Baby in a 1-bed flat - what do we actually *need* to buy?

[Glitterygreen]

Hello, I'm looking for some advice from people who have done all this before! :)

Currently living in a (luckily spacious) 2nd floor 1 bedroom flat and expecting our first baby - very early days but just thinking ahead at the moment.

I am wondering what you would consider essentials that we really need to buy/make space for and what you've bought that ended up unnecessary?

I'd be grateful for advice on cots in this regard too - is it OK to get just one that lasts throughout, even if it won't fit at the side of the bed? Or is it better to get a Next2Me and then buy a 2nd when necessary? Is it better to just have a Moses basket that moves back and forward from bedroom to living room?

We do have a loft for storage for bigger items if they are only used for a few months/weeks, but would prefer to minimise that where possible.

Really appreciate any advice, thank you. Also sorry if this is in the wrong place, I wasn't sure where to put it.

Also remember we live in the age of next day delivery. If you desperately need something you can get it quickly, better to buy little and then see what you need rather that tripping over things that aren’t essential.

We lived in a 3rd floor flat without a lift when we had DD but moved to a house when she was 8 weeks old. The flat was two bedrooms and large. We had a chest of drawers for her clothes in the spare room. She slept in a Bednest crib, it is moveable off the stand so we would keep it in the living room in the day and bedroom at night. We rented that but they don't do the rental scheme anymore or even sell to the UK anymore! I imagine there are other similar bedside cots. I think the portability was the most useful thing, I didn't really need to have her strapped to the bed, I didn't find that useful. She got about 6 months use out of it but she was fairly small. Used bouncy chair loads. Had a lightweight travel system, the Cosatto Wow. Baby Bjorn carrier - used by DH, and Close Caboo sling used by me. Just personal preference there.

Get a cot you can put the side down on and have it next to the bed. I've just got a small cot for mine and she's a big nearly 1 year old, and will still fit in it for at least another 6 months.
You'll need a decent pram, a baby carrier (well you don't need this bit I loved mine. Don't use it that much, but invested in a good one as its so much better on my back.
I just change mine on the couch 🤣 always have.
Get a bouncer for the living room for baby to sleep in. I've had moses baskets with my second and third and honestly used them for about 2 weeks and then just used the bouncers.
Obviously changing bag, Nappies, wipes/cotton pads, nappy rash cream, muslins, Vests, baby grows, and depending on when your due, cardigans, hats, snowsuit, blankets.
If breastfeeding get cooling gel pads that stick on your boots inside your bra, nipple cream and decent bras and tops that are easy for feeding.
If bottle feeding, bottles, steriliser, bottle brush.
That's about it really.

For the first few months, all I needed was

• Moses basket
• bouncer chair
• travel system - 3 in 1 pram, carrier and car seat
• clothes and sleeping bags.

When dc was too big for basket, we bought a travel cot.

I loved the next to me crib, I’m the early weeks I wanted to be able to see and touch them all the time and it worked well. I would get that and then switch to a cot later. I had a travel system with a car seat that attached, and this worked much better than a lightweight buggy with the car…being able to transfer a sleeping baby from car to buggy or buggy to flat is a lifesaver. I had a carrier as well but sometimes you just want a break from their weight on you constantly. Just get new mattress and car seat and everything else can be second hand and picked up as you need it.

Cot or bedside crib. But if the latter they will grow out of it by 6 months.

Separate Moses basket not essential but helpful and can be moved around easily.

Changing table was useful but not essential.

I found a bouncy chair invaluable once they were sitting up a bit. Would put baby in while I was cooking/showering/tidying etc

We had a cot bed on wheels by a company called mokee, they make a narrow version 60cm wide. They also do a changing mat that hooks over the side.
In our one bed we were always within hearing of the bedroom so we did naps in the cot from the beginning or in the pram etc.
Second the babybjorn bouncer and stokke folding bath.
You will need a chest of drawers for baby, we kept all baby things - clothes, towels, blankets, nappies, wipes - in one chest of drawers.

Agreeing with a lot that has been said already. Was in the same situation as you with first baby. We had:

1. baby Bjorn bouncer: must have
2. We had A bassinet by the bed and then sold it once baby was too big and moved baby to cot (we bought a new one but I think the Ikea one is rated really highly and is cost effective).
3. 2 sleeping bags (possibly 3 if you don't have a tumble dryer) and 2 swaddles
4. baby sling
5. pram that folds small
6. Car seat
7. breast pump if breastfeeding
8. Basic clothing: 10 baby grows, 2 cardigans and 2 hats and pack of vests for layering. Try to find the baby grows that zip as its much easier for night time changing.

