What *dont* I need to buy?

[BlueBee]

Hello. We are expecting our first in August, loads of people have suggested what we need to get etc but what did you buy that you now realise was a waste of time? What don't I really need?

Tummytub (what was I thinking) but she had colic and I was desperate for anything that would work.

Talcum powder - bad for everyone's lungs and baby girl nether parts

Bumbo, never got one in the end as didn't need it. Glad as they are bad for baby's back.

Best advice is probably to keep it simple.

I hate the idea of those sangenic things too, so much plastic

I did use my Uppababy travel system though and still do. I walk a lot and its really easy to push and great to walk with. I also have a good quality Mclaren pushchair for travel and I still prefer the Uppababy. (although the Mclaren is good too) DD is nearly 18 months.

Lots of differing opinions here which proves that all babies are different!
We have everything second hand, so that if it is not used it is only a fiver or so wasted, and is not a massive investment if you are not sure.
The only thing I wish we had for DD and did splash out on new for DS was a sungglebundle for moving little babies around easily (even while they are asleep)

Lots of people saying about not getting infant car seats - Only thing to consider is if you will be changing cars or going out with anyone else. We didn't have a car at time of birth, though we have one now I see a lot of my mom and it would have been a pain to keep swapping a big car seat from our car, which DH takes to work, to my mom's car to go anywhere with DD.

Also they can last quite a while - DD has always been on the light side, and we are still using 0+ car seat at nearly 13 months as not yet at 9kg for group 1.

Couldn't have been without my travel system (M&P Zoom!) - carrycot is convenient in that don't need to strap little one in, blankets won't fall off etc, car seat no need to disturb if have only popped round the supermarket. Again, maybe only if you have a smaller baby as DD was in it for at least 12 weeks before it got too small.

Jazz - that's the thing. I suppose a carrycot is nice, but for only 12 weeks use or less that's a lot of money for little use for most people.

my big seat is isofix, so except that it's heavier, it's not actually more difficult to swap it between cars.

Also didn't get a changing table, but did get a good change mat with the sloping sides (John Lewis wedge) and put it on a chest of drawers we already had.

See I would say a changing table is an absolute must! We got a chest of drawers/changing table combo and, three babies on, it is probably the item that has proved best value for money! I have used it for every nappy change in the house for each baby and DS3, now 2.3, is still changed on it now. None of them ever fell off it and I still have fully functioning knees!

I also always completely disagree with the general mumsnet advice to ignore breastfeeding tops in favour of the 'vest underneath a normal top, pull one up and one down' malarkey. Not only could I never get the hang of the one up and one down malarkey, I found that I sweated loads whilst breastfeeding and the last thing on earth I wanted was an extra bloody layer of clothing. I bought specific breastfeeding tops and got absolutely loads of wear out of them and they were brilliant.

Other than that, would agree with advice not to buy too much to start with and just see how you go. A few basic vests, sleep suits, muslins etc. Definitely don't both with either a nappy bin or a bottle warmer.

I bought (thankfully 2nd hand) a travel system which I used once and hated, even though I'm out in the sticks. Luckily I'd splurged on a Maya wrap instead and that was FAB - after crashing round with other mums who couldn't fit up aisles or had to wait for doors to be held etc, I always used the wrap. If really hot or whatever it would pad the baby carriers some of the shopping carts had. DS1 was in that up to the age of 2+! Leant Maya wrap to cousin & then a friend who both found it helped with babies who wouldn't sleep; and was all we used when travelling. And you can BF them in it, with or without discreetly overing up using the spare end. Not impresses with Baby Bjorn etc and seen/ heard some awful stories about displacia and frozen toes.

Feeding chairs - had clip-on one, a folding one and folding one at inlaws. All manky, despite trying to scrub seams, had to cut the straps off as they went stinky fast from all the food etc that you couldn't wash out well. Then found the solid plastic Ikea one, FAB- removeable washable reins & cushion, rest smooth and easy to wipe.

Baby wipes. You know there has been a big case in the USA against wipes that cause 1000s of hideous reactions/ excema etc? I'm bomb proof but they make me itch! I used DIY cut up towels last time, washed with nappies, treated self to cheeky wipes kit this time. Much kinder to skin and no waste.

Any battery powered baby seat - the simple z shaped bouncer chair thing we had was loved by both and really light & simple to move around with me. And cheap and washable!

You can see there is huge disagreement on this thread - what one person finds a waste of time,another finds they couldn't manage without.

So....perhaps borrow as much as possible and only buy small quantities of things in the first instance ....you can always get more if you find them indispensable.

NCT nearly new sales are great. You can get huge amounts of stuff for very little money - great if you then don't use it all, and also means it doesn't feel so wasteful, as it's already been used.

A useful thing to ask for is vouchers - Mothercare, Boots, JoJomamanbebe - all great for when you realise you don't have the thing you really want. And you can get it delivered without leaving the house.

Enjoy your baby.

Seriously, you do not need a nappy bin. Why on earth would anyone want week old shitty nappies in the house

If you have a kitchen sink you don't need a baby bath.
It's at the right height, usually you have a counter close at hand for laying out whatever you need for nappying and drying afterwards..

Don't get a changing table either.
Waste of space and it's much easier to change a baby when you stand at the baby's feet, not at its side.
Get a washable changing pad that you can roll out and use anywhere. You can put the changing mat on your bed or on a table or on the kitchen counter, wherever you find is handiest and least strain for your back. I mostly used my bed. You can take it with you when you're out. Later, when potty training time comes around you can change nappies in the bathroom and start associating poo and pee with that room.
By contrast, you are stuck with the height and angle of a custom changing table or a pad on top of a chest of drawers.

Shoes, especially shoes with rigid soles.
Get Robeez or equivalent if you must.

