What were your BEST baby buys?

[PayingMyWayYouSay]

Not really sure where to post this as I'm guessing those on the pregnancy board are still pregnant with DC1 in a lot of cases

What were your best buys? So far, from recent recommendations, I am buying...

• Next/JoJo Sleepsuits

• A Next 2 Me thingy

• Sleepyhead

• SMA Formula

• Swaddling blankets

I like the tip of not bothering with baby towels and just using a fuss free, normal towel.

Ergo Baby! Carried mine in it til he was 3. Also wide mouthed bottles - way easier to clean as you can fit a sponge in.

Dr Browns bottles for bottle feeding! Our daughter had terrible colic when we used Avent bottles but that all stopped within about 12 hours of introducing these bottles. I won't use anything other than these when we have our next baby! I cannot recommend these highly enough.

If you are bottle feeding a perfect prep machine.

If you are breastfeeding Medella breastpump and some washable bamboo breast pads.

I will be bottle feeding.

Aren't Dr Brown bottles no good if DC doesn't have colic?

Snuzpod, sleepyhead, perfect prep, mam bottles (self sterilise in the microwave), Ikea highchair, millions of muslins, Lamaze toys, fisher price rainforest baby gym, glow in the dark dummies.

A great piece of advise someone gave me was to use a muslin as a comforter rather than a specific toy that can be easily lost. DS is now 16 months and happily accepts any of the pile of muslins we have, which can then be washed daily!

Oh and a stretchy wrap sling, DS lived in it for the first few months.

welsh Didn't know the Mama bottles were self sterilising! Fab.

I like the muslin for comforter idea.

That dreaded FisherPrice thing is far too bright for my likings

Also loads of Muslims. Still using them now 12 years on (as dusters, wiping floors etc!)

Muslins not Muslims!

Mrs Tory Britain there

Perfect prep
Sleepyhead
Ewan the dream sheep
Angelcare bath seat
Dummy clips

Yes to Ewan the Dream sheep, forgot about him

I loved the inflatable ring playmat thing we had. It was like a massive quilted doughnut with little fabric activity things around it. I don't know if they're still made actually, but it was a brilliant baby parking space.

Breastfeeding pillow - great also for propping baby up
Baby bjorn - pricey but brilliant for longer walks over uneven terrain and guaranteed to calm an upset baby
Blackout blinds with suction caps (Gro anywhere) - baby hates naps, so total dark makes the daily battle a little easier

A clip on fan got mine from JoJo great in the heat and also for cooling down LO food. Also those fabric packaway chairs to attach to any chair when you're out :)

Definitely second the Angelcare bath support, dd loved baths (and still does) in that because it supported her and was lovely and warm.
Waterwipes- never had even a hint of nappy rash, would never use anything else now.
A play mat with a toys hanging above, from a young age dd liked watching the lights, and now I can leave her for a few minutes knowing she's happy.
Ergo-baby carrier - AMAZING!

A baby rocker - ours had batteries that would rock and play music or white noise. It is coming back out for DC2!

I have the Water Wipes. They're great

Baby seat with tray i.e. A bumbo or karabu do a cheaper one. I use it for everything!! You can't hold them down once they get to five months and she can eat anywhere, you can travel with it etc.
A swinging chair (with batteries) it used to rock DD to sleep so I could get stuff done. Amazing. You need one.

Would also say I love baby towels! The hood keeps their heads warm and dries their hair easier but mine has loads of hair ahahah

A bouncy chair, some sort of sling (whatever suits you best), an insulated mug (so that you can still drink tea while it's hot, despite having had to feed baby twice and change a nappy since you made it ), vanish stain remover by the bucket load!

Another vote for the Perfect Prep machine. Life changing for night feeds. If you're using the Dr. Brown bottles buy the additional caps that screw on them because you need to shake the bottles and they can leak. Travel Caps

Also, a couple of decent flasks for making up feeds on the go.
Ikea high chair.
A decent white noise app (we used Sound Sleeper)- Ewan the dream sheep was good, but sound only lasts for 20 mins.
If you're using dummies, then a Sleepytot makes it easier for them to find dummies in the dark. Our 2 year old is still inseparable from his 'dummy bunny'! Sleepytot

Gro blackout blind.

Giant 1m x 1m muslins, so much more useful than the tiny ones.

Breastfeeding pillow for propping up when they have a stuffy nose and can't sleep flat.

Tiny nail clippers.

Although my biggest tip would be not buying any of this stuff until you decide you actually need it.

Everyone has different successes and I wasted money buying door bouncers and mobiles and CRAP based on recommendations. I got suckered into this idea that I needed to get most of what I needed pre-emptively when all that was actually necessary was basic nappy changing stuff, moses basket and sheets, a few clothes (and bottle stuff if you're bottle feeding), car seat, pram.

I would recommend some form of bouncy chair or swing but as PP said - all of this is dependant on you and your baby so if you aren't sure then wait and see if you need it.

The things I'm insistent on this time round are:
Ergo baby - so much better for their hips than most other carriers and you can buy second hand and sell it again for a reasonable price.

Muslin clothes - honestly don't know what I'd have used instead, they're also super handy for hot nights to use instead of a blanket.

Baby shampoo and conditioner 2-in-1 - this one I seem to be alone in but DD had such tangly hair that this was a needed for us

Baby sleeping bags - you can feed them in the night and when you put them back down they can't feel the cold sheets so I found Dd settled a lot quicker.

Baby sunglasses - bear with me! It's because when she would fall asleep on a sunny day I could pop these on and she wouldn't wake as soon as the sun hit her face

With regards to formula feeding, I ended up doing this with DD and slowly warmed the bottles less and less until she was drinking cold milk. I don't actually know if this is bad for them if I'm honest but I was struggling and it was the only solution I could afford!

Aden and anais bamboo muslins - the huge ones. They were brilliant and very versatile. Don't take huge amounts of room in the baby bag either. Can be used as a picnic blanket/swaddle/blankie/sunshade/ breast feeding cover. Never used for cleaning up puke though! Especially in the summer when baby just needed a comfort blanket. Still being used now and she is 3! (She loves her fleecy blankie on the sofa - so currently using the muslin instead)

Definitely the best present I received when she was born - oh and they are sooooo soft compared to a normal muslin.