What to buy?

[lpickrell]

Hi all,

What's the best list to use when buying for a first time mum? I've mainly come up with static lists from blogs and stuff ... any online tools out there?

Thanks a lot,

Lee

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Our DS has very dry skin so we could never use baby bath or wipes. Like someone said above, sorry can't remember who, don't buy it if you can't afford to buy it and never use it.

I know mums who have had to cut their mat leave short because they spent so much on Lo before they arrived and then never used half the stuff. Your baby will want milk, you, somewhere safe to sleep and to be clean and warm

[Pumpkinsquid]

Do not underestimate disposable knickers. You will thank me later. With my first two I ruined and binned proper knickers as I was too tired to even contenplate washing them. With no 3 it was disposables all the way for the first week. Bliss.

[ShoeWhore]

There will be as many opinions on this as there are users on mn I suspect OP!

Unlike pumpkin I hated disposable knickers (SO uncomfortable) and much preferred super cheap Tesco pants in huge sizes There are gel pads you can freeze/chill to put in the big pants too, very soothing. Lavender oil is very nice in a post partum bath too.

I used different things with each dc tbh - so much depends on them and their personalities. Dc1&2 both loved sitting propped in a baby nest full of toys - dc3 hated it! I used a baby carrier lots with all 3. Ditto bouncer chair. None of them were massively keen on the playmat with toys dangling over. Wind up mobile was useful to distract them during nappy changes. I liked my changing table but my babies weren't too wriggly, know some friends never used theirs.

My babies were fairly sicky and the standard 6 vests, 6 babygros wasn't really enough, I needed a few more and about a dozen muslins too. Had 3 lots of sheets etc for the same reason. Found it useful to have a second changing mat/stash of nappies downstairs as well as up.

I don't think you need to buy a special changing bag btw. I bought a cheap but fairly roomy high st handbag which did the job fine (got a freebie fold up portable change mat from somewhere).

[BeCool]

I was given a few bibs but never brought any apart from 2 with sleeves that I used occasionally. By that time the babys clothes were dirty anyway, so just left her to it. Or I just used muslins.

[lpickrell]

Wow! Thanks!

[sarahtigh]

your baby maybe sick a lot but they may not be I had 12 muslins and sold 8 as brand new

as earlier list 4-6 sleepsuits and vests probably 1 cardigan and 1 hat

i preferred bibs to changing clothes but you can use muslin instead

my baby was in a cot from the start in my opinion moses baskets are a waste of money esp if baby is 10lb will be too big very quickly

not all babies like sleeping bags so I would wait you will get loads of presents, if you get too much stuiff in size 0-3 months keep unopened go to shop and even without receipt most will swap for the same thing in 3-6 months or if your baby was small to size newborn/ tiny baby

be warned tiny baby is too big if your baby is 5lb but you would manage lessthan 5lb and you will have to go to mothercare as only about 2 companies do really small stuff

[TheCatIsUpTheDuff]

I get why I need cheap/disposable knickers, but why enormous ones? Is it to fit the enormous pads into?

[cocktailhour]

I reckon the above is really sound but as the mother of a 14 week old who hates the pram and basically only goes out in the sling I'd say make your big purchases carefully (even though ours was second hand, it still rankles!) and try to borrow from friends if possible so you can test things out. Best buy: moby wrap, worth every penny! Close second, an amazon prime subscription (you can usually do a month's trial for free) as I don't have a car so the free next day delivery option was a godsend for emergency purchases!

[Thurlow]

Yes, to fit all the padding inside. Also if you do have a cs then you want something that sits really high up on your tummy - bikini-style pants would probably just sit right on top of the scar.

[NotAQueef]

I am at all the posters saying 6 sleepsuits? Did you have very accurate pooers?
DS occasionally went through 6 sleepsuits in a day with his epic poonamis!
I see the logic in perhaps only having 6 or so before the baby is born as you won't know sizes, but to be honest (particularly) in the first few weeks, get a load of the multipack cheap ones in addtion to some nice sleepsuits so you are not constantly washing/drying (or at least reduce the frequency)
a bouncer - you will sometimes need/want to put the baby down and a bouncer will entertain them and keep them safe while you treat yourself to a trip to the loo! I used to pop DS in his with me in the bathroom while I showered

[summerplease]

This book is worth a look - non-biased info:
www.amazon.co.uk/What-Your-Baby-Hughes-Joshi/dp/1907952284/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[summerplease]

Sorry www.amazon.co.uk/What-Your-Baby-Hughes-Joshi/dp/1907952284/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[Fairydogmother]

Fab thread!

[IneedAsockamnesty]

If budget or environmental is an issue then it can be reduced hugely.

Car seat if you have a car.
7 vests
7 babygros
4 sheets
Nappies ( if going with reusables do not buy a big expensive kit you do not need one you can get everything you need for about £90)
4 blankets or sleeping bags

I never bothered with those thin cloths and just got a stack of flat terry nappies and used those instead the bonus is you can also use them as nappies in a emergency or as well they last longer and are cheaper.

I also had reusable wipes but a small packet of disposable ones are handy for when out and about.

Thick sanitary towels
2 pairs of reusable breast pads
Bottle of witch hazel

Somewhere for the baby to sleep I wouldn't bother with a Moses basket ikea do a very cheap cot its about £30.

If bottle feeding then bottles steriliser formula, again avoid buying a big kit as you may not get on with the bottles and they can be over priced.

If bf with occasional expressing the bottle can be sterilised in any tub you want with cold water and a tablet so no fancy steam machine needed try to avoid buying a pump in advance you can borrow one from most sure start centres.

Baby baths are pointless bits of plastic unless you have a reason to need the baby on a stand at a certain height but often sinks work just as well as do adult baths.

