Things you couldn't live without or could quite happily bin

[Jo]

Just wondered what peice/pieces of equipment other people have got that is an absolute godsend or things that are a complete waste of time and money.

My best buy has to be a bath seat from Mama and Papas it looks like a bear and is made of rigid plastic with non slip rubber so leaves you hands free, this is so great i have only used baby bath 3 times as in big bath gives Jack more room to kick about.

The thing i would bin is an "instant bottle warmer" what a pile of rubbish!! it is liquid and you press this button to make it heat it turns to crystals, But it takes 30 bloody minutes to get to temperature!!!!! then you have to boil it to turn to liquid again it doesnt work have boiled it loads but everytime i get it out it's solid again, WASTE OF TIME!!!

 

[Hypnorm]

muslin cloths and a baby gro bag have been brilliant.

things i would throw away are baby grow which are back fastening or have seperate fastenings at the neck and the legs! talk about fiddly! esp with moving fighting baby!

 

[stephlw25]

Gro-bags (sleeping bags) definitely a godsend as he kicked his covers off so easily no matter how tight i tucked them in!! lol

Another great thing i bought was a playnest here is a link to one quite similar to mine...

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... 477692.htm

i put a big cushion in the middle when jamie was smaller and he sits in for ages either watching tv etc..very cosy! now he fits in it just nicely without a cushion and loves looking at the bright colours on it

Worst buy was probley the bouncer as he liked it to start off with but hates it now as he feels restricted and cant move around as much.

Also the baby bath was not a good buy as he has more or less grown out of it and prefers to have more room in the big bath!! also it takes up so much room!! if i could turn back time i would definitely not have bothered in buying one!! oh well all good experience at least ill know more next time round!!! lol

 

[Jo]

Thanks Steph i have a playnest but wasnt sure he was big enough for it yet, though he holds head up really well, i never thought of putting cushionin it.
I know what you mean about bouncy chairs Jack soon gets fed up, though Emily was in hers ages, must be a boy thing!!

MOTHERCARE BOTTLES are another thing that i would bin, and i did!!
By the time Jack was 3weeks old most of the markings had come off, luckily he was only on 2/3oz so i could still just make them out.
I'm sorry but i find this ridiculous i was so cross i just threw them out and replaced with Tomme Tippee which have been fine(disney design standard neck) If i had thought about i would have stomped to shop and thrown them at them!!!!

OK that little rant is over (for now!!!) lol

 

[littlebump]

MOTHERCARE BOTTLES are another thing that i would bin, and i did!!
By the time Jack was 3weeks old most of the markings had come off, luckily he was only on 2/3oz so i could still just make them out.

Couldn't agree more - I also find that the milk leaks out of the neck - even if I tighten it!!

I also agree on the bath thing - total waste of money - much better to get a bath seat that fits in the main bath.

Also I regret buying coats in the newborn size - we had two but Maddie only got to wear them a couple of times before she grew out of them. Better to get a larger size and turn the sleeves back!

The things that hvae had the most use are muslin squares and velcro fasten bibs (don't get the ones that tie at the back - too fiddly and apparently not recommended anyway) - I get through loads of these. Also the vests and sleep suits (front fastening of course!).

If you are bottle feeding, then you may find the following items useful: - I also got a small flask and a large plastic mug from Millets - great for warming bottles if you're on the go. Apparently you can get a flask especially for baby bottles (extra large cup goes on top which bottle fits into), but I couldn't find one of those. But I did get a powdered milk holder - you can store up to 3 feeds and it has dividers to keep the feeds separate - again a must for when you're out and about.

Great thread - bit late for me now but good if others can benefit!!

LBxx

 

[tommy]

the thing i would'nt be without is an inflatable bath hannah hated her plastic baby bath but the blow up one she loves and would stop in it all day out of all the money i spent this was the best £10

 

all the cute little outfits we brought were a waste of time. we only dress alana is baby grows. baby bath. bottle warmer. hand breast pump.

best things are sleeping bags, tomme tippe milk powder holders, a very large wardrobe for all the clothes you get given lol

 

[Lou]

Things I would bin are......

Nappy bin. Why did I think that I wouldn't be able to get to a proper bin?

Breast feeding chair. Isaac didnt latch on so my breast feeding chair is now a bottle feeding chair. Complete waste of time and money.

Breast pump. No breast feeding = no need for breast pump. I should have waited to buy the pump but I assumed breast feeding would be a piece of cake but I am bottle feeding so another complete waste of money.

