Essentials for a baby in a tiny flat??

[Memsahib]

We have a tiny one bed flat and due to the fact we are emigrating when baby will be 6 months we are loathe to move. I can find threads on what pram etc etc but would appreciate any opinions on what is the absolute essential baby kit.

DH will be made to sit and read your words of wisdom tonight. Poor bugger has no clue!

BananaMuffin, my bouncy chair never made it out of the loft for ds2. If he needed to sit while I got stuff done, I put him in the car seat.

I certainly don't think a baby gym counts as essential, but if you do fancy a bit of dangling toy action then the IKEA bar of toys which you can plonk over a baby lying on a towel will take up much less room than one of these double arch playmat type things. Wish I had known about it before I bought the double arch playmat type thing.

Thanks everyone - I'm also in a small flat and have found this super useful!

Fantail has a point there about the Bugaboo bee.
I was talking about the Bugaboo Chameleon.

This is brilliant - our flat is miniscule too. Sort of off-topic question, and sorry for being a bit daft, but is there a difference between a babygro and a sleepsuit? Is it something to do with the outfit having legs/no legs? Do you need both if they're different? It seems to me like the baby wears a vest, then a babygro or whatever on top, and then you add a cardigan and a hat if you're going out, and at night it's just the vest and babygro - have I got this arseways?

fingerscrossed...ask those questions because it saves me doing so ;) also can someone tell me if the bugaboo has its own car seat that you can use like a pram - or am I imagining seeing people pushing something like that??

winter babies need a snowsuit to go out (which is a all over coat,) but a summer baby would not need this.

As far as I know there is no difference between babygro and sleepsuit.

For bugaboo chameleon you can buy 'adapters' (£30ish) which clip on to the pram frame, then you can secure a maxi cosi car seat to the frame.

I don't know if thats possible for the bugaboo bee.

Baby vest -no legs, poppers on the crotch.
(they come in shortsleeve/longsleeve/sleeveless. but i only use short sleeve)

Baby grow and sleepsuits - all in one, sleeves and legs and feet.
Some dont have feet - socks are needed here.
They are quite handy when its hot or when baby starts walking, as feet on babygrows are a bit slippy.

In the summer Romper suits are all in ones, with shortleeves and short leglength (no feet!!).

My baby wears nappy, baby vest, babygrow/sleepsuit, cardigan, bib.

(he drools a lot and needs a bib, my first son rarely wore a bib)

when you do go shopping you will notice 'newborn' size and '0-3months' size.
Some people will say dont bother with newborn just go straight to 0-3.
it just depends on the size of your baby.
my first wore 'newborn' for a month (he was small), my second never wore 'newborn size'.
if you do decide on 'newborn size', just get a couple of things. remember they grow fast.
you can always get more if required when they are born.

oh and baby nail clippers are useful. both mine were born with really long nails and scratch themselves.

HTH

Bugaboo bee, you can buy adapters and click these on to the frame and then add the car seat. The best way to work out what pram/buggy you want is to go and try them out. Also I suggest looking on You Tube as there are lots of videos.

we had a tiny flat when dd was born and based on our experiance and the fact that you'll be moving at 6 months i'd say:

• moses basket/crib... moses basket would probably be better as you can move it around the flat during the day so baby can sleep close to where you are.

• travel system (buggy with a car seat attached), that way you can store buggy in the car and just bring the car seat in and out of the house.

• blankets and sleepsuits... don't bother with many 'outfits' as they won't be used. Also get a heap of muslins. We used cloth nappies but that's a whole separate thread if you choose to go down that route!

• bath support for the bath, don't bother with a baby bath, you'll break your back hauling it around

erm.... can't think of much else. We had hardly anythng with dd and it was fine... we bought more for the boys because we could but not because we needed it iyswim?

Thanks crawling and nomorecake!

I agree with whoever recommended the Graco travel cot. We had one with DS and because it has a full sized bassinet (rather than a half sized one like some of them do) it was perfect to have as a cot in our bedroom.

We bought a mattress for it, so it was nice and comfy. DS slept in the bassinet until about 4mo, then we just removed that and he slept in the main part (with the extra mattress) until he was 8mo.
After that we used it as a playpen downstairs if needed (when we were doing DIY etc) and it was used lots when visiting relatives and going on holiday.

