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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

What gadgets were you convinced you couldn't live without and actually they're a waste of time and/or money..?

102 replies

bigredtractor · 23/08/2010 17:25

There! I threatened to do it so I'm starting this thread.

Mums Netters - come and tell us preggers ladies what not to waste our dosh on!

I'm going to start with.... A top & tail bowl - oh PLEEEASE!!! Just wash your baby's face first - then the rest of them. Voila!!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Species8472 · 27/08/2010 15:40

I bought a Glider-style chair and footstool, got a lot of use from it and still use it to bf DD at bedtime. I agree that the footstool's not so useful, but it was good when I had sciatica at 37 weeks pg.

Another thing I remember - do not buy those awful paper knickers, useless, just get huge cheap ones for post-birth. I had to get DH to go to M&S afterwards to get some...Smile

milly123 · 27/08/2010 20:41

Best things:
-Swaddling blanket (rectangular) used loads when newborn, even though didn't like arms in ever, and now as a lightweight emergency blanket for bottom of pram
-bouncy chair - hated lying down so spent most of day in it
-millions of muslin cloths - mopping up puke/snot, drying bottom, bib
-doorway bouncer - life save and DS loved it
Worst things:

  • steriliser - takes up far too much room, even microwave one, use Lindam microwave bags or milton
-bumbo - could never fit his bum in it! -playgym - was scared of it for ages and hated lying on his back, liked toys on it for chewing on though -padded high chair - nightmare to clean, stitching turns horrid colour - our ikea one is awesome and can dismantle and put in boot to take to friends if necessary.
SomeKindofWonderful · 27/08/2010 20:45

baby nail clippers. Probably been said already, but there, said again. In fact, those little sets with clippers, comb/brush, etc in. Sooooo pointless.

mamanicky · 27/08/2010 20:52

This thread is great! I remember when first pregnant scouring MN looking for lists of "essentials" and "rubbish". DD is now 1, so here's mine:

Essential
*Nearly-new sales - bought nearly everything second hand to try it out
*Infacol
*Lansinoh
*Calpol
*dummy (no, I definitely wasn't planning to use one.....until I had a screaming baby to calm)
*electric breast pump (borrowed pump and bought new funnel & tube from Medela)
*second-hand muslins (all the stiffness & coating washed out by someone else - had about 20, hot-washed twice and then machine-dyed them to match my nursery. Sewed two together to make changemat cover.
*cot-top changer - I'm 5'7 with a bad back - will use it until potty if possible! She doesn't roll around on it cos she's used to it but obviously I stay within arms reach
*Fisher-price aquarium swing seat - the only place I was sure she would stay asleep long enough for me to relax enough to have a nap
*old-style rocking chair with high back - those glider chairs were too low for me (& too pricey!)
*cheap 5-pack belly-warmer knickers to hold the house-brick pads in place & avoid CS scar
*microwave steriliser
*sleeping bags (second hand so lovely and soft)
*second-hand clothes (esp if, like me you have a DD and don't like pink - it's the only way you can get some other colours)
*doorway bouncer so I could shower/bath/clean/tidy
*straps that attach toys/dummy to clothes/carseat/buggy
*car seat base unit that stays in car
*aloe-vera gel for her excema
*Weleda calendula bath creme/nappy cream/body cream
*a willing, confident & calm Granny!

Nice but wasn't essential
*bumbo - she loved being upright in the kitchen
*bucket-style bath - we loved it from newborn but DD was a tall 10lb4oz so quickly upgraded to main bath in one of those laid-back chairs until outgrew that
*moses masket - looked lovely in the bedroom but see above re size of baby. Quickly realised we were waking each other up so she moved to cot in nursery at 5 weeks!
*hooded towels
*disposable bibs for out & about
*sling (I bought 3 different 2nd hand ones as no idea what shape baby would be. Only one worked well)

Waste of cash
*top & tail bowl LOL!
*bath toys early on - the water's too interesting in itself
*nappy wrapper thing - just got small pedal bin for £2 and emptied it each evening
*anything for weaning that can't be dishwashed AND frozen AND microwaved
*new stuff - there are a few bits I think should be new (for hygeine/safety) if you can afford it, like a cot mattress, but there's usually SO much good-quality 2nd-hand stuff available that I'd rather spend the money on something more fun for her, like books, swimming or travel. She does NOT care if her stuff is new!

