that's more of a personal preference though.

Glowplanet, by prenatal monitor, do you mean home dopplers or some other device? I love my doppler - I have an anterior placenta which absorbs baby's movement. I'm starting my third trimester and still go days at a time without feeling anything. I felt like the $50 I spent on my doppler has been well worth the diminished anxiety.

Bumbo (borrowed one, she used it for 1 month), exersaucer (bought one on craigslist, she used it for 2 months). I have a small house and actually DO use my baby monitor a lot - every time we go down in the basement for extended periods of time, or outside so i can do yardwork or sit around the fire pitl.

Bumbo, for sure.

Crib and changing table. We didn't really buy much else to begin with, but those definitely didn't get much use.

what is the crib in this picture???

Everybody's different (as is every kid). So we try to buy our furniture and borrow/swap/craigslist our toy items and containment units.

I second about the thin baby towels. Why are they so thin?

We were gifted a video monitor and it has been the best thing ever. We can check on him without disturbing him. We can see when he has lost his Peeps and where it is in the crib to be able to tuck it right back in with him with a minimum of disturbance. We can see how restless he is, if he's gone back to sleep after a little wake-up, even when he's probably still awake because of poop (body language.

That said, the My Brest Friend pillow was horrific for nursing posture and baby cofort and we switched to a Boppy after two weeks and my visit to the doc for a sore neck. The organic PeePee TeePees that were a shower gift were the biggest joke ever (too small and too prone to flying aeay, we used burp cloths instead), and the Puj tub wuldn't fit under our old faucet.

EDW - David Netto Cabine Crib, $1595

The freaking wipe warmer. When I registered at BrU for our first child 6 years ago, the woman who worked there was personally offended that I had only 17 items listed. She literally rejected my registry and told me to add more items. The baby industry is a racket.

Don't buy a bottle warmer. Babies can drink milk warm or even straight from the fridge. If you have a dishwasher, don't buy a bottle sterilizer. We have a small house, but we LOVE our video baby monitor. We've used it for a year and it's been very useful to see what she's up to.

Because I can't help be contrary, I have to say, I was opposed to a baby monitor (expensive, small house), but my husband got one when my daughter was already 16 months and since she whimpers and cries when she drops her pacifier but sometimes can find it herself, it's actually helped us extend naps by as much as an hour when we can see whether hers is a passing complaint that we shouldn't disturb or whether she's genuinely ready to be collected. Also my husband can control and view the monitor with his phone, so he can peek in during the day and see us reading (though it creeps me out, it's kind of sweet) or if he's coming home late he can see where we are in the bedtime routine or whatever. It's far handier than I ever would have predicted.

And Amy_F, those baby towels are useless for babies, but they are the best thing for drying my hair quickly in a turban!

That hair-washing bucket that has one side to bend around baby's face wasn't that useful; at least ours was so rigid you really had to press it into the baby's forehead to get a decent 'seal' so it seemed gentler just to use the water and get it over with.

Baby products are just a matter of taste - for you and also what your baby ends up liking and using.
My biggest suggestion is to get the bare minimum and borrow the rest from friends to test it out before you invest. Once you know you both like a product you can easily pick up items used for so much cheaper.

We definitely use our monitor and it's not a huge house. But like noted before, some of this depends on the house.

The standalone changing table always seemed like a waste of money to me. Most of them serve very little other purposes once done being used. We used the top of his dresser until about 5-6 months when he was too squirmy and we moved to the floor.

Also agree on the bathtub. We did like the "whale" tub (from Target) so that he could sit in the big bath without so much space around, but it was short lived and we easily could have done with out, or kept him in the kitchen sink longer.

It's too bad because it really does depend on your baby (and you won't know what they like until you buy/borrow/receive the items.) We loved the bumbo. We used it instead of a highchair for months-we'd plop our daughter in the middle of the table (I know you aren't supposed to, but we were always right there with her) in the bumbo and she loved being part of everything instead of off in her high chair. We also use the bottle warmer a lot. Neither of my kids would drink cold or lukewarm milk and it's helpful in the middle of the night instead of going downstairs to heat a bottle. On the other hand, my son could care less about his swing and I've never understood the need for a wipe warmer. We also ditched the Arm's Reach co-sleeper pretty quickly because my daughter was such a loud sleeper that we put her in her crib in the nursery much earlier than we planned.

Any of the cloths that tie around the neck for breast feeding in public. If you (or baby) prefer to be covered, carry an lightweight swaddle with you to throw over your shoulder. I didn't really like either the boppy or brest friend pillow, but preferred the brest friend (despite its ridiculous name).

To reiterate the every parent/baby is different theme...here's my list of stuff I liked that people didn't like above: I personally like the wipes warmer, but I use cloth wipes. I also liked the puj tub, and found it useful for travel, and found it could be made to work and create a clean cushion even in sinks that it didn't fit in perfectly--but we also showered with her or took her in the bath with us and could have easily done without. the baby bjorn bouncer was my favorite of the bouncers, and my daughter really liked the attached wooden toy. The bumbo was not a necessity but my daughter liked being able to sit upright "on her own" before she was actually sitting up.

I slightly regret the changing table--I see its expiration date approaching quickly. I think I would have preferred to invest (probably my time--in refinishing) in a nice dresser. Oh well.

Baby tub. We used it once and it's still taking up space in our storage three years later!

We used our bumbo often! And how can people say crib? where did the baby sleep??

I feel like everything we bought wasn't a necessity for our daughter like the:

Crib
Bedding Set
Changing Table
Swing
Bottles
Wash clothes
and etc.

That's the problem with living in a materialistic society. There are so many baby products and we think we need all of it. I've learned now to just stick with the basics.

My breast pump. I bought a Medela Swing thinking I'd be able to make bottles so my husband could feed our daughter. Used it maybe 6 times? As a work-from-home mom there just isn't time in the day to breastfeed, mom, work, and pump.

