First Time Mum Purchases

[GingerRH]

AIBU to ask

• 1 thing you brought a couldn't leave without for your newborn
• 1 thing you brought and new used/was a complete was of money

First time mum trying to get prepared on a budget. I posted her to get more replies 😁

[GingerRH]

Brought you couldn't live without**

Sorry

[MonstranceClock]

My connecta carrier. Used every single day.
My travel system, I sold it after 2 months!

[my2bundles]

a moses basket was one of my most important and used purchases. Sleepsuits vests, changing mat for tne floor. Don't need a baby bath tne sink is easier and kinder on your back.

[Urkiddingright]

Baby Bjorn bouncer was used every day and was an absolute god send as were the Shnuggle bath and sleepyhead deluxe.

Waste of money= Moses basket. I had big babies so they outgrew them after a month and they never liked going in it anyway.

[Ponoka7]

A lot of the travel systems have a carrycot that they can sleep in, it takes away the need of a moses basket.

Are you going to BF?

Personally, I'd wait to buy the add ons and see how your baby is. We seem to have babies that won't be put down in our family, so we all use slings.

[Camomila]

I used my travel system for 3.5 years and will use it again for DC2 due in 2 weeks. I did buy travel buggies but they were either too low for DH to push, or kept banging me in the shins or didn't fold flat.

DS1 hated the sleeping bag, screamed at being hot and trapped.

[Sunbrightpeninsularsofthesword]

My sling

[PPopsicle]

Sling- best purchase ever and meant I felt I could do things whilst still attending to baby

Changing table- just put a changing mat on top of a chest of drawers or something, much cheaper

[Ponoka7]

It also depends on if you have a car.

[Louiselouie0890]

Moses basket/swing prep machine

Bumbo seat awful things

[Sunbrightpeninsularsofthesword]

Sorry, my sling was invaluable

[PPopsicle]

Oh and I second a Moses basket being a waste of money! They are tiny and really don’t last that long.
We got a snuzpod and it lasted until 8 months (with a long baby) and the chicco next to me is just as big

[GingerRH]

NEVER USED.

I apologise I'm not illiterate in real life. 🤦🏼‍♀️

[GiveHerHellFromUs]

If you're going to FF i strongly recommend a Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep machine.

I'm sure there are a million useless things I bought but can't think of any off the top of my head

[unexpectedthird]

This will vary so much from baby to baby but here are mine.

Must haves
DC1: Gro swaddle wraps, he slept like a dream in them.
DC2: Medela Swing, helped keep my supply up when had issues with BF.
DC3: Moses basket, he sleeps better here than anywhere else (still not brilliant though) but has almost outgrown it.

Waste of Time
DC1: Bfing cushion - not the right shape or height for the giant of breast.🙈
DC2: Connecta - baby hated it and therefore so did we. However, we use it lots for DC3.
DC3: Swaddle wraps. He believes they are the work of the devil and so they remain unused.

[my2bundles]

I know mises baskets might be a waste for big babies, my babies where 5lb and the baskets lasted untill they where 10 months which meant they could stay in my room longer. Definitely worth a look if you have a small baby.

[AuntSelmaJane]

Loved = any items I could guarantee safety in for quick access e.g. when someone knocks at the door, need a toilet break. We used a bounce strap in seat, or playgym or even the car seat, but something that you can throw a baby into at short notice and guarantee safety (short of leaving them on the floor wriggling!) helped massively day after day. Recent example was pet throwing up all over bedspread... Baby shoved into playgym.. safe, no crying, done in 5 seconds!

Waste of money= newborn car seat. We bought a heavy one that literally I couldn't carry after csection.. then when out grew ...we bought one that does newborn up to toddler.. waste of£££s!! Either buy a light carry newborn one THEN upgrade to next size .. or buy one that covers both that you leave in the car!

Bonus tip: buy a lightweight pram. Doesn't matter what, all the accessories & season colours are expensive nonsense. Just go for the lightest one you can use for your purposes (depends on your preferred transport method, terrain etc). Your back will thank you over and over and over!!

