Top Ten Products that you DON'T need (Babies!)

laurabllue

Our baby is only 8 weeks old. We didn't buy loads before she came, but we've picked up quite a few things we've found useful (but others will inevitably think are a waste of money!)

Bath Seat - we have quite a deep bath, and I must have really short arms as once H went back to work and I really struggled. We got the angel care bath seat and it's been one of our best purchases!

MAM bottles - breastfeeding didn't work out so I formula feed. These are great as you can microwave them individually in the microwave so they're handy to take when staying at the inlaws etc as we don't need the steriliser.

Playmat - our little girl loves hers and it's so funny to watch her concentration as she try to work out how to hit the various hanging objects!

Ewan the dream sheep/white noise ap - we both have an ap on our iPhones which plays white noise, it works a treat to calm her down when she's worked up. We were given Ewan as a present so pop that on when we put her in her Moses basket and she drifts off to sleep.

Car seat adapters for the pram - if I'm just popping to the bank/into sainsburys for a pint of milk it's much easier to take her car seat out of the car than transfer her to the carry cot.

Muslins - we have them in every room and use about 4 a day - she's not a sicky baby, just a messy eater!

Changing bag - I put a lot of effort into finding one that didn't scream 'baby' and although it wasn't cheap it's perfect as I can use it as a handbag when I'm not with her as it doesn't look like a changing bag at all.

ravingandsaving

The least useful things I found to be were a baby walker (used twice) - bubs just wanted to be on her feet on her own terms. Travel blackout blind (never stuck to the window). Steriliser (bubs would never take a bottle). Door bouncer (only worked on her bedroom door). Newborn sized clothes (she was 9lbs at birth so never fitted into them).

ravingandsaving

Most useful - grobags (just brilliant). Baby monitor. Baby carrier (parents bought us an ergo and still using it two years on).

NoAngel

My baby is now 9 months and we didn't buy much before she arrived but have acquired lots of things now!

Jumperoo - Bought 2nd hand for £40, LO not overly interested though this seems to be unusual after getting other peoples opinions!

Bumbo- I wouldn't bother again, LO used it a couple of times

Baby bjorn sling- Hardly used it as we drive most places and then I pop her into the pushchair or take the car seat. She was too heavy to carry in it after 6 months.

Dummies - OK, I'll admit, my little one loves her dummy, but I wouldn't buy them in advance as she will only take a particular brand (MAM) and buying the other ones was a waste of time. If you use them, just continue to buy whichever ones they take to first!

Baby sensory classes before 4ish months seem to be a waste of time. We go now and I'm surprised at how many tiny babies are there. They just sleep or eat through the class and don't appear to interact with anything..


Things we like!
I find Grobags to be extremely useful and LO won't even nap without hers now.
Sophie the Giraffe teether expensive but really good.
Decent high chair- we got the Stokke Tripp Trapp and it's lovely having LO sat right up to the table and it's very easy to clean.

I disagree with a previous poster about not buying proper clothes until after 6 months, though I have noticed that quite a few people keep babies in baby gros all day. Personally I have always dressed my baby during the day, but I'm sure it doesn't actually matter either way and is just a personal preference.

double_mummy

ravingandsaving wrote: »

Newborn sized clothes (she was 9lbs at birth so never fitted into them).

this one lol my son was 9lbs 2oz and went straight into 6-9 month clothes because of how long he was daughter was 7lbs 12oz and went into 3-6 months right away

had to send hubby out that morning after my son (he was born at 1.53 am) to get some clothes that would fit

ema_o

Wow, my LO was the opposite - I hadn't thought to buy newborn clothes as I'd thought 0-3 would be right - they totally swamped my 8lb 10 boy for the first few weeks so we ended up having to get some newborn baby grows / vests etc after he arrived!! We did mainly stick with asda sleepsuits & vests rather than spending too much tho!

laurabllue

ema_o wrote: »

Wow, my LO was the opposite - I hadn't thought to buy newborn clothes as I'd thought 0-3 would be right - they totally swamped my 8lb 10 boy for the first few weeks so we ended up having to get some newborn baby grows / vests etc after he arrived!! We did mainly stick with asda sleepsuits & vests rather than spending too much tho!

I agree. I'd read loads of people saying 'newborn sizes are a waste of money as they didn't fit/grew out of them in two days' My LO was 7lb 2oz when she was born, and (as most babies do) lost some weight over the first few days. Her 0-3 month babygrows and vests swamped her. We had to send my parents on a shopping trip (which they loved!). She's now 8 weeks and still fits into some of her up to 1 month sleepsuits from Next (I think Tesco do a similar size too) so it's not really been a waste.

I did buy a pack of newborn vests from mothercare just before my due date and left them in the packet until I needed them. I figured if the baby arrived and was too big for them I'd still be in the time frame where I could exchange them for something bigger.

daisiegg

I have a friend who has baby twin girls and at about 12 weeks they have only just grown out of newborn clothes (so I get a big bag ready for my little girl's arrival ) Last time I saw her they were 9 weeks old and weighed 9 and 10lbs - they were both still in newborn sizes at that weight and have been for another few weeks!

Amazing how it varies. I have no idea how much of each size to buy!

wendz86

My DD was 7lb 5 oz and was in newborn for about a month i think. She was also swamped by her 0-3 month stuff. I prob would only get a few bits newborn and then you can always get more if you need it.

NoAngel

We also had to get some newborn sized clothes as the 0-3 were massive when DD was born. She weighed 7lb 4oz, so fairly average. Just got some from Asda and she was in them for around 4 weeks but we needed them.