There were lots of items we only used for a short period of time: Bumbo, baby bath tub, swing, etc., but all of those things were exactly the right thing for that moment and I don't regret having them. I donated the items afterward.

I think you should look at your lifestyle, know your abilities (I cannot bathe or shower with a slippery infant), and see what you and the kid like. You never know ... I always hear diaper warmers are a waste and yet, I know a newborn that if you come anywhere near his heinie with a cold wipe, there will be auditory penalties.

I would say don't buy a Bumbo unless your kid is slow to sit up. I used it for months with my daughter who had some weak muscle issues. The bumbo gave her the gentle assist she needed. My son never used it at all.
We have a small house, but I found a baby monitor critical. I did not feel compelled to run into my kids' rooms every time they cried- I could just listen to determine whether they were going to sooth themselves back to sleep. I think this helped to get them to sleep through the night early on.
The really worthless product for me was a Svan baby bouncer. It was pretty- nice colors and angles. But it did not bounce! A neighbor gave me an old, ugly, Fisher Price bouncer that both my kids loved. In general, go for function over form for baby products. No matter how ugly they are, you only have to use most of them for a few months.

I got this tub kneeling pad that hooks over the edge of the tub and has a place to store the toys. It sounded great in theory, easy on the knees, but it was totally useless. It was the wrong height to be comfortable.
It was a garage sale item anyway, but the bouncer seat also got no use. We used a swing instead.
Also there were specific carriers we got that never worked well for us. (Not exactly a nursery item, but a baby item.) My advice would be wait until the baby is here to get those and then try to go somewhere where you can try them on first or test out a friend's before buying!

Thanks, everyone! Landis, the writer, here.

Definitely sounds like each kiddo is different! I guess I could've imagined that, but it's good to hear. We've been gifted a few things and then we bought the nursery items I blogged last week (which many of you had opinions about :) but that's it. I'll definitely take my time and test things out before buying, borrowing from friends etc. AND I'll leave our monitor in its packaging until we are sure we'll use it. If we don't (we live in a small home, too), I'll definitely return it.

Any other opinions, keep 'em coming!

the puj tub, my baby hated it, but others love it, the bumbo

I like the monitor, even though we live in a tiny apt, mine is not much of a crier, and it helps to know if it is a passing readjusting issue or if he needs help. Also, with reflux I like to get to him before he is too upset.

We used a significantly less amount of baby stuff with #2. No bottles, pump, wipe warmer, changing table, co sleeper, crib!. Especially wish we din't buy the bloom wood chair. $200 for something we used a handfull of times with my first and never with my second. My cat rather liked it though :)
Best things we bought: Stokke tripp trapps for both and the baby monitor

My daughter is 2 and we still sometimes use our flexi-bath and it takes up no room. It uses less water and when we haven't cleaned the tub in a while, makes for a less gross option.
And we live in a tiny apt, but use our monitor to hang out at our neighbors' downstairs after bed time or during naps.

I HATED my My Breast Friend. It took up so much room and was never that comfortable. A couple of couch pillows was all I needed.

I ended up using a manual pump at work, and only used my avent duo when I was traveling for more than 2 days on the road. It mostly took up a bunch of space and with my computer, the pump, and then picking up the kid from daycare, my arms were too overloaded to get home. The manual was super compact. But then again, I was a full on dairy cow.

We were given a bumbo seat as a hand-me-down and I didn't use it all that much apart from when I started weaning my little boy. It was then really useful to sit him in it on the dining table right in front of me - he was then upright and at a great height for me to get the spoon in his mouth. Also, don't see the point in top and tail bowls - just use a normal bowl!

Expensive high chair with lots of nooks and crannies for stuff to get stuck in. It's now in storeage and we replaced it with the Antilop for Ikea. It's cheaper, smaller, nicer looking, sooooo much easier to clean and does exactly the same job.

Expensive baby bath with special sling. Our son hated it, preferred shallow $5 tub from hardware store.

Manual breast pump, what a piece of crap. Spend the extra money in the first place and get and electric one.

I think it's probably easier to say, what does one need for a baby?! That list would include:

breastmilk
a few outfits
a safe place to sleep (in our case, our bed)
diapers/wipes of some kind (we use baby washcloths as wipes since they're totally useless as actual washcloths and super cheap)
a carrier (I LOVE my Moby)

Seriously, for the first few months it will be Mama who needs more things than baby.

Everything else is purely for you. My parents put me in a pulled out drawer when I was tiny. It's amazing what we convince ourselves we need only to find out so many things sit unused and collecting dust.

Even if your kid loves a swing say, that may only be the case for a month or two. Not really worth going out and buying one new. Why do you think there are so many consignment stores full of baby stuff?

The less you start off with, the happier you'll be.

To the folks who said you don't need a crib in your nursery, what did your child sleep in?

- I skipped the changing table with no regrets.
- The Carters baby bath towel (a gift) was too small after 2 months.
- we don't use our baby monitor - no point in a small apartment...
- nursing pillow took up space.

I had the prince lionheart bebepod and used it all the time. it came with the tray so we used it as the high chair til she was about 14 months. she started using it at 8 weeks. much better then the Bumbo from what I hear!

Diaper Genie. Why didn't anyone tell me that plastic would end up smelling like baby poo?!

