Spin off: most useless item on registry lists?

alinafed · August 2013

I love all the questions to STMs about what things we have to get. What about the stuff that are on all the must have lists that are pointless to get? Or things you got that you regret? I would love to whittle my list down and not buy/ register for more than I need!

1017Shannon · August 2013

The bumbo seat thing. I used it once and thought it was so silly. I can't believe it is 40 bucks. (I say this but I think it depends on the person...my sister on law loved hers and used it all the time!) Just a waste for me though.

also..i know you have to have something to bathe the baby in but we went through like 5 baby tubs and hated every one! I am not looking forward to it the second time around lol so I would love suggestions on that hehe

good luck!!!

Emily6778 · August 2013

In my opinion, you can skip out on sterilizers, bottle warmers, and diaper pails. While some may find them convenient, they are really unnecessary items that take up space and collect dust!

jldubb0626 · August 2013

Wipe warmer, sterilizers, blankets specifically for swaddling and sleep sacks (I'm the minority here - I just used a receiving blanket for swaddling and DS was too small for sleep sacks, then he hated them when he fit them), bottle warmers. I also got a diaper pail as a gift and I use it, but it's not necessary either. Also, basic items (like bath tub, play mats, toys, ect), registering for the super delux fancy stuff is pointless as well. Why would an infant appreciate a spa style tub when the basic tub does just the same?

cpm1223 · August 2013

Emily6778 said:

In my opinion, you can skip out on sterilizers, bottle warmers, and diaper pails. While some may find them convenient, they are really unnecessary items that take up space and collect dust!

Agree with this!

Also, a wipes warmer. Definitely won't be getting one of those.

(yes, I'm a FTM, but I've looked into a lot of what the stores tell you to register for and there's no way I need all of the things they think I need)

ccip82 · August 2013

I agree with PPs.

Also, do not waste your time adding cutesy clothes to your registry. In my experience, people who buy clothes for you will more times than not pick out something that they think is cute...

quidditchcapn1120 · August 2013

I have to disagree with bottle warmer- DH used ours every day because he was warming pumped breastmilk and it was very helpful for him.

The wipes warmer on the other hand- completely useless. Don't register for that jazz. It dries out the wipes and then the baby gets pissed off in public when you don't have a warm wipe and they aren't used to cold wipes.

alinafed · August 2013

cpm1223 said:

Agree with this!
Also, a wipes warmer. Definitely won't be getting one of those.
(yes, I'm a FTM, but I've looked into a lot of what the stores tell you to register for and there's no way I need all of the things they think I need)

Lol cpm you are so cute, I was thinking when I saw your post "isn't she a FTM? Well maybe she's just thoroughly researched this stuff" haha sure enough!

Edit: ugh mobile bumping and the double quotes are brutal

cpm1223 · August 2013

alinafed said:

Emily6778 said:

In my opinion, you can skip out on sterilizers, bottle warmers, and diaper pails. While some may find them convenient, they are really unnecessary items that take up space and collect dust!

Agree with this!
Also, a wipes warmer. Definitely won't be getting one of those.
(yes, I'm a FTM, but I've looked into a lot of what the stores tell you to register for and there's no way I need all of the things they think I need)
Lol cpm you are so cute, I was thinking when I saw your post "isn't she a FTM? Well maybe she's just thoroughly researched this stuff" haha sure enough!

Haha, I've had a LOT of down time at work recently and I've been obsessively researching baby items $:\$ ">

nbbride06 · August 2013

Sterilizer, wipe warmer, pack n play unless you have a 2 story house.

And for me personally, burp cloths - my DD never spit up, bottles bc DD ended up refusing all bottles, bibs bc DD would scream with anything around her neck.