(All things breast related lol ....nipple sheilds - breast pads - nipple cream etc)

I wish you could hear whats going on in my house now....my bf is changing a poohy nappy and he is heaving lol

Things I wouldn't be without....

Mothercare steriliser. Its steam and takes about 10 minutes start to finish.

Mothercare starter pack. Includes baby grows. Scratch mits. Hat. Booties. Vests. Its a 10 piece set for £12 (or was it 12 piece set for £10?) Its bloody good value anyway! I even got my mum to go out and buy me another set to use at the hospital.

RUBBER RING. Need I say more? My sister and dad got mine from a pharmacy. Its a god send.

Non-slip shower shoes. At the hospital the floor in the shower and bathroom was really slippy and I wasn't exactly feeling steady on my feet after 22 hours of labour, an epidural and stitches so the shoes really helped me feel safe and that I wouldn't go for a burton trying to wash myself down. I used them towards the end of my pregnancy too just to stop me going flying in the shower.

Gotta go and help my bf out...it sounds like a nasty nappy lol

If I think of anything else I'll post again.

Lou

 

[jamhamster]

god send, my avent breast pump, it's really easy to use, also avent via, breast milk storage cup's they fit on the pump so when ur finished just unscrew them and pop on the lid write on the date and pop it in the fridge or frezzer (at the moment i'm frezzing some so i can have a night out sometime in january)

waste of money, nothing this time round but from my 1st baby it would be a bottle warmer, it toke ages to warm the bottle and i used to use a jug of hot water, it's still sitting in the cupbord and has been there about 6 yrs lol

 

[Lou]

All my useless stuff is going on ebay. It would be good if we could set up some sort of ebay type selling buying thing on the forum so we could chat and shop at the same time! lol

 

i thought a post on here where we could swap, buy and sell baby things would be great, but after a recent experience on emmas diary buying some thing second hand i think it is a bad idea its a shame really as i have sooooo much baby things for sale now.

 

[stephlw25]

keep them for next baby elaine!!

 

[minikins]

Best things - Nappy Wrapper and Grobags

Worst waste of money type things - Avent electric bottle warmer, although it heats up ok, you have to turn it off at mains before turning it off and it makes things too hot even though I fiddled with the settings. Dom doesn't really take bottles, but I found the best way for heating food or milk is to put the container its in in a jug of boiling water.

Also waste of time are the pet nets, I have two cats so need them, but putting the nets on and off take ages and would wake Dom up, so I just shut the bedroom door now to keep the cats out - doh why didn't I do that before

 

[Lou]

Hey ....

nothing to do with babies but how excellent are GHD's?

I couldn't live without them and today was the first chance i've had to use them since I gave birth and now I feel back to my old self again...with soft straight hair! £100 but worth every penny.

lol

 

[lulu]

this is a great link!!!

Its good to read about baby baths, I have two (long story) its a pain because I have to move it around the house as its too big to fit on the changer in the nursery and its not light when its full of water. Have thought about using our bath but wasnt sure whether it was recommended??? will definately start looking for a bath seat thingy!!!

The bouncy chair I have doesnt seem to be much good either - it says 'from birth' but Jack has difficulty sitting up right in it, the back seems to be too high but you cant adjust it!
Also, I bought a hand breast pump and really wish Id invested in an electric one instead, especially as Im having to express more to increase my flow at the moment!

The steam steriliser is a god send and dare I say it but... 'soothers'! I was dead against them but I have to say they have really helped!!!

 

[Kerry]

Probably won't have best and worst this time as I have done it all twice before so am now a pro as to what I REALLY need.

With the first two I would agree that the baby bath was a waste of time, never used it and it took up so much space etc etc, we always had them in with us till they were big enough to just lay on their backs in an inch of water in the big bath and splash for england!!

God sends would have to be muslins, avent breast pump, and with my daughter her dummy!!

 

[minikins]

Am being thick here - what are GHD's?

 

[lulu]

GHD's are straighteners, hair straighteners

GHD stands for Good hair day, apparently

 

[Jo]

Just gotta add something that is wonderful for Jack, i was given a Gracco travel lite swing thing it says suitable from birth but am doubtful about that as his head seemed to flop forward, anyway i got it out the other day just for a change fo him and he loves it!! if he a bit cranky and wont settle i put him in and Hey Presto the lights and noise distract him and 9/10 times he goes to sleep.

God Bless Gracco