-Boppy: I breastfed for both, each for 1 year, and found it cumbersome. My arms alone work great! They didn't like being propped up in it either, and only use it now as they would any other pillow.
-Baby tub: used the sink, then the tub with a hand towel underneath for gripping those slippery bums.
-Monitor: hardly used in 1700 & 1800 sq ft houses but useful for yard work. It gave me freedom to be outside in the sun working during naptime
-Umbrella stroller: our kids are 18 mos apart so I always have a diaper bag and carrying one baby, pushing one, carrying diaper bag precludes my hands for being free for anything else. They like to push it around with dolls or each other!
-Changing table: I used a spare bed/top of dresser/top of small bookshelf.
-12 bottles: I rarely pumped early on and after they sprouted teeth and I pumped and used the bottles, 4 was enough! (bottle warmer/washer useless for us, as fridge is near stove for warming and dishwasher works great)
-pacifiers: our kids hated them!
-skipped the wipe warmer and never missed it (a neonatal nurse friend said they're bacteria farms, which we decided full-term babies Gould avoid too)
-crib bumper
-skipped baby food maker (used my kitchen appliances!)
-We'll see if this all holds for our young man on the way!

I think the best, and greenest, advice with baby gear is to buy second-hand. If you live in a big city, chances are the mother's groups (or CL) are great resources for second-hand gear. If not borrow what you can. You might genuinely find you use the gear, but you're unlikely to use most of it for more than the first year. My twins are 14 months-old and my garage looks like Babies R Us. I think it's ridiculous now, but during those long days when I was running on very little sleep and completely unsure what I was doing, it was nice to have a (bumbo, vibrating seat, baby tub, high chair, co-sleeper, breast pump, monitor, wool carseat cover, fancy stroller, white noise machine, blackout blinds, library of books, bouncer, baby food maker, nursing cover, boppy, breast friend, glass bottles, anti-colic bottles). The first year is the longest and it just might take you 12 months to figure out what you actually use. So learn to be okay with second-hand gear and spend the cash on a night nurse so you can get some much-needed sleep and advice in those dark, early weeks!

Boppy, Bumbo, crib skirt, baby tub, thin baby towels, PeePee TeePees, nursing cover, Boon baby squirt spoon.

No really, where are these babies sleeping?? I'd love to regain some of the space that a crib takes up in the boys' room but I'm also fully opposed to sleeping three high (co-sleeping) unless it's absolutely necessary: sick kid, scared kid, Sunday morning snuggles, etc. (no disrespect to those who do co-sleep, it's just not for us)

The essentials were for us:
- the crib (with two positions for sleeping and avoid breaking my back too soon): I don't see how you can avoid it...
- the glass milk bottles when you stop breastfeeding (if you do it)
- a wardrobe to put clothes away

And I think that's it, the rest is up to your baby, yourself and your house. We don't have a bath or large enough sinks in our house, so I had to buy a baby tub that our 2-years old son is still using, but it breaks my heart to see him in this tiny bath, unable to swim, and I wish we had a real tub.
In a house with three levels, a monitor was also a must; I'd never use it otherwise.
We switched the changing table altogether and used counter space in the bathroom. I don't like wipes and use disposable cotton squares that I just sprinkle with water from the sink. My son has a very fragile skin, and the wipes I used while traveling always generated rashes, so I stick to plain water and mild soap. Plus, no changing table in the nursery means more space.
As far as toys go, go easy on them for at least the first six months. Babies are much more interested in seeing the world anyway, so invest in a good stroller and a "scarf" (don't know how they are called in English) and take the baby everywhere you go. And go out a lot ! More space saved and a very happy baby.
One more thing I wanted to add to the "useless" list is most toys with batteries, especially those meant for newborn babies, like singing books and such. I know you addressed the subject of space, but don't forget that noise is also a bummer and can make you go mad in a very short time (ever heard "Three blind mice" sung electronically 45 times a day ?). Ban, or at least limit those items. I'm not convinced they are necessary for the child's development, they take up space in your room and in your mind, and require frequent battery changes. Old fashion mobiles work as well and can be pieces of art.

I used the sink at first to bathe our baby but when she got longer than it, the blue whale tub was a lifesaver. She gets bathed everyday and I can't imagine wasting water to fill a whole tub just for her. We use our monitor even sleeping in the next room over-I sleep
So much more soundly knowing that we can hear her scream out.

The Arm's Reach co-sleeper in full size was a bloody mess. We planned on co-sleeping but our kid was a loud sleeping newborn and that kept us awake...plus, as a slightly less fat postpartum lady, getting up around it was a nightmare. Our baby was breech so she wouldn't sleep flat on her back for a few months so the rocking seat I thought was useless became her bed for 3 months and she still at 5 1/2 months only sleeps in her swing.

I didn't bother with a changing table and instead got a regular dresser and put a changer on top. Didn't bother with the wipes warmer.

Baby towels stink. We bought a kid towel from Target that is big enough to adequately cover her without being on an angle and is thick. Best purchase ever. We also loved this fish shaped wash cloth that goes over the baby's torso while laying in the bath...didn't register for it but use it everyday and the shape works out so much better than a regular washcloth.

Commercial baby blankets are a waste. We got 3 crocheted ones and they were awesome--and breathable if we ended up sticking a tucked in one in her bed on cold nights.

Pacifiers were a waste. She only wanted our fingers and now she wants anything but pacifiers.

A snowsuit. We went from house to car, from car to store---a hat and a crocheted blanket kept her toasty without overheating.

Baby nail clippers...worst purchase ever. Used curved cuticle trimmers-so much easier to see what you're cutting!

I bought/borrowed things as I needed them, that way I did not end up with useless stuff, most of the useless baby stuff I have was given to us. Things I never used that I had:
-baby monitor
-baby bottles
I must say that the small baby tub has been a life saver, my kitchen tub is always full of dirty dishes, and my bathtub has stairs around it making it hard to bathe a small child without getting into the tub as well.

My brest friend (preferred the bumpo)

Baby monitor - that lasted one-half of the first night.

Baby Bjorn's hard plastic bib / baby torture devise

I think this is why borrowing or buying used is the best. Yes, we only used the swing and doorway bouncer for a few months, but boy did it come in handy and thank goodness we bought them used.

The bumbo was a waste of money... I think I would feel differently if I hadn't paid full price.