You don't need a changing table, and I don't think you need a nappy pail either if you take your rubbish out daily. I think the nappy bins can get smelly and disgusting.

I had a baby in a studio flat, so I get where you are coming from OP.

I had

IKEA cot

A fisher price bouncy chair thing

I bought a chest of draws for babies clothes and used the top as a changing table. But I invested in a really good changing mat that had really high sides and it was a stiff foam wedge so he couldn't roll off the chest of draws.

I didn't have a Moses basket or a next to me crib, because I had the benefit of being in a studio so when he was in the cot could see him from anywhere in the flat, except the bathroom.

Oh I only had a shower, so bought a actual baby bath and would bath him on the kitchen table in the baby bath 😂 did however do wonders for my back!! Bath just lived on a hook in the large shower so never bothered me.

I formula fed and had a Tommy tippee prep machine and I had about 6 bottles and a cold water steriliser.

I had a car seat in my car, a pram in my boot, but I carried baby to and from the car in the carrier.

Nappy bin, the angel care one.

Think that was about it when he was really little and a newborn. To be honest I spent days just sat on the sofa snuggling him in a fluffy blanket eating salty popcorn and watching day time TV, or snoozing when he slept. We were like some sort of weird couple sleeping at the same time, awake at the same time. I had no concept of time for about a week or two 😂

Have you seen the Chicco Next2Me Forever? It's a 3 in 1 crib/bed that can be converted as baby grows, suitable up to 4 apparently... and it has castors so could be wheeled around when it's a newborn crib.

www.chicco.co.uk/products/8058664141258.chicco-next2me-forever-co-sleeping-cot.html

I second the baby bjorn bouncer because it folds flat. Technically I suppose you don’t need a bouncer but it’s very handy when you want to have a cup of tea/go to the bathroom!

I’d go for a Moses basket that you can move into the living room and you can get some with stands so you can have it next to your bed. Will your baby sleep in it? Who knows! But you’ll have the same potential issue with any cot/crib when they are newborn. You can buy second hand as long as you get a new mattress.

I would say a baby bath is definitely essential. Having said that… I expect not so long ago many babies got washed in the sink!

A changing table isn’t really essential as a mat on the floor/on the bed works providing you are ok bending down. IKEA do these little trolley things that are handy for storing nappies and changing stuff. Once we got a changing table I used it for storing children’s books.

You probably do want some kind of play gym though you don’t need it straight away. Some of them can be quite large but the wooden frame ones that you just pop on a blanket or play mat tend to be a bit smaller and easier to store in a corner.

[quote NameChange30]Have you seen the Chicco Next2Me Forever? It's a 3 in 1 crib/bed that can be converted as baby grows, suitable up to 4 apparently... and it has castors so could be wheeled around when it's a newborn crib.

www.chicco.co.uk/products/8058664141258.chicco-next2me-forever-co-sleeping-cot.html[/quote]
This sounds good. For downstairs we had a chicco 3 in 1 I think it was called. Castors meant we could wheel it around downstairs when baby was napping during the day. It had a big footprint though.

Maya Obaby cot can be assembled with one side off to have against your bed instead of a next to me and then also converts to eventually become a toddler bed. Does til the age of about 4. A next to me is essential if breastfeeding in my opinion. Getting up multiple times a night to lift baby out of a crib will get old pretty damn fast. Most of them do only til the age of 6 months but there is the Maya Obaby and the Next To Me Forever (!!) that will convert and do til the age of 4 which is great value for money.

The only other absolute essentials I have (very small 2 bed flat) are pram and car seat (these never leave my car as we're 3 flights up with no storage. I carry baby up in my arms or in sling), a play mat and simple wooden frame for hanging various toys, a baby bath as we only have a shower and no bath tub, baby nest for naps in the living room, an omni 360 carrier, changing bag, a basket to hold nappies and wipes etc and baby's just gets changed wherever.

DD hated the bouncer. Glad I only got a super cheap one to put her in whilst I took a quick shower etc.
We used the carrycot from the pram (suitable for overnight sleeping) for daytime naps. Had a cot bed but DD hated it and we ended up cosleeping for ages.
Also had the stokke foldable bath which was super useful.
IMO essentials are pram with carrycot, car seat, sling, baby bath (although you can even use the kitchen sink), baby clothes, changing mat (although again you can get changing bags that come with mats and just use that).

Thanks everyone, really grateful for all of these helpful suggestions :)