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.

White Muslim squares brilliant for everything, spicy babies, make shift bibs, to lay them on a changing mat and let them have a kick about, winding protecting your clothes etc etc etc.

White cheap sleep suits supermarket own brand and lots of them easy, clean cheap and great for a sticky baby in the very early days. Day and night wear.

Napisan to wash all whites together and come out looking fabulous.

At the time Morrisons nappies as recommended by the midwife were better than expensive branded nappies.

I know it's slated on here a lot but the contented little baby book Gina Ford. My first was average weight and I used the sleep routine from here which he fell into beautifully and was the perfect contented little baby who sleapt through very early on, loved his milk and later food put weight on, was easy to settle etc etc. However, my younger DD had other ideas lol.

Sleepyhead, tommee timpee perfect prep machine, mountain buggy terrain, grobag, muslin square comforters from ebay (fab if we lose one as have 6)

I second the Gina Ford book, used roughly and it's been great

Another vote for muslin squares, you can never have too many! Don't know how people manage without them. MIL bought us a bath seat from Mothercare which is really useful. And for when baby starts teething- Matchstick Monkey. Wish I hadn't wasted my money on loads of other useless teething toys first.

Ikea bibs they are the best around! Mam bottles
My nearly new pram from mamas and papas half the price and looked brand new.
A decent changing bag
Ikea highchair with insert
A cheap plastic box for downstairs with nappies in

Do not use the Gina Ford book for a newborn. I'm convinced my attempts to follow it slavishly with DC1 were the cause of my failure to manage to breastfeed. I wouldn't bother with books that advocate a specific routine until at least 8-12 weeks.

We discovered that DD loved being swaddled but the only wrap she couldn't break out of was the Grosnug. I'll be buying more this time round.

A plastic thing that goes in the bath so you dont have to hold the slippery wet baby.
Sock ons.
Black out blind.
Swaddle.
Dribble bibs.

I love threads like this as it always make me wonder if some product would have made my life easier. There's quite a lot suggested on here that I've never used.

I liked next sleep suits, they shrink though so be prepared for them to be huge on first wearing and fitting on the second! Jojo are rotten as previous poster said they shrink length wise and stretch width wise. Totally overpriced as well. John Lewis are good also.

Co sleeper type cot.

Muslins

Plenty of sheets for cot........

Cheap baby bath then into big bath when outgrown.

Hooded towels, lovely to have the hood and dries their hair well.

Blankets, ordinary cotton.

Baby Bjorn bouncer.

Stretchy wrap carrier, then buckled carrier when bigger.

Baby car seat and clips for travel system ( they should only be in the car seat for limited time, but so handy for quick trip into shop etc)

Loads of things I wouldn't bother with.....

Thank you for these amazing suggestions! You can imagine my google history is full right now with Baby items

So, what Sleepsuits should I go for then? If JoJo stretch out etc (I can see they would even by looking any my new ones), and Next aren't great, who else?

Are M&S okay?

Wouldn't want to buy primark or Asda, don't like their designs

I think M&S is best for baby clothes - nicer cotton than Next and wash better than John Lewis. Also often better value than both!

I really rate Sainsbury's, especially when they have 25% off but the don't have a huge range of designs.

Oh yes those hooded towels are just so cute you have to have those.

Honestly I bought el cheapo Asda sleepsuits and vests and loads of them they and washed beautifully (they are only in them five minutes). My DC's had a couple of very expensive sleepsuits in first three months for going out but the white ones are fine for chilled days. I hate seeing babies under 6 months in jeans etc.

Bright Omg I cannot stand babies in jeans!

DFriend did this as a going home outfit

Dr Browns - my kids didn't have colic. They were anazing and you can tell the difference if like me you then try your child on a cheap brand!!
TT Perfect prep - only around with my second child. Would have loved to have it for first;
My Ergobaby was crap. Sadly my kids hated slings!!
Jumperoo - absolute life saver!
Sleeping bags when baby is out of moses.