Most usless item: crib bedding set. I couldn't even give it away! This time around I ended up sewing two fitted sheets and a crib skirt (to hide stuff stored underneath)... and the crib skirt is a "faux" skirt so I can adjust it when I drop the mattress down.

For us the diaper genie/dekkor. Had one for the first, ditched it for the second.

But every baby is different, every family is different, every household is run differently, even parenting styles will vary from child to child. We used a swing nonstop for 6 weeks with #1 and it was absolutely worth it, #2 spent less then 5 minutes total in it. Borrowing is awesome, if you can't then keep your receipts, or hold off buying stuff until after the baby comes. I used less than I thought I needed (or was told! by everyone with an opinion!) the first 8 weeks.

second hand and borrowed items are the best- little to no $ commitment. join your neighborhood listserve and make use of the stuff that hasn't worked for other people. Every baby is different! many items will be essential for only a few weeks/months.

Avoid the Bumbo, unless it's free.
I think diaper bags are a waste of money - a good backpack is much more useful and long-lasting.
Bulb aspirators are a joke. The NoseFrida is SO much better.
I can't live without my video monitor - I can immediately see if the baby needs attention or is just making noise.
love this bath seat- useful until the baby can sit on her own. takes up hardly any space and works with an older child in the tub. infants are too slippery for me. http://www.amazon.com/Thermobaby-T2942W-Daphne-Infant-Bath/dp/B000VVRT6G

Don't need:

Bumbo: there's such a tiny window when the kid can sit upright safely in it supporting their own head... and thighs still fit the chair. I wouldn't buy it again.

Disposable diapers: you're taking something (poop) that naturally decomposes in days... and wrapping it in something (diaper) that lasts for 700-800 years. I love my BumGenius diapers.

High Chair: a travel clip-on or one that straps to a chair is sufficient. no need for specialized furniture here.

Hanging diaper holder: this thing is just ridiculous.

Diaper bag: No need. a good quality backpack is far more useful and versatile.

Changing table: I used a changing pad on an ikea dresser and never needed this specialized furniture.

However.... a good rocking recliner chair is indispensable!!!

Cloth diapers -- what was I thinking? Crib -- family bed = nursing bliss. Big pink plastic baby tub. Exersaucer -- huge, weird, used it twice. Baby food processor -- use your blender.
Now -- could not do without: wipes warmer, white noise machine, monitor, babyhawk sling. Best of luck to you!

Diaper bag. We traveled a bunch -- son#1 had 18 flights under his belt by 18mos. SkipHop came out with the Pronto and that thing went everywhere with us. It was VERY handy. The diaper bag is still in a closet somewhere.

High chair. We never got one and it was not missed. We registered for one that attached to a chair and it worked great from 6mos to being pulled right to the table as a booster.

Baby bathtub. We only used it a couple times- it was easier to just have a parent sit in the big bathtub with the baby.

And I second the comment about not buying crappy made in China crap. Do NOT buy any kids furniture made out of particle board. Even if you only have one child, they will destroy that furniture and you won't be able to re-sell it.

I'd say for some of the bigger purchases, wait till the baby comes. You don't know what will feel right as a parent till you're in it (or what your baby's preferences are). We got an expensive stroller before our son was born and then barely used it for the first year as we preferred to use a carrier. By the time we did start using it regularly we found it too heavy to get on and off public transportation (or in and out of the car's trunk) and ended up buying a great inexpensive umbrella stroller.

Wish we didn't get the Baby wipes warmer. Perhaps the Bumpo. We got the Bumpo and enjoyed it for a brief time-so best to share with other's. We passed our's to friends.

Glad we didn't get a diaper genie-we just took trips to the garbage outside more often (as a friend of our's warned us: you just get a fake flowery/sh*t smell); a changing table; A mobile (made our own); anything covered with Disney characters; glad we just borrowed a bassinet; and glad to have avoided "made in China".

Hardly ever used (if at all, especially with baby number two):
Crib (should not have even bothered to assemble it! we did, however, use a small safety-cosleeper setup during the first couple of months)
Changing table (just used a towel/blanket on a bed or floor)
High chair (found a booster seat with a back was much more useful and took up way less room, and could be used from a few months onward)
Various small appliance/baby accessories (most received as gifts): monitor, wipes warmer, etc.
Baby bjorn carrier (i really wanted this to work and be handy...just used it a few times, maybe a sling would have been better?)
Nursing pillow (also looked important to have in the store, but really didn't suit me for feeding at all)
Full-size swing (a travel, folding-type worked just as well and for whatever reason ended up being more appealing to our kids)
Also, i had really wanted a fancy stroller, but am so glad we never got one...we've just used the fairly inexpensive one from our first baby through the second and don't have to feel bad if it gets grimey, worn out).
Weird how little we ended up actually using on a regular basis, compared to how much you THINK you need.

I had everything for my first child but by the time the 3rd one arrived I needed room and knew better. I kept the porta crib and the potty chair. I did buy a separate dirty clothing bin though.

Wipes warmer and bottle sterilizer were the two things that I never should have asked for/bought. The swing was also never used but you never know if #2 might like it.

I am all about buying at consignment stores - we got this old pink (used to be red) push car and then spray painted it and the baby loves his new bright red car. used is the way to go! I wish I knew that before I registered for so much stuff but at least as he grows we know not to buy too much brand new. That goes for clothes too!

