New Mom to Be Help

BizziLizzi

Hi Everyone,
I am 12weeks pregnant,due in July.We are keen to start buying some of the items we will need,especially with the January Sales.A travel system is the first thing on our list and I popped into Mothercare today for a look and the one reccommended I really didnt like!I felt the car seat was very hard and would not be very comfortable for baby. Can anyone recommend a system they have tried and tested? Im hoping to get a 3/4 in 1 system,with pram/car seat/pushhair.
Im hoping for something light/easy fold,good suspension for country roads and of course comfortable for baby!Any advice on particular brands,places to buy or any other things a first time clueless mom might need would be great!!Thank you all xx

spottybananas

We were lucky enough to borrow a Bugaboo Cameleon with Maxi Cosi seat and base. Having used it for 9 months I think would pay for it new...I'd definitely pay for it second hand and buy the car seat new. We were going to buy the iCandy Apple2Pear had we not been given this one. The bugaboo is so light to push and turn, easy to fold and pop in boot, and the seat is great. We also use it a lot on country roads and beaches, and the carrycot was used for daytime naps when he was little. We didn't get much use out of the carrycot set up but it doesn't feel wasted because the same frame becomes the stroller seat.

fro9etb8j5qsl2

Travel systems are kind of like marmite, you either love them or hate them I've heard a lot of people saying they spent loads on one before the baby was born only to find that they get hardly no use out of it when the baby arrived. We bought a graco travel system when I was pregnant with my first and it ended up being so bulky, heavy and cumbersome that we got rid of it after 3 months and bought a baby jogger city mini instead. We've never looked back. Light, easy to steer and easy to fold. They also do a gt model, which is a bit more expensive but has better suspension and wheels for country road walking. The only positive about the travel system was that the car seat was good but it would have been a lot cheaper and less hassle to have just bought a buggy and a separate car seat.

I might be wrong but I think there was a thread dedicated to prams etc here before?

pwurple

Congratulations! Best piece of advice from my friends with babies was to skip the travel system. Very Bulky. Never had one, and honestly saved us time, effort and money. A flat buggy was much easier and more flexible. Car seats plug into them anyway with an adaptor. We got the out n about nipper. Also, if there is a tony kealys near you, we found them to be nicer than mothercare.

Sleep, feed and transport is what you need for newborns,

I would think about a cot, and a monitor if you want to use one. Maybe borrow a bassinet (optional as well!). Ours were in the bassinet 4 weeks and 6 weeks before we moved to cot so made more sense to borrow. Also option of co-sleepers and cot-beds.

Carseat to bring the baby home in, maxicosi is what we got for ours and i would recommend it, seems very popular. Take a look at slings too maybe. Babies just love being close to you, and they are great if the baby has reflux. I found them so handy.

Feeding, have a think about what you want to do and prep for it. Breastfeeding, i could ahve done with some supplies for middle of the night... Lanolin cream and maybe a shield. Bottles, there are different teat sizes etc.

spottybananas

Definitely get a sling, get to a babywearing meet up/library to try some before baby comes.

Whispered

spottybananas wrote: »

Definitely get a sling, get to a babywearing meet up/library to try some before baby comes.

just came in to say this.

My advice would be skip the travel system. Get a car seat and a wrap for now then when baby comes along decides what suits. We got very little use out of our pram tbh

My essential items would be

Car seat
Stretchy wrap
Co-sleeper
Nursing pillow

Then I know other mothers who would find all of them, except the car seat, utterly unnecessary.

You'll find that most if not all the car seats feel a little solid. It's probably for safety reasons, the baby shouldn't have padded clothes on in the car seat either for the same reason.

Congratulations!

fro9etb8j5qsl2

Deffo go to a sling meet and try a few before buying though. I bought a stretchy wrap blind without trying it out with my first baby and it never got used. Tried a few out and got an ergo for no 2 and we love it

mirrorwall14

I did find the travel system excellent... for about 4 months! If you are getting one make sure the pram is rated for overnight as that was the main useful feature for us when travelling to the parents etc.

After that I melted down over it one weekend and got an exceptionally light, single hand fold joie mirrus which I completely adore-waaaaay prefer it to the system.

