5 of my Least favorite baby items

We all get gifted certain items during our pregnancy. For the most part we're grateful that we have them. I mean, anytime we don't have to spend our own money is helpful to us in the long run. However, though they mean well, there are a few baby items I have some dislikes about.

While reading this, please remember that all babies are different and while these items didn't work for me, they might work for someone else.

Baby Bathtub

The baby bathtub we were gifted has some great things about it. It also has some really annoying things. When we knew we were going to have our son we thought about where bathtime might be. Our kitchen sink is a double so too small for bathtime really. Our bathtub is on the fritz so that's a no go. In light of these shortcomings I turned to baby bathtubs. There are several out there and while any bathtub that was meant to be set inside a bigger bathtub was out of the question, there were plenty of miniature bathtubs made just for babies!

I knew I wanted one that could grow with the baby. I didn't want to have to buy another bathtub sometime down the road. So I started my search for a 3-1 or 4-1 bathtub. I Initially wanted the Skip Hop Baby Bathtub 3-Stage however we were gifted a lovely bathtub that was also a 3-stage tub. It was the Summer Gentle Support Multi-Stage tub and it was a very nice bathtub. However, there are some very annoying aspects about it that I really hate.

1. The Gentle Pad Molds
2. Hanging Arm is Weak
3. Snap system to seat doesn't look like the picture at all

The soft pad that baby lays in is thick foam and the material gets moldy after just a couple of baths. Even hanging the thing to dry doesn't seem to help. It has to be washed by itself in the washing machine at least once a week. It can't be washed by hand and hung to dry. Anytime I have tried to wash it by hand and hang it to dry it has gotten mold on the edges. That makes zero sense because the instructions for cleaning it are, wash on cold cycle and line dry.

It also comes with an arm on the back that is supposed to allow you to hang the whole unit up to dry. However, I found the arm is seriously weak and looked as though it would snap off sending the bathtub crashing down onto the shower floor.

There is a snap system on this bathtub that goes from Newborn to Infant. The picture shows the straps completely flat and straight but trust me, they aren't. What this means is my son gets his foot up and under this strap all the time during baths and I constantly have to keep an eye on his feet. He's getting squirmier by the day. It is nice that this particular bath comes with two small cups and if you upgrade you can get the one with a mobile on it. If you don't mind washing the pad every week, don't care about storing it in your tub/shower; and don't mind that the snap system isn't completely like the picture; then this bathtub would be a good purchase. I'm a mom on a budget and I can't really afford to wash this thing every week. I'm on the hunt for a way to keep the mold away.

The Summer Bathtub does come with a seat meant for babies 6-9 months old and eventually they can sit inside the tub without the seat. So if you have an apartment with only a shower, this bathtub is pretty useful and without the seat and pad inside the tub, the arm will support the bathtub itself.

Microfiber Baby Washcloths

What I was thinking buying these microfiber baby wash cloths is beyond me. I also bought way too many. I only use wash cloths to cover my son so he doesn't get too cold and to wash his face. Otherwise I just use my hands to wash him during baths. You want soft wash cloths for their face since baby skin is very sensitive. The microfiber ones I got shed in the wash and the bath, the texture is annoying and they get super heavy when wet. Duh, they are microfiber. I would have instead purchased these wash cloths from Simple Joys by Carter's. The 10-Pack Washcloth Assorted Set would be by choice, or any washcloth by Carter's really. Their 6-pack of Washcloths are a pretty good deal and better than microfiber!

What I don't like about these:

1. They Pill and Shed
2. Not comfortable against skin
3. Heavy when wet
4. Attract every other organism in my washing machine (Hair, fuzz and fabric from other clothing)

These things make these wash cloths really annoying to deal with. I feel like they aren't very soft either so it makes washing my son with them not very pleasant.

V-Tech Baby Monitor

I know there are hundreds of different cameras and they all have different features; but you'd think being able to see your baby would be a main one to think of. The issues of this camera really annoy the snot out of me, despite it's nice features, the placement of this camera is not ideal. For a small budget, I was hoping to be able to move this camera to and from other rooms in order to maximize the usage. Now it's solely fixed in my nursery, which means I can't use it anywhere else in the house.

What I didn't like about it:

1. Hard Placement

2. Camera is zoomed in too far to begin with (can't see whole crib)

3. Must be mounted on the wall to get any productive use

We were gifted the V-Tech Digital 5" Video Monitor with Nightlight and while this monitor has good quality video and pretty decent night vision, using it is a complete pain in the butt. Firstly, if you set it flat on any table you cannot see down into a crib, bassinet or Pack n' Play; which makes it pretty darn annoying. You get a mount for it but it has to be screwed into the wall and turned almost completely horizontal in order to see down into the crib.