I use my bumbo all the time with my 5 mo old ( and I used it alot with my first one too). (We put her in there starting at 3mo old) I also love the baby monitor and the exersaucer (we have 2!). Both of my girls are standers, and we used it starting at 4 mo with both of them. For someone who commented "we only used X for 2 months" a lot of baby items only get used for a few months because babies grow so quickly. I never used the changing pad on the dresser. Neither kids cared much for the bouncy. I hated the bottle warmer (the bottle was either too hot or too cold). I think I only used the boppy 5 times for 2 kids. Baby tubs and wipe warmers aren't worth the money or the space. I also never used a diaper pail...just change the trash often.
Favorites: Binkies, and Medela Bottles (they have caps so you dont have to worry about them leaking on the go or use that stupid disk)

High chair! So not necessary. We used a booster seat that strapped onto our own chairs, and took up so much less space. Never used a bumbo, rarely used the bouncer seat (except to keep her in while I showered). We did use the wipes warmer and a changing table, but I'd probably forego these with #2 (for lack of space). For us the most pointless thing was the playyard (playpen). We called it the wake-up machine.

I meant to add that our prized possession was the swing. It was the only thing that helped when my baby was sick (& needed to be upright) or when she couldn't sleep. We thought it was the last thing we needed but turned out to be a lifesaver!

BUMBO -- what a waste of money! That thing sucked up so much closet space and I used it maybe five times over the course of two children.

Skip the diaper genie and go for a boppy instead. The boppy pillow will also replace the bumboo seat and then some.

@Tasterspoon : what baby monitor did you purchase? I actually love the idea of being able to connect video to my iphone

hahaha - i love reading these comments, they must be so confusing!! like for example, i pretty much diagree with everything FACB1966 said - not that there's anything wrong with it!!

But, yes, we use cloth dipes and love them, but we're flexible about using disposables on the road or at night. Yes, we use a crib - it was a pack and play in our room for 4 months and now he's in his crib in his room which he loves - he spreads out, rolls around, and hangs out in the mornings while I'm picking out his clothes. Yes, we use a baby bath tub, but we have the room for it and Jack LOVES it (he's a fish!!). And he was a big baby - I could never figure out how to give him a bath in the sink...I felt like I was missing something! Yes, we use an exersaucer, and I seriously don't want to think about my life without it. Not because it frees me up, but because he is BLISSFUL in the thing (and his jumperoo) - he loves playing in it, being upright to look at us, chewing on things, etc. I would never go without it.

I would never ever use a wipe warmer or bottle warmer. We bought the "sleep sheep" for white noise and it makes no difference for us and Jack's sleeping AT ALL. We use an old boombox and play Rockabye baby cds at night to signal bedtime. The fancy monitor we got? Have yet to use it...maybe this summer if he's napping and we're outside? Bumbo - he hated it. As for a changing table? We had a dresser for his room that was the perfect height to throw a changing pad on top of - I've never missed having one.

I agree with everyone else, though. Borrow borrow borrow. We were given so much by friends desperate to get the baby gear out of their house. This helped us learn that Jack does not care to swing and now we're not stuck with a brand new one!

just wanted to say that i'm loving this feature!

we're expecting baby #1 in about 6 weeks, and also have a 100 sq ft room for the nursery (which used to be our office). and that space is complicated by a double french door on one wall, huge double windows on another wall, and a closet taking up half of a third wall so its a tricky space. we're only putting a crib, full size dresser w/ changing pad and a glider in the room and hope to make do with as little baby stuff as possible.

Baby bath tub, giant bulky travel system (should have just got a Snap-n-Go)

I really don't understand the "no crib" thing. My twins slept in their cribs from the day they got home from the hospital until they got big kids beds two months ago.

I love my Diaper Genie. Where do you throw poopy diapers? The kitchen garbage? That makes the whole house smell. We live in a tiny house and the outside garbage is down the side yard and into the alley. Not a walk I want to take every few hours in the dead of winter.

Wet wipes.
One warm wet washcloth does the work of about 20 wet wipes, is much better for the environment & easier on your pocketbook.

It's so hard to say. I found I used less with my third than with my first. Definitely could have done without the crib, and even the co-sleeper though. They all just slept right in our bed with us (but not at the same time).

I didn't use a bouncy seat with my first, but we got one for my second (who was very fussy) and she hated it--my youngest loved it though! First two barely used their strollers, but my two year old still prefers it for walks. I loved my sling with my second and wore her in it almost constantly, but she never went in the Baby Bjorn. It was the opposite with my third, who hated the sling and loved the being worn by my husband in the Baby Bjorn. Never used a monitor with my first (in an apartment), but needed them with my other two.

Honestly, I think it just depends. All parents are different, all kids are different, so even if you think you might love or hate something, your baby might have different ideas. Unfortunately, it just takes a lot of trial and error. I'd say, get whatever you think you might need, but save your receipts and packaging!

Kathy.Meade

All fecal matter - yours, your infants, your animals -- goes in the toliet. The diaper then goes into the trash if disposable or if cloth, it is rinsed and washed.

You aren't supposed to be hanging onto bags of poop. The evil of the Diaper Genie is that it encourages illegal, gross behavior.

Ummm, Judiau? Illegal behavior? As a prosecutor, I must say I've never prosecuted someone for "hanging onto bags of poop." I'm very curious which jurisdiction criminalizes such behavior.

Everyone has different needs when it comes to nurseries, but I would never purchase a glider, Bumbo, or wipe warmer again. I spent around $700 on a nice glider/ottoman and MAYBE used it twice. In retrospect, I wish I would have gone with a gently used rocker that I could have repurposed myself. As for the Bumbo, that is really just a personal opinion. My son would get annoyed after 5 minutes of being in the seat and I had to watch him like a hawk because he could turn and start flipping out of it. And don't get me started about wipe warmers. Yes, it is great while the child is newborn but after a month it is really unnecessary.

I never thought I would use a wipe warmer--in fact laughed at them. But my mom insisted we HAD to have one and just brought one over. Turns out our daughter had (still has, actually at 2) severe acid reflux and would vomit all over herself a couple times every night. Wiping down a naked baby in the middle of a frigid Wisconsin winter in the middle of the night made for A LOT of screaming. The wipe warmer really came in handy. The moral of the story is you just never can tell.

