Really? Everyone regrets buying activity mats +++? (say it isn't so!)

[pinklightbulb]

Eamon loved his so much it wore out lol. I don't know with Liam yet.

 

[missvikki]

My LO loves her activity mat! She's actually asleep on it as I type
I thought about putting it away yesterday and it is as if she knew because she's been playing on it all morning.
For me this was a brilliant purchase but again my friends baby hates hers so like other have said each baby is different.

I also loved our baby bath till she was 4 months old but lots of people say that was a wate of money also.

 

[babybrums]

Ah! We forewent the swing for the bouncer as well. We really just didn't have room for the swing. I hope he likes the things we bought, I think I'll be devastated if we spent money on all the wrong things. :/ I get it, though, different baby equals different likes/dislikes, but it's sure good to hear some mothers reporting positively on some of the things we bought. I was getting worried, but sounds like it's at least 50/50 anyhow.

We didn't buy the diaper genie or a wipes warmer (although I did get a wipes dispenser because I hate the cheapo ones that come with the natural wipes). I feel like there's lots of stuff we didn't buy, so that's good anyhow. Just hope he likes what we bought so far. Especially the Beco Gemini carrier!

The diaper genie was a complete waste of money. I bought one because my brother just throws my nephews diapers in with their trash and their whole house sticks of dirty diapers. I didn't want that to be the first thing you smelled when you walked in! While it kept the smell away, the replacement bags are way to expensive. They're about $7 and only last two weeks. Instead, we use Walmart bags and throw it out everyday. So far so good - our house doesn't stink of dirty diapers!

 

[dizz]

We borrowed all of ours:

Swing - she hated, the previous resident of it had LOVED it
Bouncy chair - she loves, previous resident of it hated it
Play mats - we've got two - she uses the one with raised edges and dangly toys daily... the raised edges I find help stop our dogs coming to "join in".

Breast pumps - my Avent electric one was shit - it leaked, it lost suction, it switched off randomly and the motor died in a fortnight.

 

[NickyKB]

Which really goes to show how individual it is - my avent electric pump has been great - used it 1-2 times a day for the past 6 months with no problems!

As for activity mat LO initially wasn't very keen but from when he was about 8 weeks old he started to get interested in it and now loves it which is great as I can happily leave him batting at a toucan whilst I sort stuff in the kitchen!

 

[ktod]

Don't forget that thread was asking for regrets so people aren't really going to post many positive stories. If you started a best buy thread I'm sure all the same things in the regret thread would be mentioned by other people lol!

 

[Noelle610]

I haven't read through all of the responses, but just chiming in to say my LO loves hers. She just started to really enjoy it around 3/4 months though, so you could wait on it if you want.

 

[babyjan]

We got a play mat as a gift and my son has never been on it without fussing to be picked up again but then again he has a short attention span and doesn't really like to play or look at things for longer than 5 minutes :] x

 

[Excited4First]

I agree with previous posters.. every baby is different and so is every mom. There's reallly no way to tell if your lo will love something or hate it.. or if you'll be able to use certain things. My lo could take or leave his play mat. My advice would be to wait on the breast pump until after baby is here (I haven't read the entire thread, sorry if that's bad advice) as they can be so expensive. Don't worry Hun!

 

[Twister]

I've read that thread too and found it very insightful. But it just goes to show that every baby is different, was interesting to see how so many people said their babies hated their play mats and bouncy chairs as everyone I've spoken to in real life has said they're a life saver.

Tbf I won't be to downhearted if baby hates her bouncy chair or playmat as we didn't pay much for them in the first place (£17 reduced from £30 for the vibrating chair and £16 reduced from £25 for the play mat), they're neutral as well so can be saved and used for the next baby although we're obviously not thinking that far ahead yet

 

[jessicatunnel]

Lilly loves her play gym! She plays on it 30min-hour at a time!

 

[Jennifurball]

Scarlett loves her play gym, I am just having to get rid of it because the cat keeps walking on it and pulling the material, so I am sadly selling it before it is a complete wreck.

Bloody cats.

I wouldn't say they are a waste of money at all, but babies all like different things. I was obsessed with getting a Bumbo but after all the bad reports, I hardly used it, and Scarlett cried after a couple of mins. So everyone is different.

 

[Kyliem87]

My niece absolutely loved hers whereas Abigail wasn't overly keen. I'm keeping it for future baby's though as my next LO may love it! Try not to look too much in to what other people regret/love. It's sometimes a good place to start but every family/person/baby is different - some love swings, some hate them - some love their bouncers, some hate them. I could go on about anything lol. Also I LOVE my changing table - others think they're a waste of time, space and money

 

[Lara310809]

my eldest LOVED her activity mat; she would play there for ages and it got so much use. But my youngest hated being away from me, so she hardly used it at all, so it was wasted on her, which is a shame.

I wouldn't say it's a waste in general though; I suppose it depends on what your baby likes

 

[veganmama]

we got ours a little late 4-5months and he grew out of it fast but he really loved it

 

[honeybee2]

Louie started playing on his mat at 6 weeks old. He's now 10 weeks old and loves it. He can see the piano that he's kicking in the mirror and he's worked out that when the music stops he has to kick again. So clever!

 

[libbylou]

Every baby is different. My DD loved her activity mat for a while, then went through a period of hating it (mostly it was a period of hating being put down more than usual), and now she loves it again

We have a bumbo which I thought she would love because it helps her sit up, but we never use it because she hates it. However I know a lot of people love their bumbos

 

[oh_so_blessed]

I want to thank all of you who have eased my mind a bit about things. I spent a lot of time picking out his activity mat, got one with adjustable height bars for the toys, a mirror, etc, and just felt a little sad that this expensive item might be a waste. After reading the other thread I thought about returning it. But, I think I'm going to give him a go with it. Sounds like lots of babies go through periods of like/dislike, and that most of you have been pleased, at some point in baby's development, to have had an activity mat.

And, I feel a little more pleased about trying the double electric breast pump. It's really hard because these things are so expensive and not returnable after opened, but if you don't try you'll never know I suppose. I really need it to work out for when I return to work. I can't seem myself using a manual twice a day every day, feel like I'll get carpal tunnel or something.

thanks again, ladies! I love baby club, guess I'll be officially joining you in not long now. :-D

 

[CaliGinger]

It really depends on your baby and even what day it is, lol. We also have the play gym with the piano at one end and some days she loves to kick it and some days she refuses to. We haven't built the crib and rarely use the stroller, two 'must buys'.

 

[DaisyBee]

I didn't read the whole thread, but my girls have liked totally different things. What I used for Megan I haven't used for Jordan and vice versa.

Megan hated her swing, jumperoo, baths in general which meant that the baby bath got used 2times ever. I loved my wipes warmer for her as she was born in cold winter and changing her diaper at 3am that cold wipe would make her jump, but she was a very sensitive touchy baby and she is that way as a toddler. I didn't need it with jordan, but she giggles when getting wiped vs screaming.

Jordan loves the swing, and the jumperoo. Megan used her activity mat from very very early, but Jordan was more busy watching her sister. But it is still used some. Megan hated the bumbo, but Jordan still uses it and likes it. Jordan loves baths but I bought a thing I could put in the tub with Megan so I could bathe both girls together.

I changed Megan on a changing mat on a dresser that was meant for changing diapers. Jordan has never gotten changed on a changing mat. Lol it works better on the floor or in her crib. As a newborn the diaper changer in her portacrib got used a lot. I never used that for Megan.

So different kids are different. And how you parent and what you find useful is different with each child.