BabyHokie2014 · August 2013

I have to disagree with a few...we used the heck out of our bottle warmer and wipe warmer. We didn't have a Bumbo, but had one by the Prince Lionhart brand and LOVED it! We also used our PNP on a daily basis because we have a 2 story house (still use it occasionally when on travel). I agree with the diaper pail and sterilizer, not really necessary. Baby toys, burp clothes, bibs, swaddlers...never really know what the baby will like/dislike until they're here (we used the heck out of some burp cloths, bibs, and swaddlers, but that was DD's preference). GL!

jldubb0626 · August 2013

Re: bottle warmer. I know I listed it but the ladies made a good point. It was pointless for us because once DS was done breastfeeding, he actually preferred cool/room temp formula over warm. If you plan on pumping and having a stash, I can see how a warmer would be useful. If you end up registering for one, just watch the kind you get because some bottles don't work with certain warmers from my understanding.

boggs507 · August 2013

I would agree with Bumbo. By the time DS was "big enough" for it his legs were too chunky. He had a lot of hair, so I really only used it a hand full of times as a sort of salon chair after a bath to brush his hair...and then would pry him out of it.

I didn't even bother with a wipes warmer, sterilizer, etc. I think a PnP was necessary for us, but I think the expensive ones will all the extra parts are unnecessary. Just buy $100 one that has a mattress pad and skip the $200 ones will all the extras.

married2matt · August 2013

1017Shannon said:

The bumbo seat thing. I used it once and thought it was so silly. I can't believe it is 40 bucks. (I say this but I think it depends on the person...my sister on law loved hers and used it all the time!) Just a waste for me though. also..i know you have to have something to bathe the baby in but we went through like 5 baby tubs and hated every one! I am not looking forward to it the second time around lol so I would love suggestions on that hehe good luck!!!

I always used a sponge thing...super cheap to replace, easy to move out of the way...my kids loved it. They'd fall asleep just laying in it w/ warm water surrounding them (just enough water to cover the sponge). I never could figure out why people paid so much money for those huge, bulky plastic tubs.

https://www.target.com/p/munchkin-safety-baby-bath-cradle/-/A-13991500#prodSlot=medium_1_17

rowanthefrog · August 2013

Wipe warmer. Diaper pail. We CDed the 2nd so we didn't need it, but when we used disposables for the first, it was easier to just throw the stinky ones directly in the trash outside, then change a big, stinky bag of lots of nasty diapers.

A

PreDempsey · August 2013

Ok moms, please don't laugh at me when if I'm back here in 7 months saying I've gone to disposable diapers and wipes. If I'm planning on using reusable wipes is a diaper warmer still kind of useless? I won't have to worry about them drying out because I can remedy that so I've registered for one. Am I being ridiculous?

PreDempsey · August 2013

@quidditchcapn1120 what warmer did you use for breastmilk? Everyone says don't get baby used to warm milk but I've read to not let thawed BM sit out so I can't grasp how to get it to warm without a bottle warmer or ruining it.

nbbride06 · August 2013

PreDempsey said:

Ok moms, please don't laugh at me when if I'm back here in 7 months saying I've gone to disposable diapers and wipes. If I'm planning on using reusable wipes is a diaper warmer still kind of useless? I won't have to worry about them drying out because I can remedy that so I've registered for one. Am I being ridiculous?

Yes

nbbride06 · August 2013

rowanthefrog said:

Wipe warmer. Diaper pail. We CDed the 2nd so we didn't need it, but when we used disposables for the first, it was easier to just throw the stinky ones directly in the trash outside, then change a big, stinky bag of lots of nasty diapers.

A

I actually love our diaper pail. Still use it for my 2 year old although poop diapers started going outside around a year.

cpm1223 · August 2013

PreDempsey said:

Ok moms, please don't laugh at me when if I'm back here in 7 months saying I've gone to disposable diapers and wipes. If I'm planning on using reusable wipes is a diaper warmer still kind of useless? I won't have to worry about them drying out because I can remedy that so I've registered for one. Am I being ridiculous?

I think another part of it being a waste is that your LO will get used to the nice warm wipes (disposable or reusable) and you won't have access to the warmer at all times (I'm assuming you'll want to leave the house at some point!)

valigrl21 · August 2013

Shoes for baby until baby can walk.
Bottle and wipe warmers.
Baby food maker - just use a food processor if you are going to make your own baby food.
Shopping cart cover - I had one and NEVER used it.
Baby powder and baby oil - We never used either of these, instead we used a good butt paste and baby lotion. And the AAP recommends against using baby powder because it can be inhaled.
Boppy - lots of women love this but I personally never used mine. I just used the side of the couch or a pillow.

nbbride06 · August 2013

valigrl21 said:

Shoes for baby until baby can walk.
Bottle and wipe warmers.
Baby food maker - just use a food processor if you are going to make your own baby food.
Shopping cart cover - I had one and NEVER used it.
Baby powder and baby oil - We never used either of these, instead we used a good butt paste and baby lotion. And the AAP recommends against using baby powder because it can be inhaled.
Boppy - lots of women love this but I personally never used mine. I just used the side of the couch or a pillow.