Wipe warmer.
Crib bedding other than sheets and mattress pads.
Changing table. Never had one, never missed it.
Wooden rocking chair--too hard---a Lazy-Boy tops my list of wonderful!
Hats and socks and booties (they don't stay on)
T-shirts without crotch snaps (always rode up to the arm pits.)
Any clothing that doesn't allow the legs to separate for the car seat.
Playpen/sleeper
I hated the Boppy and loved Brest Friend. The straps helped me hold the baby with one arm and still be able to use the bathroom.
Any strap on baby carrier--big baby, small mama, and a bad back made these painful.
A whole bunch of toys. But that's trial and error. It was impossible to tell which ones they would love and which ones would never be looked at until after they were home.
Recommended: Lots of baby blankets, sheets, and onesies. Good soft sports bras for nursing and some cute clothes (that fit) for Mommy to help her feel better about the floppy gut and leaky boobs. Best if the cute clothes cover up the leaky spots.

A crib bedding set. I LOVED the Skip Hop Treetop friends pattern, but I have since realized that I paid $150 (and that was on sale!) for a taupe crib skirt and a blanket. The sheet would NOT fit on our mattress (even after we ordered a replacement thinking it was a fluke; it was not) and we followed the recommendations to not use the bumper pads. HUGE waste of money. Luckily I was able to sell the bumper on Craigslist to recoup some of my money, and of course NOW Skip Hop comes up with a bumper-less version of the set that has the nice pattern on the SHEET instead of the bumper...how convenient!

My babies (now ages 1, 3, 6) were very different, but a few things were the same for all three.

We could not have survived without: infant car seat, baby monitor, noise machine (our kids are super light sleepers the first two yrs), ERGObaby carrier, infant-to-toddler feeding seat (safe place to set them down right from birth--especially with other children and pets in the house), and Baby Jogger City Mini stroller. Of all the models we tested that was my fave.

We did NOT need/want: changing table, diaper pal (waste of space, messy, stinky), bottles, binkies (baby 1 liked, but babies 2 and 3 NEVER took), wipes warmer, an electric pump (I nursed exclusively and used the free hospital-issued hand pump for emergencies), the newborn co-sleeper (my daughter wiggled her way down it at just a few days old... so it became unsafe), Bumbo, Boppy (though I did use at nighttime it wasn't at all necc), and all the toys. None of my children liked swings or bouncy chairs or exersaucers for more than a sec. Total waste of space for me, but I know a lot of moms who use the swing to sooth fussy baby to sleep.

I don't need but really love my small inflatable tub that sits inside the regular bathtub... It provides added comfort and peace of mind once baby is old enough to sit. Got it from One Step Ahead, and my two littlest still love bathing in it together.

For clothing the only thing I like aside from plain white onsies (short and long sleeve) and soft pants are those SwaddleMe Velcro swaddlers.. I bought a few more (from Babies R Us) each time we had a baby and used them constantly in the beginning. I found they did work better/faster than traditional receiving blankets for swaddling, and my babies slept way better the first few months when swaddled tightly.

Other than that we tried to keep all baby stuff/products to a bare minimum. You don't need much.

Bumbo: My son used it 4 times & hated it every single time
Nap Nanny: He has never ever slept in this
Baby bath robe: It was a gift & ultra adorable. The fight it took to put it on him ONCE was not worth it. He never wore it again.
Thin baby bath towels: Get the thick ones. The thin ones don't soak up much water.
Sleep sacks from chain store: They suck. Splurge on the Baby DeeDee Sleep Nest instead. It's WONDERFUL. No dragging the baby's arms in & out of tight sleeves.

Oh & we love love love our video monitor. I love rolling over at night & seeing my son's face. It brings me a lot of peace.

diaper changing table, rocker/ glider, diaper genie

Yes, it is illegal to dispose of feces in the trash under most health and safety codes but most people either disregard the law or don't know about it. And it is rarely enforced. Most disposable diapers include disposal instructions in very fine print that say that feces should be flushed so it can be treated as waste.

- we used a diaper hamper for a whole year and I regret it. better to put dirty diapers in the regular trash - that way they get taken out more often - less stinky.

- never used the bottle sterilizer

- never used the baby monitor

- electric breast pump was awful. made me feel like livestock.

- bouncy seat was only used a few times

The baby carrier. I commute from NJ to NY very often, but I drove everytime the baby was coming with me. I used it once.

We bought both small and medium size cloth diapers. We practice EC and have barely needed the medium size (though we used the small ones a lot in the early months). We tried EC on a whim and having seen the results for very little effort, I wonder why more people don't give it a go.

I would suggest that you try to find non-baby items where possible so that you can re-purpose later. We used a pail from the hardware store as a tub and then moved on to a large tub trug, which doubles as a laundry basket. The dresser as change table is a common one. Using old tea towels or hand towels for burp cloths and so forth. Buying baby-specific items tends to be much more expensive and then those items can't be easily used for other things if your baby doesn't need or like them.

@Jolin, I called my husband and it's not actually a baby monitor so there's no sound, just the video (our house is small, so we can hear our daughter cry, so we just use the video to doublecheck). It's the Foscam security camera, "FI8910W" and he got it on Amazon. It is extremely cool that we can watch our daughter from any of our iPhones and even look around the room with it, though it looks kind of like an eyeball so it is unnerving when I suddenly notice it watching me. Last night my daughter waved at it and said "Hi Daddy" but I can't imagine she's figured out what it is, so maybe I had done that once and she was copying me. I don't want her to think she's living in a fishbowl. Although at her age, maybe she doesn't mind.

My husband wanted me to mention that it's not the easiest thing in the world to set up and it took him about an hour. But neither of us is particularly techy.

Another vote for the Bumbo & Boppy pillow being useless (to us, anyway). Also, those velcro swaddle thingies - swaddling with an actual blanket works just as well, and then you have an actual blanket to use for non-swaddling purposes, also.

