If you’re welcoming a little one and have an upcoming baby shower, you may be getting excited about registering for baby gifts. But with so many baby items and clothes to choose from out there, it can be hard to know what you’ll really need and what might be a waste. And sure, you can always return things, but it’s great to know in advance what other mommies have been disappointed by. Below are some examples of things that new moms wished they hadn’t registered for—or at least, wish they hadn’t registered for quite so many of!
Swaddles
Not all babies like swaddling. In fact, about half of babies get distressed when they’re swaddled and prefer to move their arms around freely. For this reason, you may want to see how swaddling goes before registering for a bunch of swaddling cloths for your baby shower. The hospital will give you a couple of free ones anyway!
Boppy Nursing Pillow
Across the board, new mommies really are not into the Boppy Nursing pillow. Complaints include the height and positioning being off, babies slide around on it or fall into the gap, and that the pillow simply gets in the way of nursing. Many moms prefer just holding their babies as opposed to wrestling with a giant pillow.
BabyBum Diaper Cream Brush
This is an item for parents who want to apply diaper cream without getting the cream on their hands. Some people claim that the applicator is also to prevent bacteria from being spread, but parents should be washing their hands anytime they’re changing diapers anyway. The diaper cream brush ends up just being another annoying baby item that parents will have to worry about cleaning.
Pacifiers
Similar to the swaddling cloths, many babies don’t enjoy pacifiers. So before registering for a ton of pacifiers and pacifier wipes for your baby shower, make sure that your baby actually likes them first.
Hooded Baby Clothing
They may be adorable, but hooded clothing for babies is actually dangerous. Hoods can cover their face as they sleep and block their breathing. Even for daily wear, hooded clothing can be hazardous. Anything around a baby’s neck or something that could cut off their breathing just isn’t a good idea. For this reason, hoods should be skipped when you’re planning your baby shower registry.
Baby Mittens
Covering up a baby’s hands is important because they tend to scratch their sweet little faces with their new little fingernails. Many people go straight to baby mittens for this problem, however, with many babies, the mittens just don’t work. They fall off. If you want to go the mitten route, consider registering for onesies with built-in mittens instead.
Top And Tail Bowl
So not needed. Anyone who needs a top and tail bowl can literally just use two regular bowls. This is a pointless item that will only be used for a few weeks (if even that), and can be replaced with already-owned bowls. Don’t even bother with this on your baby shower registry.
Blooming Bath
Notorious for being one of the biggest disappointments to parents, the Blooming Bath flower is more trouble than it’s worth. For infants who can’t sit up yet, there’s no support with the Blooming Bath. It’s inconvenient and difficult to dry, and babies tend to use the bathroom in it, and the material isn’t well equipped for this. Take a pass on this cute, but pointless, item.
Wipe Warmer
It’s a nice idea, but many parents end up just not using their wipe warmers. Babies don’t mind cold wipes, and a wipe warmer is an unnecessary waste of energy. They also actually waste wipes, since they tend to dry the wipes out. Skip it!
Head Support Inserts for Car Seats
This seems like a good way to keep an infant’s head from wobbling around in their car seat, but studies have actually shown that parents shouldn’t be adding anything to already-tested and approved car seats. Adding extra padding could actually cause damage. Instead, stick with the car seat on its own. It has gone through many tests and is very safe for a baby.
If you’re right in the middle of baby shower planning and have been looking around for the perfect baby shower venue, check out a virtual tour of Imperial Palace. Our beautiful Los Angeles venue has hosted many baby showers. If you’re interested in availability, please contact us!