First baby "oh cr*p!" box

[NattyBatty]

My sister is pregnant with her first and due in the summer, and I'm super excited to be an auntie so I'm going totally overboard with gifts.

I'm putting together a "post birth" set, which includes unscented/gental wash stuff, chocolate, meals in a mug etc. I'm doing a nappy cake with stuff for the baby like bibs and muslins and bottles etc, but I also want to do a panic box which I've called the "Oh Cr*p!" box.

The idea behind the Oh Cr*p! box is that if she gets caught out at 3am when all the shops are shut she can check the box and see if there is something which can tide her over until the morning.

So far I have:
Calpol
Kids vapour rub
Bepanthen
Lanolin cream
Saline nasal spray
Emergency nappies
Antibacterial hand gel
Disposable bed mats (in case of multiple sick ups/nappy leaks in the Moses basket/to wipe up projectile vomit on the floor etc)
Baby wipes
Teething gel
Teetha teething granules
Baby wipes
2-3 premixed formula (in case the baby has trouble latching and she needs to give the baby something)
Muslins
Colic drops
Nipple shields

Can anyone think of anything I've missed? She lives 200 miles away so I want her to have all her bases covered seeing as I can't be there to give day to day support.

I really like the idea btw. I would have appreciated it.

I would add dummies to the box though

Essential at 3am when all else fails

Have you tried counselling for your poor self esteem?

Nope, it's perfectly ok

I think it's a lovely idea! My sister made us something similar when we moved into our house. I still dip in for brown tape and wd40!

How about
Breast pads - I always run out
Pack of dummies
Always nighttime pads
Aspirator to go with the saline spray
Chocolate
A good quality and large drinks bottle. I bought one to stay by the bed to drink during the night when bf. It's been invaluable and I also take it out with me

Oh and maternity pads.

I had several sets given to me from people I don't know, like my mils work colleague and my mums cousin who we are nc with. From mils colleague we were given 12 packs of wipes, dummies, bibs and a blanket. From nc cousin she gave us a box of medicine, neurofen, calpol and creams👍🏻all very useful

Or even just the normal night time pads. As the maternity ones are massive and one pack was more than enough but I did need a lot of the night time ones which I hadn't reckoned on and exP went out on an emergency run and bought back tampons

I think the general consensus about formula in this thread is not that is bad but just that is may not be what her sister wants.

I was given loads of stuff when I had a new baby which was wasted because it was not to my tastes eg pram shoes for babies or because I had already had them eg blankets.

Most people just want to help the OP get a good gift.

ME personally? Yes I bought a carton of formula just incase, but many would hate that. I also bought emergency bottle, but a small glass one with particular teat as my choice. I wouldn't want someone to just give me any old one
Same with anything. People might all use a Muslin cloth, but some want large ones, some small, some white, some patterned, some organic blah blah. Some might use a dummy but want certain type or style. It's their baby, their choices

Formula would annoy me too. I didn't need to have a formula safety net. Of course, if she's not planning to breastfeed that's different but if she is, I wouldn't put it in.

I think it's a very thoughtful idea OP.

I'd second breast pads and maternity pads.

Oh, and individually wrapped flapjacks.

I don't see earplugs anywhere on that list. When you are soothing a miserable colicky or teething baby, some comfy earplugs take the edge off. You can still hear the baby, it just doesn't hurt your ears so much.

Flapjacks and hobnobs. Anything oaty aids milk production.

You sound like your happy to spend a fair bit of money on her? If so, far more helpful to me would be if you just offered to buy a main item she wants? Ie offer to pay for car seat or particular bouncy chair she wants. But she chooses which. That way you have been really helpful, they save on essentials and not loads on stuff that might not get used
For example my in laws paid for pram and parents paid for cot for first child ( which we then used for second also). Saved us ££ so we could then use that on smaller personal things we wanted to choose

It's a brilliant idea! One of my closest friends did a box just like this and gave it to me at my baby shower, I think we have used everything in the box at one time or another. I second breast pads, dummy, maybe Milton tablets?