Also, the stroller was pretty useless for the first year or so...I wore the baby everywhere.

Disposable wipes. Wash cloths and a diaper pail work better anyway. Cloth diapers are cuter, too!

Every baby is different though. I am a mom of five boys... All slept in Moses baskets and cradles.... Until the youngest who insists he must sleep with me. In this case, the cradle I have used for the other boys was a waste of time in setting up.

I have never used a diaper changing table. I always use a changing pad on the bed.

only my oldest liked pacifiers.

Oh, cheap breast pumps are the worst. My Medela had been working great for years. The cheap one I started with was the worst.

A crib, aka the giant laundry basket :) Baby almost always wants to sleep with mama, which can be done very safely. Our crib got almost no use and I'm so glad we only got it 2nd hand. I wish we had put the money towards a king size bed from the get-go, because that thing is AWESOME!

I agree with the posters who say wait to see if your baby will like it. THEN buy it. Both our kids liked and disliked completely different products. #1 never used the Bumbo but #2 loved it. #1 loved the Jumperoo, #2 hated it. Etc, etc.
I loved my change table (old computer desk) b/c I *have* to have all my diapers, creams & wipes in one spot. I am not the person who likes doing diaper changes all around the house with a mat. And the best investment ever was my BOBA baby carrier.

Before my first child was born, the midwife told me "All you need for a baby is a boob and your bed". She was right.

Crib bedding set. The cutest ones are not affordable and It's not safe anyway.

Plus I'd say toys with light, sound and BATTERIES. Babies like their parents voice, music, not disturbing silly sounds and as long as they can't really play with their hands, lights and sounds are just to much stimulations. My kid prefer to play with spatula, sandals, spice container and wood under glass than the many toys we received and don't have room to keep it all neat and tidy. That's a good thing cause those toys really gets on mama's nerves (especially by short nights).

Where do I begin?
1. Hooded towels - useless once the baby is older than 2-3 months
2. Anything labeled "for baby" that seems like it could be purchased cheaper if it were for "adult" - i.e. bath caddy, washcloths, etc
3. Bumbo - by the time both kiddos could hold their heads up, they did not want to be in a bumbo.

On the other hand, I loved loved loved my Beco Baby Carrier. Worth every penny!

a diaper trashcan (just save your plastic bags, if you get those) and this isn't really a product but you don't need a closet. my daughter shares a closet in her brother's room, she just has a dresser. or if you have a closet, it can double as toy storage

i personally loved the hooded towels :)

These are all the things we bought or received and our verdict:
1. baby bath towels - use (new) regular super absorb towels
2. baby carrier - our second grew out of it in 2 months
3. hanging mobile - babies are different, our second freaked out
4. used cot - our first broke one side of his, second got new = no probs!
5. talcum powder - babies are different, our second hated it
6. shampoo cup - first never had it, second hated it
7. baby bouncer - both quickly grew out of theirs
8. cot sheet sets - price doesn't justify the short time it's used
9. baby shoes - both hated them, babies only need socks
10. noisy baby toys - annoying to parents, scares babies they only need human touch and sounds of parents/siblings voices.

After reading most of the comments, and agreeing with some and completely disagreeing (from my own completely subjective experience) I think the lessons are:

a) All babies/families are different. One person's must-have is another person's absolutely-didn't-need.

b) It's important to think about what kind of environment you have and how you aspire to be with your baby. If you want to wear your baby a lot, don't buy all the stationary baby gear/fancy strollers. If you have a huge house, travel, or otherwise think you'll be out of earshot of your baby often, buy a monitor.

c) I think it's always best to start with as little as possible and build up as you figure it out. We did that with my son and it worked well for us. I didn't feel like we wasted a lot of $$ on stuff, and we borrowed/CL/Freecycled stuff that we wanted to 'try out' but didn't want to commit to buying (swings, bouncy seats, exersaucer, etc.) You learn as you go. I thought for sure that I would bathe my baby in the sink, but found it scary trying to hold on to a wet, wriggling, slippery baby, so I was much more comfortable with a baby bathtub.

d) Save your receipts! Most things are returnable/exchangeable.

Wish we hadn't purchased:
- crib (all 4 kids have slept with us or on a futon mattress in our bedroom until they got their own beds); agree with the pp who said a king-sized bed would have been a much better investment
- breast pump, nipple shields (wait and see how things go first if you're planning to bf)
- baby towels
- baby bathtub
- cloth nappies
- diaper bag (a big purse or backpack works fine)
- most toys (esp. anything with lights and/or sounds)

Never had a changing table and never missed it (a basket or tote can hold spare nappies, wipes, cream, etc.)

Oh, and pyjamas with feet. Maybe my babies have freakishly short legs or something, but they never fit right.

Cute baby clothes with lots of snaps and feet. So maybe I'm just a lazy mom - but I hate the hassle of those things and have only put #2 in such things three times of my own volition and purely b/c the people who gave them to her were coming to visit (ok wait - there is that one that is polar fleece and super cute that we wore once to take a brisk walk in the baby bjorn to Starbucks). I LOVE the baby gowns (for both my boy and my girl!)

Baby #3 is rather enjoying her infancy without a Bumbo, exersaucer, or bouncy chair (all of which we had for #2 and #3.) She spends all of her playtime on the floor, and she's already starting to scoot around at 5 months. Not to mention the fact that a pretty floor mat is much less of an eyesore than three pieces of colourful equipment!

Our boys have so far had VERY different preferences with regard to toys and baby gear, so I now know better than to dump something just because one kid doesn't like it.

However, I would never buy another plastic diaper pail of any kind (had the diaper dekor). Plastic absorbs odors over time, no matter what you do. We live in a 3rd floor condo and it's still no big deal to take out the trash regularly.

