Parents who have recently had a new born baby want to make sure that their child is happy and comfortable. For these reasons, many of them purchase diapers, cribs, baby gear and whatever else they might need to keep a smile on their child’s face. Moms might rush out to buy a lot of baby products. However, this does not mean they must have everything they purchase. Keep reading the following information to understand why there are some things that you do not need for your newborn kid. Here are 12 things that new parents and their babies can do without.
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Forget the Wipe Warmer
Wipe warmers might seem like they are a good idea. However, they are not a useful product. The purpose of wipe warmers is to make a wet wipe warm enough to clean a child’s private areas. Wipe warmers use to be the rave back in the 80s and 90s; but sometime around the early 2000s people discovered that these warming machines were not worth the money. The reason being is that wipe warmers come with more problems than they are worth.
Wipe warmers have the potential to create more germs for a baby’s underdeveloped immune system. When the wipes are heated up they cause germs to grow on the moist tissues. These germs are then wiped onto a child whenever they are cleaned after a bowel movement. Another issue that people have with wipe warmers was their drying factor. Wipes have a tendency to dry out rather quickly when they are heated up with a warmer.
People also did not like wipe warmer devices because they gave electric shocks to parents. There are still some companies that make wipe warmers, but these units are no longer popular. They just have too many problems for people to deal with.
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Get Rid of your Bottle Warmer
Bottle warmers are another type of product that first-time parents should avoid. Room temperature or cold baby milk feels extra frosty in a newborn’s mouth and stomach. Using a bottle warmer will help to heat the milk up but it can also burn your child.
Parents might appreciate giving their children warm milk. The problem with a bottle warmer is that it can make the milk too hot for your kid. Since an infant is extremely sensitive to heat, this can be dangerous. Even if a parent shakes the milk on their wrist to test the temperature; the liquid can still be too hot for a child to handle.
The best way for a parent to heat up a bottle is to use a mug with hot water in it. The water from the mug will heat the bottle evenly. This, in turn, will reduce the chances of a child being burned with uneveny heated milk. Many kids have been burnt by unevenly heated milk. This often happens when they come to drink the milk halfway through the bottle. Bottle warmers should be avoided because they are just not very reliable for heating up baby liquids.
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Bottle Sterilizers Might not be a Great Idea
Steam and hot temperatures are the two processes that bottle sterilizers use to eliminate germs from bottles. When a dad wants to sterilize his little girl’s scummy bottle; all he had to do is place the unit inside of a bottle sterilizer, add water and turn the unit on. The unit will heat up to a high enough temperature to eliminate unwanted microorganisms.
While bottle sterilizers are okay, they are not necessary. Remember that it is heat and steam that gets rid of germs on a bottle. A person could just boil their child’s bottle inside of a pot of hot water. This will perform the same function on the bottle. They can hand wash them as well.
If you already have this baby item in your possession, you technically do not have to stop using it altogether. However, you should use it periodically. Remember that a bottle sterilizer will have to eventually be cleaned too.
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Changing Tables are not Necessary
Moms might question why changing tables are not necessary for their children. The reality is that this type of baby equipment is not a bad thing, it just might be overkill. When parents have to change their child, chances are they will not be doing it in a child’s room. This is where most changing tables are kept.
Parents will probably use their changing table only 25% – 35% of the time. The rest of the time, they will change their children wherever they are at whenever they go to the bathroom. A good alternative to a changing table is a changing pad. A changing pad is more practical because it can be placed on most flat surfaces at home and out in public to change a child.
If there is a mess, then the mess will get on the pad. The pad can be wiped and/or washed clean. Changing pads provide more flexibility than changing tables. They can also reduce the instances of a child rolling off a high table since parents place these items on surfaces lower to the ground.
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Avoid Special Laundry Detergents for Kids
Laundry detergent for babies is very questionable. The reason is that most laundry items are not designed for a baby’s sensitive body. We already discussed the truth about babies underdeveloped immune system and their sensitive skin. Laundry detergent (no matter how gentle it claims to be) might just be too much for infants to handle.
Free and clear detergents do work for cleaning a baby’s clothes. While it is true that a baby’s skin is very sensitive, that does not mean that a parent can’t wash their gear with the regular laundry. The main thing for dads and moms to remember is to make sure they are using a free and clear baby product. The less dye and perfume that is contained within a laundry detergent the better it will be for a very young child.
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Don’t Get those Baby Shoes
Many people often give new parents a set of baby shoes. While baby shoes are cute, and they make a baby look stylish; this item is absolutely worthless in terms of its use. If you receive this item as a baby gift, go ahead and let your child wear them at least once and take pictures. After that, do not put the shoes back on the child.