I agree with all of this except for the shopping cart cover. I used ours all the time for shopping carts and high chairs from about 6 months to 1.5 years. One of the best purchases for us.

PreDempsey · August 2013

I think another part of it being a waste is that your LO will get used to the nice warm wipes (disposable or reusable) and you won't have access to the warmer at all times (I'm assuming you'll want to leave the house at some point!)
Wait you mean to tell me at some point I have to bring this baby out of the house?

WinsyWade · August 2013

First thing to pop in my head... Diaper genie or the like. Just throw it in the trash.

WinsyWade · August 2013

quidditchcapn1120 said:

I have to disagree with bottle warmer- DH used ours every day because he was warming pumped breastmilk and it was very helpful for him.

Hot water in a bowl. Problem solved.

WinsyWade · August 2013

Non- gadgety wipe warmer = your hands.

If its cold outside or the baby is brand new, I put the wipes between my (clean) hands to warm it up before even opening the diaper. I've also run warm water before a diaper change and put a few wipes under there then changed baby.

For cloth wipes, which I've used in the past, I just used a disposable wipe container with warmer water/wipe solution poured over them. You change out the wipes daily so they never really got icy cold.

SweetPeaKate · August 2013

PreDempsey said:

Ok moms, please don't laugh at me when if I'm back here in 7 months saying I've gone to disposable diapers and wipes. If I'm planning on using reusable wipes is a diaper warmer still kind of useless? I won't have to worry about them drying out because I can remedy that so I've registered for one. Am I being ridiculous?

@PreDempsey I had a friend who CD and used a wipes warmer just to hold the liquid. I don't know that she ever even plugged it in, I suppose it's possible. You could also just use any kind of sturdy container to hold the liquid. Less ridiculous for you IMO, but not totally necessary.

yogi1012 · August 2013

I also plan on CDing and many CD mamas really like a warmer! It may be useless, but I want to try it! There is a prince lionhearted warmer made specifically for cloth wipes and it comes with 5 of their bamboo ones to start!

katie-lynn3313 · August 2013

Looks like I am the odd one here but I love our diaper pail. Especially now that DS loves going in the garbage. Helps control the smell too.

We liked our bumbo to feed him in when we traveled.

Skip shoes. I had a ton of pairs for him but never put him in them until he started crawling/walking.

I also didn't like the bottle warmer. When he was a newborn we would use hot water in a pan and as he got older the microwave GASP!

apickett925 · August 2013

@BabyHokie2014 are you a recent grad? I'm class of 2005, APSC.

runnergrl6675 · August 2013

Diaper Genie, Pail, etc. These are a bunch of crap, literally! Skip it and just throw it in the trash.

Sophie the Giraffe. Yeah it's a nice teether, but spend $20 less and get the same effect from a teether at Target.

Never had the wipes or bottle warmer, but everyone single person who has had them say it's a waste of money.

curlyfries1079 · August 2013

WinsyWade said:

quidditchcapn1120 said:

I have to disagree with bottle warmer- DH used ours every day because he was warming pumped breastmilk and it was very helpful for him.

Hot water in a bowl. Problem solved.
I'm an FTM so please dont laugh at me or I can laugh at myself. do you put boiling hot water in a bowl and let it cool before putting the bottle in? I could google but thought I would ask the question

MrsGraham06 · August 2013

nbbride06 said:

Sterilizer, wipe warmer, pack n play unless you have a 2 story house. And for me personally, burp cloths - my DD never spit up, bottles bc DD ended up refusing all bottles, bibs bc DD would scream with anything around her neck.

For burp cloths, we just used some cheap dish towels (and some that we had I didn't like).

We used a pack-n-play for a travel bed, since they fold up nice, and we knew we had a place for the baby.

