what did you really appreciate for your newborn?

[ladycarlotta]

Posting here for traffic.

We are expecting our baby in a month and DP's friendship group always do a whip-round for a first baby and get the parents something practical of their choosing, at a cost of around £120. In the past people have chosen things like a Sleepyhead, a sheepskin buggy liner, or an Ergobaby.

I'm just wondering, what would you choose? I'm at a bit of a loss working out what we might need - there is so much we haven't got, but I'm also a bit worried that we'll end up choosing something that is not useful, and kicking ourselves for not requesting something else.
I'd ask for a side-sleeper but the Snuzpod ones are over budget, and I don't know whether the cheaper ones are as good.

I know every baby is different, and every couple too, but what was a godsend to you in the newborn days and beyond? What would you definitely not bother with?

Bouncy chairs, one for upstairs, one for downstairs. Tiny Me crib musical mobile. These two things made it possible for me to take a shower each day in the early months.
Congratulations!

What a lovely way to give a gift, to all club together!

Here are things we found undepensible!

Snuzpod
Sleepyhead
Sling
Bouncy chair
Playpen / travel cot for a safe place to put them when they’re on the move!
Play mat - we had a mamas and papas one with lights and music (not annoying music, genuinely pleasant) that the baby could kick buttons / switches for. Was awesome from about 8 weeks but even a littler baby would love to lay and look at the lights . Will find a link

Cheaper items which were amazing
Food! Yes to Cook vouchers
My hummy
A reading light for late night BF sessions
Snoozeshade for the pushchair (blacks out light for out and about naps)

Congratulations and good luck!

I second the vote for Amazon prime or Cook vouchers.

We got a baby Bjorn bouncer on eBay for £45 with the toy bar. Definitely wouldn't pay full price for one.

We have a sleepyhead and a next 2me crib. Both work well for dd.

This bouncy chair is amazing, folds flat, lightweight so easy to bring in car with you when visiting friends or family.

www.johnlewis.com/babybj-rn-bouncer-balance-soft-black-grey/p1097069?sku=232674421&s_kwcid=2dx92700032946389673&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9Zrvk96Y4AIVLbXtCh0nJQwgEAQYBSABEgKyi_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This is the amazing musical playmat

www.mamasandpapas.com/en-gb/magic-stargaze-light-sound-playmat-and-baby-gym/p/759482769

Next2me cot or the baby Bjorn bouncer. Both absolutely worth it and have made our lives so much easier.

I wouldn't buy anything relating to feeding as you don't know how that will work out.

Back in the day when I had mine, nearly everyone used disposable nappies. My brilliant dm bought me 5 cloth nappies. They ended up getting use as bibs, mini towels, changing mats, comfort blankets and yes nappies.

Baby Bjorn bouncer here, although mine are way past baby stage this is loads better than other bouncy chairs in my opinion as it moves with baby's movements.

Nursing chair / rocking chair especially if you're planning to breastfeed (but even if you're not)

Stretchy baby wrap was the best thibgs when they're tiny and don't want to be put down

MAM bottles were my absolute favourite thing ever as they are so easy to sterilise. You do them in the microwave!
A changing table is so much easier and tidier (somewhere to put the nappies etc)
I bought a carrier and never used it once, same with a door swing and a walker.
I had a vibrating baby bouncer type thing that played music. That was great. Also, a cot mobile. Really helped my little one drift off. I got a bath seat too when DS was newborn (looked like those plastic baby seats on trolleys) it felt much safer to me rather than holding his neck as he wriggled about.

Fisher Price Jumperoo. Totally worth every penny!

www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?tag=mumsnetforum-21&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=fisher+price+jumperoo

Naice muslins

Naice steam steriliser (for dummies, bottles for expressed or formula feeds) - pop in a bit of water, press the button and it does it all for you!

Our group of friends bought us a camera baby monitor. I liked that it had a thermostat built in so I could also check how hot or cold the room was from downstairs.

It was really useful. I think it was about £100.
Not something we'd have bought for ourselves as had been given a hand me down audio monitor (that is not v good).

For me, next to me crib would be the one thing I would definitely reccomend, almost not having to move to feed in the night but not actually having DS in the bed was perfect!
I brought a perfect prep and then breastfed so it barely got used. We had a massively fancy, all singing all dancing bouncy chair lent to us which DS hated. He loved the 2nd hand £15 one I brought from Facebook!
Never had a sleepyhead as it seemed like such a huge amount of money for a pillow but heard good things. I still won’t be buying one for DC2 who is due soon.
We had white noise toys which did nothing at all to calm DS!
Honestly most things I wouldn’t bother with until they’re here as you just won’t know if you’ll need it or not tbh!

I absolutely loved my next 2 me crib. It was a perfect fit for our tiny bedroom. Could you ask for vouchers OP.

I have wallaboo car seat liner that fits the bassinet and buggy too. Love it, have used it every single day, no messing about with loads of blankets and they can't kick it off like they do with blankets. Bouncer also used everyday.
www.amazon.co.uk/Wallaboo-Beautiful-Polyester-Universal-pushchair/dp/B000WH9KPW?tag=mumsnetforum-21

www.amazon.co.uk/Fisher-Price-New-born-Removable-Characters-Vibrations/dp/B00717LDCE?tag=mumsnetforum-21

If I was pregame then nownit would be just eat vouchers is that even a thing?

Perfect prep (if bottle feeding). And next to me crib

The Tiny Love 3 in1 Napper. It's about 90 quid. And a four pack of giant Aden and Anais Muslins for swaddling.

Baby Bjorn bouncy chair. Schnuggle bath. My Hummy. Everything else I could have lived without but those were godsends and worth every penny.

Ahh so much good stuff- things we couldn’t have lived without:

Baby sling (we had a Caboo)
Ergo baby
White noise machine (really useful as DD had been in NICU so very used to all the random noises)
Mam bottles
Good breast pump (we combi fed as dd struggled to suck/latch)
Play mat- we had the finding Nemo one with lights etc
Good coffee

In honesty now I’ve had a baby in the future I would look to get something little for the baby and something really nice for the mum 😊

Oh and a jumperoo but get that secondhand and try your baby in one first as s/he might hate it. Ditto a swing (DD hated the swing, £120 down the drain.)

Jumperoo for DD1, sling for DD2. Godsends both!

Our perfect prep machine gets a lot of use! Other items are either much cheaper or much more expensive than you were after. You could make an amazon baby wish list and they could decide if they'd rather get a bunch of cheaper things or one more expensive thing?

Ergo sling is a great one.

Tuppence and Crumble Star Blanket - so useful!!

A fancy breast pump? Or Perfect Prep Machine?