I think formula & pre sterilised bottle is good - I was planning to breastfeed, felt very strongly about it, didn't buy formula as it would undermine it etc - but another close friend gave me 2 cartons and some pre sterilised bottles that she'd been given, and not needed (as breastfeeding went well). The first morning after we came home from the hospital the midwife came round, weighed my son and found he'd lost too much weight, she said we needed to give him some formula and then go to children's a&e to get him checked I was very glad to have the formula and bottles then!

I was also given one of those large cups with a lid and a straw - great for water and you don't need to tip it up like a bottle (easier when breastfeeding)

The intention is LOVELY. You are SO sweet! But I would have HATED this.

I would have preferred:

• Paracetamol, Ibuprofen and Arnica to reduce the pain and swelling in my lady bits having just blown out a watermelon through a smarties tube.
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Several boxes of muesli bars or similar food that can be eaten one handed during night feeds which will go on FOR-EVER....
• Whatever sort of caffeine I can get my hands on
• Nice pants, a couple of sizes bigger than normal, so I don't always feel like I'm wearing my maternity parachute undies that come up to my tits
• More Sauvignon Blanc
• Several cans of batiste dry shampoo because I never get any fucking time to shampoo and condition in between feeds/changes/sleep/surviving
• Eye drops, because, anything, and I mean ANYTHING like that must be able to surely help the agony of sleep deprived eyeballs which feels like it's about to pop right out of my head and hibernate somewhere amidst the several rolls of deflated, sagging skin on my stomach
• A dvd box set because, trust me, there is fuck all good on freeview (which is all we have in the bedroom) at 1am, 3am, 3.45am and 4.30am
• Wet wipes. Not for the baby. For me. Because I am constantly wiping crap (literally, crap) off myself. Usually in semi-darkness in the middle of the night while I have a human attached to my breast (the baby, not my husband)
• A packet of condoms, purely for the humour factor because at that point in time you think you will never ever want to have sex again. Ever.
• Did I mention sauvignon blanc?

Oh also - belvita breakfast biscuits! I think I survived on them (at all times of the day and night) for the first couple of months

Nice idea but I'd leave out the vapour rub as I don't think children under 2 are meant to have it so it will be in her cupboard for a while.

It's thoughtful of you but I would also have hated formula or dummies being in that basket.

My other comment is that you are spending a lot of money on things that will take up space and might not be used- it might be better to buy a couple of baby sleeping bags (expensive but brilliant) a baby sling or a bouncy chair.

If you want to do a really useful present arrange to fill her freezer with nice frozen casseroles etc just before the baby arrives - things she can eat one handed.

Dolores makes a good point - Calpol can't be used from birth either.

Buy her infacol much more useful I should have bought shares

If these are things you think she'll need, why don't you talk to her about it and help her to draw up a list of things that she has to get in? To be honest, if my baby was yelling in the middle of the night, I wouldn't dream of looking in a box that someone had bought me.

My fave present (and I wished I had thought of it myself) was a non contact thermometer. It was from Boots and I whenever I was unsure about whether DCs had a temperature or I was being panicky, it helped. It's a luxury type thing, not cheap but I was constantly anxious and it helped me loads. You can use it to check room and water temp too.

Good idea in theory but I'd bet half of the stuff stays in the box never to be used.

Having had a baby last year I've decided that in future I will ask parents to be what the want/need rather than surprises. I've got far too many things cluttering up my house now from well meaning friends, relatives etc that will never be used.

Oh a thermometer is a good idea. I'don't just go for the normal stick it under their armpits variety though

OP I had my 4th baby last year and as i'd had 3 and new what I needed I did get caught out by not having a number of items you have listed in your box. As it is an "oh crap" box I don't think the point is whether you need it or not but that you have it if you do (nasal spray Springs to mind, that was a loooong night) and stuff like Calpol, bonjela, thermometer dare I even say formula and a pre-sterilized bottle is the kind of thing that keeps and may well be very much appreciated months down the line. It's a gift that keeps on giving! Lovely idea.