What do I need to buy?

[Mummy2b2020]

Hi everyone,

Currently trying to get everything together for our new arrival- wow for such a little person they need so much stuff hehe.

I've made a list and I wondered if anyone can see if I'm missing anything blindingly obvious or if there's anything you would recommend to add to my list?!

Cotbed
Changing unit
Pram
Car seat
Baby carrier
Bedding
Cot mobile
Cot bumpers
Thermometer
Bottle drying rack
Dummies
Hooded towel
Healthcare kit
Bibs
Swaddling
Blanket
Muslim clothes
Clothing
Toiletries

Many thanks!
Xxx

Congratulations.

I’d say that the changing table isn’t necessary, but obviously your choice. Cot bumpers are dangerous and shouldn’t be bought.

Have you a small crib or Moses basket? Babies, especially newborns, can feel lost is the large cot beds straight from birth.

How are you feeding? You may want a pump and breast pads etc if you are breast feeding, plus a breast feeding pillow I found invaluable. You’d need bottles & steriliser etc if you’re bottle feeding.

Would you want a sling to baby wear? Would be number one on my list.

Babies don’t actually need much when their first born, you can just get the essentials and then decide as you go what you actually need.

Cot bumpers are not advised, can cause accidents. Dummies aren’t advised either can cause speech language issues and bottle drying rack 😏seriously. Why would you need a pram and a baby carrier. I have three kids haven’t needed all that.

We have all that apart from the cot bumpers .we have a next to me crib and a Moses basket for down stairs .never once heard of the dummy thing not being advised by a professional there fine we have bought loads of stuff this is baby no 3 better to have the stuff than not.

As others have said you will need somewhere for your baby to sleep for the first six months or so, before they can be moved to the cot bed. And please don't buy the bumpers, very dangerous. X

I’ve also had three kids and have never owned a lot of that.

Don’t bother buying clothes apart from some vests and babygros as you will be given them as gifts. Ditto toys and a hooded towel.

I never had a cot bed or changing unit either. I just changed then on the bed before they could roll and then on a mat on the floor. The floor is much safer once they can move - Impossible to roll off the floor.

I didn’t have a carrier as I had a bad back.

All you really need is a car seat ( if you use a car obv ), a buggy, somewhere for them to sleep, nappies and basic clothes. A baby bath is handy if you don’t have a bath in your house, only a shower.

I didn’t use toiletries until they were old enough to have proper hair that needed washed ( for my kids that was about 12 months).

Remember generations of babies have happily slept in drawers lined with a blanket and bathed in the kitchen sink. Buy all that stuff if you enjoy it AND you have the space and money. But don’t kid yourself it’s for the baby, it’s for you.

If you are bottle feeding, you need a Tupperware box / old ice cream tub and some sterilising tablets for the bottles. There are fancy expensive gadgets available if your kitchen needs more stuff in it.

We found our changing table to be invaluable as I had a emergency c sec and bending down to change on the bed was not easy.
Baby carrier - he hated it but some mums swear by it.
Next2me is perfect for the first months.
Do you have a hygiene kit? Something like Tommee Tippee set.

I never had a changing table but did have a changing mat (I had four actually because they kept coming in other kits I'd bought, but it did mean I could have one for each room and for the changing bag).
Cot bumpers are a death trap and you definitely shouldn't get them.
Baby won't need proper bedding until they're a year old, sleeping bags and a sheet will be fine.
I use a thermometer that can be used on the forehead and in the ear, I did a first aid course for work and was told they're the best type.
I use bottles and I don't have a rack, but it sounds like an okay idea, so long as that's sterilised each time too?
A bouncy chair was really useful from day one, I have a very active baby and when all she could do was kick her legs about it entertained her by making herself bounce, and I could bounce her to sleep if I was too exhausted to hold her and rock her to sleep.
I only used my baby carrier in the shops when someone else took me shopping because I couldn't drive, otherwise the car seat can be used on special trollies in most places. Now she's a bit older and heavier I can't use the carrier at all as I had spd and my hips have just gotten worse with time.
If you don't drive I recommend getting a pram that a car seat can clip onto, I didn't get one of those and now if I'm in town and it's raining I have no choice to walk the half an hour home whereas if I had a car seat I could get a lift or a taxi.
Dummies are fine, we used dummies because she had a tongue tie and at a hospital nearby but not the one I gave birth in they actually recommend dummies if a baby is born with a tie because it strengthens the sucking. Not sure how true it is but it worked for us, and now she's 7 months she only really uses one if she's tired.
Stock up on nappies and wet wipes if you're using disposables, or start researching and maybe find a nappy library if you're going to use reusables.
I agree about not buying too many clothes, especially in the earlier ages and you'll get given loads. I made sure to buy lots as I had friends getting rid of stuff and then after I gave birth people I haven't seen or spoken to in years were coming out of the woodwork giving bits up until 6 months. I panicked when I realised I had hardly anything after this age and had to go out and buy lots when I couldn't really afford it at the time but could have whilst pregnant.
A breastfeeding pillow is brilliant even if you aren't breastfeeding, mine was never used for its purpose but for a seat when I was too sore to sit straight down.
Make sure all toiletries you get are hypoallergenic, my health visitor was really worried I was using lots of things that could irritate the baby's skin until I showed her it was all hypoallergenic and sensitive.

