To ask what a first time parent absolutely doesn't need to do or buy?

[glabicki]

I'm pregnant with my first and we are starting to order things for the baby.

There are so many gadgets, and I wonder what things I absolutely won't need and what is a life saver?

And what parenting advice should I ignore, and what advice should I take on board?

Trying not to get too worked up about everything, but I'm starting to feel like I don't know anything and I need to buy everything!

Thanks in advance!

Absolutely don't need lots of gimmicks and gadgets toys and soft toys, too many newborn cute trendy clothes that are fiddly and uncomfortable to wear.

I dropped nappies out of the landing window or put them through the cat flap

In a tied up nappy bag by the way

Most things!

The only thing I would get for first 6 months:

Carseat
Bouncer
Pram/pushchair
Sling
Nappies
Babygros

I co-slept (see Co Sleeping Safe 7 rules) and breastfed, the cot and bottles went pretty much unused. Didn't use muslims as had facecloths. Also got given loads of clothes and stuff (too much).

Every one is different I wouldn,t have used a lay pen, but others here have said how they helped. I used a moses basket a lot. Canging units ar bulky and most people won,t have the room.

I had a door jumping thing mine didn,t like and I wasn,t convinced about it,s safety either.

Depends on the baby too. Never needed bibs on dc1. Went through 10 a day on dc2. Never needed nipple cream.

I found our changing table to be a total waste of money, much more convenient to have a mat to pop on the floor. Once Ds could roll it didn't feel safe to have him on there anyway and so it just ended up being another surface to dump things on.

I second the nappies thing. I bought LOADS in the newborn size and ended up giving loads away because I had a chunk who grew like a weed! As it turns out he's been in size 5s for what feels like forever so if you're going to stock up, stock up on the bigger ones!

Congrats. Years ago I bought a book called 'Babynomics- Money saving tips for smart parents' off ebay for about £2. It gave great tips on things that your should buy new, things are ok to buy 2nd hand, maternity wear, the essentials and the nice to haves etc.

I'm yet to actually have a pregnancy last, so can't say whether it was good or not, but seemed like practical advice to save money and to make sense and didn't feel like an advertisement for specific brands.

Things you do need:

• Netflix

• One of those mugs that keeps your tea warm

no need for pram sheets or moses basket sheets as pillowcases are the perfect size!

Nappy bin (gets smelly)

Baby bath (in hindsight a big plastic mixing bowl with a facecloth folded at the bottom for grippage would have been fine.)

Bottle warmer (they'll learn to drink cold milk and like it!)

Moses basket (a pain to bend into, and they outgrow it in 5 mins, I should have just lashed/ratcheted the cot to my bedside from the start)

Any and all mobiles (they don't care that much tbh)

GroEgg (It's bloody obvious if the room is too warm!)

The 2 things that I really got a lot of use out of was the Perfect Prep machine and Ewan the Dream Sheep. He's still going strong 5 years later even though only one leg works now.

Mother of 3 kids here.

Without a shadow of a doubt the worst thing I was bought was a nappy bin.

When you take your kids smelly nappy off the only place for it is in the outside bin.
Not in a pretty looking in door tub.

Don't buy shoes or anything with buttons up the back.

Hats are always useful (and cute). Lots of vests, babygros and muslins. Nipple cream, sanitary towels, decent bedside light for getting up in wee hours. Box sets.

And remember it's similar to Christmas - the shops will still be open and you'll probably be given lots of stuff you don't need.

People always say they didn’t need a baby bath but ours was very useful.
Our bath is really big (and I’m really short) so I couldn’t hold DC in ours when tiny. MIL didn’t have a bath so needed it for there too.

I’d think about what type of pram you want. I had a massive one and I got loads of use out of it, but I had no car so didn’t need to collapse. I also used the carry cot downstairs for sleeping.

**Things you do need:

• Netflix

• One of those mugs that keeps your tea warm**

I disagree with the breast pump if breastfeeding, I'd see how you get on first you might want to just feed directly it's much easier than pumping and cleaning bottles, however if your plan is to Express for dad to feed now and again start that quite soon after birth as I waited the 6 weeks the hv advised and could never get my son to take a bottle, when our daughter was born I pumped straight away (had to she was in NICU and tube fed) but would have started within a week even if she wasn't and she easily swapped between me and a bottle.
A baby wrap is brilliant we tried a carrier but didn't like it felt like baby wasn't close enough and ached my back so tried a wrap and absolutely loved it.
Nappies size 1 and 2, basic clothes, cot or noses basket, car seat and parent facing lie flat pram it's easy to charter away with baby they are always watching and learning from your face, our pram was parent facing until the day we got rid of it.
Congratulations and good luck with your pregnancy x

I spent £££ on an Elvie breast pump and lots of extra parts for it to avoid having to sterilise the single ones that come with it. Sadly breastfeeding didn’t work out for me and although I did use the pump for a couple of weeks (and it was brilliant!) as I stopped breastfeeding after a few weeks it was just not worth it. I made the mistake of thinking that I wouldn’t have a problem if I was determined enough and that wasn’t the case. I was also taken in by the discount at the Baby Show as they don’t go on offer very often.

You need somewhere for the baby to sleep (moses basket/bassinet/ baby box)
A packet of newborn onsies and vests
In most cases a carseat
A blanket
Some kind of pram (if I could go back would get something lightweight and v easy to close like armadillo or a second hand)

Nice to have
Wrap
A manual breast pump like haakaa
Bouncer

Don't bother with an expensive massive travel system. They are huge and weigh a ton. I hate lugging mine in and out of the boot in 2 parts - but it cost over a grand so I need to keep using it to justify the purchase.

You can get perfectly good pram which folds up nice and small and have the lie flat open for when baby is littlest

Option not open

Best things I bought

• sleepyhead
• Snuzpod
• medula electric breast pump
• pram gloves if a winter baby
• bouncer

I bought a breast pump when DD1 was a day old (thanks amazon prime), but for DD2 I hired a hospital grade one that was loads better. I’d wait and see.

Get a really good in ear thermometer. If you think your newborn has a temperature you will REALLY want to know what it is and waiting until tomorrow for amazon prime won’t cut it.

Honestly it all depends on your parenting style and to a large extend that depends on the baby and to a smaller extent on your birth.

DD1 was formula feed, mostly slept in buggy during the day, dummy lover, never drooled and we did blw.

DD2 is ebf, screams in the buggy so all naps are in the sling, dummy refuser, constant need to change dribble bibs and due to allergies we need to do traditional purée weaning.

Things either found useless or didn’t buy

• nappy bin. Yuk
• bottle warmer
• baby hair brush (I had bald babies/toddlers)
• children’s furniture. Just get a normal

chest of drawers

• breast pumps - I just can’t express. I have a perfectly chubby ebf 6 months old so I have enough milk
• New born baby grows. My smallest was 8lb 11oz and very long

My biggest tip is apart from mattresses and car seats buy as much as you can on local children Facebook selling sites. But the things you want and then resell them. I wish first time round I had bought more things second hand.