Stuff you never bought or bought and never used

[GnocchiNineDoors]

Thought it might be handy to put on here all those things you bought when pregnant / with new baby but never once used or stuff that you never bought (even though bloody money grabbing shops convinced you you should) and never missed.

For example, I never owned a baby bath. I simply put three inches of water in the big bath and dunked DD in. Or, even better, she came in with me

I also never bought a child sized wardrobe. DD has a big chest of drawers and a bookshelf. I cannot be chewed hanging bloody sleepsuits.

I was bought numerous pairs of baby shoes. Oh my word. I feel sorry for those shoes as DD is barefoot or in just socks or tights religiously. She'll get shoes when she's cruising.

Anyone else? (thought it might be handy for PG ladies as to what not to buy, hence why it's here)

musical mobiles also lived UNDER the cot unused

We got rid of the crib bumper after catching DS squashing his face against it.

Agree that baby shoes and top & tail bowl useless.

Scratch mitts always came off within 5 minutes, until we discovered sleepsuits with built-in scratch mitts.

We got some sleepsuits which fastened up the back, they were too awkward to use. Also DS was in sleepsuits for the first 3 months, so the other clothes we were given that were smaller than that were useless.

We never had a changing table, have always changed DS on a mat on the floor.

We had a babybjorn carrier, but DS hated it, and it only got used twice as a result. Best to borrow one at first to see if your baby likes it or not.

YY re crib bumper - when they are tiny you're not meant to use it. Then they get bigger and will pull it off or even bigger they'll try and climb on it. Useless but pretty.

We liked our mobile, but not used at sleeping times, used more for when nappy changing on the cot top changer. When they're big enough to sit up they'll just pull it pieces so it doesn't last long.

We were given a cat net still in the box. We handed it on to the next expectant parents, still in the box. It's still dng the rounds in it's immaculate unopened box AFAIK! Never used a top & tail bowl either, completely pointless.
We use muslin clothes all the time though, makeshift bibs, wiping up mess etc. they are very useful imo.

I bought the nasal aspirator and not used it. Do use the saline squirty tubes though (tixylix). DD doesn't particularly like it but a necessity before a feed with a blocked nose. Get the calpol in (not for under 2mos) but you don't want to not have it in the middle of the night if you need it!
Forget anything fussy clothes wise. Button through baby grows are perfect.
Get some sock-ons. Not really useful now DD can pull her socks off but were good in the first few months before she found her feet. Stopped socks sliding off in the pram etc.

We swaddled (baby merino swaddle) and DD slept so well with it. Didn't swaddle round her legs, just let it hang, but swaddling the arms was great in stopping the jerking reflex waking her up. She slept really well from early on (might not be swaddle connected though).

Didn't bother with a bf pillow. Just used a cushion or pillow.

Nipple cream if you plan on bfing. Was a neccessity for me.

Stuff nipple shields. If you get a good latch on you don't need them.

Happy shopping!!!

Oh yes, cat nets - waste of time. Our 2 cats were warned off by the crying noise and that was that!

Gap socks we've always found stayed on, firm favourite in our house.
Those babygros with elastic around the ankles are good too (forgotten name).

the longer jojo socks stay on too
sock-ons always look a bit painfully tight, I hate tight socks on myself!

Fab thread.
I was going to buy one of those big body pillows but I think I'm going to stick to my V pillow.
That top and tail bowl, useless for us until my eldest started drawing then it became quite useful crayon and pencil storage, easy to locate a particular colour you see :)

buttonboo nodding in agreement to all of yours. Calpol, arm swaddling, nasal squirty stuff.

monkeymoma did you not pull the poo stained babygrow downwards instead?

I used a million muslins (son was always puking). I used two breastpads. I still have boxes and boxes of them 2 years later.

no the bottom popper ones we had didn't have poppers at the neck, but even if they did that still wouldn't be as "neat" as the type that just open right out

Didn't buy a moses basket - I have a travel system type pram, so can just remove the pram part and put it where ever I need. But we live in a ground-floor flat, so I can just wheel the pram from the kitchen to the bedroom etc.

I've also got a cot-bed rather than a crib or cot. It'll last until the wee one is 4 years old.

