What has everyone bought in the run up to baby's birth and since discovered what a waste of money it was?

[bergentulip]

Another thread prompted me to wonder about this.

We never bought, and never missed the following-
a changing table
a crib
a steriliser
a wardrobe (I mean, does a baby really need their clothes hung up??)
a nursing chair

And actually, what is the one vital purchase you could just not do without?

Feel it could be useful for all first time soon to be mums out there.

Baby bath was a waste of money. We only used it for a few weeks.
I did make good use of our changing table though, but it doubled as a chest of drawers.
Nursing chairs are only for those with loads of space and lots of spare money - nice but far from essential.

we bought a bottle warmer that we found was total waste of money

Total life saver though was the bouncy chair thingys that they use from birth.

baby bath was defo a waste of money, as was a changing table because i ended up doing it sat on the bed.

A rocking seat was the best thing i ever bought by far!!!! it was so good at southing babies for five minutes why i had bath/ate/went to the loo etc

Agree with the bouncy chair from birth being a lifesaver! Absolutely. Have just now, 6mths on, reluctantly put it away. It has a vibrate setting on it.

Switching the vibrate on and putting a muslin sqaure over my DS2's head was like flicking his off button! 3...2...1.... aaand he's asleep

One of those nappy disposal things...now that was a steaming pile of poo.

I agree with Bree the nappy bin things are rubbish.

The pram! Now how could I forget that???? Used it for all of 5minutes for both my boys, then switched to a lightweight maclaren and had them in the lie-down position until they could sit up.

3zillion pounds on a travel system, flips this way, that way, upside down, inside out, when all I should have done (like a clever friend did!), was get a lightweight jobby that would recline all the way back, and then get a car seat separately.
Done! At least half the cost.

What an idiot I am! Doh!

Cannot wait to send the monstrous tank to the tip!!! It's in the attic and I fully intend on doing that this weekend in fact!

We bought a baby bath support but was waste of money - just not worth it!

Lifesavers have been bouncy/rocking chair & swing without a doubt!

Thing used least was the crib - progressed rapidly on to cot as DS1 kept flinging his arms against the sideof the crib in his sleep and waking himself (and us) up.

Best investment was blackout blind and blackout lining for curtains. Made naps and lie-ins possible even in mid-summer.

As you can see, it is sleep we value most in this house!

nappy disposal thingy - fiddly and still smells if you don't empty it every day

bumbo - both DCs hated it

bottle/food warmer - takes far too long

A Graco baby swing, she hated it and we used it twice. A sponge thing that goes in the bath, she prefers it without. Changing bag (was a present) it's so vile I never use it, am yet to find a nice one.

Thank feck we were given it rather than buying it, but DP and I were blithely saying to one another, a month before DS was born, how wonderful our musical mobile was going to be because DS would hear the music each night and it would soothe him and he would know it was time to nod off ....

(11 months and he still hasn't slept through!)

Oh and the best thing for me is her Natures Nest, she sleeps like a... well, like a baby.

I (whisper, as so ashamed) bought a top and tail bowl. WTF?!

Have to disagree about baby bath. Don't need it if you have big sink to bath small baby. But was good when baby got bigger because you could fill it quite deep without wasting gallons of water to fill big bath.

Useless things IMO - nappy stacker thing on a coat hanger

what is the point of a top and tail bowl? I just looked it up and not sure how one would even use it...? Do you put the baby in one side and on the other......???????????

Not quite the same, but we took a colourful hedgehog we'd bought DS to the hospital when I gave birth, and I think we both genuinely thought he would spend some time in those first few hours playing with it

star, no, it's one side for face and once side for bum (cloth, presumably)
I bought one and it never even got wet

Does anyone have a use for the things?

Star, you put lukewarm water in each side, one for top (eyes) and one for tail (arse). Obviously, any sane person would just use a small bowl and do head first. Or use baby wipes. Or realise that a tiny baby doesn't need washing all that often, and one bath a day will do

I think I am slightly odd as I bought and like (and still use 2 years on) top and tail bowl, nappy wrapper and changing table! Changing table used for 1st year then into storage and now back in use for DS2.

Thing I could not live without is my sling! I use it every day without fail.

Never use my bloody expensive swing. DS is just as happy propped up on the beanbag!

ohhhhh .... duh... TOP and TAIL.... I'll blame the baby growing inside of me for eating the brain cells necessary to process that one!!!

Aren't top and tail bowls good for carting all the baby "essentials" around? Cloths/wipes/earbuds/baby bath/whatever, or am I picturing the wrong thing?

Stealth - that's got me chortling about the colourful hedgehog

Oh and I would also highly recommend a cot mobile and one of those cot lullaby light show things.

Both of mine have gone to sleep with the lullaby light show really well and have been kept entertained (legs kicking madly and big grin) by the cot mobile if I need to do something upstairs and leave them for 5 mins!

DH always gets confused though and turns the mobile on at bed time so DS2 wakes up again and kicks about grinning instead of going to sleep