"Important" baby item(s) you hated or never used

jenb_99

I know we've had several threads celebrating our favorite baby items, things we're glad we received or decided to splurge on, but what about all the must-have items everyone said you needed but you ended up hating or just never using at all?

For me it was the nasal aspirator and newborn mittens.

DS didn't have a runny nose or congestion till he was 6 months old, and by then he wouldn't tolerate the aspirator bulb at all. Since then I've just managed congestion with saline drops and humidifiers. He also never cared for scratch mittens. I never saw the point of them, but I gave them a shot anyway the first week or so and they just frustrated him because even as a newborn DS was very tactile and used his hands constantly. I kept his nails trimmed and filed from the very beginning and he only ended up with one or two tiny scratches.

ksyknelvr73

Bumbo seat and a swing for us.

frasey

Change pad. Used it maybe twice. Also the light/music thing that attaches to the side of the crib. Dd had zero interest. She used the bumbo very few times as well. And she didnt care for sophie the giraffe either.

jenb_99

Yeah, we didn't get much use out of our swing either. DS didn't hate it, but I didn't find it all that helpful either. We used the Rock N Play much more.

I forgot about the crib mobile. We only used the Pack N Play mobile a handful of times and didn't even buy one for the crib.

jjtyler

The bumbo seat.  Total waste.

MrsT2008

- mittens (though I do love the Carter's sleepers that have the foldover mittens on them!)
- Bumbo (DD was born with hip displaysia and they strongly discourage the bumbo with hip problems so we used it only a handful of times)

sammy.k

Wipe warmer, diaper genie, and those stupid pee pee tee-pee things.

IBackBevo

-wipe warmer
-bottle warmer
-mitten
-pnp

jenb_99

Did any of you bring your Bumbo back out for your toddlers? My son sat in his Bumbo more from 18-24 mo than as an infant. He thought it was great. He'd sit in it and "read" his books.

jenb_99

sammy.k said:

Wipe warmer, diaper genie, and those stupid pee pee tee-pee things.

I always did an inner eye roll when someone mentioned these to us. We just laid a rag over DS when we changed him. When we thought about it, anyway. Keeping the clean diaper folded over him worked just as well.

CamrynnsMommy

Bumbo was a waste.

haylo33

I'm a FTM but helped a lot with newborn nephews. I'm surprised to hear swings on the list. My one nephew slept in his swing a lot and it was one of the only things to help him get to sleep. I can see the bumbo being useless as a newborn, but we would put my nephew in it during the stage where he could sit up but frequently fell back over. He would get so frustrated trying to sit back up

miniray

ksyknelvr73 said:

Bumbo seat and a swing for us.

This exactly for us too. He hated the swing and bumbo.

fatbarbie0226

For me it was bottles and bottle washers and pacifiers. Shorty never took them. I EBF for 13 months and never did she ever have a bottle or pacifier. Never had a swing, never needed it. Never had a Sophie, never needed it.

MrsT2008

haylo33 said:

I'm a FTM but helped a lot with newborn nephews. I'm surprised to hear swings on the list. My one nephew slept in his swing a lot and it was one of the only things to help him get to sleep. I can see the bumbo being useless as a newborn, but we would put my nephew in it during the stage where he could sit up but frequently fell back over. He would get so frustrated trying to sit back up

swings seem to be hit or miss for babies.  DD loved hers so it was a must-have for us, but some babies just don't like them.

As for the Bumbo - I don't think anyone was talking about for a newborn (you're not supposed to put a newborn in them anyway). 

LoveIsAll25

-Wipe warmers (never used mines)

-Swing (my DS would cry until I took him out of that thing)

spinsoffresonance

I'm gonna be a SS this time and say the stroller. I hate the stroller! It doesn't actually have anything to do with the stroller itself but it's just not practical for my lifestyle. I live in a third floor walk up and having to go down to the basement to get the stroller out and carry it back up the stairs while carrying DD in the other arm is such a pain. Not to mention the sidewalks are too narrow for a stroller, shops and restaurants are cramped and usually require going up or down a flight of stairs. Also having to find the elevators in the subway is a total PITA. Babywearing is so much easier.
I don't own any of the other things mentioned in this thread and never missed them. No bumbo (what is that??), swing, scratch mittens, wipe warmer, bottle warmer, diaper genie, PnP, RNP. DD did love her mobile though.

gypsymystic

Diaper genie. Hated that thing, and it was a total hassle to change the 'bag' and waste to buy them too. Also, the swing. Our DS1 pretty much hated it. MIL got us one and we used it maybe 3X times. 

Xath

Swing - He used it off and on for the first couple of months, but never really got into it.  We borrowed it from a friend; I would have felt wasteful if we had bought a new one.

Baby Gloves - Never needed them.  When he absolutely wouldn't stop clawing himself, some of his shirts had fold-over sleeves that accomplished the same thing.  

fyafighterwife86

I apparently have the UO here but our Bumbo was a must have.  We used it ALL the time.

