The WORST thing you bought for baby? (What can I cross off my list...?)

[PallasCat]

Really finding the 'best things' thread useful, but I'm equally keen to cross anything off the baby shopping list that I'm not actually going to use!

So what did you buy for your baby that you've since decided was not worth the cost/space/hassle?

I'm not so much looking for bashing of particular products, more guidance on which generic items you found unnecessary in the end.

[elQuintoConyo]

We are rather poir/mean, so didn't buy much. However, in hindsight we didn't use:

moses basket (thankfully lent)
cot (was sold on still sealed in its Ikea packaging!)
playpen, used twice
baby bjorn sling, far too uncomfortable for all involved

Invaluable:
Ikea Antilop highchair
cheap Ikea changing table, I couldn't change on the floor; it has since been 'hacked' and is now being used as a 'craft station' for 4yo DS.
grobags
bouncy chair, lent us, used maybe 2-3 months but useful and DS happy
changing bag, fit on the pushchair
little portable changing mat, meant we could change DS anywhere (and I made it, so it was pretty awesome! Wipe clean one side, silver quilted the other, so pretty )

[PallasCat]

Thanks Reni yeah I think that's the main thing I've got from this thread - slings and otherwise - to buy only things that will be absolute essentials (e.g. carseat, pram) for all babies before little one arrives, because both I and he/she will have our preferences and there's no way of knowing what those will be yet. This has definitely given me confidence that holding out on more personalised items is sensible and not foolhardy/irresponsible.

[reni2]

Anyway, OP, don't buy a carrier or sling before you gave them a good try, see all the different responses. The worst for one is the best for another. and they all cost an arm and a leg

[PallasCat]

Citizens of MN thank you so much - this is absolute gold! Keep 'em coming.

[reni2]

Kari Me even

[MazzleDazzle]

I loved my Kari Me baby sling!

Lovely soft stretchy fabric and I still used it when my kids were toddlers.

[reni2]

I got a really bad back from a Karrimor carrier, Baby Bjorn is fab though. You really need to try a few slings and carriers at a library/ from friends etc before committing, there is one out there for everyone but it can be really expensive to figure out which one is right for you and your baby. You just don't know before if your baby will be long or chunky and if and how they like to be carried, you don't even know what shape you will be..

[Deejoda]

Thanks for this one!

[Dixiechick17]

runningupthathill also a Bjorn carrier fan, love it, as do my whole NCT group lol

[Vickisuli]

Totally agree about nursing chair, totally unnecessary.

I on the other hand used my Bumbo loads. Also still using my hooded towels (my kids are now 5, 7 and 9!!!!) Now they are used for drying their hair (they have bigger towels for their bodies.

The main thing I think is a waste of time is cookbooks for weaning food. I had a signed Annabel Karmel, never really needed it. You can basically purer anything, or just give your child bits of food. It's not rocket science.

[Titsywoo]

I think if I could go back I would have bought a car seat, pram and moses basket then bought other stuff as and when needed! Bottle warmer etc I never used as breast fed, cot and travel cot never used as we co slept, bath bath never used as I just took DD in with me.

[bluewisteria]

Reusable nappies... I didn't use them with DD1 and regretted it, so bought a bumper starter pack with DD2... Total nightmare and she nor I could get on with them.

If you're thinking about using them then get just a few to trial or check out nappy laundering services as they come as part of it I think. Loads of people like them, just don't do what I did and bulk order. I was so appalled by how much landfill I was creating I assumed I would make it work. I was wrong. Washing machine in basement, warm place to hang clothes out was 5 flights up, no dryer, family of 4 wash loads. Disaster. Nearly killed me with a newborn.

[Sara107]

Surprised how many people found baby bath a waste of time. So much quicker to fill ( and more economical) than the big bath. DD used it until she was about 3 and could literally not fold her legs up enough to fit into it, definitely one of our best buys and they are quite cheap.