I hired from the sling library of Ireland before I got my sling

Apart from that:
Rocker (we had the rainforest fisher price one)
Sling (we had the beco Gemini-love it)
Changing bag (we use the free boots one now)
Max cosi with the dual function base (both isofix or belt-this was excellent for different cars)
Next 2 me crib (best purchase ever...)

angeldelight

I'll go against the grain and say I adore my travel system - we have the Uppababy Vista and I love it! Baby is 8 months now and while we've bought a stroller for holidays I only use the uppababy. Our baby slept in the cot from day one but we used Moses basket for daytime naps although you could use travel system of its one approved for sleep.

I'd agree with the sling - our stretchy wrap used to calm our little lady during her fussy phase like nothing else did!

If you're planning on bottle feeding I can fully recommend the Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep. I kind of thought it was a waste of money until we got one reduced at the baby fair so got one. I love it - no waiting for kettles to boil. It's by no means an essential but if it broke I would go out and buy another one tomorrow, love it

mirrorwall14

angeldelight wrote: »

I'll go against the grain and say I adore my travel system - we have the Uppababy Vista and I love it! Baby is 8 months now and while we've bought a stroller for holidays I only use the uppababy. Our baby slept in the cot from day one but we used Moses basket for daytime naps although you could use travel system of its one approved for sleep.

I'd agree with the sling - our stretchy wrap used to calm our little lady during her fussy phase like nothing else did!

If you're planning on bottle feeding I can fully recommend the Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep. I kind of thought it was a waste of money until we got one reduced at the baby fair so got one. I love it - no waiting for kettles to boil. It's by no means an essential but if it broke I would go out and buy another one tomorrow, love it

Oh I forgot, the perfect prep machine is bloody amazing!!

fro9etb8j5qsl2

Yes, the perfect prep is fantastic!

I've never really used our changing bag much, I just keep a few nappies and wipes in the car and the buggy basket and I bring a bag of snacks if we are going out. I have one of these buggy buddies that I find very handy:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Diono-Buggy-Buddy-Stroller-Organiser/dp/B005PK1G76#immersive-view_1452004228434

I also had some saddle bags for the single buggy that I found brilliant too but I'm using a side by side double buggy now so it's wide enough without adding bags to it.

spottybananas

At 9 months old here I would also say we still love the travel system. We had a stretchy wrap, now we've a buckle carrier but we use the buggy about 4 times a week too, we go for a walk with him in the stroller part nearly every day. And it's so handy being able to just bring the base in the boot and pop the car seat in when the buggy is needed. If we're going into a city etc we always just bring the carrier though.

Marz66

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Changing bag (we use the free boots one now)

What's the free boots one???

Penny Dreadful

Everything really is a matter of personal taste. Not for anything would I say a sling is vital. I didn't use one with my daughter and never thought of getting one at all. She was a very easy baby though and always settled easily.
We bought a travel system of sorts- got the buggy and car seat as a package with a rain cover and a foot muff. Granted she is now 16 months old almost and the foot muff only came out a few months ago.
I had a Moses basket that was my mothers believe it or not and so didn't need the carry cot part of the travel system. However having the isofix base for the car seat was brilliant.

We got a cot bed, alarm and a few gro bags which we've used endlessly and I woild thoroughly recommend those. Also a changing unit, your back will be broken otherwise. The one we got for the baby's room was also a chest of drawers so we put her vests, baby gros and the like in there. My mum bought us one for downstairs in the kitchen and it's very handy to have too. I thought I'd be fine without one downstairs but my Mum pointed out that if I had a section or needed a lot of stitches then pegging it upstairs to changer the baby there would become difficult very quickly. Given that she had 6 babies of her own I figured that she knew what she was talking about.
With regards to the co sleeper, again it wasn't for us. We moved our little one from our room when she was 3 weeks old and into her own room where she has remained ever since. For us it was the right thing to do. A co sleeper would have been a massive waste of money.

spottybananas

We have no changing table, I had a section and never had any problems? We have a changing mat in the sitting room and travel one in nappy bag, I sit on the couch or bed to change him and it's perfect. My sister in law swore I'd changed my mind but we really didn't want or need one.

Some purchases are definitely just luck, if they suit you and your baby will only become apparent with time and use. I have a stupid €40 thermometer that is crap and we use a free one I got in a chemist!

mirrorwall14

Marz66 wrote: »

What's the free boots one???

