STMs...Things you thought you needed but didn't really use

bayareagirl2011

Hi ladies,

As the weeks are dwindling down, I'm starting to take inventory of the things I have, and the things I need to buy. I am trying not to fall into the trap of a FTM and being over-prepared and cluttering up the house with unnecessary baby "stuff." That being said, I was hoping that those who have done it before can share things that they never used (or used rarely). One item I've heard time and time again is the diaper warmer, so I took it off my registry...

Anymore? 

(This is my first "topic" post here, other than my intro, so I did try searching first - I swear!)

Annya26

I never used the wipe warmer or the bottle warmer (breastfed and used hot water for warming expressed milk)

kimba1976

We got a wipe warmer as a gift and I thought we would never use it, but we actually use it constantly. I know our daughter wouldn't care one way or the other, so I agree it's totally unnecessary. We never used half the crib bedding, the bottle warmer, or the fancy pants baby food maker we received.

RayRay007

I didn't get a lot of gear we didn't need, but I had way too many clothes. Between buying myself, gifts and hand me downs I had enough clothes to last weeks but never used most of them. There were gifts and hand me downs I should've known we'd never use that I should have donated right off the bat. I am currently going through about 7 large totes of DD's clothes through 2t. So much stuff.

Cheekers2010

We didn't get stuff we couldn't use because we lived in a really small condo at the time. However, I've always thought a crib set would be a real waste. Bumpers aren't recommended with an infant and neither are loose quilts. The only thing in the crib should be the fitted sheet.

feeshah

Newborn size diapers. DD wore them for like 2-3 days and then got chunky. Sucks cuz we had like 2 cases.

jessinaround

I used the moby wrap like 5 times before I realized it was way easier to use the ergo with an infant insert. I got mine used. I definitely wouldn't pay $50 for a new one.

We had too many newborn and 0-3 clothes. I mostly used sleepers and onsies. Any outfits were pretty much wasted.

I loved my bottle warmer. We still use it for my 1 year old because it's so easy.

AllTheTeaInChina

feeshah said:

Newborn size diapers. DD wore them for like 2-3 days and then got chunky. Sucks cuz we had like 2 cases.

This is totally dependent on the baby. My DD was in NB diapers for 5 weeks. She had skinny legs and size 1 weren't tight enough.

We didn't really get a lot of extra, unnecessary stuff. Our pnp has the changing station and newborn napper. Those were not necessary and we didn't really use them. The bassinet part was enough.

sbevann26

STM: did any of you have a glider/chair in the nursery? Was it used often?

This is the one piece of furniture I can't decide if it's worth buying.

vintagejjane

All the clothes. Seriously, we had way too many cutesy stuff that she never worse that I wish we would have taken back and got actual clothes she would have worn. Oh and the amount of newborn clothes was ridiculous. DD was in newborn stuff for a week. (Obviously that depends on the baby) I didn't have a chair in DD's room until she was over a year. We co-slept till she was 8 months and then we just went to the living room when we nursed and I'd put her back in her chair. I wish we would have had a chair in her room sooner though.

brownmouse

sbevann26 said:

STM: did any of you have a glider/chair in the nursery? Was it used often? This is the one piece of furniture I can't decide if it's worth buying.

We might be the minority here, but we seriously used the glider until DD was like three. We read stories in it and sang/rocked every night for bed until she got too big to comfortably sit on our laps in it, then we sold it. I just went and bought a used one off craigslist, because I know I will use it. It's also nice to have then nursing because a boppy fits perfectly n your lap in it and you're all snuggled in to nurse. This might sound weird to anyone but me though. I can't wait to nurse little guy in it.

Cheekers2010

sbevann26 said:

STM: did any of you have a glider/chair in the nursery? Was it used often? This is the one piece of furniture I can't decide if it's worth buying.

Yes. We have an upholstered glider. My son is almost 4 and we still use it. Awesome purchase IMHO.

bayareagirl2011

Thanks for all the great responses ladies, really helpful. 

I've heard from some of my friends that you don't know whether your baby will be a "swing" or "bouncy chair" baby, so make sure to keep the receipts or borrow if possible. I'm really hoping that we can make due without a swing. Those things just take up so much room! 

We also did buy a glider already for the nursery, but I'm wondering if I'll regret not getting one that reclines to catch some shut eye. Oh well.

MrsNash37212

sbevann26 said:

STM: did any of you have a glider/chair in the nursery? Was it used often?

This is the one piece of furniture I can't decide if it's worth buying.

Most valuable thing, in my opinion. I bought a second upholstered glider for this baby as I'm still using my original one for my almost 3-year-old. He cuddled on me as I sang to him tonight and smiled at me and said "I'm so comfy, mama." Many, many happy memories in that chair. Nursing, reading, singing, comforting. A must have for sure.

