First child/grandchild....

[LuckyLuckyWoman]

Any tips on what will be needed in advance?

There seems to be so many things available, just don't want to end up with lots of things that won't get used. It seems to be so easy to go overboard and buy everything :)

Don’t get a sleepyhead, they are dangerous. Or any cot bumpers or Ubers, they aren’t supposed to use them.

Covers not ubers!

Are you the pregnant person? If not, ask the parents-to-be whether they'd like anything in particular! Or if you mean buying things for when they come to stay, maybe just get a second hand travel cot and a clip on highchair.

No, I'm the Grannie :)

It's such a long time since we had a baby in the family, none of us have any idea what to buy.

Can I suggest you ask the parents to make an amazon wishlist? I know it sounds really impersonal but we've had a few family members ask what they can buy for the baby and it's hard to keep track! This way I can gather a list of things that a) we need and b) versions of things we need but wouldn't buy if buying ourselves (e.g. premium muslins, some of the more pricey 'nice to have' things). There are things of all price points on there too so I don't feel awkward asking for something and worrying about budget!

Then you know they are getting things that they need, and like/are in their taste

Help towards the pram cost was great for us

Then there are a few nice things which can be expensive which might gratefully be received

Next to me crib
Bouncy chair
Play Mat
Good quality baby monitor
Ewan the sheep

Organiser with all the new born essentials - like nappy sucks, cotton wool balls, lotions and bath wash etc, medicine cabinet type stuff like thermometer, nappy cream etc

We were really broke when we had our first (lots of things went wrong while pregnant). We bought the bare minimum and really Disney much more. The things we couldn’t have lived without were:

• decent travel system bought according to our lifestyle
• stretchy sling
• Ergo 360 carrier
• decent cot-bed (used continually for six years across two children)
• decent bouncer chair (we loved our vibrating one)
• lots of muslins
• sleeping bags (as baby got bigger)