Baby must haves

scarepanda

tea_and_cake wrote:

I don't have space for a chair. Thankfully I have the cushion because I plan on breastfeding so hopefully it works.

That's fair enough so, it's just something I've found invaluable. We've it set up in baby's room. The cushion is definitely a massive help with breastfeeding. Get more so you have one in all the main places you may feed. I have two, one for her room and the other for the living room!

tea_and_cake wrote:

I'd have all the clothes bought too but think I'll have a big baby so holding off on too much stuff.

From my experience I'd only have the bare basics of vests and onesies for when baby is born. And I wouldn't get newborn size. It only fits up to 7.5lbs. the up to 3mths have far more longevity. So even if baby is less than 7.5lbs you OH can always run to the shop and pick up a few bits. After that, wait till you see what presents you get. We had enough clothes for baby right up to 9-12mths. She has stuff for bigger sizes but not a full wardrobe like she had for the smaller sizes. The main thing we have had to buy clothes wise for her up to now are the basics like vest, onesies and PJ's.

LirW

waterfaerie wrote: »

People will convince you that you need lots of things when, in fact, you need very little at all. All your baby needs is you. Depending on your lifestyle, you could actually buy nothing and be fine.

It's hard when you're pregnant, excited, full of hormones and wanting to nest, to avoid over buying. I'm very back to basics and even I got sucked in and bought too much baby stuff.

These are the only things I couldn't have managed without:

• nappies + wipes (I use cloth)
• sling
• car seat
• cellular blankets (safest for baby)

These are some things that make life easier and I'm glad I have:

• plenty of muslins
• changing mat
• mirror for car
• breast pads (again, I use cloth ones)
• thermometer

These are some things that my baby really benefited from having:

• a playmat with an arch and dangling toys
• several toys with different textures to grab and feel
• a silicone teething thing
• books, books, books!

And these are some things I bought and absolutely did not need at all:

• co sleeper crib
• cot
• travel system (I use the buggy part sometimes for longer walks now that she's bigger but could have just bought a cheap buggy)
• special mattresses for both crib and cot
• sheets for crib, cot and pram
• too many clothes
• dedicated changing area (built, not bought but still, unused)
• snowsuit

If you can, instead of spending money on lots of stuff, I would recommend you take as much time off work as you can possibly afford.

I second all of the above.

In my opinion the biggest waste of money are travel systems. They are only useful for 2 things in my opinion: if you don't have a moses basket, the baby can nap in it instead when you're busy and when you're around with the car seat. Otherwise you'll switch to a lightweight buggy once the baby can sit and this is in literally no time. When they can fully recline you can easily pack your baby in one from little on.

Mine also sleeps in with me but sleeping really depends on what suits yourself and your family. Some people don't wanna have them in the bed or even in the same room, that's fair enough. Co sleepers also have this annoying thing that they're pretty expensive and they grow out of them in no time. It sometimes makes sense getting them second hand or just take the cot and take one side off and put it to your own bed.

Changing table, didn't even bother getting one now, just got a mat and changed her on the bed or kitchen table. Usually keep a pack of nappies upstairs and one downstairs.

And last but not least: clothes. The biggest money racket. I have no idea how much I spent on clothes for my son, even for the unhandiest things like tiny jeans for a 2 month old or "shoes". The don't need them and you'll hate them because most of that stuff is just gimmicky and unhandy.
I got 85% of my daughters clothes in bundles off adverts and they are cheap and in good nick because most people sell these mountains on because they made exactly the same mistake. Yes they need clothes and they also need a few spare sets but they don't even need half of what the shops will tell you you'll need.


But I think this is all a learning process, because you'll find out yourself what was a complete waste of money (and believe me, there will be plenty of things).

shesty

You don't need a cot straight away no, but definitely should be on the list for a few months down the line.
I can tell you if you stop breastfeeding or you don't breastfeed....I would not be sleeping with the baby in the bed.You don't have that in-built sensitivity that you have when you breastfeed.I have done it twice,transitioning from breast to bottle at a young enough age and it's terrifying how much deeper (or something) your sleep is when you stop feeding, you are not so intune with the baby, and personally it gave me an awful fright.So I wouldn't write a cot off.