There's a free one available via their parenting club

borderlinemeath

I love my travel system, I have the uppababy vista and at 4 months she's still fitting in the bassinette, today she rolled over onto her belly for the first time so it's time to put it away! Got the isofix base as well which is so handy I'd nearly buy another one for the other car.

Even if you're breastfeeding you'll need a steriliser at some point if you express into bottles. I got the tommee tippee duel cold water/microwave steriliser when it was on offer in Lidl for a tenner. And it's on offer again next week. The only thing is it doesn't fit into some small microwaves but I tried it in mine before I took the cover off. Great for going away for weekends/holidays as well as you can just use the milton tablets or liquid.

http://www.lidl.ie/en/Offers.htm?id=687

I'd also invest or borrow a changing table, I borrowed my sister in laws and it's a perfect height and brilliant to have everything to hand. Every time I have to change her if we're out and about it reminds me how handy it is. I've never used the bath in it though, I just got the €5 one in Ikea.

I also borrowed SiLs moses basket and just got a new mattress for it. I only bought her cot when she was 5 weeks old as she was kicking off her blankets in the moses basket, but is a brilliant sleeper in the grobags. If I wasted money on anything it was buying lots of cellular blankets and flat sheets that I never use - it's grobags all the way. And not necessarily the branded grobag ones, they're very pricey - TKMaxx is great for them, and I also got one in Ikea and I got presents of some Mamas and Papas ones and they're great too.

I got a sling and I thought I'd use it every day, but I don't use it as much as I thought. As I have dogs I use a travel cot/playpen every day if I have to leave the room even just to go to the bathroom. I also have stairgates up already even though she's not mobile.

Penny Dreadful

spottybananas wrote: »

We have no changing table, I had a section and never had any problems? We have a changing mat in the sitting room and travel one in nappy bag, I sit on the couch or bed to change him and it's perfect. My sister in law swore I'd changed my mind but we really didn't want or need one.

Some purchases are definitely just luck, if they suit you and your baby will only become apparent with time and use. I have a stupid €40 thermometer that is crap and we use a free one I got in a chemist!

It just goes to show how everyone is different with their personal needs and requirements doesn't it? :-)
My back would have been in ribbons if I didn't have the changing units and you were fine without them.
I suppose what you really really need for any baby no matter what is a car seat, somewhere for them to sleep (and as we can see that too is different for different people) and some way of feeding them whether it's on the boob or the bottle. If it's the bottle then clearly you need bottles, formula and a steriliser.

OP think about what you would like to do with your baby and take it from there. My one piece of advice would be not to be too fixated on anything and having to do things a certain way. Your baby will come along with their personality and you will develop into a certain type of parent to compliment that. If you're too fixated on having to do something because the book said or us lot on the Internet said you could drive yourself demented.

Roesy

I'm another one who is pro travel system. I had a bugaboo chameleon for our first and used a sling a lot too. My husband used the bugaboo more than me though. We never changed to a stroller and now use a bugaboo donkey with our 2 year and 6 month old. It's great as it can be used in double or single mode if the baby is in the sling or I only have one of them with me. I hated stretchy wraps the first time around, was always more into buckles. I did buy a close caboo the second time though, it's like a stretchy but without the tonnes of material and tying. I found it very handy when I was doing a lot of skin to skin on the first few weeks trying to boost milk supply. Would definitely recommend a sling meet or consultation though as different ones suit different people and some people splash out on a sling and don't take to baby wearing at all.

lazygal

Loved our travel system, and it has been in daily use for almost three years now (Bugaboo Donkey). We've brought it abroad several times and I'd never switch to a light stroller-I had one on my first but hated it. A lot of buggies don't face forward, which put me off them as even to this day my little fella likes to look at us when he's in the buggy sometimes.

I never took to slings either, had two, sold them on, waste of time and money for me.

I had sections but never used a changing table, first time had a mat on a chest of drawers in the bedroom, second time it was the mat that came with the changing bag wherever I felt like changing. I liked having a nice changing bag, still use it fairly often.
My essentials were a babygros, wrap vests (not the over the head ones), a snuggly snow suit type yoke for outside walks, the travel system, mutlimam cream for my breasts, a few nice non mumsy tops for breastfeeding and the various support groups on facebook (esp. breastfeeding related ones).

ETA-Grobags all the way here. I have four cellular blankets in a drawer, used a handful of times. I never found the muslin cloths amazing either, although people rave about them. Cloth wipes were much handier.