Secondly, this camera is zoomed in incredibly far to begin with. Placing our monitor on the wall to the side of our crib meant we had to mount it almost 6 feet up the wall, just to see the majority of the crib.

Aside from those takeaway's, the nightlight is very nice and the range on the monitor is very good.

I would instead purchase this monitor:Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor with Interchangeable Optical Lens

This camera has a wide range of viewing the room and is able to be set on a higher surface to see into the crib. I will probably purchase this camera later on when my son is a more active baby (Sitting/Standing in the crib).

Footed Pajamas

These things are the cutest I have ever seen, but if your baby has longer legs than buying these are a waste of money. That is, depending on the brand, because sizing is just as wonky in baby clothing as it is in women's clothing. I bought a few different brands in footed pajamas and I came across two very similiar problems.

1. The legs on the pajamas were too big in the beginning

2. The legs on the Pajamas were too short way too soon

3. When too long, baby kept getting foot tucked up inside pajama leg and out of footie

4. When too short, made diaper changes extremely frustrating.

The first problem, my son was 19-inches long when he was born and was 23-inches long by the time he was two months old. That meant that he was too long legged for the Cloud Island Sleep & Play footed pajamas and oddly enough he was the perfect size for the 2- Way Zip Cotton Sleep & Play footed pajamas by Carter's in the size 3-month. This was slightly annoying that my 2-month old was wearing a pajama in the 3-month size, while still wearing 0-3 month Onesies.

If your child falls into the size category of "normal" than footed pajamas are great. However, for me, they only fit for a couple of weeks and then he can't wear them anymore. I instead buy the Zip-Up Footless Sleep & Play by Carter's and Old Navy's Unisex Printed Pajama One-Piece footless Pajamas. My son wears socks with his PJ's at night and he is perfectly content.

If your house/apartment is warm at night the short sleeved zip-up footless pajamas by Old Navy are perfect!

Nursing Pillow

While on my search for useful items I stumbled across a youtube video where the mom was raving about her Boppy pillow. I thought, "Cool, I am going to look into that!", until I discovered it was a 35.00 pillow.

So, when I ordered my nursing bras I got this huge stack of gift cards and in one of them was a free 50.00 towards a "Nursing Pillow" all I had to do was pay shipping. I went on the site and found a cute blue one that I thought would be great. Things I did not like about it:

1. Too Small
2. No Strap
3. Not enough cush (Baby Sank into the pillow)

I received the pillow and it was so tiny! It was so small and plush that nursing my son would have been impossible. I thought, no big deal I got it for 14.99! So I now use it for his tummy time. It's small, machine washable and if it gets throw up on it, no big deal. However, I would not repurchase this again; unless buying for the specific purpose of using it for tummy time/Protection when sitting up alone.

If you had a bigger baby, like 8-10lb Newborn this pillow would not work at all. My one month old sinks into it. It's just not firm enough. Now, a talented seamstress could form a foam piece to insert into it on a tight budget.

I actually ended up purchasing the Boppy Best Latch and I love it soooo much more than the small and puny nursing pillow. Of all the brands of nursing pillows Boppy, Mombo, Leachco and of course My Breast Friend; my Boppy Best Latch has been the best purchase.

Unlike the My Nursing Pillow the Boppy Best Latch has a strap and two sides that you can use to nurse on. It has a cushy side and a foam side. The foam doesn't smell, which is a plus; and the cushy side is firm enough to not let baby sink down into it. I do find it helpful to put a baby blanket underneath the side you are nursing on to help lift the pillow up.

I didn't care for the My Breast Friend because it was strictly foam and no cush.

All the things out there for Mama's and Babies, these are just a few that I really haven't liked thus far. I have many more brands to try in the future, plus making my own baby food will be an adventure worth writing about!

As always please remember to always place baby to sleep on his/her back, take any blankets, stuffed animals or toys out of the crib/Pack N Play to ensure your baby has a safe sleep environment. Always make sure your baby is wearing well fitting pajamas/swaddle/sleep sack to bed and cannot get them up by his/her face. : ) For any additional questions or info contact your Baby's doctor.... or your Mom. : )

For advice on baby clothes and my favorites check out my other articles on Baby Stuff!

"May you walk the road less traveled"