Please look over my new baby checklist?

[DoveOfTheWoods]

Still only 25 weeks but as we are on lockdown taking the time to plan what we need for new baby. Everything will need to be ordered online.

I'm a first time Mum so no real clue about anything. Would be grateful if people could cast their eye over my list and let me know if there's anything obvious I've forgotten? Thank you in advance!

Context is - I live in a tiny city flat so the least amount of stuff the better.

Cot (sidecar style)
Bedding or baby sleeping bag (which is better?)
Car seat for home from hospital (no car)
Buggy
Clothes - vests, baby all-in-ones (due end June so don't need hats for now?)
Nappies, wipes etc
Changing mat
Coloured muslins
Soft sling for home
Structured sling for outdoor walks
Emergency formula?? (hoping to BF)

And finally - somewhere for baby to chill / lie / be put during the daytime when they are not attached to me, e.g. a moses basket, bouncer or sleepyhead type thing? Which of these is best if I don't want to get all three?

Finally finally - now that Mothercare has closed what are the best online stores for this stuff, other than Amazon? Thank you! xx

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MNHQ

Re: slings. Some babies hate them. Borrow one from a sling library at first to avoid making an expensive mistake.

Tiny babies might struggle in a bouncer seat so you may find a moses basket more useful at first (I got one for 30 quid from Aldi). Lots of people say their babies love the Sleepyhead but the Lullaby Trust advises against any kind of nest for sleeping in. If you live in a tiny flat, do you need somewhere separate for them to sleep during the day? You'll need a bassinet for the pram if you want your newborn to be in it for any length of time- you could potentially use that for daytime naps.

Buggy clips are useful.

Preciouslittleone.com sell end-of-line prams etc at a discount, if you aren't fussy about colours etc.

If you breastfeed, Hot Milk sell nursing bras that aren't hideously ugly, but chances are your size will change a lot and they aren't cheap, so wait until you're a couple of weeks post partum to buy.

Oh, and congratulations!

I wouldn’t bother with emergency formula personally, I always think it’s setting yourself up to fail like keeping chocolate in the cupboard just incase you can’t be arsed losing weight anymore. You can always buy some online or pop to a shop if you really can’t breastfeed but give it your best shot first. Lansinoh nipple cream is a must have for breastfeeding Mum’s.

Structured carrier isn’t necessary, carriers like the Ergo are perfect.

Babies do need hats irrespective of season, just get a few thinner cotton hats rather than knitted ones.

Sleepyheads are good and the Baby Bjorn bouncer.

Check out independent online stores or second hand stuff on eBay is always good.

Sleepyhead is fine for sleeping, not linked to any SIDS cases at all and been used for decades in Scandinavian countries. I love ours and wouldn’t be without it.

Looks fine. More vests than you think and if you're planning to breastfeed buy GOOD breast pads, think about how many you might need, and double it.

Hey, I’m in a similar position. It’s so difficult when you can’t actually go out and see things (but I understand the reasoning - no moaning!). Not ideal but we have to work with what we have.
I’d add to your list a blanket (or two), a cardigan (or two), mittens, maybe some socks, lots of burping cloths 😬
I think I’m going to get a Moses basket but still considering other options. Not sure if it’s a crazy idea but leaving the pram purchase to the last minute (hoping I’ll be able to go to a shop and check it out - I’m due mid July)!

Definitely get a couple of hats - babies have to wear them in hospital even if it's hotter than the bloody equator on the ward. I'd recommend a bouncer chair that can lie flat so is able to be used with a newborn. You can get pre-made bottles with sterilised teats that you pop on and can feed. I took a pack of 4 to hospital with both of mine just in case and did bf both successfully but was glad I had them for peace of mind. Also if you are planning on breastfeeding I'd get some breast pads and nursing-friendly tops (simplest to use are nursing vests underneath normal tops that unbutton/zip or you can lift from the bottom). I got most of my stuff from supermarkets and Amazon.

I'm also in a small flat and if you're getting a bassinet for your buggy, you can use that inside for naps. If you're lucky a walk will put the baby to sleep and then you can leave them.

I found sleeping bags easier than blankets. Think about things to help you with feeding; a good cushion is a help, I found a couple of soft bras were also comfy.

Baby due in next few weeks, so haven't used everything yet we have ordered. However if its any help.

We ordered pram, car seat and swaddle blankets plus some other bits from www.naturalbabyshower.co.uk. They have a good selection and delivered to us overseas really quickly. Uk delivery is free i think for anything over certain value.

Amazon - for all small bits

Cot (sidecar style)
Bedding or baby sleeping bag (which is better?) - sleeping bags not for newborn, so large swaddle muslins handy first few months
Car seat for home from hospital (no car) - you dont need an isofix base if no car of your own as will strap in using seatbelt.
Buggy - get something that folds in one piece without needing to remove carrycot if living in flat.
Clothes - vests, baby all-in-ones (due end June so don't need hats for now?) - m and s, and john lewis have been our best finds.
Nappies, wipes etc - amazon. cheeky wipes online
Changing mat - amazon
Coloured muslins - natural baby shower
Soft sling for home - we bought ergo embrace.
Structured sling for outdoor walks
Emergency formula?? (hoping to BF) - we also bought a small bottle and some formula incase of emergency.