A baby doesn't really need much. I suppose the big purchases are pram and carseat and those are personal choices. I've not been lucky with my choices (Graco then Britax).

Also Ewan the dream sheep was a bit naf for us. White noise wasn't a thing that worked!

Oh, I've remembered something else, get a little pillow to stop flathead. I didnt have one for dd1 and she has a slight flat head. Used one straight away for dd2 and her head is great!

M&S and Mothercare for sleepsuits and vests, Next are sized too small my DS grew out of the 0-3 at just a few weeks old (weighing 7lb 14 so not a big baby!) Not sure if anyone else has said this but Grobags (from 8lb 8oz) are great and helps my DS sleep longer at night. The Aldi cellular blankets are also really good value - cheap but good quality.

Don't buy the Silver Cross car seat awful for newborns (or it was for mine anyway) - DS was so uncomfortable and slumped we went into Mothercare to check we had put him in correctly. It's better now he's a bit bigger but still not great can't wait to get rid of it in 3 months. In fact go to Mothercare to buy one they were so helpful and well informed even though we hadn't bought the car seat from them!

Perfect prep machine! I was so skeptical and really didn't think it'd make any difference but it's been a godsend since I swapped to FF.

Ergo baby.

My grandma accidentally ordered us 96 muslins. They are now used for EVERYTHING.

Newborn baby gro and vests. People always say that they're too small, but 2 of my babies were over 8 pounds at birth and 0-3 months were ridiculously big on them for the first few weeks.

Nappy bags for dirty nappies

Way more maternity pads than you think you'll need

A thermometer

Argos feeding cushion - Much softer, cheaper and more flexible than standard feeding cushions.

Was used as a sleep support under bump/knees during pregnancy, as a feeding cushion after a section, as a makeshift poddlepod/sleepyhead when DD needed to be held at all times, as a sitting prop and is still in use by DD as a pillow in her bed now she's 4 :)

Stay-put blanket - bought for my tall eldest who outgrew every footmuff on the market by 2 then reused for DD.

It has straps that popper around the frame so it fits any pushchair and is much less bulky on a folded pram! I also used it on my Connecta sling and then passed it on to my local sling library who used it on many demo models so it's totally universal!

And another recommendation is to get yourself to a sling library to test some out, sling was a lifesaver with my clingy DD!

Perfect Prep machine is brilliant (but be prepared for HV/midwife comments which I just smiled at and ignored). Medela breast pump (from Amazon). NUK do some really good gadgets - an in bath thermometer and also a thermometer which scans baby's forehead, milk bottles and room temperature from 3cm distance it's not intrusive so great for taking temperature without disturbing baby.

Only ever recommend Two items. Good quality baby sleeping bags and the most AMAZING invention ever. A metal and towelling mini ramp thing (looks like a mini ski jump). Put baby on it when bathing. Cost £7 in John Lewis about 12 years ago. Makes bathing baby so easy. CHANGED MY LIFE!

Not long had my second baby and have numerous items suggested here so won't repeat but just to put my tuppence worth in about bottles. Dr Browns and MAM are good and DS used the former but only because it was the only brand he would take at the time. I found it easier to switch to Tommee Tippee as they're the market leader so are available everywhere and have numerous handy accessories you can buy for them. I went straight to them for DD.

OP - if you don't mind spending £££, Frugi and Hatley are fab-u-lous for clothing. Great designs, wash well and seem to fit forever. I buy mine in the sales!

I do agree with PPs that Asda baby clothes are great so do check in from time to time to see if you like anything.

My Mamas and Papas sleepsuits and vests seemed to wash well but M&S were definitely of the shrinking variety. I returned the last lot back as I was fed up of it!

Reading a PP about maternity pads reminded me.... Not strictly for baby but after I had given birth I used tena lady pants instead of big sanitary towels post birth. Only needed them for a couple of days while bleeding was bad but they were a god send. No embarrassing leaks.