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

[twogorgeousboys]

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

LOL, TraceyP.
Waste of money = Highchair -- bought one second hand. Tried to use it, enormous filled up our tiny kitchen/dining area. Sold in local paper after DH & I spent an hour trying to show the buyer (a childminder) how to fold it down... we failed and I still don't know why she bought it! We switched to the little travel high chair/seat that you can strap onto an ordinary chair, instead.

The most useful thing I have for 3rd baby that I never had for the others was a bouncer seat -- fantastic. It's almost the only place DS will settle or go to sleep. I sorely wish we had had one for the first 2 babies.

at colinsmommy. Was told at parentcraft class to only change baby on floor for safety so bought just a mat. But found when DS was born I physically couldn't get onto the floor with him so ended up with changing mat on our bed for first few days. Went same route with DD and had much easier birth so glad I didn't buy furniture to last a fortnight.

Waste of money was expensive, padded high chair - big and dirt trap with sewn in straps. Should have bought a cheapy from Ikea. Tried to persuade DH to sell on e-bay and then use proceeds to buy Ikea one but he won't. Breast pump that I couldn't expresss with - have always hand-expressed since.

Moses Basket and stand. Thankfully we didn;t spend a fortune, I think it was £50 ish for both the cot and the stand. DD hated it with a passion and co-slept for the first 10 weeks before she went into her cot in her own room.

Baby bath , I used it once, but it was such a fag to get it out, fill it etc that I used to bathe DD in the ensuite sink. When she was too big for the sink, she went in the big bath. Although one of my friends is getting plenty of use out of it, she borrowed it to use with her first, she used it for about 5 months with her, and now she's on her second and still uses it.

I also bought one of those useless sangenic things. Complete waste of time. Whenever I emptied mine all the 'nappy sausages' used to unravel so it was just a like a big scented bin bag, pointless piece of crap, IMO.

Oooh yes, my sling. It was only a £15 one from Mothercare but it was so un-ergonomic that I got back ache from carrying 2 week old DD around in it for an hour !

I also fell foul of the hairbrush thing. Only cheap, I know, but even at 2y 1m my DD still doesn't need to have her hair brushed (or cut for that matter)! Perhaps next time I'll have a slightly more hirsute baby and get my moneys worth

god where do i start? door bouncer, baby bath (he always has baths with me or his dad in the big bath...all that crap about how dangerous it is getting in and out on your own, nonsense, just need to be careful!), wilkinet (used it about twice), sudocream (quickly converted to kamillosan which seemed to be the only thing that got rid of nappy rash really well), white spirit (why did i get this? i can't even remember), one of those thermometers that you put in the ear (seems to say that the temp is about 3 degrees lower than it is)...and finally....

blo*dy, b8llocking bumbo! what a load of old tosh! ds hated being trapped in it and quickly graduated to being able (rather dangerously) to get out of it...

Another vote for the Sangenic Nappy Bin ...
Fine for newborn lovely small sweet breastmilk poo nappies ... but as soon as any formula gets involved (as with DS at 6 weeks) and then solids and then meat ... eeeeeeeewwwwwwww ....
Still have it but haven't used it with DD - what's wrong with taking the nappy to the bin?
All our other 'useless' stuff has been borrowed - Moses basket - both babies only in one for 6 weeks, so very glad I never bought one. Baby bath - ditto. Baby pouches/front packs - have tried several .... hate them .... my babies were far too heavy for me to carry them like that - hated their legs hanging freely ... just not for me.
I tried a baby sling for DD and hated that too - she looked so uncomfortable in it as a newborn and then when she was bigger she cried and screamed when I tried it.