Baby shoes are uncomfortable on babies. Little infants might need them when they go out in the cold, but they absolutely will not need them if their parents bundle up their feet. When it is warm, putting baby shoes on an infant in the summer time will usually make them overheat.
This item is also questionable because the shoes can damage a child’s feet if they are not suited for them. Parents can honestly wait until their child starts to walk to purchase shoes. Until then, baby shoes might be good for “decoration” but not as a practical thing needed for a child.
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Leave the Fancy Clothes for the Fancy People and not your Baby
Fancy clothes on babies might be overkill in terms of looks and practicality. Remember, no child is thinking about how they look out in public. They really have no clue about their physical appearance. It is parents that are teaching them about their public appearance and how they are to be viewed by the world.
Babies are about function. They make messes and they do not care about the clothes that they have on their body. Parents who make their children all fancy, are not doing their child any favor. While people might fawn over them and adore their nice outfits, the child will probably use the bathroom in the clothes and get food all over it.
Keep in mind that parents can and sometimes should, dress their children up to look good. However, parents should not go overboard with this behavior. Gifts for newborn baby will include lots of clothing. Just stick with practical and durable baby gear, it will serve a better purpose than the fancy threads.
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Jumpers are Unsafe for Infants
Some of the most popular baby newborn gifts include items like a jumper. For many years parents would get these gifts from family, friends and co-workers. One of the best things about a baby jumper is its ability to keep a child entertained throughout the day. They were also useful for keeping a child positioned in one spot. While all of these are good points, the units suffered some bad press in recent years.
Baby jumpers are not safe because they have been known to choke babies. They have also been known to trap children after they get hooked onto something. Some of the fun and entertaining gadgets and devices on a bumper are choking hazards. The units also force the child to walk on their tippy toes. This also leads to poor development with their ability to walk and it negatively impacts their alignment as they grow older. These devices are not totally unsafe, but they should be used in moderation and not as a go to device for parents who don’t want to watch their child.
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Baby Car Mirrors are not Worth the Expense
A baby mirror is one of those items that many people typically do not get for their child. Even though this is the case, there is a large enough market for this item to be included within this discussion. Baby mirrors are placed on the backseat of a car’s headrest. It is positioned above a baby. A parent just has to give a quick glance to see if their child is okay. Parents can also adjust their rearview mirror to see the baby mirror in the back.
Baby shopping guide reviews do not necessarily say that these items are useless. However, parents should be aware that baby mirrors can be dangerous if an accident occurs. They can dislodge and strike a baby in the face or another part of their body. Baby mirrors can not only smash into a baby, they can even shatter across a child causing them injury. Many parents avoid baby mirrors because of the danger that they pose to children.
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Crib Bumpers and Bedding are Bad for your Child
Moms and dads typically get a bumper and bedding for their child’s crib because they find it to be stylish. These items are also used to keep a baby warm during the cold winter months or on a cool night. Keep in mind that many experts are against using bedding inside of the crib because it poses a suffocating or choking hazard.
A lot of parenting and pediatric organizations tell parents that they do not need anything in their cribs. Blankets, pillows, sheets and even crib bumpers are not necessary. Experts recommend heating up the room to a certain temperature where a child sleeps to provide warmth. They also tell moms and dads to dress their child warmly before placing them into the crib to avoid being cold.
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Diaper Pails Store too Many Odors
Diaper pails are nothing more than garbage cans for dirty diapers. These items are great for storing dirty diapering materials, but they are not necessary. Dirty diapers will quickly smell up any area of the house where they are kept. They are also a place for germs and bacteria. If you plan on using a diaper pail, clean the item frequently.
Related: Top Breastfeeding Tips for Successful Nursing
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Your Child won’t Grow into a Bassinet
Bassinets are common baby items that people can do without. Bassinets are not a good deal because they are small, and your child will quickly outgrow these baby sleeping units. Experts recommend that parents skip the bassinet and get a crib instead. Young infants will have enough room to grow inside of a crib. A crib just makes more sense for growing babies. Bassinets are useful in terms of flexibility and being usable in different locations. However, cribs make more sense for long term use until a child is ready to sleep in a regular bed.
Conclusion
The items on this list are not needed to raise or take care of your baby. People typically use them because that is what we have been conditioned to do as new parents. Moms and dads can take care of their newly born child with simple products and good common sense. The extra and often unnecessary baby equipment will never replace good parenting skills.
