To ask what baby item(s) we shouldn’t waste money on?

[Mummytooobe]

What did you buy but never used or thought was pointless?

We were looking at picking up a Moses on marketplace but by the time we’ve done that and bought a new mattress, we might as well have bought an entirely new one. Happy to do so but not if you didn’t use it.

What DIDN’T you use?

On our must-have list we have:

• Brand new mattresses for all baby sleeping places
• Ultra safe infant car seat (looking at the Avionaut or Maxi Cosi models)
• Supportive baby carrier like the ergobaby
• Compact buggy for after 6 months

We have also picked up a second hand Mamaroo swing for very cheap, so we’re pleased with that. Planning on breastfeeding so not getting any bottles or prep machines unless we need to.

What don’t we need? Please de-influence me!

Are you seriously suggesting that if you put your newborn down and they scream, you should leave them there to avoid a “self fulfilling prophecy”???

some babies just don’t tolerate not being held very well. I had one. Blows my mind that people were able to put a baby small enough to fit in a Moses basket down in a Moses basket while awake!! Mine would scream unless held by a person preferably mummy 😅

I meant Sleepyhead, not Snuzpod!

Buy as little as possible. With Amazon prime, you can work out what's best fort your baby and get stuff next day

I didn't use a pram or a cot, or baby 'outfits'. I did use a moses basket, stretchy wrap carrier then ring sling then ergo carrier/basic lie flat umbrella stroller. I used babygros then bodysuits with joggers over once crawling.

All newborn carseats are tested to same standard (as rear facing ) avinoaut cosmo is good price and can be belted and then save up for ERF or just by a bsafe stretch b from birth to 125cm (don't forget to make sure your car insurance reimburses full costs!!)

New matress and waterproof covers (x2) if you have a sickly baby you can always order more if needed

Use pram bassinet as Moses basket

Try slings out at library (buy second hand)

We did go for full pram and got a free compact fold for holidays/grandparents you can tell difference but it depends where you go and what terrain you'll use pram

We got 2nd hand baby Bjorn Bouncer

People buy the ikea antelope highchair

Somehow you end up with so many Muslins!

Nursery furniture is pointless

We went for a floor bed and no cot (then pop the matress on divan base and bed through childhood

Lived in baby grows and preferred cardigans as you could take those off once indoor if warm (rather than under bodysuits)

Didn't use a padded snowsuit/puddlesuit until confidently walking going down slides etc

Don't waste money on shoes (especially when they're not even walking)

Certain brands last longer get more use out of

Buy yourself good flasks and a snack caddy!

Have stations up and down for changing

Yes. I didn't use a changing bag, just a backpack with a spare babygro, nappies, wipes, fold up mat.

Moses basket is a definite yes for me, we used ours so much, but get it second hand and get a new mattress.

I’d say don’t worry about spending much money on the main cot, get a second hand one if you can (and a new mattress). They grow out of them so quickly, ours refused to go back in theirs before 18 months and very quickly went into a single bed.

I planned to breastfeed and still do (baby is 3 weeks). But she didn’t latch and still hasn’t seeing breastfeeding consultant next week to help. The best thing I got was a breast pump so she can still have breast milk, along with bottles and steriliser. I genuinely thought I’d breastfeed and it would all be really easy etc. but it doesn’t always happen like that.

I wouldn’t bother with a Moses basket of you have a bassinet for your pram. When she sleeps downstairs we use the bassinet and have a base for it to go on so we don’t push a dirty pram through the house.

We have the maxi cosi 360 pro car seat and really like it so if you’re considering maxi cosi I’d recommend that.

We got a white noise machine but I’m not really convinced it does much to help. Also I bought far too many Muslins I think realistically I could cope with 10 and I have about 20!

Most things you'll only use a very limited amount of time.. like 3 months. I had second hand travel system and it was great. I bought new cot and next 2 me with new mattresses.. I only used both for a year.. it was kind of a waste of money really.. my second hand baby zen yo-yo has been amazing and I have been using it for 3 years. Big pram I used for 5 months. Ergo baby was great!

Nursing chair, Moses basket ney..
Bouncy chair for the baby or a vibrating one was a must! Borrowed one from a friend

You don't need

• Moses basket
• baby sized wardrobes (just get normal wardrobe)
• special nappy bin
• changing table (just use mat on the floor)

Ikea is good price. I would think a travel cot would work well downstairs & put baby in a sleeping bag. Or put the carrier from buggy system inside it.

