19 Things Your Baby Doesn't Actually Need

Babies cost more than enough without having to buy this stuff too. So save your baby shower registry space for the important things.

1. Baby Shoes

Flickr: meaganjean

Babies don't walk until they are 9-18 months old, so until then shoes are little more than props. Adorable props, yes, but ones you don't need to spend money on.

2. Bath Thermometer

Aquatopia / amazon.com

You could buy one of these or you could, you know, just put your finger in the water.

3. Bottle Warmer

The First Years / amazon.com

It's really not so hard to warm your baby's bottle in a bowl of hot tap water.

4. A Traditional High Chair

Flickr: joeshlabotnik / Via Creative Commons

Babies do need somewhere to eat, but traditional high chairs take up a lot of space. A good alternative is a clip-on high chair, which clamps onto the side of a table or counter and can be put away when not in use.

5. Pee-pee Teepee

Beba Bean / amazon.com

Dropping a wipe atop your baby's penis is just as effective, and unlike the Pee-pee Teepee, you won't have to wash it afterward.

6. Boogie Wipes

Flickr: jenrab / Via Creative Commons

While Boogie Wipes do have saline in them which helps to dissolve mucus, a warm towel or baby wipe does the job nearly as well for a whole lot less.

7. Diaper Stacker

Carter's / amazon.com

Filling this thing up with diapers and then fumbling to get them out is way more work than it needs to be. Put your diapers in a drawer or cute basket and be done with it.

8. Expensive Baby Bedding

John Deere / etsy.com

This John Deere crib bedding set goes for $275, which is a bargain compared to some sets that cost in the thousands of dollars! It's important to remember that bedding will be peed on and washed over and over. No need to break the bank!

9. Stuffed Animals

Flickr: tabithablue / Via Creative Commons

Babies show little interest in stuffed animals until they're at least six months old, so there's really no reason to buy them until then. The most important reason to forgo stuffed animals, though, is because they can be a SIDS risk.

10. Baby Food Maker

Beaba / amazon.com

Do you have a blender at home? If so, congratulations! You've already got a baby food maker.

11. Cutesy Towels

Fischer-Price / amazon.com

Believe it or not but the towels you already have will work every bit as well on a baby as ones with adorable animals on them.

12. Changing Table

Flickr: djwaldow / Via Creative Commons

Changing tables not only take up space, but there's always the risk that a baby could fall from one. Many parents forgo them entirely and instead change their babies on a bed or the floor.

13. A Fancy Pants Stroller

4moms.com

Would it be neat to be able to charge your phone on your stroller? Of course. But is it so cool that it's worth spending an extra $500+? I don't think so.

14. Special Detergent For Babies

dreft.com

Instead of buying separate detergent for your baby, try a regular, "free and clear" brand. These don't have any perfumes or dyes and are suitable for the whole family.

15. A Diaper Genie

Flickr: abardwell / Via Creative Commons

A Diaper Genie does help to keep smells in check if you let your baby's dirty diapers sit for a while, but if you toss them out every day (like most parents I know) you really don't need one.

16. Wipes Warmer

DEX Products, Inc / amazon.com

You may need one of these if you have a baby in the dead of winter in Minnesota, but for most parents this is an unnecessary expense.

17. Pacifier Wipes

vitacost.com

Instead of buying pack after pack of these it's easier and more affordable to use a self closing pacifier when away from the home.

18. Formula Mixer

Baby Brezza / rakuten.com

Shaking a baby bottle isn't so hard that it's worth spending $150 on a machine like this.

19. Designer Baby Clothes

barneys.com

$98 for a onesie? $398 for a Dolce and Gabana dress? Forget it. Babies grow out of their clothes so fast that they may only wear that designer dress once. You're better off shopping at Target, or Tar-jay if you want to be fancy.

Want great parenting tips in your inbox twice a week? Sign up for the BuzzFeed Parents newsletter!