Baby must haves

scarepanda

Iv only ever come across the envelope neck vests. The grows, I hate the ones that go down the middle and then only on one leg. Even now I much prefer the ones that have the buttons on both legs.

rainbow kirby

The H&M wrap ones are great, they have the buttons at the bottom and side and you can basically just lay them out flat under baby. Nothing to be pulling over the head and ideal for babies prone to poonamis! A little more expensive than supermarket envelope neck vests though - £7.99 for two last time I checked, it's 3 quid for 3 vests in Morrisons.

My son had a t-shirt-vest-joggers capsule wardrobe from quite an early age - we babywear a lot and my son has always been long and skinny so babygros were really a bedtime only thing for us as they were never a particularly flattering fit on him.

Markcheese

Don't go mad... Midwife who was involved with my 2 being born reckoned that all that was needed was a couple of baby blankets and a car seat...
. . . Now she may have been exaggerating a little... But don't go buy Everything in advance, you'll probably get given most stuff (second hand) from friends,
The co-sleeper becomes a huge bedside table...
. . The moses basket and stand go unused..
The changing table gets covered in junk
. . . . The travel system turns out to be very big, fills the car boot, needs a wheel removed and next thing you're buying a bloody minibus to fit stuff in...
. . Theres a rocking chair and foot stool stopping you getting into your bedroom (with unused reusable nappys piled high)
.... The bottles and steriliser clogg the kitchen counter... And plastic baby chairs, baby baths, bouncers, mobiles, baby food blenders. Ect Ect Ect mean you crave a mansion to store everything... Most of it unused...
. You'll have a few things that suit and make your life easier... And the rest will drag you down...

shesty

scarepanda wrote: »

Iv only ever come across the envelope neck vests. The grows, I hate the ones that go down the middle and then only on one leg. Even now I much prefer the ones that have the buttons on both legs.

My husband cursed these everytime with both ours, especially in the middle of the night.

I must remember to remove any that we have from the bags before we have no.3!!!

PhoenixParker

There's not really any such thing as a baby must have, it's always going to be particular to your own parenting style, your lifestyle and the baby themselves.

What you need are
1) Something for the baby to sleep in
2) Something to transport the baby in
3) Stuff to clothe and feed the baby
4) The rest is just ancillary stuff to make life easier

1) For Sleeping:
Baby will sleep at night time and will nap, they will also grow and learn to move around.
At the most basic, a cot will cover everything but some people find it a bit big for a newborn and it's immovability a hassle when they're napping that frequently. It's also preferred for baby to sleep in the same room as at least one parent up to six months.
Moses baskets are handy because they can be moved from room to room, but baby outgrows them quickly.
Co-sleepers are handy because baby is on a separate surface which allows you both to get a better rest but keeps them in arms reach and visible.
Prams are great because they facilitate naps no matter where you are, you can be doing your weekly shop while baby is napping, they also allow rocking to sleep.
Cots are great because they can be used from birth until baby starts climbing out.

The question is how you want to manage that in the space and budget you have available? Baby might throw a spanner in the works and refuse to sleep anywhere except on you, but if you at least consider the other two factors you have a much better shot at getting it right.

For us, we got a co-sleeper and naps were in the pram part of a travel system.
I would say it's unlikely you need a co-sleeper, travel system and a moses basket. I'd forget the moses basket or the pram part of the travel system.

2) Something to transport the baby in.
A car seat is obvious after that think about your own lifestyle.

Do you like to walk? Where do you walk? Do you need to be lugging the buggy in and out of the car? Will you find a pram attachment useful? Will baby need to be brought around while you run daily errands? Are you like RK up and down stairs in the tube? Is there space in your house to have the buggy sitting in the hall? I think a lot of people who hate their travel systems simply got the wrong one for their lifestyle.

If most of your walking is short and in a shopping centre then you probably only need the cheapest easiest buggy. If you're walking on trails/the country side then three wheels and big inflatable tyres should be considered. If you're in and out of the car alot, then clip on car seats and one handed folds are probably priorities. If you hope to have baby nap in it, then a good big pram part that lasts a while is a priority. You may conclude that a sling is your priority.

