The baby market is booming with business. Most new parents want their kids to have the best baby gear, although, this will largely depend on the size of their pockets. Nonetheless, some still find themselves buying products that are unnecessary and a total waste of money.

Some baby products get to the markets with all sorts of functionality promises to entice parents and dupe them into getting them. Once they buy them, some parents get preoccupied with their baby that they forget to make use of them. By the time they are getting to a product, it is probably too late and they can only hope that their next child will use it otherwise that is money gone down the drain.

One way for moms to safeguard themselves from all this is to consult with other parents who are conversant with the product. If most advise against it, then moms should save their money for something else. Another good practice is to read product reviews online to establish whether a product is worth the money.

It is also a good idea for moms to consult with their pediatricians before purchasing certain items. Given that pediatricians are well versed with everything baby, moms should not shy from asking them even what they think are the most irrelevant questions, after all, they are there to ensure that their clients get the best care possible.

Pediatricians will agree that 10 of these products are useful while the other 10 are useless.

20 Pee- Pee Teepee - Useless

Anyone who has ever changed a baby boy’s diaper knows that these babies often spray up when they sense cold air down there. This is why the manufacturers of Pee-Pee Teepee created this product to avert the hazard. These teepees usually come in adorable cone-shaped designs that will make any first-time mom want to buy them.

However, pediatricians find this product useless. According to healthyway.com, when babies pee during a diaper change, one can just grab a washcloth or cloth diaper and cover them down to catch the sprinkle. There is no need for buying teepee. On a lighter note, getting peed on is part of parenting.

19 Breastfeeding Pillow - Totally Worth It

Breastfeeding pillows are quite helpful when feeding a baby. They are just pillows designed to support the baby while nursing or bottle-feeding. Most moms strain their backs, necks, and arms when feeding their babies; therefore, these pillows have a design that establishes comfort during feeding. They are also very useful when nursing preemies and twins.

Breastfeeding pillows come in different shapes, styles and sizes and moms can choose the ones that work well for them and their baby. Furthermore, when the baby starts sitting down, the u-shaped kind can offer them support on their back and sides, as BabyCenter points out.

18 Bath Thermometers - Useless

Moms know that they have to bath their little ones in water that has the perfect temperature and this is why some buy those duck-shaped thermometers for checking the water temperature before they put their baby in it. In spite of their use, pediatricians find the product useless.

This is because moms actually own something that can check the water temperature, their elbows, so they do not need the thermometer. Moms can quickly place their elbows inside the water and feel for its temperature. The water should feel warm to the elbow, as revealed by healthway.com. Frankly, using an elbow is also much faster compared to the thermometer.

17 Baby Monitor - Totally Worth It

During the first days after hospital it is almost impossible for a mom to let her newborn sleep in peace, she will want to keep checking on the baby every other minute. Some even have a hard time leaving the baby for just a few minutes. This is where a baby monitor comes in handy and is totally worth it. They usually save moms many anxious visits to the baby room.

A baby monitor will alert her when the baby wakes up or needs her. Monitors also help moms sleep better without waking up every minute to check up on a baby especially if he or she is sleeping in another room, as noted by bellybelly.com. However, depending on functionality and portability, some baby monitors can be relatively expensive.

16 Crib Beddings - Useless

Moms think that a crib adorned with cute baby beddings will be the main attraction for their baby’s nursery. According to pediatricians, these beddings are not only useless but unsafe and unnecessary as well. Most of the time caregivers will wrap the baby in a swaddling blanket and place him or her on top of those expensive beddings.

Also, as fancy as these beddings are, they can easily become tangled up and harm the baby, as verywellfamily.com points out. The design of a baby’s bed should be simple enough to guard against such risks. A good fitted sheet and a sleeper or infant sack are the most basic essentials for a crib. Stuffed animals, quilts, and bumpers should also not have a place in the baby’s bed.

15 Pacifiers - Totally Worth It

Babies are ideally born with a strong sucking reflex and the suckling on a pacifier can soothe and calm them down. That is why many moms rank pacifiers as must-haves. Pacifiers come in handy to offer a temporary distraction to an otherwise fussy baby. They also help babies fall asleep.

