The things I didn’t need for a newborn — at least, not right away

Having your first baby introduces you to a daunting number of things to buy. So I wrote this post as a companion to my post from last week, the 11 things I needed for a newborn that I didn’t expect.

Some of these things I thought were really important before I had Felicity, and it turns out I have barely used them, and other things on this list I chose to wait on and I’m really glad I did.

A crib

Now, I am sure that we will need this eventually and be glad we have one, but as it is right now, Felicity’s crib is mostly used for hanging burp cloths next to the rocker where I feed her.

Georgia admiring the baby's crib on the day she was born.

Georgia admiring the baby’s crib on the day she was born.

Felicity mostly sleeps in a snug little bassinet next to our bed at night, and in the bassinet attachment on her Pack-n-Play during the day. I have put her down in her crib a few times, but since her naps can be so short, it’s more convenient and I feel better about having her snooze in the same room as me.

The night will come when she will sleep in her crib (and I can’t wait), but I don’t expect it for another month or so.

A huge help in choosing a crib — and a lot of our other baby gear — was the Baby Bargains book, a thoughtful gift from another friend who just had a baby.

A jogging stroller

I know that Felicity and I will continue to go on many runs together, so I’ve put a lot of research into the logistics of this.

Felicity on her first walk with the pugs in our frame stroller. (Yes, we bought a head support after this. Yes, that should have been in my list of things I didn't know I needed).

Felicity on her first walk with the pugs in our frame stroller. (Yes, we bought a head support after this. Yes, that should have been in my list of things I didn’t know I needed).

You can use a jogging stroller with a newborn, but you shouldn’t jog with them until they can hold their head upright. So I decided that getting some $300+ carseat-jogging stroller system was a waste, since we wouldn’t be running until she was out of the carseat attachment anyway.

I plan on writing more about this later when I have some more experience on it. 🙂

A breast pump & all its gear

When my pump wasn’t going to arrive from my insurance company until after my due date, I was very concerned. Turns out that concern was wasted energy. I’ve barely used the thing, since I haven’t had to be away from Felicity for any length of time yet. My use of the breast pump is mostly to see how it works, figure out how it fits into our schedule, and have the occasional bottle on hand for my husband to feed her in the evening.

I was very into getting all the gear  that goes into breast feeding — the pump, the storage containers, the container holder, the bottles, the bottle cleaners. What I wish I did was focus on the comforts that made breastfeeding easier — the special pillows, the nursing clothes, a water bottle, snacks, gel pads and lotion.  It’s the comforts that will matter in the beginning when you’re figuring it all out.

I invested in some breast milk storage bottles and surprise! seems like we have way too many (especially considering how many free ones we got from the doctor) and we’ll probably store breast milk in bags when she goes to daycare.

A big investment in one style of bottle /pacifier

Pacifiers are wonderful things when they work. Felicity already has a favorite, the ones with the dinosaurs on them. We got a whole variety of pacifiers from our baby showers and I’m glad because I got a chance to see what works and what doesn’t.

ONLY THE DINOSAUR  BINKY.

ONLY THE DINOSAUR BINKY.

The kind that work really well on our friends’ baby? The frog won’t even give it a try.

We got lots of sample bottles from the hospital/maternity store/doctor, too, and we’re testing out which ones she likes best. This has worked out fine because, since I’m not pumping much, she doesn’t use many bottles right now.

Changing pad covers

This one is a gotcha. You actually DO need a lot of things to cover your changing pad. However, they don’t seem to sell for less than $8-10 a piece, and c’mon! That’s a lot of money for something that my baby is going to poop on.

So I discovered a use for all my unmatched pillowcases — they make great covers. They pretty much fit the pad and I didn’t have to pay any extra for them.

Have something to add to this list? Leave it in the comments. 🙂

Pattie Reaves

About Pattie Reaves

I'm a new mom and renegade fitness blogger at After the Couch. I live in Brewer with my husband, Tony, our daughter Felicity, and our two pugs, Georgia and Scoop.