From Buy Buy Baby to Bye-Bye Baby Gear

When my third baby was born, I felt certain that I didn’t want any more kids. I felt complete, done. As the year’s gone by, I haven’t wavered from that decision.

Okay, that’s not entirely true. One night, my husband and I, with a little wine in us (this isn’t going where you think it’s going, so hang in there!), with two kids happily playing on the floor and one in bed for the night, thought, “Hey, a fourth wouldn’t be so bad.” We got sentimental and for a moment, it felt like we were considering it. The next morning, we’d come to our senses (and sobered up!). We mutually questioned just how hard that wine must have hit us had we been considering a FOURTH KIDDO and decided that hahahanope, it wasn’t happening. I’m fine with the thought of a fourth — the transition to three has honestly been a breeze — but logistically it gets trickier with bedrooms, vehicles, kids’ activities, school drop-offs. Plus, the idea of pregnancy again …

Besides, after being a serious baby-gear and baby-clothing hoarder for the past five years, I had started getting rid of gear once Emery had outgrown things. I’ve sent little Gwen clothing that’s still got some life in it. I’ve sold things and donated things. If I was a minimalist with my second child, I was even more so with my third. I barely used the changing table; she was rarely in the swing. I started getting addicted to clearing stuff out. I was addicted to decluttering. Sure, if I really wanted a fourth kiddo I’d have no problem buying a bouncer and an infant car seat, but I felt so free getting rid of stuff, moving on.

That’s not to say I wasn’t sentimental about some of the items. My husband and I watched the jumparoo bounce down the street in the back of a pick-up truck before it turned down a side street and out of our lives forever. And part of the sentimentality is accepting the fact that, yes, we’re getting older. Yes, the baby years are now behind us, whereas for my entire life, babies were in my future. Now, I’m accepting that I’m moving on into another stage of my life, one filled with school drop-offs and pick-ups, PTA meetings and packed lunches. It’s freeing, but also bittersweet.

I haven’t thrown anything away that can be used again, and as I’ve been clearing out the baby gear, it helps to know it’s gone to good homes. If you’re looking to get rid of items, ask around to see if people know any expectant moms who need gear. I joined our town’s garage sale Facebook page and sold or gave away most stuff that way. Craigslist and freecycle are also good options. Having a new baby is stressful enough, so when I’ve been able to help a mom who didn’t have an infant car seat or give a young mom a bassinet and other goodies for almost nothing, it’s a good feeling. When I was getting rid of a changing table, one woman contacted me looking for a table for her friend — who had a 5-month-old at home while she was at the hospital. Her mother was taking care of the baby and needed somewhere to change the baby in their two-story house. One woman took four boxes of toys and books to send to her nephew’s school in the Philippines. It’s nice to know the items I cared so much about picking out for my babies are still being used for other little ones.

One thing I won’t be sentimental about tossing when the time comes? The diaper bins! —Erin