I found a bouncy chair (think it was about a tenner from amazon) very useful as I bath all mine with me in the tub and it was handy to have baby in one whilst I washed and so I could climb out. And just to use about the house when I wanted to put the baby down.

Never bothered with a changing mat as laps are fine but a fold up one is handy for when out.

You do not need special baby towels or flannels or many of the other things that you already own but in adult size or pram shoes or anything you look at and think "what's the point"

If a changing bag is expensive enough to make you fret about losing it then you do not need it.

A method of transport for the baby this does not need to cost huge sums of money nor does it need to be a trendy brand.

[IneedAsockamnesty]

Forgot to add if your mother/ MIL/best friend is sensible and not the type to think baby wipe warmers are essential then run ideas past her if she bursts out laughing you don't need the item.

[NayFindus]

Ooh what a great thread, wish I hadn't bought so much for dd, I'm still putting brand new clothes in bin bags to sell when I've got time and she's nearly 3! We had a Trenton travel system, it was huge, heavy and bulky and murder to get around with so get a fold down frame you can pop the car seat into, I loved my Mamas and Papas Sola but dd grew out the harness by 18 months (tall girl).

As above, try not to buy too many clothes, and just buy 0-3 month baby gros to start with. It doesn't matter if they're too small, they'll soon grow
into them and if they're too small you've wasted your money.

NCT nearly new and car boot sales are great places to pick up and get rid of clothes, large plastic toys and buggys as long as you stick to a list of stuff you need and don't impulse buy.

[NayFindus]

I meant if they're too big they'll soon grow into them, doh!

And if you bf you can get lanolin nipple cream on prescription.

[Xmasbaby11]

In terms of clothing, I'd say

12 vests
12 sleepsuits

DD often had on 3 outfits a day (including night) so that only gives you 4 days' worth of wear. If you don't have a dryer, I'd say 20 of each.

[IdaClair]

Not all moses baskets are the same size. Both mine were in the Basket until 7-8 months and moved out because they could climb out rather than because they were too big. My older one slept in the Moses a few times without the stand (for safety) when on holiday age 15 months or so. That's average weight/taller than average babies.

[catellington]

Just wanted to add that the thing I wished I'd had in hospital which I didn't have was Lansinoh nipple cream. I only had to stay in overnight but by the morning was in absolute agony, nearly gave up breastfeeding altogether as a result until my husband got to the shop when it opened at 8am! I also ran out of nappies in the middle of the night and had to cajole staff into giving me a couple to tide me over!
Cotton wool balls, and a pot of water where you change baby. I used an ice cream tub and just changed the water every day.
Another thing I found useful was to get terry sleepsuits. I think they were from mothercare, the terry is on the outside. Then when changing baby, I used the towelling side for drying ( as I found the cotton wool cleaning system left her rather damp!). I found when she was a newborn the sleepsuits and vests needed changing almost as often as the nappy anyway.
I set up snack and drink stations around the house so I could keep my fluid and energy levels up whilst feeding.
I found it more useful to use a backpack to use as a changing bag rather than a shoulder style one ( as most of them are). So I have hands free for baby / pushchair. I started out using my laptop bag from work but recently decided to get something a bit less functional looking from accessorize for holiday.
It is impossible to get the baby under our sink taps to bathe. We got a small newborn baby bath from asda, I think it was 4.99 and she loves splashing around in it!

[ShoeWhore]

If you do want to get a baby bath then I think the ones that rest on the rim of the bath look most useful. Or buy a stand. I had neither and our baby bath was a nightmare to empty!

One final tip from me would be to leave the tags on any clothes presents you get - then if they are all in the same size (or totally unseasonal e.g. snowsuit bought in the size your baby will be in height of summer!) you can exchange a few for a bigger or smaller size. With dc1 we ended with a massive wardrobe of 3-6 months clothes which he didn't wear until he was 4 or 5 months old - including loads of shorts from MIL which weren't all that practical in mid-winter

[sarahtigh]

not every baby is sick and poos everywhere I had 6 sleepsuits
I would get 2 x 3packs and wait and see if you are running out you can get more but otherwise you will just not use them, same with vests 1 had a 7 pack but after 6 months again I would generally have 3-4 per size
when dd was born in newborn had to rush and get 3 tiny baby ones, once in 0-3 months size ( she was about 6 months then) only had 3 in each size, however she was rarely sick and poo stayed in nappy the vast majority of time, she did however have a few outfits

for a girl if you get summer dresses which will only fit in winter treat them as a pinafore and wear with long sleeved t-shirt and tights

[MJP1]

Breast pump (just I case, Mine was a godsend after 3 days in hospital with rubbish support for breastfeeding and torn to shreds nipples) it saved me from giving up breastfeeding while I healed.
Bottles and teats
Muslims lots of.
Lots of chocolate and treats for you x

[BooMeowson]

Try and get a lot of cheap eBay second hand clothes, you wont know what you'll want him dressed in... I have a huge drawer filled with t-shirts that he never wears. I also bought a load of muslins and don't need them as he's not sicky.

The main thing is you don't want your baby to overheat so after they're a few days old you'll want them in far fewer clothes than feels natural. I wanted to wrap him in coats and blankets but actually, I never use either. And I think he would rather be cool. I wasn't anticipating using a 1 tog grobag but our room is quite warm at night.

I love our IsoFix base
Water Wipes (sod using cotton wool and water)
The movement monitor was a godsend - helps me sleep at night
A moses basket downstairs and a crib upstairs is great
Get yourself registered with your local sure start centre in advance

[Numbthumbs]

Muslin cloths, hundreds should do. They are good for loads of things, not just mopping up baby sick - i cleaned my windows with a couple today