mamanicky · 27/08/2010 20:58

LOL Somekindofwonderful Grin - YES I bought one of those sets. Rubbish clippers & scissors too small for my fingers to use. Rubbish nylon brush created static!

mamanicky · 27/08/2010 20:59

Oh - and the squeeze-the-bulb-snot-sucker. Rubbish!

themonstersmum · 27/08/2010 23:13

Hey, don't criticise the top and tail bowl, I still use my top and tail bowl for the monsters (8,6 and 3) - it holds their toothbrushes and paste at one side and hair brushes/sunscreen/ wet flannel at the other - perfect for dressing in front of the TV on school mornings - (have you ever tried to get three kids to go to the bathroom at the same time to do their teeth/faces/hair???? it is more efficient to take it to them)!!!

Waste of money - changing bag - I bet you get one and stuff it full of stuff you never use. I managed perfectly well with a large make up bag by baby three (and that was with two other smalls in tow). For most trips out of a few hours, you only need a couple of nappies/ bags/ wipes and an emergency baby sleepsuit which can all fit into something you might have struggled to get your make up into pre-babies.....

I can however highly recommend having TWO bouncy chairs and TWO baby gyms (but only if you can beg or borrow ) - one for upstairs and one for downstairs so you don't have to cart baby and chair/gym up and down the stairs if you want to change location.

And who buys those terrible mothers rocking chairs for soothing their baby to sleep - look like finger traps for toddlers to me....

sparklycheerymummy · 27/08/2010 23:25

My brest friend breast feeding pillow......looked like i was wearing a life raft and no good if feeding under arm like i had to!

Baba sling.....my ds was 10lb 11oz born and was completely squished in it!

melodyangel · 27/08/2010 23:58

Essentials
*Pram a sturdy silver cross - I don't drive so it could take all my shopping and if I brought too much for the shopping tray I'd fill the pram too and carry DC's! Plus it still looked superb after being in the loft for ten years waiting for DS2 to come along!

*Sling I had a tricotti sling which was fantastic used it until DS2 was 3! Although he's quite a little chap!

*Grobags - Loved them didn't exist when DS1 was little but were a godsend with DS2! Although I worried his little shoulders would get chilly!

*Bibs, muslin cloths and flannels- every one always remarked how clean my DC's looked these are the reason!

Really not necessary
*expensive changing bags. I brought a really nice messenger bag from H and M worked a treat

*Steriliser if BFing just boil up the bottle in a pan if you need to use one!

*baby monitor - I have a small house and a noisy baby!

*breast pump - DP gave me one so he could help feed the baby, my response come back when you've grown a pair of breasts!

Sidge · 28/08/2010 00:05

Don't bother:

Top and tail bowl
Baby bath
Baby nail scissors
Baby hair brush

Things I found invaluable:

Muslins
Moses basket/carrycot from pram (baby in basket in lounge throughout day)
Battery rocking swing
Changing unit (had C-sections so much easier for me)
Breast pads (Johnsons were my favourites)
Biiiiiig cotton knickers - I think I had a few 5-packs from Asda for about 3 quid each.

Another word of caution - don't buy a gazillion nappies before you have your babies. My friend had a nearly-11 pounder and had to exchange all her newborn nappies as they didn't fit.

I had titchy babies and found Huggies leaked, Pampers were a poor fit and supermarket ones were perfect.

DreamTeamGirl · 28/08/2010 23:34

Great thread

I loved my change table and used it until he was potty trained (almost 3). Never rolled off, cos i never left him on it. Lent to a friend who is still using for her 2 year old, so 5 years use out of it for £25 ! Bargain!!
Top and tails were good for early days nappy changes, but I am so dim, I bought two, thinking I was buying a top and a tail ... Blush

I also loved my gliding chair, great for feeding and for those long long nights we had when an ear infection prevented lying down to sleep. I can see they would be awful if you had toddlers tho.

Also loved
Avent manual breast pump
Avent microwave steriliser
DUMMIES
Door bouncer was fab (relux babies do prefer to be upright dont they?)
I liked the nappy bin and ours never smelt?
The moulded foam bath thingy for the first few months
Graco from birth buggy. used it till he was about 3. No frills, but for £49.95 you cant knock it.