Meether

DH made us get a 700 glider and he was the only one to use it. And that was rare....so I'd say it was a waste of time for us. We didn't need to use many baby items like the swing, bouncer, infant seat, bottle/ wipes warmer, nursing pillow, baby monitor, etc but I wouldn't say they are a waste of time. Sometimes, the little gadgets are helpful depending on the situation itself. I'm more of a less is more kind of person, don't want to learn to use new gadgets, but these things can be helpful to many moms.
The main things I used were the breastpump! glass bottles, lots of pump accessories, snugglenest for the bed and bassinet, nosefrida snotsucker, and a humidifier. We also used white noise as it was always very noisy randomly in NYC, so we wanted to block that out.

leoandethansmom

Wipes warmer, bottle warmer, pnp, NB size diapers, the crib bedding set, tommee tippee bottles (he hated the nipples), and the thermometer pacifier, to agree with the above mentioned.

I did use my baby brezza to make his food when he was old enough and I loved it, homemade food looks so much better than the jarred stuff. I didn't use my glider when BF but I'm sitting in it now as DS is awake and I'm trying to get him back down. It turns out it was a great investment for story time and all of these late nights.

xc1148

I got these at my shower...do I need both?

https://www.target.com/p/infantino-go-gaga-deluxe-twist-fold-gym/-/A-14300791

https://www.target.com/p/infantino-go-gaga-tummy-time-mat/-/A-14631493#prodSlot=medium_1_7&term=infantino

ebl2

I got way too many receiving blankets and didn't use most of them. DD was born in May so she never needed a really warm blanket on her. These blankets are thin and too small to swaddle. I couldn't help but love all the patterns so I registered for a bunch. Turns out I only used maybe three of them. I mostly just put them on the floor for her to do tummy time on. 

colliebabe

I never really used the bottle drying rack. 

Manateearmz

The entire bedding set.

We used the changing table for storage mostly and getting her dressed in the morning. Once she started rolling over it was pretty useless for changing unless I could do it one handed.

AllTheTeaInChina

MrsNash37212 said:

STM: did any of you have a glider/chair in the nursery? Was it used often? This is the one piece of furniture I can't decide if it's worth buying.

Most valuable thing, in my opinion. I bought a second upholstered glider for this baby as I'm still using my original one for my almost 3-year-old. He cuddled on me as I sang to him tonight and smiled at me and said "I'm so comfy, mama." Many, many happy memories in that chair. Nursing, reading, singing, comforting. A must have for sure.

This!  We rock and read books/sing songs every night with DD1.  We bought a second glider for this LO. 

emsrdh03

sbevann26 said:

STM: did any of you have a glider/chair in the nursery? Was it used often?

This is the one piece of furniture I can't decide if it's worth buying.

For us it was worth it. It was used every single day until my son was 3 and moved into his big boy room.

emsrdh03

I always find these lists to be subjective because every family and baby are different and what one person thinks is a must have another person thinks was a waste.  But since you asked, for me the boppy was a total dust collector.  DS didn't like it.  It was awkward to nurse with, so we never used it.  We also never used any of the 8 million swaddle blankets or wraps we got.  DS hated being swaddled from the minute he was born.

ashleykadlec

Pack n play. We used the changing station on it and that was it, never put her in there and it was a huge waste of space. Every family/baby is different though so don't not get things you may want just because it was a waste for others. Boppy, bumbo, changing table, glider, and swing were all things we used all the time that didn't work for others so just do what you think will be best for you and baby

Beevol

I used the heck out of the glider chair for DD because it was so comfortable for nursing and now that she's older, it's still in her room because sometimes it's nice to sit down in a comfy chair while playing trains or reading or whatever. 

My sister swore by her bumbo seat and used it constantly but I think we used ours once, maybe? The light weigh bouncy seat was way more convenient - we could carry it one handed (with the baby in the other arm) around to where ever we needed it and then have a safe place to set her down for tasks that are best done baby-free (cooking, showering, etc).  

soulcupcake

I can't think of anything I bought that I didn't actually end up using. I have a minimalist approach. I never bought/used a crib, changing table and other nursery furniture. I bedshare and co-sleep with my babies, so a crib was never something I considered.

I did receive a lot of clothes for my shower with my first, and a lot of the clothes were never worn. This time I want to get a glider because they're SO comfy! It will go in our living room.

frenchy816

3girlsnthepup said:

Those pretty little decorative burp cloths (the ones that are like a long narrow rectangle with rounded corners) are terrible. Don't waste your money. Baby will spit up & soak right through them or completely miss and just get down your back! I learned from my mom and all my other 'mom' relatives that cloth diapers were the way to go for burp cloths!! Plus, without the pretty little designs, you can bleach all the icky stains right out!

FTM here and the cloth diaper packs are my go to shower gift for moms because I learned that trick from my mom years ago when she had my siblings. I actually tell my mom friends why I buy the diapers. I bought myself 3 packs of them, 1 for each area in the house. 

jayellekay

Yes, the list is very subjective...but since you asked...

