what i need to buy essentials

[hayley2u]

i am having my 2nd baby after 5 years and fel really silly but m god dont know what i need to get. iv got my sons old cot and moses bath and few clothes but dont know what else i need. what do i take into hospital. etc.

Get hold of a Mothercare or Boots catalogue - they have a list of what you need to take to hospital. It'd normally just inside the front or back cover IIRC.

I bet you've got most of what you need from last time, but will need to get things like nappies, breast pads, etc.

Good Luck !!

couple of vests

couple of babygros

a car seat

nappies

A baby sling

sheets and blankets

honestly, that's all I had in the house before dd1 was born. You can get out and buy the rest as and when.

there is a fab list on the antenatal thread - due in oct - designer baby has posted it. go have a read.

am expecting in march (god can't get use to saying that!)
With DS i bought lots and then was inundated with clothes and gifts from family and friends it was actually obscene the amount he had, so this time i'm buying very little.
I'm also not planning to dress this one in anything but babygrows for the first 4/5 months as lets face it a 2 week old in jeans frankly looks ridiculous!

dal21, would you be able to put a link to it please?

Don't forget the big huge sanitary towels.

Mum2 george - have copied and posted as thread is huge.

Courtesy of designer baby - here is the list. seems pretty fab to me!

Clothes (in newborn size):
6 vests
6 sleepsuits
6 onesies (daytime babygrows with feet)
2 cardigans/jumpers
3 lightweight tops
2 pairs of scratch mits
1 Bunting with attached gloves
2 hats
6 bibs
1 coat
Snowsuit
6 pairs of bootees or socks
Muslin squares
Muslin cloths (bigger than muslin squares?)
Terry toweling square nappies
Sleepsack

Changing:
Dispoable nappies - 2 packs in new born size
Cloth nappies
Nappy liners
Fragrance free baby wipes
Cotton wool
Nappy sacks/bags
Nappy rash balm/cream
Nappy pail
Nappy bag

Equipment:
Travel system (which lies flat)
Car seat (part of travel system?)
Baby Carrier/Sling (baby bjorn?)
Cot/cotbed
Moses basket?
Travel cot
Mattress
2/3 Waterproof mattress covers
Bouncy chair
Chest of drawers
Changing table
Change pad
Wardrobe
Toy box/chest
Flat sheet
3/4 Fitted cribsheets
3/4 light/midweight blankets
2 heavyweight blankets
Baby Monitors (movement monitor?)
Cot mobile
Car seat mobile
Long (5ft pillow)
Baby thermometer
Feeding:
Breast pump (Medela Swing?)
Bottles,
Teats for new born,
Steriliser
Bottle brush
Poss combined in: Avent bottle/breast feeding package - includes bottles, teets, steriliser, cups, spoons, dummies, bottle warmer, descaler, bottle brushes perfect for expressing??

Bathing:
Baby Bath
2 Soft Washcloths
2 Terrycloth towels with hood
Mild Soap and Shampoo
Baby Oil
Baby Comb and Brush
Baby Nail Scissors

For mum:
3 Nursing bras
Maxi pads
Ice packs
Nipple cream
Few boxes of breast pads (tommee tippee?)
Nursing tops
4 packs of maternity pads

muslins
baby monitor
cotton wool
baby bath wash/sponge
steriliser/bottles/teats/brush/formula if bottle feeding, nipple pads & breast pump if BF
pram
car seat

Agree with Loopy. I only took about four babygros into hospital and because DS was very sicky, we had gone through them all within a few hours. By which time it was the dead of night!

Saw someone on here suggesting plastic flip flops for hospital bag too. Excellent idea. Easy to get on and off and you can wear them in the (often very grim) showers.

others have added arnica and lavender/ tea tree oil to help with bruising and healing.

baby thermometer
dummies
spare milk cartons for feeds just incase
infacol just incase
sudocreme

hope that helps

Never bothered with scratch mitts myself. There is loads on that list that I don't think is needed at all, the travel cot, moses basket, cot etc as I co-sleep, matress protectors never used, toy chest nope, chest of drawers not yet, nursing tops aren't really essential, bottles aren't needed at first either.

Thanks for copying the list dal21. I don't think half of it fits into the essentials catagory though

Never bothered with half of that stuff myself.

Didn't buy anything to do with feeding. Thought I would see how I ended up feeding after being in hospital and then send out DH to buy stuff if it was formula. Didn't really need anything for BF, unless you are intent on expressing.

Changing Table, nope, used the floor or my knee.

Moses Basket, used the carrycot from the travel system.

Snowsuit, I'm due in August!

Babywipes aren't supposed to be used for the first month at least. Same as for shampoo, baby soap etc.

Baby bath, used the kitchen sink, much cheaper.

Bedding, used a couple of sheets, you can use pillowcases, and grobags. Why is there so much bedding and a sleepsuit on the list?

Cot, DS didn't go in his for about a year. He slept in his carrycot then with us.

Nipple cream, never needed that either.

Would be really interested to see where designerbaby got her list from

As for the hospital have a look here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=2290&threadid=198478

I've added in some stuff like flipflops for the bathroom, Flash Wipes for the bathroom too and some lavendar oil for my pillow after the birth to help me sleep.

Heavy rain = lost signal on sky = no eastenders. Hmph.

Agreed nowhere near all essentials - but good list from which you can decide to knock things off!

if you are intending to breast feed a bf pillow is a god send IMHO - you can use it in the second half of pregnancy as a long pillow to help you sleep, after for much more comfortable breastfeeding & then for propping up DC when they are first getting used to sitting up on their own - worth every penny.

I'd also recommend baby sleeping bags (like gro bags) - you can then cut back on the bedding you need (just two bottom sheets) - and baby sleeps so much better - no covers to kick off.

Sorry, please could someone explain to me why on earth you would need a baby brush and comb??? Am I just being thick or is that madness? I know some babies are born with a lot of hair, but honestly...!

DD's hair didn't need brushing until she was about 2. DS is the same - he'll be 2 in September and no signs of rapid hair growth yet.
So I'd leave the brush and comb until you know whether you'll need it. Otherwise you're bound to lose it by the time it's actually needed.
I would recommend a top/tail bowl, or just use 2 tupperware bowls. Lots and lots of cotton wool.
Muslins are essential.

Hayley, have you got it sorted now?

Hayley.....you are worried whether you have it all????????

My ds is almost 9 and my lo due in October....
I have no idea what I need lmao