What do you need? First born.

[OnNaturesCourse]

My list so far:
Pram/travel system
Cotbed
Changing mat/table
Moses basket
Car seat
Bottle warmer
Bottle sterilizer
Bottlrs
Bouncy chair
Sling

I have no idea how many vests, bibs, clothes etc, or what else?

Sounds terrible but it's our first, likely our only, baby so I'd like to have most things... Why I have a sling and pram on the list... Am I missing anything? Baby gates? Bedding?

I think I'll hold off on the clothing... I'm sure some will come in the form of gifts later on. Plus I should have a better indication of baby estimated weight etc.

When did you all start buying the different items?

I started buying clothes after my 12 week scan, I just found the receipt for the pack of 5 M&S vests for £3.75 in the sale I ordered nursery furniture (well a cot and a normal chest of drawers) at 24 weeks. Still need to get my pram but I wanted the new icandy which has only just come out.

My DH suggested, upon hearing stories of getting through 5-10 sleepsuits a day, suggested we buy bundles and have 30 in stock. I can't work out if it's genius or mad!

OP, I've just remembered I have about 12 muslins, have you got any?

We found our cocoonababy to be brilliant. Its expensive, especially when you factor in spare covers, but the little one has slept like a dream in it. We didn't bother with a Moses basket because of the above.

I also love my semi circle pillow for feeding, stops the arm going completely numb from sleeping baby!

Also extra large muslin clothes (120cm) have been very handy, they double up as sunshades, blankets etc.

We over brought on the 0-3 month clothes, a lot has been packed away unused. Easy separates were the best for day time that can be layered up, a typical day for us was sleeveless vest, long sleeve top and leggings. Clean vest and sleepsuit for evening.

A little bath with bump so they can be propped upright was also a fab purchase, along with decent thermometer.

Enjoy, its a lovely time x

If you haven't bought your sling yet, make sure you get an ergonomic one that holds he babies hips in the correct position. Most sold on the high street are not ideal for baby and are often uncomfortable for parents. Babies hips should be in an 'M' position. Close caboos or stretch wraps are ideal, as are Ergos, with an infant insert.

We didn't buy much for our eldest before he was born, but used a playmat fairly early on (either a padded flat one or a baby gym style one would work).

Oooh muslins yes. You need those.

People rave about super large ones but actually I loved my boots ones. I had six white (clean / face) and six coloured (bottom) which were on the changing table. Sometimes cotton wool and water won't do, but a bath isn't convenient, you just want to wipe a damp cloth all over their bum during a nappy change, or all over their face if they've been sick or got a cold.

Of course you could use the same cloths for both ends but I preferred the idea of having separate arse and face ones

OP you boil the water for a bottle in order to kill any bacteria in the powder, not to make the water safer.

Not meaning to derail but if you mix the powder in cold water you could make a small baby very poorly.

Also don't bother with mothercare they are overpriced and shite.

Boots are great for clothing as well as more pharmacy type stuff. Supermarkets are good too.

Re formula: agree with the need to sterilise the powder not just the water.

Car seats - again I'm so pissed with mothercare being CRAP, look up to see if there's an in car safety centre near you, or an independent shop that sells car seats.

For you:
Washable breast pads (the disposable ones have plastic backs and can give you thrush. I was recommended the Little Lamb ones on here)
A LOT of industrial grade maternity pads
Dark PJ bottoms
A refillable travel mug for people to make cups of tea in or you won't get a hot drink for about 6 months
A netflix subscription (only half joking...at one point I was so bored BFeeding at 2am I started watching prepping videos on Youtube )

I'm detailing this convo again, sorry, but if you can't pre make bottles why do they even sell bottle warmers?

Muslins! Had one over my shoulder for months. Also good for emergency blanket, emergency change mat, emergency canopy for draping over hood of pram when sunny, wiping up spills...

Maternity wards are extremely hot so loose cotton pj's are good.

Muslins are definitely top of the list!

