Well that was a waste of $$!

RedMar · April 2016

Since we have a "deals and steals" thread, I thought it would be helpful for moms to express what baby items they found to be a waste of money. I know a lot of us are currently building registries, so let's get rid of some of the gimmicks and junk!

RedMar · April 2016

As I was giving DS a bath tonight, I realized (as I was using my foam shower mat) how useless those bath kneelers are. If you don't have a mat, buy one of the gardening knee pads from the dollar store. It will save you $15+

RedMar · April 2016

In addition to the kneeler, the thermometer was unnecessary for testing the water temp. Use your forearm or jump in yourself if you feel it's too hot! Use your instincts mommas!

rn1stbae · April 2016

Good idea! I'm interested in what people have to say

SLou24 · April 2016

Ooh I'm really interested in this. Here's a question I was going to post in the BDTD thread, but I'll start with it here.

We have limited space (nursery will be shared guest room/nursery), and I keep reading things that say traditional changing tables are totally unnecessary, especially with limited space. Do people agree? Can I get by without one, or maybe convert the small dresser we'll be using for LO to have a changing pad on top? Just wondering if people have them, if they even use them that often. I'd like to avoid extra furniture if we can

Ah825 · April 2016

Question: why is it so expensive to buy a bedding set (like 150+) when all is included is a mattress sheet and crib skirt?

RedMar · April 2016

@SLou24 the changing table(s) were a lifesaver for my aching back! As you stated, you can easily convert a dresser to one- they do make changing pads that are contoured w buckles, so that could help keep LO in place. How would you secure the pad to the dresser? I would be that klutz that would bump and move it all the time.

RedMar · April 2016

@Ah825 ughhh isn't that annoying??! We didn't end up going with a set and just found the coordinating pieces at target. I refused to spend that money when they're just going to puke/pee/poop on it!!

KimmySchmidt · April 2016

@SLou24 We have a changing pad on top of the dresser and have had no problems with it.

mamadomino · April 2016

@SLou24 we do the changing pad on the dresser too. Unless you walk away from your kid I don't really see how it's any more dangerous. We used it until maybe 15 months or so, and then my son got so wiggly now we just change on the floor.

seitzy3 · April 2016

@SLou24 we used the smaller dresser and just put the changing pad on top. Our pad did have buckles. I plan on doing the same for this next baby.

All toys. Total waste of money. Just give 'em a box with tissue paper and they'll entertain themselves for hours.

I kid, I kid. But wipe warmers...just don't do it. I used mine a total of 1 maybe 2 weeks and was over it.

Kerrib1986 · April 2016

We use a changing pad on top of a dresser and just keep the diapers, wipes, etc in the top drawer. I actually ended up cutting the straps off since they were in the way and started to scratch the top of the dresser up. The change pad we bought has a non slip bottom so it doesn't move around very easily.

Shiva14 · April 2016

@SLou24 we have a changing pad and hardly ever used it. It's brand new. We just used the towels/bed/carpet/couches.

@Ah825 it's ridiculous! We also didn't get one. I figured they aren't supposed to use blankets or bumpers due to SIDS, so what's the point. They do look cute though. Now that DS is older we'll just get a toddler bed set.

My old BMB was super useful and helped me avoid a ton of useless items (wipe warmers was a good example). I think one of the more useless things I got was a temple thermometer. Our pediatrician will only accept rectal, so if the kiddo is sick we need to do that anyway, and the temple thermometer seemed to not be all that accurate regardless. That being said, I do think they'll appreciate it later on so I don't feel bad having bought it.

camichael84 · April 2016

@SLou24 A diaper changer was a must for me (and still is), but a traditional one is a waste of space. So many dressers have one built in or the capability to add one to the top that it's by far the better option, imo. I'm not really a fan of the crib attached changers because they seem smaller to me, but that's an option, too. We bought this attachment: https://m.target.com/p/simmons-kids-slumbertime-madisson-changing-top/-/A-15276981 for DD's dresser, and it works great. We have one of the curved changing pads with the belt that RedMar mentioned, but I've never used the belt, and it's always remained tucked under the pad.

