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Babies: 9 - 12 Months
chance_encounters
member
10 losses 1996-1998, 2 losses 2001-2002, 3 losses 2010-2012, loss 1/2014
What was your biggest waste of money?
chance_encounters
member
Hello moms!
So it has been a long time since I have had to look at baby items. I went into Babies r us the other day and was VERY overwhelmed! What I want to know is what were items you bought or that were given to you that you now fee like they were a total waste of money?
The only really high dollar item we are looking at is a convertible crib (599.00). I bought one of these for DD #1 and we used it for DD #2 and it made a great headboard foot board too 
Other women say do no spend your money because the crib will just get trashed and look like poop before it even gets to that point....
Any who, any suggestion you can offer will be greatly appreciated!!!
Paige 8/5/99, Kara 7/22/03 and Benjamin 1/19/13
This discussion has been closed.
Re: What was your biggest waste of money?
We got a convertible crib, but only one that turns into a toddler bed. We want a twin bed in his room, so that is why we did that. But, his crib looks awesome a year later...so, I don't think it would look trashed in a couple of years...
The only things we wished we hadn't bough were clothes. He literally lived in onesies and footed sleepers for 9 months. Now that he is mobile, we dress him.
We had and used: swing, jumparoo (still do), high chair, bouncer, rnp.
We got the jumparoo and bouncer used, and if we hadn't I would have probably said those weren't worth it.
We'll miss you sweet Debbie Girl (4.21.12) and sweet Cindy Girl (8.9.12)
Sadly, my beautiful crib
DS is a chewer and before I was able to get a cover over the rails, he ruined quite a bit of it. Even with the cover, he's still able to chew on the headboard area. I'm hoping, since it is nice wood, that I'll be able to sand and refinish it when we want to use it for a regular full size bed. Looking back at it, I probably would have bought a cheap ikea crib and then a toddler bed later on.
Also, a travel system. We had a graco travel system and although I liked the convenience of the seat and just snapping it in and out of the car and stroller, the stroller was a piece of crap. If I had done a little more research I would have gotten my B-Agile right away and got the adapter for a b-safe infant seat. We have the B-Agile stroller and Boulevard car seat from Britax and LOVE both and think they are definitely worth our investment.
Our crib is still fine a year later. The diaper genie and our bouncy seat were both gifts and both a complete waste. We throw poopy diapers in a grocery bag and tie it off instead of paying for the diape genie bags. DS completely hated the bouncy seat, so we only used it a couple times.
Im glad we were given a pnp as a gift, and we didn't pay for it. I dont feel like we used it enough to be worth it. Also, I agree with PP about the clothes. I didn't have DS in two piece outfits until he was walking at 9.5 months.
We used our changing table for the first two weeks then started changing him on the floor. That was also a hand me down gift, so no biggie. But I'm 5'10 and DH is 6 foot. The changing table was just too low for us to use comfortably, especially me after having a baby!
We also have too many bibs. DS wore a bib from 6 to 8 months. Hes not a messy eater, and never drools. So we've got like 20 bibs that are just sitting in his closet doing nothing.
Our expensive video monitor wasnt worth the cost. We stopped using it once DS was loud enough to hear without it. His room is right next to ours in our apartment though.
Essentials for us have been the exersaucer, crib, walker, Summer rest assured sleeper, high chair, infant tub(which I still prefer to use), rocking chair and umbrella stroller.
For us it was bottles because we tried 5 different kinds but DS never took one! haha.
As for the convertible crib issue, my niece who is 5 sleeps in her full bed that was converted from her crib. Sure, it's covered in stickers now, but when they converted it to the bed it was still in good shape. So I wouldn't call it a waste of money (although I'm sure you could fine a cheaper one from somewhere other than BRU).
07.22.11
10.22.13
Crib, we didn't know we were gonna co sleep, and he has only been it probably 30 minutes his whole life. Also clothes, and diaper genie! Those are useless!
ETA: as with pp I would also say the pack n play, it's come in handy once or twice while I shower, but other than that it just takes up space!
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Having had three kids, I can't say that there has been anything that we haven't gotten use out of. DD lived in the swing for the first 3 months because she had bad colic but my two sons hated it. The bouncer was a life saver because it came apart so we could travel with it. We used it when we were away as a high chair until LO was mobile. Our PnP was/is used quite often. We live in a bi-level house so I've always kept the PnP in the lower level for LO to sleep in when I'm there with my other kids...so much easier than running up and down the stairs. DD loved the saucer as does our new LO but DS#1 really wasn't a fan. He loved the doorway jumper though and could have lived in it if we'd let him. We never got a convertible crib because we were planning on having more than one child and we couldn't justify the price when we would have to purchase a toddler bed anyway so that the new baby could use the crib. One thing that DS#1 received his first Christmas that I'd wished we'd had for DD was an activity table. It really helped get him standing and cruising. The two "must haves" that I could never have done without are a good breast pump and my boppy.
As for clothes, I may be the exception...I dressed my kids every morning, gave them a bath and put them in jammies at night. If I had to go back though, I would probably pass on the two piece outfits that didn't have onesies because I hated having their bellies bare when they were squirming around.