I love my Widgey BF pillow, although I use it more for my back than actual feeding.

Didn't buy any blankets - but got given them. Using a merino swaddle at the minute.

Moses basket...tried with dd and was too small so she waking herself up .
Fancy clothing... and learned very soon that all in one pyjamas are a life saver ( toddler years)

It's horses for courses though, innit? Muslins, reusable wipes, lansinoh, disposable breast pads and nipple shields were all vital for me ( lots of bodily fluids going around). Also loved having a change table.

Get a cot, not a crib or Moses basket. Growbags for sleeping - don't bother with bumpers, sheets, blankets.
Muslin squares are still in use.
Baby bath essential as we don't have a tub.
Change bag total ridiculous faff and another heavy thing to lug around - just put a nappy into your handbag, tiny pot / tube of bepanthen creme and a about 10 wipes in a ziplock bag - stuff a muslin and babygro /vest in there too.
Buggy that's light to push - if your wrists went like mine did you'll begin to hate hate hate any heavy buggy.

Basically wait and see - and empty your wallet in the pharmacy - you'll know when you actually have your baby what you'll need.

Things I wasted money on / gifts that were wasted

Nursing pads (I never leaked)
Scratch mitts (midwife advised against them)
Booties (they don't stay on! socks were more practical)
Bibs (my DD is an immaculate eater so we don't bother most of the time)
Shoes (DD hates them)
Cotbed bumper (looked pretty, DD hated it)
too many newborn sized nappies (how quick they grow!)
bought far too many muslins. 8 would have been more than sufficient.
too many clothes in general...

ooh forgot to add Grobags. total waste.

This thread has made me laugh. It started off as being things people could do without and it's almost become a competition of how little we can get away with!!!

No crib/Moses basket....fine if you can fit a cot in your room.
No crib/Moses basket or cot....but I don't want to co-sleep.
Don't buy a changing table, just use the floor....but my DH is 6'4" and v inflexible. Why would I make it harder for him?

Sorry, it did just make me chuckle! And I also love my baby furniture...makes her nursery really look like a nursery. But we were fortunate to be given money for it.

Good to hear baby baths and top and tail bowls are surplus to requirements.

Same here, pp, I didnt want to cosleep or use a sling all the time. My nest purchase was a play mat with gym above it. It was dds resting place when not asleep

Tens machine. Ended up with a cs after failed induction with not one contraction.
I didn't use my moby wrap nearly as much as I thought I would. Ended up getting a baby carrier which I use loads even now and ds is 13mo.
Big and bulky silver cross travel system that we stopped using in December and got a BJCM.
A mamas and papas snug seat. Bit like a bumbo. Used it maybe 5 times and only because I needed him contained on one place for 5 minutes. He hated it.
I'm sure there is more I can't think of right now.

I had DD in Oman. Such things as nappy disposal systems are unheard of.
For me, the things I bought that were not used were

• top and tail bowls.
• bags of cotton wool balls
• muslins
• bibs that don't have a little trough at the bottom.

things we could not have done without

• a wizzaar which is a length of material that men wear underneath their robes instead of pants. It was he swaddle thing and worked a treat
• microwave bottle steriliser (although useless if you are BF)
• dummies. Loads of cherrry teat dummies. She would not use any other shape.

No one ever seems to like baby baths but we are still using ours and my DS is 20 months! Our proper bath is massive and we're on a water meter so would cost us a fortune to fill it with even a few inches of water every time we gave him a bath.

This is a really useful thread, thank you! Due any day and thinking about the last few bits we may or may not need.

Did everyone have / use a bottle steriliser?

My dd1 was bottle fed from 3 weeks, we had a bottle steriliser but never used it as we got self-sterilising bottles from mothercare, not sure if anywhere else does them as that was more than 3 years ago now.

Got given a bottle sterilser but didn't use it as ebf. I can't say if they're good or bad. If you're planning to bf I would hold off on buying any bottle stuff as it's so expensive and we didn't use any of it. I thought I would express so DP could do a middle if the night feed but found all I was doing was feeding, changing, getting to sleep, expressing and then back to feeding again. I decided it was easier (mad as it sounds) just to do the feeding myself.