My unnecessary items were:

-Wipes Warmer

-Swaddle Blankets

-Swing

I'm sure there are more but this is all I can think about right now.

sisterjanet

We're not using the diaper geenie thing this time at all.  Last time, we got a crib mobile as a gift and it never made it onto the side of the crib.  We didn't use the pack n play much, but since it was a cheap second hand one I'm ok with having it.  I don't see the point of the fancy expensive pack n play. 

Also, I'm astonished somebody actually has (or had at least) a pee teepee.  I thought it was just something to take up space near the register at Motherhood Maternity.

chillypenguin

Definitely the Bumbo. DD had super chunky legs and barely fit. Also the Moby wrap, but that's probably because I never felt that confident so it always made me a little nervous. I'm surprised at how many people said the swing, it was a must-have for us!

amroke

Bottle warmer.

ABColeslaw

Bumbo for sure.  What a waste.  The play gym mat....never used it.  Bjorn.  I wish I got a real carrier because the Bjorn was too uncomfortable for him and he cried in it. Also I washed it once and it was so faded it looked awful. 

rainydayluck

Sophie. Biggest waste of money for us. DD wouldn't touch it.

I'll agree with the mittens and aspirator too (Nose Frida was soooo great though).

DD hated the swing. I have always heard (since buying one of course) to borrow one and see if baby likes it because it can be so hit or miss. I had 2 friends borrow the swing and both their babies didn't like it. If this baby doesn't like it we will end up selling it.

rak123

Summer swaddles never worked for us. My child also haaaaated the Pack n Play. We definitely could have done without it.

JessElam

sammy.k said:

Wipe warmer, diaper genie, and those stupid pee pee tee-pee things.

Except for the wipe warmer, this exactly.  (and I just didn't have a wipe warmer because I'm a terrible mean mommy!)  Total waste!

gurleymomma

Our bumbo was a must have for us also.DD just turned one and still loves sitting in it.The swing and our pumpkinseat were also used a lot.my most useless was the bottle warmer. I hated it.

Dplusbsquared

Diaper Genie! I hated that sausage maker!!

Dellaramsey

Loved our swing and bumbo.

Mobile was a waste of money. Most of her clothes, she never got to wear more than maybe once.

cnbean

The bouncy seat. DS pretty much hated that thing. He was fine with pretty much everything else, but put him in that and he would pitch a fit. 

ho11yday

I hated my boppy and never used a stroller. Used my Moby instead; now, I want some woven wrap for summer and longer usage.

glowworm0166

1) Bumbo - by the time he could hold his head up enough for me to use it his little legs were too chubby and he didn't fit into it.  I used the boppy pillow instead

2) Tummy time mat - we borrowed one from a friend and never used it.  We used a blanket on the floor...

3) Newborn mittens - they are too big, the tiny strings are too small to tie.  We used newborn socks (put them on before the long-sleeve sleep to keep them in place).

4) The 8,000 receiving blankets I have.  I would say 2 A&A muslin blankets would have been enough.  Then again I used cloth diapers as burping cloths so if you are using receiving blankets for that purpose this doesn't apply to you.

5) Sleep positioner thing - received it from a relative - I'm not really sure how it's even supposed to work but I was too paranoid to put anything in the crib with DS

6) Bug net for the stroller/carseat - again, received it from a relative.  I did try to use it one time when I had DS outside while I was gardening and it was so big it just laid on him and if there were any mosquitos they could have just landed on him anyway.

mirdamae03

I think we've used the Bumbo more in toddlerhood than infanthood. It's DS's haircut chair Yes, my 3 year old can still fit in that chair (pretty easily too). It helps keep him contained while I'm using the clippers.

haylo33

My sisters dog ended up with the Sophie. Most expensive dog toy ever

JACKIE_RS88

haylo33 said:

I'm a FTM but helped a lot with newborn nephews. I'm surprised to hear swings on the list. My one nephew slept in his swing a lot and it was one of the only things to help him get to sleep. I can see the bumbo being useless as a newborn, but we would put my nephew in it during the stage where he could sit up but frequently fell back over. He would get so frustrated trying to sit back up

Ditto.  My 1 year old still uses his!

The bumbo because his thighs were too fat to fit in it.  Maybe it'll work out for DS2.

Ladiebug710

We didn't get much mileage out of the bumbo either.  Never sat in the rocker in his room either, if I was up with LO we were out in the living room in the regular recliner.

The swing however, was magnificent.

laurblum

FTM here so I have nothing to contribute based on my own knowledge, but every single one of my friends who bought that expensive Mommaroo swing said their kids hated it!!!! They preferred traditional swings instead.

IBackBevo

Funny how every kid is different.  My DS loved his swing and Sophie.

I 3rd (or 4th) the diaper genie, though. More trouble than it is worth.  Just get a regular trash can and dump it regularly.

Kageer

Loved:
Swing

Meh:
Bumbo

Hated:
Wipes warmer
Diaper genie

SMM1986

Both my kids loved the swing.
I got no use out of the pack and play and those swaddle things. I did use the diaper genie with DD but man I hate that thing. Never again.