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Original poster

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

105 replies

HazelMaker · 14/04/2025 18:05

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

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Bobbieiris · 15/04/2025 07:07

I didn’t get that much before my twins were born…hardly any clothes as had a feeling they might be premature so just got a couple of newborn multipack vests and sleepsuits. Didn’t know how they would be fed so didn’t buy any bottles etc until after they were born.
the most useful things have been Moses baskets (they slept in them in the living room), bouncy chairs, baby gym (was given one as a gift and it’s great!!) pram/travel system (got a secondhand mountain buggy off marketplace) Muslins , cold water steriliser and nuby rapid cool bottle!
we got given a lot of cute little outfits (pinafore dresses etc) but they were hardly used as babies just didn’t look comfy in them (also I was too lazy to keep putting tights on and off while changing lol) so they were always in comfy sleepsuits.
also got given baby carriers and slings….never used as they are just happy to be put down and I use the double buggy when out and about.
also haven’t yet needed the baby monitor as my house is tiny and I can always hear them.

devildeepbluesea · 15/04/2025 07:10

MockTheGeek · 14/04/2025 18:29

Pram. It was just so big and it couldn’t go anywhere. Could only take it out if I was going one or two specific places. Couldn’t get it on the bus, couldn’t fit it in the shops, couldn’t take it if I was walking to the village, couldn’t get it out of the house easily, obviously couldn’t take it on nice walks. It took up lots of space in the sitting room I just didn’t have to spare and was generally a pain. Occasionally got used if I was getting a lift to an out of town shopping centre with someone with a big enough car or if I was getting a taxi to a train station but those things happened very rarely so it just gathered mess. Sold it eventually and didn’t buy another

I didn’t actually buy a pram but never wanted one. DD went in the sling loads, in a citymini buggy from when she was big enough, and in the car seat at any other time.

Actually I bought very little. I was about the last of my friends to produce so I was given stacks of gear.

StampOnTheGround · 15/04/2025 07:11

Bibs, we pretty much never used them - just stuck to muslins and has them scattered round in various places so one was always within reach!

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OldGothsFadeToGrey · 15/04/2025 07:15

RosesAndHellebores · 14/04/2025 18:23

Muslin cloths. Both of mine had cast iron stomachs.

A friend also told me to buy lots of pram and cot sheets because they would leak wee and be constantly sick. Nope.

Travel cot. Ours would not sleep in it.

Apart from that I used everything we bought. Cot, pram, changing table, feeding chair, high chair, stair gates, Terry covered lay on thing for the bath, etc.

Yep travel cot. Biggest waste of money. That and the high chair for child 2 as she’s been in it about 5 times before insisting on a proper chair (with a booster cushion)

Holdonforsummer · 15/04/2025 07:42

Tiny shoes!

Cheezewizz · 15/04/2025 07:50

Outfits for newborn stage, they lived in baby grows/sleep suits for first 3 months

marmaladeandpeanutbutter · 15/04/2025 09:09

A double buggy, which wasn’t used because elder child started to walk more.

clary · 15/04/2025 09:11

Baby toiletries (moisturiser etc). Boots sold them so I thought I needed them! Nope.

LuluDelulu · 15/04/2025 09:56

Personally I never used the nipple creams as was lucky not to find BF painful, and those bra pads in case of milk leakage went unused too as my boobs don’t leak. Still worth having as everyone is different I suppose! I also didn’t love the disposable pants you can buy. I preferred normal, large size cotton pants but then I had a C section.

LuluDelulu · 15/04/2025 09:56

I also never used nappy cream, only a dash of Vaseline now and then.

LuluDelulu · 15/04/2025 09:57

Oh yeah, sling too. Didn’t feel confident using that. Preferred to wait till baby was bigger then use Ergobaby carrier.

LuluDelulu · 15/04/2025 09:58

But contrary to others, my baby was a right dribbler and we got through tons of dribble bibs. Message is not to buy too much in advance and buy things as and when you need them!

LuluDelulu · 15/04/2025 09:59

And agree with above. Best value thing was a good playmat with dangling toys and baby bouncer for them to sit in.

Bippityboppitybooo · 15/04/2025 10:01

Cot (neither child used it...). Moses basket as we'd ditched the baby box our first actually liked - again, second didn't use it. Sleeping bags. Co sleeper crib was barely used. Convertible pram-buggy - again both kids hated, used a sling and later a push trike with handle. Apparently the theme here is clingy babies...

MissJeanBrodiesmother · 15/04/2025 10:04

I think baby baths are pointless. Used the kitchen sink when tiny and the deckchair style seat in the big bath later.

Sling - baby didn't like it.

Cribs etc - used moses basket and then cot

Outfits - baby wore various pretty sleepsuits and vests for first 9 months

Big pram - get something that fits on a small car and folds up easily.

Gliblet · 15/04/2025 10:11

I suspect what you're going to end up with is endless proof that you just don't know what's going to work for you and your baby until you start experimenting 😆 Personally:

Bought but didn't use:

Big changing unit thing from IKEA - I put stuff on the shelves but never used it as a changing unit, might as well have just used a cupboard. I changed DS on a mat on our bed or the floor.

Anything other that babygro type clothes for the first 6 months

A clip/strap style baby carrier

Breastpump and bottles

Couldn't have enough of/do without:

Muslins - used them when feeding, for cleaning, as bibs, sterilised them and used them as 'toothbrushes' when DS started teething, stuck them in car windows as sunshades...