Total waste
Rigid back pack style baby carrier. awful thing and only way I could get him in was with another person which invariably I didnt have
Bumbo, he didnt like it, but I sold it for £2 less than I paid so I didnt mind that
Swing, he never liked and we only used it 5 times
Soft sash style Sling, I couldnt figure it out
Reusable nappies, he cried everytime I put one on him, so it he ned I sold them, barely used- some never at a huge loss

Very interesting to read other peoples thoughts

Oh and on wipe warmers, I just kept them on the radiator, so they were a little bit warm for free ...

angels3 · 29/08/2010 09:22

A baby wipe warmer is the strangest thing I've ever heard of - told DH about this and he said ' how did we ever live without such a gadget?" lol. If you don't like the thought of a cold wipe on a small bottom, try this... I used to keep the packet of wipes on the radiator in the winter to warm them up a bit, and it also made our room smell lovely!

angels3 · 29/08/2010 09:44

I'm reading this and I'm quite amazed at the actual rubbish we have all been 'conned' into buying by the retailers, that will make our lives 'easy' quicker' 'happier' or to make us like 'all other mums'! What did out mums have? I'm in my 40s and have 3 older brothers, she didn't need a bumbo, door swinger/bouncer/bottle warmer/gro bag or any of that other nonsence..... yep I fell for some of it too - I did have a top & tail bowl, but used one side for water, and the other side to put in the dirty cotton wool before throwing it away and used it like that for both kids. The bumbo was a complete waste of time as soon as they were both big enough to sit up they were trying to climb out within about 10 days - its complete rubbish and my DS could get out of it easily! We had a bouncy chair for the floor as a hand-me down and was a god send he loved it, so bought a new pink one for DD that vibrated, but DS used to try and catterpault her out of it - back to the floor!

Loved the front carrier as only had to buy 1 pushchair for both kids - didn't fall for the 'travel systems' as could not get them in the car as they were too big! I have just decommissioned the pushchair as DS is starting school next week! and DD walks everywhere.

Good gadget was the buggy board.

Baby bath - we had one and used it inside the regular bath for DS, but DD went from sink to bath! It depends how confident you are the first time.

I changed my babies on the floor - and I only tended to use the mat if there had been an explosion in the poo factory!

DD was 3 in June so have decided to take out some of the baby toys and I didn't know we had so many - all hardly played with as she would rather play with DS toys and dirt!

Oh one last thing - the wrist link rather than reigns - he could take it off - so a complete waste of time!

Moominfamily · 29/08/2010 13:18

Best buys-

Bumbo- used the play tray for meals, then moved into a booster seat so never needed a high chair. Could be carted about the house quite easily and kicked down the stairs for laziness convenience without any damage.

Rainforest bouncer- very expensive (thanks in-laws Smile) but both DC loved it.

Worst buys
Top & tail bowl- useless, except for filling the baby bath with DC1.

Swinging crib- very expensive, in use for 2 months between moses basket and cot.

Too many clothes, they didn't wear half of them and they all had to be washed and sorted out.

Poor DC3 is only getting bought a moses basket and some clothes, we have got everything else (although I hope my friend who has just had a baby will lend me back my Bumbo and hopefully some baby clothes once her lo is bigger!)

all4u · 29/08/2010 20:22
  1. Items passed on from family and friends - very little baby stuff is worn or worn out before it is out grown.
  2. ebay - virtually new stuff is available for next to nothing and all baby stuff can be cleaned, washed or disinfected to your taste. AND it keeps our post offices going!

BUT if you have plenty of money and enjoy shopping no problem - but do put the stuff on ebay for your sisters when you no longer need it!

lazycow007 · 30/08/2010 20:13

Loved my changing unit and diaper genie so it's personal choice.
Hated baby sling, never needed a steryliser as bf exclusively (was prepared though so waste of money oh and breast pump - couldn't get on with it, quicker to bf)
Was bought a tumble dryer as baby prsent as told it was ESSENTIAL, never used it and DD is 6 now and it gets occasional use from time to time.
My godsend was the moses basket wooden legs - saves broken backs plus safer than balancing on chest of drawers etc also the gro-bags, loved loved loved them, wished they made them for 6 yr olds.
My little loved the light and music gadget that shows picturs on ceiling and she slept through from 5 weeks.
My top tip for that too is feed your baby every 2 hours (ignore Gina Fords every 4 hr crap) and they are so full they sleep through and get in the habit from a very early age even when you reduce the feeds. I also gave mine solids as soon as she started waking in the night and she was 4 mths (most frowned upon but i need my sleep) and again it worked and she slept through. Only a spoonful of baby rice mind, not a bowl of potato lol and it made all the difference.
I infested in an ear thermometer as forehead ones are inacurate and i didn't relish popping a glass one up her bum and it was great and gives a reading in 2 seconds.
Don't bother with a hairbrush until you know s(he) has hair.Didn't get to use mine til 2 years plus.
Right I could go on and on but I'll stop there - stretch fingers and breathe!!!!