3) Feeding and clothing the baby
Feeding is a question of breast, bottle or combination. For breast you don't need much but I'd suggest a cushion and to have worked out which pump you want and where you'll order it from but not to actually order it until you feel you need/want it. The lanolin nipple pads are wonderful for the early days too.
If you plan to breast feed I'd recommend having one bottle and a litre of pre-made formula bought (or even some pumped breast milk from a friend) In case of disaster at least baby will be fed. If you're planning to bottle feed you'll need 6 or so bottles, a steriliser and a tub or three of formula.

You need somewhere comfortable to sit while you feed and hold the baby by day and by night. Cushions on a bed work great, so does a rocking chair, so does an armchair with a breastfeeding pillow. Look at what your budget and space allows.

Clothes wise you need about 10 0-1 month babygros for most baby's and a coat. After that it depends on the time of year and how warm your house is for the rest of the outfit and your washing and drying set up for how many you need. Some baby's will go through several changes a day, some won't but 10 will get you well started and be enough for most babies and most abilities to dry. You'll need a few bibs at some point and same for a few muslins, but many babies don't need either at the newborn stage.

You or someone will be buying food and they sell most baby stuff where they sell food so there's no need to stock up too much on nappies and wipes before you know what baby likes. Enough for a week of worst case scenario (50 nappies) should be just fine. There are always deals so keep an eye on prices so you know what's a good deal after baby is born.

The wrap vests you get in H&M are indeed great for newborns. They're particularly good for skin to skin, means you can open them and lay them on you without having to undress baby fully. Nappies and something to clean baby's bum with too.

4) The ancillary stuff

You want somewhere to put baby down safely that they can be entertained, a bouncer or a play mat or a mobile to go over a cot will make life easier.
Somewhere the right height to change baby is great, but it doesn't have to be a changing table. We have a changing mat on top of a chest of drawers. Nappies go in the top drawer, works wonderfully.
You need to be able to wash baby, a big sink will do well for a while then you'll probably want either a baby bath or a bath chair, whichever suits you better.
Monitors are great if you have a big house but if you're in an apartment you probably don't need one, again think about your own lifestyle.

PhoenixParker

shesty wrote: »

My husband cursed these everytime with both ours, especially in the middle of the night.

I must remember to remove any that we have from the bags before we have no.3!!!

They're super expensive where I've found them but we got one or two with zips as presents and they were amazing. So quick and easy.

Cakerbaker

We got a video monitor and find it great. It’s handy to be able to see baby, if they make noise you can see if there is something wrong or not and if it’s necessary to go into the room or not which reduces the number of unnecessary trips into the room and then reduces the chances of waking baby!

We had ours bought before baby was born but we didn’t use it for about 4 months as he just slept downstairs with/ on us until then before the 3 of us would go upstairs to bed together!

annoyedgal

Things I got but definitely didn't need were a Moses basket, that stupid gro egg thermometer that we binned after a week! A bath thermometer, waste of time just use your elbow! Any type of clothing that involved denim, we were gifted multiple pairs of skinny jeans, disaster for nappy changes. Muslin cloths were never used, bibs and neck kerchiefs were likewise never used.
Things that were invaluable were our uppababy. We live in the city and walk eveywhere. It's a fabulous buggy with a basket that fits a weekly food shop underneath.
Large bed as we ended up cosleeping and a breast pump. Nipple shields got me through the first week of breastfeeding and a microwave sterilizer for nipple shields and pump attachments. Oh and lots and lots of chocolate!

pwurple

Buggy / sling and a cot.

Oh, and a baby monitor. We used angelcare, because there is a history of cot death in our family so we wanted that monitor.

Never got a changing bag, big handbag does grand, or stuff a nappy in the buggy.
Baby x 2 had reflux, so needed a lot of bibs, muslins and changes or clothes. But you cannot plan for that.

Bouncy chair was handy.

tea_and_cake

annoyedgal wrote: »

Nipple shields got me through the first week of breastfeeding and a microwave sterilizer for nipple shields and pump attachments. Oh and lots and lots of chocolate!

Wow I didn't know that. I plan on breastfeeding so didn't buy any steriliser things. Thanks

Cakerbaker

tea_and_cake wrote: »

Wow I didn't know that. I plan on breastfeeding so didn't buy any steriliser things. Thanks

If you’re breastfeeding a healthy full term baby you really only need to sterilize pumps etc for the first use so may be worth seeing if you could borrow one. After that washing in hot soapy water and rinsing properly is fine.

tea_and_cake

Cakerbaker wrote: »

If you’re breastfeeding a healthy full term baby you really only need to sterilize pumps etc for the first use so may be worth seeing if you could borrow one. After that washing in hot soapy water and rinsing properly is fine.

