Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Shopping

From everyday essentials to big purchases, swap tips and recommendations. For the best deals without the hassle, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

What "must have" item that you bought for your baby/babies was a waste of money?

123 replies

twogorgeousboys · 17/09/2004 19:06

My Sangenic Nappy Bin. No amount of pleasant smelling plastic wrapping could disguise the stink that emanated from it, despite emptying it every day.

OP posts:
MeanBean · 17/09/2004 20:19

Everything except pram, steriliser and microwave oven.

edam · 17/09/2004 20:21

Playnest - hardly ever used it. When we first got it, ds wasn't sitting reliably and every time he wobbled he ended up stuck. Then moved house, by the time we found it ds had outgrown it (at least, we thought he must have so wasn't worth blowing it up to make sure). Oh, and bathseat for 6 month old ? didn't fit our bath (and heard from friends that their kids got stuck in them).
Baby gym fab, even now ds is 14 months he's still attached to some of the toys that came with it. Newborn bathseat also fab, used every time. Sangenic was really handy esp. as dh used to empty it!
Have always changed ds on the floor but dh did buy an inflatable change mat that stopped ds rolling off (when he was rolling himself, I mean, not by accident). Worked for a good few months but a bit too short for babies over six months.

CountessDracula · 17/09/2004 20:21

Ditto Sangenic bin, what a whiff!

Babydan den thing - used it once! Am hoping to recycle soon as wendy house.

Tissy · 17/09/2004 20:28

just about everything that I bought in order to get the little bggr to sleep; sheepskin, bean bag mattress, lullaby CD, womb sounds CD....the list is endless! the only thing we've stuck with is the Grobag, and that didn't help her to sleep as far as I can tell, But I convinced myself that she would have woken more if we didn't have it!

collision · 17/09/2004 20:28

Nappy bin which I threw away.

Love my travel cot though which I used as a playpen too. Hopefully the next one will love it as it will be in it a lot to protect from ds1!!

The biggest waste of money to me is something in Jojomamanbebe catalogue which is a babywipes warmer for £25!!!!!! Who would spend so much money on something SO silly?? (I bet I will be embarrassed now and you all have one!)

Angeliz · 17/09/2004 20:30

collision, i was gonna INVENT a baby wipe warmer as i thought it would be SOOOO handy.
Only after i'd needed it did i find out it already existed.
Was it really not good??

jellyhead · 17/09/2004 20:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TraceyP · 17/09/2004 20:33

Baby bath (she hated it and preferred being in the big bath with me).

Wilkinet baby sling (bl**dy expensive, total crap), you need to be a contortionist crossed with an octopus to use one.

Travel cot, never used it once (luckily it was second hand so not such a huge waste of money).

Snowsuit - she screamed blue murder and looked like a big pink sausage in it - soooo not a good look.

Pop-up (ha ruddy ha) post office - takes about two hours to put up, same to take down, gets played with for about 30 seconds by three year old with the attention span of a goldfish.

Baby oil/shampoo/powder - bought loads on BOGOF, then had a stack given to me from Johnson & Johnson for using their blood glucose monitor - still all in the cupboard over three years later.

Demented · 17/09/2004 20:38

The knitting pattern, needles, wool and buttons to make DS2 a wonky cardi (about 15 quids worth!!!). Can only blame it on pregnancy hormones I got this overwhelming desire to knit, once he was born he wore the cardi my Mum bought him from M&S (at only £10 a snip in comparison).

woodstock · 17/09/2004 20:45

baby bath, bath seat for regular tub
door bouncer
most of the Lamaze and Neurosmith, and Whoozit toys
Have to say we do use the wipe warmer. Since ds can't talk yet, I have no idea if he really notices the difference or not!
He loved the sling. I think it depends on which one you get. Some are more comfortable/user friendly than others.

Eowyn · 17/09/2004 20:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

muminlondon · 17/09/2004 20:48

Another vote for the sangenic.

TraceyP · 17/09/2004 20:53

We've used our Sangenic for over three years and never a whiff. Dh cleans it quite often which might help. It's the older version, so that might make a difference.

collision · 17/09/2004 20:58

I didnt actually buy one Angeliz as I thought it was too funny and a HUGE waste of money! Shame you missed out on the invention.......you could be rich by now!

pixiefish · 17/09/2004 21:03

I empty my sangenic every day and clean the inside of it with cif and it still pongs... it's the plastic I think that absorbs the odour as it pongs even when empty...

fuzzywuzzy · 17/09/2004 21:07

Hmmm was considering buying some whooozit toys for dd and bump, so you wouldn't reccommend them then woodstock??

80sMum · 17/09/2004 21:07

Disagree about the door bouncer; ds absolutely loved his. But the travel cot was a disaster - he hated it, screamed the place down when put in it and I never used it again. The best bargain was a very cheap, basic umbrella-fold buggy. It was so light and easy to carry, we ended up using it all the time. Had to prise him out of it at 3 1/2 or he'd never have walked anywhere!

logic · 17/09/2004 21:11

Hmm, top and tail bowl, toiletries box (at least it matches the room and made a handy place to put cups of tea on those midnight feeds), Johnson's baby bath on BOGOF (still got a cupboard full two years later) - the same things as everyone else really. I'm still using the sangenic though.

muminlondon · 17/09/2004 21:15

I'm not sure what we'd do without our travel cot - not with rellies all over the country.

edam · 17/09/2004 21:16

fuzzywuzzy, my ds LOVED his Whoozit toys

eemie · 17/09/2004 21:27

The Wilkibloodynet, what were they thinking about?

Not only useless but, if you tried to follow their instructions for slinging the baby on your back, downright dangerous.

Rowlers · 17/09/2004 21:27

dummy (spat out after 2 seconds with puzzled look on face)
scratch mits (what the hell...?)
bottle warmer (she likes milk cold)
baby hair brush (?!?!?!)
cot "bumpers" (pointless tat)
some pink cot sheets from mothercare (rough as sandpaper)
tiny little hats (screamed EVERY time ...)
I'm lying a bit anyway, I didn't buy anything. Got it all as hand-me-downs so haven't really lost out.
Also, SIL gave me two pairs of baby shoes, DD is only 6 months, what the hell does she need them for?

californiagirl · 18/09/2004 02:17

scratch mitts (forgoit them at hospital and used newborn socks, only thing the socks were good for)
wrist rattles (DD couldn't care less about rattling noises until well too old)
little waterproof squares (she was never immobile enough to spit up just on them)

She doesn't have a whoozit but has two related toys (a ball and a sparkle dragon) which she adores. She's uncertain about her bouncer (it doesn't bounce enough for her).

KateandtheGirls · 18/09/2004 02:35

Diaper Genie (Sangenic, I guess).

With #2, bottles were a waste of time, as were dummies. Anything designed to go in a baby's mouth that wasn't my breast was a waste of space.

Both mine loved the doorway jumper. And Soupdragon's travel cot has come in incredibly handy to us!

I may be the only parent in America who has never owned a changing table. Even when, with #2, I had the space and could afford it. What's wrong with the floor?

colinsmommy · 18/09/2004 03:07

KATG- As an American parent who owns a diaper changing table, I want you to know that I put mine to use all the time using it as a place to store the baby's laundry while I change his diaper on the floor. Guess what my biggest waste of money was?

Swipe left for the next trending thread