To ask about newborns...

[notsureifimbeingur]

I'm due to have a baby in November, and I wondered if anyone has advice of things to buy that were an absolute must have when you were giving birth/ settling into life with a baby at home?

Perhaps things that I wouldn't initially think of, but couldn't live without, and would then have to make a trip out to buy them.
I like to be as organised as possible!

(Sorry, I know this isn't strictly AIBU, but posting for traffic!)

Thank you!

Amazon Prime... then you buy stuff as you think of it and it magically arrives.

Otherwise some form of sleeping bag (newborn sized) and a sling. Everything else via Amazon Prime.

Netflix, Kindle (1 handed reading) and sports lid bottles of water good for feeding marathon without getting bored/thirsty!

I agree with Prime. The cost is steep but so worth it for the convenience factor.

A carrier/sling is also a godsend, we loved the Tula.

If your planning to breastfeed loads of snacks that you can keep by your bed for bight feeds like cereal bars. Have a box of nappies and wipes by the bed too. And a bottle of water for you. A flask with tea can also be useful.

Night feeds

Infacol. Lifesaver for a very unhappy windy baby. For birth it was the tens machine we hired but agree with pp suggestions of prime for nappies, wipes etc

Sorry I have no advice but am also due my first baby in November so following x

Shamelessly placemarking as first baby also due in November...

Swaddle cloths
Sleepyhead
Netflix (marathon nightfeeds so much easier when I was looking forward to watching the next episode of something)
My Brest Friend feeding cushion

For me, it was a breast pump. I didn't think I'd need one for at least the first month but about a week after birth my boobs got so engorged my poor baby couldn't get his little mouth round them. It was like me trying to suck on a beach ball He was wailing with hunger, I was struggling to hand express, and the cheapie manual breast pump I had in the house was a genuine lifesaver! I wouldn't have wanted to wait even a few hours to get my hands on one.

Loads of muslins, if you think you have enough, buy some more.

Large, cheap, soft sanitary towels.

Paracetamol.

Drinks for yourself - water bottles that you can have to hand, with squash or similar if you think that will help you keep hydrated.

Baby wipes (any ideas about plain water & cotton wool on baby skin will probably not last long, plus you need them to wipe up everything).

Next-size-up nappies - you will never regret a nappy that is a bit big, but might regret a nappy that was too small

A sling is a life saver. I got a close caboo organic and now have an ergo and love them.

I was going to get a sleepyhead after all the good reviews but waited until she was here. I'm so glad I didn't as she has hip dysplasia and was in a harness from 2 weeks old so wouldn't of fitted in one anyway!!! If you want one maybe wait and see if you need one and then order from Amazon prime or something.

Nappies I love aldi ones. I used water wipes for the first few months and now I use aldi ones as well. They are cheap at 50p a pack when bought in the massive box of 12.

I didn't bother with newborn size clothes but I seem to breed them quite big in length! My 6 month old is now in 12-18 month clothing for length and she needs it loose around her hips cos of the dysplasia.

The last piece of advice is to enjoy it. You will be more tired and drained than you have ever been in your life...... but those months of your teeny tiny precious bundle go by so quickly. So try and get pleasure from it all.

I don't know about essential but I used a sling called an Ergo for DS2. He was one of those babies who simply loved contact and loved to be held, so it meant I could drink a cup of tea or make DS1's supper without having to put him down. Even now he's 6 he'll climb onto my lap, sit in the exact same position he'd have been in the sling and have a little power nap if he's not feeling well.

And a body pillow; I had no idea they existed til my darling sister appeared with one. It's a long, thin sort of thing that you can sleep with between your legs and it made such a huge difference in the last few months of pregnancy, and I even used it as a nursing pillow when he arrived.

Lots of great tv shows/movies lined up on the sky planner or netflix (I love Netflix; some of their recent series have been genuinely brilliant).

And the Amazon prime subscription is genius. The amount of things we bought on there is unreal. One of the best from there was a light that clipped onto the main light in DS2's nursery and reduced it so that at night time I'd be able to change his nappy without putting on glaring bright lights that woke us both up. I'm sure it was by the same people who made the GroEgg.

