What are the silliest things you've done or bought for your new baby? Tell ASDA Little Angels for the chance to win a £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED!

[EmmaMumsnet]

A regular topic of discussion amongst MNers is the steep learning curve that parenting entails. It’s not uncommon for first-time parents to be a little bit OTT when it comes to DC1, investing in every last toy, cream and accessory that the baby books recommend - even if this overzealousness suffers a rapid decline with subsequent children.

Here is what Asda Little Angels have to say, ‘We know how much fun you can have when shopping for your first little angel, and how easy it is to get carried away. We’d love to hear the stories behind your most extravagant purchasing missteps!’

Asda Little Angels would like to know the extra-lengths you went to for your precious first born. What unnecessary extravagances did you invest in before you started to follow your instincts and simply go with the flow?

Perhaps you carried a painfully heavy changing bag fully-stocked with ‘must-have’ gadgets on every outing, before realising that a wet wipe was sufficient in most situations. Or maybe you bleached every surface your first baby came into contact with, but by child number two reached the conclusion that a quick wipe on your jeans was probably an adequate way of cleaning something.

Whatever the passing quirk, please share it below and you will be entered into the prize draw where one Mumsnetter will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

I bought around 42 muslins....and then ironed them all so they looked pretty in the drawer before DC1 was born havent had iron out since

We spent loads on our change bag so it matched the rest of the travel system and now I mostly use a regular rucksack because it’s so much easier!

We decorated a room into a beautiful nursery for firstborn, including lovingly stencilling woodland animals on the wardrobe and putting up wall decals. We then had him sleep in our room for over a year. At which point we had moved house so the lovely nursery never got slept in! Second baby is still in our room. We’ll decorate a room for her when she actually needs one!

I bought a Halloween outfit complete with hat and bootees for my DS so on the big day he spent the evening dressed as a pumpkin, it cost me £35, has not been worn since and when we look back at the photos he looked so silly. I still have it but did not make my DS2 endure the humiliation.

Reading these are funny. I like to think I was pretty laid back with DC1, even though he was a 4lb premie. I did go through a fair stack of disinfectant wipes prior to his first jabs...

Oh also night a full travel system, silvercross, looked beautiful but was a total waste of money as it was SO big and cumbersome and not city friendly in any way. So as soon as I was allowed, I sold it all and switched to a yoyo, which I LOVE.

Otherwise- I think a bit of dirt is good and tend not to worry too much!

Oh actually reading these is bringing a few shameful secrets back- I also had a SIDS breathing monitor. I knew it was ridiculous at the time but it gave me such peace of mind it was worth every penny!

I bought padded changing mats for every room in the house..lasted about a fortnight before i found that a simple towel was warmer, easier, and absorbent after my child decided to wee everywhere and as i struggled with poo and nappy tapes it splashed and bounced off the plastic mat and everywhere was soaked!!!

i steamed cleaned everything in sight, but soon realised i couldnt keep it up

With my 1st I thought I needed everything. I wasted so much money especially on a singing baby rocker. My son hated it but in my head I'd imagined he'd be blissfully rocking and chilled whilst I got on with chores. Instead he cried everytime I attempted to put him in it. I learnt my lesson though...my 1st had everything, then my twins a few years later only had cots, pushchairs and hand me downs.

Bought far too many clothes and gadgets before 1st child was born never really got much use from them especially when it came round to third child. Think you always take extra precautions when you first expect as you don't know what to expect.

With my first in ironed everything, icluding baby socks and muslis. My husband was in hysterics because I normally pick up an iron once a year. It didn't last longame and I didn't bother ironing anything with my second (he still looked lovely in his clothes)

my first baby and went crazy sterilising everything. I thought i would need to boil the spoon that comes with calpol and it melted!

DS has 15 identical comforters, so that he can have a fresh one for every nap, and again for bedtime. I rotate them so that they get an even amount of wear 😂

Bought a nappy bin. What was I thinking? Also used to iron all the babygros and muslins!

A drawer unit with integrated baby bath & changing table for the nursery. Needed filling manually, then wheeling onto the landing and draining by a long hose back into the actual bath.
I quickly realized it was easier to use the sink and a changing mat on the floor was safer.
The nappy disposal unit was ridiculous too, as it didn't contain the smell of poo laden nappies and was less hygienic than putting them in a nappy bag and straight in the outside bin.

Shoes! I don't know what I was thinking. At the time I thought baby-size shoes looked cute, but in hindsight they looked silly and just socks would have made much more sense.

Ironing every baby item, including vests, baby socks, bibs and muslin cloths and his white hooded towels! Obviously this was only on dc1 dc2 and dc3 never got that!

I was so tired in the early days of feeding my little one that I made myself a bowl or cereal and poured orange cordial over it instead of milk

I bought a teddy that was meant to play white noise and heartbeats and would miraculously help my first-born sleep all night alone in her crib. We tried it once and she hated it!

I bought fancy bumper for the cot only to realise that i wanted to see her and when she got older she would pull it aside anyway!

we were so skint, i can't tell you how skint - we were hands-down -the-back-of-the-settee-looking-for-change- type skint. i remember the midwife tellig me i didn't have to buy a bab bath that the sink would do or a bowl.

i thought NOT FOR MY BABY and bought a bath set when we really couldnt afford it

of course a bloody sink or bowl will do

One f those stupid, ugly nappy wrapper bins. They changed the design about 3 months in and the old bags weren't compatible. I bought an ordinary stainless steel bin with a good seal and never looked back.

With DC1, I bought a giant travel system that didn't fit into my car. I knew it wouldn't, but I still bought it cause I really wanted it. I basically bought everything the mother and baby magazines told me I needed. In reality, I probably needed about 10% of it. In fact, the small fortune I spent on the mother and baby magazines was obscene.

I washed all the brand new baby clothes in baby friendly washing liquid because I was worried they might have been washed in something harsher when being made

I've bought a bottle warmer and steriliser - no idea if my baby will need this yet...! Wish there was a "must have tried, tested and proven baby list" around!