[Submitted Question]

The list of baby items to buy I found in a book is quite long. Do we really need all of that? Money is rather tight at the moment and I definitely don't want to buy anything we don't really need.

[WombToBloom]

If you want to be extreme about it, all you really need is a baby, a breast (or two), a diaper, a carseat and a blanket. Realistically, you’ll want a crib although you can really get by with a play yard/pack n play if you need to. No need for all of the fancy bedding. A fitted sheet is all you’ll need in the crib. You can even do without baby wipes. Washcloths (even those 10,000 baby washcloths you got at your baby shower) work just fine. You’ll have to launder them, of course. Obviously, you’ll also need some clothes but don’t overbuy. Babies outgrow their clothes pretty quickly so just put a fairly small number of outfits into “rotation” and you’ll be fine. A few bottles for formula or expressed breastmilk can also be rotated in and out of use.

[Littlemummy]

No! My advice would be to start with the absolute basics as suggested and then only buy things as you really need them.

Here's a post I wrote a while back which covers what I felt I really needed.

[meltrebo]

Have you registered for things? What I did with my first was just register for everything! Then I waited until after my baby shower and bought things we really needed. Sometimes grandparents and siblings will go together and buy big gifts if you tell them how much you really would like them!! Good luck!

[DoulaJamie]

This is a good and common question....

Baby books give tou everything possible that they make for baby!!...And they also make you believe that you NEED those things...If you think back hundreds of years, they did not have any of those things and parents got along just fine...In todays world parents are oftne quick to buy all the seats, strollers, and bounces that are out there and this sets up a pattern for parents to be UNattached to their babies...Babywearing is on the rise and becoming more popular with the younger generation..It promotes bonding between the baby and the wearer and brings baby into your world instead of putting baby down on a bounce seat to sit and stair off into space...It has been found also that all of those bouncey seats and vibrating chairs are causing our babies to be over stimulated and can lead to a very fussy baby. Now, don't get me wrong, there is a time and a place for those things but one can quickly become used to putting baby down for convenience rather then bringing baby along for the journey!!...

[MissBlondie919]

The item that saved my life was the vibrating bouncy seat!! I could just sit him in there and shower, do laundry, everything!! It was the best! I was so sad when he outgrew it.

[Mama]

My favorite thing was the My Brest Friend nursing pillow! I used it everyday for months!

[Lisa GFM]

Originally Posted by Submitted Question

The list of baby items to buy I found in a book is quite long. Do we really need all of that? Money is rather tight at the moment and I definitely don't want to buy anything we don't really need.

I bought a a baby glider and it was a world saver ! It glided 2 ways and it was really awesome for my baby that had alot of tummy problems

[SimplyBeingMommy]

The one item that I found to be worth the cost was the baby swing. My two sons would only sleep if they were in the swing for the first couple of weeks.

[drainl]

I did use my nursing pillow all the time for the first year. I also got a cover for it, which was easy to wash when it got messy.
I reccommend finding used baby items as much as possible. You can find things like baby swings barely used from a baby that didn't like it. If you save a lot of money you won't feel as bad buying it.