We have also bought the babybjorn bouncer for daytime somewhere to put them. It folds completely flat and we currently have it stored under tv cabinet, it fits under our sofa also. So not a bad idea in small flat if you want it out of the way when not using.

Place marking

Normally I'd agree with the PP about not bothering with formula as a just in case, but right now I would simply since it might be harder to just pop out if you need something. Still wait until nearer the time for that one, hopefully things will be different by then.

I'd also go for some white muslins, because you'll need loads and white ones can be bleached if needed (I needed to surprisingly often and I never bleach anything)

Baby blankets, I know your expecting a summer baby but you'll need a few blankets, they can be used as shade (never drape anything over a buggy though) laid out for the baby to roll around on and a very young baby will need tucking in even in summer.

Personally I used light cellular style blankets tucked under the mattress for the first few weeks, possibly months and then moved up to sleeping bags. Sleeping bags are brilliant but can be a bit bulky for tiny babies!

Sleeping bags are great but they can only be used once baby is big enough that their head wont accidentally slip into the sleeping bag, so get a few cellular blankets for the early days - they can be used in the pram etc as well.

I would usually also recommend going to a sling library rather than buying a sling or two, as you dont know which sling will quite your body type and whether your baby will like the sling. However our local sling libraries are currently closed.

If you live in a small flat you probably dont need a separate moses basket as well as a crib. Baby could nap in the carry cot section of the buggy or you could get a sidecar crib which can be moved from room to room- we have a snuzpod and the top can be taken off and carried into another room and used as a bassinet.

I would really recommend reusable/washable baby wipes. Far cheaper in the long run and much more effective, plus environmentally friendly. We also went for washable nappies but that's a bit more of a commitment!

Do you have something for baby to bath in? You can get a baby bath or a seat which goes in the normal bath. We have an angelcare bath seat which we used for the first 5 or 6 months which was really great and meant you didnt need 5 hands to bath the baby

I'd definitely recommend baby sleeping bags but baby has to be over a certain size (I think 8 or 9 pounds?) so you might need blankets for the first few weeks if you have a smaller baby.

If you want to breast feed then YES get the lansinoh cream, it seems expensive but it's worth its weight in gold. Also get a lidded travel cup for yourself ( keeps drinks warm but also you can sip from it without worrying about spilling) and lots of snacks as breastfeeding makes you ravenous at first. Make sure you have everything within arms reach before you start!

We had a bouncer chair and a moses basket, but the bouncer got lots more use as we were able to use it longer after he grew out of the moses basket really quickly.

Good list OP. Yes the made up bottles are called starter packs, recommend one of those as a backup. Also consider getting some medula breast shields. Also recommend the MAM dummy in age 0-2 months (free one with boots parent club. Also would suggest a mattress protector for your bed. Re the wipes, recommend boots own brand gentle ones (white packet with blue writing). Re clothes yes to a soft cotton hat, you will also need 1-2 soft cardigans. Exciting times, enjoy browsing!

I had my first baby at the end of June (12 years ago now) so assumed like you that I wouldn’t need hats. However I remember clearly being told off by the midwife because my baby was cold and I didn’t have a hat. I promptly burst into tears and my mum had to go on a hat searching mission so now I always pack a couple of cotton hats in my hospital bag.

This is all really helpful, thank you! It sounds like the bouncer that can lie flat will work best in my space. Also I didn't know that about sleeping bags, milk starter kits or hats in summer!

Learning loads!

Oops I changed my username!

The best thing we bought was the Tiny Love 3 in 1 Napper. It's a little crib type thing for daytime, rocks, vibrates, turns into a seat, lays totally flat, can be propped up if reflux and has an arm over with mobile and lights/sounds.

It's the dogs b9llocks frankly.

Just a few things I used after he was born:
Breast pads I liked the Asda washable ones
Nursing bra
pyjamas suitable for breastfeeding and easy access
maybe a breastfeeding pillow
pads for underwear and big knickers Nipple cream, sudocrem , baby nail scissors. Cotton wool
baby bath ,baby shampoo ,creams etc.
Moses basket

Baby swing and loads of batched cooked food, painkillers for you

Haaka for breastfeeding and maybe a bottle brush to go with it. Breast pump? Breast milk storage bags ?

Swaddle blanket.

Heavy duty maternity pads for you

Mosquito net?

It doesn’t hurt to have formula as they won’t supply it in hospital - I would get the v small bottles (I think 70ml) with pre-sterilised teats as a just in case. You don’t need a lot as they have tiny tummies.

Our baby struggled in the beginning with tongue tie so we topped up whilst in hospital - and then weaned him off top ups after about 3 weeks and went on to bf for a year.

I think it’s good to be prepared and you are not setting yourself up to ‘fail’