As a new mum you're totally spoiled for choice when it comes to baby products. The market is completely saturated and it seems that there's a gadget or product for every stage of baby's development. It goes without saying that in such a lucrative market where panic buying is at a high and real consumer knowledge is unfortunately low, some companies can manipulate this to their advantage and make new mummies to be feel like they need EVERYTHING in order to be a successful parent. Not true.
Although with this being said there are a few items out there that albeit are not essential but just make your life a little easier with a new baby. I don't want to product bash here but going on personal experience these are the products I wish I'd never bought or asked for on my newborn gift list either because they just don't do what they say on the box or I found them a complete waste of our cash.
Tommee Tippee Sangenic
First of all it's initial price of £25 is a little steep therefore making it's promotional price online and in most store of £12.50 a little more inviting. Do not let that fool you - the costs don't end there. Once the cassette of bin liners/nappy sacks have run out you'll have to pay a staggering £12 for 3 replacements. £12 for nappy sacks?! Seriously? Most mummies I know have ended up ditching this idea and used their own nappy sack instead and used it as a bin on it's own but believe me, that will last for a day before you end up completely disgusting yourself with the fact there is baby wee & poo sitting in that beautiful nursery that you spent so long saving up to perfect into a sanctuary any baby would be delighted to spend time in.
My honest advice? Spend the cash on a pair of easy to slip out outside slippers and leave them at your garden door so you can just get rid of that stinky little package as soon as you can.
Blooming Bath
You'll have probably seen this super cute product all over instagram & an abundance of little beauties organically emerging from the bloom of the beautiful flower sink cushion/support. I was one of those new mums. I seen this and instantly fell in love with the concept. I mean, who wouldn't want their babe bathing in a sunflower, right? WRONG.
First of all it seemed like foreeeeeever had passed before Ella could even go inside this. As much as it is described as a sink bath support there is literally NO support. It actually made bath times pretty difficult rather than the convenience the product claimed as you have to physically hold your little one and try to wash them too which when you are new to the parenting game and you already feel like you should have grown another few extra limbs after childbirth to help you look after this little one in the coming months it can be so difficult and super frustrating.
It's like a sponge! The amount of water this holds is actually incredible which means unless you manage to squeeze it out and then throw it in the tumble dryer after every bath time (which let's face it - ain't nobody got time for that!) then it is constantly damp. Dampness also leaves an ideal breeding ground for mould to flourish which is not only unhygienic but dangerous for little ones. A big thumbs down from me, especially at £40 it's totally not worth the hassle.
First of all it seemed like foreeeeeever had passed before Ella could even go inside this. As much as it is described as a sink bath support there is literally NO support. It actually made bath times pretty difficult rather than the convenience the product claimed as you have to physically hold your little one and try to wash them too which when you are new to the parenting game and you already feel like you should have grown another few extra limbs after childbirth to help you look after this little one in the coming months it can be so difficult and super frustrating.
It's like a sponge! The amount of water this holds is actually incredible which means unless you manage to squeeze it out and then throw it in the tumble dryer after every bath time (which let's face it - ain't nobody got time for that!) then it is constantly damp. Dampness also leaves an ideal breeding ground for mould to flourish which is not only unhygienic but dangerous for little ones. A big thumbs down from me, especially at £40 it's totally not worth the hassle.
Manual Breast Pump
When I started to breastfeed Ella, I soon realised that it was going to be both physically and emotionally demanding. In a bid to allow Fraser to help out with the feeds I bought a manual breast pump so I could express some milk into a bottle and allow him to take a turn if I needed to pop out, a sleep or just some 'me time' (a rarity when you're a new mum).
Now, besides from feeling like a total farm animal in one of the oddest situations I think I've found myself in to date my hand was completely exhausted within about 5 minutes. I was putting in maximum effort and receiving minimum results. I think it took me about 15 minutes to get 2oz of milk and by which point the pump had suctioned my nipples into an oblivion where they now resembled massive straws.. like honestly they were about an inch long it was both hilarious and terrifying! By this point I'd just resigned myself to the reality that I'd just be quicker feeding her myself.
The manual pump also made me a little anxious that I was not producing enough milk but my lactation consultant said that the manual pump is difficult to use and because unlike an electric one it does not mimic the same movements that a baby makes to stimulate the milk production. This time I will be using an electric pump so with my already pessimistic views I will see how that goes.
A Lifetime Supply of Johnson's
I think I must have had about 4 of everything. The stuff smells unbelievable & I understand the appeal BUT it's so highly perfumed which isn't good for super sensitive baby skin. We are benefitting from this now as I don't think we have had to buy any baby wash or shampoo for Ella since she was born and at the moment we love using the Johnson's range but when your baby is brand new you should opt for something more appropriate for their delicate skin. I'm convinced this is how Ella ended up with cradle cap because we washed her hair with the shampoo and from then on she struggled with the dryness in her scalp. My advice would be : listen to the midwife! Simple warm water can do the job. Babies don't tend to get dirty often so unless they're sick or have a nappy explosion they don't need daily bathing (like we did with Ella, lesson learned!). Trust me, once you have a 19 month old who likes to get their hands into everything you'll know what real mess really is!!
Insulated Bottle Bag
They seemed like a good idea at the time but it just ended up being another thing to carry along with us and something else to store in the kitchen when they're not being used. The insulated bottle bags are pretty self explanatory, they're used to maintain your baby's bottle temperature but unless you're in adverse climate conditions they're really just a waste of £15. The advice is that baby's bottle should be room temperature which is exactly what Ella's bottles would be if they are kept in the changing bag. Not only this but most changing bags nowadays have a bottle holder inside with insulated lining to ensure the temperature is maintained so to have a separate bag for this job seems pointless.
It's more than likely that there are other products I felt were a waste of valuable cash and maybe Charlie's arrival and first few weeks of life will jog my memory. It's annoying that I could have saved over £100 by not buying these products in the first place but it's a lesson learned!
Are there any baby products you regret buying? Let me know in the comments box or tweet me @mamareidwrites ♡
Agree with most of the items on this that we've tried too! The bin..UGH waste of money big time!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting - our baby isn't here yet and we already have about 4 things from your list, luckily a lot of them have been given to us second hand so we haven't wasted too much money.
ReplyDeleteLyndsay | Fizzy Peaches
Felt the exact same with Johnsons - it's too harsh and we can always tell the difference on Olivers skin if we use it, which is a shame because I love the night time one!
ReplyDeleteMaisy Meow | Lifestyle and Baby
We were the same - had loads of baby bath and lotions given to us - so luckily we didn't lose any money. That bin is insane - we just have a simple pedal bin that we empty daily.
ReplyDeleteWe have bought the angelcare bin, purely because we live in a flat so getting outside isn't going to be the easiest of things constantly with a newborn! Fingers crossed it works okay ish and the refills last a decent amount of time!
ReplyDeleteI want to breastfeed too and express, we still haven't bought anything BUT the electric pumps are a lotttt of money, but I think I might just have to bite the bullet and do it because inch long nipples and sore hands for such little milk deffo don't sound great 🙈 Bless you!!
xx
Love reading these posts as I always find them so interesting to compare experiences of products. Absolutely love your brutal honesty in this post and the bit about the manual pump nipples make me laugh out loud.
ReplyDeleteJenna at Tinyfootsteps xx
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ReplyDeletewow! This is really interesting - our baby isn't here yet and we already have about 4 things from your list, luckily a lot of them have been given to us second hand so we haven't wasted too much money. Check out the Best Baby Product Reviews. Thanks!
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