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Your absolute 'must have' items for a new baby please?

44 replies

HarryPottersSecretSister · 06/06/2019 13:00

Currently pregnant with number 4 - I have 3 children but my youngest is almost 8 years old.

I am very out of the loop about what items make life easier with a newborn these days. I hope to breastfeed but have heard things like a 'perfect prep' machine is fantastic if formula feeding/ if bf doesn't work out for us (had to google as I had no idea what this was),
I've heard a 'sleepyhead' is invaluable (again, I had to google. These weren't out when my last baby was little. They look lovely and people say their baby sleeps better because of it but Christ they are extremely overpriced IMO - are they really worth it? also, are they actually SIDS approved?),
Co-sleepers: Bablylo, Chicco Next to Me, Tutti Bambini, Snuzpod: I definitely intend to buy a co sleeper but which do I go for? I'm so confused.

I really don't to fall into the insane unnecessary spending and OTT consumerism of buying stuff we really don't need trap. Especially as this baby is very likely to be our last.

I had gotten rid of all our baby gear but my very kind cousin has passed on loads of her equipment to me now that she has finished her family. I'm very lucky in that I have an isofix car seat, a large cot for when the baby is bigger, highchair, baby monitor, buggy.

I just need a few bits for when the baby is very small (clothes, blankets, a co-sleeper, nappies etc I think at the minute)

Is there anything that you may have used with your baby in recent years that made those early days that little bit easier? equally, is there something 'fashionable' that you bought and realised it was absolutely pointless and you would advise me not to get?

Thanks a million in advance,
Clueless Harry

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Hereshopingforimprovement · 06/06/2019 13:04

For us a sling was a total lifesaver. DS would not sleep without being on one of us and would not tolerate the buggy till he was 2! Everything else we could have done without.

elf1985 · 06/06/2019 13:11

In Poundland you can get those dryer things that you peg lots of little bits on. (No idea what their actual name is) fab for drying bibs, muslins, vests, socks etc. I had 3 at one point

HarryPottersSecretSister · 06/06/2019 13:16

Aw Hereshoping a sling! (told you I was clueless) I had thought of this a few months ago and then forgot. It's a bit of mind field though - the world of slings. Can I ask which one you had please?

Elf I think I know what you're talking about. If it is what I'm thinking - great idea. We went through about a billion cloths a day with pukey first born. I forgot this too!

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MustardScreams · 06/06/2019 13:24

Angelcare bath seat. Slip proof, heats up to bath temp almost instantly, leaves you hands free to wash baby without risk of dropping! Still use DD’s to get her to lean back and wash her hair at 2.5.

Second the sling - soft/wrap one for newborn (I had a moby), a more structured one for older babies (ergo baby). Look for ones that naturally put baby in the ‘frog’ position, baby bjorn et al are terrible for baby’s hips.

A good v pillow, to support baby if breastfeeding, or for your back if propped up in bed. Or to lay baby on to leave your arms free if they’re ones that won’t be put down!

Hereshopingforimprovement · 06/06/2019 13:24

A stretchy wrap or a close caboo is best for a newborn. Once they get to about 4/5 months if you are using it a lot try a few different ones as different slings suit different people. If you have a sling library locally it's worth a visit.

Cherylshaw · 06/06/2019 13:26

Baby bouncer or swing

Notquitemyselfanymore · 06/06/2019 13:32

Tuppance and crumble star wrap instead of faffing with blankets/jackets/layers to keep baby warm when out and about. Great for in the car.

When baby was very small I liked the shnuggle bath. When she got bigger she liked to kick about in the bath and it tore the skin off her feet as it’s got an anti slip texture. Great for when she didn’t move about much but I’d recommend to anyone to stop using it as soon as they show signs of splashing.

driggle · 06/06/2019 13:33

As someone who had their 2nd DC last year after almost an 8yr gap I can relate to feeling like I'd forgotten what I needed and overwhelmed by so many new things now on the market!

We bought a Perfect Prep but I found that as the oz increased the bottles became cooler because the hot to cool ratio wasn't the same as it increased (unless ours is a dodgy one), and DD likes her milk really warm. Also she has been on reflux milk since 8 weeks so it became unused.

We bought a Sleepyhead when she was around 12 weeks. She hated her moses basket and wanted to be held when asleep. It worked great for us (but not immediately) and at 9 months old she's still in it and we've probably made a rod for our own backs because she won't sleep in just the cot, so we'll be buying the next size up soon Hmm

I bought a Chicco Easyfit sling as I wanted something easy to get on and off by myself and not spend a fortune as I don't use it often, normally just for the weekly shop and when I need to pop in and out somewhere without faffing with the pushchair. It feels really secure and comfortable and goes over your head so you don't need to be a contortionist to put it on.

Bear2014 · 06/06/2019 13:35

Baby Bjorn bouncer is one thing I couldn't have lived without. Both of mine would happily sit in it while I cooked/showered etc.

