Could you please add to my list of must-haves for my yet-to-be born DC?

[1charlie1]

Following on from my 'best vests for newborns' thread, I would so appreciate your ideas of what DH and I need to add to our current purchases for our DC (due in April, but will be a Winter baby, because we'll be in Oz by then. And in Melbourne, so it's chilly. Not as chilly as Winter here, but pretty darn cold all the same.)

We currently have:

2 x 1-2 month old popper long-sleeved vests

2 x 2-4 month old popper long-sleeved vests. I know this isn't enough vests, but have no idea of the amount needed for each age group, so stopped there until I'd sought advice from Mumsnet!

2 x slings (Kangas)

1 x Ergo baby carrier with newborn insert

12 x packets Waterwipes [they were £2.25 each from NCT, and are $7.58 from the only supermarket chain in Oz which sells them - so expensive in Oz! How long does a packet last, in general? Debating whether to get loads more to put in our shipping container...but again, not sure how many we need until the baby can go on to regular baby wipes?]

That's it so far! I guess we'll need a change mat, and a car seat (will be bought in Oz, as UK car seats are illegal to fit in Australian vehicles.) Going to try to be pram free, and see how that goes. But I have no idea the amount of basics we need, or how long babies take to grow out of things. I want to buy as much as possible in the UK, because Oz is great if you're earning dollars, but pretty dire if you're spending pounds, which we will be for at least a while. Any suggestions much appreciated!

[GimmeDaBoobehz]

Muslims! They are vital and we'd be lost without them. Wipe up sick/put over your shoulder for sick/use to cover up clothes from other things/line cots and other things very useful.

I'd say 6 x vests would be your best bet. 3 clean 2 in the wash and 1 on :) Can get more though but no more than 12 and no less than 4 would be my advice.

If your baby is going to be born in the winter months then a snowsuit might be an idea. Not sure of the weather in Oz in the next couple of months, so that would be up to you. If it's less than 12 outside I'd say a snowsuit would be very useful.

Same above with mittens and hat if it's very cold.

Non mandatory but might be useful is scratch mittens. DD used to scratch her face something awful still does nearly 8 months later.

Bottles if you are going to formula feed. Also if you are going to formula feed a steriliser.
If you are going to express, a breast pump would be a great purchase.
If you are going to breastfeed, some lanolin cream might be an idea (or Oz equivalent) as sometimes it can be a bit achy at first whilst your adapting to the new feeding regime. I ended up getting a blister on my breast, so it eased it massively.

I'd also advise for you that you get some breast pads, because leakage can be pretty heavy whether you BF or not in the first few weeks.

What else for little one?

Cotton wool balls to bath them with the first couple of weeks as actual baths you don't tend to do until they are a few weeks old or even older.

A changing mat or something to change the baby on.

Nappies (this can be hard when you don't know their weight. If you have a DP or family member who could go out and buy after your DC is born that would be good, as they base them on weight).

Car seat.

Pram/Buggy.

I think that's it for the moment.

[RandomMess]

I would look at getting washable nappies as you will have the climate to make drying them easy save you $$$$$

[SquidgyMummy]

Congratulations on your DC!
First thought, that doesn't seem like a lot of clothes.
For the first 6 months, i think sleepsuits are perfectly adequate, layered with a fleecy all-in one /. pram suit.
I would just buy them in multipacks form Primark/ ASDA / Matalan as you will be doing a lot of washing and babies grow out of their clothes easily every 3 months.
Not used waterwipes, I personally think warm water and cotton wool is fine for newborns and then just stock up on normal baby wipes as you will be using them till potty training (min 2 years!).

I think you are being brave going pram free. Could you not buy a second had one and pop it in your shipping container, so you have not spent too much money if you never use it, but have one in an emergency.

What are you doing about a Moses basket / cot?
Baby bath
Bottles / Steriliser (Breast feeding doesn't always work out.)
Nappies - how do they compare in price to Oz?

[slightlygoostained]

I wish I'd got a few of these for those early weeks of changing nappies during the night while trying not to wake baby up:
www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-baby-bundler-white-one-size/p230591844

[RandomMess]

I found invaluable a rigid plastic support bath seat, this one www.mothercare.com/Mothercare-Ergonomic-Bath-Support/265758,default,pd.html#q=bath as leaning over the bath trying to hold a newborn whilst bathing them was a nightmare.

Again not needed straight away but useful to have and very cheap 2nd hand in the UK.

Babygrows/sleepsuits
Babygowns as much easier/quicker for nighttime nappy changes and have built in scratch mits.
Cardis

[RandomMess]

x-posts baby bundler=babygowns in my post - fantastic things!

