I’d like to respectfully disagree with the first item on your list. As a breastfeeding SAHM, I still needed a pump. If you’re a first-time mom-to-be, you have no way of knowing how much milk you will be producing. It turns out that I was a super producer, with the side effect that I was engorged all the time. I registered for a low-end manual pump that I figured would cover me for when I needed the occasional bottle while someone else was with her, but I ended up using that thing about 8x a day in the beginning. I’m not saying that a SAHM needs the Medela PIS double or anything, but a pump is a lifesaver if you are engorged; and boy, when you need relief, you need it right away.

I would say a wipes warmer is a definite must-omit! Also sad to say I had a big fleecy after-bath bunting that I never used because my apartment is just so darned warm!  Lots of clothes ended up to be unnecessary because of the season or the temperature of my apartment!

Good post - definite food for thought.

I could have done without a LOT - the bathrobe, after bath slippers, infant shoes (they just fall off), four different kinds of bottles (I thought I’d want to try different kinds...I was too exhausted to care), the infant dresses (seriously!?)....

ah well - with the second, I’ll be much better prepared!

Great post!  I totally agree that everyone and their grandmother plies pregnant women with ever-increasing lists of “must-haves” for having a baby.

I guess this proves the point of your post!  Even as a SAHM I have needed a pump (and thus bottles, although 1 or 2 would have been plenty) for engorgement and a much-needed couple hours away by myself. 

Both of my kiddos have been tough to soothe, so when either would take a pacifier to give my poor breasts a break I jumped at the chance.

Our fancy crib has been deemed the very expensive clothes hamper since neither of my little ones have slept in it (although I guess there is hope for my 5 month old to at least nap in there sometimes).  We definitely should have taken the wait and see approach with that!

A stroller is another wait and see purchase, I agree.  However, my daughter would easily nap in our stroller long after I could comfortably wear her for a nap (not to mention her little brother came into the picture and was then the one I wore).  However, I wish we had never opted for the darned travel system that so many people insisted upon.

I totally agree about the pajamas - sleep sacks are great!  However, our house is old and can get a little chilly so hooded towels minimize the screaming we get from a little one with a wet, cold, head. 

A baby bathtub is also something we couldn’t do without.  With an infant (and especially an infant plus an almost three-year-old) my kitchen sink wasn’t always empty enough to allow for bathing a baby! 

A huge high-chair was definitely unnecessary for us.  It took up too much room and by the time our daughter was ready for food she could sit up on her own so only really needed the type of booster that has a back and a tray.

It is amazing how many purchases you would have made differently in hindsight!  Great post!

My “must have” that I don’t think I’ve even used once was the baby changing pad that sits on a dresser or changing table.  The big puffy kind.  I always found it so much easier to just change my daughter on the bed or the floor.  Plus we spend most of our time on our main floor, and there was no way I was going to climb upstairs to her bedroom every time she needed a change, especially after a c-section!

Almost all the baby bath stuff.  In fact, all the baby bath stuff except, despite the Onion article, the tearless shampoo.  Your baby moistens him or herself and does not need a ton of lotion.  My baby’s skin was wonderful until I gave him to the nanny, who meant well, of course, and used lotion on his face.  It’ll be months before it’s baby smooth again.  Your baby is just fine with your washcloths and your towels.  I put none of this stuff on my list, but ended up with it all anyway, in duplicates. 

The robe is just about the cutest thing, though, and I don’t regret having it for a second, even if it is totally impractical.

Item we didn’t use:
Bouncy seat.  A lot of babies love them, ours didn’t.
Booties and socks: We used suits with feet, or else just left them bare (but we live in Phoenix).  Mittens never got used either.

Things others didn’t use, but we loved:
We loved our baby bathtub, at least for the first few months.  I found supporting a floppy baby head, propping up her squirmy body in a big sink, and washing to require 3 hands otherwise.
We also would have been miserable without a stroller once she hit 4 months old or so.  I guess it depends on how heavy your baby is, and how much walking you do (and where).

Like others have said, I would never give birth without a pump at home. When you need it, you need it now. We did just fine with a $30 hook-to-the-table highchair rather than a huge one. So glad we opted to go without the travel system stroller thing, we got a jogging type stroller when baby was 6 months old. Also, skip the pack and play at the registry. We didn’t use that at all until she was crawling and we never used all the bells and whistles it came with.