Hindsight is 20/20, Part II

Yesterday, I gave you my list of maternity and post partum products that I thought were a waste of money. As promised, I'm now turning to baby gear. The following is a list of things that I purchased or have thought of purchasing for Landon that proved to be useless or not worth it...

Itzbeen Timer-This is one of my most regretted purchases because looking back, why didn't I think a notepad and pen would suffice?

This little electronic timer lets you know how long its been since your baby last ate, had a diaper change and slept. I guess it's okay if you are only concerned with what has been going on with the baby in the past 2-4 hours. But this gadget doesn't keep track of your child's habits for the long run. To me, it makes much more sense to keep a small notebook for these kinds of details, which is particularly great when you meet with the pediatrician and they ask how often your child is eating, having a dirty diaper, etc. And these are only concerns in the first month or two of the baby's life. After that, keeping track becomes an afterthought.

Bath thermometer-I bought this cute thermometer because I wanted to make sure that Landon's bath was never too hot or too cold.

Well, that is just ridiculous! I tried to use this once and then gave up when I couldn't figure out how to read it. Then, I realized that what our nurse in the hospital said was true. Just test the temperature of the water out on the inside of your forearm. If it feels too hot, than the water will be too hot for the baby. If the water is nice and warm, than that's perfect. Well, duh!

Peepee teepee-I think these are kind of meant to be a gag gift more than anything else. But I figured, if I'm having a boy, I need to prevent myself from receiving a golden shower while changing Landon's diaper. This is what Landon has:

These things are so pointless. It falls off the second you put it in place. And if you have a squirmer like my baby (and basically every other baby in the world!), then the chances of this staying on are slim-to-none. The alternative to the Pee Pee Tee Pee is to use a swaddle blanket, towel, or fresh diaper to cover the baby while changing. Or just to work really fast! And no matter what, you will get hit at least once. Don't be surprised!

4-ounce bottles- I learned this the hard way! I have so many 4 ounce bottles that are basically useless now, unless they are to give Landon a snack. He's now eating 6-8 ounces at each feeding. I wish I had bought 8 ounce bottles and that's it. Sure, it may look weird to be giving a very young baby a bottle that looks like it's the size of their body, but it would have saved so much space if we had only bought the larger bottles.


Bottle Warmer-the thought of buying a bottle warmer seems so ridiculous to me. First of all, I heard that it's bad to give babies warm bottles because then all they will drink is warm milk, even when they become toddlers. Second, if you really need to heat up a bottle, there's this stuff called water that's very cheap and always accessible. Just take a big mixing bowl, fill it up with hot tap water, and stick the bottle of milk in the water. Give it a few minutes, a little swirl, and voila! Instantly warmed milk.

Baby Brezza- One thing that irks me about appliances is the amount of counter space they take up in my tiny kitchen! The Baby Brezza, which is a one-step baby food maker, is just one of those things I can do without. It costs a hefty $120. I feel like the cost alone is something that would convert me over to pre-made baby food. However, making baby food is so simple and cheap. All you need is a microwave or stove top (depending on the food) and a food processor, blender or food mill. All which have other uses that grownups can enjoy too. Margaritas anyone?

So, my point with each of these articles is don't be like me. Be smart. Don't waste your money on things that have much more practical and economic alternatives. Tomorrow, I'll be sharing the baby products I can't live without. Hope you stay tuned!