Whispered

Haha another person with a changing table they never use we also never used a cot, Moses basket was barely used and the baby won't tolerate a gro-bag.

Isn't it funny. We could list our essentials and "not worth buying" items and I bet it'd be all different.

Op as said above, there is very little you actually NEED to get before your baby is born. you could do a bit of guess work as to what way you'd like to do things and go ahead and buy everything or you can wait until baby comes along and see what suits you and baby best. We were very lucky and were given a world of stuff. Nothing was bought by us and we had a lot of choice (ie crib or cosleeper, wrap or buggy etc).

garden

Mybessentials are

Perfect prep machine if bottle feeding

Cot

I love my travel system. Its a britax vigour and was only 300 with car seat at the time. I bought pram part extra and used it for daytime naps. But i wouldnt spend excessive money on one either, some prices are crazy.

Car seat.

Baby monitors

You really dont need to buy that much in advance just the bare basics.

Travel cot found it handy for daytime naps and the baby changing on top.

ChewChew

We didn't bother with a travel system at all. I got a good, sturdy buggy that was suitable from birth and it's been amazing for us. Our Moses lasted us 5 months because my girl was very small when she came along but we got a cot bed and a baby elegance mattress for it - the only advice id give is don't buy that mattress! We needed up buying a memory foam one and it's brilliant!

We used a changing unit here for about 6 months then just a mat on the dining table and it's perfect. I wouldn't bother with a changing unit again because we only used the bath 3 times. We used the sink for a few months and now she's in the big bath!

As for the slings, we had two here but they just weren't for me. I didn't use them near as much as I'd have liked!

It's funny how everyone is so different and it really is all about personal preference.

borderlinemeath

I would never have bought a changing table, only I was offered my SiLs. I even worked in nursery for years and always thought they were a waste of money - for the people who wanted the perfect baby room with every gadget available to buy!

Dobbit

I have the baby elegance travel system (got the entire baby elegance bundle) and I've gotten plenty of use out of it for the last 5 months. It's not too bulky and you can replace the wheels and change the colours on it if you decide to have another baby in the future. My son was nearly 9 lbs on arrival so I tried a sling but it wasn't for us because he was too big and I'm too small.

If bottle feeding I like the tommy tippee closer to nature ones (don't pay more than 20 for a set of 6), that's all we've used since we switched over but I've heard others swear by Doc Browns if your little one is colicky. If combination or breastfeeding the medela mini electric pump I found great.

Definitely baby monitors as others have mentioned, I have a motorola set from argos we got as a gift and they are great.

I have a changing table thing that clips onto the top of the cot and I use it loads.

dori_dormer

Love my travel system. We also bought a stroller at 4 mths for holidays etc. keep it in the boot for going round the shops etc. hate the bloody thing! The travel system buggy is way more sturdy and comfortable for him, higher up etc. way easier to push too. Anything other than completely flat surface and I feel the stroller is gonna fall apart!

I also have a co sleeper which was great until about a year when he started to crawl out of it , then it was into a cot. Had a loan of Moses basket for the first 2 months, but found it annoying.

Have a bad back like others so needed a changing table. Still use it almost 2 hrs later for every change! On floors/ beds he'd just roll over / crawl away and get poo/ wee everywhere! So not worth it!

I also have slings. Had a Kari me for the first few months. Used it occasionally. Have a ssc now ( actually 3!) and find them brill. Not used every day but great for airports, wood walks and all the places you can't take a buggy! Used about once every 2 weeks at least. Also saved me over xmas when I was minding my nephew who had an ear infection and couldn't lie down without screaming. So he slept in the carrier no bother.

Most baby things have good resale value so if you find you don't use it you can always sell on.

Also there is a due in July thread on here you can join

Moonbeam

The out n about nipper is excellent

LegacyUser

Uppababy Vista fans here.Love it.Huge basket, sturdy to push, love the way the seat tips way back and the fact that she's high up in it.18 months on it's going strong and will be taking our second too.We have a Silver Cross micro stroller for a light buggy and it's grand for the odd use but drives me nuts otherwise...she's much lower in it and I can't get anything into the basket and it's a nuisance to push.

Changing table users here too.We just got a basic Ikea changing table, on the basis that it wasn't too expensive so if we stopped using it it wouldn't be the end of the world.It's still in use....pregnamcy with a toddler is hard on your back.