For warming breast milk, or ready made formula? Also, lots of people do pre-make bottles even though the advice is to make fresh.

If you make bottles up in advance, you should add the powder to hot water and then cool as quick as you can. The powder must be mixed with hot water.

Yes to loads of muslins. And the sleepsuits with built in mitts are a godsend, Next do them. And the semi circle pillows are great for feeding, and again when baby is learning to sit up.
I would say quite a few waterproof protectors and sheets for moses basket in case you have a sicky baby like DD... Layer 3 sets on at once and you just have to whip the dirty layer off in the middle of the night rather than remake the whole bed.
A nice playmat with dangly toys... We also bought a clip on toy bar from mamas and papa's that you can put over car seats, moses basket etc which DD loves and we still use at 13 months.
As PP said make sure you've got everything in for yourself after birth... Lavender oil, witchazel, bio-oil and a million squishy maxi pads. Lansinoh if bfing. Better to have too much in this respect than be struggling 3 days postpartum with stitches and trying to navigate the shops in a sleep deprived daze for something that might help.

Yeah with my godchild I always made 3 bottles up at 10pm... Two for during the night and one for breakfast (about 7am) these were made with boiling water and formula stored in a bowl of cold water in the fridge and the reheated under hot tap. He had that all his life and it was only a year or so ago it stopped... I thought the bottle Warmer would replace the hot tap?

If you can't pre make bottles why do they even sell bottle warmers?

For the same reason they sell cot bumpers even though they are unsafe or food labelled "from 4 months plus" when the weaning guidelines are 6 months. To make money.

Exactly OP! That's why we are saying they are useless!

If you make a bottle in advance you need to make with hot water then cool quickly and stick in the fridge until needed. A bottle warmer will take so long to warm refridgerated bottle that you may as well make fresh!

My advice is keep a bottle of cooked boiled water in the fridge then make up your powder with boiled hot water but only half way, then top up with cold water to get perfect temp.

*cooled

Ah well I've got one now so might as well give it a go. Saves burning myself under our hot tap that only does burning hot lol.

So it's not on the guidelines but it is possible to make a few bottles in advance? Even just for the nights ?

Yes you can but you have to use hot water and then cool quickly and get in the fridge. Use within 24 hours.

Or try the ready made stuff for nights and use the warmer for that.

I've not really looked at the ready made stuff but I will... Is it just premade and still as good?

I hardly used my bottle warmer, another piece of useless kit! Muslins in bulk were highly necessary. Good sleep/maternity bras for me plus sleep tshirts. Laxatives after birth. We bought a swing chair which the baby hated. But later we bought a Jumperoo second hand which she loved, I think some things just get second hand when needed.
Cotton wool in bulk, get pleats rather than balls, cheaper. We used a large cat litter tray (new obvs) for her first bath!
Activity mat was priceless but hardly used a sling.
As someone before said, you might want to wait until the baby is born and see then! You will also get loads of clothes, people are so generous. Sainsbury's packs of bodysuits are really good and easy to get.
Amazon prime is also your friend :-)

Premade is easier but it's a faff decanting it and it actually made my DS more refluxy as the milk is thinner.

I made up bottles and stored in fridge. It's definitely not the done thing but shamefully I didn't realise until he was about 3 months old and I was so used to doing it by then/he was used to them like that so I kept doing it. I did read up on things like Perfect Prep machine and tbh I found them more dodgy than doing it the old fashioned way.

If you are planning to formula feed have you seen the Tommy Teepeee Perfect Prep Machine? It's like a coffee maker but for baby milk :) You set the dial for how many oz you want to make. It then puts some boiling water in to the bottle. You add the powder, give it a good shake bung it back on the machine and it adds the remaining cold water. Shake again and you have freshly made formula at exactly the right temp. i was gobsmacked when DD got one for DGD. It's great. I used to batch make formula for the day and keep it in the fridge when DD was a baby but you aren't supposed to do that now I learned.

I did look at that as it was also on offer but seems like it's just doing the same thing as you would with a kettle boil?