Baby Products You Need vs Don't- day 78

I was not part of a Facebook Mom group when I was pregnant with Henry, but being pregnant with my 2nd I thought it would be fun to join one. Jesus Lord in heaven. The absolute insanity of a mom Facebook group needs to be parodied somewhere. The main thing I see that is so silly is the INSANE amount of money these families spend on baby products. And since I've been a mom of one child for two years, I'm clearly an expert (lol), so here is what I think is needed versus what is stupid. 

Baby Needs:

Convertible Crib- here's the crib we have for Henry. It converts into 4 different bed styles that should work for him until about junior high. It's not some high end, styled crib from West Elm or Restoration Hardware. It's just a crib, calm down. Your baby's room isn't a content creation for your instagram. Relax. It's just your baby's room.

Stroller- here's where I think people are so silly, buying $1,000+ strollers like nuna and uppa baby simply for the brand. Which by all means, if someone is willing to gift that to you, great, but it seems wasteful to me. Ours is this Peg Perego, stroller and car seat, and we've walked miles and miles in that baby.  

Car Seat- again, don't pay for a label. Graco car seats range in all sorts of prices and has been a trusted brand for ages. 

Boppy and DockATot - Henry spent the majority of his first year of life on these, def recommend. I'm sure off brands of these items are available and just as good. I had a boppy in just about every room, and make sure to bring it to the hospital!

Swing- just get one from Walmart, okay? You don't need a MamaRoo or Baby Bjorn whatever. A $40 swing from Walmart or Target will be just fine and will save you literally, hundreds of dollars.

Old Fashion Baby Monitor- Nanit or Owlet or Vava are minimum $250... like....why? You can get a baby monitor, just like our moms had, for $40. I understand, it is so scary at first because you want to check that they are breathing and okay, so if it is worth it to you, go for it! 

Pack N Play- again, a trusted brand for decades. Pack N Plays come in a variety of price ranges. We used ours as a second changing station, but now we just use it for when we go on vacations or overnight stays. 

Tons of diapers and wipes- if your work is throwing you a shower, have them do a diaper shower. It was my FAVORITE thing ever, I swear we hardly bought diapers our first year. 

Zip up onesies, snaps are impossible to do in the middle of the night when you're trying to change a diaper in the dark and are sleep deprived

Normal changing table- someone gave me (I didn't ask for it lol) a $200 changing pad that would tell me Henrys weight. It is so funny because I think 99% of the time, I changed Henry's diaper on a blanket on the floor. 

Normal baby bathtub- you don't need anything fancy, just a lil tub. 

Children do not have to bust your budget. Ask yourself- if I snapped my fingers and Instagram was gone, would I spend this much money decorating my babies room? Would I spend this much money on a stroller or crib if it didn't have a brand name? Because there is no need to compete with other people. You don't need to prove you're rich with your kid items. Just be practical and sensible and know that spending big money doesn't make parenting easier.