As stated by mayoclinic.com, pacifiers have a reputation for preventing SIDS. However, breastfeeding moms should wait for three to four weeks before offering a pacifier in order to establish a nursing routine first. Caregivers must always sterilize a pacifier frequently by boiling it in water. When the baby grows older, a caregiver can wash it with soap and rinse it with clean drinking water.

14 Wipe Warmer - Useless

A wipe warmer has a compartment where you place wipes and add water. Once a caregiver does this, the machines keep the wipes warm and moist. Although the motive behind the invention of this product is to help moms keep babies from getting cold while changing their diapers, pediatricians find them useless.

According to bellybelly.com, if mom does not want to use cold wipes, she can simply use a little warm water with them. There are a couple of downsides to using the wipe warmers. First off, they can develop bacteria if not cleaned properly, secondly, they are prone to drying out the top layer of the wipes and lastly the wipes normally take forever to heat up.

13 Car Seat - Totally Worth It (And Illegal Not To Have)

A car seat is one of the most important baby products moms are required to have before coming out from the hospital with a newborn. Using a car seat is totally worth it, it is the best way to carry a baby when traveling by car. Moms can choose from a range of brands, and it is important to note that the most expensive ones are not necessarily the best. A car seat that fits the baby’s size and age is ideal, as stated by kidshealth.com.

Caregivers have to install these seats properly after reading the manuals and learning how to install them. They can also go to the local health departments, car seat dealers, fire stations or hospitals for assistance.

12 Tummy Tub - Useless

A tummy tub should ideally keep the baby upright in a fetal position, covered in water, up to the shoulders. It has a small opening that keeps water warm for longer unlike the usual baby basins but no matter how nice this product sounds, pediatricians still find it useless.

First, moms will struggle to wash the baby’s hair in that small space. It is also not ideal for babies who have no neck control; they will keep banging their head on the sides of the tub. Honestly, it is like bathing the baby in a bucket only that the tummy tub is more expensive, which parent24.com also agrees with.

11 Breastpumps And Bottles - Totally Worth It

A good pump, whether electric or manual, is essential for breastfeeding moms. Pumps are important tools for establishing milk supply and for helping working moms to continue to provide milk for their babies while they are at work. Breastfeeding bottles are equally important, as they are the ones used to feed the baby. They also come in handy when moms want to rest; their partners can feed the baby while they sleep.

There are also times when babies do not nurse well. When this happens moms need to maintain their milk supply. Having a pump, in this case, is beneficial, as stated by kellymom.com. Other moms also use them to relieve engorgement.

10 Diaper Stacker - Useless

A diaper stacker enables a mom to arrange her baby’s diapers in a unique way. They are soft bags made of either plastic or cloth for holding diapers and can be hanged anywhere in a room. Moms buy them because they fit well into their nursery room themes but most of the time they will end up not using them, as stated by mommyenlightened.com.

Pediatricians find these stackers useless and unnecessary. They are quite costly and not worth spending that much money on, especially for something that is a decoration. Moms can keep the diapers in easily accessible drawers or open shelves or even pick one from the bag they came in.

9 Baby Carriers - Totally Worth It

A baby carrier is a totally worth it baby product. Most moms do not realize that they will need one until they give birth. Some babies are extra clingy and want their moms to carry them around all the time. A baby carrier is useful in such cases especially if the mother has other things to attend to. If mom has to leave the house for a quick errand, she can put the baby in the carrier and walk around with him or her with ease.

The range of baby carriers in the market is vast and a mom has to choose one that fits her taste and comfortable for the baby. According to kellymom.com, a baby carrier also helps to reduce back strain and offer room for different carrying positions.

8 Baby Food Maker - Useless

Baby food makers are yet another product pediatricians find useless but parents still add it to their baby essentials list. These makers puree fruits and vegetables for the baby when he or she starts eating solids like any other normal blender or food processor would do, as revealed by bellybelly.com.

The only notable thing is that a food maker is an all-in-one machine but if mom has a blender and processor in her kitchen, she really does not need a baby food maker. Additionally, some of these food makers are expensive and for something that will only be in use for a short period, they are not worth the money.