DreamingofSunshine · 06/06/2019 13:41

Sleepyhead was worth it for me.

I had a next2me which you can tilt if they have reflux or a cold and I really liked it. The snuxpod can be lifted off and used as a moses basket but I never did this as I had the sleepyhead.

I had a close caboo for newborn then a connecta sling which is now an Integra.

Hedgehogblues · 06/06/2019 13:45

Check out the Lullaby Trust website for safe sleeping guide lines. (Sleepy heads and similar are definitely not recomend)

Download a white noise app on your phone really helps babies sleep

Thattwatoverthere · 06/06/2019 13:46

I've bought most of my things second hand as and when I've needed them this time around tbh. I've recently bought a schnuggle bath and a tinylove crib/rocker for £40 total which are both very useful. With my DD we bought a swing which we still use for DS. I didn't see myself buying second hand initially (I was very PFB) but we have some great deals on things that haven't been used that much as and when I need them. FB marketplace and Shpock have been great.

I wanted a sleepyhead but got a purflo instead for around £30. I wouldn't be without my perfect prep as I've not been able to BF either of mine.

I got a swivel car seat and I now have no idea how anyone uses anything else! It wasnt all that cheap but is great for not having to bend too much and for getting my sleeping babies out without waking them.

I do have my eye on a side sleeper next, once we move from the front room to the bedroom...

BertieBotts · 06/06/2019 14:42

I had a ten year gap so felt similarly. dS2 is 9 months old now.

Things I'd change/not change:

The sleepyhead etc are not SIDS approved no. SIDS advice is still "a firm flat surface" which those nest things are not. People use them anyway and no deaths have been attributed to them, so it's your call. Personally as I never had one for DS1 I didn't see the need, and didn't miss it.

I have a co-sleeper. It's the Waldin one from amazon. It works but has some downsides: fiddly to put up and attach to bed, the edges are stupidly sharp once baby is mobile, the mattress is borderline dangerous as is it so flimsy even a fitted sheet makes it shrink away from the edges of a cot. You can get a custom mattress made up from an online company though, and on balance if you do that it's worth it. I do like the slightly bigger size and nonrestrictive weight limit of this cot. With DS1 I had a converted normal sized cot and I'd do either again. Better either of these solutions than the next2me etc though, personally, unless you 100% commit to stopping co-sleeping by 6 months.

I haven't got any kind of snot removing device. Baby has so far not exploded or suffocated from too much snot.

Baby bouncers are too upright these days, and the footrest not long enough to bounce comfortably. Bite the bullet and get the baby bjorn, because it's the only thing like the 80s ones, even though the one you probably had before for about 25p at a car boot sale will be better. You just can't find the old fashioned ones any more.

Angelcare bath seat did look really good, but both times I just plopped the baby in with Dad.

Car seat regulations have changed a little bit. If you understand anything from when you were shopping for your older 3, you'll be at a headstart compared to modern new parents who are bombarded with the entire set and no context to any of them. The biggest change is that in addition to the group/weight rating system, you can now buy car seats which are rated as suitable for different ages of child by height. These car seats will be labelled i-size, which means they've done a slightly more stringent crash test and in theory they are more universal than isofix, meaning for any new car which is i-size rated, any isize seat fits any isize car. "Group" type car seats are still legal to buy and use.

Car seat options have increased massively, which can be a bit of a minefield. It would be a really good idea to consider keeping your baby rear facing once they outgrow the baby seat, as it's much safer. Up until about a year (including past the first birthday) you're talking life and death even in a mild crash - to the point that under the new isize rules, it's now illegal to forward face before 15 months. (With a Group 1 seat it's legal, but not recommended by experts.) Rear facing seats up to about the age of 4 are now widely available and affordable, though, it's not some fringe thing any more. Impact shields are out as they never really became the new big thing. You can get lie-flat seats for newborns now which are safer than carrycots, which is useful as guidelines have changed to say newborns (up to 4 weeks) should not be in a normal car seat for longer than 30 min stretches at a time, and over 4 weeks up to 2 hours. Be wary of own-brand seats and super cheap seats, these are now flooding the market, get pushed heavily by retailers yet perform terribly in crash tests and tend to be hard to fit securely. Britax and Maxi Cosi still have a good reputation, so do Cybex, and Joie is the newcomer who do premium (safety) features for bargain prices.

Amazon has become a bit of a minefield for baby stuff as it is so full of Chinese sellers (some of who mock up a UK trading address...) in a not immediately obvious way, so I would no longer consider it a trusted retailer, but tread carefully. Bear in mind if you buy from outside the EU you may be circumventing safety standards we take for granted, like toys for babies not containing choking hazards or dangerous chemicals, stairgates having a certain strength, etc, and claims made on listings (BPA free, CE marked) not necessarily true. To be honest I am not 100% sure the Waldin cot I have meets British Standards. It came from Germany so I thought it would be OK. In future I'd check that whatever brand I'm thinking of buying is also available from a normal shop like mothercare, argos, etc, even if I do ultimately buy on amazon. However, the amazon brand baby wipes are well worth it especially if you do them on subscribe and save. S&S good for big boxes of nappies as well, especially if you use something like Pampers at night.

