I’ve been debating this so a lot a of thought has gone into my list!
Best:
1- lovely changing bag, with lots of pockets, matching mat and a bottle bit - I splurged on a more designer one and it made me happy whenever I used it or got it ready; it was a tiny bit of materialistic, shallow old me to hold onto in a world filled with all-consuming baby!
2- Dummies- dd1 was a crier. She had colic, she had teeth, she had eczema - but she loved her dummy and it kept her calm, we went through quite a variety before finding one that suited her (mam cherry in the end, then tommee tippee cherry)
3- i loved loved loved the tommee tippee steriliser, easy to use (even one eyed at 3 am in the morning) easy to clean, could get pretty bottles for later on when she took them out, teats were easy to clean and didn’t often break; you could size up easily.
4- (sorry) was a travel high seat from Jojo Maman Babe, you could take it to restaurants and it just ties onto the chair, like a booster! it also meant going to other people’s houses that weren’t so equipped for children was a breeze
Worst
1- sangenic nappy changing bin. Didn’t use it, didn’t need it, sat there looking forlorn and in the way
2- cotton wool and pure water for wiping bums. Please don’t fall for this, this will not get through Meconium... there are so many amazing and sensitive and now reusable wipes on the market that are SO much better than water
3- baby bath... stayed in it for about 2 weeks, it was always too much faff to get out; I’d get one of those new born bath seats now instead, they look much better!