PSUBecky23 · April 2016

I preferred having a changing table. It was just nice to have one place where all of the obnoxious diaper crap was kept. (Most people will disagree because you often end up changing baby all over the house.)

camichael84 · April 2016

Waste of money:
baby detergent-- just use a free and clear, wipe warmer-- I never had one, but this was a consensus on my last BMB,
bassinet-- a PnP will last longer and get more use,
those pee pee teepees-- I had a daughter, but having changed many a boy's diaper when working in childcare, I can tell you a wipe or diaper works efficiently for this and costs far less.

TheTamedShrew · April 2016

I thought all the crib frills were a waste of money because the AAP recommends nothing in the crib under age 2. All DD needed was a mattress protector, sheet, and a sleep sack. I started giving her a small lovey around 10 months, but she never had pillows/blankets/crib bumpers.

Also I hated the expensive diaper pail for disposables. I felt like her room always smelled like diapers so I just started throwing the poop diapers in the outside trash and the pee diapers in the regular trash.

RedMar · April 2016

I heard the same about the wipe warmer, but we use ours religiously during the winter months. DS is a summer babe and HATES being cold in any way.

As @camichael84 said the peepee teepees are def a waste of money. They actually just shoot off with the force of the stream. We always used a "pee-pee blocker" aka paper towel over the wenis when we changed him.

heyheyklee · April 2016

I liked the wipe warmer when it was cold.

What I think was a waste of money was the baby food maker system I had. I honestly don't remember which one it was but if you have a kitchen you probably have a masher, a blender or immersion blender, a stove.

All you need is pots and pans and to mash some food. What a waste!

Some of the tools it came with was a plastic bowl to use in the microwave. I don't care if it has no bpa, I never put plastic in the microwave and never microwaved food I was making fresh for her!

tinypikachu · April 2016

FTM here but I've been a nanny and religious babysitter for my nephews for almost 10 years now. As far as what I've seen, we (I and their parents) do use the changing table a LOT. 80% of diapers are changed there and we use it when taking the kids out of the bath. I think a dresser with a pad on top would be the same thing, though. We still use the table with the youngest, a 2yo.

I've heard a big waste is a diaper genie. The complaints I got were that it made the room smell as it didn't trap odors very well.

I feel a little hesitant about having baby sleep all night on the PnP that we're getting for her. I've also heard a bassinet is a big waste so I won't get one but we're leaving the PnP in the living room and the crib doesn't fit in our bedroom so I have no idea what we'll do.

CRich15 · April 2016

I can't stand the large baby bathtubs.. I feel like they don't get to use them for long, most are expensive and you can't store them anywhere. I prefer the smaller folding ones.

Wipe warmers are a complete waste and I feel bottle warmers are too.. I just never got on board. We always made the bottle fresh and after a while got the boys to take them straight of the fridge.

marikkita12 · April 2016

As a long-time nanny, I highly recommend avoiding the wipes warmer especially if you have a girl. It is a moist warm environment perfect for bacteria to grow and thrive on which will eventually end up on your baby and it could lead to infections.

roadspeckle · April 2016

I think changing table was a waste of money IMO. Most of the time, I was too tired to get out of bed to change DS so I kept diapers and wipes next to the bed, and just changed him in bed. Other times on the couch, or floor.

Bottle warmer... Since I EBF, it wasn't really necessary and even when I went back to work, he drank it luke warm from defrosting or even cold from the fridge.

fingernail clipper wasn't a necessity for a while but for whatever reason I thought you were supposed to clip nails often and they were still attached to his fingers and I would accidentally clip his skin... Just bite them off.

Sporty1216 · April 2016

I love my changing table--but I thought i would hate it. Granted, most diapers get changed on the floor since I'm not waking uostairs everytime a change needs to be made, but when we are upstairs I always use it and my lo is 2. It's compact and we got it cheap used.

I didn't use my boppy much. I found it too cumbersome. But I got it used too, so it was a small investment.

