PRODUCTS YOU WISH YOU HAD NEVER BOUGHT

[Willow2]

Does anyone else out there have a baby product they hate with a vengeance? I made the mistake of buying the Chicco Mamma high chair because it looked the business and I'd inherited a load of other Chicco bits and bobs that were great. Being a first time mum I didn't think about how easy it would be to clean. If I tell you that the tray alone has over 30 nooks and crannies for food to get into it will give you an idea of just how badly designed this item is. It is an absolute nightmare to keep clean - yesterday, after a lunch of tuna/rice salad, I ended up sticking it in the garden and turning the high pressure hose on it. Aside from the cleaning aspect it is also far too big for anyone under the age of 21. My son is fifteen months and above average height yet still has to have a booster seat in it. Plus the tray doesn't come in far enough so half his lunch ends up down his bib or on the floor. I hate it with every inch of my body and can only presume that it was designed by a mysognistic sadist for a laugh. I don't know if I can face another year of dealing with it and am seriously thinking of taking an axe to it, whacking it on the bonfire and buying a £10 one from Ikea instead. Any other suggestions for my pire of useless products?

I didn't buy it, but MIL did and wish she hadn't - baby record book. I kept it up for about 3 mos, then was too busy and forgot. Didn't get given one for DD2 and then did for DD3, which I've done nothing about . I feel guioty for not doing the 1st one, guilty for not getting one for the second and can't poss. do one for the 3rd because I'd feel bad for DS1 and DD2!! Easier just to take photos and have memories!

I am 3 weeks away from giving birth to no. 2. Boy, do I feel older and wiser! What a lot of *rap they try to sell you when you are pregnant.
Oh, how I laugh in Mothercare now. (Yes, I do look a bit insane).
Does anyone really need a £400 rocking chair & £200 footstool just to feed their baby?

I completely agree about the snowsuits. I got lots as presents. Never used one.

And Baby oil - what's that about?

Hi, YES I love my top and tail bowl, I use washable fleecey wipes in funky designs so one side is filled with wipes and one with my own soap mixture, saves me a FORTUNE on baby wipes which I only use when I go out.

I hate the nappy wrappers and nappy sacks... why on earth do we use them? Why not just use cloth nappies and then you can wash them after a day or two? Much better for the environment and much much less smeller. What happens when these nappy sacks EVENTUALLY (and believe me it's the nappy sacks which are just as bad as the nappy) biodegrade and the smelly nappy (whatever it is filled with) after 5-50 years is exposed to the atmosphere. YUK! OMG! (oh and ps. it is illegal to put human poo in the bin).

Graco pushchairs in general, crap, bought one as a travel system and, well, just crap. Much better is my Jane Carrera C System with Matrix lie-down car seat which served as a moses basket, car seat, pram, sit-up car seat, pushchair etc, just clips on the wheels which fold umbrella type! p.s. I can get into the shopping basket underneath whilst baby is lying down and it is VERY strong.

Maclaren Vogue (now Ryder) and Techno XT. So easy to use, fold down with one hand, steer, lightweight, carry up stairs whilst holding baby and carrying rucksack.

P.S. I can't live without my buggysnuggles, I so wish I hadn't bought the "matching cosytoes" as they are SO USELESS, baby gets to 8 months and they are already too long for the cosytoes.

I LOVED my tummytub and my hubby HATED it (he was taller and could never get comfy).

Ok, that's it, I'm done.

Kezzie xxx

Baby oil is great for cleaning stainless steel cooker hoods etc. Stops nasty finger prints!!! I can't understand what anyone uses a top and tail bowl for. I know what they are meant to be for - but a bit of water in a plastic cup does the same job! And why are they so big?? How much water can you possibly need to wash a baby's eyes etc.

NAPPY SACKS
God yes! I hate those stinky nappy sacks. We don't use them but do have to use the travelling potty sacks. The stink of the sacks is revolting. I can cope with just the smell of poo any day!

