Most useless bit of baby equipment you bought

Geiger_2

We've all done it - bought the 'must-have' item, only to use it once before consigning it to the next NCT sale.

Mine has to be a nappy wrapper bin - great if you're in a flat I'm sure, but a pointless source of nasty wiffs (even from only wet nappies) if you're just being too lazy to take the nappy bag to the outside bin.

Also, a Hippychick toddler carry seat - never took it out of the box. Never needed to. I've got hips that do the job just fine! £30-odd not very well spent.

Trying much harder with second baby not to be tempted by all the new shiny gadgets out there... not always easy though!

I'm assuming it's not just me that has wasted money on baby gizmos - I hope not!

brians_daughter

oh goodness, i have wasted more on baby stuff than i care to remember

Baby bath. used once, went in main bath after that
Moses basket. wouldnt settle in it and had a quinny so used teh carrycot from that
Microwave steriliser. the bottles were only sterile for 60 mins
Cot mobiles. never interested, but by the time lo was they could pull all the toys off!
Baby seat for bike - too scared to ever use it lol
Nappy wrapper. same reason as you!

Best buys
mechanical swing. It saved me from going insane on dozens of occassions!
baby carrier for when shopping - i used that constantly for months as the car seat was so heavy

ETA
the BEST thing i bought/got bought was the milk powder containers (sadly - for me anyhow - i couldnt breast feed thE last one due to starting chemo the week after he was born and they were a god send. So much easier! They were about £1 for 5 or something but they were the best thing ever!

GobbledyGook

Tummy Tub baby bath. Totally awkward shape, a nightmare to get her out of and I could have easily used a bog standard bucket and achieved the same.

Also a Tomy baby carrier sling. It's plasticy straps cut my shoulders and it didn't even last a whole trip out before it got binned and I bought a wrap style sling.

pigpen

Bibs.. they were only ever used for snotty noses and I could just have easily used a tissue!

izzybusy23

Top and tail bowl... Why did I think that was a good idea!

Geiger_2

Oh yes - I've just remembered the £300 three-wheeler pushchair! It was an early model with a fixed front wheel - impossibly to steer, and barely fitted in the car boot. Within a year I'd "downgraded" to a basic Mothercare stroller and never looked back!

honeypop

Some things I hardly or never used:

Baby bath - as above used a couple of times then he came in the big bath with me or DH.

Top & Tail bowl - wasn't waste of money as borrowed from sister, but never used, just used a normal plastic bowl.

Bibs - never used until he started on solids, a muslin was good enough until then. Was left with lots of packs of newborn bibs that were bought for us.

Rain cover for car seat, for when carrying between house and car in the rain - after the first time we didn't bother faffing about with it and just ran faster!

Bottle warmer - again borrowed from sister, but used a jug of warm water to heat chilled breast milk, and then he had formula from cartons at room temp so never needed again.

There probably would have been more, but I made a concerted effort from the start to only get what we really needed as basics so we were not overrun with useless equipment. The raibincover was a mad buy as I worried that carrying baby in the car seat with my bad back would mean I moved too slowly in the rain and he would get wet, but never happened.

Absolute best buy ever for us was this: http://www.elc.co.uk/toy/blossom-farm-play-perform-platform/ got from ebay at £30, DS went in it from when we got it at 4 months, would spend literally hours in it if I let him, and still loves being in it at 12 months. He crawled from 4 months and this ensured he could be kept in one place when I needed him to, and was an absolute godsend to know he would still be where I put him, while I went about some housework etc.

pigpen

I used my top and tail bowl at least twice a day!

Baby bath was NEVER used.. this one is going in the kitchen sink!

Changing bag.. it was forever full of useless junk .. I stuffed a nappy and wipes and muslin in my bag that was plenty.

tanmu

Baby bath - too heavy to carry when full, nowhere to store other than in main bath (but what about when that was in use???). Number 3 is going to have a baby bath support in main bath instead

Baby monitor - baby was never far enough out of earshot to warrant it - even though it was given to me, never used it

Swinging cradle - DS hated it, DD didn't mind if she was already asleep, but would demand to be taken out the moment she awoke and realised where she was

Best buys

Microwave steriliser - DS was formula fed from approx 4 weeks and this was way better than waiting an age for the cold steriliser

Vibrating bouncer chair - got this for DD and it was a God-send! She loved it and it gave me precious extra time with DS

gonzo127

loads of pretty 'proper' clothes!

really a vest and/or baby grow for the first 3-6 months is all that is needed with maybe 1 or 2 'outfits' if you go out anywhere 'posh'

other ones been mentioned a moses basket - got given it but never used it

a carry cot - just used the car seat

glad i didnt buy a nappy bin

Bitsy_Beans

Apart from a cot mobile I don't think there was anything we bought that we didn't use (but then again I am not one for gadgets at the best of times).

We were bought a baby bath that sat on the edges of the bath - this was a fab idea but both my kids ended up being too long for it quite rapidly. After that we switched to one of those terry towelling bath supports, I'd definately recommend one of those