What do I actually need for a baby?

[AlbusPercival]

Does anyone have a definitive list?

Baby boy, due end of Octiber. Plan to breast feed. Planning a chicco next to me crib for our room and also a normal cot for the nursery.

What other furniture do I need?

In terms of clothes, bearing in mind the seasons. How much of each item in each size? Thinking of sleep suits most of time in at least first few weeks

[MrsAukerman]

The amount of clothing you need is dependent on two factors. 1) whether you have a tumble dryer. 2) whether you get blessed with a sicky baby or not.
One factor you can assess ahead of time. The other you cannot. Welcome to parenthood - full of uncertainties!






8-12 each of sleepsuits and vests should do it.

[cheapredwine]

Number of vests and sleepsuits will depend partly on how big he is? So don't think there is a definitive number really. I'd go with 5 of both in newborn and 0-3 months maybe?

Pram, car seat?

[AlbusPercival]

Thank you!! Do tabs tumble dryer. Will assume vomity baby based on nephews.

Do I need newborn up to 1minth and 0-3 months?

[BeenThereTooSEL]

Chicco next to me for sure! Best thing we brought!

Also a TV/Bouncy chair

Jungle gym

My DD lived in baby grows

Big Muslins like the mama and papa ones. Great for sick etc and when I started BFing outside the house a clean one to feed her under-after a while I gave up and just fed her without

Don't bother with feeding tops etc wear a vest under everything. Covers your tummy and you can lift your top so not exposing loads of boob. Obviously if you're not worried don't be!

Cheap bras like the asda ones and once they're knackered from getting your boobs out all the time you don't feel guilty throwing them

Also we had a few bottles and formula in the house so that if I did feel I didn't want to BF anymore it was there. Was reassuring to have them even tho we never used them

We don't have a car so we brought an expensive pram (travel system) I bloody love my pram! We walk everywhere and she sleeps in it in the day etc

Download the app sound sleeper! White noise to help the baby sleep. My DD is 11 months and she knows when she hears it it's sleepy time! Even if we're out etc

[BeenThereTooSEL]

Also our DD was and still is tiny and even tho she was a week late she was in premature clothes for a month. H&M baby stuff is small and they were the only newborn grows that fit her. We brought loads of clothes which she never wore. She looks so comfy in grows that she wore them until she was 4/5 months all the time

[AButterflyLightsBesideUs]

I had a 7lb7 baby and 0-3 was WAY too big. We had 3 x vest & sleepsuits in newborn and 3 x each in 0-3 in my hospital bag. After one night I had a pile of sicky clothes, a baby in what looked like a pillowcase it was so large and was texting DH saying "find more clothes!". She'd spent her first night puking up amniotic fluid, wasn't actually that pukey after the first couple of days.

I think we used newborn size for about 3 weeks and then into 0-3. Would agree with about 5/6 of vests & sleepsuits in newborn and maybe a few more in 0-3 (as they'll be in use for longer), but you can buy those when you need them. My friend had a 6lb baby and newborn dwarfed him so she sent her mum for tiny baby size. It's hard to judge beforehand though.

I breastfed and would recommend lansinoh (1 tube is tons) and lansinoh breastpads (off Amazon, much nicer and far more absorbant than the asda/tesco etc ones I tried), and lots of muslins. I had to sleep on a towel for a while due to leaky boobs, and DH did get sent out for a manual breastpump on about day 4 as I was so engorged my nipples practically disappeared and DD couldn't latch - needed to pump and dump a bit.

You need nappies (just get one pack of newborn size, they grow so fast and one pack is enough to get started), and cotton wool or wipes, nappy bags (cheap ones are fine). Change mat and a bag to use as a change bag.

Carseat and pram/pushchair/sling depending on preference.

Cellular blankets, cot sheets, waterproof mattress protectors.

We just bathed DD in the sink when she was small and the bath when she was bigger, didn't use anything other than water for ages. Didn't worry about toys/playmat etc until she was a bit bigger, newborns are not interested in anything other than being held/feeding/sleeping.

[AButterflyLightsBesideUs]

Oh a big yes to the bouncy vibrating chair, I'd forgotten all about that!

[2nds]

Font limit baby to only 5 sleepsuits, in one night my eldest would have went through all 5.
Don't stock up on any nappies, wipes, toiletries. Nappies might leak, wipes might cause a reaction and so might toiletries.

Tbh you don't need much in the early months. Baby baths are handy and they are more comfy than a sink or bath seat imo.

[Artandco]

About 1/10th of what johnlewis try and convince you to get!

[Squaffle]

Definitely a bouncy chair, I have found ours completely invaluable. Didn't think before DD was born about where to put her when I'm in the kitchen etc.

I second the earlier advice about bottles: I planned to breastfeed and for various reasons couldn't, so was so pleased we had bought a bottle feeding starter kit just in case. It was about £70 and had bottles, teats, steriliser etc. Keep the receipt and return it if you don't need it.