Apps can be brilliant but can be a bit crap as well. I like the white noise app (we use Baby Sleep - no ads, timers, fading rather than sudden start-stop, variety of noises) and a milestone recording app can be useful especially if it auto-exports to Facebook or whatever so you can look back on it later. I also really like Huckleberry, once you're out of the newborn fog and you want to see how sleep is going, you can use it to track sleep (don't bother tracking feeds and nappies) and it somehow magically predicts the next nap time for you and it REALLY WORKS. If you get close to the desperation of hiring a sleep consultant, you can even use the paid version of this app to get a "sleep plan" which has worked well for some of my MN group. But the free version is fine. Less good: All manner of apps encouraging you to track how many minutes you have breastfed off each boob. Oh my life. Just don't. Wonder weeks - useless, unscientific potrayer of doom.

Buggies now all seem to cost a million pounds (they were expensive enough in 2008, but now it's unreal) and they all have weird moulded solid seats for the toddler bit which is no use because if you want to recline them their legs end up in the air and they can't stretch out nice and comfy. Shop around, look past the headlines of "best sellers", and get something with a proper hinged seat. Again Joie are a brilliant cross here between cheap and good quality.

BertieBotts · 06/06/2019 14:57

Google Photos. If you have android phones and don't already have it installed. Set it up to sync everything, then DH and I have a shared album we dump all of our (millions of Blush) pics of DS2 into and it makes it easier to search them later. Plus google sometimes sends you little video montages, which is fun. Of course not recommended if you don't want google to own your soul... it already has mine.

Smart lights are actually pretty helpful for night feeds. We have a cheapy ikea one and although DS2 likes to chew the remote control/switch thing it's been good in terms of dimming and being able to turn the light on and off from bed/various positions hanging over the cot etc.

If you have things you can sync to phone/control from alexa etc, even better, apparently.

Mummoomoocow · 06/06/2019 15:23

Braun ear thermometer!

GinGeum · 06/06/2019 16:01

One of the best things we’ve been using (5mo here) is reusable cloth baby wipes. They were brilliant for wiping up meconium, amazing for BF poo and now we are also using them for hands and face as weaning as begun. We use The Nappy Lady wipes (fleece on one side and Terry cotton on the other). We are using reusable nappies too which I would also massively recommend, but if that’s a bit daunting, the wipes alone are a great compromise.

We have formula fed from fairly early on and not needed the perfect prep machine. We did have the Sleepyhead and really liked it, but ditched it after about 2 months as DS preferred to be stretched out.

A blackout blind is a good idea.

Also a mirror for the car seat so you can see them when they’re rear facing.

A water bottle for you, one with a straw type lid so you can drink it whatever position you’re in.

HelloJackie · 06/06/2019 16:28

Bed/somewhere to sleep upstairs and downstairs
Baby grows and vests
Muslin cloths
Lots of nappies/wipes/bags stocks
Formula and bottles/good nipple cream

Sleepheads/next to me/oerfect prep/rocking swings I just would not waste my money on. They only seem so amazing and helpful because they're marketed to make you think you need them.

Chippychipsforme · 06/06/2019 17:47

Perfect Prep machine
Electric steriliser
Video monitor
Shnuggle bath
Aldi nappies and wipes (sorry environment!)

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 06/06/2019 17:57

Grobags
Metanium
Bouncer
Lots of babygros (preferably footless if you have long babies)
Loads of face cloths from IKEA (the cheap white ones)

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 06/06/2019 18:00

Oh, and a changing table. I didn't get one because I kept reading that you don't really need one, but I found I did. It holds everything and the one I got (Cossata, 2nd hand) was high enough to save my back, wheelable, and big enough to last 2 years.

grumpycatgrumpycat · 06/06/2019 20:40

The inventor of the Sleepyhead saved my sanity with a wriggly reflux baby.

Ditto the inventor of the Snoozeshade. Miraculous for on the go naps!

The MyHummy is also worth the price for the sleep sensor and being able to control it from your phone.

We bought a second hand Mamaroo too, which we used daily until she was sitting up; the motion kept her calm while we ate dinner, I did housework etc.

Secretlifeofme · 06/06/2019 21:14

Shamelessly placemarking! Nearly 20 weeks and I'm clueless ConfusedGrin

HarryPottersSecretSister · 06/06/2019 22:41

God this is so helpful! Thank you all
So much. I won't pretend to know what half the things listed here actually are but I've jotted down names and now feel I have a base list to pour over google with over the weekend

OP posts:
HarryPottersSecretSister · 06/06/2019 22:42

Lol @grumpycatgrumpycat not a notion what any of those things are! 😂
Will investigate..

OP posts:
Ohyesiam · 06/06/2019 22:48

The Ergo is the best sling going

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