Also if you have plans regarding a second baby any time soon after the first-for your own sanity and family peace, it's better to have a bed of their own for baby no.1(and I know people out there don't all do that, but as they head towards two and three, it's generally a better option). Ditto for buggies that easily convert to a double (I am an organisation freak...)

tea_and_cake

scarepanda wrote: »

That's fair enough so, it's just something I've found invaluable. We've it set up in baby's room. The cushion is definitely a massive help with breastfeeding. Get more so you have one in all the main places you may feed. I have two, one for her room and the other for the living room!



From my experience I'd only have the bare basics of vests and onesies for when baby is born. And I wouldn't get newborn size. It only fits up to 7.5lbs. the up to 3mths have far more longevity. So even if baby is less than 7.5lbs you OH can always run to the shop and pick up a few bits. After that, wait till you see what presents you get. We had enough clothes for baby right up to 9-12mths. She has stuff for bigger sizes but not a full wardrobe like she had for the smaller sizes. The main thing we have had to buy clothes wise for her up to now are the basics like vest, onesies and PJ's.

Great adviss thanks. Unfortunately I don't have space for the chair. Really wanted one but no space never thought to have more than one bf pillow, thanks. I'll pick up another one in the sales. I got one newborn item as a present, it's being exchanged for a 0-3 it's too cute for them. To grow out if that soon.

LirW wrote: »

Changing table, didn't even bother getting one now, just got a mat and changed her on the bed or kitchen table. Usually keep a pack of nappies upstairs and one downstairs.

And last but not least: clothes. The biggest money racket. I have no idea how much I spent on clothes for my son, even for the unhandiest things like tiny jeans for a 2 month old or "shoes". The don't need them and you'll hate them because most of that stuff is just gimmicky and unhandy.
I got 85% of my daughters clothes in bundles off adverts and they are cheap and in good nick because most people sell these mountains on because they made exactly the same mistake. Yes they need clothes and they also need a few spare sets but they don't even need half of what the shops will tell you you'll need.


But I think this is all a learning process, because you'll find out yourself what was a complete waste of money (and believe me, there will be plenty of things).

Thanks I may hold off on the changing table so.

Totally agree. I love all the cute tiny clothes but shoes annoy me!!! I don't like shoes so until my child is walking they won't wear them. They are pointless and coat a fortune for some. Also how can you put hard jeans on a small baby?

ForestFire

There's a lot already covered so I'll just post a small addition, but one we found absolutely the best of it's type. It's a bit more expensive, but much larger, better protection coverage and washes perfectly without issues as new, unlike all the others.

I give you..... :-)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B007MNVPJ8/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1512420626&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=mum2mum+bibs&dpPl=1&dpID=41IR4LGS-SL&ref=plSrch

tea_and_cake

ForestFire wrote: »

There's a lot already covered so I'll just post a small addition, but one we found absolutely the best of it's type. It's a bit more expensive, but much larger, better protection coverage and washes perfectly without issues as new, unlike all the others.

I give you..... :-)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B007MNVPJ8/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1512420626&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=mum2mum+bibs&dpPl=1&dpID=41IR4LGS-SL&ref=plSrch

I need them for myself :pac:

I read somewhere that new borns don't really need bibs. Is that true?

jlm29

There’s some great tips above, but like waterfaerie says- save as much money as you can, and put it to taking as much time as you can off work.
I’d also consider saving money on some things like travel systems to put towards a decent second stage car seat. I can never fathom when people will spend €1200 on a bugaboo and then €60 on a cheaper car seat (possibly with a picture of Minnie Mouse on) that looks like it wouldn’t protect a doll in a crash.

Cakerbaker

I know some people are saying not to bother with a travel system but I love ours and still use it for our 21 month old. It’s handy when they’re tiny as you can attach the car seat for quick trips into the shops which is great if they’re asleep and you don’t want to have to wake them to run into tesco.

It’s also incredibly comfortable, I know some strollers have soft wheels but I always feel sorry for kids being bounced along in strollers with hard plastic wheels. Plus the basket on mine is massive so is handy when shopping! It converts to a double which will be handy next year :-)

I’d agree with the post above, to get a decent car seat. It’s one thing I’d be wary of buying second hand as you don’t know how it’s been treated / if it’s been in a crash.

