What could you absolutely not do without when having a baby?

[QueenOfIce]

Being childless myself I have no clue about the needs of babies! When you had your baby looking back what would you tell a first time mum she absolutely needs?

So far we've got,

Ewan the dream sleep
A sling
A baby formula machine thingy wotsit (she will be unable to breast feed)

She has a good support network but no partner so anything that will make life easier when she's on her own with baby especially at nighttime.

Thank you!

Muslins (my babies were both very sicky!)

If bottle feeding then a microwave for both sterilising and heating bottles. Quick and simple.

Cloth wipes! They work so much better than disposable wipes and you never run out!

Insulated cup for hot drinks, and a thousand Muslins

You really shouldn’t use a microwave to heat bottles! Does no one read instructions ?

Bouncy chair
Changing mat
Lots of Muslins!

A bouncy, vibratey chair. Once the baby gets to about 6 weeks, if you can get them to nap in that, you can sneak off for a wee or a cuppa. After 5 weeks of holding a baby practically non stop, it felt like having a live in nanny!

Our babies DETESTED swinging chairs.

But cloth wipes are, indeed, 1,000,000x better than disposable. No pooey fingers.

Downstairs changing station, even if it just an extra baby mat with a basket full of nappies/spare vests and sleepsuits so she doesn't have to keep going upstairs. Newborns need up to 10 nappy changes a day!

Things that I got with my second baby that made life so much easier

Sleepy head pod
Mam bottles (think these are the ones that most babies like)
And as mentioned formula potsso you can pre measure the powder for perfect prep

OP what a lovely thought for you to do for someone. I love reading nice threads like this

A feeding chair for through the night with the pockets on the side - (I had a padded rocking chair and foot stool, ( Mothercare) it was comfy for all the night feeds and she can "stock up" the pockets before hand with things she needs, snacks, bottle of water, flask or whatever she may want)

A good friend to encourage and support her first visits out of the house with newborn.
Healthy quick meals
Muslin cloths
Pads for after the birth in case of bleeding - give her them so she doesn't have to ask if she can't get out
Nice Comfy house coat or nice comfy clothes for around the house
Hooded towels - really cute and functional - not essential but I personally wouldn't do without.
A babysitter for an hour a week to have a soak in the bath

I hated Sophie le giraffe, everyone told me I needed one for when DS was teething. I bought one, she had evil eyes and a smirk on her face, probably as she was about £15 and my DS wouldn't use her lol

sorry forgot to add @WhatNow40 I bloody love this idea, I may steal the fuckit buckit idea for advice for people.

Perfect prep machine (I think that's what you've already referred to)
Angelcare bath support - 10000 times easier than a baby bath
Dummies
Tommee Tippee essentials kit - mainly for the nasal aspirator
Bedside crib
Video monitor

There's loads more I would definitely recommend but my mind has gone blank!

Don't buy a huge stash of bottles either - I bought about 15 TT bottles and DD had horrendous colic. I switched to the MAM anti-colic bottles and she was better within 24 hours.

Baby Washing powder and fabric softener
Home cooked frozen meals,
Snacks for picks ups during overnight feeding and the daytime slump
Definitely a baby chair

Think everything is covered above that I would suggest. But someone mentioned Aden & Anais muslins being best but expensive. Just thought I’d add we got loads of them from tk maxx really cheaply and they’re so much softer than our others and used loads. We also had cheeky wipes (washable baby wipes) once weaning started and they’re fantastic. My little one moans a lot less at being cleaned with these. You sound like a wonderful friend ❤️

Leather (or otherwise waterproof) gloves for pushing pram in the rain.
Sponge for baby to lie on in bath. Download sky app (and/or equivalent) for when you can't reach the remote.

Angel care bath support ( the original one) and an Ikea baby bath which it fits in perfectly ( great if in a water meter).

Sleepyhead instead of a Moses basket.

Mothercare flat sheets (terry material one side water proof the other side) flat sheets which I put on top of the sleepy head so I didn’t have to change the covers every time baby leaked changing the covers on a sleepy head is a nightmare.

I did not need a Euan dream sheep.
Or That formula making machine. I did get given that and hated it. I mostly breastfed anyway so I used premixed formula as if you are only feeding formula once or twice a day can justify the extra cost.

I didnt use muslins or dribble bibs much as I didn’t get vomity babies. So again not def a big essential. At least not more than one pack.

Baby grows with fold over hands are a must. Next and jojomaman Bebe are the best.

A baby!}

A baby!!

10,000 muslins. Literally the most useful thing ever.

Also, weirdly one thing I didn't buy but immediately realised I needed was a bath thermometer- using your elbow is actually really bloody hard and I never trusted it! We got one that doubled as a room thermometer which was dead handy.

I wouldn't have been without the swing that swung forwards and backwards or side to side (both of mine preferred side to side). That is the one thing I would always get. It just meant that you could put them down for a but while you got on with making dinner etc

Oh I’ll add I could’ve absolutley done WITHOUT scratch mittens. Firstly you lose them within 10 minutes, secondly pretty much all babygrows have fold over arms (or money bags as dp calls them) which do the same job.

Lots of white babygrows and vests, a few in the smaller sizes. Lovely jackets or tops to go with them. Don't bother with loads of fancy clothes- people give them, and babies rarely have time to wear them!

A teddy bear sponge to put the baby on in the bath. It's pennies, and much easier to manage than all the other contraptions.

A small bag that fits a change of clothes, a handful of nappies, half a pack of wipes and a bottle. And a mat.

A decent pram. Folds small, lays flat, turns to face the mum. Which one depends on how you use it- car, public transport, etc.

A few muslins and flannels or fleece wipes. Something to wipe up, mop up, wipe down the baby, clothes, floors etc!

@queenofice

Ours wasn't the swinging one, just a vibrating one that rocked. We just rocked it with our feet so we could sit and have a cuppa!

www.mothercare.com/bouncing-cradles-and-rockers/joie-inspired-by-mothercare-wisp-rocker----safari-exclusive-to-mothercare/913262.html?cm_mmc=Google--Nursery--MC-UK-G-Shopping-Nursery//Nursery+-+Brands-_-+-+&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&gclid=Cj0KCQiAp7DiBRDdARIsABIMfoAdzNO0Sdo4EFZhcMJbufunylU_Zwi1Fgw4l8zlH_iOhQ-iIG-12cYaAi0lEALw_wcB

Perfect for newborn! Not sure about swinging ones though. They are absolutely massive though and expensive! I never found I needed one and they aren't used for that long either really!