Good luck, enjoy all the lovely shopping, nesting and preparing! x

[Duckyneedsaclean]

Clothes - it doesn't really matter if 0-3 are too big, newborn may not fit at all, and if they do only for a couple of weeks. Say 6ish sleepsuits/vests, at a minimum.

Pram - if you have a car, a travel system. Don't buy a crap one, or you'll just not another in a month or two. If it has a carrycot, baby can sleep in that during the day.

A bouncy chair - cheap is fine. Great for putting baby after a feed.

Play mat - somewhere to put baby.

Bathing - either a bathseat for big bath or a baby bath if you've space to store it. Don't bother with top&tail bowl etc. Some baby towels/sponges are useful.

Baby nail clippers. You need these.

[Dogsmom]

Both my girls were around 7lbs and 0-3 swamped them until they were around 5 weeks old.

Don't bother with scratch mitts because they come off, use socks instead.

"Proper" outfits are a waste of money and only look cute on the hanger, once they're on a scrunched up baby they just look uncomfortable. I made that mistake with dd1 and had a wardrobe full of gorgeous dresses and legging/tshirt combos right up to 6 months and they were so awkward to put on then looked like a bag of rags within a few minutes.
Dd2 lived in sleepsuits until 6 months and I reckon she was much more comfy without waistbands.

Baby bath-lots of people say don't bother but I found out much more convenient to have them on the kitchen work top than hunching over the bath, safer too, wet babies are bloody slippery. We had a little mesh ramp type thing that went in the bath for her to lie on so she couldn't slip underwater, it was much easier having two hands to wash her.

Don't stock up on nappies until you've found a brand you like, they all fit differently and until he's here you won't know what size he is.

[Kpo58]

Buy a radar key. It can will let you into the disabled toilets and baby changing rooms which sometimes need that special key.

[CustardOmlet]

DS1 was 7lb13, dropped to 6lb13 and needed new born for a month - had 6 vests and sleep suits. Niece and nephew were 9-10lbs and were straight in 0-3m. This time I have got both sizes ready, just incase DS2 inherits DHs genes and is a giant!

All you must have is some where to sleep (sleeping bags were invaluable as they didn't get kicked off in the winter), something to wear (don't forget cardigans, knitted ones are nice and stretchy, snowsuit and woolly hat) and some way to eat (love pp previous suggestion of buying a bottle feeding starter kit and keeping the recept). DS1 turned out to be a terrible feeder with reflux, DH had to buy a breast pump when he was 5days!

[DesignedForLife]

Somewhere to sleep + 4 cot/crib sheets
Pram/travel system/car seat
Babygrows, vests, hats, and a couple jumpers
Blankets for out & about
Muslins for mess
Box of breast pads if you want to BF - I leaked a lot. Basic pump (upgrade later if needed)
Bottles and steriliser if FF
Interesting squeaky/rattley toy

For you:
Maternity pads ( + aloe Vera and witchazel for natural birth)
Snacks x a million

[Kpo58]

Remember that one shops 0-3 months can be completely different to another shop.

[wetpebbles]

Asda and m@s sell babygros with built in scratch mitts

[Kpo58]

Not essential, but poundland sell in the baby section, Disposable Bed Mats in packs of 3 which are great for no nappy time if you don't want to clear up any accidents.

[AlbusPercival]

Thank you all so much. Compiling a list. Seems we have a lot of shopping to do!!

[bumblebee86]

Just joining this thread as I'n pregnant with my first and we're also in the process of making a list of what we need.

[Artandco]

One tip - make a list. Then wait a month. Then look at the list again and decide if you really need it or if you can use something you already have or can wait and see. Then cross a chunk off

First things come to mind

• baby towel, Erm do people not already have normal towels? That dry perfectly well, and last years

[Angrybird234]

Am place marking as DD1 is due at start of October. Thanks for all the suggestions, very helpful!

Any recommendations for bouncy chairs?

Does anyone here use reusable nappies? If so did you use them straight away or wait a few weeks? Keen to try them not just for cost saving but because our general waste bins only get emptied every 3 weeks 😷

[BeenThereTooSEL]

We lasted 2 days with cloth nappies and were very hippy and pro eco friendly solutions.

We've got the pink fisher price tv chair that vibrates. It's often half price in Argos

[BeenThereTooSEL]

Angry bird We brought an angel care but didn't find it much use once nappies got bigger

[QforCucumber]

Agree with art about the towels, we were bought a few of those square hooded ones but much prefer wrapping 3 month old ds in a huge fluffy bath sheet - keeps him a lot warmer.
He was 8lbs 12oz born and was in a mix of newborn and 0-3 depending on where from. He's still in sleepsuits most of the time now - outfits are a faff.
A thermometer, and some pre made formula. Ds is now ebf but those 1st few nights where I was drained and hormonal and crying because I couldn't get him to latch, having dp come upstairs and stick a bottle in babys mouth was a godsend. Only needed it for the first couple of nights until milk came in properly and we worked out how to latch him on.