I’m also a fan of our changing table. I just find it so much more comfortable to change standing up rather than leaning over on the bed / couch. We’ve ours downstairs and it’s a handy spot for storing clothes / nappies etc.

appledrop

Cakerbaker wrote: »

I know some people are saying not to bother with a travel system but I love ours and still use it for our 21 month old. It’s handy when they’re tiny as you can attach the car seat for quick trips into the shops which is great if they’re asleep and you don’t want to have to wake them to run into tesco.


+1 I adore my travel system. I don't know how people say they don't get use from them. I used the pram part for 1st 6 months + my little guy loved it. It was great for walks in park + he always slept in it. He is 18mths now + still loads if room in buggy part. We brought one if those fold up buggys for our hols as easier to bring in plane etc. I absolutely hated it! Crap steering no support for baba etc.

Each baby will be different + also what suits you. Our guy was never in our bed till over 1. Just not for me I'd be too worried.

rainbow kirby

Try hauling a hefty travel system on the tube. You'd very quickly switch to babywearing full time or using an easily wrangled light buggy.

appledrop

True enough Rainbow Kirby. Our public transport system is so bad here don't bother with it much with the buggy.

khaldrogo

Sleep

Roesy

tea_and_cake wrote: »

I need them for myself :pac:

I read somewhere that new borns don't really need bibs. Is that true?

My eldest would have been fine without bibs for the first few weeks, my second and third babies were monumental spewers, you couldn’t have enough bibs and muslins!!!

appledrop

I read somewhere that new borns don't really need bibs. Is that true?[/QUOTE]

ARE you joking? My little guy had reflux+ went through about 5 bibs a day! 18mths now + would still have one of those bandana style bibs on him everyday for all the drools with his teething.

jlm29

Oh I love my travel system- I bought it when I had my first baby, and he’s 6 now. I used it loads with him, though less with his two brothers. I wouldn’t not buy a travel system (personally, though not everyone needs one), but I’d just prioritise a good car seat, and buy a less than top of the range travel system if I had to make a choice

Gatica

our travel system cost us 600 I think. We got the Venicci one with carrycot and seat. We got 6.5 months use out of carrycot (same as with moses basket) and we still use the seated buggy for all our walking around town and going for walks. The wheels are great and it's very manoeuvreable.
We got a folding pushchair for travelling from a friend and it's very handy when we cannot bring our large buggy, however, I wouldn't exchange our travel system for it for everyday use.

tea_and_cake

appledrop wrote: »

ARE you joking? My little guy had reflux+ went through about 5 bibs a day! 18mths now + would still have one of those bandana style bibs on him everyday for all the drools with his teething.

I bought lovely bibs and then read that and thought oh I don't need them but was wondering alright. Thanks for the clarification!

Millem

jlm29 wrote: »

I can never fathom when people will spend €1200 on a bugaboo and then €60 on a cheaper car seat (possibly with a picture of Minnie Mouse on) that looks like it wouldn’t protect a doll in a crash.

Never a truer word said.
Unfortunately I know so many people like this. I remember back in 2014 when I was buying EFC friends and family thought I was literally mad! When colleagues would see my son at 3 rearfacing they thought I had a screw loose....

shesty

I love our travel system, although the 'travel system' element of it was lost on our first because she wouldn't sit in the car seat in the buggy, reflux, used to scream blue murder.So it was just a buggy from then!!but it's well used and abused.However we do live in a country area,use the car all the time and need big proper wheels for walks on rugged ground and beaches.It was a godsend when no.2 arrived, and I love the massive basket under it for all the crap we carry around!We have a stroller and a side by side double too, but our travel system is great.Second hand on done deal though , there are some in super condition or brand new, if you didn't want to spend the full amount.

sillysocks

I think with a lot of baby products you need to think about your own day to day life, size of house etc before making decisions. For example as someone said if you're getting the tube in London every day your buggy needs would be a lot different to if you live out in the countryside and will be out for long walks every day.

I use my travel system all the time-mainly for the easiness of clicking the car seat onto the wheels because this is my third child and I have 4 different drops and collections with school each day so it's a hundred times easier to not have to take the baby out of her seat each time.