[Whatevva]

I think you ought to be able to try pushchairs/prams/buggies for a week before you buy them (I had 5)

[Runningupthathill82]

I really am the only person who loves the Baby Bjorn, aren't I? I wore mine daily with DS and plan on doing the same with DC2, if she allows it.

The Moby, the Mai Tai, the babasling though - all those were sold on.

I guess it just proves the point that buying a new sling without trying it first is always a bad idea. Either buy second hand and sell on, as I did, or try a sling library before committing! If I'd spent full price on that sodding Moby, or indeed the babasling, I'd have been in a mess. Whereas I only paid around £10 for each, and sold them on for the same price.

[Whatevva]

I always regretted buying a mothercare back carrier (ok - it was second hand and cheap) instead of a karrimor one. I could have used it as well as DH, but the m/care one was not well designed and hurt.

at the price of the baby bjorn!

[IAmACuboid]

Most regretted purchase was the Baby Bjorn - I've used many great slings and soft structured carriers, but the BBj was just awful, hurting my neck and shoulders and proven to be bad for babies hip development. They really shouldn't be sold.
I know you didn't want particular product bashing OP but really, they're awful! I want my £76 back! and no fucker on eBay wants it either

[var123]

My invaluable list was:-
changing table
changing bag
lie flat pram (DS2 would sleep only there for first 8 months as he liked to be in the same room as me all day and all night)
cot
cot bed
cot mobile
bouncy chair
baby walker
steam steriliser
electric breast pump
high chair
stick blender & mini chopper
plastic cups
plastic bowls
bath toys
bath sponge
bucket for soaking clothes
baby calpol
bonjela
large musliN squares
more bibs than you think you can ever need
a huge supply of baby grows

I could have done without giving house room to 90%+ of those cuddly toys everyone gives a new born. 3 would have been plenty, but DS1 got over 30!

Most useless thing I was given though was 10 huge flower displays when I was in hospital, all of which needed transported home afterwards. All were lovely, but if I had only had received the one DH brought me, it would have been plenty and I could've found space to move around the bed and put things down.

[spilttheteaagain]

Shite Babasling, hideous idea to put all the weight on one side of you, can't seem to flog the thing no matter what now. Manduca however was fantastic.

Cot. She never slept in it no matter how hard I tried. Still mainly co sleeping now at 4 yrs, but she has her own bed to start in. Cot mattress now adopted as a cat bed in the garage.

Wooden building blocks. No interest at all, the don't flash or make noises!

[KatharinaRosalie]

Luckily didn't buy but I was given several foldable travel changing mats. Took up loads of space in the bag and was not that convenient to use. I used disposable absorbant sheets instead, you get a pack of 100 for a few quid.

[Notso]

For my four I found we didn't need,
Slings were useless until they got older my newborns hated being curled up,
Swaddle pods and wraps,
Expensive French babygros with buttons at the back,
Snow suits until they were walking,
Baby monitors,
Baby on board signs was gifted loads,
Parasols,
Hats, mittens, bootees, shoes, socks,
Uv sun tent,
Cute looking but impractical outfits,
Nappy bin and nappy sacks though did find nappy sacks useful during potty training for wet/dirty pants,
Raincover for car seat,
Adapters to fit car seat on the pram,
Sun shades for the car,
Loads of weaning paraphernalia lidded bowls/pots/trays/odd shaped spoons/pointless blunt knives,
Dummy steriliser,
Big sterilisers.

Wouldn't have been without
Baby bath,
Bath thermometer,
Decent pram with air wheels,
Massive Muslims,
Sleeping bags,
Baby wrap, kind of a snowsuit and footmuff combined,
Dummy,
Some sort of bouncy chair,
Moses basket,
Car seat base,
Mummy hook for the pram.

[MazzleDazzle]

Well all those splinters reni2!

[notsoold]

I see the point regarding baby baths but because our bath is too low and the kichen sink is a no for us we had a baby bath and it helped a awful lot. Now that he is 2 we use it to play washing clothes...
Hats are useless and too many people will give you blankets.

[reni2]

I think wooden blankets are impractical even for a non-puky baby, MazzleDazzle . Sorry