Baby Products I Personally Think Are Overhyped

The baby products we personally didn’t end up needing nearly as much as I expected.

Before becoming a mum, it honestly felt like the internet was trying to convince me that I needed absolutely everything. Every “newborn must-have” list was a mile long and somehow even the most random baby products started to feel essential.

And while there were definitely some things we used every single day, there were also quite a few products that just weren’t nearly as necessary for us as I expected them to be. Not because they’re bad products, and not because other mums won’t absolutely love them -every baby and family is so different -but simply because once Bailey actually arrived, our real day-to-day life looked very different to what I had imagined beforehand.

So these are the baby products I found a little overhyped, or at least wouldn’t rush to buy again straight away.

Let’s dive right into it.

First up, nursing pillows. I really thought this would help so much with feeding. My husband actually went out and bought the Breastfriend in those really early postpartum days because we were struggling a lot with latch issues and feeding felt very challenging for us at the beginning. But despite having the nursing pillow, it honestly didn’t help nearly as much as I expected because Bailey had oral ties and we constantly had to switch feeding positions to improve her latch before eventually addressing the ties themselves. I can absolutely see how they’d work amazingly for other mums, but for us personally I just didn’t end up using it very much in the end.

Next up: fancy newborn clothes. Look, I completely understand wanting a few cute outfits for newborn photos and special moments. But realistically? Newborns sleep a lot and spend most of their time in onesies. I’d honestly save the money and balance it out a little more. What I personally did was buy one special outfit for each monthly milestone photo and then mainly stick to practical zip onesies for everyday wear. They’re easier, more comfortable, and you genuinely don’t need heaps of them either. We probably had around 5–10 zip suits per size and that was honestly more than enough.

Too many toys in the beginning is another one for me. Later on -around 6 months and older - I completely understand investing in toys and activities. But before then they really don’t need much. A few black and white cards, maybe a comforter and a play gym for tummy time is honestly plenty in those early months. There’s absolutely no need to buy heaps of toys straight away and even now, Bailey is usually more obsessed with kitchen utensils and random household objects than half her actual toys anyway.

Nursery decor is another thing I think gets a bit overhyped. We spent sooo much time trying to perfectly curate the nursery before Bailey arrived and honestly… we barely used it for the first few months. She slept in our room in the bassinet until around 4 months postpartum, and probably would’ve stayed even longer if she hadn’t outgrown it so quickly. Babies also genuinely don’t care what their nursery looks like in those early months. You absolutely have time to slowly decorate and make the space beautiful after your baby arrives.

For us, practicality mattered way more in the beginning. Our change table actually ended up living in the lounge room because accessibility during the newborn stage was so important. Even now at 11 months, we still mainly use the nursery for naps and nighttime sleep. I only recently added fairy wall stickers and now Bailey is completely obsessed with them. Once they turn into little toddlers and actually start noticing details and interacting with their environment more, decorating the space suddenly feels way more fun and meaningful anyway.

Baby shoes before walking is another one that just wasn’t a priority for us. Until Bailey started pulling to stand, we mostly kept her barefoot or in socks because it simply felt more comfortable and practical for everyday life. Babies explore so much through their feet in those early stages, so we just didn’t really feel the need to buy lots of shoes before she was actually moving around properly. Once they start walking though, that obviously changes.

And lastly: muslin towels. Yes, you definitely need some, but you absolutely do not need mountains of them. Bailey wasn’t super refluxy or particularly spewy, so we ended up using way less than I originally bought. A few good ones honestly go a really long way.

At the end of the day, I do think there can be so much pressure beforehand to buy absolutely everything “just in case,” when in reality babies usually need far less than we think. Looking back now, I honestly wish I had spent less time stressing over products and more time preparing for postpartum itself.

Things like meal prepping, setting up support, stocking the freezer, creating a calm environment at home, resting before birth, or even just mentally preparing for how huge that transition into motherhood actually is - those things ended up mattering so much more for me than having the “perfect” nursery or every trending baby item.

Some of our most used things ended up being the simplest ones, and some things I stressed over beforehand barely mattered once we were actually living everyday life with a baby.

I think social media can make motherhood feel very consumer-heavy sometimes, when really, your baby mostly just wants you. Comfort, closeness, milk, sleep and love matter far more than having every single product people tell you that you “need.”

Love,
Charlie 🤍