Baby scratch mittens. Bought a ton. Used 'em hardly at all. My LO hardly had fingernails, so he wasn't a scratcher, but if he had been, socks would have worked just fine.

Diaper pail. A small step can with a lid works great. Mine fits plastic shopping bags, so that eliminates extra cost for special refills. And it's small so I just take it out frequently to reduce the smell factor. No matter what you do,'there will be smell. Poop and pee are stinky.

SuperFudge00 · April 2016

What I never, rarely or inappropriately used:

PNP
Bassinest
Newborn clothing
Inflating baby bath (used a sling instead)
Baby shoes
Dishwasher bottle caddy
Anywhere chair (hope it becomes more useful)
Car seat cover

SLou24 · April 2016

Love all of these! Thanks everyone for the input on the changing table..too many of you to tag! I've also read about the diaper warmer being a waste, glad to see that most people here agree with that too. I feel like there's so much we are told that we "need", it's so nice to have some experienced mamas telling us what's total BS!

Packokids · April 2016

About the changing table... grab a towel and change kiddo on the bed. Voila! Instant changing table. Just have a washcloth handy (if your having a boy) to cover the fire hose.

Tippy05 · April 2016

Items I found to be a waste:

- crib sets (just get a bunch of sheets - nothing in the bed with baby initially anyway)
- wipes warmers
- I liked my changing table, but if space is an issue you can 100% convert a dresser into a changing table. I never used the buckles, and never left them alone on the table so the possibility of him "rolling away" was never an issue
- pee pee tee pees (I had two boys and never EVER had the need to use one)
- I liked my diaper genie but not until they started eating solids. Most of the time (especially if LO is breastfed) the diapers don't really smell so a small trashcan will work just fine
- when they get older you'll need the baby scissors and nail clippers, but like pp said, in the beginning just bite the nail down
- baby making kits (like pp said, I just used regular pots and pans I already had on hand)

*also, I'm sure a post will come out about this as we get closer to September, but I grabbed everything that wasn't nailed down to my hospital room. Diapers, onesies, blankets, and especially the super absorbent pads they put underneath me in the bed.

LizC216 · April 2016

I'm also anti-changing table. We did a changing pad on top of the dresser. It has straps to attach it to the back of the dresser to keep it secure. Truly, we used that minimally, since the bedrooms are on the second floor and we spend most of our day on the first floor. Our pack and play had a changing section, so we used that a lot.

All this talk about changing tables made me think of a must have...a diaper caddy. I think ours was Munchkin brand. It was great. We could carry it from room to room and do the diaper change where ever we were.

A few other things that were unnecessary for us:

Bottle sanitizer - our dishwasher has a sanitize setting, so we did an initial old school boil with all bottles/pacis/nipples then just used the dishwasher for everyday cleaning. I will say dishwasher baskets are another must if you go this route.

Diaper pail - we just bag the diapers and if they are poops, they go directly outside. My friend bought the fancy Ubbi diaper pail and I nearly gagged when I went in her son's nursery. Not sure if she wasn't using it right, but the area near the pail had such a nasty smell.

Bath Kneeler - It looked useful, but we ended up returning it.

Baby Mittens - I bought a couple of sets, but never used them.

Bumbo - A lot of people love it. We used it maybe 3 times. Also, my physical therapist sister was very vocal about us not using due to how it positions the baby's hips.

Car Seat Canopy/Cover - I bought a really pretty one...it's still in the package. That said, I had a winter and fall baby so we used the JJ Cole car seat cover daily. It did a great job keeping them warm and protected from the nasty weather. It's the one that just fits over the outside of the car seat.

We also never bought a bottle warmer or wipe warmer and got by just fine.