Special muslins.
I bought a packet of ten lovely absorbent birdseye cloth nappies (flat, square, soft, foldable and double layered iirc that did the trick perfectly. They lasted through five babies and were useful for all sorts of purposes including mopping up the car. Afterwards I used them as kitchen cloths. The last two are still in use, 25 years later.

A humungous nappy bag with all sorts of bells and whistles inside.
The bigger the bag you buy the more stuff you will accumulate in it and you will end up hurting your shoulder lugging it all around. I left the house with two disposable nappies and a plastic ziploc bag with a few wipes in it, all in my own handbag, and I kept a few cloth nappies in the car for emergency changing pad use, with a hand towel in my handbag for changing pad duty in shops. In my baby days I used a large messenger bag as a handbag.

Headbands for baby girls -- agree. To many this is a matter of taste though.
I personally think they pose a strangulation hazard as they could conceivably slip down around the baby's neck but heyho.

Baby wipes are a great and good thing in my book much handier than using a cloth or tonnes of cotton wool and they can be used to dust and moisturise furniture too. I know someone who swears by washable J cloths though. She keeps the ones she uses for the baby separate from general household cloths...

Tiny bibs.
Get the biggest you can lay your hands on and avoid those that tie or have velcro on the back. You want something that your baby can't pull off.

I had the first three of mine in small flats and couldn't find space for most of the 'must have' stuff but managed fine without it.

The bath in the sink only works if you are the kind of person who empties and cleans round the sink after you use it! For us baby wouldn't fit round the breakfast bowls ;-) and by the time you've wiped round the scummy sides you might as well have filled a little bath. Also I couldn't work out how itd be comfy for a newborn although agree it must be better once baby is sitting.

I found it was great motivation to keep the sink clear .

I laid newborns out on a few layers of towels and topped and tailed. At maybe two weeks, I would put a few inches of water in the sink and lean in with one arm supporting the baby and wash with the other. Baths took at most five minutes, then out onto the towels on the counter again.

I didn't bathe the DCs every day when they were babies. Most days they got a topping and tailing. They had a bath maybe twice a week.

Bottle Warmer £18 il never see again

Flippers. You don't need to buy flippers. I don't know if you were planning to, but you don't need them.

Unless you're going to live under water.

My only piece of advice (as the lists get very confusing and every baby is different).

Don't buy anything other than the very very basics in advance.

You'll be at home a lot with a newborn - if you need something buy it online and have it delivered. Make it up as you go along.

Really Jux? I could not have managed without them, I packed them in my hospital bag and had them on when the DCs were only hours old!

If you want to use it you probably will. I knew I didn't want a sling, my DS loves the travel system we have and it's our most used item.

We use the baby bath in the shower cubicle-babies are ver slippy when wet, this makes us both feel comfortable and saves water. DS HATES the big bath.

Nappy bin-we have two, used (numerous times) daily. Works for us.

Changing unit-invaluable for me as I had an emergency c section.

In fact there's little that I haven't used. I've breastfed but I still use the steriliser.

Top and tail bowl is an old ice-cream tub or rinsed out plastic food tub - any little tub.
Nappy bags - use old bread bags, plastic bags, all the bags you get the baby stuff.

Much easier to change on the bed initially, so changing mat essential but changing table not so useful.

Buy either muslins, pack of terry nappies, couple of hooded towels, pack of biggish flannels but only one of these - all can be used for every use i.e. something on the changing mat and to mop up baby sick or to dry after bath.

Any biggish bag is fine for changing bag as you can put smaller bags inside it with different things.

Clothes-wise anything that doesn't undo flat is a real pain until your baby has got some head control.

But once you work out you need something, go and get it - getting a good sling was sheer revolution in us getting out and about on the Tube.

And NCT sales great - you'll see all the pristine fiddly baby clothes or get those as hand-me-downs.

And yes, everyone over-buys something so keep it all in packets/with labels for exchanging as and when.

I would say don't buy a sling. Instead, find out if there's a sling library near you and borrow one instead. It might be that you have to try a few before you find one that works for you and your baby, and sling libraries are the best place to do that.

The thought of a nappy bin containing week old nappies in house really is disgusting! We used reusable nappies which would be fully washed every other day, I wouldn't have wanted to leave them another 4/5 days festering

Those saying don't buy expensive changing bags - I got mine for Christmas but I would have bought it anyway but I love, love, LOVE my black leather storksak! I love all the compartments, it makes life out and about so easy. I'll be sad when I don't have children in nappies anymore, it's a great bag and I'm so glad I have it compared to just using any old rucksack of a freebie.

oh yes, you definately don't need any item of clothing that does up at the back. I was given lots of lovely baby grows in different colours, but as they had a pattern on the front, the poppers were at the back. Far too tricky with a newborn.

(one thing I would do, set up an ocado account and set up a regular delivery slot with a basic week order of food in it. Was a life saver, ours was booked for a monday evening, I could cancel/reschedule it or edit it up to Sunday night, but if I completely forgot, then every Monday night a basic order of food and groceries arrived, but don't try to do it once the baby has arrived, in a sleep deprived state you'll add some random shit in your standard order or just never get round to doing it, until you don't really need it anymore. Only really needed it for the first couple of months, was a big help.)

oh and I'm also a fan of a decent changing bag, have tried used different bags, but tend to fall back on the changing bag. I think if you are going to be out all day, then a bag that's big enough for all your crap, kept in different compartments (so not just a big mess to scrabble around in trying ot find the sudocreme) and you can hang over the handle bars of your buggy/pram is a must (not a big handbag swinging on a buggy clip that smacks your thighs with every step!), and if you end up formula feeding, something with holders for bottles that you can keep upright is useful.