Does Baby Really Need That?

Determining the Must-haves for Newborns

By Sue Poremba

At my daughter's recent baby shower, every other gift she opened was met with "oohs," "ahs" and "Why didn't they have things like that when our kids were babies?"

Even though it may be impossible to have too many burp cloths or disposable diapers, is it really necessary to have four different items to either help the baby sit upright or soothe him with motion? Do those high-tech gadgets really do a better job than what our parents used?

There are a few items that are absolutely essential for the new baby: a car seat (in many places you can't even leave the hospital without one), diapers and clothes. Baby items are expensive, so new parents, especially those on a tight budget, need to make careful decisions when completing the nursery.

But the choices in the baby aisle can be overwhelming, with every item billing itself as essential for the complete nursery. (Learn what items are the best of the best by visiting www.iParentingMediaAwards.com.)

"There's a lot of money to be saved by buying and/or borrowing lightly used items from family and friends," says Crissy Trovillion, of Goreville, Ill. "My husband and I bought our son's nursery set – crib, changing table, dresser – from a friend for $80. The same set at a chain store would have cost us at least $700 more. Our friend used the money from the sale to buy her toddler son a 'big boy bed,' and we got a nursery full of furniture without breaking the bank."

Michelle Samuel, of Flushing, N.Y., did without a cradle or bassinet. "Your baby is only in these for a couple of months, so why spend big dollars on a cradle that he will outgrow very soon?" she says.

Want to see more?

• Check out our Article Library.
• Baby Gear Safety: Should You Use Second-hand Equipment?
• Anticipating Baby: The Unexpected Cost of Parenthood
• Baby on a Budget: Creating a Nursery Without Spending a Fortune
• Talk about it!