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2nd Trimester
jp0129
member
For those who aren't 1st timers
jp0129
member
For those of you who have been down this road before:
What is one thing you bought or received for baby before that wound up being a total waste of money?
I have heard a diaper genie is because they dont keep the smell in very well.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: For those who aren't 1st timers
yeah we ditched the diaper champ too. It made the room smell AWFUL. We just dump diapers in our trash can in the kitchen and with 2 kids in diapers and just daily trash (it's not a HUGE trash can) it gets taken out daily. I spray it with a de-odorizer before I put in a new bag and we haven't had ANY smell issues.
I never bought one but I hear wipe warmers are huge waste of money too.
We've gotten pretty good use out of everything else though - my girls both loved their swing, bouncy, boppy, bumbo, etc. but I know there are plenty of babies who prefer swing over bouncy or hate the bumbo so it just depends on your kid.
Get the good stroller. Ugh our stroller is crap. it is falling apart and the wheels suck. Not a good place to skimp on. Waste of money for us was any new clothes we bought ourselves. Consignment stores are the best especially for little sizes. Baby shoes were a huge bust, DS was born with huge feet and the NB socks or shoes were way too small. Bassinet was also a waste. He never wanted to sleep in it and should have just used the pnp. DS ended up in his crib at like 2 weeks.
I would highly recommend a nursing stool and a good sound machine.
I agree with the diaper genie and wipe warmer-- never used either. Total waste. One of the least expensive things I got that we used the most was my son's bouncer. He LOVED it. Make sure you get one that vibrates. It was so portable and easy to move around the house. I would bring it in the bathroom with me and put him in it while I showered.
Also, in my opinion, a bassinet is a total waste. They aren't in it for more than a month, and they typically are not a cheap item to purchase.
My Blog on PPD and life in general**
We used the diaper genie when DS was tiny, but when he started wearing 4-6's it was just a waste (we would go through the bags like crazy). Plus like you said it didn't keep smell in very well because he was getting solids, and the poop got way worse. I ended up buying those Arm & Hammer Diaper bag dispensers and using those for stinky diaps, then throwing all away in the kitchen garage can.
The boppy. We never used it. I tried it with BF and it never worked, it was more uncomfortable because of the boppy. And he hated being positioned in it.
Bottle sanitizer. It was so much easier just soaking the bottles and stuff in extremely hot water with Dawn Dish soap (bleach alternative) then doing all the stuff to get it ready for the sanitizer.
Baby bathtub. He used it for the first week, then he got too big for the net, but was too small for the bigger part. We ended up getting a foam pad for the sink and he would lay on that and was SOOO much happier during bathtime.
**I'm not saying this is a waster for everyone, it was just a waste for us**
ETA: I never bought a wipes warmer, but like PP they are a waste of money, and I also never got a Bumbo seat because he sat in it for less than 30 seconds at his babysitters one day and he screamed his head off... so I figured it would have been a waste of money for us.
The diaper champ stinks. We do what PP said and take out the kitchen trash daily.
DS rarely used any of his baby products. Never used the PnP, rarely used the swing or exersaucer or changing table, and just recently started using the stroller and crib. Depends on your parenting style and what the kid likes.
My fave baby product though is the boppy.
Good one! DS wore them the day he came home from the hospital and that was it. He hated those things because he could never get his fist in his mouth to suck on it.
You ladies have great advice! I dont feel so bad registering for the expensive carseat and stroller now.
Unless you get a PnP with the bassinet on top. Those are AWESOME. My girls both slept next to my side of the bed while I was nursing and they were smaller so they didn't hit the 15lbs. weight limit for awhile. Then it turns into a regular play pen which is great for when we spend the night somewhere else and my youngest still naps in hers in our room (they share a room at night but my oldest doesn't nap anymore so I keep them separate then).
This! I found it easier to buy the travel packs so I could just throw the wipes in the diaper bag.
