Less than a year ago, I was that pregnant woman adding everything to my registry because “what if we need it?” Now I’m staring at a closet full of barely-used baby gear, wishing I had passed on these items, because truthfully, I had been told most of these items wouldn’t get used.

So, here are the 10 newborn products I wish I could return, sell, or launch into the sun.

1. Adorable Newborn Outfits

The fantasy: My baby looking Instagram-ready in tiny designer onesies. The reality: Blowouts, spit-up, and constant outfit changes. Those $30 onesies with one million buttons/snaps, were hidden away in the back of the closet never to reimerge. Stick to basics, especially multipacks onsies and two-way zip pajamas.

2. Baby Shoes

This is in the same vein as outfits, but different because these are completely unnecessary. As we all know, newborns don’t walk. These tiny shoes are pure decoration that fall off constantly and serve zero functional purpose. Your baby’s feet need to be free to develop properly. Save the $40 for actual walking shoes in a year.

3. Bottle Warmer

This was given to me, and I exclusively breast for the first few months. There were a few times we gave a bottle, and the old fashioned way of warming up the milk under hot water works great. This thing took up cupboard space and added unnecessary steps to feeding time. Plus, the one I had scalded my milk, and actually made the prep time longer, because I would have to wait for it to cool down.

4. Haakaa

I swear this is in the top 10 baby registry gifting options. I’m not sure why, because I hated it. It’s so big and bulky, it felt impossible to use while simultaneously nursing. But what I will say, milk collection by this method proved invaluable, as I was able to collect over 200oz of milk, just from my extra let downs with the Boone Trove milk collectors. I would argue this was one of my most used and important newborn products. It fits in your bra inconspicuously while you’re nursing, and collects the excess milk, with no leaking! It’s my go to baby registry gift now, if the Mom is planning on breastfeeding.

5. Multiple Soothing Baby Chairs

I went through THREE different bouncy chairs, swings, and vibrating seats thinking “this one will finally work.” Truthfully, my baby hated them all. Each one promised to be the magic solution for fussiness. I know some babies, it helped Velcrow babies detach and fussy babies be soothed. It did neither of these for us.

6. Bottle Bundles

I bought Bottle Sample Pack because I was told your baby might reject one or all of them. Now I have 7 different types of bottles and nipples that have never been used becuase my baby was totally content with the one I prefered. (Glass, no pastic, etc.) My advice: buy one or two bottles first, test them, then buy more if your baby doesn’t like them. Or, ask your friends if you can borrow theirs, as i’m sure there’s a variety and assortment of types from them.

7. Baby Laundry Detergent

“Gentle for baby’s sensitive skin!” Regular detergent works fine. I used Free & Clear from Costco now and save around $15 per bottle. Unless your baby has specific allergies or has extra sensitivities, it was unnecessary.

8. Baby Mittens

I will say they do help with newborn face scratches. My baby was covered in scratches the first couple of weeks of life. Even with constant nail trimming, their nails just grow sooo fast. So, if you’re worried about scratching, just trim their nails more often or use onesies with fold-over sleeves.

9. Wipe Warmer

Bought it, plugged it in, never used it once. Room temperature wipes are perfectly fine. IMO, this is a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist, taking up space and adding another thing to clean.

10. Dishwasher Basket

The separate basket for bottle parts seemed so practical. In reality, I usually just washed all the bottle parts separately anyway, and hand washing takes a similar amount of time. Currently gathering dust in my kitchen cabinet.

In Summary

Here’s what I learned: Don’t let anyone tell you that raising a newborn should be reduced to “babies just need food, sleep, and clean diapers.” That’s dismissive bullsh*t that ignores the very real challenges you’re facing.

Yes, many companies prey on new parent anxiety. But here’s the nuance everyone misses: most baby products were created by parents who were desperately trying to solve a real problem they faced. The swing that didn’t work for my baby? It probably saved another parent’s sanity. The wipe warmer I didn’t use? It might be what saves a baby from fully waking during a nighttime change.

The issue isn’t that these products don’t work or are solving a problem that I wasn’t facing. The issue is the pressure to buy everything before you know what your specific baby needs.

Your baby isn’t just a generic “eats, sleeps, poops” machine. They’re a unique little human with preferences you haven’t discovered yet. Some babies love swings. Others hate them. Some need specific bottles. Others will drink from anything.

The smartest approach isn’t buying nothing, it’s buying strategically.

Save your money for the products that will actually solve problems your baby presents, not problems the internet tells you to expect.

What newborn purchases do you regret? Drop them in the comments so we can all learn from each other’s expensive mistakes.

Disclosure: This is a review blog which may get compensated for the products reviewed by the companies who produce them. All of the products are tested thoroughly and I only endorse products I believe in. I am an independent blogger and the reviews are done based on my own opinions.