God I know nothing. Its half price on amazon and I'll eventually go onto formula so may just buy it but it is interesting what you really 'need'.

waterfaerie

Cakerbaker wrote: »

If you’re breastfeeding a healthy full term baby you really only need to sterilize pumps etc for the first use so may be worth seeing if you could borrow one. After that washing in hot soapy water and rinsing properly is fine.

Absolutely. There's no need to sterilise when you're breastfeeding unless your baby is premature or ill.

I used to put the flanges in the dishwasher when I was using a pump. It actually has a sterilise cycle but I just used that the first time and after that I just put them in a normal wash. I'd give them an extra rinse with just hot water afterwards as well.

Nekarsulm

Car seat is the only "must have" (if you have a car!) mainly because the Hospital won't let you out the door without them seeing you actually have one.!

waterfaerie

tea_and_cake wrote: »

God I know nothing. Its half price on amazon and I'll eventually go onto formula so may just buy it but it is interesting what you really 'need'.

I'd wait and see at the time if you want to go onto formula rather than pre deciding that now. You might love breastfeeding. Why go through the difficult part of breastfeeding at the start and then change to formula when breastfeeding is so much easier later on?

When I want to go out I just throw a couple of nappies in my bag and walk out the door.

Of course you can go onto formula if you want to but I wouldn't go buying equipment now with that in mind.

Cakerbaker

tea_and_cake wrote: »

God I know nothing. Its half price on amazon and I'll eventually go onto formula so may just buy it but it is interesting what you really 'need'.

https://kellymom.com/category/bf/

I found this website good. It has lots of info on breast feeding, pumping, storing milk etc. it was handy to have all the info in one place so I’d know where to find it if I had a question. Might be of help in the early days anyway.

lardarse

Best advice i ever got, was buy about 20 baby bottles. Nothing worse then waking up at 3am and finding all the bottles have been used and you have to wait to sterilise a bottle, while the little one is bawling their eyes out.

maxsmum

Couldn't have lived without: Co-sleeper, even when moved onto bottle feeding. Tommy tippee insulated bottle holders once bottle-fed for night feeds, out and about etc. Manual breast pump for when out without baby to avoid engorgement. Rain&conker bibs or similar (thick and fleece lined - all others useless). Soother chain - still one the first one we used as never lost due to chain. Swaddles (cheapies from TK Maxx) for sleep. Buggy with plenty of storage space beneath i.e. a big basket. Aldi nappies. Purple nipple balm for breastfeeding (can't remember brand) - not one cracked nipple here. Cot top changer facing towards me to avoid twists turns and bending for changes, also great for storage space. Blackout blind from IKEA for nursery. Trousers with feet in them to avoid cold toes and lost socks (H&M do great ones).

Take or leave it: cot at beginning - we used for daytime naps and baby sleeps fine in it now at night but not sure if necessary in first few months. Saying that you want to avoid flatpack anything with a small baby to mind so am glad we put it up in advance. Baby monitor with screen - thought it was so cool at first but have the regular walkie talkies at the in-laws and its absolutely grand. Electric steriliser - takes up space and could just use boiling water or milton

Absolutely useless: nappy stacker, nursing pillow, MAM self sterilising bottles - the fiddliest yokes ever EVER EVER

bee06

I think this thread shows what an individual situation it is and all “must haves” depend on your lifestyle and your baby’s nature!

scarepanda

My lo is 16 months and we're still (thankfully), breastfeeding. And there's a couple of things that I thought I'd add:

1) I was always told that day 2, week 6, and week 12 were the milestones with breastfeeding, that if you got through each those it gets progressively easier, and I'd have to agree. I'd also add that once your baby start solids it get immeasurably easier because with each day your babies eating more and therefore less pressure on you as the mother. At 16 month, it's so easy and far more enjoyable and precious than those early days. If you'd asked me 16 months ago if I'd still be nursing my answer would have been a definite no.

