Quick Survey.......things you couldn't have survived without

[goldendelicious]

Quick Survey......

What are five baby buys you couldn't have survived without, were really useful and gave you good value for money?

Also list 5 things you wish you hadn't wasted your money on, and wouldn't recommend to a friend/relative.

(Sis having 1st baby and seems to want to buy the WHOLE of Mothercare - help me try and talk her round!!)

Mine are: -

Best buys
1 - Muslin Squares soooo handy for all manner of things - sick, spills, protecting sofa etc etc
2 - Graco autobaby car seat & autobase, can't tell you how valuable this was for ease of getting ds in and out of the car - godsend.
3 - Baby sleeping bag/grobag, kept ds warm and cosy and couldn't kick it off
4 - Travel changing mat, brill when out and about and you know its clean
5 - V Tech baby play gym. Kept ds amused for hours on end, we were forever changing the batteries he used it so much! Worth every penny.

Worst buys
1 - Nappy wrapper. Smells even though it claims to lock smells in and a pain to empty and change cassette. Expensive too.
2 - Snow suit. DS was boiling even in mid winter. Found lots of blankets better.
3 - Expensive moses basket. Not suggesting i didn't find it useful, just no point buying a brand new expensive one cos ds was only in it for six weeks.
4 - Baby bath. We used this twice for ds then used a bath support in the big bath. Ten times easier!
5 - Baby play nest/doughnut, ds didn't get any stimulation out of it at all, just kept toppling over and screamed to get out!

best buys
gro bag
cuddly blanket teether thing
carseat and push chair combo
glovepuppet book thing
avent bottles

worst buys
bottle warmer
too many clothes
that's it really

I don't reckon you can stop someone buying the whole of Mothercare with a first baby! But hey:

Needed
nappies
wipes
carry cot/travel cot/somewhere to sleep

Didn't need
anything else really! Baby bath I suppose was fairly useful. For 3 months but I guess it only cost £7 so it didn't matter.

• agree with muslins - still use ours 4 and a half years later to wipe up ice creamy faces when we're out!

- long bean bag cushion, brilliant for sleeping with while pregnant, biting while in labour and putting baby on to feed - Sudocrem

Can't think of anything lese off hand but will remember them when this one is born!

Definite waste of money - a new Moses basket. The one I used had been around about 5 people before I got it and DS1 was only in it for about 7 weeks

• baby bath

Oh a Grobag was good too, they weren't around first time round but I found them v good second time.

top five, not in any particular order:
bumbo
baby walker
dummies () (he weaned himself off by 1st b'day tho! )
baby wipes
baby carrier/sling

worst five, no order:
muslins
baby toiletries (moisturizer, baby toiletries chest/box)
activity mat
baby bath
baby outfits, like tiny jeans and tops- so not practical when constantly picking baby up 24/7, it all ended up under his armpits.

Best buys

• Our pushchair, bought in Belgium whilst on holiday as we liked it so much!
• Tripp Trapp highchair - still using it now, as a chair for 4yo DD
• Grobag
• Bedside cot
• Kipling SuperNanny changing bag

Worst Buys

• Travel cot
• Baby bath

Never used muslims. Never quite got them TBH.

Dummies were another godsend for me 1Baby1Bump, except ds has still got his, he'll be 1 in four weeks time

Only one must have.....................

A decent sensible parenting manual, preferably written by a parent.

Worst buy:
-moses basket
-baby bath
-baby nest
-that thing that straps to the cot and you wind it up and it plays music
-any cot toys - the cot's for sleeping
-bottle warmer for dd1

Best buys:
-swing
-play matt
-muslins - my mum got a compact sewing machine, cut 'em into smaller sizes and hemmed 'em up. still going strong.
-swaddle blanket

Hula... muslims?!

Best five things...

Lansinoh nipple cream
Isis breast pump
Lansinoh milk storage bags (anyone sensing a theme here?!)
Tripp Trapp
Baby chair thingummy with toy bar - both DSs have loved this

Worst five...
Most of the other junk! Didn't bother with using the baby bath with DS2 - just put him in the basin a couple of times, then the big bath. Didn't bath him for the first five weeks though

golden d:
i think 'nin nin' (my mum) had something to do with it. she used to look after him while i went to work (i have given up now as ds2 is imminent!) and one day i came home and she said
'he hasnt had his binky all day and hasnt wanted it'
and he has never wanted it since, even when i encouraged him as i thought it was cute and had no binky photos!

what a bad mummy i am! hes a big boy now!

anyhoo, back to subject....

