Purchases you didn't need to make?

[Mum2b_Claire]

Pointless things:

Bottle warmer. What is the point? Really slow compared with boiling the kettle then putting bottle into a jug. Although, shock horror, after a few months we just used the microwave and gave it a good shake after.

Socks other than ones from Gap - all other ones just fell straight off.

Blankets - we bought loads for some reason, didn't need that many at all and anyway, we used sleeping bags from about 4 months.

Door bouncer - fiddly to put her in it and she started crying within 5 mins every time.

....and here is a 'toddler bad buy' for all of you to avoid: Potty training pants!! Stupidly expensive (We got ours from mothercare, £12 for 2 pairs), made a scrunching sound when she walked and totally pointless. Ruby only wet herself once in them and it still went through to her trousers.
Also toilet trainer seats that fit under the normal loo seat. How are you supposed to wipe LO afterwards? There isn't any room. Silly.

Good things:

Bumbo. Ruby is probably in the minority here but she sat happily in it several times a day from 4 months to 11 months. Enabled me to get cooking and cleaning done.

Tripp Trapp high chair - so much less bulky than your average huge plastic type chair

Cotbed (as opposed to a cot) - Ruby would not fit into a normal cot now but still has loads of room in the cotbed. If we'd just gone for a normal cot we would have had to move her to a bed with no sides by now and we don't want to do this yet.

 

[Phantom]

I think it depends on the person because some of the "bad purchases" people have mentioned in this thread are great in my opinion- like the bottle warmer. We love ours! In fact we have 2, one at grandmas.

One thing I wish I had done was purchased a better bouncer and swing. We opted for the cheaper ones thinking they would be fine, but our LO is quite uncomfortable in them so he doesn't like them! It would be way easier if we had got nice comfy/cozy ones instead.

 

[kitty17]

Moses baskets - bought two for upstairs and downstairs, and he rarely slept in either, and he's nearly outgrown them!! Also his moby wrap, I find it really difficult to put on and he hates it unless he's asleep

 

[steph.4192]

Here's a list of all the things I've Bought/Accumulated so far:

-Cot/Crib Depending on where you live & mattress
-7 Fitted sheets
-Tetra Snuggle Bed, was purchased for me, I haven't decided if I will use it yet but no money lost if I don't
-Cellular and Waffle blankets, 4 of each (these probably won't be used until about 3 months as she is due at the end of Summer and it's quite warm here)
-Muslin Wraps and Swaddles
-Various other light and warmer blankets made by my Mum & MIL
-Changing Pad to sit on top of the dresser as a makeshift change table, or even just for the floor
- Rocking chair that was given to us, probably won't get used, but nice to have anyway
-Body Suits, short and long sleeved, in Newborn, 3 and 6 month sizes..
-I was given a nice diaper bag as a gift, so also don't have to worry about that one. Would like to buy an organiser to put inside it though as its quite big!
-And of course the car seat


Things I intend to buy:
-Sleeping bags/Gro Bags, just 1 or 2 to see if they are for us
-A cheap baby bath, in case I decide the big bath is easier
-Considering buying a bassinet or moses basket, but there is enough room in our room for the cot, so not sure yet...
Im waiting until after she is born to buy a monitor, if I think that we need one...

My Aunt in Law has decided that she is purchasing our pram, so again, no big deal if it doesn't get much use...

I haven't decided yet if we are going to purchase a swing/bouncer/rocker, or if we are going to use a baby carrier... maybe I can delegate these purchases to a family member lol...

Am I on track?? lol

Bassinets are great especially if they have wheels, then you can take LO while asleep to whatever room your in. I loved the one that i had, cause he would sleep in my room, and during the day once he was biger and we were about to get his cot, i put him in his room

 

[steph.4192]

Pointless things:

Bottle warmer. What is the point? Really slow compared with boiling the kettle then putting bottle into a jug. Although, shock horror, after a few months we just used the microwave and gave it a good shake after.

Socks other than ones from Gap - all other ones just fell straight off.

Blankets - we bought loads for some reason, didn't need that many at all and anyway, we used sleeping bags from about 4 months.

Door bouncer - fiddly to put her in it and she started crying within 5 mins every time.

....and here is a 'toddler bad buy' for all of you to avoid: Potty training pants!! Stupidly expensive (We got ours from mothercare, £12 for 2 pairs), made a scrunching sound when she walked and totally pointless. Ruby only wet herself once in them and it still went through to her trousers.
Also toilet trainer seats that fit under the normal loo seat. How are you supposed to wipe LO afterwards? There isn't any room. Silly.

