Anyone got a good shopping list?

[Annie456]

I've been looking online to try to find out what I need to buy in prep for DC1 and i have started about 5 different lists and feel completely overwhelmed!

I'm heading out on the first shopping trip this weekend and I'd like to come back with a little more than vests, scratch mits, dummies and bibs!!!

Does anyone have a good list of neccessary items that I NEED to get before the birth? I'm quite happy to go second hand for lots of things so not too worried about cost...just don't want to be under-prepared / buy too much!

Thanks!

I bought -
pram
moses basket
sheets, blankets, shawls [good for swaddling]
car seat [doubled up as rocking chair indoors]
nappies, wipes, nappy bags, sudocreme
a few babygros, vests with poppers under the nappy, snow suit, hat and mittens [if it is not summer]
bottles and steriliser [I formula fed], if breastfeeding then obviously the relevant breastpads etc. Dummies.
I never owned or used a muslin square. I used bibs instead

A nice big changing bag is useful for when you go out.
You soon find out what other bits and pieces you need once the baby is born.

Agh, forgot to mention swaddling blanket - worked for DD2 but not DD1, and bit fat ditto to the jug suggestion for post-birth wees. Having said that, with both births I just used a disposable plastic cup which did the job splendidly.

Loads of good ideas on here. One thing you'll quickly find is that all babies & parents differ so what is essential to one person may seem like a ridiculous item to you.

If you're close to any 24 hour supermarkets, my advice would be to check out their baby aisles and see what they stock. We have 2 close to us. Sainsburys has the basics - nappies, wipes, sudocream, lansinoh, bottles etc - but ASDA has everything - sterlisiers, pumps, those really expensive thermometers etc. DP was sent on the odd emergency trip.

Also, if you're planning on bf, think about what you might wear to get around the exposing deflated stomach and massive boobs issue. I found that vests worked well - the vest stayed down and then I pulled my top up meaning the majority of flesh was covered.

Don't need: I was doing a clear out this week and said to my DH, these were a real waste of money even in Winter. Pram Suits! I honestly thought it was a necessity to have one, was given about 3. Even on cold days you'll wrap baby up all snuggly in them to take them out for a walk to get them to bloody sleep so you can have a rest fresh air for your little bundle and yourself. You then get home they're fast asleep you don't want to wake them up and remove the hot sweat inducing suit and so you spend the next however long not resting yourself but stressing they'll have a heat caused fit (new mother anxiety)!

My DS1 was premature so we had nothing for him and I did not have a bag packed...and it was OK! If you have the time, money, inclination to stockpile and get organised that's great - and if you don't you and your baby will still be just fine.

You will get given a lot of stuff. You will figure out what you really need as time goes by. Cover the basics (nappies, cotton wool, vaseline, sleepsuits, boobs) and the rest will fall into place. Send people out to shop for you, go online & get it delivered - and if people want to give you a gift, ask for something that you really need.

Simplify. Don't make yourself crazy with acquiring stuff - your baby needs you, not things! Lots of luck :)

List of useless things I bought:

cot, crib, moses basket anything related to sheets for those. Baby refused to sleep in anywhere other than near me / on top of mummy and daddy.

Buggy - went into slinging in a big way. Only time buggy was used was at a restaurant to hold the carseat while DD was asleep at 3-4 months old.

Luckily I managed to return cot (kiddicare take returns up to a year after purchase!). Everything else will be ebayed!

No muslins either. Luckily DD never possetted much.

It's so easy to get carried away but you really don't need much to start with, just get the basics and buy anything else as you realise you need it - unless you're very rural there's not much you can't get easily.
I found the baby- gros with the built in scratch mitts were fab - scratch mitts were essential for us as DD seemed determined to scratch her eyes out, but the individual mitts just fall off all the time.
As others have said, just get baby-gros and vests to start with. Get blankets rather than pram suits - much more useful. You don't need bibs 'til much later. Muslins, breast feeding or v pillow, bouncer seat or similar all useful too.
I wish I hadn't got a pram until afterwards either - what I thought I needed and what I actually needed were very different things! I ended up using my carefully chosen pram once before deciding it was far more than I needed and buying something completely different.
I love my sling - I used nothing else 'til DD was 3 months. I started with a mei-tei (£20 off ebay) and then bought a more structured one once I knew I would use it. The mei-tei meant I could get stuff done round the house when DD was refusing to be put down - invaluable!

Interestingly what was useless for one of my babies was really needed for another. So I'd say non of the mountains of stuff I have has ever gone to waste.
I have always found pram suits really bloody useful, worth having a couple.

For me one of the things I found essential second time around and wished I'd had first time was a stretchy wrap sling. I have a Moby, but there are other makes out there. It looks complicated, but if you give it a go before the baby arrives you get the hang of it quickly (there are some excellent videos on YouTube). The great thing is that you can pre-tie it an pop the baby in and out as and when you need to, which is great for the early weeks when they don't want to be put down.

Plan for hosptal as you would a long haul flight - eye shades, ear plugs, drinks and so on.

LilyPadz are widely adored.

WRT painkillers you will need a packet of paracetemol in case of bad after pains.

I packed loads for hospital but didn't need most of it, what was useful were the multi packs of drinks I took, drank them all during overnight stay. It was so warm in there and the one crappy jug of water they provided wouldn't have been enough! Also flip flops, and comfy trouser bottoms to wear, can get them cheap in Primark.

Agree about getting babygros with built in scratch mitts, dd scratched her face so much her first baby photos she has big red marks on her face, scratch mitts wouldn't stay on.

Dd was swaddled from about 3 weeks. I used Miracle Blanket, you can get it in boots or online. This isn't an essential if you're good at swaddling with a cellular blanket, but I've found it useful :)

Just wanted to say it turned out that I really didn't need any equipment for feeding DC's, except for my own natural (and modest) endowments !

