What is the best thing you bought for your baby?

[dadtobe19]

Wife is expecting our first baby in 2 weeks and we have bought everything we need.

We are interested to know if there is any one thing in particular you bought that helped you through those first few months? Anything special that kept the baby amused/helped out you?

I'll second the jumparoo - DS1 used to jump himself to sleep in it!

Sleeping/gro bags - neither of mine would keep blankets on. DS1 was too small for a while though, so we got the padded sleep suits from mothercare which worked as well. Stopped him getting cold during night feeds.

A good sling.

Muslins

£25 ikea changing table! In the early days we were up several times a night changing and this was priceless. Tried using a mat on the bed on a trip away and it was a real faff at 3am..,

Had to stop using it when our DS became mobile at 9 months but it was the single most useful thing I bought.

Also a nightlight projector - about £20 - ours is a simple one that projects stars (no music etc) and DS was entranced by it from 4 months and we still use it (14 months) now, as a part of our bedtime routine.

Pram liner / foot muff for winter, buy the best you can afford. I got a wind proof/waterproof one and it's a godsend if you have to be out with the lo in bad weather.

Wow lots of ideas (and lots we hadnt even though about). Thanks, think I have an evening of googling ahead now to find out what half this stuff is!

Thanks for all the congratulations - we are very excited now but trying to keep the excitement over the nervousness of what is to come!

12 pack of muslin cloths. They had a new one each night to snuggle instead of a teddy, always clean, easily changeable. They both aged 8 & 10 still have a mussie to snuggle at bed time.

Tummy tub (ours was a Hoppop double walled one) I couldn't believe the difference in DS, from rigid and screaming himself sick in a regular baby bath to calm and alert in the tub!
Also a sling.

Oh and yes to white noise - YouTube or apps - ours responded well to Mini Monsters womb sounds. And yes to gro bags for 4/5 months (depends how big your baby is really) and mothercare padded sleeping suits!

Netflix... Breast/bottle feeding can take ages and it will get boring!

Prince Lionheart Bebe pod flex. Stupid name but brilliant chair. We didn't want a massive high chair taking up our matchbox house so this fit the bill. Ds started using it at 4 months. He's now 15 months and still uses every mealtime and showing no signs of outgrowing it yet. Definitely my surprise do without purchase.

One that I knew I'd be happy with was the NCT bednest that was also invaluable but expensive. Good luck!

Bouncy chair, would settle them when they had wind etc, could look round and see what was going on, play with the toy bar that attaches, go to sleep with a quick bounce - most used baby item by far!

Another vote for Baby Bjorn bouncer. I got mine cheap on eBay but a few months in. Wish I had had it from birth. They are expensive in John Lewis, but there are secondhand bargains to be had as the seat bit is totally washable.
Also the rear mirror for car. Mine was from Mothercare I think. Good luck!

Sky+ HD for all the on demand films, box sets and catch up TV. Cluster feeding can be time consuming!

A cocoonababy. My DS slept in it in his crib, in the bed, outside the shower cubicle, everywhere. I could take him in it with me wherever I went in the house without waking him up.

Such exciting times for you

Gro bags. Brilliant
A bath seat for the bath
One of those little sling chairs
A buggysnuggle thing. Ours was in this thick furry material like a wolf (!) - both dds would snuggle into it and go straight to sleep.
V pillow for feeding

Congratulations!

Second most things on here and would add a Snooze Shade. Brilliant for putting on the buggy when it's naptime if you've got a nosy baby. Saved my sanity from 4 months old with DC1

Ewan the sheep.
Muslins

A washer/drier. Saved me no end of laundry based hassle.

Fisher Price rainforest mobile. Dd is still obsessed with it at nearly eight months! Completely worth the money.

Another vote for

• White noise app (I've got sound sleeper)
• baby bjorn bouncy chair
• grobag

PLUS

• miracle blanket swaddle, our baby wriggled out of every other swaddle but this kept her from hitting herself and waking up
• tiny bottles of ready to feed formula (aptamil do some in a box) in case of emergencies/dad or someone else needing to do a feed. They are pre-sterilised and ready to go which is great for the newborn haze
• Infacol for bringing up the burps

Tommee tippee perfect prep machine

Oh and I can second the rainforest mobile, DS loves it

Fisher Price swing seat
Baby bundlers
Baby sleeping bags

Vibrating bouncy chair. Just a cheap one from asda. Really settled our refluxy dd. she hated the expensive swing we bought!

Yes to the baby bjorn chair - my DS is 7 months and crawling and it's only now that he doesn't want to sit in it for long.

I also agree with the close caboo carrier (check ebay, I got mine cheap, brand new and boxed) and the fisher price rainforest gym (he's still playing with this).

Other than this I'd say a couple of small hand puppets - endlessly entertaining and you can stick one in your changing bag to calm meltdowns when you're out and about

My

Ergo baby carrier, but only really got into once didn't need newborn insert, around 4 months.

Also dummies.

WHITE NOISE

Sling

Dummy

Grobags - perfect for keeping wriggly babies covered through the night
Dummy -DD would only use one type which Tommee Tipee discontinued and the only place I could get them when she started biting through them was ebay at £25 each!!! Moral of the story is if your baby does the same thing, but lots
Vibrating bouncy chair - only way we ate together without one of us holding DD!