Most useful baby care products?

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I nearly bought a pricey kit yesterday containing different baby care products (eg nasal aspirator, scissors, brush, comb) but wasn't sure how useful most of it was.

What are the most useful baby care things for a newborn?

You definitely need baby nail scissors, not clippers. Their nails grow at an unbelievable rate.

A nasal aspirator can be useful when they have a cold, but make sure it's one that you suck with your mouth, not one with a bulb to squeeze. They are completely useless.

A comb is useful. I never really used a brush.

Have some sudocreme ready. It's great at clearing up little patches of nappy rash.

For a new born, you probably don't want to use strong nappy wipes. They have a lot of chemicals in them. Cotton pads and water should be fine for nappy changes.

Don't worry about baby soap or shampoo. Many people bathe their new borns in plain water as they don't get very dirty. If you do use something, make sure it is VERY mild.

That's probably most things. New borns really don't need very much and companies will try to sell you lots of things you'll never use.
Can you remember anything else that was in the kit?

Get a hands free bath support. Like this
I know you can hold baby with one hand and bathe them BUT this was ace after my c section trying to bathe ds on my own for emergency baths or when dh was away.
Also meant you can use full size bath rather than bath bath which is much easier than filling/ emptying baby baths.

Oh and I'd say nail file for baby nails rather than scissors when they're really tiny and you have PFB itis! :)

Thank you! Arggh scissors seem much more scary than clippers though....

I would say you could easily get by with just cotton wool and baby nail scissors. You could even do without the nail scissors if you wanted and just bite their nails off.

I've always found clippers easier than scissors even when they are little.

The most unnecessary item I bought was a top and tail bowl www.johnlewis.com/230870212/Product.aspx - It's huge and chunky.. And I've not used it once as I never dip the cotton wool back in the water anyways so why do I need two lots of water . I've been using a small take away container instead.

Thanks everyone - saved me some money!

Yep agreed top and tail bowl entirely unnecessary ... but make sure you always was the face and hands before the bottom if only using one bowl.

Am I the only one who chews babies nails?!To cut them I mean...

nail file a good idea -I felt terrible when I made DS bleed when I nipped his thumb with the clippers! I kit with lots in is probably more expensive than buying stuff individually somewhere like superdrug - you pay through the nose for these things that seem to have i all sorted for you. At the baby show I saw a white leather holdall "hospital bag" prepacked with everything for £350 . Apart from cotton wool pads and something to put water in, and maybe a bath support (don't bother with a bath - we used ours about twice!) everything else you mentioned can easily be got as and when you decide you need it as you go along.

Sillyoldme- that's what my Mum told me to do when I mentioned needing to buy baby nail scissors. Apparently that used to be the norm.

Sillyoldme: my DH bites our youngest dd's nails. I can't do it but do not dare to cut. He nibbles ever so gently

A heater for the changing table in winter. Ace...

I have always found scissors better than clippers because you see both the nail being cut and also the nail left behind, so it's easier to judge how and where to cut.
With clippers the nail being cut is hidden inside.

I used a baby bath with DD because we were lent one. It was great and I used it way past when most people do.
However, having given it back before DS was born I didn't both with one for him. I bathed him in the bathroom sink until he was big enough to join his sister in the bath.

Good ear thermometer. Under arm reading takes ages and babies hate it and apparently forehead thermometers are not that accurate.

Best things I had were a towel that fastened round me like an apron. And a swaddle me.

definatly need a good ear thermometer - we use ours all the time, we got the calpol one which is good but only downside to it is the little covers that you have to buy to go over the bit that goes in the ear - they are aout £5 a pack and aren't easy to find in the shops where I live.
I love waitrose baby bottom butter - it is so soft and gentle - especially for a newborns - much nicer than sudocrem I thought.
The body shop do a lovely baby care range,we used the body butter to massage her tummy when she was colicky and after her bath and the shampoo and body wash was good - each bottle lasted about 9 months so good value. They also do a lovely baby brush that was really soft - though I would wait to see if you get a baby with lots of hair or not before buying one
We opted for biting DD nails - it was so easy to do whilst I was feeding her or when she was asleep. I did buy some baby clippers but they have never been used.

picked up scissors, nail clippers and swaddle blanket today. good advice re ear thermometer - will order online.

I'm another biter - and like moodymo have a quick nibble while she's asleep.

Cotton wool and water for washing

Calpol for temperatures (which always start when pharmacies are shut)

Teeth for biting very soft little nails

Sudocream for nappy rash

Never brushed my newborn's very wispy hair

Never used nasal aspirator!

Thermometer is useful for confirming your instincts, but DD is 2.8yrs now and I have never been wrong in knowing whether or not she has a temperature, just by feeling her.

Am I using my top and tail bowl wrong? We've found it very handy and still use it every day. We put water in one side, dip the cotton wool ball in and after it's been used it goes in the other side. It never gets double dipped so water can't be contaminated.

Never needed a comb or brush, even though baby has lots of hair. We use nail clippers all the time but used baby nail files in the beginning. We did find a nasal aspirator handy because DD seemed to get snotty quite a bit - as RuthChan said, get one that you suck, though, as the bulb ones are awful (and probably more dangerous if baby squirms!).

For a new born all you really need is cotton wool and maybe a barrier cream (vaseline will do). DD is now 6 months and the only baby care products we've used are baby bubble bath, Johnson's softwash, shampoo (and that's probably unnecessary), Johnson's moisturiser, vaseline and sudocrem.

theborrower yes but that actually sounds like a more sensible way to use the top and tail bowl than the correct way. :)

Usually you fill up both ends with water and one set of water is used for face and hands and one for bottoms.

We use our top and tail bowl, but only because we were given it, I wouldn't buy one. I like baby nail clippers. We use vaseline and sudocreme. Calpol for temperatures and before immunisations. Cotton wool and alcohol free baby wipes. We were told by a friend that the in ear thermometers often don't work with tiny babies due to their small ear canal, so we have an electronic one that goes under DD's arm. We haven't used any type of bubble bath, shampoo etc on DD who is now 5.5 months - just water in the bath. She doesn't have enough hair yet to need a brush or comb. I wouldn't bother with a baby bath or bath support, but my DH does the baths and he has really big hands.

In fact, olive oil is very good for keeping bums nappy rash-free. That and bathing their behinds in cooled camomile tea. We used to make it up in a jug, then just pop a small amount in the microwave for 15 secs to take the chill off before using with cotton wool pads. Very quick and easy.

We were given a baby bath and still use it now (DD is 13 months) - best thing about it is it saves water. We fill it and use it inside the main bath tub, so emptying etc. is very easy.

Ditto the apron towel - a really good idea!

I think DD was about 8 months before we finally started using shampoo/bodywash on her. We didn't start using a hair-brush for another month or so after that.

A vote for nail scissors here, but it depends on what you feel most comfortable about using.

We've got a battery-operated nasal aspirator, but have never had to use it yet, fingers crossed.

Good luck

Oh, the thermometer we've got recommended anal insertion for the most accurate reading, so that's how I've used it (with some vaseline). Didn't ever seem to bother DD.
But the best guide is a hand on the baby's tummy.