[sleepdodger]

Where will you be having the baby? If there stuff like maternity pads?
I have friends who have tinies there and kids clothes are so so much cheaper here, so I'd show in a tears worth in age of cheap vests and baby gros
In Mel summer it's hot so you wouldn't need as much
Muslins
Nurafen infant, Calpol , teething powders and sidocrem- don't know if that's allowed?
Also super in ear thermometer well worth getting a ££ easy quick reading of temps in middle of night with sad screaming baby

[marzipananimal]

You could use washable wipes instead of baby wipes, something like those sold here
Washable breastpads also handy if you're breastfeeding, though disposable ones are better for the early days IME. I use these
Something like a bouncy chair? A play mat/baby gym type thing?
Sleeping bags are great, better than blankets.
Clothes wise I wouldn't buy much in newborn - they can grow out of it very fast and you're likely to be given gifts. At most I'd get 6 vests, 6 babygrows, a cardigan, a hat and some scratch mitts. Probably same goes for 0-3 months. If you're not finding out the sex then I guess you won't want to buy too many clothes in advance

[1charlie1]

Thank you all! Just before I posted I mentioned to DH that I was a bit annoyed that I hadn't ordered the multi pack of muslins from the NCT website when I ordered the slings and baby carrier. They're on the top of my list...

With the vests, if I get 6, in what sizes do I buy them? How long will 6 last?

How many babygros do I need for the first few months?

Breast pads - awesome, I didn't even think of these. Are they in the supermarket? On the list.

Washable nappies... hmm. Not sure how I feel about them. But worth considering, especially when the weather improves when the baby is about 4 months old. I imagine nappies are horrendously expensive compared to here. But if nappies are dependent on weight, there's not much I can do but wait, I guess.

[marzipananimal]

nursing bras too

[Goodkingwalkingslass]

I would say if you're going pram free not to bother with a snow suit but instead make sure you will have some kind of coat/waterproof to fit over you both when baby is in the sling. I've got a baby wearing coat which is fab but just used to use a big coat of DH's till I got it.

[RandomMess]

YOu can get washable nappies in one size - birth to potty - do some research on them.

Worth buying baby gros and vests 2nd hand, some in newborn and some in 0-3 months. They baby bundlers last longer as they start of huge and they grow into them length ways.

Again 2nd hand muslins are fine - go to NCT 2nd hand sales to pick this stuff up really cheap.

[Goodkingwalkingslass]

Oh and I would get at least 8 vests and baby grows in newborn and 0-3 months. Unless you're going to do washing every day it can be surprising how many you can get through.

At least 2 sheets for wherever baby will sleep. We have an NCT Bednest which is amazing.

Some kind of night light for night feeds and nappy changes. Bright enough to see by but not so bright it totally wakes baby up.

[BikeRunSki]

I'd say 8 vests and 8 baby grows each in newborn, 0-3 and 3-6 month sizes. 2 or 3 cardies in each size to go over the top. Pram suit too. A few hats.

Cloth nappies and flannels instead of wipes.

[christilass]

BABYGOWNS , they are. utterly fantastic :-)
so easy to change baby without waking them :-)

[1charlie1]

This is so helpful, thank you so much.

Thanks for the link to the washable breast pads. Have just favourited it, will order some.

I'm happy to buy second hand anything (probably not breast pads though...!) I'll google NCT second hand sales, and see if there's one near me in the near future. Thanks for the heads up.

I love the bath seat. I had no idea they existed! Right, about to google 'bednest'...

[1charlie1]

I'm totally getting the babygowns. (Is two enough??) They've been mentioned loads on this thread. Again, I'd never heard of them. Brilliant!

[RandomMess]

I'd get 3 especially if you can pick them up 2nd hand worth checking out on ebay too as £8 each new just seems ridiculous for something the sleep in, puke on, get poo on etc.

[1charlie1]

Thanks, RandomMess.

With the sleeping bag things instead of blankets, how many of those do I need? Is two enough? I would like to co-sleep, and I feel these would be good because the baby can be nice and cosy on top of the duvet.

[RandomMess]

Yes 2 should be fine, they come in different warmths. I believe in Aus they tend to not have heating in their homes so probably 2.5 tog in 0-6 months and then later on much cooler ones like 0.5 tog.

Again so cheap 2nd hand.

[NotCitrus]

Bits of cloth in water work well as wipes for small babies. Wipes are useful once they are on solid food and poo gets ickier.
Cloth nappies - many work from around 6 weeks to near potty age. See what you can find second hand.

Snot sucker, bath support, hooded towel, bath thermometer, baby paracetamol, dummies, baby bouncer are all useful to have.

Will you have space to dry lots of clothes? Babies vary hugely - ds with washable nappies caused only 2 loads a week. Dd is almost a load a day, with puking then playing with food and anything else within reach. Some extra clothes for you will be useful! And good shoes for lots of walking.

[1charlie1]

Thanks again Random. Am going to see if there's an NCT sale coming up near me...

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Oh god. Don't buy anything. When the baby arrives you'll quickly get what you need. Supermarkets are 24 hour right?

[TondelayoSchwarzkopf]

Order everything you can here and get it sent to Oz direct. It's so much cheaper here.

Melbourne has a really good Freecycle network from what I understand so sign up to that. I think it's fine to plan to be pram free in the first weeks and see how you go.

[RandomMess]

I also found vests that didn't popper up much better too - quicker nappy changes, again perhaps more relevant when they are older!

Amount of washing and whether you need muslins is dependent on wether they posset or puke or lot. DD1 didn't at all, and even the others not particular whereas other dc got through volumes of stuff each day.