0SeaMonkey0 · April 2016

Off the top of my head, some things that we didn't use or really don't need a "baby" version of are:

peepee teepees
expensive My Brest Friend nursing pillow (can't be bothered with the strap and a bed pillow works just as well)
cheap and/or not ergonomic baby carriers (snugli, baby bjorn)
For a different reason, stretchy wrap carriers (comfy but max out at around 15 lbs)
Baby bullet
lots of creams and bath products
lots of infant toys. You need some but not lots

eboyd83 · April 2016

we pretty much use everything we have. We are pretty minimal compared to other I think though. But, we didn't use the bottle warmer much. Just took it to the sitters. My husband always just warmed the bottles in warm water. But on the changing table being discussed. I insisted on having on and I'm glad I did. I used it everyday and still do. I knew how much I wanted one thought because I had already experienced a baby without a changing table and I found it annoying.

RedMar · April 2016

I agree you don't need the baby clippers til their nails harden a bit. I heard biting them could cause infection? I used a nail file until he was a little older.

camichael84 · April 2016

I've already posted that a diaper changer was a must for me, but I want to add more info. When DD was little, we changed her on our bed with a blanket or towel underneath 99% of the time. This resulted in our bed being peed and pooped on many times. Always on my side. Sometimes the towel would contain it, but usually it did not. So if you're going that route, invest in a mattress pad that is water proof. Since she moved to her own room at 5 months, she is exclusively changed on her diaper changer when she's home. It's the only place she will let me change her without a struggle. It's level for me, so easier to use, and all her diaper stuff is contained. This said, we have a ranch so I'm not climbing stairs all day long to change her.

Also, since it's been mentioned, we never used a diaper genie either. We put her diapers in the kitchen trash can. It gets taken out pretty much every other day, so it never leaves an overwhelming diaper smell and her room never smells.

PSUBecky23 · April 2016

For a bottle warmer, we used a mini crockpot that came with our regular one. Filled it with water in the morning and turned it on and it was good to go all day.

camichael84 · April 2016

@AlwaysAuntNeverMom Can I ask why you're hesitant to use the PnP over night? I loved my PnP, used it a ton, and can't rave about it enough so maybe I could ease your worries? Or make you realize it really isn't for you.

PSUBecky23 · April 2016

Boppy - never used to nursing but great for tummy time and when they first start sitting but are still unsteady.

camichael84 · April 2016

When my daughter's nails were still soft, I just peeled them off. I could use my nail or the clippers to get a start, if there wasn't already one. I wasn't comfortable biting them and the file never seemed to work bc of how soft they were.

LizC216 · April 2016

@camichael84 Agree with the waterproof mattress pad. I got one towards the end of my first pregnancy because I was afraid of my water breaking in bed and ruining the mattress. I have kept it on ever since and it has saved us on multiple occasions. I thought it would be loud and plastic-y but this one is just like a regular mattress pad, only water proof.

marajay6 · April 2016

I spent a lot of time researching and tried really hard to avoid buying things that could be a waste. That said, baby gear isn't universal - different people need different things and babies have their preferences. We were given both a swing and a bounce chair. DS loved the swing and spent a lot of time in there. However, he barely tolerated the bouncer for more than a minute or 2. For DS, the bouncer was a waste of money.

We got a Bumbo that we hardly ever used. Probably could have saved money there.

Also, I wouldn't buy a stroller/car seat travel system again. I find it to just be way too bulky. We used it fairly often when he was still in the infant car seat - it was convenient to just move the car seat and not disturb a possibly sleeping baby. But once he outgrew the car seat, I ended up getting a much smaller umbrella stroller that I use a lot more. And DS seems to prefer the umbrella stroller as well.

As far as changing table, we just put a changing pad on top of the dresser. We use it for pretty much every diaper change at home.

AnnaS930 · April 2016

Man, I can't think of things that were complete wastes of money (though I'm sure we have some) but quite a few items on this list are must-haves for us actually:
- A changing table (or on top of a dresser), our son is 16 months and we use it multiple times a day still
- Diaper genie - we no longer put poop diapers into it because the smell is not contained enough, but it's great for all the wet ones

camichael84 · April 2016

@marajay6 My DD hated the bouncy, too. I've heard of so many kids loving them, including both my nephews, but my child did not. We had borrowed one so we didn't waste money on it, but now we've given it back and I'm torn on whether I should get one for this baby or just go without.

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