Least Used Baby Items...Post Yours!

[MustangGal]

Date: 6/25/2010 11:07:10 PM
Author: lizzyann01
definitely didn''t need a swing, bath robe, or a bundle me for the car seat (it was too warm out to need it), oh and stuffed animals. I hate when people give me those things. DS bites them and the fur comes off in his mouth. Eww.

And for some reason, I still haven''t even opened his Chicco umbrella stroller. We always use his regular stroller. For people that use umbrella strollers, when and where do you use them? I don''t like that there is no storage underneath them, which is why I don''t use it. I might return it. I still haven''t even opened it. I need to get a jogging stroller though!

I got a bit more delux umbrella stroller that has a basket and reclines enough to make a sleeping baby comfortable. I keep it in the car and we use it on shopping trips/errands that don''t involve a shopping cart. Started using it when K was 3 months.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 6/26/2010 5:58:37 AM
Author: KimberlyH
thanks for the info. i don''t wear j in a sling a ton, usually twice or three times a week for an hour or two, so i''m not too concerned, but it does hurt my back so i''m going to need an alternative as she continues to get bigger. i have an eb peanut sling that converts to a hip carrier, she''s too small for that right now, but the sling part might work, she''ll hate it for walks though, she wants to see everything.

Blen has explained the reasons.

I was nervous about the Mei Tai at the beginning, but after the first couple of times it''s so easy, also I can adjust it while she''s in it with no problems - I''ll bring her down lower if I want to feed her and then back up higher with no effort. It''s so comfortable and she feels almost weightless in it. I''ve got very severe back pain and have had major spinal surgery and yet I can carry her for hours at 20lbs.

I will admit that I don''t put her on my back yet - I''d rather wait till I can ask her to hold on round my neck while I do it up. I do face her out sometimes which it''s not meant for but can be done. I have the Ellaroo, but BabyHawk looks almost identical.

 

[Blenheim]

My understanding was that the issues with the Bjorn carrier included positions where the baby's facing inwards. (ETA - Ideally, you want the baby's knees to be at the same level as the hips or higher. I feel like when I see babies in Bjorns when we're out and about, their knees are lower than their hips. I did take a look at the Bjorn website and it looks like they have a model or two that's styled more like an Ergo that probably wouldn't have this problem, but I don't think I've seen that type of Bjorn in action.) I don't think it would bother me if I were using it infrequently, but since the BabyHawk is the same price as the basic Bjorn model and is so well designed (I've also had back surgery and carry George at 14 months with no issues) and more versatile (higher weight limit, can do hip carries and back carries), I'd personally just go with that or the Ellaroo or something similar. I can put George on my back but I can't monitor whether his glasses stay on his face when he's on my back, so unless I'm with someone who knows to look out for the glasses coming off, I always put him on my front these days. But I did a lot of back carries pre-glasses.

George liked the swing when we tried it out in the store, and then hated it when we got it home. Fortunately we bought it used and were able to sell it for the amount that we paid for it!

Everyone buys hats for George but he won't keep them on for more than about 30 seconds. Never has.

I like our changing table. We didn't have one until George was about 7 months old and didn't really feel like we were missing anything, but these days he is go go go go and the act of getting on the changing table signals to him that it's time to calm down for a minute and lay still. When we're out and about and don't have access to a changing table, changing his diaper is more of a battle as he tries get away and go.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

It was so long ago. . .the diaper genie NEVER got used. Instead I just put diapers in little garbage bags and tossed them right outside in the trash!

 

[Pandora II]

Re. wriggly babies and diaper changes...

I got really fed up trying to keep Daisy still so since she was 6 months I''ve had her in the Pamper''s Pull Ups. You just tear down the sides to take them off and it''s really easy to get them on fast plus they don''t have to lie down to do it.

Extra bonus is that they don''t seem to leak... even overnight we almost never have an issue, whereas with the Pamper''s Active and their overnight ones it was always a disaster.

Also easy for husbands... no tabs to mess up!

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 6/26/2010 9:44:00 PM
Author: Pandora II
Re. wriggly babies and diaper changes...

I got really fed up trying to keep Daisy still so since she was 6 months I''ve had her in the Pamper''s Pull Ups. You just tear down the sides to take them off and it''s really easy to get them on fast plus they don''t have to lie down to do it.

Extra bonus is that they don''t seem to leak... even overnight we almost never have an issue, whereas with the Pamper''s Active and their overnight ones it was always a disaster.

Also easy for husbands... no tabs to mess up!

That''s interesting, I didn''t think they would come small enough for babies that young. A very good idea, I may have to try this when Micah gets older! I hate fighting his instinct to curl his legs up to his chest, it blocks me doing up the tabs. Score!

