What was your best, if slightly expensive, item you purchased for baby?

[Sparksi]

We’re in a fortunate position at the moment where we have had some money gifted from relatives to buy for baby.

What would you treat yourself to if you could to make that first year a bit easier?

I’m looking at Tiba and Marl bags, but not sure if they are the best ones. We still need to choose and order our travel system, too, so it could go towards that.

Anything else you’d recommend?

My Upababy vista makes my lose so much easier. It’s not cheep, but it’s perfect for me.

I also love my Pink Lining changing bag. It’s not super pricey, but it’s perfect (and now on baby 2 and still going strong).

But if I was starting from scratch - could it go towards a night nanny? A bit of support in those early days would have been invaluable.

I bought one of those and am currently using my work rucksack with my 2 kids on second mat leave 🫣

i think my best expensive purchases were post 6m before that you get very little use out of most stuff.

i got one of those fancy play rugs from totter and tumble which was a veryyy good buy. It’s still in use 2 years on.
also the learning tower was a good buy.

edit: I had a night nanny with my 2nd for a night or two per week.
best money ever spent.

Stokke buggy

My DC are older now - 7 and 10 - but I splashed out a bit on all the baby stuff when I was pregnant as I had money saved and I wanted to! Favourite items were the Babybjorn travel cot, Babybjorn bouncer and when I had a baby and toddler, the double Mountain Buggy.
Bought the Uppababy Vista but found it all too heavy so sold it when DS was 9 months.
I found all the equipment I bought lasted well for 2 kids and kept decent value to sell on. Where I wish I hadn't splashed out in those early years was clothes. I definitely spent too much on cute Boden, Joules and Next. There really was no need!

baby carrier. Used it far more than the pram .

A decent baby carrier and a next 2 me crib. Both absolute game changers.

A baby sling that both dh and I liked. We went to our local NCT sling library and tried loads on, and borrowed one on a short hire to see if we liked it. Absolute godsend but not cheap.

A few gorgeous breastfeeding tops from Frugi. Expensive but made me feel like a yummy mummy.

A wooden high chair - actually not that expensive but we are STILL using it with dc2 who is now 5 (because the tray is detached it is just a wooden chair now, high enough for our kitchen breakfast bar). Incredible value.

A bedside crib for safer sleeping - so fab for night feeding.

Car seats for both cars so we don’t have to keep swapping them around!

I think the cot was our most expensive purchase. Would suggest you get decent pram/buggy, baby carrier and car seats - the easier to use the better to cut down on faffing as much as possible. We got an automatic baby rocking chair which saved our lives in the early days when DS was happy in it and often fell asleep - there may be a ton of advice saying it's not advisable, but OMG we loved it. Somebody (wisely) gave me a V shaped cushion which was ideal for bf especially in the early days.

A baby rocker/ swing for upstairs and downstairs so I could sort out out dc/ get a quick shower without carrying it up and down, I got some lovely easy meals from cook for first couple of weeks, a really decent travel mug to keep my tea hot. A friend hired a cleaner for a deep clean before baby arrived and for a few months after.

As above totter and tumble mat! Spent so much on play mats, rugs etc and I honestly can see it as a long standing feature in my house. Everyone compliments it, it's so comfy to chill in the floor and play with little one!

Babybjorn bouncer was one of our splurges. It held its value well when we resold it too.

The Chicco next to me was brilliant.

I also second putting in time finding a pram you really like. We had large pavements and parks nearby so manoeuvrability and good suspension was very important. I loved mine and could steer it with one hand. Equally if you live in the city, a narrow, light pram is super helpful to navigate narrow pavements. Having a bit of extra cash to invest means you can really choose the right pram for you.

Trip Trapp chair - my older one used till he was 6, younger one is 4 and still uses.

It is great to have chairs that look nice and put the kids at the table properly rather than high chair and tray

Next2Me crib and a brilliant travel system with isofix base.

This https://www.consobaby.co.uk/sun-and-sleep-pop-up-travel-bubble-cot-koo-di.html

Honestly, I used it so so much. Brilliant for anything on a sunny day where you're going to be sitting outside for any length of time. I used it in the garden a lot, camping, picnics, national trust gardens, friends parties, bbqs, the beach. Just makes a little shady space baby can be without worry, I always had the side away from the sun unzipped, no worry about overheating or anything, just brilliant.

Another vote for bjorn bouncer actually.
And it has great resale.

we got ours 2nd hand and will prob sell it for £10 less than we paid.

A car seat that turns (Joie 360). I didn’t use it until about eight months but it made such a difference as she grew. So much easier to get her in and out of the car.

Oooh! Lots.

I walked everywhere, so a bugaboo cameleon worked brilliantly for me. We also had a cheaper, easy to collapse buggy for the car. With DC2, that was a BJCM, we’d had a cheaper one with DC1.

a Moses basket and a bouncer/chair for downstairs and for upstairs.

A changing table (cheap ikea one) which meant less bending and getting up and down.

baby sleeping bags - the supermarket/high street ones were just as good as grobags

For me - a nice coat with a hood. Can’t hold an umbrella when you’re pushing a buggy!

Mine is only 3m so not got the full range of data but I was v grateful for the following:

Washer-dryer
Dishwasher
superking sized bed and comfy bedding
a well-stocked freezer full of cooked meals
a cleaner
Comfy bra, pants and leggings
Slip on or zip-up footwear
Nice shower gel and body moisturiser - I don't have time for face masks etc but I'm having a shower anyway!
Good pram (bought new but could have got reconditioned)
Comfy baby carrier (borrowed)
Bouncer chair (free 2nd hand parents pass-on group)
Baby gym (as above)
Bedside crib (as above)
eye mask (for me)
Seraphine baby-wearing long puffer coat
A good breast pump
A supportive chair for nursing in (doesn't rock)
White noise machine

Didn't spend money on but maybe I should have:
(Night) nanny/babysitting
Cleaner more often
More cooked meals!
Physio/massage

Wish I'd just gone ahead and bought
bath thermometer
Baby in-ear thermometer

Seraphine baby-wearing long puffer coat

I'm now in search of a good waterproof

Oh - and I'm excited about a gift we're yet to use - a portable a/c unit. Bedroom gets v hot in the summers we've had recently.
Didn't bother with changing table - I kneel on the floor (baby can't fall off the floor) my partner puts the mat on the bed but that's no good for my back.

Baby Bjorn baby bouncer, both babies absolutely loved it and hated pretty much every other one. No idea why they liked it so much but I would buy again and recommend to everyone. You can pick them up on FB for about £45 though and last well. Mine has been through about 5 kids at this point and looks good as new!

Stokke Tripp trapp high chair, with baby seat. Ds still uses his converted to child chair now at 4 years

Totter & tumble play may -absolutely fantastic and just wish I'd bought one earlier. So easy to clean as well and has saved our carpet numerous times

Bbhugme nursing pillow - pricey for what it is but it's been excellent, I have quite big boobs and I find it difficult getting into a comfy position out and about and this really helps.

Although they look lovely, I've really been put off the Tiba + Marl bags. If you look on Vinted so many of them look in really poor condition, the vegan leather just peels. I don't think they last well.

Also just to add, the JEM + BEA bags look very similar and are 100% leather so could be a good option.

Stokke Tripp trapp high chair with baby seat