Only Buy What You Need for Your Newborn
As promised, the follow up to the previous article on 6 Things You Need For Your Newborn, 5 Newborn Things You Are Wasting Your Money On. I am a firm believer that we waste too much money on things we are told we need because someone else had to use it or we were told by marketing that it is a must-have. After all, we all want what is best for our children, so we tend to buy everything just in case. I am definitely guilty of buying things that I didn’t end up needing which is where I got most of what is on this list. The other stuff comes from my experience as a postpartum nurse. My patients get things regularly that friends told them to buy but are not actually needed for most people. The world is too expensive right now to be wasting our money, am I right? So, let’s save some money!
- Nipple Shields
People will tell you that this product saved their lives and allowed them to breastfeed. Do not get me wrong. I have seen nipple shields work miracles. However, they are only needed in certain cases and actually can really mess up breastfeeding if used and not needed. Nipple shields need to be sized to the individual so buying one in advance without being measured by a lactation consultant automatically is a waste. Also, people can generally breastfeed without them! They are used for people who have flat nipples, inverted nipples and is used often for baby’s that are born early or have tongue ties. And if you have one or multiple of those things it still doesn’t mean you need one! As pretty much everything related to parenting is concerned, it is needed on a case-by-case bases.
2. Baby Wash Cloths/Towels
I have these and use them, but I still believe they were a waste of money. I could use a regular towel or wash cloth just as easily as my newborn ones. I found my children outgrew the towels very quickly so even if I loved them, they could only be used for the first couple months prior to needing to be packed away.
3. Wipe Warmer
Wipe warmers in theory are great, however, in practice pretty useless. The wipe is warm only as long as it is in the warmer. As soon as you remove the wipe it gets cold and you could never tell it was warm in the first place. I used warmed wipes and cold wipes on my children and couldn’t tell the difference in their response. They still hated diaper changes. I found that holding the wipe in my hand just a few seconds worked just as well as the warmed wipes.
4. Bottle Sterilizer
This was the thing I wasted the most money on and used only once. I would never, ever buy a bottle sterilizer again. Most children only need to have their bottles and pump parts sterilized the first time prior to use and after that washed after each use with soap and warm water. You can just boil the parts if that is the only time you have to sterilize them. I even boil my bottles and pump parts occasionally because it makes me feel better and I find that it takes only about 10-15 minutes. I like this better anyway because I know that the pot I am boiling in is clean. The sterilizer I had kept getting molded because I could never get it to dry out since it didn’t have a dryer. Maybe I would have liked a sterilizer better if I had bought one with a dryer, but like I said, you only really need it the first time prior to using bottles or pump parts.
5. Temporal Thermometer
Temporal thermometers are a big seller right now and are completely useless. They are considered wildly inaccurate compared to other forms of checking temperature such as oral or rectal. Regardless, if you suspect a fever in your newborn, it is recommended you check it rectally. I know this makes people uncomfortable, but it is the most accurate and best way to make sure your child is being treated appropriately. Make sure you ask your pediatric team how to do a rectal temperature if you are unsure. In my previous article 6 Things You Need for Your Newborn, I included a link to my favorite rectal thermometer since I feel like it is very user friendly.
I hope you find this article helpful when trying to make decisions in a very overwhelming time of your life. These are my opinions on these products but you are the parent and have to decide what is best for you and your child. You will have plenty of people telling you how to parent and probably already have been getting some unwelcome advice or opinions. If you have questions about these products or have a differing opinion please leave them below in the comment section! I would love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks again for being part of the P31 Project!
Leave a Reply