What baby products can't you cope without?

[lauren6283]

Hey everyone
I'm 29 weeks pregnant with my first baby and I am just wondering if I have everything I need and if there is anything else that I should get.
What does everyone recommend? What have been life-savers? What has made things easier for bringing up baby? :-)

[FoofFighter]

Another vote for muslins (or old terry towelling nappies)

Reusable wipes - don't waste the £££ on Cheeky Wipes - make your own from cheap flannels or even an old towel cut up and hemmed, I use baby flannels from POundland, you get I think it's 8 for your £1, so I bought 8 packets, and wet them under the tap or stick in an old tub and wet them with a mixture of herb teas (camomile is good)/water, oil, baby wash.

Reusable nappies - not at all time consuming - just the time taken to stick them in the wash and then peg them out and bring them in, I wash every other day but could probably get away with every 3rd day actually. I have bought most preloved and am set now from birth to potty training for under £100 all told.

One of those terry towelling hammock things that go in the bath, I find it very tricky holding a wet slippery baby and this gives me peace of mind plus it's easier to wash their hair in the bath rther than swaddling in towel and doing it dangling over.

A basic bouncy chair. No need to pay out for all singing/dancing ones, baby will be just as happy bouncing away in one that cost £8 from tesco.

[Phantomteadrinker]

Oh and a basket by the washing machine for easy throwing in the millions of vests/bibs/Muslinsyou'll get through on a daily basis

[Phantomteadrinker]

Changing table
Stash of changing essentials and bibs downstairs
Co sleeper cot
Nappy wrapper bin
Nipple cream
Baby wipes stashed everywhere

[IfAtFirstUDontSucceed]

Definitely lots and lots of muslin cloths. The list of uses for them is endless!
Would also recommend a comfy bouncy chair like the fisher price woodsy friends, great for a short snooze. Also a decent activity mat/gym. In the early days DS loved just lying on it looking at the pretty toys hanging. Now at almost 5 months he likes to beat the hell out of them and practice his rolls!

[brightonbythesea]

muslins
sling
metanium nappy cream

All essential!

[Fizzyfuzzy123]

Oh and sleep suits vests etc. they are more comfortable in these than outfits at the newborn stage

[Fizzyfuzzy123]

Another muslin lover. Not just good for a sicky baby. My ds gets a rash from bibs so I use muslin as a bib too. Brilliant cloth to have to hand. I started off with a 3 pk and bought more after! My changing bag is organised too so I don't have to route around for things. I've got one off pink lining website in the sale.

[mrswigglemunch]

sleep suits with fold over scratch mitts - ds always manages to get others off

lots of cheap stretchy vest tops from primark to wear under other clothes ( so I don't have to flash flab and stretch marks whilst feeding!)

[amyjayde]

Sudocream - fixes everything (not just for baby)
Coconut oil - great for everything especially sore nipples
Baby wipes - still don't know how I coped without them before
A good video baby monitor - really good for those first months if you worry and panic a lot.

I'm still using all these 14 months on - must haves!!!

[Kafri]

1 carseat to get baby home
2 sleep suits(with fold back scratch mitts) - don't bother dressing in early days.

1. Muslins - lots of
2. Cheeky wipes - clean better than disposables.

5 nappies
6 a good book for during feeds
7 envelope neck vests (easier to pull down in a poonami)

1. A cot/crib/Moses basket - whichever you choose.

9 cellular blankets
10 a sling (try a sling meet to try a few different ones)

I'm not saying you won't need more later, obviously - just wait til you spend a fortune on stuff you may not need.
We were bought a swing chair - he hated it. I bought a bouncy chair. He hated it. He liked to be bounced up and down so bought him a jumperoo and he's barely used it.

Go along to baby groups and try out what other people have and then buy what your baby likes. Don't buy it all THINKING you'll need it.

[SmokeyEyes]

Swaddlepod! We didn't get this until DD was a few weeks old as we had visions of a beautiful sleeping baby in her Moses basket when she was first born. However, that didnt happen, her startle reflex was so string she constantly woke herself up so we'd settle her, put her down and shed be awake I'm seconds. I know some people don't like swaddling ut for us it was a lifesaver. It's really thin so no overheating worries and she's so snug.

Also agree with muslin squares. Can't have too many.

Xx

[mrsmartin1984]

I think with changing bags you need to think about how you are planning on parenting and how scatty you can be. If you struggle to find things then a bag with lots of pockets is a must. I found that most changing bags don't work for me. I BF so don't need side pockets to store milk. And I also use cloth nappies so I need more space in the main compartment to store them. Also for those reasons and the fact that I carry my DD in a sling rather then a buggy the best solution was a backpack with lots of pockets (easy side pockets for muslin and wipes).

Work out what you want to carry and what needs to be at hand. Remember you don't need to buy a bag that's specificly a changing bag. Anyone will do. And don't buy a really girly one, otherwise your OH will take one look at it and refuse to carry it.

[LoganMummy]

Lola - what changing bag if you don't mind me asking?