Another thing I remembered reading this thread was about a changing unit. We never got one, didn't have the space, but realised when the baby was born that the ikea footstools are the perfect height for sitting on the couch and lying the baby on for nappy changes. We buy the disposable changing mats and leave one on the stool and it's a perfect changing 'station' which doesn't take loads of room. A year on we're still using it!

http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/products/sofas-armchairs/footstools-pouffes/poäng-footstool-oak-veneer-finnsta-grey-spr-09090341/

The next bibs are expensive but great-they've a plastic layer inside the bib so nothing goes through them but the top and bottom are soft. Definitely my Best Buy. They are expensive but I got a lot of presents from Next that I knew I wouldn't use so exchanged them for the bibs.

rainbow kirby

appledrop wrote: »

True enough Rainbow Kirby. Our public transport system is so bad here don't bother with it much with the buggy.

Even in Dublin I'd still go light buggy (think one hand fold, Baby Jogger City Mini/M&P Armadillo etc) and keep a sling (ring sling/meh dai/Connecta for quick ups) in the changing bag. Being able to fold your buggy in a hurry could be the difference between getting your bus and being stuck out in the cold for an extra half hour+.

Toots

My essential thing was the cot-top changer. We didn't have room for a full changing table so we got one of those things that goes on the end of the cot and looks for all the world like a tea tray. I didn't think I'd need one but after a fortnight of changing the baby on the bed my back was destroyed. I think we paid less than €50 for ours and was worth every penny.

scarepanda

tea_and_cake wrote:

I bought lovely bibs and then read that and thought oh I don't need them but was wondering alright. Thanks for the clarification!

As usual it all depends on the child themselves. My girl went through a stage lasting, may be 5 weeks when she was around 4 months old where she couldn't stop dribbling. I was going through a ****e tonne of bibs a day. Then she stopped and went back to normal and I haven't used bibs other than at meal times since and even at that she usually won't leave a bib on now so we wing it without one! If I was to buy bibs again I'd buy the ones with the plastic backing as I found them better food and that's a stage where you will need bibs. You'll also get a load of them as presents and for us they were mostly the dribble bibs rather than food bibs.

rainbow kirby

My son has always been a total drool monster and still probably goes through 2-3 bibs a day at 20 months! I wish he'd mostly stopped at 4 months

Toots

I didn't need bibs right at the beginning, but once he hit about 8 weeks the drooling was mad! I used the Funky Giraffe bibs and they were great, the fleece back helped keep the clothes dry for longer.

tea_and_cake

Great advice ladies. Another question babygrows/vests, the ones they have on during the day. I read somewhere (need to stop reading :pac:) that ones that open down the middle are easier to put on a new born. Does anyone know where you can get them? I have been looking. I think I may be beginning to freak out with how little I know

bee06

I haven’t ever seen vests with buttons down the front that I remember but babygrows with front buttons are pretty much everywhere. Vests usually have the envelope neck to make them easier to put on and also take off by pulling them down instead of over the head in case of poonami (learned that last week!).

sillysocks

I think H&M do the wrap vests which open flat so you lie the baby on them and then the buttons go up the side. I had a load from Tesco on my first baby and they were a godsend but they don't seem to sell them anymore.

I only found out a few months into my second baby that normal vests can come down as well as up which was definitely a 'life hack' worth knowing after exploding nappies! To be honest I only had cheap vests and if there were 'bad' accidents on the odd occasion I used to just cut the vest off and straight in the bin!!

fits

With my twins, one needed a tonne of bibs and the other didnt need them at all, so it really depends on the baby.

My must have were the morrck blankets. So easy to get out of the house then especially with two. Just put baby in car seat, wrap up, and off you go. I also used the tiny love napper rocker for naps up until six months or so and found them great.

Digs

All I can add after ready this whole thread is every single baby is different, my only advice would be don’t stockpile anything, try things out before committing to buying more.

For example I’ve seen the bibs with the plastic backing recommended and I hated them. They gave both my girls rashes on their face as they trapped the moisture and their skin would be on the sensitive side. We loved babyboo bibs. Also neither of my girls needed bibs at all until they started teething around 3 months so what you had read would ring true in my experiences, obviously not for others!

I also remember on my first baby buying a load of muslin cloths, they were so highly recommended! Thought they were useless, didn’t use them for either baby!

A good, sturdy buggy was invaluable for us as I do so much walking, have no regrets on the money we spent there, it’s paid for itself with all the use between two babies. A cheaper one just wouldn’t have cut it.

Loved the cosleeper, sling and breast pump. They do would be my essentials I used on both and would again if we have a third.

Things we had for our first and didn’t even bother taking them out of the attic for our second are Moses basket, bouncer and traditional changing bag (backpack all the way now!).