New baby essentials list and whether bottles or steriliser are needed

[Dogdogdogdogdog]

Looking at buying some essentials to have at home for a new baby. What do I need? And if I am planning on only breastfeeding do I need bottles and a steriliser?

I only had bottles at home as someone gave me theirs, but I wouldn't have bought any. You can get the premade formula with the teats attached, get a box of those and if you don't use them you can give to the food bank. Save your money for a lactation consultant if you want to Breastfeed, and get a list together of local resources for breastfeeding like if there is a breastfeeding support group or 'cafe', that was a lifeline for me.
When we started giving formula in a sippy cup at 6 months I used the microwave sterilizing bags. I tried Milton tablets once but the smell is so awful I never did again. The microwave is much better for avoiding chemicals. I never sterilised toys or teething things.
I'd look up if you have a sling library locally where you can try out some slings, mine lived in a sling the first few months.
You really can get stuff as you need it, with Amazon prime and presuming you live close enough to a big supermarket.

I breastfed all mine but I bought a couple of bottles and my friend gave me a microwave tommee tippee steriliser when I was having my first which was good. Only my first child needed topping up slightly because of a tongue tie, the other 2 refused to accept expressed milk from a bottle so I never used them at all (I hadn't actually bothered to buy any before they arrived with my 2nd and 3rd, I'd bought the ready made formula bottles with teats for hospital in case I couldn't feed, I could though so they were never used). Unless you have bottle refusers like me you will probably use them at somepoint if you want to go somewhere without your baby, so it won't be a waste buying a couple.

I wouldn't go mad buying things, a lot of the stuff you don't NEED, though you will be led to believe you do via other first time mums and the power of advertising!

Yeah, we're all different. I had 4 vaginal births, all EBF, and my list of essentials is completely different. I don't even know what Milton is? It depends so much on you, and YOUR lifestyle, not what worked for someone else.

These responses are 10/10. The lists especially are very helpful.

Slightly off topic - we're actually testing an idea at the moment that's aimed at helping expecting mothers get prepared. Still very early days so we want to talk to some expecting mothers before we build it.

If you'd be up for a 30 minute chat, you'd be genuinely shaping the future of Mumsnet and we'll give you a £20 Amazon voucher in return. Sign up here: LINK.

Either way, wishing you well x

I am like Harriet and didn't use many of the things you listed.
I didn't use Milton becuase I washed things in hot soapy water which is just as effective. You really don't need to sterilise all their toys!

So much depends on your baby. I have had 3, all ebf.

I ended up doing a lot of expressing with dc1, so I had to get a pump, bottles and a steam sterilizer.
He also spit up spectatularly all the time, so I went through tons of muslin cloths.
I also had massive over supply and used loads and loads of bra pads.

But dc2, didn't express (didn't work for some reason), didn't use any of the pumo and bottles etc, no over supply, no massive spit ups, so didn't use half of what I had for dc1.

I do remember being given stuff that other people swore by and being totally perplexed as to why this was needed!

I didn’t sterilise my changing mats - my kids didn’t put them in their mouths?! I washed their toys. They mostly chewed on their hands rather than the teethers I bought.

It’s great you liked the products you had but everyone is different and there are actually very few “must haves” for a baby.

I would recommend buying the premade mini bottles of formula from the supermarket, just in case.

My intention was to breastfeed and it all went wrong.

Do you know if you may receive any gifts op or have a baby shower? Obv you need baby sleepsuits but this is something many people tend to buy as gifts.

Calpol for their 8 week vaccinations.

But also remember things for you.

A water bottle with a straw and snacks if you get nap trapped. Prepare and freeze meals for those first few weeks so you don’t need to worry about cooking.

If you are planning to breastfeed then nipple cream is a good shout.

Maternity pads!

Thanks everyone, it sounds like 24 hour Tesco and Amazon are the essential, which can then solve every other problem I might have!

I have my hospital bag essentials, so some basics, and will see what gets passed over from friends and family too!

I absolutely agree with @Iocanepowder about remembering something for you. The thirst during breastfeeding was unreal - I cried once because someone brought me a small glass of water and I wanted at least a pint - so a decent sized waterbottle was essential for me. I also had a tin with snacks by my bed and by the sofa as I used to get very hungry.

I bought a steriliser but only used it a couple of times. My baby never took a bottle or dummy and was EBF. I used to use milton tablets and a big tupperware box, but can't remember what I sterilised!

Pack several extra pairs of pants in your hospital bag, and I found I needed incontinence pants too. Things settled down but I had a lot of trouble with urinary continence after a long birth and the hospital don't provide pads.

I bought a couple of bottles of ready made formula, just in case. Luckily wasn’t needed.

I did get a steriliser and a couple of bottles. After a couple of weeks I used a haakaa pump to collect milk on each feed. Not loads. But enough that my husband could give a bottle on an evening whilst I had a good soak in the bath. It came in handy then for sterilising my pumps, when I was going back to work.

I didn’t bother with dummies.
a feeding pillow. I had awful back ache and it helped a lot.
changing mat.
muslins.
my daughter loved her play mat.

A decent car seat with supportive inserts.