All the stuff PP have recommended and a little rocking/bouncy chair for baby. You need somewhere to put them down that is safe that you can move around the house.

I agree with all of the above.

I also wish I'd got Bluetooth headphones sooner - to much easier to use during night feeds than getting wires tangled up.

If you have a csection I recommend an extra long phone charger and a litter picker/grabber thing so you don't have to move/bend to get things!

Sling.
Kindle (for night feeds)
Things you can eat with one hand whilst holding / feeding baby - nuts, apples, cereal bars out of the packet, water bottle with sports cap. Nothing that needs opening / peeling. I clearly remember trying to butter toast with one hand. It's impossible.
Somewhere to put the baby down - so a little rug / baby gym / bouncy chair (bouncy chair is good because they make baby portable so you can have them in bathroom with you when you shower etc)
Muslin cloths for milk/ puke / drool
If yr planning to breastfeed, somewhere comfortable that supports your back to sit.
Ours was November birth as well and it was v useful to have a really warm little coat for the baby - I found it really difficult getting a newborn into those snowsuit things and he hated it and cried every time, we got him a little fleecy jacket instead and it was so much easier!!
Congratulations x

Even now he's 6 he'll climb onto my lap, sit in the exact same position he'd have been in the sling and have a little power nap if he's not feeling well.

That's so sweet Whooo I'm expecting my first very soon and your post has made me go all mushy :)

Thank you to everyone, this is exactly the kind of things I was after!! Glad that this thread can help others too!

To the poster who mentioned about boobs getting too big for the baby to feed....this might be a random question, and not necessarily linked to original question! So if I have VERY big boobs (HH/possibly even a J!) to begin with, and they get larger with milk, then will that hinder my baby from feeding? Basically I'm asking if there's such a thing as boobs that are too big to breast feed??

Swaddle blankets
Baby carrier/sling
Cuddle dry bath towel
MyHummy/Ewan sheep/white noise

Pies. Cheese. Cheese pies.

Fill the fridge with things you can eat one-handed.

Not something you need to buy, but I'd recommend filling your freezer with batch-cooked stuff (or ready meals, if you prefer) so you have a bunch of stuff you can just microwave for dinner. Also, do this a several weeks before your due date. (I planned to use my maternity leave for batch cooking and DD arrived three weeks early - we lived off ready meals out of necessity for the first three weeks DH was back at work!)

I'm making a newborn basket (basket because you don't need a hand free to carry it around, and can loop your arm through it) for a friend at the moment, and I've included:
Muslins
Sports top water bottle
Straw (when you can't even get one hand free)
Chocolate
Energy bars
Infacol
5ml syringe
Metanium
Breast pads
Lansinoh
A note with the number of local breastfeeding support groups, a national breastfeeding 24/7 helpline, a link to kellymom.com and the opening times of her local sling library.

Some of this wouldn't be relevant for someone not planning to breastfeed, of course, but she told me she is.

I'd say newborn nappies, a few baby grows, a baby hat (the soft cotton kind) and somewhere to put it down are the critical things. Everything else you can Amazon Prime as and when you need it.

That's so sweet Whooo I'm expecting my first very soon and your post has made me go all mushy

Ahh congratulations. It's such a cliche to tell you to enjoy every moment but it's so true; I wish I could rewind time a little and have them as newborns for one more day. It's so tiring that it can pass by in a blur and it was only once it had gone that I realised how utterly delicious it all is.

Very little is essential as every baby is different. Nappies, babygros (inc next size up for both) and somewhere to sleep. Personally a mei tai was amazing too, but apart from that mine had very little on common.
For that reason, Amazon prime - so much easier when you realise you need something and can't be arsed going searching for it in town!

Muslin cloths
Swaddle blankets
Bouncer/playmat/somewhere to put baby while you shower/eat etc
Muslin cloths
Some kind of protein shake, I couldn't keep down a meal for months post birth they helped with calories and vitamins I needed
Muslin cloths
Loads of nappies, wipes and nappy ready
Muslin cloths

I had a VERY sicky baby.