Useful items to help with baby!

[Gannetgob]

I'm 21 weeks pregnant with my first at the moment and busy buying things I will need when the baby arrives.

I have found many lists of 'essential items' but I was wondering what you find useful, that isn't necessarily an essential.

For example, my friend said dummy clips are great because it stops them falling on the floor and having to be washed. These are by no means an essential item but they make life that little bit easier.

What other 'non-essential but really useful' things would you recommend?

A thermal cup for your tea/coffee! Couldn't live without mine

A sling or carrier (not a baby bjorn crotch dangler) - although I reckon it's completely essential!

Smartphone and wifi for midnight mnetting!

A large swaddling sheet. DD was swaddled for every sleep for around four months.

A basket - keep.it in the living room.and each night keep it stocked with nappies, wipes, nappy sacks, vest, onezie and dummy. No traipsing through the house.for every nappy change. I also had one in the bedroom with a hand towel so would lay the towel on the bed and change her bum without having to get up in the night.

Definitely a thermos to set you up with hot tea for the day. A gym ball for bouncing baby to sleep. You can sit on it rather than endlessly standing and rocking at 3am. I like my nighty night light which is a small soft light to check on baby or for breadt feeding without needing to wake him by putting main light on.

Basket/box in the living room and one in the bedroom where baby will be sleeping with wipes, nappies, few spare vests and sleep suits in there.

Thermos mug like someone up thread said.

Dry shampoo and quick to make food like soups, sandwiches etc.

My 3 have all had small comfort blanket/bear attached, great for settling once baby is a couple of months old. Our eldest is 6 and still uses his!

Natural sponge for the bath. Don't buy any baby lotions or washes, baby doesn't need them. Non bio washing powder.

A good comfy blanket (or i used cotton cellular blankets) to use in the house, car seat, buggy etc.

A baby bath seat so you can use two hands to wash baby.

And a vibrating seat for baby to sit in was a life saver with all mine too

My little girl loves her Prince Lionheart Slumber bear.
When we had troubles with her bringing up wind in the early weeks, white noise really helped soothe her-not essential but I really recommend it.

The Slumber bear plays lullabies, womb sounds, white noise & has a sensor so it reactivates when she cries. She still loves it now at 3months old.

I'd say a comfy nursing chair too, as I was doing night feeds uncomfortably in my bed & then would end up falling asleep winding her which made me uneasy. Would have been much better if I had a nice chair for feeding to avoid this!

wow, some great ideas. Thanks :)

A smartphone or backlit kindle to keep you amused during night feeds
A jumparoo for when baby is bigger, you can enjoy tea and hoover and stuff!
A bin or bucket with a lid for nappies
Grobags
12 hour pampers nappies for nighttime

2 Moses basket stands. We got both off eBay and had one upstairs with the basket and one downstairs with the pram carrycot. Saved carting one set around 2/3/4 times a day

Velcro swaddle blankets (we got from mothercare). Dd always wriggled out when we swaddled her in a cellular blanket!

Sky+ with lots of stuff recorded on it or a few DVD box sets. Especially if your bf! Oh and if your bf plenty of thin strappy vests for under your clothes

widgey pillow I got mine for £10 on eBay and it was the best tenner I've ever spent. Not just for breastfeeding it's really useful just for sitting her on my knee and saving my back and now she's sitting I can put it behind her in case she topples over

My rocking chair was by far my best buy I could comfortably feed DS and settle him without waking DP he's 18 mo and we still use it every night and for reading £80 from ikea.

Slow cooker to make your meal times a lot easier!
Baby sleeping bags.