So for the poster who says that they will definitely move to formula at some stage, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but I'd advise not going into the whole thing with that in the back of your mind. You might surprise yourself like I did!

2) iv used nipple shields for the whole 16 months. I know I don't need to sterilise the shields, but I do anyways for my own piece of mind. I used to use a big avent microwave steriliser when I was pumping, but now I use a smaller one ( a Milton one I think, got it in tescos for like €10) which can be used in the microwave for steam sterilisation or cold sterilisation with a solution or tablet like Milton. It's awfully handy for going away as well.

Bee06, I think it was you that said you know nothing.... Don't worry very few if any of us knew anything before baby was born. No matter how much research or experience you have with babies, it's always different with your own!

At the end of the day, there's very very few absolute 'must haves' for babies. But all the gadgets that can make your life that little bit easier all depends on your lifestyle and will be individual to each family, and dare I say it, to each baby.

annoyedgal

Why oh why did i spend 6 months sterilizing pump attachments and shields!!!! Can you seriously just wash them in hot water? Even shields?

jlm29

annoyedgal wrote: »

Why oh why did i spend 6 months sterilizing pump attachments and shields!!!! Can you seriously just wash them in hot water? Even shields?

Yes! It’s the formula that isn’t sterile- sterilising for formula fed infants is to prevent a build up of bacteria from the formula. That said, I told a friend that the other day, and she said “I’ll probably sterilise everything anyhow” so I’m sure plenty people would think that way.

I used steriliser bags at one point, and they’re much more space effective if you’re not sterilising much!

bee06

scarepanda wrote: »

Bee06, I think it was you that said you know nothing.... Don't worry very few if any of us knew anything before baby was born. No matter how much research or experience you have with babies, it's always different with your own!

That wasn’t me but still great advice

I’m very lucky to have an amazing support network available. My motto is if I’m not sure ring my mom as she’s an expert!

ForestFire

lardarse wrote: »

Best advice i ever got, was buy about 20 baby bottles. Nothing worse then waking up at 3am and finding all the bottles have been used and you have to wait to sterilise a bottle, while the little one is bawling their eyes out.

But a sterilised bottle only lasts for so long (24Hrs with avnet), even if not used and they must be kept closed?


That should be maximum 6 bottles you could have prepared?

I found the Milton in the end was the best as you just leave bottles in it until needed. (Although it still needs a water change every 24hrs)

Anne_cordelia

Does no one cold water sterilise anymore? If breastfeeding and you only need to sterilise occasionally or for first use it’s the easiest and cheapest way of sterilising.

shesty

How do you mean?I use a steam steriliser.90ml cold water into my tommee tippee steriliser and ten mins later it's done.Pretty much the same as boiling a large kettle and hope to use it on my third baby (it has been well-cleaned, descaled etc. several times along the way).

My mother marvels over it every time she sees it with both mine; after four babies herself and litres of Milton she thinks it's the most amazing thing ever!!!!!😂

scarepanda

I use a mixture of both. It was mainly microwave while I was pumping just because everything fit into the avent steriliser. Now it's mainly a quarter of a Milton tablet into the smaller steriliser coz all I have are the shields and boxes. It doesn't take up much room on the counter and frees up the microwave

catrionanic

I’m in the breastfeeding-no-sterilising club! I just wash the pump parts and bottle in warm soapy water, on the odd occasion when he does have expressed milk. If I did want to sterilise something like nipple shields (although is there any need?), I would just boil them.

The bottles we have are the MAM ones, so can pop them in the microwave to self-sterilise if need be.

Anne_cordelia

shesty wrote: »

How do you mean?I use a steam steriliser.90ml cold water into my tommee tippee steriliser and ten mins later it's done.Pretty much the same as boiling a large kettle and hope to use it on my third baby (it has been well-cleaned, descaled etc. several times along the way).

My mother marvels over it every time she sees it with both mine; after four babies herself and litres of Milton she thinks it's the most amazing thing ever!!!!!😂

I’m breastfeeding. A dollop of Milton into a basin of water and I lob the pump and soothers in every couple of days.

scarepanda

No there's no need really, but I personally do it for piece of mind. Our water isn't of the best quality and I'm a bit weird about it and I wouldn't throw them into the dishwasher, so at least by sterilising I know they are all ok. Iv boiled them before, but I just found it a pain in the ass.