Then came a miscarriage March '11
Then came a baby in the baby carriage May 16, 12
Waiting on our second little peanut!
Wipes warmer. It was just an added hassle, much easier to pull the wipes straight from the package, and I can guarantee my LO never minded the cold wipes!
Baby hangers. The closet may have been all nice and organized before the baby arrived, but after that, forget it! I feel accomplished if I get the clean clothes into his dresser drawers.
Changing table cover. One of those things that all the baby books tell you that you "need" but the pad on its own does the job!
I never used a diaper genie...I figured I'd just throw the stinky ones out right away in a plastic bag. My sister had one and only used it probably the first month. She also had the wipes warmer...again used for the first month...I didn't use one.
My first boy LOVED the bouncer...he sat in that all the time...the 2nd one....didn't care for it at all...practically new....so that depends on the baby. The boppy was a waste for me because 1) my tummy and boobs ere so huge after birth it was uncomfy to use and 2) I ended up just pumping after the 4th day. I did use it a few times to prop him up though.
ETA: Also because of space I didn't worry about a changing table. After my first lo I realized I usually ended up changing him on the bed or whatever so I didn't want to buy another one this time around. But I know other people probably use theirs daily...just my personal experience.
It's a GIRL!
I'm totally the opposite. I thought snap PJs were a major PITA. I used them with my 1st but did more of the onesie/pant combos on my 2nd and it was SO much easier. Or I did up zip up sleepers but really, it wasn't THAT hard to get a young baby dressed. Now my 1 year old, I keep her in zip sleepers at home more often than I care to admit because she's impossible to dress with her ninja like ways.
My son is 2 and we still use the Diaper Genie daily. If it starts smelling bad, we empty it, but that's usually about a couple times a week. We do spray it with Lysol when we empty it and haven't really had problems.
I honestly can't think of anything that we never used. We did rarely use the infant carrier/harness thing (that you strap to yourself), but I am anticipating we will use it a lot with the next baby, since we'll be managing a baby and a toddler. Also, shoes are pretty much a waste of money until the baby starts walking. There are definitely some really cute ones, but they fall off easily and they grow out of them so quick.
Sophia was a BIG baby, the bumbo we received as a gift was a total waste. TOTAL. By the time she had neck control her legs were too fat to even fit.
The diaper genie, total waste of money.
Socks. Ok not a total waste I guess. I mean MOST kids probably do well with them. But again, Sophia was just so big that we couldn't find socks that fit. AT ALL.
Pregnancy Week by Week stuff.
This sounds ADORABLE!
Then came a miscarriage March '11
Then came a baby in the baby carriage May 16, 12
Waiting on our second little peanut!
Ditto ALL of this
Use a regular small waste basket for dipes and take the trash out everyday, or cloth diaper.
Blankets are all baby needs for tummy time, because you arn't just going to leave them alone, unsupervised, anyway.
I highly recommend an Ergo or wrap for carriers - the Bjorn, IMO, is so expensive for the weight limit, and sucks for both the parent and child, health-wise.
If you absolutely need bumpers on your crib, you can get breathable mesh ones. But regular ones are absolutely a SIDS hazard.
ADD: The whole 'Crib Bedding Set' that parents spend hundreds of dollars on, is the biggest waste of money! You don't use half of it because of SIDS risks, it gets dirty with poop, pee, and spit up, and is just weird looking if you need to mix and match because of laundry day, or whatever.
HTH!
I agree completely. I wish we would have skipped it.
Oh she was to die for cute. SO SO SO SO SO chubby and rolls in places I didn't know people could get rolls.
Pregnancy Week by Week stuff.
Bumbo - waste of money. Can prop them up easily using other things, and many babies get too chubby for them.
Baby bathtub- don't buy an expensive one. They use it for such a short time, especially if you have a bigger baby. We got ours for $7 on clearance at TJ Maxx. My usually frugal and practical SIL just registered for a $60 baby tub, despite that advice.
