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New baby items - advice

Hi there

I am new so just wanted to say hi and to get some advice. I'm 21 weeks and have started to look at buying some things for our little one. I know that some people (like my Mum) are very superstitious about buying so early but it's all very expensive and I want to buy as I go along.

I've heard that a lot of people buy things that they don't need and end up having to get rid of again and I was wondering if you mums could suggest the bare essentials. I have already been given a Moses basket (which I'm going to get a new mattress for) and a highchair (for later on). I have been on ebay and love the look of the Quinny prams (although i drive everywhere) and like the look of the baby slings.

Anyway - I was wondering if you can think of the real necessary things and the things not worth bothering about.

Athena

Replies

  • I wouldn't buy many clothes as you get given loads and would def think hard about what you really need from your pram- I bought an all singing travel system (M&P Prammette) which I HATE. Car seat is heavy which you'll hate if you need to take in and out a lot and I never put it on the pram once. Total waste of cash.
    I also bought washable nappies which I never used so if you think you might use them buy a few and if you like them get more then.
    I haven't got a monitor either as I don't put lo upstairs unless I'm there too.
    You can get a changing bag free from boots with a voucher (in bounty pack I think),
    Good Luck x
  • I agree with camlo about the clothes, don't buy many, just a few sleepsuits and vests etc at first. Or if you see larger sizes on sale, get them, but you will be given loads of 0-3 month stuff. The same for toys- lo won't need toys at first so don't buy many until you know what presents people get you!

    Main things:
    Cot/cotbed
    Pushchair
    Car seat
    Changing mat / changing table
    Bedding
    A few clothes
    Nappies / baby wipes etc- stock up when you see them on offer
    Muslins- VERY useful, get plenty!
    Monitor- as camlo says you could get away without one depending on your setup, but we use ours a lot

    I'm sure I've forgotten some things, but someone else will be able to tell you if I have!

    Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.
  • hi
    congrats on your pregnancy. I have 5 kids and still i am sooo broody....

    With 5 I sort of know whats what with baby bits etc...

    In my opinion here is what you need

    NEED

    cot/cot bed.

    Good pram that is suitable to your needs/car/space. (I have mamas and papas pliko pramette and lurrrvee it. Baby slept in it (i bought a mattress for it) till she was 10 weeks old)

    change mat

    if you drive a lot then a good car seat with easy on/off base (best is isofix)

    change bag with change mat in..

    feeding stuff....depending on how you feed. BF..pads for you, nipple cream and goo feeding bra's. I find a good V shaped pillow really good for feeding too. If Bottle feeding...sterliser, bottle brushes for cleaning, 6 bottles, formula.

    Infacol...best to have it in.

    Infant ear thermometer. It puts your mind at rest if you think baby is hot.

    Room thermometer. for same reason as above

    Nappies, cott wool, top and tail bowl. sudocrem, simple or infaderm bub bath and shampoo rather than johnsons.

    4 to 5 vests, 4 to 5 sleep suits, 2 pairs of scratch mits, couple of cardigans and/or snow suit depending on season!

    4 blankets (2 cellulor and 2 warmer ones )

    4 stretch covers for pram, moses or cot

    NICE TO HAVE

    coming home nice outfit with cutie hat etc..
    baby bath or a support to go in your bath..saves your back!!!
    nice fluffy baby towels
    cot mobile
    monitor to hear baby in other rooms
    lullaby light show
    baby changing box to keep it all in handy.
    another changing mat for upstairs
    Muslin clothes
    changing table. Mine is about 5 years old and still going strong. I love the way it saves your back and somewhere to keep all essentials.

    WASTE OF SPACE (in my opinion)

    Moses baskets..my babies all hated them.
    Fancy prams with i pod dockers, etc etc...
    loads of clothes. They grow so quickly and you get bought so many for them
    nappy bins... they still smell and a pain to empty..


    That is just my experience...everyone different. :\)

    Hope it helps.

    BTW I not at all superstitious but I tend to wait till 30 weeks ish till I buy. However, some shops you have to order prams, cots etc.. well in advance.


    [Modified by: dee dee on December 14, 2008 05:54 PM]

  • Things NOT to get :P

    Cot top changer, total waste of money, didnt use it once, and they re heavy and you are not supposed to keep them on cot while baby is in there ... so they take space in the room.

    Baby bath with inbuilt seat, really uncomfy! Much easier with a simple baby bath and that foam type supporter.

    Things to get:

    BIBS, even my breastfed baby goes through a lot! because I have fast letdown, the first few mins milk flows out of my baby's mouth, so if no bib, he gets all wet! And as someone mentioned - MUSLINS, love em, use them for tons of things (put in my boy's willy at nappy change so he doesn't shoot right on me, great burp cloth, great drool cloth, etc etc).

    BE careful with clothes, as now it is winter season, some of them might not be useful for you when your baby is here (e.g. too warm, too cold). For example, you might not even need a snow suit, so don't buy one in size 0 - 3! And so on!

