Definitive new-baby-buys list..HELP!!

[SuperheroYuki]

Right ladies help needed!! Im 21 weeks and have decided its time to compile a list of everything needed for babies arrival (first one..) 'cos I don't want to buy everything all at once otherwise we'll bankrupt ourselves and have to live off tins of soup :)

This is what I reckon we need:
Bottles
muslins
baby bouncer
moses basket
cot
pram
changing matt
nappy bin
baby monitor
bibs
Car seat

Firstly have i forgotten anything?? Secondly brand tips on everything welcomed, money wise I'm happy to spend proper money on things that need it like cots and prams, but really don't want waste money, buying needlessly expensive bottles or muslins or something silly?? Heeeeeeellllllllllllllpppppppp

Ok I am planning on breastfeeding but won't I need bottles for if i want to express some for DH's night time feeds (she says optimistically) and stuff? Is a swinging chair like a baby bouncer?

You don't need a nappy bin. Just buy nappy sacks and put them in the normal bin.

You won't need a moses basket - baby can go straight in a cot. You will need some baby sleeping bags though. All supermarkets stock them.

Would you guys recommend a baby swing OR baby bouncer OR both??

I may need a bigger house :(

Feel your pain KittyChat... I was going to get a moses basket as I think I'd like her in the room next to us when she's little and then we'll move her into her cot in the nursery when she's a bit bigger, any thoughts on that?

I have a moses basket coming my way from a relative, and also a cot. I am willing to get other stuff if it will make my life easier but really, isn't there some kind of all singing, all dancing baby gadget thing that does it all?

I'm planning to do what you're doing, Yuki, but will see how I go. Best laid plans etc!

Agree that nappy bins are a waste of time if you have easy access to an outside bin - different if you're on a 12th floor flat.
Baby sleeping bags are brilliant, I think you can get them cheap from IKEA now? But unless your baby is a monster they won't fit it immediately so you'll still need a blanket or two.

Nappy bin isn't needed!

Monitor depends what you want - sound, movement or video!

If you want to try sleeping bags I would only buy one to start with as it seems babies either love or hate them

I have no baby swing or a baby bouncer or a moses basket. We didn't get a baby monitor until DD was 5 months- when we stayed at PILs and she was 2 floors away and we couldn't hear her at all (IE depends on your house layout if you need one of those).

Fingers crossed baby NOT monster!! So baby sleeping bag (...imagine you're talking to a person who believes humans spring fully formed onto the planet aged 20...) is this instead of sheets like sleeping bags for adults..or do you still need sheets on top..do they wear a babygrow underneath or is this kind of like a sleeping baby-grow?

If you are breastfeeding then don't worry about bottles and expressing and stuff for a while, just focus on getting a good nursing relationship going. You doing all the night feed (co-sleeping can help here) will ensure feeding is established well. Your DH can help you rest in SO many other ways.

You don't need a baby monitor if the baby is near you.

I'd wait on all the swings and other contraptions. Some babies don't like them. I personally didn't like putting DS in a swing - it just looked odd. I think I'm unusual in that though.

A sling/carrier is useful if you need two hands and you have a baby that likes to be close to you.

I agree that it's nice to have a Moses basket and cot.

Sleeping bags for babies clip over their shoulders but have no arms. You would still need sheet + muslin (muslin is for dribble catching) on top of mattress, and a sleep suit or vest with poppers (depending on weather) for baby to wear.

Sleeping bags are instead of blankets. DD wore a vest, a sleepsuit and then the sleeping bag over the top (disclaimer: Scotland temperatures). The bags were great because they can't kick them off and get cold. But they are not recommended for newborns, so you'll still need some blankets.

Also nipple cream should be on the list if you're planning to BF.

Wombat - it hadn't occurred to me to hire baby gear. Is there a website I can go through or is it best to look around locally?

Agreed - Lansonil (or other 100% Lanolin formula) the best nipple cream IMO, and I think you'd get a general MN consensus on that.

Thank you DilysPrice and CystalQueen! Where do u recommend getting basic stuff like sheets, muslins and sleep suits?

I never used my Moses basket. I got a phil & teds carry cot which fits in my buggy (different brand) but also lets DD sleep in the living room.

Get a swaddling blanket rather than a sleeping bag. It helps a newborn sleep. And sleeping bags are often too big until 3/4 months.

A sling is great, eg Close carrier. If you live in London & use public transport, you might not need a buggy at all.

OK, thanks wombat. I am starting NCT classes locally next week so will ask there.

Someone has given me a newborn swaddle pod, does anyone have experience with these?