Hello i wonder if any wise mums could recommend firstly a room thermometer and a steriliser

[DebbsyandBibby]

we have our 20 wek scan on tuesday and want to go baby shopping after any recommendations please.

Never had room thermometer.

sterilser= microwave are the easiest IMO. cold water are a big faff. electric ones are expensive.

if you've got a dish washer you can use that to sterilise.

the most reliable room thermometer we had was one of those weather station things - doesn't look very pretty but a lot more accurate than anything else. (until DD knocked it off and broke it the other day, but never mind)

microwave the easiest, but if you're planning to travel anywhere often that doesn't have a microwave then get a cold water one

good luck with the scan

are you going to be buying a baby monitor? A lot of them have a thermometer on them that will show your lo's room temperature.

I used a avent steam steriliser which was easy to use and fitted 6 bottles and their bits in - the microwave ones tend to only fit 4 bottles in. Cold water sterilisation always seemed a bit of a faff to me.

I had a room thermometer but I'm sure it served very little purpose other than making me paranoid about the temperature in the room

It wasn't this one but it was quite simple.

I would say you don't need one but I think if someone had told me that first time round, I would still have gone to get one so my advice would be to get something simple!

good luck with the scan

yes im quite interested in the visual ones its our first baby and to be honest i would like recommendations for everything going to another thread.

I had an Avent Electric steriliser .. I thought it was great .. but then I had the counter top area

Still have it if you want second hand .. though would probably cost a fortune to post

have never used a room thermometer .. really don't need it IMO

this one

I wouldn't buy too much just yet tbh .. go have a look at clothes, get a moses basket

do you think you might try breast-feeding?

Don't invest in a thermometer, it really does just serve to make you paranoid. You can yourself if their room is too hot or cold, it's not a life or death thing.

In fact I refuse to buy a temp thermometer for the kiddies as I think the back of my hand is good enough! Dd was sent home from school this last week because they'd tested her temp and it was high, but she got here and she was bloody fine! I know some mums swear by them, but I'm not one of them.

yes i think im going to try bf twiglett but want to express so dh doesnt feel left out.

there's plenty DH's can do for the first few weeks that means they don't get left out .. DH was responsible for baths (and the meconium nappies) .. marvellous bonding

take a deep breath and remember .. we were all there once .. and all felt exactly the same as you .. and now we're totally blase .. you'll be great and everything will be fine

I bought a monitor with a built in temperature for my first born (Tomy Walkabout Digital). It had an alarm on which would beep if the room was too hot or cold on the parents unit. This was soon turned off as in the summer it kept waking me up! As others have said, you can tell yourself if the room is too hot or cold just by going into it. Still got this monitor as I'm expecting my second but will only be using it to listen for the baby - NOT for temperature!

Another one here who didn't have a thermometer except for a freebie cardboard one which always said the room was 18degrees during winter and summer!

I breastfed dd, and also expressed as returned to work when she was 12wks. I went for Avent stereliser, bottles and pump and got on fine with them all.
I was advised to start expressing when dd was 4weeks as by then they are just settled enough with feeding not to get confused, and not too old to refuse bottles. For dd this was true and it all went smoothly, but i have known others who waited longer to introduce bottle and then the baby wouldn't have any of it. So if its your plan i'd recommend getting started early.

I have my 20wk scan on Friday btw you must be expecting a November babe? Congrats.

I have one of those cheapy ones that you pin to the wall, it looks pretty but serves little purpose.

For a steriliser I would reccomend the Tommee Tippe microwave steam steriliser, it is sooooooo easy to use and when DH and I went away when ds was very small we took the steriliser as you can use it as a cold water one as well and it only cost about £20 if I remember rightly.

Thank-God we have a dishwasher now so I don't have to bother with all that again second time around.

flutterbee, i was of the understanding that dishwashers aren't enough to sterelise bottles (assuming thats what you are sterelising). Because of the teats + milk = bacteria and the diswasher not being hot enough.
Weaning stuff i only ever washed well anyway, so this time round i'd trust the diswasher for those, but not sure i would with bottles.

I had a cardboard one, which I never ever used, but wanted one all the same.

I 2nd the Avent electric steriliser, although this time around I will wash bottles in hot soapy water paying attention to bits where milk can stick with toothbrush/bottle brush and then sling them in the dishwasher.

If you tend to go away a lot (weekends with family/friends, mini-breaks and holidays etc) then I would recommend an electric steriliser as not everywhere has a microwave.

The electric ones may be more expensive but are quick and simple to use anywhere. We took ours to France when travelling around with DD when she was 6 m old (just needed an adapter plug)

pah to room thermometers

find out if your local NCT has any second hand sales coming up - people are always flogging off sterilisers and everything else you need for baby - there are always more mums than mums to be at these events so I'd pick as much as I could up there

Best thing I ever bought for both my ds and dd were grobags and they come with a room thermometer in the package! It tells you the temp then on the back tells you what your baby ought to be wearing, I didn't use it so much but dp was much more confident if he just checked it before dressing them for bed etc. Meant he could do it himself rather than having to check with me.

I have a avent microwave steriliser and think it's great!

If you go away then just take some of the cold water steriliser bags from boots.

sam bear unisex gro bag

Says about the free thermometer about half way down.

I have found some fab grobags (new but end of line designs) on ebay.

Flutterbee - you can't use a dishwasher to sterilise bottles! For one, the water isn't hot enough and two, think of all the lovely bacteria from the uneaten food on your plates and cups that will attach to the teats/bottles. I have a dishwasher and would never even think about using it for this way!

room thermometer - we have a plastic winnie the pooh one to match the set (so sad! lol) I like it cos it give me a rough idea - althou I will add to an extent don't listen to what the book says re the amount of layers - ie 180C = one sheet 2 blankets or what ever it is in the mothercare book, I started out like that b4 realiseing it's a load of cobblers and to trust your own instincts. each abby's differnt when it comes to that.

sterliser, I have a tommee tippee electric steam one, I like it does the job, tbh it was on half price special at tescos, i'd advise as u have the time to watch out for things like the half price deals and save money that way.

If you do decide to get a thermometer, I had a great little electric one from Boots. It shows the highest and lowest temperature reached, so you can see if your baby's room gets very hot or cold overnight. I use one becuase I'm incapable of telling a temperature and am permanently freezing cold.

Grobags are brilliant for regulating your baby's temperature at night, and you get a free thermometer too. The grobag people are also doing a funky egg thermometer which glows red if too hot and blue if too cold.

I used the Avent steam steriliser. I think if you search through some archived threads it seems that neo-natal wards don't see the need to sterilise - take a look, you might find it interesting.

Have fun shopping

thank you all been shoppping with my wise friend today who has 2 children she pointed me in the direction on lots of things have brought the glo egg thermometer from mothercare and the avent steriliser (steam) thanks everyone for tips xx

sarahlou .. you CAN use a dishwasher .. that's the way they do it in USA ..

Thank you twig

For the rest of you doubters please believe us, you can sterilise bottles in your dishwasher. Obviously you have to wash the bottles thoughly first and make sure their is no milk left on them (as you do with all sterilising anyway) and them place them in the top rack only of your dishwasher and hey presto they will be steam sterilised just the same as if you steamed them in any other way.

So have all your back and drag yourself up to date, jeez some people.