We used hardly any of the "gear" - swing, boppy, glider, bouncy seat, PNP, tummy time playmat, etc. The one thing we really used the heck out of was the rock n play. We even took it with us when we traveled. Once she outgrew the rock n play, we just co-slept while traveling.

abcmom12

I used most everything but I stopped using the bottle sterilizer at around 3mo (DD does have a heart condition) and the bottle warmer earlier than that.  everything else was used all the time

Kmm1023

The changing table was a waste of space! We loved the swing and boucy chair also a big fan of the glider!

nesenotes

3girlsnthepup said:

Those pretty little decorative burp cloths (the ones that are like a long narrow rectangle with rounded corners) are terrible. Don't waste your money. Baby will spit up & soak right through them or completely miss and just get down your back! I learned from my mom and all my other 'mom' relatives that cloth diapers were the way to go for burp cloths!! Plus, without the pretty little designs, you can bleach all the icky stains right out!

Yes!!! Amen!

nesenotes

I learned very quickly the jammies with snaps are the devil.

I only used my moby 3 times. Ergo was way better.

I think I used everything else but I also didn't have a lot. I bought things as I went so I only bought what I needed.

bayareagirl2011

Ainslie325 said:

ashleykadlec said:

Pack n play. We used the changing station on it and that was it, never put her in there and it was a huge waste of space. Every family/baby is different though so don't not get things you may want just because it was a waste for others. Boppy, bumbo, changing table, glider, and swing were all things we used all the time that didn't work for others so just do what you think will be best for you and baby

I agree with the poster above not in that our PnP went unused but in her sentiment that every family is different.  Really think about how you're likely to use an item and when.  For us, we traveled a lot, often by car, when our son was an infant.  Our Pack 'n' Play was indispensable for traveling PLUS we used it in our room in the early days PLUS it was our primary downstairs nap station. If you don't travel, though, you may find that a bouncer, swing, RnP, or Mamaroo could better serve the purpose (potentially with a smaller footprint).

Agreed. We ended up doing the Nuna Mini PNP because our bedroom isn't huge, but I wanted something more than a co-sleeper or bassinet that the baby would only use for 2-3 months tops. So I felt like that would serve as the baby's bed for the first few months, and then can be used when we travel so we don't have to borrow gross hotel ones. 

I'm definitely making note of these. Seems like a lot of people like the rock n play, so I've added that to my list. 

nesenotes - I think I may need to return some of mine for zippers instead! 

-Edited to quote. 

pregnantinstyle

I'm a STM and yes I have a wipe warmer and rarely ever use it!! There are so many things that appeal to ftm to get you to buy the product like for example the momaroo! I know some mothers that love this thing but the price tag is ridiculous and I've been told by a friend that works for BBB that it's the most returned item because it constantly breaks! The baby breeza is also another item on the list of buck sucks for ftm! It sounds cool because it will mix both formula and warm water together but for free I could mix formula and heat my own bottle lol. You don't need to go crazy on those glorified baby items but there are a few things that I wouldn't mind spending a little extra on. Car seat and stroller for me! I say save your money for the things you know will be worth it in the long run and my one advise is research research research the item you want before making that big purchase!

talianza

We didn't use our wipe warmer (we are in California though, it's hot as hell).

Cheekers2010

Lots of people say the wipe warmer. I want to point out, though, that if you are cloth diapering and using cloth wipes, then you will want a warmer. A wipe warmer keeps them moist and warm. Trust me, you don't want cold cloth wipes and it's a pain to have to wet a whole bunch down just before you use them.

BrideLinds

My daughter did not like the bouncer at all. The swing, however, was a godsend.

ZAP12

We lived in a small place, so we didn't have much, but we did live without a RNP, swing, wipe or bottle warmer, crib bedding, glider, and a decorated nursery.

We couldn't have lived without nb clothes and diapers. My 4 day late baby was in nb for 2 months.

ZAP12

nesenotes said:

I learned very quickly the jammies with snaps are the devil.

I only used my moby 3 times. Ergo was way better.

I think I used everything else but I also didn't have a lot. I bought things as I went so I only bought what I needed.

I was the opposite. Loved snaps and hated zippers!

chicorojo

I did not use the baby bath tub, I just use the sink. I also never used a glider, diaper genie, or play mats. I have friends who use what I listed alll the time though, so really everyone is different.

ZAP12

Ainslie325 said:

ZAP12 said:

nesenotes said:

I learned very quickly the jammies with snaps are the devil.

I only used my moby 3 times. Ergo was way better.

I think I used everything else but I also didn't have a lot. I bought things as I went so I only bought what I needed.

I was the opposite. Loved snaps and hated zippers!

You crazy, @ZAP12‌! Snaps in the dark on zero sleep made me borderline homicidal! This is why I hate that so many of the cutest PJs use them!
-------------------------------------
We had a night light next to the changing table, so I guess it was just never an issue. Our snap ones were always better quality and she was able to pull the zipper down even as a really little one. She could get her little fingers under the top snap and slide it.