Products You Don't Need to Buy for Newborns

Wait to Buy These Products to Stretch Your Baby Gear Budget

By Heather Corley, About.com

Many expectant parents want to buy everything they could possibly need for baby before said baby even arrives. I think I even had some size 5T clothes for my daughter when she was still in newborn sizes! While it's natural to want to be completely prepared for anything baby could ever need, there are a few baby products that you won't need until your baby is a few months older. If you're on a tight budget for baby gear, waiting to buy these products will allow you to save your money for a little longer before purchasing.

Baby Clothes in Larger Sizes

If you're shopping sales and seasonal clearances, it's OK to stock up on a few baby clothes items in larger sizes, but be careful of buying too many. Babies grow at unpredictable speeds, sometimes with huge growth spurts that mean one clothing size won't last too long. It's also difficult to guess what size clothes your baby will be wearing in a particular season. Buying too many baby clothes in larger sizes might mean your baby has a full wardrobe of 6-month size winter clothing, but fits into that size in July. It's also a good idea to figure out just how many outfits one baby needs before shopping too much. With my daughter, I bought too much initially and she had several outfits that she rarely wore.

Supplies for Feeding Solid Foods

Your baby won't be ready to eat solid foods until he or she is about 6 months old, so you don't need to worry about having tiny spoons and bowls on hand until then. Sippy cups also aren't necessary until baby is closer to a year old. While you probably don't need too many bibs for your baby until he or she is eating solid foods, buying a few cloth bibs isn't a bad idea right from the start to keep baby's clothes dry when the drooling phase begins.

Childproofing Supplies

While you don't want to wait too long to start childproofing your home, it doesn't need to be done before baby is born. Your baby won't be moving around without your help for a few months, so if you need to delay buying outlet covers, stairway gates and cabinet locks, that's OK. You'll need to start childproofing when your baby is three to four months old.

High Chair

Baby doesn't need a high chair until it's time to eat solid foods, which is usually at about 6 months old. While some families use a high chair to allow baby to sit near the dinner table as they eat, it's not a necessary purchase for a newborn. If you intend to use a high chair with a newborn or young infant, be sure it reclines fully. Infants can't sit up to use a regular high chair safely.

Jogging Stroller or Umbrella Stroller

Pediatricians generally recommend that you wait until baby is about 6 months old to use a jogging stroller. This is because joggers don't usually recline all the way for a newborn, and because the potentially jarring motion of jogging may not be good for young babies. Traditional umbrella strollers that don't recline are also unnecessary for newborns. Some of the newer lightweight or umbrella-type strollers do have a full recline, so if you choose to buy one right away, check to make sure your baby can lay flat in it or that it has an infant car seat attachment, if you intend to use it for an infant.

Upright Activity Center

While infant play gyms that allow baby to lay flat and look at toys are fine for newborns, you can hold off on buying the saucer-type activity centers or stationary entertainers until your baby is about 6 months old. Babies need to develop head control and a reasonable amount of torso control before they can safely (and comfortably) use of these play centers.

A Bigger Car Seat

Since car seats can be expensive, parents-to-be often register for all of the car seats they think they may need for their baby. I suggest buying only the car seat you will use for your newborn, and waiting to buy the rest until your baby is actually ready to use them. An infant carrier car seat should be useful for about a year, or until your baby outgrows it by weight or height. Car seats expire based on date of manufacture, not years of use, so you don't want to waste a seat's usable life by storing it in the garage for a year or more. Car seats are also being updated constantly, so there may be a better choice for your baby and your vehicle in a year or so.

Article Source : babyproducts.about.com