Baby toiletries
Scratch mitts
Baby shoes
Baby bath
Pram parasol

waste of money = galt playnest, nipple cream (unopened), dummies (thumbsuckers)

good buy = travel cot (overnighting at rellies, holidays and playpen)

wow - am surprised at the no of things we found fab that others hated...

you would all think me mad - I have been trawling baby shops in Aus for a top n tail bowl - found it indispensable with dd ( although she could not be bathed in a bath for months after being born - ng tube, heart surgery ) bowl was brilliant!!! Managed to find one on the weekend for no2.

sangenic bin - brilliant - did not smell at all.

play nest was brilliant - dd loved it

travel cots - brilliant.....

moses basket - we got a lot of use out of it although she was tiny born and did not grow rapidly... still fitted in at 8 mths old!!

found hugababy useless.... couldn't get the hang of it and felt so hot and sweaty with it....

Cot blankets - by the time DS had moved into his cot we'd discovered grobags.

Baby toiletries box - have never used it at all for anything and so it just sits there.

Baby talcum powder - why did I buy it?

Dummies - suppose they did work for about 2 weeks but then just got spat out.

Avent expressing disposable bottle holders with the plastic bags - whenever DS tried to drink from them milk would go everywhere and he'd get cross.

Changing chest of drawers thing - have never changed DS on it (but chest of drawers was needed so not entirely a mistake)

Baby bath - he went in it only a few times as hated having a bath for about 4 months - would have been better just using bath support in big bath I think.

Will try and remember what else hasn't been used in DS's nearly 10 month life so far

eowyn
my monitors have just broke and i loved them(the one's that fit under the mattress. total peace of mind

Electronic baby swing.

6 weeks to go, and only have 2 whiye cardigans knitted by MIL and friend. havn't go more cause don't what to waste money (not much to spare) and have no idea what to buy!?

enough to get you through the first few days and that's all really. your dh/dp can get everything else once baby's born.
unless you've been told you're having a big baby buy newborn clothes
to wear-
packet of newborn vests (i coped with 6 vests for first 6 weeks)
sleepsuits- if you know what you're having great if not buy 1 packet of white- don't buy any more than that you'll want coloured ones once baby's here- again i coped with 6 babygros for the first 6 weeks.
nappies- hospital can be stingy
no need for toiletries or smellies as they advise you not to use them for first few weeks.
cotton wool
something for baby to sleep in- mine hated moses basket and went into big cot at 2 weeks.
something to bring baby home from hospital in
blankets/sheets etc- don't buy too many- just 2 of each as you may find that as soon as baby is 10lb he may be in a grobag.
having said that pram blankets are very handy- i've got several of them and still use them.
if you're planning to bf you don't need any bottles or anything in the beginning (tip- do ask if you can 'pinch' a couple of the formula bottles from hospital- handy in case of emergency in first few days)
top n tail bowl- very handy
bath- i didn't bath dd at home for a few days so you could go without
changing mat- cheap one does the job
baby towels- pack from mothercare v handy
if i remember any more i'll add on. good luck

thanx for the advice.

to all those who mentioned the buggy parasol problem - I used to take a big safety-pin and pin the edge of the parasol to the hood of the buggy, to hold in in position.

Oh Iota--NOW you tell me! The times I've struggled with that parasol and all it took was a safety pin. Great idea; too late for me now as we're passed that stage!

Another vote on the down side for the Sangenic nappy thingy - what a kerfuffle and smell! Sold mine to a poor unsuspecting mum to be who like me had it on top of her 'must have' list.
Also, gorgeous white frilly little girly oufits - hell to iron and only on 30 seconds before the inevitable gloop down the front!

Braun blender was a great buy, bought originally for baby food preparation. Still use it everyday for smoothies etc.

Sangenic bin. Still taking up space in corner of bathroom - not even bothering to use it for DS3 nappies.

Eemie, I agree with you. The first thing that came to mind was that b***d Wilkinet sling. I never managed to use it and since it cost £40 I couldn't justify buying a different one. Like you say, it's dangerous.

oh I forgot about the baby sling - tried it on once - complete nightmare - put it back in the box.

Used sling for 21/2 years with ds and still using it with dd at nearly a year.

Vtech walker loved by both.

Cot bought each time was a complete waste as coslept.

thankyou tinyganghq - I've sent in to tip of the day

Cot, not used once by ds or dd

Sangenic

Steriliser, virtually unused too, no idea why I allowed myself to be talked into buying it other than I was clueless