Maxi Cosi Car Seat Toy - for toddler
What an utter waste of money. Never used. It is like a squashy tray thing with a bear rattle and steering wheel. Far too babyish for toddler, too big to use with the baby car seat.

SCRATCH MITTS (for us - child specific)
Why? They needed gaffer taping on in our case

JUMPERS FOR BABIES
We never used these because when they are asleep you do not want to try and get them out. We just used to wrap a blanket round. Much easier for regulating temperature.

Travel system - too big and bulky both when up and folded down. Was such an hassle going any where and trying to fold it down to get in the car. The car seat was the only good thing about it and actually got used. Brought a pushchair after 4 months of struggling which was so much easier.

Various car seat/buggy toys - have about 4 different ones which have had little or no use. They just don't fit on the prams I've had / have got.

Fisher Price take-along swing. Dd loved it the first time, and after that wanted to get out after less than a minute on each subsequent time.

Cot mobile - by the time we moved her from her Amby hammock (incidentally, our best buy), she was sitting up and therefore couldn't use it on the cot.

Ditto, Tomy light and sounds butterfly cot toy.

Baby shawl - bought one before dd1 was born (8 years ago) - got it out again (unused) when dd2 was born and it's still unused!

Nature Baby nappies (I think? Eco-disposable nappies with green leaf print) - awful things, really plasticky and don't fit well. Still got loads sat in the cupboard which are probably too small now.

Bumbo - was great initially, but after about 4 weeks dd managed to work out how to get out of it.

I've chuckling reading through this thread! I thought the Bumbo was a fairly pointless piece and expensive piece of moulded plastic... My daughter HATED it! Completely agree about too-fiddly-to-clean Prima Pappa highchair - why don't they make them so you can get all the straps off to clean?! I took my baby monitor back to Boots after six months and got a full refund as, when we moved house, we kept picking up the sound of someone else's baby crying! Doh! Also agree about pointlessness of shop assistants who know NOTHING about the products they're selling (Mothercare, take note!) - totally infuriating. The best place I've discovered for people who do know that they're talking about is Nippers (nippers.co.uk) in Chessington. Gorgeous location for a shop, too!

Mothercare checked highchair, horrble to put up and had cream straps! Yes cream straps which you couldnt clean. Huge monstrous item which took up too much room. My advice? Never buy a high chair! Use a bouncy baby chair or car seat! Then transfer to a booster seat on a dining chair (best buy for me).

Baby bath, basic style, used it a few times - but pointless. Should have used the sink or big bath.

Basic changing mat, again pointless! Just lay an old towel underneath and wash it! Waste of money. Only change mat that is useful is a 'cot top' one especially after a c section. But did I really need one of each?!

Food blender, bought this especially for baby when I weaned. Never used it!

Another Bumbo mistake here too. Used it a handful of times then ds2 (then 6or 8 months I think) worked out that if he straightened his back and legs he could push himself out of it - oh and nearly crack his skull open in the process! Have inflicted it on sister now!
We inherited a CHicco Mamma highchair from bil and I HATED it. It was fine for ealy weaning as you could recline it but as soon as they started to take an interest in food and you needed the tray - forget it. Now, either I spawned midgets (92nd centile so prob not!) or the height of the tray is just ridiculous. I did actually consign it to the garage in favour of a 35 quid IKEA wooden one. Also, cleaning it - complete nightmare...didn't quite get to sil levels of hygiene (using a toothbrush to get crumbs out of crevices), but prob should have god knows what nasties were dwelling there. Thinking of upgrading to Tripp Trapp though for both ds's so intersted to see comments about those.

Ither mistakes include Fisher Price crawl and slide playground thing..COMPLETE waste of space and money.

Cot mobile - used a handful of times with ds1 and never with ds2.
M&P changing table with bath insert - table itself is great v sturdy, well made, plenty of space etc., etc., but nearly gave myself a hernia everytime I had to lift the bath (half full of water) up to the top of it.