I only got one thing that I couldn''t really use, and that was the cutesy blankets. I love them, and I have kept them all (I got ten or so), but they have so few uses I have started using them for other things. I put one in his travel stroller because where his back rests was right against the metal supports. I put one over the side of his crib to block the light from the living room at night. I rolled them up to keep him from bonking his head on the crib slats/rolling over. When he gets bigger they may actually get used as blankets but for now they really don''t!

I really like the hooded towels, though. I use Micah''s ducky towel all the time and he loves it because it keeps his head warm and doesn''t fall off like regular towels tend to.

 

[pennquaker09]

I hated the Diaper Genie with a passion!

I have great friends and family, so my kids each had their own swing, bouncer, and walker. Savannah loved the swing and bouncer, but she was really persistent with the walking, so she didn''t really need one. My dear boy Gray, bless his heart, he hated the swing and bouncer, and the only time he went in his walker was when I wasn''t around and Nate refused to hold him.

I think my wipe warmer is still in the box.

I tried the sling, but it was uncomfortable.

 

[Sabine]

Threads like this always reinforce for me how hard it is to know what you''ll actually want/use before it''s time to use it! There''s a ton of stuff on here that I couldn''t have lived without, and some I agree was useless.

Useless for us:
-The J&J bath sets...ds has SUPER sensitive skin and eczema, so we can''t even use a lot of the Aveeno stuff we bought and tried either.
-baby shoes...most never even got put on his feet, and the one pair I tried, didn''t fit even when he was 1 month old. He does wear soft-soled shoes now when we''re out.
-a bunch of brands of bottles. We stuck with the Avent even though they leak, but have a ton of playtex, etc. that never got used but are open.
-sling, J hated it.
-all nursing related stuff. So glad I could return the pump I bought, and I sold the boppy and a lot of other stuff on craigslist.
-crib aquarium soother thing (glad we never got a mobile)

Things I used but could have lived without:
-receiving blankets. I used them to cover him during winter, but could have done with 1 or 2.
-bundle me: I almost didn''t use it at all, but then the winter here took a really cold snap and we even got snow, so I did use it for a few weeks, but I could have done with heavy blankets if I didn''t have it.
- swing...never worked well (bought used), so I put him in it occasionally, but he was meh about it.

Things I COULD NOT live without that others might disagree on:
-Diaper Dekor pail
-Changing pad (on dresser)...he is 100% more squirmy anywhere else)
-Formula Pitcher to mix the formula (the Dr. Brown''s pitcher) LOVE THIS and still use it!
-Aden and Anais swaddle blankets, then later sleep sacks. He still uses sleep sacks.
-The baby crack machine.
-Big bulky Graco stroller.

 

[Mara]

i forgot about the Bundle Me. I wanted to use this so badly but it was never cold enough and J was always hot. i had two, i was able to return one but i still have the other one.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 6/26/2010 11:15:18 PM
Author: MonkeyPie

Date: 6/26/2010 9:44:00 PM
Author: Pandora II
Re. wriggly babies and diaper changes...

I got really fed up trying to keep Daisy still so since she was 6 months I''ve had her in the Pamper''s Pull Ups. You just tear down the sides to take them off and it''s really easy to get them on fast plus they don''t have to lie down to do it.

Extra bonus is that they don''t seem to leak... even overnight we almost never have an issue, whereas with the Pamper''s Active and their overnight ones it was always a disaster.

Also easy for husbands... no tabs to mess up!

That''s interesting, I didn''t think they would come small enough for babies that young. A very good idea, I may have to try this when Micah gets older! I hate fighting his instinct to curl his legs up to his chest, it blocks me doing up the tabs. Score!

I only got one thing that I couldn''t really use, and that was the cutesy blankets. I love them, and I have kept them all (I got ten or so), but they have so few uses I have started using them for other things. I put one in his travel stroller because where his back rests was right against the metal supports. I put one over the side of his crib to block the light from the living room at night. I rolled them up to keep him from bonking his head on the crib slats/rolling over. When he gets bigger they may actually get used as blankets but for now they really don''t!

I really like the hooded towels, though. I use Micah''s ducky towel all the time and he loves it because it keeps his head warm and doesn''t fall off like regular towels tend to.

I was suprised about the sizing too, Daisy is also on the dinky side (bought her a top last week in size 4-6 months and it was a perfect fit, anything bigger than size 9 months just looks ridiculous on her) and they fit perfectly.

Oh, should have mentioned, all the swaddling things were a total waste of time and money as Daisy absolutely would not be swaddled.

 

[snlee]

diaper dekor, bundle me, baby bjorn, blankets, sippy cups, hats, j & j''s baby gift set (baby lotion, oils, etc), t shirts (most of the time he was in long sleeve shirts), activity gym/play mat, stuffed animals, sling (I bought this late so I''m hoping I''ll use it a lot with #2)

that''s all I can think of right now but I''m sure there''s more...