I have a 7 year old and a 3 month old - there's been quite a lot of change in between them in terms of what is the latest baby thing you 'must have'.

Don't bother with a changing station, just bung a changing mat on top of chest of drawers or on your bed when necessary. I find a sleepyhead (now called dock a tot) useful for daytime naps but others prefer a moses basket. Baby hats - you don't need a million of them, especially as they're a popular gift. Breastfeeding pillows - always seem in the way so I threw away (tried to give away for free but no one wanted them). I have an ikea poang chair for when baby goes into their own room for night feeds, but otherwise any old chair/sofa. I really like the love to dream swaddle sleeping bag things but some babies hate swaddles, my first child did. I bought a rokit pram jiggler thing but probably didn't need to but I did by their swoosh mini sound machine and love it. Hakaa breast pump thing - the cheap one that you just suction to your other boob when feeding from the other - much easier than proper pumping and I got just as much from it. Nappy bin - we used it a lot for the first few weeks as a million poos a day but now just one a day ish so not really needed. I still have our old car seat and regret not getting a new more comfy and lighter one as both dc always scream(ed) their heads off in it (seem too squished in but on biggest settings now but meant to last 14 more months!) and it's bloody heavy (cybex Aton q first version). Yoyo prams weren't around 7 years ago but we did bite the bullet and buy one and love it. I loved my ergo 360 first time round but my back is struggling this time so not using it now. When I did use it over this winter I had a baby wearing second hand coat for the frosty school runs. Cute dresses, stiff clothes - no! I hate seeing my baby uncomfy in some dress a well meaning relative has bought her. Stretchy comfy clothes only when little. In fact no dresses until they can properly walk really -they ride up and get caught in a lump under their back when lying down and tripped over when learning to crawl or walk. No to clothes with poppers or buttons at the back - babies don't like being flipped around and wrestled into clothes. Well mine doesn't anyway. Little comforter toys - we've been given a gazillion and you can't leave them with them in the cot until 6 months - it's inevitable she'll like the one that is no longer made and she'll then lose it when age 3 and cry for weeks about it. We bought a couple of swing chairs off marketplace that have been really handy as our baby isn't a fan of being put down, but does tolerate these for a bit.

Basically, all babies and parents are different and it's a bit trial and error I'm afraid. You're right to not rush and buy everything though. I'm a bit of a planner and can go ott with things but this time round I've been trying to remind myself that you can get most things delivered within a few days now!

Another recommendation for the Avionaut pixel pro car seat. It really is the best- longest lasting, lightest and best fitting. You don’t need the base unless you can easily afford it- it’s nice and easy to fit with just a seatbelt.

My baby hated the mamaroo and I hated baby wearing so those 2 items were a waste for us.
also a White noise machine- he didn’t like that at all!

It’s all so personal. I’d say don’t bother with bottles or dummies as both of mine refused them, but clearly they work for some babies.

Hooded towels are swkward- better to buy a few big fluffy bath towels .

We used changing mats (you don’t want to change pooey nappies on your knee/ bed as so many recommend ! We bought loads of cheap face flannels to put under baby’s bum while nappy changing , to absorb any nappy-off wees which would have needed a change of clothes.

No to a nursing chair or changing table.

Essentials here were
Baby bouncy chair
Changing mat, folding changing mat
Baby grows and vests, nappies and wipes
Sudocrem
Lanolin nipple cream
Underarm thermometer
Muslins
Light fleece baby blanket
Car seat
Pram
Baby bath

High chair and later on some rip off stoke trip traps
Bibs - plastic, for weaning
Tommee tippee cup
Washable cheeky wipes for hands and faces - useful for at least 5 years

Everything was second hand, except the pram.

We used our baby bath a couple of times a week at least and my 4.5 year old still uses it so that was definitely useful. It fills in less time than it takes to take the clothes off the toddler. Seems massively wasteful to run a whole bath for a baby, and what baby wants to sit in a cold slippy sink on a plug? A baby bath is also safer as it supports them and with ours, once they are like 1.5 they can't drown in it due to the shape. We put it in the main bath.