    DON'T get a big pack of baby toiletries, for example Johnson's box sets ... I got one, not using any of the products now, as my boy gets dry skin from Johnson's!

    I would get a sleeping bag, at first you won't be able to use (first few weeks, as baby a bit too small) but after it is fab!

    A toy which people tend to delay on but is great from about a month old is a playmat with toys hanging from above, it is a great first thing for a baby to look at. Parents tend to get them a bit late though, but it is a great thing from almost the very start.

    Also might consider, a bouncy chair or a swing, as it is reassuring (can strap the baby in and be sure he is not gonna fall out) and they like it, most can be used from birth.

    For the moment can't remember anything else that hasn't been mentioned.
  • Dee Dee has covered everything I can think of!

    Well done you image

    xx
  • Girls - that's brilliant. You have saved me from buying loads of rubbish (example a nappy bin)!

    I'm just so excited. It's my first baby and I don't really know anyone else around here who has had a baby recently, so any advice is really appreciated.

    I know this may sound daft but how many nappies do newborns go through? And how many of each size should I buy? This nappy thing is a science.... Also, I have read a posting about Pampers and most people don't sound too fussed!

  • i found my baby bath a complete waste of money brooke used it once then we put her in the big bath on a bath sponge which are like a fiver! they are fab!! xx
  • New babies go through a fair few nappies a day but to be honest I wouldn't stock up on too many of any of them. Different brands can be better for some babies than others and if you (like me!) stock up on one type and size you'll be annoyed if they leak/smell etc etc. I would buy one or 2 packs of newborn nappies and one or 2 of the next size up and leave it at that till your lo arrives. I bought loads of newborn ones and because she was almost 10lbs born, they didn't fit her for very long so I was left with loads!!
    Congratulations by the way!!
    xx
  • I may be repeating others so apologise in advance!

    Pram - if you drive everywhere it would probable be worth you getting one that the car seat clips to - I used this on mine far more than I expected as its easier than taking lo out of car seat especially when they are asleep!

    Moses basket - My lo only used hers for 6 weeks - you'll need quite a few sheets that fit it. And a few celular blankets - these are the ones with holes - recommended incase lo does pull it over thier face they can still breath.

    My lo's bouncy chair has been very well used - the vibrating ones are great as they help to settle lo, get rid of wind and can help them poo....my lo used to fall asleep in it which was great as she wouldn't sleep in her moses basket during the day......

    Slingbaby carrier - this is one thing I wish i'd looked into more before I had lo - she's a very clingy baby and we decided to get one when she was about a week old - my dh choose a baby bjorn - it's been fantastic but now I'm looking into getting one that lasts longer as you can only use the baby bjorn up till a certain weight.

    Personally, I use my nappy bin - I got the tomme tippee one but also got a voucher for a free one (cant remember brand) in hospital bounty pack. I dont twist it everytime though as it got too full too quickly, I've only bought one pack of refils and have only just had to get more nappy sacks as the ones I was given when pregant lasted me so long!

    Nappies - get some size 1's and size 2's - lo's go through quite a lot to begin with! I think we got 6 small packs and used them all before moving onto size 2's. Look out for offers though - tescos and sainsburys did a free huggies basket of things if you registered with their clubcard/baby clubs. Also, boots give you a free change bag when you sign up to thier club and buy nappies.

    Lots of cotton wool - for 'top and tailing'. Sudacrem.
    I was giving lots of johnson products and havn't used them - I use infacare in the bath as it's for sensitive skin and kind to the skin.
    I didn't get a top and tail bowl as I'd heard it was a waste of money but got one a fews dats after lo was born and use it everyday. I still use it everyday and she's 5 months now.

    If you get vests and babygrows - only open and wash 1 pack of each to begin with - then you can exchange unopened packets for a larger size if you find you dont need them - mothercare are great at this. I only got given size 0-3 clothes from a couple of people as my lo was 8lb 14oz, she got 3-6 months instead so I used nearly everything we had bought ourselves.

    We got lots of tommee tippee stuff 1/2 price from tescos so watch out to seeif they do it again - sterilizer, breast pump, breast pads, bottles. My lo is bf but i've still used my sterilzer for the occasional bottle feed, breastpump, bottles for water, dummys and spoons/pots when I started weaning until I learnt that putting them through dishwasher was fine.

    If you think you might give lo a dummy then it's worth buying a pack so it's there if you need it - we decided to give it to our lo in the middle of a very bad night - was great to have it there if needed.

    Ypu could look in the sales for babies first christmas things ready for next year! I was only 3 months pregnant last year so didn't - we started buying more things once I'd had my 2nd scan.

    The one thing both our parents were suspicious about was not having the pram in our house so it sat in the garage until she was born!

    Good luck!

