The baby toy business has got to be a lucrative business to be in. First-time parents easily buy into all the advertising that surrounds baby stuff. Moreover, they begin to feel guilty if they don’t spend their life savings on the “newest”, “safest” and most “effective” baby items on the market.
As a husband who has “been there, done that” and am now expecting my second child in August of this year I’d like to pass along a few words of wisdom to you. Here is my list of baby stuff that you might think you need but really don’t.
1. Diaper Genie
Every parent knows what a Diaper Genie is. The premise behind this device is to provide a way to dispose of soiled diapers in an odorless and sanitary way. In theory it makes sense, right? Unfortunately a diaper genie, or any derivation thereof, is a completely needless waste of money. Besides the fact that they can be expensive and frustratingly difficult to operate they are neither odorless nor sanitary.
The disposing of the diapers into the Diaper Genie is sanitary enough. Unless the diaper is filled with diarrhea,
“you must remember that at some point the Diaper Genie is going to get full of crap”
in which case is squirts out due to the pressure you must use to get it past the valve which tries (and fails) to keep the odors in. But you must remember that at some point the Diaper Genie is going to get full of crap (literally) and you are going to have to open up that bad boy and change the bag. Excitement abounds.
Also, consider that a Diaper Genie will run you a hefty $40, and refills are usually around $5 each. Assuming you go through one refill a week (which will average out as your child gets older and uses bigger diapers) that can add up quickly before your child is potty trained.
Save your money. Go buy a diaper pail. That’s what we use and people, it’s just as freakin’ good as a Diaper Genie. It keeps the odors in just as well (if not better) and it uses regular trash bags which cost pennies a piece as opposed to the expensive refills used by a Diaper Genie. Couple that with the fact that you can now buy garbage bags that eliminate odors and you’ve got a cheap, and in my humble opinion, better diaper disposal system than a Diaper Genie.
2. Boppy
The next waste of money is a Boppy. OK, let me start out by saying that there is one use for this item. If you’re a woman who has just given birth via C Section then you might have a use for a Boppy. Everyone else, don’t even bother.
The idea, as you can see by the images on the Boppy website, is that you can nurse/feed your new baby with it and then your baby will use it to sit up when it gets a little older. HOGWASH! ALL OF IT!
For nursing a regular pillow does a better job of supporting your baby. Trust me on this one.
“A Boppy doesn’t help you accomplish this any more than a regular pillow”
That said, when you nurse the baby the most important thing is that the baby should not be laying flat, they should have their head up higher than their stomach. This prevents inhaling liquid and also helps prevent throwing up. A Boppy doesn’t help you accomplish this any more than a regular pillow because, after all, it’s just a funny shaped pillow.
The other use people say that you need a Boppy for is to help the baby sit up straight. Take it from one who’s been there and seen a baby who can’t sit up on their own. If they can’t support themselves in the upright position a pillow around their BUTT isn’t gonna help a lick. The problem is their back, stomach and neck muscles. Furthermore, there are countless other ways of helping a baby sit up rather than with a Boppy, most notably, your lap and arms.
You don’t need a Boppy unless, as I mentioned, you’ve just had a C Section.
3. Baby Bathtub
Some people are bound to disagree with me on this one but I’m sticking to my guns here. No one needs a baby bathtub. First off, you only give newborns baths about 2 or maybe 3 times a week. Any more than that and you will dry out their skin. You know how people used to give their baby’s baths before Johnson and Johnson started brainwashing parents into buying plastic formed tubs? They would use the sink. And folks, that’s all a baby bathtub is. It’s a sink that’s shaped funny.
Save your money, give them a bath in a regular bathtub with 2 or 3 inches of water in it. We were given TWO baby bathtubs when we had Thomas and used them once. After than we used a regular bathtub with 2 or 3 inches of water in it. Worked just as good and was a lot less messy. After all, do you REALLY need another thing to clean?
4. Bottle Warmer
File this one under the “gimme a break” category.
“File this one under the “gimme a break” category”
Seriously, no one on earth needs a baby bottle warmer. In the time it takes to heat up a bottle you could have warmed up some water and heated a bottle that way.
Here’s what you do:
- Put some water in the microwave to warm it up (DON’T WARM THE BABY BOTTLE ITSELF IN THE MICROWAVE, besides heating unevenly the microwaves break apart critical protiens).
- Take it out, put the warm water in a pan/bowl/cup/whatever.
- Put the baby bottle in the pan surrounded by the water, let it warm.
- Take the money you would have spent on a bottle warmer and buy a CD.
5. Baby Wipes Warmer
This one doesn’t fall under the “gimme a break” category. It falls under the “I fear for our future” category. If you seriously think you need a baby wipes warmer then I have some swamp land I’d like to sell you. Then again, if you’re filthy rich and are looking for ways to spend your money then this product may be just what you need.
6. Shopping Cart / High Chair Cover
We actually have one of these; we even used it once.
“if you’re just looking for stuff to spend money on then you might want to consider this”
It was incredibly hard to set up and just as hard to take down. These covers are not even close to being necessary. As I said earlier, if you’re just looking for stuff to spend money on then you might want to consider this (or a donation to starving children in Somalia; it’s your choice). Are you really that concerned about your lovely baby sucking the germs off of a shopping cart handle? Get some antiseptic wipes. They cost less, are disposable, have more than one use (unlike shopping cart covers) and are probably better at providing a clean surface for your child to suck on. Of course, you could just tell them “no”. But why make things difficult?
So, that’s my list of 6 baby accessories you don’t need. If you disagree with my choices or feel that I’ve left any off the list please let me know in the comment form below.
