After childbirth, what were your absolute TOP buys / presents?

[DeusEx]

I hope this is the right place to put this - open to suggestions if not!

I’m looking at lists of things to buy ahead of childbirth and feeling somewhat overwhelmed by choice. There are so many different versions of everything!

So I wondered if I could prevail on collective wisdom: what were the absolute top things you bought or were bought for post childbirth? Items and ideally also brand, unless you feel that’s irrelevant.

I’ll kick off by saying Lansinoh nipple cream gets a good write up from a close friend and from my sister, both of whom have repurchased it at least once.

After I had my second when I came home I had bought myself new pjs and a new dressing gown and it felt like a real treat to have something new, I will definitely be doing the same this time round, made me feel more human to have a shower at home and put on new jammies

Freezer stocked with meals, number of local breastfeeding support, comfy PJ bottoms and loads of inexpensive nursing strappy tops.

The best thing I was given was a bottle of Dulcolax! Seriously, noone warns you how essential that will be... Other than that, I'd second the freezer food and sling library suggestions. I'd also not invest in too much "stuff" upfront, as all babies (and parents!) are different in what they like. Maybe an Amazon Prime subscription - that way you can get pretty much anything within 24 hours. For example, we got a change table with built in baby bath that was used daily for over a year, but lots of people would say that was a total waste of money for them, so for that sort of thing, probably best to wait and see if you actually need it.

Boppy lounger for DS to lie on during the day. He LOVED it because he was slightly upright and could see what was going on.

Bonds Wondersuit for easy nappy changes without having to undress the whole baby.

An insulated mug for cold/hot drinks. Also canned ice coffee by the crate. I was so sleep deprived at one point in the first few weeks that I upended a whole ice coffee on DS and all over the bed and one of the dogs :(. Thank GOD it wasn't hot. As it was everyone was fine, just sticky and pissed off.

Definitely perfect prep machine and zip up sleepsuits!! They are a godsend! I also love the growegg (think that's its name?) thermometer in bedroom as it shows my me visually what the temp is in room by changing colours! Love it 😍

Disposable pants (I used always discrete boutique)
Mam self sterilising bottles
Button down shirts for feeding
A feeding pillow (I bought a fairly cheap one from amazon)
Lots of chocolate

Paracetamol.

Water bottle with a built in straw
If formula feeding - perfect prep (gifted)
Sleepyhead for daytime supervised naps (gifted)
Some luxury chocolate (gifted)
Amazon prime
Large Muslins from bumble baby - super soft and great for a summer baby to act as sun shield or wrap/blanket

We were also gifted a box that came in the post from M&S, it had loads of ready meals and puddings and things in it.

Spritz for bits! I can't believe how fast and well my episiotomy healed, even the midwife was amazed!

Netflix and Kindle!
A changing table. My mum swears it’s not needed but I’ve never really got the knack of the knee change... Just the Ikea cheapy.
A basket/caddy - packed with muslins/nipple cream/kindle/phone/water whatever, thinking about it it was more for me than him!
A nice squishy nursing pillow - mine is filled with beans
Nursing tea/flapjacks etc - I struggled with milk so this helped make me feel like I was trying my best. Who knows if it worked
A lot of this assumes breastfeeding - if bottles I guess the switch is much more kit for them instead of you!

This is all incredibly helpful. Thank you very much.

Can I ask about cribs and also about baby rockers / bouncers - any particular models or brands that people would really recommend? They seem to be so expensive that I’m keen to get recommendations.

Thanks again

Also a growegg question - stupid question maybe but why do you need to know the temperature of the room?

Grow eggs jus help you gauge how warmly to dress them - the instructions tell you what togg sleeping bag to use and what clothes to dress them in. We had a winter baby so we were a bit panicky about how warm or cold he was.

However, after a couple of weeks we were just able to gauge it for ourselves and don't really check it any more. Other than to say "yeah it is bloody cold, the gro egg says it's 15.9 oC.... whack the heating on"

@DeusEx i had a tiny love 3-in-1 rocker napper. It’s not quite like a traditional bouncer chair, but I adored it because you could lie it flat for daytime naps when they don’t want to be laid down to sleep... so they go in it a bit inclined with vibrate and the mobile on, then as they fall asleep, you just lie them down. Winner winner

If you like reusable things then cheeky wipes are excellent reusable wipes. Much better than disposable ones.

