What did you buy in preparation for having a baby that was wasted?

[HazelMaker]

For example a cot because they slept in your bed in the end.

Yeah, our wasted buy was a cot.

Sling - we didn’t really use with either DC. They actually both loved it on the very rare occasion they each went in it, but the more things I watched and read to ensure safe positioning etc, the more anxious I became that something would go wrong and it wasn’t worth it for me in the end. On the other hand, many of the things that others have said they didn’t use (pram, muslins, white noise, changing table etc) we have had much use out of for both DC.

cot, expensive pram - co slept and switched to a cheap buggy quickly as buses had steps back then!

Clothes, clothes and more clothes 😂 had a gazzilion lovely little outfits for our boy from River Island, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger (ridiculous, I know!) that I had every intention of him wearing, and then he was born and I couldn’t imagine putting something so tiny in anything other than comfortable sleepsuits and pyjamas. He wore a couple of outfits a few times to go to special events and the rest were unused. Needless to say our upcoming second child has got a LOT less clothes and a lot more sleepsuits!

Baby monitor - unless you live in the east wing and baby sleeps in the west wing, you’ll hear them just fine.

Sling - DC1 weighed a ton, think we used it for just a few weeks then gave it away. Ditto one of those hiking baby carrier things (fortunately it was second hand). Once they could walk they either walked or sat on our shoulders.

Don’t bother with anything designed for swaddling - a cot sheet does the job perfectly well.

NCT sales were the best - if there’s 8 of the same things for sale looking brand new, don’t bother getting one. Those sales are great for toys though.

Baby bath - sink was better for my back
Cloth nappies - too much faff
Bottles- never needed them. Should have waited to see if I would need them

( I did use Moses basket and cot, sling, pushchair - with a pushchair make sure you get one which is easy to push eg pneumatic tyres,)

Breast pads and nipple cream, I ebf but didn't leak or need cream. Baby clothes in newborn size - we used them but could have bought much less as they never had big poonamis or sick and didn't need more than one outfit a day. Rockit - baby wasn't fooled by it. Dribble bibs and teething mittens, they weren't very dribbly when teething. We used muslins but didn't need as many as we bought, they weren't very dribbly or sicky. But I use them now for removing my face cleanser so they weren't wasted. Later when potty training we bought a portable folding toilet seat which was never used, they just sat on an adult toilet.
We never bought a moses basket, a next to me crib, dummies, reusable nappies, changing table or a big travel system, we just used a carrier or lightweight compact buggy from birth.

We did use: a swaddle blanket with velcro, baby bath, baby carrier, audio monitor, white noise machine, nappy bin, sleeping bags.

Clothes, got loads I don’t even touch

Rockit, the thing you attach to the pram to make it ‘rock’. It just makes it vaguely vibrate and is intensely annoying. We were given it, glad I didn’t buy it!
The grow-egg thermometer. Again, given to us as a ‘must have’. Absolutely pointless, just a glowing thermometer which is going to make your child used to sleeping with a light on. Get a small digital thermometer for a few pounds off amazon if for some reason you can’t tell if the room is hot or cold.

Bottles and Aptamil .
I bought them just in case

We were very careful with everything we bought. It was more a case of wait and see what we need. We didn’t even buy a cot before they were born.

Sheets for next to me crib as everyone says that wet , poo, sick on them all the time. Not the case for my baby

Changing table, used a mat on the floor most of the time or just changed them in the cot at night. It was really just a storage table at best

Also a thermometer for the bedroom, I thought I’d be so anxious about him over heating but I’m honestly not. I feel him and check he’s not to hot or cold and just dress appropriately. Never use the thermometer to check the room

Clothes and bottles (ended up EBF) and bibs (never used)

Double pram when dd2 was born (dd1 always hated the pram so no idea why I thought she’d suddenly sit in one happily).

Dd1 - muslins/bibs and the next to me (and her cot as well actually), prep machine / steriliser / bottles (ended up bf)

Dd2 - baby swing and way too many clothes

Moses basket, small cot, next to me cot, large cot. Never slept anywhere but beside me (as he is now 7, I am SO over co-sleeping... as my mother helpfully said, "You've made a rod for your own back there." Thanks, mum).
Various slings/ carriers including a Tula, a Babybjorn, Ergobaby, various sling-wraps, elastic sling-wraps, wraps with a ring. I didn't find any of the comfortable, nor did the baby.

