baby due shortly - essentials required?

M007

Baby is due in two months. There are thousands of items you can buy but what in people's experience are essential?

Is there any great price difference between buying here or the north for the bigger items?

Thanks in advance for help

Lola92

Well, the very basics.

- Something for baby to wear: Vests, hats and onesies. A couple of cardi's for trips out. Nappies, cloth or disposible - lots of options available.

- Somewhere for baby to sleep: Cot, co-sleeper, crib, moses basket, your own bed (if you want to go with safe co-sleeping) and cellular blankets.

- Something for baby to eat: Boobs or bottles and sterilising equiptment.

- Transport: Rear facing infant car seat is essential if you drive. I would highly recommend a sling (lots of types available check out babywearing ireland), or you may want a buggy ( make sure it is one that fully reclines and is suitable from birth or else a travel system with a carrycot, you can get an endless amount of types at all budgets, some that covert to doubles, can be configured differently facing forward or rear etc.

Muslin cloths are great for burping and a multitude of other things.
Cotton pads/balls and vaseline great for early days of nappies.

Other than that it is all frills and personal preference really. If you are offered a loan of baby bath etc great but I wouldn't buy one as they get such a short time from them.

I did find the bouncer great to be able to put her in it and run to the loo or have a bite to eat, and I could bring it into the bathroom while I showered. I also wouldn't have been without our braun in ear thermometer, great to have in the house and will have plenty of use over the years.

I would leave off buying the likes of a high chair until you get to the weaning stage around 6 months.

MurdyWurdy

I just had my baby the other day and the things I've found so helpful so far, apart from the usual babygros etc are a v shaped pillow (take it to the hospital!) - great for feeding but also baby likes to sleep propped up in it and I also have a rocker/bouncer thing for the sitting room that he loves so far. He's conked out in it now

Also, my baby is scratching his face really badly - like tearing at it but luckily I have 6 babygros with those mitten hands on them that fold over so they are the only ones I'm using (I got them in Next). He rips normal mittens off and also SIDS charities don't recommend the use of them. The other babygros are not getting a look in!

Also, using lots of muslin cloths and cellular blankets but that's all we've been needing really.

I intended to breastfeed exclusively but having trouble doing it so we're doing combination feeding with my expressing some of my milk - I had bought an electric pump and a starter bottle set with steriliser and I'm so glad I did -otherwise Daddy would be running to the shops and I had bought both when they were on sale. Things don't always work out the way you plan so glad I was prepared!

Moonbeam

It depends on where up north but yes in general we still find it cheaper.
Formula is cheaper up there again,nappies are cheaper.
Buggies are cheaper,cots are cheaper.

There is a shop in Greenbank on the Warren Point road coming out of Newry called Babyztore, I find them nice but I discovered it after we bought nearly everything from kiddicare.com.