1baby ds's great grandma looks after him and she keeps giving him dummy when he not even looking for it! Your mum sounds fab!

1. Avent Isis breast pump for that 1st week when DS wouldnt latch.
2. Mamas and papas travel set - pram, buggy, car seat. Very handy for quick trips round tesco, just clicking car seat on.
3. Fisher Price Aquarium swing... great for having a break to eat your dinner!
4. Changing Table... I just found it great
5. Feeding pillow (2 - one on lap, one behind back) - I cant believe I tried a few days without them, supporing all DSs weight on my arm!

Worst

1. For me - a crib. Used for 2 nights, now DS is in with me
2. Some Kicky toy from argos - DS hates the loud music
3. Snowsuits - Just didnt need them.
4. Newborn outfits - DS was in bodysuits and sleepsuits (buy LOADS!)
5. Booties - unless its cold, I keep feet bare

ooh yes we had Aquarium Swing was fantastic!!!!! Forgot about that one

Ok at 13 weeks in
Best buys in no particular order:

Sling, have only had it since Friday but it is an absolute godsend!

Moses basket, our dd is tiny so is still in it and it's great for having her downstairs with us in the evenings and then move her upstairs without disturbing her and to sleep in if we visit friends/family. Agree that it doesn't have to be expensive, we got a great one from a woman who lives near us and sells stuff on ebay, £30 for basket, covers, matress and rocking stand. Absolute bargain considering how much we've used it already.

Grobags, dd sleeps like a dream in them.

Travelsystem thing. We've got a quinny buzz and it's good that all the different bits fit the chassis. CHECK IT FITS IN THE BOOT OF HER CAR FIRST! (It only just fits in mine and we hadn't checked first).

Baby wipes/muslins

Worst buys:

Nappy wrapper, it's ok but tbh a bit of a waste of money and we keep running out of the wrapper cassettes.

Silly carrying thing with dangling legs, far too complicated and too many straps. Sling is much better.

Dummies. We have a wide selection all of which she absolutely refuses. But if they work then this could well be a best buy .

'we didnt have 'binkys' really when u were a baby'
(im only 23!!)
as she was always saying this i didnt think hed have them past one!!
but he still has bottles of milk for bed and a couple in the day!

Ooops - hunhker . Muslin!!!

not having bottles in the day anymore but still has one before bedtime and if he wakes up early hungry has one in morning as well. And sometimes still one in middle of the night!!!

Hula

Oh, forgot one (well, two) - slings! Wrap and ring - marvellous things!

(Tell her not to get a baby carrier)

Freedom of speech on MN, even if under pseudo. Grrrr!

For ds best things were

1.0 stage carseat
2. fisherprice baby gym thing
3.swinging crib
4. reindeer bought for his first xmas
5. lindam door bouncer

for dd

1. sling as she was/is sooo clingy 2.dummy
2. cloth nappies and wraps etc
3. playnest to stop ds running her over on the floor 5.grobags

By the way should also mention Mumsnet's product review section is handy to look at before you buy anything, wish i'd known about it before ds was born!!!

after having five, I would recommend the following......

muslins.....very practical with sicky babies, and now for everything else.

a cradle....I got a large crib/cradle on a stand and was big enough for mine until at least 5mths...2 were 7mths and pulled themselves up to standing before I realised they needed a cot. (mind, both were still under 16lb on their first B/days!)

A travel system with an in-car base.....sooooo wish they had these 12yrs ago.

high chair

swing....made its money's worth the first day. DS1 slept for 3hrs for the first time since birth the day we got ours....he was 5wks old by then!!!!

OOOh...and also pay for cranial osteopathy....well worth it!!!(i know that is six, but all were what I couldn't live without. could go on too....Kamillisan was another, and sudocreme. and a sling)

PLUS...a changing unit in the lounge.....invaluable!(sorry, will try to stop now with the pluses

and what you can go without...

a baby bath.....a sink works perfectly, and is the right height to help relieve your back.

baby toiletries.....top to toe wash is the only thing I have used with regularity.

bibs....with mine and their projectile vomiting, they went over the bibs, and got everything else!!

matching bedding.....looks nice, but so expensive and they grow out of the need so quickly. Grobags much more practical .

snowsuits. If in a decent pushchair with a cosy toes, they will bake if also in a snowsuit. Blankets work well, and you can layer.

But the very best thing a new mum needs is a great friend who is already a mum, a dose of common sense, and MUMSNET

have had numerous prams etc, the best being an m&p ultima system with xcel chassis for off roading and just clicking car seat onto in tesco.
pliko pramette ace too.