Philips Avent 4-in-1 baby food maker
Beautifully made and used only a handful of times in our kitchen. A small bowl and four parts to wash for a few spoonfuls of puree. I would look at what my existing equipment can do before buying a separate machine again.
The valved soft-spout cup that did not suit us
The design didn't work as I had hoped at seven months. I would check the exact model and its instructions before buying a similar one, rather than assume every cup works the same way.
Teething biscuits and rusks
The ones we tried were mostly sugar and refined flour, and the hard ones snapped into exactly the chunks the choking guidance warns about. We stopped offering them; I can't promise anything soothes teething.
The twelve-pack of printed cotton bibs
Sponges with velcro. They caused the rash they were meant to prevent. Regift them.
The scented wipes we stopped using
His skin reacted after one particular pack; I stopped it and the rash cleared with water and cotton. That tells me what happened at home, not which ingredient did it.
The thin scented cream I would rethink
The one I had was a light moisturiser with fragrance, and it didn't act as a barrier for us. A zinc-oxide cream did. Your experience may differ.
Besan and haldi paste
Tradition says yes, his skin said no. Drying, staining, and no evidence it does anything a wash doesn't.
Cot bumpers, pillows and soft toys in the cot
Pretty in photos, not in the sleep safety guidance. Keep the cot bare for the first year.
Fleece or 2.5 TOG sleeping bags
Not suited to our room at 24°C; check the manufacturer's temperature and sizing guidance for yours rather than treating our experience as a rule.
Loose blankets in the cot
Kicked off, pulled up, or both. The AAP says no loose bedding in the first year anyway.
Bright white LED night lights and projector lamps
Lovely in the shop. At 3am they're a floodlight, and the music ones have a volume problem of their own.
The giant panda, and any soft toy in the cot
Suffocation risk under one, dust-mite reservoir always. Cupboard, not cot.
Anything that sings the alphabet
The study says it makes you go quiet. The batteries say it costs more every month. Toy library.
A 'baby' tablet or learning laptop
A screen with a cartoon face on it is still a screen. Under two the guidance says none; over two, the real tablet with you beside him is no worse and far cheaper.
The nine-kilo premium stroller with the cup holder
Meet your pavement before you buy wheels. Ours lived in the hall for two years.
A travel cot
Every hotel we stayed in had one or a bed we could floor-mattress. Carried it twice, used it never.