We all have a friend who has to have the latest and greatest and most expensive baby items out there. Some moms may ask themselves, should I get that too?  Is it really worth the hype and money? Will I get good use out of it? Tackling these questions can be confusing and we are here to help navigate some of these have-to-have items.

When we first learn we are expecting a bundle of joy, most of us start dreaming about the nursery and the baby clothes – oh the baby clothes! There are so many cute outfits out there and we can all envision our little one coming home from the hospital or dressing up for that special occasion. Then reality hits and we see the price tag on some of these items and think to ourselves, should I really be spending that much on this item? 

First of all, MOM, you just grew a human being in your belly. If you want to splurge – treat yourself! Ok, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s discuss some practical advice.

Consider a few things:

• How often is the item going to be used? 

Whether it be a toy or clothes, we should consider if the item will have longevity.  As we know, the lifespan of clothes for a newborn is typically 3 months which is why the sizing is done that way (3 months, 6 months, 9 months, etc.). Consider purchasing one or two “special” outfits (obviously moms love Caden Lane for those pieces) for their growth spurts and then purchase the basic onesies, sleepers, footie pjs, etc. to fill in the rest.

As far as nursery furniture is concerned, this is where you can spend a little bit of money especially if you are planning on having more children. Big ticket items that are worth the splurge are a glider, changing table and crib. Keeping these items gender-neutral helps for future children down the line.

What is the lifespan of the item?

 As stated above, if you plan to pass along for future children, spend the extra money on big ticket items which also include strollers, highchairs and car seats. Knowing that you will want to use these items again for future babies will make that investment worth it.

• Are those “subscription boxes” worth it?

As of late, subscription boxes have become the latest fad and I, too, am guilty of subscribing to a few for myself. When I started looking at subscription boxes for my grandchildren, there were a few to choose from. I did review my options and felt for the most part, it was an expense that was not necessary. I will say that as a grandmother, I am in a position thankfully to do this for my children but as a parent, I would not recommend it as there are better ways to spend your money.  Let the grandparents spoil them! These boxes, for the most part, have 2 or 3 items that are worth the splurge but then I find that the other items weren’t useful

I want to give you my 5 top picks that I think are worth spending a few more dollars on for a quality product that you will get the most use out:

1. Diaper Pail – make sure to get one that helps to control the odor especially when your baby starts eating solid foods as the smell can catch up quickly and a good diaper pail will help keep those smells at bay.
2. Baby Monitor – there are so many cool high tech monitors out there that can measure the temperature in the room, the amount of sleep your child is getting and while all of that information is useful, it relies on Wi-fi to work. If you live in an area that is sparse or doesn’t get the greatest signal, then I would not recommend a high tech monitor.  Stick with the basics – the plug-in monitors which are always reliable.
3. Bouncer Seat – Again, times have changed since I had an infant but the bouncer seat was always my go to for getting baby to sleep.  It mimics the movements that the baby experiences in the womb and is very comforting.  A must have!
4. Bassinet – look for a good quality bassinet that provides movement and/or sound.  This will help the baby fall asleep easily and can provide some relief for us tired moms instead of rocking the baby to sleep at night.
5. Last but not least I LOVE the baby food pouches.  My daughter-in-law has always made her own baby food and when the kids are old enough, she puts the purees in pouches which are reusable.  We love to fill them up with blueberry yogurt and freeze them as a cool snack or fill them with sweet potato puree and you can feel good knowing what is in them as you made them from scratch!

In closing, we should look to keep within our budgets and remember this is a short time in their lives, they are constantly growing and so are their needs and wants. There is plenty of time to splurge on items as they get older and don’t forget that us grandparents LOVE to spoil our little ones so don’t be afraid to ask if there is something that you MUST have and cannot afford!

Happy shopping!