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'd actually recommend getting at least one bottle and a few bottles of ready made formula in the house if, like me, you're a hormonal mess at 2am and your nipples are bleeding and your baby is screaming the house down with hunger. Believe me, you won't want to wait till 9am the next day!

What Bellyrub said. DS is fed exclusively breastmilk, but this saved my sanity one night very early on in the middle of the night when I was really struggling.

Yes you can go to a 24hr supermarket but its really not what you want to do. Its worth doing if you can afford. It doesn't mean a 'slippery slope' to formula. It just buys you a little time so you can 'sleep' on making a decision in daylight.

I think there is a lot to be said for a number of things that 'save your sanity'. No they aren't essential for your baby, but I think that looking after your mental health (and/or help you sleep) are things that are invaluable and benefit your baby enormously in the process.

Exciting times! If you are planning to breastfeed at all, try to get all helpline numbers/top tips/best websites/local lactation consultants (kellymom is a great website) organised in advance, maybe printed out on a sheet with your hospital notes etc? If you have done NCT or LLL classes, they have printouts you can keep. And find out where your local BF cafes (dads are welcome too!) are - often children's centres and doctors' surgeries. BF can be tricky, and dad's support is so valuable on the early days; the more armed with info the both of you are, hopefully the easier it will be. Love and luck to you both, and to baby!

Baby feed wheel
bouncy chair
slow cooker

I had dummies in case but dd just would not take them on the couple of occasions we tried- she just spat them out.

Lots of big muslins or tea towels to put on nappy changer- quicker to wash and dry than towels!

Lansinoh cream if breast feeding.

Baby support thing to go in your own bath- much less hassle than baby bath!

... and anything that helps with sleep!
Exciting times!!!

Moses basket- I tried to go straight to the cot with DD and it didn't work great. From 7weeks we borrowed a moses basket and DD started sleeping through within a week.
Video monitor- we had a tiny flat, so I thought we didn't need one. They are great for being able to close the doors, turn the telly up loud and not worry about hearing your little one.
Microwaveable wheat bags/cherry stone bags- Great parent substitute when you put your little one down. They stay warm, cuddly and asleep.

Moses basket if you don't have one. They slept so much better in that than the crib

Ewan the sheep

essentials for my two:

Cot mobile
Chair for bedroom to feed in
Lots of blankets
High chair with big ugly plastic tray
Sheep skin buggy liner
Dummies
Tommee tippee basic beakers
White noise
Ergo baby carrier is pretty comfy as these things go

Best thing by far was our three-sided cot. I can't express how great it was!
The bottom line is it bought us more sleep - priceless!

We didn't have one with DC1, he was in a bed-side crib, and it would take a while to settle him back into his crib after night wakings. Also I tended to feed him sitting up, which meant I woke up fully.

But with DC2, she was in a three-sided cot. It meant when she woke in the night I could feed her lying down, and transfer her back into her cot without waking her, and having to wake myself up fully, getting her back to sleep. Or, if she fell asleep next to me in the bed that was fine too as I didn't have to worry about her falling out.

They're quite pricey in the UK, but, following a tip from mumsnet, I bought the Fabimax Rolloway from German Amazon, which IIRC worked out at about £110 for the cot, a mattress, sheets, bumper and delivery to the UK.

You can log into German Amazon with your UK account, and if you use Google Chrome it should translate the page for you.

Sorry, just to explain, when I say "transfer her back into her cot without waking her" that's because she tended to fall asleep while BFing.

DS did too, but transferring him back into his crib would sometimes wake him.

A sleepy head from John Lewis. Settled baby far better than a moses basket.
One of those mats with an arch with dangle toys was nice!

LOTS of Muslins and flannels.

A breastfeeding pillow - it was a boppy from mothercare. I still use it now for feeding and makes feeding more comfortable and much easier

A car seat base to slot the car seat in. We didn't get one until a few mnths later but all the faffing with a seatbelt especially in the dark Is a nightmare

Also when you start weaning don't bother with expensive high chairs- go with the ikea antilop. It's great and so reasonable

Lansinoh nipple cream if your wife is planning to breastfeed. Don't be sucked in and buy the organic alternatives like I did. Lansinoh after feeding religiously will be a god send!

Our top three buys are without questions our Tummy Tub baby bath (so soothing for tiny babies), a bedside cot and a Sleepyhead.

Lanisoh nipple cream
Aden and Anais swaddle blankets - have so many uses
Gro bags
Gro suit with padded arms
Lamaze toys
Mamas and papas octopus toy
Sophie giraffe
Sound sleepr app
Changing table

Bouncer
mobile play gym
huge muslin cloths that double up as light blankets/wind and sun shields.

Zip up peanut swaddle
Netflix and a Google chrome cast
Large Muslins
Dummy
Slumber bear or other white noise
Tiny love rocker napper
Paint and card for making hand and foot prints

Actually I really really appreciate my tumble dryer and coffee machine, had neither with my first but they've have made my life a lot better this time round!

Finding YES! I bought a small under table white knight tumble dryer and it's been sooo useful.

I'd add to the list thermal mugs for tea/coffee - I did not get a chance to drink a hot cup when looking after the wee one!

rewinding a bit:
3 packs of these
www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Natracare-New-Mother-Pads-Maternity/36282011?gclid=CNnygrnlnsMCFSfItAodzEQAUw&kpid=36282011
shipped or from Amazon:
www.patemm.com/category-s/1830.htm
www.amazon.co.uk/Babymule-Original-Changing-Black-Accessories/dp/B004BAUBY0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1421628077&sr=8-4&keywords=changing+rucksack
www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Baby-Week-By-ultimate/dp/0091910552/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Never mind the baby stuff. If your wife is the main carer and you have a pram, tell her to buy the best knee-length, warm waterproof hooded coat she can afford - actually, just the best one - it will be the best investment she can make. Years of pushng prams with no umbrella await. Trust me on this one. .

(And get a wrap sling for the first few weeks followed by a baby Bjorn. And a crate of Lansinoh for breastfeeding. Put it on BEFORE feeding as well as after. Square of chocolate or something else sweet just as she attempts to latch the baby on in the early days when it feels like your nipples are being shredded by a cheese grater every time. Fools the brain into thinking it doesn't hurt so much. They use the sugar trick on prem babies in special care units before giving them injections - that's where I learned this from but unfortunately not until my second child).

Good luck.

I didn't get this but I wish I had -- a cleaner, even twice a month.

If they develop an attachment to a particular teddy or toy, buy a couple and rotate them. That way, if one gets lost, it's not the end of the world.

Isofix car seat base .....click and go