I'm sure there are more......will make dinner and ponder.

Another Bumbo mistake here too. Used it a handful of times then ds2 (then 6or 8 months I think) worked out that if he straightened his back and legs he could push himself out of it - oh and nearly crack his skull open in the process! Have inflicted it on sister now!
We inherited a CHicco Mamma highchair from bil and I HATED it. It was fine for ealy weaning as you could recline it but as soon as they started to take an interest in food and you needed the tray - forget it. Now, either I spawned midgets (92nd centile so prob not!) or the height of the tray is just ridiculous. I did actually consign it to the garage in favour of a 35 quid IKEA wooden one. Also, cleaning it - complete nightmare...didn't quite get to sil levels of hygiene (using a toothbrush to get crumbs out of crevices), but prob should have god knows what nasties were dwelling there. Thinking of upgrading to Tripp Trapp though for both ds's so intersted to see comments about those.

Ither mistakes include Fisher Price crawl and slide playground thing..COMPLETE waste of space and money.

Cot mobile - used a handful of times with ds1 and never with ds2.
M&P changing table with bath insert - table itself is great v sturdy, well made, plenty of space etc., etc., but nearly gave myself a hernia everytime I had to lift the bath (half full of water) up to the top of it.

I'm sure there are more......will make dinner and ponder.

oops sorry

Anything from Clarins!!

Agree on the Prima Pappa highchair - couldn't remove the straps to clean. Very messy with a sponge plus trying to get all the bits of food out from the clips - really unhygenic.

Oh sorry, you mean baby stuff. Yep, a bumbo. A moses basket (too small)

Things I wish I'd bought more of - muslin cloths and nursing bras

Oh sorry, you mean baby stuff. Yep, a bumbo. A moses basket (too small)

Things I wish I'd bought more of - muslin cloths and nursing bras

Not one Sangenic but two of the buggers (upstairs/downstairs).

The only place we could find for the downstairs version was by the radiator in the kitchen, which was fine until the end of the summer, when the central heating kicked in, warming the poo very effectively.

I was glad when the grabbers fell off. It's now in the garage, while the upstairs version is still in use.

yeah bumbo was rubbish, flogged it on ebay though for almost full price!

yes lockets, a little shelf on the Bumbo would be good LOL!

kezziejane - illegal to put human poo in the bin? in the UK?! really?

I hate bloody snowsuits, we bought one for ds amd he has never ever been in it for more than 10 mins, he looks terrified when he goes in it and then won't fit in the car seat, so that will be sold on ebay very soon.

Scratch mits - total waste of money, I stuck a pair of socks on his hands at night, that stopped him scratching.

A pushchair - We have used the thing for less than 4 months, and have now bought a wonderfull light weight stroller suitable from birth and half the price of the big bulky stupid thing.

I have to say I love our Sangenic Nappy Wrapper and don't care what anyone says.

Ah,the best snowsuit in theworld in the fleecy one from JJMB.
It is very thin and flexible but warm and has two zips which come right down to the thigh so easy to get on and off.
Little flaps to close it over the hands and feet when in the buggy which can be flipped back easily for when they work (which also extends its shel lfe considereably.)
Mine has been used by both my children,and in places as cold as Moscow.
Five years on it looks great.

Best highchair is the Antelop from IKEA.Compact,looks nice and is basically one bit of plastic so very easy to clean.

Two Sangenics Mogwai?/!

You're barking,girl.

Can I just ask..... those who rave about the merits of the Sangenic Nappy Wrapper..... have you used it with success (ie no eye-watering stench whenever the thing is opened) past the stage of weaning??
I have a theory that it's probably great to house the little sweet milky poos but the system collapses under the weight of post-weaning poos.
I could be wrong.

PS There should be a link between this thread and the antenatal threads.
I wish I'd read this when I was pg.

I want to heave just thnking about the Sangenic.
Surely eligible for entry to competion to find the most environmentally unfriendly product of all time??