So being a first time mom, I have made plenty of mistakes along the way. In general, I am definitely guilty of buying too much when it comes to Parker, but there have also been items we just have not used or did not work well. Looking back, I rounded up a few of the more costly purchases I made that ended up being a bit of a disappointment in the long run. I’m not saying that these products don’t work well for some people, but they did’t work well for us for various reasons. Hopefully this helps someone out there avoid making the same mistakes! I know this list is much shorter than it would have been if I hadn’t read other similar posts from other blogs ahead of time. So read on and save some of that money for your kid’s college fund:
ErgoBaby Carrier:
I mentioned this in my post for newborn must haves, but we ended up using our wrap so much more when Parker was little. I always had trouble putting this on or taking it off by myself. When Parker got older, she began hating being confined, so we ended up carrying her on our hip or putting her in the shopping cart or stroller and letting her walk when she can. So in the end, we really did not end up using the carrier very much. That said, I know plenty of people who love their carrier and got tons of use out of it. So this one may be unique to us…Either way, be sure to try before you buy.
Baby Exersaucer:
These are the stationary units that have toys and a bar across the top that allow the baby to stand with support around them. We registered for ours and got this as a gift (thank you to my Dad and Stepmom!). Luckily ours converted from a playmat/activity gym into the actual exersaucer, and we did get a lot of use out of the infant mat. However, once that converted into the standing version, Parker hated being in it. She would cry pretty much instantly when you put her in. If she liked it, I am sure we would have used it more, but I would recommend borrowing one from a friend or trying it out somehow before purchasing to be sure that your baby likes. Also, my adorable little monster ripped one of the plastic toys off of the front of this one of the few times she didn’t throw a fit when we put her in it. So these can often be fairly breakable as well.
Puj Tub – Soft Foldable Infant Bath Tub:
This is a soft foldable tub that I bought for a trip we were taking after realizing we wouldn’t be able to take along the 4moms tub. I found that using it in a regular sink (not a kitchen sink) did not leave enough space between the baby and the faucet (especially since most bathroom sinks have a low faucet), and I didn’t like putting the unregulated faucet directly on my baby. I also felt like it slipped out of place, and it was difficult to keep steady. The idea is good in theory, but this was a bust for us. In the future if we have another baby, for traveling, I would either do a wash-cloth wipe down/hair rinse without any tub for a quick trip or tote our bigger tub with us for a longer stay.
Sophie the Giraffe:
Now I would say this is less of a regret, and more of an overhyped product. You will see this teething toy mentioned in countless blogs, videos, and I am sure tons of your friends with kids have or had them. I just don’t get what the big deal is about this one. It’s $25, and my daughter didn’t love it any more than any other toy she had. In fact, if anyone in our family loved it…it was Charlie, our Puggle, who stole it away and tore it’s sad little legs off. No more $25 teethers for us after that.
WubbaNub Pacifiers:
This is another product that I personally believe is really overhyped. These are the super adorable ones with an animal attached to the end. Parents rave about these pacifiers, but my daughter never cared for them, despite their adorableness. In fact she only ever used one particular brand of pacifier…ever. I would recommend holding off of buying multiples of any single kind of pacifier and figure out what your baby likes first. Then feel free to stock up as needed.
Those are my major product purchase regrets. Let me know in the comments if you have the same regrets or others you would add to the list!
Sophie was definitely overrated. Finn likes the cheaper teething toys more than he likes Sophie.
We are the opposite of you guys because a Ergo like carrier was much easier for me to use than our wrap. To go to the grocery store/Target it was easier to strap on our Chicco carrier than to make sure the wrap was tight enough that he wouldn’t be sagging down 5 minutes into the trip. Also, wearing him didn’t help me get any chores done around the house so there was no need for the wrap at home. So that wrap was my biggest regret in purchasing. I would definitely try out each option before buying, if possible. If you go the carrier route I would also try different brands I find our Chicco to be easier to use when alone than the Ergobaby; however, it does lack the option of wearing the baby on your back which is a nice option for long hikes.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought Sophie was overrated!
Yeah the wraps and carriers are hard…I feel like it depends so much on the person and the child.