Weirdly the most useful baby bits...

[seafoodudon]

Starting to prepare for DC3 (due end of Jan) and mulling over the most useful baby bits and pieces - often things I never thought I'd use/thought were rather silly/waste of money gifts/indulgences. My top three for newborns: Skip Hop Changing mat/bag thing that is large enough to squeeze in a few nappies/newborn change of clothes, and yet still fits in my handbag; Avent pots with screw lids - perfect for storing breastmilk for newborns and then purees/formula/toddlers snacks as they get bigger; a gorgeous Mamas and Papas pram suit/bag (all autumn/winter babies). Your top three?

Good sling, kept/keeps 2 hands free for DC1 and 2.

Leather changing bag, I know that they are a 'more money than sense purchase' but there is something nice about still having a nice leather handbag but with space for snotty tissues and apple cores...(it still looks like new after 6 years).

Bedside co-sleeper crib, I like to co sleep, but I like my own space too.

Cocoonababy - bed nest that keeps baby snuggled up tight. A foam thing for baby to lie on in the bath - no more slippy/slidey baby! My beautiful Uppababy Vista travel system

Yy we still use similar changing mat: different make "the first years" I think for dd2 nearly 4 with sn.
Avent pots: absolutely! used them till they were too grotty. The screw lids are genius.
Autumn winter babies: had vertbaudet snow suit (aged 12 mths) with mittens on string and detachable booties. Snowsuit too small but still use mittens for pre-school.

Reiltin - yes, I forgot the spongey foamy bit for the bath. Genius. Far more useful than a baby bath esp fab for trips away. Though I found less useful for DD2 as to bath them both at the same time I really needed to have them in two separate containers!

I still use the Avent pots 4 years later for everything!

Still using Avent pots 6 years on!!

1. decent sling

2. muslins/terry squares. They've been nappies, they've been "piddle pads" for car seats during potty training, they've been sunshades, they've wiped up various spills/wet slides/trolleys/mud/blood etc!

3. sheepskin buggy liner. Was a def luxury item on birth of 2nd baby and it has been used SO much

Keep 'em coming ladies, this is invaluable for us first timers!
The bath foam things sounds genius- i remember bathing my niece and wondering how the hell babies dont drown in baths more often!!

I bought 20 muslin cloths and barely used them as dd not sicky or dribbly.

OTOH we used our baby bath until she was 9 months. Just had it on a stand next to shower. Filled with shower head then tipped into tray when done. Was great not to have to bend over the big bath to wash her. We had the ikea one which was quite roomy.

sockons - go on over socks to stop then being pulled off. Genius! I have bought some for every friends baby since I discovered them

it's weird isn't it, what different people find useful. we rarely used the baby bath, was easier by the time we were on number 2, to just chuck him in with his brother!

sock ons were too tight for my fat babies' fat feet lol

Baby gros with built in scratch mitts - great for newborn who clawed her face and me.
Bouncy chair - wasn't sure if needed it but vital for somewhere to put DD when dash to loo, watch you do chores. Was restively cheap one but vibrates and plays haunting music.
Grobags once big enough (about 1.5 months here) so much easier.
Lansinoh if BF

Extra baby gym rings, lower toys so baby can actually interact with them. Tie toys safely on to buggy.

Can see the foam would be useful, I was leant a bath chair that did the same sort of thing.

Mostly I just filled the big bath and dunked baby in the water.

Never bothered me, always reckoned you'd fish them out before they drowned if you did drop them.

Both my DDs swim like fish, one practice s gymnastics upside down in swimming pools, the other scuba dives. so I clearly didn't frighten them.

I am expecting no 3 and am determined to have a nice bag this time but not found a nice leather one yet - any recommendations?

for me decent sling, terry squares for towels, change mat on the go, to line change table etc, and a decent breast pump

eggybrokenoff - nooo don't go with a changing bag - opt for a lovely big regular handbag that you love and buy a skip hop changing mat (or similar - the skip hop ones are great, we were given ours as a hand-me-down and I would never have bought one new - they cost going on £30, BUT would definitely replace now if we lost ours/it died). The changing mats have a mat (NS), but also a couple of pockets for nappies, creams etc - I even fitted in a spare newborn babygrow and vest. Brilliant for just being able to grab when you fly out of the door, or pass on to the person looking after baby without having to root round a big bag. Less useful once you have older babies who need 'things' though.

Avent pots are now our paint pots! V useful

muslins invaluable

decent changing bag

love my gro-egg

ooh, brilliant - i bought a skip hop kit to go in a rucksack for this DC as I used the sling a lot with DS and hated one shoulder bags when I was carrying him. So pleased other people like it!

YY to muslins, but DS was reasonably sicky, and then messy in a million other ways once that finished.

Sports cap water bottle. I LOVE mine. Really useful in hospital, can keep it in bed with you without spilling (I had to forego a bedside table to fit the DTs cot in. Still use it now as I can leave it lying around and DTs won't knock it over and soak the floor. Actually DTS has learnt to drink out of it already at 10mo. So have bought him his own!

We still use our muslins now, there's plenty they can be used for and are great because they dry quickly.

The baby bath was useful first time round, when she was in the bath on her own it meant we didn't have to fill the whole bath up. This time round baby will probably bath with DD so it may not get as much use.

Our bouncy chair is just a cheap one, not battery powered or anything but as someone above said, it's handy to have somewhere to put them where they can see. I washed up and cooked tea many times with a foot on the bouncer :)

Old butter and ice cream containers for storing batch cooked curry etc

I need those advent pots now

eggybrokenoff - a friend of mine had the hamilton turnberry 'hamilton'.nice and roomy and doesn't look too much like a changing bag. thinking of getting one myself once im confirmed everythings ok ( only 9wks+4 at the mo)

baby walker they sit in and cruise. total life saver

using kitchen towel in place of toilet paper - to use immediately after birth and for a few weeks after

Babybjorn sling

ponchos

takeaways!

Muslins - was all 'why do I need all these large cloths?!!!' pre-baby

Infacol. Bad mummy tip: give to tired, irritable baby to keep dummy in mouth long enough to self-settle.

Separate laundry bag for baby - not lost a tiny sock yet and baby still has clean clothes even when the adult laundry mountain is threatening to topple.

Ewan - white noise. Love it.

Bath seat - DS loves lording it in the big bath.

But the all important purchase was THE ROCKING FEEDING CHAIR (and footstool) - lifesaver when DS was tiny and needed rocking to sleep, and now just a super comfy way to feed and read/mumsnet

Yes, we're a muslin household (two dribbly/sicky babies - I also agree with bundaberg that reusable nappies are also fab for this - rarely actually used them on bottoms!!!), and now very much a dribble bib household - when she's teething DD2 has been known to go through her dribble bibs at a rate of 1 every 15 mins.

Oh, and also great big pashmina type scarves absolutely brilliant for life with a newborn - cheering up your dreary post-baby baggy outfits, popping over shoulder whilst you BF, providing shade for naps, extra blanket if necessary.....