Cots and furniture it depends on your house, how much space etc. we are very tight for space so had to juggle different sized cots at different times. If you have more space just get the big stuff from the start.

Prams and pram suits and slings it depends on your lifestyle. I can't imagine life without a pram ! Presumably people who don't use one drive everywhere. My older child couldn't reliably and quickly walk 1.5 miles into town until at least 3 years. She's a much better walker than most children we know. A sling is handy for a small baby but not so much a heavy 1 year old. Plus where do you put your shopping, library books etc. We use our pram daily, my younger child is 2.5. My older one is 4.5 and doesn't need it but sometimes if it's raining on the way to school they both squeeze in to keep dry. We have a baby jogger city mini GT. It's a mid range one, lightweight, folds one handed, but sturdy enough for bumpy off-road walks. Wish I'd had a cup holder for the pram!

if you're spending much time outside you need a pram suit. If just transferring from car to indoors then not. There are different styles of pramsuit, ours was very easy to put on, wide arms and legs, slippery material inside, zip up.

We have an ergobaby and didn't get on with it. I prefer a structured backpack carrier once they are old enough - again depends on lifestyle but if you are walking in areas with loads of steps such as underground trains or obviously the countryside, they are good.

A stretchy wrap sling was useful in the early days although neither of my babies loved it. Wouldn't say essential.

Breastfeeding bras - wait till baby is born and get fitted as size is unpredictable. Breastfeeding clothes - I didn't want to spend money on this but in hindsight it would have been a boost to have a couple of nice things to wear not just saggy old clothes. Wait till baby is born and you know size if buying new.

We do use a changing mat! Just on the bed rather than a dedicated "changing table".

OP, think of the angle you and the baby need to be at when changing Nappies.

Not everyone, we used ours.

Never had a baby bath- no room to store it. We bought a little ramp that went in the bath for baby to lie on. Also meant we had 2 free hands to use as we didn't need to hold baby.

Never had a Moses basket, white noise machine, gro clock, blackout blinds, baby monitor, special steriliser (used a cereal Tupperware, now used for cereal again). Used a changing mat on the floor.

Bought a bugaboo travel system secondhand but didn’t use that much - glad we didn’t buy new.

Did use folding baby bath, slings and carriers, breast pump, read to our baby from weeks old so lots of books, we used reusable nappies and lots of muslins and cloth wipes and lots of bibs, had a very dribbly and messy baby.

Agree about not needing many hats, also socks when they are very small.

Moses basket was a waste for me as baby was too big for it after 8 weeks and was in a travel cot. Also the baby carrier was pointless and both baby and me hated it!

Yes. Keep a small budget for "items it turned out were a pile of crap". You'll also likely buy a few things in the early sleep deprived days that aren't the best idea.

Just remember, food, a place to sleep, clothes. All they need at the start, and the rest can come next day delivery.

Travel cots with bassinet are much better and longer lasting, easy to store away too when not in use.

I’d also recommend Tula carriers. We had far too many several different carriers and I liked the Ergo but preferred the Tula.

We didn’t have a Moses basket but we did have a carrycot/pram attachment for our buggy and I think not having something like that would limit you to always ‘wearing’ or holding the baby, which could be challenging. Having said that, my youngest wouldn’t be put down between about 3 weeks and 6 months, so he was basically held or ‘worn’ and the pram/buggy didn’t get much use that time around!)

Definitely don’t bother with a changing table. A changing mat on the floor is much cheaper and safer. You can take them wherever you need, it’s good for no-nappy time (with a towel on top) too, and it’s easily tucked away under the sofa or cot or wherever to save space. If you end up with a c-section and can’t bend over enough to do it on the floor somebody else should be doing the changing for you because you’ve had major abdominal surgery then get a changing table then.

Definitely a bunch of muslin cloths - they are multipurpose (wipe up spills, dribble catching bib, put over your shoulder to catch the spit-up, an extra blanket layer, a light nursing cover for in the summer). They can be very cheap but some are definitely softer than others so best not to scrimp too much in my opinion. I can’t remember because it was a while ago now, but I think we had some lovely soft ones from Tesco but also some very cute printed ones that were super-soft from Aden & Anais. The A&A ones were also nice and big for nursing/swaddling, etc.