What baby items could you not live without or wish you had? Are drop side cots banned?

[Sheera1]

Hi,

I did post this in being a parent but as there are lots of 2nd and 3rd and 4th etc. mums on hear I thought I would ask.
I am pregnant and ds is 10 so it is a long time since I did this baby thing. 😀

I remember buying a load of crap I never used but also there were things I remember thinking, "if I do this again, I would want.."

Can you please let me know what was a waste of time and money and what were amazing?

I remember thinking I would get a cot that the side could be lowered as trying to put a v heavy sleeping baby into a lowered cot without waking him up was a nightmare. Have these been banned though?

I also thought one of these by the bedside things so you could slide baby next to you to fee without getting up (I was breast feeding).

This time although I still want to breast feed I would not be so fanatical about it and give myself a break and use bottles too (I know, best laid plans and all that). Any tips on bottle feeding dynamite products would be good too. X

Hiya!

My LO is 11 weeks and there are a few things that have been invaluable!

Next to me cot - totally worth the money. Baby is happy to sleep in it because we are close, but without the risks of co-sleeping. I can also check on him just by opening my eyes, see him breathing, etc. It folds away into a carry bag so if you go away you can easily take it with you. It also works as a stand alone cot if you don’t want to attach it to the bed. It also tilts to help with reflux etc

Sling - a life saver. I can carry baby with my hands free, he falls asleep in 5 mins flat, and rarely cries (carried babies cry around 40% less apparently, not sure how true this is but my LO very rarely full on cries, just a grissle).

Tommee tippee prep machine - get one. It’s amazing. I had to give up breastfeeding (sadly) due to serious birth complications and this machine was the only thing that stopped me from sobbing endlessly! It makes a bottle in two minutes. At 2am This is invaluable. Don’t believe the hype about them being dirty/unsafe - as long as you use branded filters and clean it regularly, it works fine. I would recommend that you buy some pots to pre measure the formula - makes it even quicker to make a bottle (particularly when you’re half asleep at 2am and can’t count!) and stops the scoop from the tub getting

Hope this helps! :)

Next to me cot is totally worth it. I adored mine and am looking forward to using it again later on in the year.

Drop side cots are banned, it is possible for babies to get their heads trapped or something. You could probably find them second hand but they really aren't recommended anymore. Similarly cot bumpers shouldn't be used, I'm not sure when that advice came in so maybe you already know that one!

My best baby buy was either the next to me or the cheap white ikea highchair. That thing is awesome and so incredible easy to clean we stand it in the shower and hose it down. It's even dishwasher safe.

A Tuppence and Crumble star wrap, warm mittens that attach to prams to keep your hands warm in the winter, Sleepy Sounds (a free white noise app), muslins, video monitor, sling, musical/lullaby toy.

For bottle feeding, the Perfect Prep machine was great for us.

Baby is 3 weeks,

So far it's the bouncy chair, he wakes at dinner time and we just bounce and eat :)

I don't think you get drop side cots any more.

BUT we got secondhand cot beds (bought new mattresses) - you can put the mattress at varying heights, so you don't have to bend down so far, just move the base down as the baby gets bigger and starts to clamber. We used ours as a big co-sleeping cot with no side attached to our bed for a while, but you need the floor space to do that.

You can use a phone app for white noise, or at least to see if the baby likes it (worked a treat on DC1, DC2 couldn't give a toss).

You really don't need that much!

Also - got a secondhand tripp trapp chair with newborn bit and then a bit for bigger babies - the chair should last from newborn to age 8 or so if you use it right.

Morrkk baby wrap. Goes in the car seat/pushchair and wraps around the baby. I got through an unbelievably cold winter with DS withone of these and a thin fleece jacket on him. He didn't cry once from cold.

Next to me crib too, wish I'd have had one for my DDs!