ETA: I breastfed for a year, and the Boppy was one of the baby items I used most during that year. If you don't breastfeed, it may not be of much value to you, but it was essential to me.
Mya Justine 9.29.08 - Brynna Claire 10.15.09
I'd say clothes. I didn't really buy many but we received quite a few. DD was early and unexpectedly tiny. Clothes were always the wrong season by the time she was in them. Also I hated the snap pjs doing those every two hours made me stabby. Gt the zipper ones and halo swaddlers.
I returned the bottle sterilizer I was given because 1) I didn't plan on sterilizing all that many bottles and 2) if I needed to, there are other ways to do it without an extra piece of equipment taking up counter space. :-)
We used the boppy more for positioning baby on his own (under supervision, of course) than while BFing. I just found it more comfortable to nurse without the boppy.
We really didn't buy a lot of extra things we didn't expect to need... except maybe clothes. But we used them all!
The Diaper Champ was awful, it smelled so bad. We got rid of it and got the Diaper Genie 2 Elite, which we love.
For us it was the swing, LO never really enjoyed it. He maybe spent 5 minutes a day in it. But, we have it for the next one just in case.
I loved my bobby, bouncer seat, PNP for traveling, jumperoo, and Super Seat. They all came in handy at some point
A kiss he will never forget- Disney World 2014
This for sure. I did BF but hardly used it for that purpose. It's great to just set the baby in on the couch (supervised) and was also great when they were first learning to sit to give them a bit of support. Ours got a TON of use.
We love our diaper genie and wipe warmer. I loved the Boppy. My dd is tiny so we used the bebe pod until she was 1.
I totally agree with the mittens.
Diaper stackers are kind of worthless. The one that came with the bedding set doesn't get used. The diaper stacker that was on the side of the PnP, we used a lot.
I also think that sleep positioners worthless. They just spin in them.
I actually love our diaper genie, compared to a garbage can with a lid, it is soooooo much better (I recognized this when we visited my parents over Thanksgiving and used a garbage can instead). We don't have many things we didn't use. I had a sling that was given to me, and I didn't use it. I used the baby bjorn carrier all the time... good luck, though!
I often thought about getting the wipe warmer because my little guy cried every time I changed his diaper, and especially hated the cold wipes, but I always heard it was a waste.
Baby shoes! HUGE waste. People kept buying them for us!
DS still barely wears shoes. I only put boots on him when we go outside now because it's cold and he's not bundled up in his carseat like he was last winter when we went out. I think shoes for babies are ridiculous before they're actually walking... plus they fall off, get pulled off constantly. So dumb.
I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.
- Robert Munsch
I honestly think this varies so much for different parents and babies... for us we never even got a diaper genie. We just use the normal trash and take it out daily. I used the boppy pillow while in the hospital, but once I was home, I realized regular pillows work just as well, if not better. DD never really liked being in a swing. She did enjoy a bouncer though. The baby bathtub was useless too. We tried using it a few times, but it was extremely messy and just a pain to use, so we finally dicthed it.
Some of the things I remember being extremely useful/helpful were a rocker/glider. We bought a cheap rocker and I honestly wish we'd have went ahead and bought a more expensive glider. I spent a lot of time in that chair and I wish it had been more comfortable. This time I will definitely have one! Something that lights up/plays music for bedtime. We started off with the little glowing seahorse and then ended up buying her a mobile that lit up and played music. Both were well worth the money that we spent on them! And a lifesaver for me were the dishwasher baskets for bottles... we used Dr. Browns (which I wouldn't recommend- they didn't seem too help with gasiness and have lots of parts to wash) and it was so much easier to throw them in the dishwasher than to have to wash all those tiny pieces after a long day!
Yep... it dries your wipes out.
Any 'dress up' clothes or shoes were a waste for us. I kept DS in onesies and pjs all the time-I wanted him to be as comfy as possible!
A must have is a great stroller because you will use it ALL the time, and a noisemaker to drown out background noises