Babygros and cotton blankets for swaddling - then sleeping bags from about 3 months old

Stretchy sling wraps

The moses basket - I just moved it round the house with me for the first few months

drspouse · 15/04/2025 10:12

Ours are adopted but we met them when newborn in foster care. This did mean we didn't buy things in advance. Things we didn't need:
Dummies for no 2. She thought they were a nice rattle.
Everything else everyone has mentioned we did use sometimes!
E.g. Milton we used on holiday, ditto a microwave steriliser bag thing.
No 1 slept in a Moses basket and no 2 in a crib. Both of them would have thought co sleeping meant co playing all night but also as not BF we didn't want to.
Both liked sling and buggy (we borrowed a lay flat pram for a few weeks with no 2).
Both liked sleeping bags though DD the escapologist was in footed baby gros backwards for a while. Both liked being swaddled.
We swore by bundlers and used to buy them as new baby gifts.
We didn't buy many muslins as I didn't see what they were for. Used flannels to wipe stuff up, and washable wipes. We were given 2 or 3 which ended up as loveys for the DC.
We had a wide variety of washable nappies. Didn't use every single one but sold them all on.

Needspaceforlego · 15/04/2025 10:20

Gliblet · 15/04/2025 10:11

I suspect what you're going to end up with is endless proof that you just don't know what's going to work for you and your baby until you start experimenting 😆 Personally:

Bought but didn't use:

Big changing unit thing from IKEA - I put stuff on the shelves but never used it as a changing unit, might as well have just used a cupboard. I changed DS on a mat on our bed or the floor.

Anything other that babygro type clothes for the first 6 months

A clip/strap style baby carrier

Breastpump and bottles

Couldn't have enough of/do without:

Muslins - used them when feeding, for cleaning, as bibs, sterilised them and used them as 'toothbrushes' when DS started teething, stuck them in car windows as sunshades...

Babygros and cotton blankets for swaddling - then sleeping bags from about 3 months old

Stretchy sling wraps

The moses basket - I just moved it round the house with me for the first few months

That so true. Different babies need different things.

Buy as little as possible, see what kit you get get second hand, then it's no great loss when you go to move it on.

tipsyMintMember · 15/04/2025 10:24

Mosses basket - the cot itself wasn't used till more like 6 months though did last though 3 kids - mosses basket was only ever a toy for the kids.

We had friend to family sell us a sling and we'd bought a baby carrier - DH used baby carrier maybe 5 times across three kids I couldn't pulled in wrong places- and first sling was bloody awful - I tried to use it but it was just too faffy friend blame me for having huge babies - 9lb. Did use another sling a lot - with slightly older babies - made huge improvement to my life - went on shoulder and baby went in none of the endless folding and wrapping of first.

Same friend also manged to sell us reusable nappies - did use for first and drying in our damp house was a major issue -second boy seemed to make him sore and palcement of ties didn't help with that plus two in nappies huge move was a lot - was mainly using disposables and by third most were. The promised re-sale value wasn't there either. Also having kids so close the washing was already a huge amount.

In contrast to some we had to rush out and buy a pump - bm was slow coming in so needed help them pumped and stored in freezer - with occsioanal bottle given to first - other two never had - mostly went in cups later.

The first pushchair not sure about - in end had 5 3 of which were second hand but good for different events/combinations. It was a travel system - as while we don't drive thought we'd need occaional car seat - was useful once getting home in friends car but only used few other times - but the roomy pushchair underneath was good and it lasted three kids.

The household safety stuff - plug socket covers and gas over guard - were actually dangerous -gas engineer doing annual rental safety check instead gurad was removed as unsafe plastic near a flame.

Cadburymonster · 15/04/2025 10:31

Smart outfits. Tbf most were bought by MIL and whilst very grateful to her I'd have rather been bought more sleepsuits as that's what DS lived in.

Antihistamine62 · 15/04/2025 10:48

A Mamaroo all singing/dancing with Bluetooth bouncer/rocker. My child hated it and preferred the cheap wire ones you can buy.
ended up giving it away x

ThunderFog · 15/04/2025 10:51

Funny reading this as so many items other posters didn't use were favourites. Eg Moby wrap, ringsling, backpack carrier. We used all these at different times. I think every item we had, we were given two or three versions, and some versions suited our DC better than others. It's easier to remember what we loved than what got cast aside.
Best things:
Baby Bjorn branded anything - it was all designed really well, especially the bouncy chair which the kids ask if there is an adult version
Stokke high chairs - still in use somewhere

DiscoBeat · 15/04/2025 11:26

Reusable nappies, a changing table (chest of drawers for future use would have been fine!) nappy bin (I just took them straight outside), gripe water, a plastic baby bath (just got in the bath with the babies), I'm glad I didn't buy a baby wardrobe too as a normal one for later use is just fine!)
Moses basket - the pram bassinet was just as good.
I wish I had bought a proper sling rather than the faffy tie around wrap one I had. It was such a a faff!
The breastfeeding cover was great until baby no 2 when toddler no 1 thought it was fun to play hide and seek with the baby in public!

DiscoBeat · 15/04/2025 11:29

Oh and I wish I had got a rear facing pram, as the first one I had was fine while using the bassinet but then the older seat was only forward facing, so I ended up buying a another one!

Ariela · 15/04/2025 12:03

Last baby was last in family, so masses of hand-me-ons. I didn't buy anything other than a pack of newborn babygros, so I took them back and got the next size, took that back and got the size after, then donated to charity shop.. I suggest see what you get given before spending.