[KateCroydon]

Muslins - about two dozen
mei tai sling
bouncy chair
lansinoh
backlit e-reader
smartphone

[marzipananimal]

Cheeky wipes! Using them with DC2 and wish I'd known about them with DC1. Much better than baby wipes

[lola88]

baby swing (couldn't put ds down anywhere until 4 weeks) It was pricey but worth it I sold it on for half of what a bought it and the girl I sold it to done the same so it turned out to be well used and half the price.

A comfortable chair to feed in - I didn't find it comfy feeding in bed unless I propped up on a million pillows which is a pain at 2am Ds is 18 months and has only just stopped having his bottle in his chair :(

I also couldn't have coped without my changing unit I had 3rd deg tears and couldn't lean overor kneel down so changing was a nightmare without it and bathing just wouldn't have happened, again I sold it on for half the price as only used for a month and almost new.

lastly a really good changing bag I couldn't be doing with everything lying about the bottom so I got one with compartments for everything made life much easier not having to search for everything on the move I used it until 10 months when DS wasn't having so many bottles and eating normal food so didn't need tubs of puree.

Sell everything you can on and it will pay for something else.

[TheFallenNinja]

Playpen. Utterly priceless.

[Petcat]

The Fisher Price Woodsy Friends bouncy chair has been a godsend for us, our baby loves spending time in there and is completely in love with the musical owl. It elicited her first smile and never fails to cheer her up.

Best money I spent apart from that is £20 on a second hand moby wrap. If you have a refluxy baby it will make life so much easier. I absolutely love carrying her close to me throughout the day.

Congratulations! You have the most wonderful journey ahead of you. I'm 15 weeks in and nothing prepares you for how brilliant motherhood is.

[SupermansBigRedPants]

Muslins! And a comfy seat/big cushion for feeding - i bottle feed but still need the extra support on my back - oh and a rocker seat/car seat for when you finally put the baby down.

Dc3 is 3 weeks today and I now class her as an extra limb

[milktraylady]

Yes chocolate.
And biscuits.
And lansino cream.
All also essential

[milktraylady]

Oh, and sudocrem or similar. I read you aren't supposed to use talc anymore.

Swaddle for the early few weeks, baby sleeping bag for after.

[mrsmartin1984]

Chocolate

[milktraylady]

Muslins yes (not too many in case you don't have a sicky baby)

Pacapod pod for on the move changing kit & spare outfit. (Save a lot of cash by only buying the pod & use whatever nice handbag you like!)

Bf if you can- no need for bottles, sterilizer, formula. You will save hundreds.

Book- your baby week by week. Explains what is happening, so you feel less lost & can read ahead to get an idea of what's coming up.

Touché éclat or similar. Nothing can prepare you for sleep exhaustion. Just getting dressed & showered each day = successful day IMO

Cherish the lovely cuddles. Ignore older women to harp on 'put baby down so you can do housework'
Stuff it, another few months without dusting & the world will still turn

[TeaMakesItAllPossible]

Erm

By DS4 my list went .....

Nipple cream - lansinoh - bit pricey but three years on still using it to protect chaffed noses in winter

Sling - I liked the old fashioned baby bjorn but defo personal taste .... I had a big baby though so it could fit in

Nappies and Wipes and defo nappy bags.

Babygrows and vests with popper bottoms ... Invested 16 in 0-3 months and 8 next size up.

Baby sleeping bag.

Carseat

Baby bouncy chair - got a cheap one.

A list of baby classes and post natal activities that I'd signed up for.

No muslins, no prams, cots, Moses baskets, monitors, sterilisers, bottles changing bags etc. Didn't have any hand me downs as he was a bonus child. Invested in other bits as I needed them. So got bottles at 16 weeks but sterilised in dishwasher. Got cot at 5 months when DN handed it on - he slept in our bed and in a drawer initially. I wore a lot of scarfs to hide my tum and provide BF prviacy that served as muslins for mopping. I just washed them frequently and made sure I used a white bit if needed. Changing bag was a small cross body bag from topshop that fitted wipes, couple of nappies and a change of clothes in. As I had to traipse around after 3 older boys I was keen to travel light.

That said I needed more stuff for PFB. For DS1 I had more clothes, muslins, a baby bath, pram and, most importantly, the "what to expect" baby book as it was all a bit of a shock

Congratulations. It's such a wonderful, challenging and enlightening thing being a parent. I wish I could have another

[greenbananas]

The only thing I couldn't cope without is the sling (I use a ring sling). My first baby pretty much lived in it, even at home. Sometimes i used to feed him in it rather than putting him in the high chair. If you're a first time mum, a non-stretchy wrap sling might be easier to start with - and you can also breastfeed on the move with those !

Apart from that, babies don't need much really. Clothes, milk, nappies and plenty of cuddles. It's amazing how little you have to buy. I think wanting to buy things is just part of the nesting instinct, but you'd be better spending that time and money making your house low maintenance so you can sleep and play instead of doing housework once the baby is born

Agree about pulling envelope neck vests down instead of up. So much easier, and I only worked this out with my second baby.