We never had a moses basket, would have been a waste of time as DS outgrew his carry cot (another waste of money IMO) at 16 week ish

this is the kind of thing I mean. The last time DS used it was on holiday when he was 2.5yo. Was a bit of a squash, but he's a tall boy

Best baby buy, IMO

(I don't work for Graco, btw )

we got given one of those all-in-one changing stations that has a changing mat, baby bath and quite a lot of storage in it. It's a bit fiddly but actually holds loads of stuff, and is good for keeping the place tidy.

we have this, a moses basket and a bouncy chair.

We got two wee storage baskets from ikea and kept in the living room, one for vests and one for babygros, so there's stuff at hand in the first few weeks cos you seem to be constantly changing, and it stops you fiddling about one handed in wardrobes/drawers while juggling a vomit-soaked baby.

Also get a decent airer for drying clothes, you will not believe the amount of washing you'll do, and you'll prob not have outdoor hanging space in a flat.

Also in a one bedroom here. Look on the bright side, it's much less cleaning.

thanks guys - Jareth so you're saying the travel cot is ok to use as a permanent cot?
Jenny, is there a particular model you recomend??

Yes, as long as you use a proper mattress and follow the normal feet-to-foot rules, no loose bedding etc.

DS slept in the cot in his room for maps, then at night with us.

Naps, obv :-)

No, I think we're the 4th family to use this one! If you're buying new just make sure its got loads of storage cos it does take up a wee bit of floor space, but in my opinion it's worth it to store nappies/wipes/muslins/bibs/towels/toiletries et all, and be able to shove everything out of the way and get tidied up quickly.

Ours is a cheapo plastic thing but you can get posh wooden ones and others in between, just depends on how much you're bothered about the aesthetics.

You can get a carseat to go on the pram, but I wouldn't use it as a matter of course, just for short trips or when it would be particularly convenient. It's not good for babies to lie in car seats for long periods of time.

If you want a decent airer look at the Minky tower airers they have in Argos. I LOVE mine and it's really been a lifesaver. Takes up the same amount of floorspace as one of the "gate style" airers, and can even take up half the floor space if you're only using one side, but fits 2-3 wash loads on when fully open (probably more if just baby stuff).

We did first 7 months in tiny tiny tiny one bed flat. Was ok. ESP fine at beginning. He slept in pram indoors. Til too big then bought travel cot. Borrowed a baby bath tho hardly used it. Reassuring at start. Rest as everyone says. Tho could not have managed without a sling and I love our bugaboo bee - worth every penny. Used daily since I bought it and slept in everywhere - what a cosy quiet comfy bed!

And the best thing I have bought this year is a heated electric dryer from Lakeland. Now in a slightly larger 2 bed flat but space still a massive issue. Worth every penny again!

This isn't related to flat size but I would look on GumTree or ebay before you buy big items, with the exception of the car seat. We were totally overwhelmed by the choices of prams but we found a very nice, nearly-new travel system on GumTree for a fraction of what we would have paid for it new. (The fabric liner parts were still in the original plastic.) The best part was that the decision was made for us without obsessing about details, and what we bought was completely suitable.

This topic is wonderful.

We live in a one bed terraced cottage, and your suggestions are exactly the type of things we need to know so as to not waste money, but more importantly, space!

Keep the ideas coming, love them.

hi i would suggest to maybe - look for a decend 2nd hand carseat (ebay, gumtree) and i got a stroller from argos for under £40 - i used it whilst on holiday and its perfect for baby from birth - have a look it will also be great when you go away, its light and slim and you can also buy a cosytoe to place baby in if you want!
i do wish i done this because sometime you get so caught up in the hype and spend money you dont need to!
a basin was handy - bathed baby in then he sat in it now he is in bath with slip mat in it!also good for top & tail!

all the best - good luck

PS- also just check about the carseat somepeopke are funny about 2nd hand stuff maybe check if a family has one these things usually get stored for another child we had 2 from other family members i in the car i in the frontroom he sits in it to drink his bottle! had a bouncer but he hated it so gave it away and the play mat was a waste i would get a playpen its more handy and can fold away and can be used for sleeping in, playing in etc!