Wipe warmer was the most useless.

MrsGraham06 · August 2013

PreDempsey said:

@quidditchcapn1120 what warmer did you use for breastmilk? Everyone says don't get baby used to warm milk but I've read to not let thawed BM sit out so I can't grasp how to get it to warm without a bottle warmer or ruining it.

I never used a bottle warmer, just tap water that wasn't HOT. We would only thaw BM if they were actually hungry, not hours in advance. I had a problem with just luke-warm BM in that the milk fat would coagulate into little globules on the side unless it was body-temp. It can be "out" for like an hour, and if my kids didn't finish it in an hour, it probably wasn't going to do any good at that point anyway (I'd just BF).

quidditchcapn1120 · August 2013

curlyfries1079 said:

WinsyWade said:

quidditchcapn1120 said:

I have to disagree with bottle warmer- DH used ours every day because he was warming pumped breastmilk and it was very helpful for him.

Hot water in a bowl. Problem solved.
I'm an FTM so please dont laugh at me or I can laugh at myself. do you put boiling hot water in a bowl and let it cool before putting the bottle in? I could google but thought I would ask the question

Most of the time DS was eating whatever I had pumped the day before during work and had thrown in the fridge in a bottle. DH worked nights and it was much easier for him to take the bottle straight out of the mini fridge next to the bed, flip a switch, and instantly have warm breast milk. Otherwise he would have had to get out of bed and go downstairs to heat water. I realize that's not everyone's situation, but ours definitely got its use.

quidditchcapn1120 · August 2013

PreDempsey said:
@quidditchcapn1120 what warmer did you use for breastmilk? Everyone says don't get baby used to warm milk but I've read to not let thawed BM sit out so I can't grasp how to get it to warm without a bottle warmer or ruining it.

I'm not sure of the brand, it was from Babies R Us and was white with aqua details. Our babysitter just ran the bottle under warm water but for the reasons above, the warmer right next to the bed (with the milk in the mini fridge next to the bed) helped my DH get at least a couple hours of sleep before he had to get up.

susieandmarty · August 2013

Bottle sanitizer. Seriously i used it twice - it just made them steamy and then putting them away just Unsanitized then instantly. I just started putting then in dishwasher

jmjj1310 · August 2013

Baby shoes, Diaper Genie, swaddlers but, above all, the Bumbo seat. By the time DS could hold his head up, his legs were too chunky to fit.

curlyfries1079 · August 2013

quidditchcapn1120 said:

WinsyWade said:

quidditchcapn1120 said:

I have to disagree with bottle warmer- DH used ours every day because he was warming pumped breastmilk and it was very helpful for him.

Hot water in a bowl. Problem solved.
I'm an FTM so please dont laugh at me or I can laugh at myself. do you put boiling hot water in a bowl and let it cool before putting the bottle in? I could google but thought I would ask the question

Most of the time DS was eating whatever I had pumped the day before during work and had thrown in the fridge in a bottle. DH worked nights and it was much easier for him to take the bottle straight out of the mini fridge next to the bed, flip a switch, and instantly have warm breast milk. Otherwise he would have had to get out of bed and go downstairs to heat water. I realize that's not everyone's situation, but ours definitely got its use.

thanks.

blue_elle · August 2013

@predempsey - I didn't read all the replies, but we're planning on the reusable wipes as well and will either recycle a disposable cloth tub (because I'm sure we'll end up with at least one) or I've seen some moms suggest putting your wipe solution in a small spray bottle and spraying the cloth when you're ready to use it, which also made sense to me. The tub would be easier when travelling though.

PreDempsey · August 2013

blue_elle said:

@predempsey - I didn't read all the replies, but we're planning on the reusable wipes as well and will either recycle a disposable cloth tub (because I'm sure we'll end up with at least one) or I've seen some moms suggest putting your wipe solution in a small spray bottle and spraying the cloth when you're ready to use it, which also made sense to me. The tub would be easier when travelling though.

That's a really good idea. Then you don't have to worry about damp cloths sitting around and potentially getting smelly or gross, and then you have ample dry ones on hand in case.

This mega diaper bag I registered for has a spot for a small wipe box so I'm not against using them, just not as a main resource.

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