Good things:

Bumbo. Ruby is probably in the minority here but she sat happily in it several times a day from 4 months to 11 months. Enabled me to get cooking and cleaning done.

Tripp Trapp high chair - so much less bulky than your average huge plastic type chair

Cotbed (as opposed to a cot) - Ruby would not fit into a normal cot now but still has loads of room in the cotbed. If we'd just gone for a normal cot we would have had to move her to a bed with no sides by now and we don't want to do this yet.

You can get cots that can turn into a cotbed I got a new one from a baby shop for pretty cheap and it looks good, and i can change it to a bed for when he is bigger.

 

[starlight2801]

There have probably been loads of things but for us the biggest waste of money was buying a swing.
I know alot of babies love them but mine hated it. She cried within minutes of being put in it, if not straight away.
It was the fisher price rainforest one too so not cheap - mega fail

 

[bananabump]

This thread just goes to show you that every baby really is completely different... and every mummy has their own different ways of doing things to! But here's my list for you :
(Leo is 12 weeks old now)

DO'S

Mamas and Papas Sola pushchair - Fab because it fully reclines to lying flat so Leo can sit up in it and when he falls asleep I can lie him back.
Moses Basket with rocking stand - Really useful, I keep mine downstairs and Leo naps in it during the day.
Swinging Crib - Leo absolutely loves a swinging/rocking motion - sends him off to sleep! He's slept in our room in it since he was 5 days old, before that we had the moses basket in with us.
Baby monitor with camera and microphone - Ace for evenings! We put Leo up to bed at 9.30pm so keep the monitor on until we go up at about 11.30pm.
Changing table - We've got one which has a drawer and cupboard underneath o find it useful to keep all his bibs, mittens, socks, hats, nappies, wipes, nappy sacks, tissues etc in.
Changing mat - We keep a travel one rolled up on one of our dining room chairs and then pop it on the table during the day. Now he's getting more fidgety/likely to roll we will start using it on the living room floor instead.
Swinging Chair - Love it! God send as a newborn as it would send him to sleep but now he's not so keen on it and would rather be in his bouncer.
Cot mobile - Always makes him smile before sending him off to sleep which is too cute. And when he wakes up in the morning he just lies there staring it!
Baby bath - We had the ergo bath from mamas and papas - it's really worth buying! It's got a support in it for newborns so you can use both hands without having to hold their head etc and then when Leo can sit unaided there's another section at the other end for him to sit in! We've got wooden floor in the lounge and love having bathtime in there with the fire on and Daddy helping!

DONT'S!

Sling - Only just bought this as Leo didn't really need holding that much when he was newborn (loved his sleep and still does!!) but just recently he's become a bit more clingy and doesnt like to be left alone if I'm going upstairs to grab something or going into the kitchen etc so it's really handy to have him in his sling and still be hands free!
Playgym - Leo has never really been that keen on it and still isn't now.. He tends to just fall asleep lol
Carrycot - Waste of money, just get a pushchair that fully reclines! Leo hated lying down in it and always wanted to be sitting up looking around!
Toys - Not really needed until around now at 3 months when they start to interact more and things make them smile!
Nappy bin - Don't bother! Just buy 300 of Asdas own nappy sacks that are fragranced and only cost around £1 lol
Swaddle blankets - Just use a cellular blanket and tuck it tightly underneath little one with their arms aross their chest!
Bouncer - Leo will happily bounce away watching tele for a good hour at a time in it! But has only just started liking it at 3months.


I think that's everything! What an essay haha x x x

 

[Shabutie]

Baby bath was good and bad for us, it made us feel more confident when bathing LO, but we only used it a handful of times...

Changing table, its used as storage now...

Lots of baby toys.... she wasnt interested in most for a very long time...

Soft baby shoes... too fiddly to deal with. She hasnt worn any since she was a newborn...

I cant think of much else, sorry.

 

[shelley22]

To be honest, its probably each to their own and depends on your situation..

Scratch mitts have been a god send for us as it stops Oliver pulling his tube out

Baby Bath, so much easier than filling the big bath and trying to wash him in the sink as the taps get in the way but we got ours given. I have never really used to top and tail bowl though

Bottle Warmer, i use ours on a night time saves having to go downstairs in the middle of the night

Didnt buy a changing table just use a changing mat on the floor or on our bed

Moses basket, Im glad we got one given and just bought new covers as he wasnt in it for two minutes and he hated the crib so thinking of selling it to save space!

Congratulations and now to make your list of what you want to buy I loved making lists and ticking off what we had been given or bought as we went along!

 

[lovelylaura]

oh god yeh dont buy shoes they look lovely but they wont stay on and you will feel mean putting them on any way i have a whole draw full dread to think how much money i wasted x