If you’re expecting your first baby, at some point you’ll probably be looking up lists of “essential baby items” or something along those lines. Those lists can be helpful, but let’s be honest, some of them are just plain overwhelming. I mean do you really need all 83 items on the list?!

Today I thought I do something a little different and share with you some of the baby items that you don’t need, particularly if you are short on space in your home.

When Caleb was born we lived in a 550 square-foot apartment so we definitely had to keep the baby items to a minimum. Now our home is a little bigger but it is still under 1000 square feet so with three kids we still don’t have tons of room for bulky baby items.

Here’s my list for you of 9 baby items you don’t need when you’re short on space, plus some of the things we like to use instead.

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9 Baby Items You Don’t Need When You’re Short On Space

Diaper pail

We’ve never owned a diaper pail and I haven’t missed it. Honestly, using old grocery sacks to bag up stinky diapers right away is not much harder and is definitely more cost-effective. We just keep a small trash can by our changing table – it works just fine and takes up less space.

Wipe warmer

Wipe warmers are nice but totally unnecessary. We were gifted one after Caleb was born; I used it for a while but we really didn’t have the room to justify keeping it, even though it wasn’t all that big.

Bath seat

Baby bath seats are convenient but if you don’t have room for one don’t sweat it! This is another item that we were gifted when Caleb was born but ended up donating because we simply did not have room to store it. My kids have all done just fine with baths in the sink when they are tiny and then careful baths in the big tub once they’re a bit older.

Rock ‘n play / Large swing

Large items like a rock ‘n play or swing can be super helpful to have but if you live in a small space they can take up half the living room haha.

Instead of something large we just use a little portable swing. It’s small, works well, and folds up for easy storage. This portable swing is similar to what we have!

Changing table

We have a changing table now but didn’t for the first couple years. We just did diaper changes on a changing pad on the bed or on the ground, no big deal! In my opinion changing tables are one of the biggest baby items you don’t need if you don’t have much space.

Exersaucer/Jumperoo

Again, this type of baby item is convenient to have but is super bulky. We don’t own one but we did borrow an exersaucer from a friend when Caleb was little. I think that borrowing is definitely the way to go if you can – that way you don’t have to store it once baby outgrows it.

A good alternative that we like to use for our babies is a doorway jumper. Ours is the Graco Bumper Jumper which we have been very pleased with.

Highchair

Highchairs can take up a lot of space at a table (especially if you need two!) We prefer small booster seats that fit on chairs. We have two different kinds but this one is our favorite because the tray can easily be removed with one hand (and trust me, that’s important!)

Baby food maker

These things are cute but I personally do not need another kitchen gadget to try to make space for in my kitchen. I have found that a regular blender or food processor work just fine for making baby food.

Large stroller

We don’t have a garage so our stroller is usually stored in the back of our car. In order to save space we’ve skipped the big fancy models and opted to use umbrella strollers – first a regular one and now a double. (Before we got our double umbrella stroller I didn’t even know there was such a thing!)

We use a Jeep brand double umbrella stroller. I’m so impressed with how small and lightweight it is. We love it!

So that’s my list for you of baby items you don’t need when you’re short on space! Do you have anything that you would add to my list??