I did have cream, bottles, expressing kit, back up formula, but only played about with such gear occasionally.

Fortunately my little bundles of fluff took to breastfeeding like ducklings to water !

Though I suppose some material breast pads would be something on my list.

Also recommend a sling for carrying them around. I liked my simple one - sorry I've forgotten the name now.

Enjoy your nesting ! And lots of luck and love from us to you

These are fab!
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002SW3D34/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

I use them for loads of stuff, to swaddle when you just have your new one (my baby is 6 months now), as a cover when you feed, a burp cloth, covers the pram in the sunshine, something to sit on in the park, a blanket.....folds up really small in your changing bag and they're huge. My best buy by far and bubs loves them, gets excited when he sees the them and is adopting them now as comforters.

I ended up not needing tonnes of stuff I bought, even the side crib we don't bother with as he's in with us. I bought an expensive changing bag and I never use it, use the free one from Boots...much better.

Snowsuits are a complete waste of money, the number you see on ebay BNWT is criminal.
I bought the fleecy duffle coat and matching trousers for DS and they worked so much better, more flexible, my boys is long in the body and short of leg (just like his father).
Other complete wastes were, scratch mittens, buy sleepsuits with them attached, Next, MC, mamas and papas all have them.

Lansinoh (by power of repetition you'll get it!)
Disposable nappies (don't try washing your own with a first baby in the first couple of weeks)
A FEW babygros and vests
MUSLINS!

Lansinoh is not always necessary. I've BF for more than 5 years in total so far and have never needed it.

Echo the paracetamol so you can self medicate for your pain instead of waiting for the statutory 4 hours.....

And at least one spare set of PJ's / nighties for if you have an accident that maternity pads cant cover - its a bid mad down there and unpredictable for a while...

I found a squeezy plastic bottle better than a jug for post-birth wees. You can aim better!

Muslins are good for putting under babys head when sleeping, then if there's a mega posett you don't have to change the whole sheet, just change the muslin (and they are good as comforters).

Things I didn't need were:

• Baby bath
• Half the cute little outfits
• Nipple shields

Best thing in hospital was a bottle of Ribena, gas and air really dried out my throat/mouth.

Will think of more!

Oh yes: a bloody good wrap/sling. I loved my stretchy, now have a soft carrier (a Beco) and a few woven wraps. I use them more than the pushchair.

I never got an expensive changing bag, I have one now but it was a gift.

Second hand reusable nappies. Yes, I know, sounds minging. But when you think about it, it makes sense. I have been able to try lots of different brands and am now building up my stash of the ones I prefer. (Close Parent, Wonderoos and Real Easy if you're interested!)

Second time around I would get a co-sleeper, or a cot that has a detachable side that can be attached to the bed. DD was in a Moses basket for the first few months, and has gradually moved into our bed and we now co-sleep full time! We have become far more 'lentil weavery' in our parenting as time has gone on, so we'll just do it from the start next time.

I'm sure I'll be back.

Sorry...

Don't bother with baby oil (olive oil best) or baby wash...plain water is fine.

after going mad buying stuff for PFB DD next one will get

10 vests
10 sleepsuits
20 muslins
10 bibs
2 cardigans
1 coat
2 sleeping bags
2 aunty crocheted blankets (i'm telling you she could make a fortune, made one for me as an experiment out of the cotton used to make dishclothes absorbed sick/pee/poo and washed like a dream)
2 dummies if you or your baby are that way inclined

for hospital

5 granny nightys, esp if c/section or you plan epidural as you will have a catheter and pyjamas will just add bother.
5 pairs of granny up in the armpits knickers that you know will get ruined
2 nursing bras
pack of breast pads
approx 1 ton of maternity towels (that may be just what it felt like you need)
toiletries brush and towels
bottle of cordial
pack of biscuits
out fit to go home in (this is key forgot the last time DH has no co-ordination and didn't think that i would still be in maternity jeans the bastard)

for home

4 bottles
2 boxes of milk
big pack of size ones
bag of cotton wool balls
bubbly cabbage leaves.
1 bottle of top to toe wash
1 tub of baby talc
1 bottle of baby lotion
1 tub of sudacrem for "every change" use
1 tube of metanium for when there is nappy rash

this would be for a second but for a first add cot, sheets car seat pram and sterilizer. this is my list for c/section and not breast feeding (take meds which don't allow me to) we bought pretty much everything for DD and things like the baby bath were never used. for us these would be the essentials. you will get lots of pretty outfits as gifts and as they get older you can pick some things up for them but this is what i would want in my house for coming home.

Get a dummy. You don't have to use it, but for some they work like magic and you will be very glad you spent the £2...

Definitely take a book for the hospital! If you are in and out it will be redundant but if, like me, you end up stuck in there for up to 10 days for whatever reason, there will be plenty of time to read when the baby is asleep but you are not.

Try to borrow a moses basket if you can and just buy a new mattress for it - they are in it for such a short time the money could be better spent elsewhere. Ditto for a baby bath although they are pretty cheap.

Not a buying tip but something useful I was told which (perhaps stupidly) I didn't work out for myself - the envelope style vests you buy for babies can be taken off downwards as well as up, so no dragging poo/vomit over your baby's head....

I haven't read the whole thread so apologies if this has been said already but if you don't want to fork out for an expensive changing bag but would like to have one, join the Boots Parenting Club and you will get a load of vouchers which includes one for a free changing bag when you buy a pack of nappies. A small pack of nappies is about £5 and handy for hospital the first few days even if you are intending to use reusables when you get home and get yourself sorted. The bag is black and has a changing mat and a few pockets - not huge but fine.