5. Safety 1st "Safe Saver" Bathtub, $12.99 - I'm a sucker for any product that says it saves space, but this sink bathtub, while tiny and collapsible, didn't fit in my fairly standard kitchen sink. In fact, it was a hand-me-down from another set of parents, who didn't want it because it didn't fit in their sink. Even when we used it in the bathtub, it felt flimsy and a little unsafe. Luckily, for only $4 more, you can buy the Safety 1st Comfy Bath Center -- which has served us quite well.
4. Timboo baby washcloths - Cute, right? Different shapes, different
colors, and made of organic sustainable bamboo. Except that the
brightly colored dye bled onto everything, and the soft bamboo cloth
left little pieces of lint all over the baby. Maybe that's why Dagny
Baby no longer seems to sell them.
3. Orthodontic pacifiers - Our lactation consultant made us throw these away; apparently, if your baby is having trouble latching, they can exacerbate the problem.
2. Johnson's Nursing Pads - They're bulky, the adhesive doesn't work, and if they get wet they completely soak through.
1. Avent Bottles: Newborn Starter Set - We registered for a bunch of these thanks to the persuasive wiles of Babies R Us. Not only did our baby hate the hard plastic nipple, but the freakin things leaked every time we tried to use them. Our friend, who uses these bottles with her toddler, says the leaking thing stops when you get used to tightening the bottles correctly. But as the parent of a newborn, my hand-eye coordination was not that advanced, and I wound up returning 2 boxes to the store.