 

[janinegirly]

Baby Bjorn carrier. I was kind of bummed b/c I thought I''d be able to cart the baby around and vacuum and do my hair and various things that require 2 hands but she absolutely hated it. She hated any kind of constrainment really (so swaddles also got no use).

 

[sbde]

cute "outfits" for 0-3 mth old babies.

they just never LOOKED comfortable and so i kept my son in footed sleepers or onesie+swaddler almost exclusively for the first 3-4 months.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I wish I could post my mailing address so you could all send me your unused stuff! One man''s junk is another man''s treasure after all!

 

[Mara]

Date: 6/28/2010 10:26:56 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
I wish I could post my mailing address so you could all send me your unused stuff! One man''s junk is another man''s treasure after all!

ha ha come back here in 4-5 months and you will be like ''we are overrun with random items we never used and/or the babe''s closet is overflowing''...!! people give you SO much stuff even after they are born, it''s ridiculous! i was worried we didn''t have everything we needed for the kid and now i can''t even use 1/2 of what we have (just in general).

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I just look at my baby registry, look at the shower attendee list, look back at the registry, look at my bank account and want to cry...I NEED that monogrammed wipe warmer dammit!

Totally kidding about the wipe warmer BTW

 

[sbde]

Date: 6/28/2010 2:42:46 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
I just look at my baby registry, look at the shower attendee list, look back at the registry, look at my bank account and want to cry...I NEED that monogrammed wipe warmer dammit!

Totally kidding about the wipe warmer BTW

haha don''t kid just yet HH - monograms aside, a wipe warmer was one of my BEST buys given the freezing New England winters. i''ve used it 2 consecutive winters with my little one, and will be using it with baby #2 as well.

 

[winelover23]

Hands down that stupid boppy thing. I want to attack the person who invented the boppy w/ a boppy. Boppy shmoppy.

 

[phoenixgirl]

I am having some kind of memory lapse/selective memory and I can't remember anything I've gotten being totally useless, though some things have been more useful than others.

Here are the items which I have found to have short shelf-lives:
*Bottle Microwave steamer (used first month or two)
*Infant swing (first three months)
*Snug Rider (first six months)
*Bumbo (started around 3.5 months, losing usefulness now at
*Amy Coe sling (first three months)
*Miracle Blankets (used first 14 weeks)

Items that others have found useless which I use daily:
*Boppy (not just for BFing -- good for tummy time and learning to sit)
*Shopping cart cover (baby still too small to be sturdy in cart without it, but too big to ride around in carseat)
*Diaper Genie II
*changing table and pad

Never got:
*wipes warmer
*bedding set

We have an umbrella stroller, but it's the Maclaren Volo so it does have a canopy and storage area. I use it for taking Claire somewhere by car where I won't be getting more than I can carry or store in the bottom of the Volo. We also used it the other night when we walked to a nice restaurant where we didn't think there would be room for our big stroller. Our out and about stroller, the Mutsy 4Rider Light, does fit in the back of my Matrix, but it is heavy, has to go on its side, and takes up the whole space, so it is not an ideal car stroller.

 

[Puppmom]

This thread is very interesting. We just had our baby shower on Saturday and really aren''t sure where we''ll put everything so I can see how you end up being selective with what you use. I can also see how you can forget that you even have something especially if you''re like me and everything has to be put *away*.

We were fortunate in that my nephew is 5 months old so we''re borrowing a lot of that *short shelf life* stuff from my brother and SIL.

 

[Mara]

lol PG we are STILL using the microwave steamer. that is by far our most USEFUL item since it gets used like 3x a day! and i know you don''t have to keep doing it after a period of time (3-4mo maybe?) but it takes no time extra to just toss the washed bottles/pacis etc in there put some water in and pop it in and then i feel confident it''s ''clean''. and also since i am still pumping i''d be sterilizing anyway. i plan to keep using it til it falls apart!

boppy makes a good pillow for tired mom while she naps hehee...and i have found Portia on it a few times too!!

J still fits in the lamb swing but not for much longer...it goes sooo slow and sounds like it''s about to die when he is in it.

pupp...borrowing stuff is GREAT. we borrowed swing, infant tub, bumbo. all things we knew we didn''t want to buy/keep forever. i would have borrowed more if possible!

 

[lizzyann]

I have to say I agree I didn''t love the boppy, but really I didn''t love it for BF''ing. Works ok for helping the baby sit up but not for BF''ing at least for me personally. I ended up buying the My Breast Friend and as silly as the name is...it truly was a lifesaver! I loved that thing as it was super comfy for me to BF with it and my DS loved it and was very comfy on it. I liked that you can adjust it and literally BF hands free! I told all of my girlfriends to get it!

 

[Mara]

lizzy my friend loves MBF...but it was way too big for me to use comfortably on our couch. she had twins and loved she could just lay one on each side and go to town.

we mostly used the boppy for tummy time when he was learning head control and didn''t want to be totally flat, and now he uses it for helping him sit up on the couch.