Best items for baby? What's worth it?

[SweetSunflowerBoo]

Is there any items that are ACTUALLY worth buying or stuff you think is really good for baby?
UK based so if you have brand recommendations too?

For example- is there a really good carrier you like?
A little baby bath you fill up with water?-worth it? Or just a bath support?
Swing?

Any items you couldn't do without? That I wouldn't think of necessarily?

Thanks!

If you choose a baby bath, get a sponge! I'll add pic, life saver as baby was not comfortable at all otherwise.
A lot of parents bathed with their babies but OH worked long hours so missed afew bath times so I found it easier with a baby bath.

White noise machine - absolute life saver!

Disco ball light - so random but my LO loved this thing! Good for sensory for them.

Buy second hand.

I bought a shuggle bath the second time and it was totally worth it but only for 2 months. I sold it on for the same amount I paid for it.

I agree with with noise but you can use an old phone or Alexa to play white noise.

It really depend on the child. With both mine I didn’t need a cot and with DD2 I didn’t need a pram.

We had a baby bath for most of ours and it was great, the top came off and it was a big step under so used for years. Gone with a foam bath support this time, was only cheap from b&m.
Baby bouncer chair
Travel cot for the living room, ours has a fold away changer, mobile, bassinet layer and nappy storage. With loads of kids and a big dog running around this is the perfect safe place to pop baby down when I'm busy.
Nursing pillow, no matter how you choose to feed these are fab.
I like having a nappy bin.

Ergobaby carrier (I had a 360 but think a new version is out). Used it every day for at least 6 months with two kids. Comfy and you can get stuff done if you aren’t blessed with a baby who sleeps in a cot!

Stretch carrier
Sleep bags
All the muslins
Breast feeding pillow
Swing chair - brilliant for wanting to put them down to cook etc. Ours was always set up in the kitchen.

Somewhere safe for them to sleep in the living room, we had a mosses basket upstairs and down stair.

Buy second hand where you can. Snuggle bath was really good. Lasted until he was six months. My friends baby was still in it at 12 months. Will depend on the child.

Bjorn baby bouncer the best. Lasted until 6 months. My friend was still using hers at 10 months. I had a swing by joie was rarely used.

I didn't have a Moses basket but brought a pram with a bassinet which they could sleep in (not all allow this). This saved money and we got more use out of the bassinet.

White noise toys. Just use your mobile.

Don't bother with a fancy play mat. Just something which had a soft mat and some toys above. As soon as they can roll around 12 weeks for us properly they will be off around the room practising.

A tumble dryer to make drying there clothes quicker. A table changing unit. As soon as they can roll and pull themselves up you won't be using it anymore. Also having to keep going Upstairs to change a nappy is faff when you spend most of your time downstairs.

You don't need to buy a cot until they are at least six months. We didn't actually transition ours until he was 13 months. Each parent is different.

Don't bother with a steriliser. Use Milton cold water tablets and mam bottles they can be sterilised in the microwave. Don't buy lots of bottles. Baby might not get on with that brand. Philips was best for us below six weeks and then mam after.

A ring sling for sure

Tuppence and crumble star wrap ....no need for snow suit's etc and lasts a lot longer

There are many things that work for some but not others so I definitely agree on the secondhand. I love my snuggle bath and hated the sponge that a previous poster recommended. Carrier was a must for us and we also loved the ergobaby. I have two buggies, an I candy that I use for the first few months and a mini jogger that I adore for later on.

Other items I have enjoyed using with all my kids were a babybjorn bouncer, an IKEA cot and child seat for the table. I also really like the joke 360 car seat we got for the second one.

• A perfect prep machine - I intended to breastfeed but it didn’t work out and it’s an absolute lifesaver particularly for night feeds.
• MUSLINS - you will use them for everything.
• Nappy caddy - so simple, we keep some nappies, wipes, nappy bags, cream etc in it for downstairs and it’s so handy.
• White noise machine - we have an Ollie the Owl and it definitely helps, we notice a difference as soon as we switch it on.
• Bouncer - it’s great to just plonk them in while you quickly need to do something. We just got a cheap one, no need for all these expensive ones.

I'm pregnant with DC3 so hoping I k ow what's good and what's a load of shit by now

We've got a shnuggle bath, with DC1 we just bathed with him but now there is siblings involved it's handy to be able to bath a baby somewhere other than the bathroom!

More muslins than you imagine you'll need, I think I've got about 20.

A stretchy sling for the early days when baby just wants to be held, we like close caboo as its very easy. Then a good ergonomic carrier for when they are bigger, ergobaby 360 has ticked all the boxes for us.

Grobags for bedtime.

Tiny love 3 in 1 rocker. Doubles up as a bouncy chair and safe sleeping space for downstairs. Rather than needing 2 separate items.

Stoke tripp trapp, expensive but so worth it. We got an extra second hand. You can buy different attachments for different ages, the newborn one is helpful for when you want to eat or cook and it's a good height and not on the floor like a bouncer. My 4 year old still uses hers when we do baking together etc.

Nappy bin with a twist and lock thing if you are using disposable nappies. But get compatible refills cheap off amazon don't keep buying the branded ones.

Worth it :
Perfect prep machine if formula feed - saves SO much time
Activity playmat with dangly toys - my LO has had so much use of it since day one

Not worth it:
My LO never liked the swing so it was a waste of money for us - doesn't mean you're won't tho. Maybe get second hand?

And zip up baby grows

Morrck car seat blanket- absolutely loved this

I’d highly recommend finding your local sling library rather than buying one straight off. The sling library let you try on loads, and you can rent them cheaply for a few weeks to see if you really get on with it before investing as they’re so pricey you don’t want to get one that just isn’t right for you

Ergo baby 360 mines looking very well used and number 2 is only 10 months!
Travel cot. The nuno one is great has a bassinet level, folds really well, makes a great safe place to put a mobile baby, I’m currently using mine as a cot.
Silver cross pop stroller really well built is from birth (better from about 3 months) - 25kg. It’s also pretty good off road.

A stoke tripp trapp chair, so that she could look at us while we had dinner. Meant after three months we were able to eat together.

Perfect prep machine.

Nappy bin.

My baby is 11 weeks but so far the most useful items that i wasn't sure about when i bought are:

Baby bjorn bouncer (we use everyday)

Shit tons of muslins

A small baby bath tub with a sit and a water thermometer

A good carrycot that is safe for sleeping. We have the cybex lux carrycot as part of our travel system but we have been using it for naps during the day since day 1. Lifesaver! But i guess a moses basket could also work?

Multi-Mam nipple compresses for the first days of BF and good nursing bras with soft washable bra inserts if you are BF

Never used baby bath - when they were tiny they went in the sink and in the bath or shower with us. Was glad we didn’t buy a changing table - nappies got changed on a changing mat in which ever room we were in.
Best buy - rucksack from sports shop to use as a changing bag. Much more practical than those with a big price tag advertised as being a baby changing bag

Ah and what proved to be of absolutely no use for us so far:

Steriliser (we just use boiling water)

Fischer price swing - she doesn't like it

Snowsuit - not good at temperature control and she is a sweaty baby

Sling (for some reason she hates it) we have the ergobaby embrace newborn carrier

And all the 0 to 3 months cute outfits 😅

I never used the muslim

Ph sorry crazy autocorrect I mean muslims

Muslins!

-schnuggle bath (used ours to age 1!)

• baby carrier (baby bjorn, much more support for bigger babies)
• ear thermometer
• mamas and papas bumbo seat thing

-pop up beach tent, ideal when stopping for a feed and needing shade