My little one slept directly in the bigger cot from birth without any problems. Use the bassinet from the pram as his bed in living room (I deliberately chose one that is suitable for overnight sleeping to be sure it's safe). I have limited storage in my apartment so couldn't justify buying a smaller crib and moses basket for just a few months. Also bought a chest of drawers that has a removable changing table on top. A lot of people had told me a changing table wasn't necessary but we use it for every change and the mess DS gets in sometimes I'm glad I'm not using my bed. Not essential from birth but a play arch/carpet is good once they are a couple of months old. Also not essential but we used our bouncy chair/baby swing a lot.
Agree with PPs, clothes, toys, blankets and towels were all gifted to us. In fact we have too many now! Also agree about cot bumpers... They look nice but aren't recommended because of SIDS risk. I really don't know why shops still sell them.
Have fun shopping. I found it a bit overwhelming, so much choice and not knowing what was the best to buy.

I’m pregnant with my fifth so I know what’s useful and what isn’t at this stage .

Products I highly recommend:
Baby Bjorn bouncer
Shnuggle baby bath
Burts Bees body wash and shampoo (smells so good)
A wash mitt
Babygrows and bodysuits - highly recommend sleepsuits that fasten with a zip!
Cardigans and jackets
Hats
Muslins
Reusable nappies and wipes
Sleepyhead deluxe
Lansinoh nipple cream
Pram (I like the bugaboo cameleon)
Maxi cosi car seat
Ergo baby carrier and newborn insert

Products I found wasteful:
Hooded baby towels are cute but they’re also tiny so only last a few months then are too small. I just use our big towels.
Swing- none of mine liked them
Moses basket- mine wouldn’t sleep in one
Swaddle blankets, I just swaddled them in a regular baby blanket.
Scratch mitts, they always seem to fall off and most babygrows have integrated scratch mitts anyway

Cot bumpers are a SIDS risk so don’t use one.
Cot mobiles are a pointless novelty as well.
Toys aren’t necessary until they’re at least 4/5 months old.

I also should have said black and white books are great for newborns, it stimulates their (limited) vision.

My little one is now 4 months old, I bought what other had recommended, what I had read and some were gifts:

• Next2me - invaluable I think
• Moses (gifted) - thankfully I didnt or wouldnt waste my money on this
• MAM bottle set with steriliser and breast pump (gifted), now my intention was to fully bf but it jusy didn't happen so the whole lot of this gift was just amazing
• Cot mobile - pants, he barely looks at it tbh

-Swaddles - total waste of money, he hated them

• Changing table (gifted) - I totally needed this as changing him was made much easier
• Travel system which included pram and car seat and pushchair until he turns 4 - use this daily, found this to be an absolute must
• Mummy backpack - love it, especially when I am out and about
• Reusable wipes - love them

Reusable nappies - use them now but not when he was born as they leaked

• Eco nappies - more expensive but better for babies skin
• Kokoso coconut oil - after month 2 we startes using this on his skin rather than baby oil which is full of crap
• Hygiene kit by Tommee Tippee - had all the little things we needed
• Babymoov Yoo Feel monitor - love it
• Sheets for next2me crib
• Towels

-Cuddledry baby towel - waste of money

• Baby Carrier - he hated it so was a waste of money, I am now renting from baby sling library to find one he likes
• Warmsuit- he came in winter so we really needed one but we found he was very irritated in the zip up one, he preferred the buttons
• Hats, scratch mits, booties - waste of money as the sleepsuits incorporated mitts and booties, hated hats and the warmsuits had hoods
• sleepsuits and bodysuits - we bought some but were gifted so many that we didnt need to buy anymore,
• forehead thermometer
• dummies and dummy clips - we had no intention of using dummies but paediatrician advised it can help reduce SIDS so bought a pair just in case he needed it, turns out he did

Muslins - lots and lots of them Blanket - we were gifted so many blankets but he has his favourite and we keep him with it Baby Bjorn bouncer - he loves it, easy to transport too

We also started swimming lessons as 5 weeks old so bought swimming gear too.