[ClaireT1308]

Things I couldn’t live without:
Purflo nest - she’s still using this at 6 months and sleeps right through the night
Swing has been a godsend worth every penny
Tommee Tippee perfect prep if using formula
Bedside crib - used until she was 6 months

Things I wish I hadn’t bothered with:
Loads of cute outfits she never needed, she wore sleepsuits for the first few months pretty much!
Bought loads of Tommee Tippee bottles she hated and never used

Lots of really good baby things for sale on Facebook etc, we ended up selling loads of things we ended up with two of due to lots of gifts so lots of brand new things for a bargain!

Baby’s really don’t care how much things cost, she actually likes a really cheap play mat I bought for £20 - glad i didn’t bother with the £80 mamas and papas one I looked at!

[mistermagpie]

Perfect prep for formula fed baby is invaluable.

Travel system was a waste of money.

I now have an 8 week old who is my third baby, the best things I've had for her which I didn't have for my first two are a shnuggle bath and a morrck blanket for the car seat. I wish I had had both of these for my other children.

[OnlyLittleMissOrganised]

Moses basket was great. A baby bath is useless. Use the sink, or get in the bath or shower with the baby (make sure to have help with this as the baby is slippery).

[BiddyPop]

Couldn't live without - a sling
Had a baby bjorn to start - was ok but didn't last very long. But we did have another after (I genuinely cannot remember the name, sorry) what was good until 2 years - we certainly used that for close to 2 years.
I used to use it out and about a fair amount rather than always using the pram/stroller. But as a newborn, I used it a huge amount at home!! It didn't help that DD had reflux and needed to be upright a lot, but I would have used it regardless as it meant I could get on with things and DD was with me, and safe, but I had my hands free to do things/carry things etc.

Waste of money - someone got us a nappy disposal unit. Rubbish. Stank. Needed bags. We had a decent-sized bin in the bathroom where we put the disposables, and emptied that daily. (We already had the bin - as we wanted a recycling bin and waste bin combined for upstairs - and it was handy that it was a pedal bin).

I also got a proper bucket with a lid, when I got a number of cloth nappies - to put them once they came off (dry - no napisan or Milton soaking needed), and bring the whole bucket down straight to the washing machine every couple of days. It was handy to then use that bucket for various other things around the house/garden once DD was in pants - until it literally fell apart 2 weeks ago!! (DD is now 14).


1 other thing that was very helpful to have from early on was a Mammas and Papas highchair - it went back to 3 different seating positions, with the 3rd being almost reclined, so DD could use it from early on. And it dropped the legs to different heights, so later was able to be used at the table until she grew long enough for a regular chair. The table tray was removable also, so sometimes she sat in it as a chair, and sometimes it was her table to eat at, play on, paint over.....and as it was plastic, with a removable cover, I wasn't bothered about how dirty it got from whatever source, I could totally dismantle and clean it. It got used in the garden. It spent a lot of time on plastic cloths in the dining end of the kitchen while I got things done in the kitchen and she played with messy stuff. And she could lay back in it and have a snooze while I was working away, when she refused to nap in a bouncer or away from me - but I occasionally needed to not be stuck underneath her and just rocking her (that was nice too sometimes - just not when the 4th washing load of the day needed to be hung out and the kitchen tidied and dinner started and I needed the toilet.....).

[GlamGiraffe]

Best things: most basket, baby loved sleeping there more than anywhere and hated the transition to a bigger crib then cot.
Snuza hero,clip on breathing monitor. Is portable as fixes to baby's nappy, was invaluable as baby repeatedly stopped breathing and this alerted us there was a problem

Worth thing: baby bath and stand (Dh wanted these 🙄)

[PPopsicle]

And if you’re planning to formula feed or end up doing so, do not go and buy loads of bottles!
I did and baby refused them all other than Dr Browns so I wasted so much money and ended up with cupboards full of bottles

[lee12345]

Couldn't live without a swing - it was expensive but lifesaver or a colicky reflux baby who couldn't be put down, but did not like a sling/carrier.
Waste of money - prep machine. We quickly found a way to make bottles without needing the prep machine. Took up space & unnecessary.

[20viona]

For newborn Iv got a joie serina swing which my baby loves, it swings back and forth, up and down loads of different tunes and vibrations.
My babies just turned 6 months and the best thing is a swivel car seat, the infant carrier gets so heavy and I couldn't get her in the car using it in situ. She's not a big baby either only 15lb now.

Waste of time I'd say proper outfits for when they are tiny, my daughter lived in sleepsuits for 3 months as they are so much easier to get on and off and she looked super cute.