Had a family Moses basket then it was straight into a cot. No grobags until she was six months old, now they're still in use.Brilliant, I love them.

She just wasn't a sling baby, it didn't work for us.However for sanity, I'm hoping no.2 will be ok in a sling.

A good changing bag is a necessity, preferably one that you can open with one hand. Also little plastic tubs that you can measure formula into for going out and about are necessary if you're bottle feeding.Boots sell them for about 5eur, one tub divided into three.

And a little teddy bear.Because every baby needs a teddy. :-)

Muslins.I wouldn't go mad buying them but a few are handy.They've saved us a few times....vomiting incidents while out, if you always have a spare muslin in the bag, it's godsend!!!!

BeardySi

We used a Quinny Buzz we got at a good price second hand. Was great while she fitted in the carseat, particularly when she was small as the carrycot was a godsend for us! Once she moved to a bigger carseat it became a very bulky buggy and was consigned to the MOL's attic...
It was good to have, but certainly wouldn't shell out for a new one...

genie_us

I thought I would throw my 2 cents in here and tell you the things I found most valuable for us.

One thing I would agree with though is the person who said not to plan too much in advance – pretty much everything I had decided on before the baby arrived worked out the opposite way after he was here!
He’s almost 15 months now.

The things I found invaluable were –

Travel system – we have a bugaboo chameleon with a B safe car seat (now changed to the next stage car seat and we chose to stay rear facing and bought the nuna rebel – love it). The bugaboo is so handy, nice and light and easy to get around and great for our long walks in woods etc.

Changing table – got a brill one in Ikea for about 50 quid I think. I bought their little canvas boxes and put them on the shelf under where the baby lies so I can get at all the nappies and wipes etc with one hand which is handy nowadays cos it’s like trying to change a drunk octopus. Ours is upstairs though which sometimes was a bit of a pain ( I also had a section ) but mainly cos I’m just lazy haha

Bottles - I had fully intended to breastfeed but long story short, it didn’t work out. He also had colic and after trying multiple types of bottles and remedies the most effective (for us) was Dr Brown bottles.

Sling – this was invaluable for me. I used a boba wrap stretchy sling at the start which was fantastic especially with the colic as he needed to be held a lot and kept upright after feeds so I was handsfree. Plus the cuddles are just the best thing ever. I then changed to a Tula sling and still use this from time to time although not as much now since I’m back at work But those slings last for years

Cotbed – co sleeping wasn’t for us either and he was moved to his own room at about 5 months. Up until that point he was in a crib in our room.

Snuza Hero monitor – a small monitor that clips to the front of his nappy that monitors his breathing. Such great peace of mind, I loved it. http://us.snuza.com/baby-movement-monitors/snuza-hero/ - however if your baby is a tummy sleeper as some just prefer to be regardless of how many times you turn them back over this mightn’t be ideal as it might get knocked out of place a bit. Then again maybe it would be even better as sleeping on the tummy isn’t recommended. ( My fella slept on his back until he could roll and now sleeps on his side mostly)

Bibs – I would highly recommend babyboo.ie & kosybaby.ie for the bibs. They are fantastic – no amount of drool gets through those bad boys! They are gorgeous too. If you follow them on Instagram they often post discount codes. I think they’re great. They also do leg warmers and moccasins now too.

I think that’s it! Oh I also would recommend the Jumperoo thing, was great to keep him occupied when he was big enough for it and I used to plonk him in there beside me when I was cooking the dinner etc he loved it. I’d get one second hand though as you don’t get that long out of them.

Oh and that reminds me, I got a bath seat on Adverts for about a fiver – also very handy. When I say bath seat it’s one of those ones that kind of look like a baby swing if you get me? Loved it.

Hope that helps!

Lucuma

We use our changing table all the time, it's a big solid wood one with a big shelf underneath where we keep all her shoes, socks, clean sheets and stockpile wipes and nappies. The top is really big more than enough space for a packet of nappies, wipes, creams, talc etc at the rhs and a changing mat on the lhs. It's sandwiched between her cot and the cupboard where all her clothes are so perfect location and we use it all the time - to dress her in the morning, to get her ready for bed, to dry her after a bath and to change every nappy.

We used a Graco Quattro travel system mainly which we inherited so had no say in the make or model, found it great though. I still use it from time to time (mainly when I need the basket underneath for shopping) but mostly use the lightweight umbrella stroller.