Other than that, I'd say try lots of different things, but don't buy a bunch of one thing until you know it'll work for you and your kid (i.e., a certain kind of bottles, pacifiers, onesies, footie pajamas...etc.). And hand-me-downs or used items (other than things that may be unsafe or unsanitary) are awesome! I wish I'd gotten over my aversion to used baby stuff much earlier.

-a crib that turns into a full sized bed! even if you use guards over the wood, babies will get it all scratched up. that thing is going to look like garbage by the time he/she is old enough to sleep in a bed that big

-a diaper pail, what a pain in the butt! just throw diapers out.

-noisy toys. good quality wood toys are so much better than noisy plastic ones with lights and sound. invest in a few good quality toys rather than tons of annoying, tacky plastic ones.

-cloth diapers. if you decide you want to use them, do it once you're slightly adjusted to mom life and can make a better choice based on your experiences as a parent. I was sure I was going to cloth diaper, but once the little guy was around it was way too big of a pain in the butt for me to handle, while I know other moms who just did disposables first and then decided to take up cloth diapering when they were ready.

:)

i am laughing at the number of times bumbo is on this list. my kid sat it in once...which was enough time to figure out how to roll out of it! definitely do not get one. also, if you can, borrow a swing/rocking chair, b/c if your kid doesnt like those...no reason to buy one. that goes for a lot of the more expensive items that arent must haves.
i for one, loved the diaper genie. yes, its overpriced and ridiculous, but my baby's room doubles as the guest room, and for keeping the smell contained...it does a good job

Sorry for the third post, but had to correct misinformation in my last one, the Foscam security camera "FI8910W", if you're interested, DOES convey sound. (If you don't want to scroll up, I was praising the fact that you can control it with your iPhone.)

Someone mentioned a crib bedding set. I second that. We ended up with maybe three different quilts and only used them once in a while to place the baby on the floor. She has never slept with the quilts or the bumpers and the sheets get dirty pretty quickly so you never really have a fully matching set all out. Some nice sheets and a few cozy blankets are all you need.

Necessary:
- changing table, if you want to have your backbone saved.
- playing pen for toddler child that you can use as a bed as well, large and comfortable
uncessary:
- bed for toddler child (until he or she turns 3)

Hope you'll find them helpful.
byeeee

www.creativeordinette.blogspot.com

certainly every baby and family have different needs. we went the bare-minimum route, not even buying a crib or anything like it. our friends and family gave/loaned us so much, and even most of that we didn't use. we bought a full-sized sultan mattress from ikea for baby's room (a.k.a. the lovehouse lounge- easily the most spacious and lovely room in the house), and proceeded to co-sleep for the first 6 months. after finding he loved his cousins crib after we attended a large party at my sisters house, we decided to buy one only if we found a solid wood, safe simple construction (no convertibles or drop-sides), for 50 bucks or less. within one week, we stumbled upon that very thing. i don't normally like to buy things that have only one purpose, but since my husband is an artist and works on large canvases, we figured the we'd use it to store canvases after the boy outgrows it. also, we waited on the changing table, but after i got pregnant again, found it helpful to change the baby since i didn't have to haul my big butt up and down so much, and my husbands bad knee prevented him from changing the baby on the floor (he got out of changing diapers until we got the table!) again, we found a simple wood construction for 20 bucks, and thought with the addition of casters it would make a fine art taboret to hold all of hubs' paints and trays and such. i think the wait-and-see approach is a good one, because you'll find a lot of stuff is just junk (holler at the baby genie!). and as for the bumbo, i found it indispensible for getting a shower with my baby safely on the ground in there with me. of course, as soon as he could wriggle out, we stopped using it. good luck to you, and rest assured, no matter what approach you take, you are bound to waste some money here or there. just be patient, and love the heck out of that little baby... don't waste a moment worrying about things that don't matter, and cherish every precious moment. and congratulations!

o, and as for smelly baby diapers go, we take the simplest approach- all poopie diapers got straight out to the garbage. no need to contain the smell, and besides... who wants to store that many poopie diapers for that long? sheeesh.

ok, just one more comment. we regularly see a family-practice chiropractor as well as a naturopathic pediatrician (a side note- our 17 month old has never been sick, sleeps beautifully, and is a calm child. maybe we're just lucky?) both recommended against the following: jumpy chairs, bouncy swings, walkers, and baby bjorns. why? it puts a lot of pressure on baby's low back before she/he has fully developed the muscles needed to support the spine properly. likewise, leaving them in an infant seat or swing for too long is also bad for baby's back. a lot of fussy babies could really just use some relief for the chronic back pain they will often have from spending too much time in a contraption of one kind or another. carriers that support baby's bottom (ergo, eco-sash, mei-tais, slings, and wraps) are actually great for proper spinal development, as well as baby's overall awareness. the bjorn hangs a baby by the crotch, as do most of those 'activity' toys, which puts the sacrum at a crucial kind of strain. oh, if only we could all know it all before the baby comes out!

I LOVE that "Lovechildbabymama" mentioned using the crib and changing table for her husband's art supplies later on. Me and my hubby are also artists and once our child is old enough, that's a great way to repurpose the furniture we would never use again.

That said, we don't even know if we're going to have a real nursery, as all of the rooms in our house are currently occupied by adults. Someone would have to move out in order for the baby to have her own room. We're in the master bedroom and plan on sharing the room with baby for a while. It'll be interesting to see how we improvise, but I totally agree with the comment "All you need for a baby is a boob and your bed".

Agree with the all kids and parents are different: no 1 LOVED the bumbo, as he hated the incline on the bouncer seat, and loved being able to see everything. We found he would do his poo when put in it too, so it was quite good for timing this lol. No 2 vomited every time he was put in it, as he would lean over it on his tummy.- so no good for him. No 1 would not go in a sling, and as he was no 1, didn't really need him to - but no 2 loved the sling, and this kept him happy while I did things. I reiterate the advice about borrowing to try out before you buy - you never know what will work for you and this kid.