    Lisa

  • hi...forgot a bouncy vibrating seat. The jungle one from Fisher price is lovely. TBH you think you will never shop again once they are born but you do and you will. its nice to go on shopping trip with lo.l

    Lastly...get LOADS of sanitary towels for you...I mean loads... Mothercare do packs of them. I bought 5 and still wasnt enough. Also, (tmi i know) i bought cheap white pants as the blood ruins your nice pants. I threw these in bleach if really bad...

    d xxxx
  • Garfield....I charge by the hour if you need any advice..ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!

    d xx
  • One thing I am really glad that I bought was a changing unit. It doesn't have to cost a fortune, mine is a Mama's & Papa's one that I got on ebay for about ??30. I am quite tall and bending over to change bubs on a change mat gives me awful backache, but the unit is just the right height.

    I have a vibrating seat and my LO hates it, screams if I put it on. She absolutely loves her play mat with the hanging down toys so that is well worth having, and when they're small you know they'll still be there if you leave them for a moment, they can't fall off it! Also she sometimes falls asleep on it, so I just cover her over with a blanket amd she can stay there as long as she likes.

    Definitely second a car seat with base that just lifts in/out of the car - it's soooo much easier! Your choice of buggy may be limited by the size of your car boot, they take up more room than you may think!

    We use our monitor loads, didn't until a month ago (when she was 3 months old) but now we use it daily. We've got the BT Monitor 150 and it's really clear, tells you the room temperature and plays nursery rhymes.

    Good luck x
  • I found the swing I bought an absolute godsend and am just sorry he has grown out of it now! Guaranteed sleep within a few minutes think will put this in the comments when I finally get around to putting it on ebay!

    DO NOT waste your money on one of those glo egg thermometer things. Tommy is my 3rd baby and because of this one item I was in a mad frenzy for days - the temperature was permanently toooo hot and when my 1 rational brain cell kicked in I realised the room was way cooler than the hospital ward! (A comment I will not be putting when the thing goes on ebay!)

    The other ladies have covered most things but I would add - the muslims - INVALUABLE and I got mine from Ikea as they worked out the best bargain I could find but with the sales coming I suppose you could get them just as cheap everywhere!

    Good luck hon
    xxxxx
  • A swing is a life saver! i had the 'i love my bear' one which my lo loved but didn't do much or wasn't very stimulating for the amount it cost!
    I didn't have a bouncer for last baby but will be getting one for this baby as i found sometimes one would have been useful.
    I got given a nappy bin and ended up giving it away to someone else, who lives in a flat and she says its very useful for her but i never needed it!
    Some have mentioned muslins but i never used mine!
    The egg thermometer was given as a present but when i showed temp was just right the room was freezing and visa versa! didn't use it long!
    Think everyone has covered everything! a small pram if you drive, i had a big pram and hated it and quickly put him in a buggy!
    Just don't get carried away before the birth, once you have had the baby, you will discover what you need then you will have fun buying things afterwards too! and you get to walk round the shops showing off your lo its great! lol

    http://women.evenhealth.com/image/c/bg963414.jpg

  • A swing is a life saver! i had the 'i love my bear' one which my lo loved but didn't do much or wasn't very stimulating for the amount it cost!
    I didn't have a bouncer for last baby but will be getting one for this baby as i found sometimes one would have been useful.
    I got given a nappy bin and ended up giving it away to someone else, who lives in a flat and she says its very useful for her but i never needed it!
    Some have mentioned muslins but i never used mine!
    The egg thermometer was given as a present but when i showed temp was just right the room was freezing and visa versa! didn't use it long!
    Think everyone has covered everything! a small pram if you drive, i had a big pram and hated it and quickly put him in a buggy!
    Just don't get carried away before the birth, once you have had the baby, you will discover what you need then you will have fun buying things afterwards too! and you get to walk round the shops showing off your lo its great! lol

    http://women.evenhealth.com/image/c/bg963414.jpg

  • A swing is a life saver! i had the 'i love my bear' one which my lo loved but didn't do much or wasn't very stimulating for the amount it cost!
    I didn't have a bouncer for last baby but will be getting one for this baby as i found sometimes one would have been useful.
    I got given a nappy bin and ended up giving it away to someone else, who lives in a flat and she says its very useful for her but i never needed it!
    Some have mentioned muslins but i never used mine!
    The egg thermometer was given as a present but when i showed temp was just right the room was freezing and visa versa! didn't use it long!
    Think everyone has covered everything! a small pram if you drive, i had a big pram and hated it and quickly put him in a buggy!
    Just don't get carried away before the birth, once you have had the baby, you will discover what you need then you will have fun buying things afterwards too! and you get to walk round the shops showing off your lo its great! lol

    http://women.evenhealth.com/image/c/bg963414.jpg

  • We have the BT monitot too - its great, we started using it straight away as a thermometer and started using it properly at about 12 weeks.

    I forgot about the playmat! I was given the safari one sold in mothercare and it's fantastic - to begin with my lo would just lie and look at the toys, then she started to knock them, then grab them - she can pull down the elephant now as it pulls down and moves back up, and now at 5 months, shes rolling onto her tummy and touching the mat bits - and it plays tunes and flashes.....
  • Thanks so much - It's great to get your advice!
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