list of essential, useful and non-essential things for babies newborn-toddler?

[SevernTrentWater]

Hello there,
Can you please give me a list of essential, useful, and non-essential but just nice to have things for babies, newborn to toddler, because i have a lot of people offering to buy gifts and i'm terrible at thinking of what i might want until the situation where i think 'hm...if only i had...' arises!
Anything you can think of really!
Thank you!

[SabsBigPants]

i'd love to know too...im 29 weeks pregnant with first baby

what about you severn?

[RuthChan]

My big recommendations are sleepingbags and a sling. Personally, I love my Psling (it's a ring sling) but different people like different types.
Clothes are always great and it's good to ask for them in different sizes. The bigger they are (aged 6 months, 1 year, 2 years etc) the longer they last. Newborn clothes are only ever worn a few times before they are outgrown.
When are you due? The season makes some difference. For example, both my DCs were winter babies and the little 'snow suits' I was given were fabulous for when we went out and about on cold days. They were some of my most used gift for the first 6 months or so.

[meemarsgotabrandnewbump]

I found a travel cot very useful. It was something it had never occured to me to buy and my mum gave us one.

It will last them for any overnight visits until they are about 2.

[spicemonster]

There's a thread about this here which you might find useful.

Gifts - I'd ask for nice blankets, outerwear (your babies are presumably going to be born back end of summer so you're going to need cosy things), grobags for 3 months plus, a swaddling thing (yes you can do it yourself but I was rubbish at it and found those pre-formed ones much easier), lansinoh if you're going to breastfeed (it's about 10 quid a tube), baby gym, bouncy chair and a VTech baby walker. So much of it is down to the individual though - I loved my croissant shaped breastfeeding pillow but not everyone likes them. I don't like bumbos but other people swear by them.

But above all, ask people for books. A child can never have enough books I reckon.

[RuthChan]

Oh yes, and a little rocking chair for them to lie in. Mine both lived in theirs for the first few months, both napping and while awake.

[shonaspurtle]

I've been racking my brain for items which were essential and I came up with...muslins. V useful for a wide range of wiping/mopping tasks but not very exciting.

Everyone will find different things useful and I'm not sure you can work out what these will be in advance. Ds hated sleeping bags and the swaddling "magic" blanket we bought was a complete waste of money. The Bumbo was a great buy though .

Travel cot is a good idea and something that will last a good while.

We borrowed most things like bouncy chairs etc and very newborn stage kit like a moses basket . Contrary to many people though, I found newborn vests/sleepsuits essential as ds didn't get into 0-3 until about 8 weeks and you get through a lot of clothes changes in that time although it may seem short!

[Wonderstuff]

Essential - nappies (obv.) muslin cloths, clothes as someone said different sizes are needed, you only need vests and babygros in newborn and some babies are big enough to go straight to 0-3 months. In the winter a snowsuit is great for keeping them snuggly without having to wrap them up in blankets. I loved my mobywrap sling which I used until my dd was one.

I loved my bouncy chair, good to have somewhere safe to put them down.

I loved my bedside cot, I had a baby that woke a lot for a long time and that was a lifesaver for me.

Baby sleeping bags are good, you need at least 3..

Moses basket is useful. Good for having baby asleep in livingroom so guests can admire, and also useful if you are travelling overnight with newborn.

Nice baby toiletries are lovely to have, I loved Neals Yard baby bath.

I found portable led lights useful, not too bright but allow you to see what you're doing during night feeds. IKEA's ghost light is really nice

You DONT need a baby bath and you REALLY DONT need a top and tail bowl

[HeadFairy]

One that's nice to have, but not essential was a door bouncer. From about 4-5 months when they can support their heads it's great for entertaining them for a few mins, and wearing them out, ds used to get knackered after a 20 min bounce around. I used to put him in it on the bathroom door while I had a bath and sing to him.

[Louby3000]

Organic lambskin for baby to lay on, its about £40. Phil and Teds travel cot, great bloody thing, and a fisher price jumperoo. The Moby baby sling was another brilliant buy.
I also got my work mates to but me some toys as you will be inudated with clothes so it is nice to have some bits to play with.

[MyNameIsInigoMontoya]

Baby gym, sling, bouncer, travel cot, monitor (unless your house is small enough), are all good ideas. Clothing in larger sizes as well as newborn is nice so they always have some fancy things to grow into, and good coats/snowsuits in different sizes would be fab, also books (I know I am mostly repeating what others have said but that's so you know they are good ideas ).

Also maybe some slightly "older baby" toys which you tend not to get so many of (we got tons of cuddly toys but DS really wasn't interested, and they really need much less entertaining in the first few months than when they are a bit older and have outgrown everything you were given...).

I wouldn't advise asking for much "toddler" stuff yet, cos it will just annoy you having extra clutter around that isn't even needed yet, or it will just gather dust in the loft. After all there will be birthdays, Christmas etc in between when you will get more presents.