EmmaTulip · 31/08/2010 13:11

Our three best buys by far are :

Baby Bjorn Active sling - we like long country walks, and as this has proper lumbar support its very comfy to wear. They are not cheap, but isn't that what ebay is for? Grin

Travel changing mat from John Lewis - it's really small and folds up neatly with velcro straps. It has two mesh bags built in which you can fold out. In one I put 2/3 nappies and nappy sacks, and in the other a small resealable plastic snack bag containing half dozen wet wipes. For quick outings to the supermarket, and those long country walks (see above) we just throw it in the shopping bags/rucksack (with a change of clothes) and off we go. It has never failed us.

Foam bath mat thing - great for bathing your LO in a full size bath. It has a baby shape cut into it and stops our DS sliding around the slippery surface; it makes bath time much less stressful.

Our three worst are :

Swaddling blanket - complete waste of money, never used it.

Moses basket - DS grew out of it in a few weeks. Luckily we borrowed it.

Trousers for babies - why oh why do they sell these? They may look cute, but they just don't stay up, plus when you're changing 10+ nappies a day, they'll be ditched in favour of a babygrow with poppers around the legs in no time at all.

Emmash · 01/09/2010 10:07

Waste of money:

  • Baby change table
  • Special chair for breastfeeding
  • Bumbo seat
  • Nappy bucket
  • Baby bath
  • Too many baby grows - can just keep washing a few
  • Expensive cot - they are only in it for a couple of years (then climb out!)

Definitely buy:

  • Bugaboo pushchair if you can afford it - great!
  • Baby Bjorn baby carrier
  • Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair as the foam comes out of the plastic ones
PJ79 · 01/09/2010 16:48

A dishwasher is very far from sterile. There is no way I wouldn't sterilise properly i.e. above 100 degrees centigrade for more than 20 minutes so steriliser is essential unless you like a steamy kitchen!

I love the sling too, baby is only 9 weeks and sleeps really well in it.

Agree top and tail bowl just use a couple of ice cream tubs if you must!

glitterkitty · 03/09/2010 21:00

Hmmm... our svan highchair was well worth it- still used now (DS is 3.4)and looks lovely rather than plastic monstrosity in dining room on constant view. And converts to computer chair in the end... (allegedly). Is v easy to clean.

Liked baby bath. Like baby gym (tho got ours 2nd hand). Grobags good but v expensive.

Used the McLaren from day 1 (on bus is easy peasy- not like giant tractor pram).

Change bag- crap. Top & tail bowl- crap. Sling- crap.

Any baby clothes that were not front popping cotton babygros- crap Grin

glitterkitty · 03/09/2010 21:11

Also, we got free glider chair & footstool with the nursery furniture we bought- it was LOVELY for bf 101 times a day Hmm. And the U shaped pillow was good. Could sit v comfy with feet up bf and reading book!

vez123 · 03/09/2010 23:31

Reading through this I noticed that we bought pretty much everything mentioned... oops!

Love:
Pram with carry cot. Yes it's bigger than a Maclaren but DS sleeps so well in it and I can carry him up to the flat in the carrycot without waking him up.
Baby gym
changing unit attached to top of nice chest of drawers. saves our backs and chest of drawers can be used for years to come.
Sling and baby bjoern. DS often hard to settle during the day but falls asleep in these without fail (touch wood).

Also like the nappy bin. Feels much cleaner than putting nappies into normal bin.

Don't understand everyone's issues with top and tail bowl. It does not cost more than 2 pounds and I did not have a spare bowl anyway to wet the cotton wool.Also use one part for his bum, other side for rest of body.

Baby bath also very useful. Fills up much quicker than proper bath and can be used anywhere. Again, it's so cheap, about 7 quid at John Lewis, how can it be a big waste of money.

Waste of money: bumbo! I just don't get it and it just does not look like a neutral natural position for a baby to be in! Well, maybe I'll have to wait for my baby to get bigger. If you really want one, get it second hand. 34 quid is way to much for a big chunk of rubber!