Seeing the range of sleeping and carrying arrangements I worked through, well, you have to say I REALLY tried.

Other things:
The rocking recliner nursing chair? Never used.
Special nappy bag. I bought an expensive one (and had it monogrammed. Ended up being the person who threw a couple of nappies and the wipes in the bottom of the buggy or in my coat pocket. I still like to travel light.

Decorating of his bedroom. Including Schumacher wall-paper panels which cost a FORTUNE (I was clearly insane at this point. They were hand-painted to size). He has still doesn't play there or sleep there. And he's already grown out of the theme.

I also (I know that I will be criticized for this) wished that I didn't accept used baby clothes from friends and neighbors. I just did not want to dress him in anything that looked a bit faded and, well, worn. Or anything that was not to my taste. Which was everything. Yes, a baby doesn't care what color or pattern of baby-gro they sleep in, but I did.I sent them all to the charity shop, so our house was just an unnecessary step on their journey.

What was worth the money? An excellent buggy (I had a Nuna. It was fantastic - pushed so smoothly, folded so smoothly, lasted from newborn until he no longer needed it. Good breast-pump and a haakaa breast pump).

Baby swing/chair.

I've been offered a lot of second-hand clothes from friends and have learned to check they don't want anything back (if so, I don't accept, I'm not a clothes storage facility), do a quick sort and put anything not to my taste (often around 2/3) immediately in the charity shop bag, keeping just a few. I'm quite ruthless about it! Some of my friends are very kind but have problems getting rid of stuff so they pass the problem onto me and I'm quite happy to deal with it for them as I don't have the same attachment to stuff as they have, so long as they're not expecting anything back.

I quite like having a few worn clothes - I keep some in a basket in the kitchen for garden/painting wear, or use as nursery spares.

I think what you need varies between children. DC1 slept in a cot until 3 1/2 and regularly drank expressed milk from birth. DC1's cot has been pretty useless and they've never drank from a bottle.

Muslins
Sling

Cotton wool. As in to use to wipe bottoms when they're tiny, as recommended by the midwives. It's a pita to use and a doctor friend pointed out that they use ordinary unscented wet wipes in NICU. But saying that, reusable terry towelling wipes were one of our best purchases as they're soo much better than disposables. We have one set for nappy changes and one for using in the kitchen.

A cot mobile. There was nothing to attach it to as he slept in our arms the Moses basket for the 1st few months and by the time we moved him to the cot he wasn't interested.

Bibs, cotton wool, boring beige play gym, had to get a colourful one. Bambino seat, his legs were to chunky, IKEA highchair chair .. same issue, and he found it uncomfortable wouldn't sit in it long. Got a padded one with a proper back and he sits in it ages.

OMG this was my life saver!!

Bottles, steriliser and pump like others have said, my baby was also a bottle refuser. He did start taking bottles for cows milk when he self weaned at 18 months, but I do think these things are good to have just in case. I’m expecting number 2 now so hopefully will be breastfeeding again but will still buy a few new bottles incase.

Cot, my son co-sleeps although it may be good for baby number 2. As a newborn he did sleep in his side crib sometimes and the dock a tot was an essential buy for day time naps.

The 4moms Mamaroo, this was given to us luckily as it’s an expensive baby swing and my son didn’t take to it. Again will try and see if baby number 2 likes it.

Nursing chair. I had visions of blissfully sitting in it gently nursing my newborn. Turns out I have an undersupply and have had to feed formula after some worrying weeks of failure to thrive, so my blissful nursing goddess image was replaced with jiggling a screaming baby in the kitchen while shaking bottles, and the chair is only used by the cat.

Sling. I bought it for second child and hardly used it. Because you still need nappies and change bag what do you do with them, pram is easier hang the change bag on it or put it under the pram.

Breast pads, I never used a full box.

Pram suits, snow suit things what are they all about? They look cute in the shops but dangerous for the car, and blankets are easier for the pram.

Unless your out in the sticks. Buy the absolute minimum and wait to see what you actually need. Supermarkets are open late, Amazon will deliver anything within a day or two. And don't be scared to buy second hand. Tons of baby stuff gets barely used before being outgrown