The diaper genie is helpful for us given that we don't receive plastic grocery bags...we have to use reusable bags or pay 0.05$ per bag we have to purchase so the refill bags are much less expensive. Andplusalso it isn't always convenient to go out in a snowstorm to put the bag in the garage.
House / Baby blog
Waste of money for my LOs: Bumbo seats, boppys and covers, my brest friend twin nursing pillow (likely not applicable for you, lol!), "ultimate" crib sheets (people had raved about these, but I just don't get the appeal, nor do I find them any easier than regular sheets and mattress covers...), and (like many PPs) too many newborn and 0-3 clothes.
Totally worth the money, from my perspective: aiden and anais swaddling cloths, RnPs, good swing, good mattress (I paid more for my mattresses than cribs!), great stroller (easy to fold, maneuver, etc).
Wish I got but didn't splurge: video monitor (although probably not as necessary for one baby)
Yeah, I agree with this.
We'll miss you sweet Debbie Girl (4.21.12) and sweet Cindy Girl (8.9.12)
I'm surprised how many people said the Diaper Genie was a waste! We love ours. We live on a military base and our trash is in the yard across from ours and we don't have a garage, so we'd have a walk every time we needed to take out a dirty diaper. The Diaper Genie is perfect for our situation- I suppose it all depends!
My biggest waste is all the fancy dresses we have for DD. She doesn't have enough occasions to get wear out of them. We dress her in them for church, but that's 1 hour once a week. She wears play clothes during the day.
Waste: boppy, diaper champ, and we got the bigger, therefore more expensive, Chicco Key Fit 30 car seat. I'm a small person and the car seat plus baby gets heavy really fast. Both of ours were in a convertible by 6 months. And don't buy to many clothes ahead. You'll get tons as gifts and also, who knows how fast LO will grow. DD2 is almost 6 months and already in 12 month clothes!
Must have: Crib, excersaucer, swing, Fisher Price infant to toddler rocker (we used it instead of a RNP), baby bath tub, hooded bath towels, rocking chair for the nursery.
Wipe warmer
500 different bottles
receiving blankets
toys (like the crawl ball)
lots of NB clothes
wooden high chair (because, you know, babies like to smash their heads off of it)
Another vote for the Boppy. I preferred to use a regular bed pillow. I felt too confined with the Boppy.
We also didn't ever use baby hooded towels. I just felt like they were too thin and he got cold easily. We've just used a regular bath towel.
This. It was useful for propping her up for her newborn photos here at the house, and that was about it. We also didn't get too much use out of the bumbo.
Moby wrap
Bumbo (thank goodness I bought it used)
.... That's about it ... We didn't go overboard spending and didn't buy things we considered to be frivolous like a diaper pail, changing table, shampoo cup rinser, etc.
I would say our "travel system." I thought that was the only option at the time, and it seemed like that was what the stores were promoting. I wanted a nice jogger, but didn't see any that the infant seat could attach to. Well, I just wasn't looking hard enough. I would just get the infant seat and snap n go.
https://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=4456499Yep this!
Bumbo seat and tray, and nap nanny are almost brand new still. Wish I would have gotten a cheaper swing because he only loved it for a month.
certain toys....stuffed animals! only good for decoration
bumbo's...used it for about 1 month, could have done without them...but I got them free from a friend.
HA! I have three... I love it that much. Just goes to show that a "master list" of good vs. bad baby stuff would be USELESS...
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Missing my little one lost at 9 weeks on 2.24.13. brokenhearted but not broken...
d&c 5/21/13... Still Healing, Still Standing...
MMC discovered 10/2/2013, TWINS... d&c 10/7/2013. I still miss you, little ones.
Surgery December 2013 to remove a 10+cm fibroid... Open myomectomy. Benched for 3-9 months...
Will TTC summer Summer 2014 we hope!
Dear God, Since I couldn't hold my little one in my lap and tell him about you, could you hold him in your lap and tell him about me?
PgAL and PAL always welcome...Those infant mitten things, and socks for her when she was itty bitty. They wouldn't stay on, and she didn't need them, but people were obsessed with giving them to us.
Also hated the Bumbo.
For as much as Sophia the godforsaken giraffe costs, she's also a huge ripoff. LO chews on her for maybe a few seconds, every few days. The dog, on the other hand, can't be kept away from Sophie.
BFP: 7/5/10 EDD: 3/13/11 Miscarriage 8/1/10 at 8 weeks
BFP: 10/30/10 EDD: 7/7/11 Born 7/11//11 7lb12oz, 20 in.
BFP: 7/30/13 EDD: 4/9/14 Born right on time on his due date! 8lb10oz, 21.5 in.
Awesome prophetic fortune cookie: Love is a present that can be given every single day you live
bump burp.
BFP: 7/5/10 EDD: 3/13/11 Miscarriage 8/1/10 at 8 weeks
BFP: 10/30/10 EDD: 7/7/11 Born 7/11//11 7lb12oz, 20 in.
BFP: 7/30/13 EDD: 4/9/14 Born right on time on his due date! 8lb10oz, 21.5 in.
Awesome prophetic fortune cookie: Love is a present that can be given every single day you live