Newborn clothes: if you think you may have a big baby make sure to invest in 0-3 babygros. We barely got use out of the newborn ones but we had so many!

jasminetatu · 04/09/2010 14:34

This is such a useful thread, thanks ladies :) It can be quite daunting as a first time mum; I'm quite young and really struggling for cash - we will definitely be referring to this list again!

Buying second hand is great; car boot sales have proven to be a real gem for finding handy bits and bobs! Also gumtree.com is great for local buys.

OzmuminStockholm · 29/04/2011 21:14

I was after something like this a few months ago. So here's what I've learnt since then. My DS (#1) is only 6 weeks old, so my views may change. But so far:

Baby Björn carrier is DH's favorite. I haven't tried it yet, because I'm happily using our Babylonia Tricot Slen. Lifesaver when nothing else will calm him, and I can get stuff done at the same time.

Our washing machine's in the bathroom, so we have a change station on top of it. We have a Korbell nappy bin which is great, doesn't smell at all. It's some distance to the bins in our apartment block, so I wouldn't want to have to go all the way there every change! .

We have loads of Muslims, and use them and a pile of cheap IKEA facecloths. DS is currently spitting up all over the place, so we go through several every feed. As we don't wash every day, we need the large stack. Also work as sunshades, and DS seems to like playing with them.

We don't have a Moses basket, DS slept for the first few weeks crosswise in his cot, with the bumper set across halfway to make it cosier. He's already too tall, so is now right way round. The first few weeks we had him in a swaddle wrap, now he sleeps in gro-bags. NOTE: check the temp of your room! We bought a bunch of 2togs, that we can't use as our apartment is always over 20 degrees, with central heating throughout the apartment building, we can't chill the bedroom unless we open the window all night, which we don't do (ground floor, doesn't feel safe). Had to buy 1 tog instead.

We've had a bit of a BF nightmare. I didn't buy a pump, but after hospitalization for mastitis, we hired one. I like having the quality of the hospital grade, and it's not that expensive. Might have to invest when I go back to work.

We sterilize once a day by boiling everything in a big saucepan. Still working on the limescale issue- tried a little vinegar in the water yesterday and there's no smell afterwards. Will have to see if it actually works to keep down the buildup - the saucepan was clear, can't really tell on the bottles etc from one time.

We've been given a Baby Björn bouncy seat. DS likes it, and it's good to sit him in while we do stuff. He's now wanting to sit up and look around more.

We went to great lengths to get a glider chair, which happens to have a footstool (not available in Sweden and shipping was ridiculously expensive, had to buy in the UK, pick up when we were there and ship back with us as excess baggage on our flight...). Started out using it all the time, then moved to sofa for a couple of weeks when he kept kicking the arms and BF was going pear shaped. Have just moved back. Loved it at the end of pregnancy, and appreciate the back support when BF.

MIL bought us our pram, we have a Teutonia Cosmo w fashion carry cot, and we're loving it. Turns so easily, one handed, great for tight corners and in the shops. With 4 wheels, I can tip it on two to get up and down steps etc, and it's short which is fab for the buses here. Can lift out the bassinet section when visiting places. We've also bought the adaptor so our car seat fits the frame. DS nearly always falls asleep after a block or two, so there've been a few late night strolls...

We also love our POP blankets, stylish and practical. Warm and good size to work everywhere - cot, pram, bouncer etc, and were ideal for swaddling first few weeks.

We don't own and so far have managed just fine without:
Baby monitor (live in a small flat)
Top and tail bowl (change station right next to sink)
Moses basket
Baby bath- but we might still invest. So far he's only bathed at the same time as DH.
Sterilizer

toomanycakes · 29/04/2011 21:45

I would definitely second the feeding chair. Still used very much now and my son is over a year. Also love my nappy bin (Angelcare) - it's not stinky and saves me many trips outside the black bin when I'm too lazy it's cold/dark/rainy! Also have £15 IKEA highchair which is super.

Total waste of money, however, was the mothercare 'aquapod' which is a bath seat with a bathmat around it. We bought it when our son could just about sitting up on his own as thought it would be helpful but he found playing with toys in the bath very difficult when sitting in it (there's a big bar thingy which sits at about his waist level so he couldn't really reach over it). So it ended up being a very expensive bathmat which you can get in IKEA for £2.........!!

Don't buy expensive baby clothes - as tempting as it is they will get sicked/pooed on and grown out of in 5 minutes! I love the supermarkets for clothes as they are reasonable, wash and tumble dry well and are generally very nice looking :)