Did you use......or was it a waste??

Mr&MrsMTA

Ok so I have a question I have limited space left in my house and prego with baby # 3 over the years I have learned what to buy and what is just a plain waste of $$.

Right now I am debating on a swing, I used one for my first 2 but for not that long and am wondering if its worth getting again I did however use the bouncer a lot.

So tell me what have you found to be a waste of $$ so far.

JenK1108

For us:  swing was worth is - bouncer was used a handful of times, he hated it.  Bumbo was not worth it - we rarely used it.  Small bottles (the 3 or 4 oz. size) - I wish we had just bought the bigger ones to begin with.  Boppy - I didn't BF, so we just didn't use it, not worth it. 

acaudill75

DD1 loved her swing. We used it until she was too heavy for it and it was squeaking for mercy. We upgraded for DD2 to a brand new fancy schmancy one and ended up returning it. She was colicky and hated it. We had a bouncer for DD1, and I swear it contributed to her torticulis (sp), so I refused to get another one for DD2. DH bought a nap nanny and she loved it. Helped with spit up and colic, but there are some concerns with its safety if you don't use it properly, and its REALLY expensive. Still using the same exersaucer, and DD2 uses it more the her sis did. I agree with PP on the small bottles. I would wait until LO is born and figure out whether or not there is a problem with colic because I had to go and buy anti-colic bottles in addition to the ones I already had (they really did work for us). If you BF, that isn't an issue. My breast pump was a colossal waste of money, since I couldn't really make more than 3-4 oz ever. HTH.

Jillibean85

Both kids took 3-5 hour long naps in their swings...

My DS slept in that thing every night until about 4 months old before we put him in his crib.  

chicsahm

I think it depends on the child... DS used swing a handful of times... never really liked it. Loved his bouncy chair, he would play in it, sleep in it etc, it was a life saver at the start. I was surprised because so many kids love the swing.... we are saving it in case next one loves it

jcsntms06

We used both bouncy seat and swing. Can you possible purchase a second hand swing or know someone with a swing they don't want?

preggyamy

Agreed about the swing - worth it's weight in gold. Put it next to the couch, and when LO slept, I would try and take a nap. Bumbo wasn't worth it, only used it a handful of times.

dancingmatilda

We only used our swing a handful of times. We used our bouncer a lot more. DD wanted to be able to see us and what we were doing, so we used the bouncer since it was more portable.

 My parents bought a Graco 2-in-1 swing and I wish that's what we had done. That way you have both a swing and a bouncer and it doesn't take up so much space. LO loved their swing. They got it at Burlington Coat Factory for $75 on sale. Hope this helps! https://www.gracobaby.com/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=1783224

MollySm

The swing wasn't worth it for us. But we didn't let her nap in it. The bouncer was totally worth it! Easy to bring into the bathroom so I could shower and she loved it. The Bumbo was great because she couldn't sit on her own until 6 months, but we couldn't always be sitting next to her holding her up.

PsyDr04

Got our swing (My Little Lamb Cradle 'n Swing) off Craigslist for $50. Best money I ever spent in my life. My son slept in it for the first few months of his life. I got more than my money's worth out of that thing. Also bought a Rainforest Jumperoo off Craigslist for $30. Again, money very well spent. My son loves that thing. I can't really think of anything that was a waste of money. I would say the Boppy nursing pillow, but I got that as a gift. A regular pillow worked a lot better for me when I was breastfeeding.

Mama2TwoBoys

The swing thing is so specific to each baby.

My nephew would not sleep anywhere except his swing or carseat for the first three months or so. It was a lifesaver, and I'm only saying that based on my experiences watching him while my sister went back to work for a few weeks one summer. I can only imagine how much she loved that thing.

DS didn't care for the swing for the first 3 months. It wouldn't lull him to sleep. Nursing, rocking, and bouncing with me put him to sleep, and he's stay alseep only if in his bassinet.  At about 3-4 months, we got a bigger swing and then that became the only place he'd sleep during the day.  So that little tiny baby swing we registered for never really got used. Glad I got the larger swing for $10 at a garage sale.

brazzale

We have a swing/bouncer combo by fisher price.  DS used them both equally.  Could we probably have survived w/o it?  yes, but it was nice to have.  The combo was super nice - only 1 piece of "equipment" and didn't take up that much space. 

gothgrrl

We have used both the bouncer and swing quite a bit - and still do.  The swing soothes DD on the weekends when she tends to fight the routine of not being in daycare (it's like magic for inducing a nap), and when she has the sniffles it keeps her head elevated and is a comforting motion.  The bouncer - we use it daily after she has had her first bottle and I need to pump or my husband needs his hands free to make his coffee and have breakfast. 

Big wastes of money were sleepsacks, the "johnny-jump-up," infant bathtub, and a boppy or other nursing pillow.  We also registered for the baby monitor with 2 receivers...we did not need two.  :-) 

Courtimilk

Changing table-- when LO was a newborn (and I was recovering from a C-Section), we just changed her out of the crib. Yes, we did use changing pads and cleaned them frequently, but it was in a time when she either didn't move much or slept in my arms. But the time LO could roll around we changed her on the floor.

Stroller-- As much as I thought I could use it, I never got around to using it. When we did go for walks it was in a grocery store and LO was placed (car-seat and all) in the shopping cart. The baby carrier was more compact for travelling and didn't require smooth roads for usage.

JKB1986

Neither of my kids liked the swing. If I could do it over again I'd get one of these.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Discover-Grow-Swing-Seat/dp/B0080D5A2M/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1356118275&sr=8-10&keywords=baby+swing

danandbethg

Rock n Play was a life saver for us....he wouldn't sleepy anywhere but there, for nearly 4 months. Our nearly $200 (a gift) swing was a waste. He hated to swing. Used it 3 times, then sold it. Also a waste was boppy (unable to breastfeed) and bumbo (chubby legs, only fit in it for about 2 weeks).