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.

Anyway-up-cup that I threw in the bin because all that ever happened was I ended up swearing and hurling the d* thing around the kitchen because I couldn't EVER get the lid on properly and kept burning myself with hot water when it tipped all over me. Just me? And I'm a very calm person.

That bl**dy Wilkinet - the more I think about it the crosser I get. Baby in front, with your other hand grab the left tie, with the third hand grab the right tie, with your fourth hand make a loop, borrow someone else's hand to pass the other end through the loop, yet another hand to wrap it round and tie it - and all the time the baby is howling its head off and falling all over the floor.

It's no wonder I'm bl**dy depressed!

Ok, I confess, I've no idea what a Wilkinet is. Someone please enlighten me!! They must be terrible things, as they're usually preceeded by bl**dy!!!

wilkinet sling thing

carpperooney

The wilkinet is a baby sling without buckles or buttons and things, it just has two very, very VERY long ties which you have to tie into very intricate patterns around you to hold the baby in. Cost £46, complete pain in the arse.

Anyone wanna buy one??

byt he time you have tied it you r baby is at university

And you've lost your mind

Just had a look at the instruction video on the wilkinet site, does look rather a palaver especially if the baby isn't as placid as the baby in the video. I think I prefer the baby bjorn carrier myself.

Thanks! So it's a baby sling. I had a sling thing called a 'Kangaroo' when ds/dd were babies (back in ancient times). Found it very useful for ds, but dd not so keen.

They tell you to practice with a teddy bear first, but even that had me wanting to tear the ruddy thing up!

Mind you, the Kangaroo thing didn't require knowledge of macrame to put do it up!!! Wilkinet sounds a bit of a fiddle. Thing is with babies, you have to keep things simple and easy to use or they never get used.

A bit of a fiddle doesn't do it justice. You really do need to be a contortionist with half a dozen arms. Invented as a joke by a sadist, methinks.

And don't get me started on how hard it was to use it to carry the baby on your back - shudder.

Crikey! I see what you mean! Just had a look at the website. Didn't think of doing that before. In principle it looks similar to my Kangaroo but with added starps and what-nots. How are you supposed to put in on if you're on your own? Looks like it'd need two people. I'd be frightened of the baby falling out while I was trying to tie it up. So how many of you have one of these for sale?!!!

starps?? I mean straps, sorry!!

ok I have a new one
shape sorter toys
bloody annoying
you have to do it with them andhtey can nver d o them at 18 months or whenever it says ont he tin

Guess it depends on the baby with Whoozit toys. DS had absolutely zero interest in them.

I actually practiced using the sling with our Shih-Tzu first and had no problems. For long walks though I did prefer the Baby Bjorn as it distributes the weight evenly.

Baby bjorn carrier - dd hated the confined feeling when facing inwards. By the time she could face outwards she was too big for it.

Galt playnest - dangerous, once the child is old enough to tip it over.

Bottlewarmer - died after 3 days of usage. Took it back and got a refund. Microwaved milk to warm it (and still do, 18 months later).

Scratch mitts - whoever invented these has never had a newborn baby...

Cot blanket - like others, because DD has a grobag.

Doidy cup (slanted cup used for moving from bottle to cup). Now dd is old enough to use it, she wants to try using it from alternate sides, thus spilling all over herself 50% of times she uses it.

Agree about shape sorters. DD is 20 months and can still only do the simplest shapes. She just sighs 'Can't do it' and moves onto something more interesting.

safababy sleeper and 1st yearsleep positioner- was terrified of prem baby suffocating but never used them! am i the only one who bought them? bassinet and grobag brilliant. agree re: scratch mitts, dummies and talc. don't bother with newborn clothes- go staight for 1-3 months. highly recommend baby gym, cot mobile, grobags, and changing table if you have a c-section ( impossible to get up and down from the floor for the first few weeks IMO)

oldie
she says that at 20 months!
god
ds3 better get his act toogether

I like the hoody towels

i love this thread...think it shows that one man's meat is another's poison.

What I mean is that (eg) we had great success with a (big, wicker) moses basket. I also loved my sling. But then it was a fab BabyBjorn. Interesting to see you all slagging off the Wilkinet, which elsewhere (on MN too) gets many votes for comfort etc...I always thought it looked impossible tho.

My waste of money was baby toiletries, bought on the basis that "they sell them, I must need them" i ask you! What baby needs moisturier? I need it mind you. I also dislike very noisy toys but like the shape sorter (sorry coddy)
Who said about the pop-up post office? I know what you mean but you have to talk nicely to it. DH can't do it at all mind you and then I sweep in and manage it in a moment.