As pp have said, a good quality insulated mug for hot drinks. And stock up on food one way or another.

I used a lot of tena lady disposable pants whilst in hospital.

Sleeping bags for baby overnight (especially from about six weeks old onwards).

Without a doubt the two things I rave about to anyone who will listen is haaka silicone breast pump and also saline nasal drops for when the baby gets bunged up. Wouldn't be without either.

You don't need to know the temperature of the room. It will make you insane. Better not to know! Or at least if you do know, a simple number is better than the stupid egg which is red all summer and makes you paranoid your baby is going to die of SIDS when there's really nothing you can do about it being summer! They are fine. Babies are born in much hotter countries, and aren't expiring all over the place.

I found the Aldi muslins the best that we had.

I had a simple audio only monitor both times. With DC2 we have an Angelcare one but it's just audio, no sensor mat. That did show the temperature. DC1 I had a Tixylix audio monitor that lights up. These were the two features I liked - audio and it having lights on so if you're doing noisy things in the room the lights alert you in case you don't hear the crying.

DC1 had the best bouncer ever - one of those 1980s ones that looks like a pillowcase stretched over a coathanger. You can't buy these any more, not even second hand. Shame because I think I paid about £5 for mine. The closest thing I've seen to it is the Baby Bjorn which costs over £100 (!!!) but probably is worth it if you can find one second hand. There is a BabyLo one which looks very similar which might be as good. And an Ikea one they only sell in Asia called Tovig. You can get it on ebay sometimes, that's not as expensive. The problem with all other modern bouncers is that the foot plate is much too short so babies can't bounce themselves. And the whole shape of them is wrong, they are too upright. They look more modern and attractive on the shop shelf, but they are no good any more, which is probably on purpose so that you end up with the vibrating or swinging model instead which they can charge loads more for.

Boba baby wrap sling is my favourite. I have tried several stretchy baby wraps and I like that one the best.

Maxi Cosi Loola Up pushchair was absolutely brilliant, unfortunately they don't make it any more.

Always disposable pants with a built in sanitary towel were absolutely fantastic and so so good for postnatal bleeding but I think you can't get them in the UK, unless they have started doing them.

We had a tutti bambini cozee next to me crib (like the Chico next to me crib). They attach next to your bed. You can put the side up in it and see the baby through the mesh if you’re paranoid about squashing them otherwise like I was at first! Handy to scoop up for midnight feeds without getting out of bed.
They are quite expensive. You could get a second hand one but a new mattress.

Our baby bouncer was a vibrating one from mamas and papas - second hand from a friend. It was ok. I’m not convinced it was better than a cheaper version.

[quote SillyBry]@DeusEx i had a tiny love 3-in-1 rocker napper. It’s not quite like a traditional bouncer chair, but I adored it because you could lie it flat for daytime naps when they don’t want to be laid down to sleep... so they go in it a bit inclined with vibrate and the mobile on, then as they fall asleep, you just lie them down. Winner winner[/quote]
I'm so glad you've said this! I put this on my list a while back as I thought perfect for downstairs naps!

But left field from me, but....a travel blackout blind. I would not have been without mine and have bought them for many friends who had just have babies. All have LOVED them. I used mine at home in the summer months (it was the only thing to keep the room really dark, despite buying curtains described as black out). I also took it any time we stayed anywhere. Nothing worse than being awake at 5am and trying not to disturb everyone else at someone else's house because the room was bright! It has always gone off to sleep overs at my mums and holidays etc too

Baby seat for the bath with suction on the bottom. It was at an incline - bought in France but have seen them in the UK.

Tiny Love classic cot mobile - both of mine absolutely bloody loved it!!

@Restlessinthenorth what brand of blind do you recommend? I'm thinking if getting similar for our bedroom.

Love the Joie 360 rotating ERF car seat as well, although we used an infant carrier first.

Lanisoh balm and breast pads

Multi Mam compresses

Breast feeding tops and double back of button front nighties from Seraphine

Haakaa breast pump

Growbags

Mine loved her moses basket and hated the snuzpod until she was about 4 months, we bought a softer foam mattress which helped. Glad my friend gave us her old snuzpod and I didn't spend £200 on it!

I have a Freerider stretchy sling and a structured ergo baby 360, both are good

Nuk dummies, they are scooped low so fit better under nose than more straight across designs

Agree not to buy anything but cheap nursing bras until you know your size. The one I bought pre-birth is too big!

M&S mulsins are good