7 Burp Cloths - Totally Worth It

Moms can never have enough burp cloths. Babies swallow a lot of air when feeding and because the air has to come out at some point, it sometimes comes out with the milk, what people call spit up. Burp cloths help to catch this spit up and prevent it from messing both the baby and mom’s clothes and this is why they are totally worth it.

As noted by BabyCenter, babies also spit up because their digestive systems are immature. At the same time, they also drool a lot and moms use burp cloths to wipe the saliva. Moms should always have a burp cloth placed on their shoulders or within an arm’s reach at all times.

6 Baby Walker - Useless

Some moms are usually in a hurry to see their babies walk and therefore rush to buy them walkers, which are supposed to help them stand and walk before they can do so on their own. Pediatricians find walkers useless and unsafe. Apparently, they do not teach babies how to walk; toddlers are more than capable of figuring this out by themselves.

Walkers make them more mobile and faster than they naturally are. According to Consumer Reports, when caregivers place babies in walkers, they can easily move to dangerous places like staircases and swimming pools. Not to mention that they can easily bump into objects and make them fall on them. Countries like Canada have banned the use of walkers.

5 Diapers And Diaper Bags - Totally Worth It

Whether disposable or cloth, diapers are totally worth it. They are ideally one of the most essential baby products. From the day babies are born to approximately three years of age, babies will always be in diapers. They will require several changes during the day and night.

However, according to BabyCenter, there is no huge difference between cloth diapers and disposable ones other than the fact that disposables are more airy and absorbent while cloth diapers are much cheaper than the disposables. Diaper bags are also important; mom can use them to pack all the baby essentials when leaving the house with the baby.

4 Crib Bumpers - Useless

Crib bumpers are padded liners designed to surround the interior of a baby’s crib to prevent babies from rolling or falling against the hard sides or slipping their limbs through the bars. It is easy for new parents to understand the appeal of crib bumper pads and to most, they actually seem like a sensible baby product. However, pediatricians disagree; they find them useless and unsafe.

This is because babies are not likely to generate the force that would make them slam themselves onto the bars and cause serious harm, as explained by todaysparent.com. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend the use of crib bumpers because of the risks of SIDS. They believe that they can harm babies.

3 Onesies - Totally Worth It

Moms will definitely want a supply of onesies; they are super convenient especially with newborns who are ever napping. They fit perfectly and open easily from the bottom thereby providing for a quick change. According to todaysparent.com, onesies come with either long or short sleeves for different seasons. Moms can dress their babies up with these onesies as pajamas and others as day clothes when paired with a stylish bottom.

Moms usually need several pieces because of the constant spills and changes that occur regularly and having enough can be lifesaving. Babies usually wear onesies even sometimes past their first year of life, so they are totally worth it.

2 Baby Shoes - Useless

Babies look cute with shoes on but pediatricians find them pointless. According to bellybelly.com, babies cannot walk and therefore do not need shoes, they probably will not need them until their first birthday. Most parents think they need to buy shoes to help the baby stand or walk but this is not the case. Babies do not need shoes to stand or walk.

The purpose of shoes is to protect the baby’s feet when they start walking and to keep them warm. However, when they are still small, shoes can restrict their natural feet development and affect the ability to walk sooner. If it is not cold, barefoot is always the best way.

1 Strollers - Totally Worth It

Baby strollers provide an easier way for moms to get around with their babies and are totally worth the bucks. Strollers are perfect for taking the baby out without tiring the baby or mom. According to anbbaby.com, like any other baby product, there are many different brands in the market to choose from depending on the mom’s needs and taste. We put together a list of the best strollers of 2019.

Some of the stroller features include recline option, brakes, seat belts and compartments for putting essentials. There are strollers even designed to help mom jog while with the baby. Strollers are useful even when babies grow older and start walking. Young children tire easily, so moms can use them for long outings.

Sources: healthyway.com, verywellfamily.com, bellybelly.com, parent24.com, consumerreports.org, todaysparent.com, mommyenlightened.com, kidshealth.org, babycenter.com, kellymom.com, mayoclinic.org, anbbaby.com