What was the best baby purchase you made ?

[SaraKitty]

For those who have kids already , I’m wondering what is the one thing you bought for your baby that you couldn’t have lived without or something they really enjoyed . However big or small .

Once DD was on formula, a perfect prep machine. Absolute life saver.

Also really liked our Doona car seat / pram combo though i know some people hate it.

Ditto PP re Doona - We absolutely loved it! So easy to just whip to the shop or baby group or wherever without having to get full buggy frames out the car.

Also we had a Chicco Baby Hug 4in1 crib thing, which was fab as could wheel baby round wherever I went downstairs, change height and incline it. Found it very versatile, although never used it as a seat or high chair like it suggests, so perhaps didn't quite get our moneys worth! Loved it nonetheless.

Also loved my perfect prep machine - they get a bad press but if you run the cleaning cycle properly and regularly they're fine.

Next-to-me cribs are a brilliant invention too. Could just stick a hand out to soothe moany baby and go back to sleep!

Bonds wondersuits

I have no intention of ever having another baby but when they go on sale at my local shop I have to overcome a compulsion to buy some more! and if I did have a second this is the only thing I'd dress them in for at least the first year!!

Anything that plays white noise. We just used Spotify on out phones but the first few months we played it overnight and my daughter only woke to be fed (every 4 hours). Was a godsend.

Also agree with prep machine if FF.

A car seat blanket. A decent travel system. Cold water steriliser rather than a steam one. A snot sucker!

Stretchy wrap sling

Next to me crib

Water bottle with straw like attached image

Perfect Prep once I’d stopped bf
Next To Me Crib
Ewan the Sheep

Perfect prep machine, MAM microwave steriliser, lots of muslins, zip up babygrows, baby swing, a sleepyhead.

a highchair suitable from really early, we had a chicco one I think.

a floor bed - king size mattress on the floor

Baby sling.
We used a Connecta.

Perfect Prep I had 2!!
One for upstairs One for downstairs.
They didn't exist when I had Dd1.

Star blanket
Next to me crib
Bouncy chair × 2

Close caboo sling. It was the only way we could get him to nap for the first few months!

Perfect Prep machine.
Joie 360 spin car seat.

I'm thankful in general to Disney+ for having all available episodes of Bluey.

An IBCLC so bf was successful with DD2. Expensive but well worth it.

Snot sucker

Bjorn baby carrier, cheap enough on ebay & distribute the weight well so far.

Ring sling in the changing bag for when he decides he doesn't want the pram. Not as bulky to take with me as the full carrier.

Angelcare bath seat picked up 2nd hand for 3 quid. Crap as a bath seat but really handy to move around the house when i need somewhere to pop DS down.

Haaka type breast pump

Plain white sleepsuits & vests for the early days. You can just bleach out the poop stains with milton.

Super large sized muslins. Used them to swaddle, as a cover on pram, something to lay baby down on etc. so many uses and I loved them. Also baby changing caddy thing which I kept downstairs but carried upstairs in the night. Had nappies, wipes, nappy cream, change of clothes and muslins in. Really convienient. I'm actually still using it with toddler and it lives in the living room still. I think these were my must haves. I also liked the baby play gym thing which I plonked him on, it was quite padded and he enjoyed a kick around. In terms of what I didn't like were baby bouncer and sling which we barely used but I know other people may have these on their must have lists so it varies massively.

Perfect prep
Zip up baby gros
Arms up swaddles
Sleepyhead
Fisher price cloud noise thing
Uppa baby pram
Sling with my first but my second wasn’t bothered

A while ago, but things that were total game changers with DS2 after DS1:

Next2Me crib

Ergobaby carrier (so much better and more comfortable than the Bjorn, even though DS2 was a bloody giant.)

Bjorn bouncy chair - we got it second and and sold it for what we’d paid for it. It was honestly a game changer compared to the previous bouncy chairs we had. I loved it so much.

Ewan the sleep sheep was a godsend for both my kids, and the customer service was amazing when we had an issue that was entirely caused by one of my babies.

A chicco travel high chair we use it both at home and out and about and they can’t escape from it.
Ergo baby 360

White noise machine (my dad bought us the Hatch one which also doubles up as a nice dim nightlight with different colour options)

Snuzpod (or whatever next to me crib you prefer)

Perfect Prep now that DS is on formula

Play mat thing with dangly toys.

Cot mobile that plays twinkle twinkle - we don't use it for sleep but DS just adores it and smiles and wriggles away, we pop him in the big cot and put it on whilst we make his bottles etc and it keeps him happy (prep machine is in his room)

These sensory boards https://samuelsensory.com/products/sensory-development-boards

DS hated getting his nappy changed when he was really small but we propped these up around his head whilst he was on the changing mat and he was fascinated, so no more crying at nappy change time

A good sling/carrier- started with a ring sling and added a caboo then a more structured one when baby got older.

MyHummy white noise. It's still in use now 2 1/2 years down the line and he sleeps so much better with it. Well worth the money!

Good feeding cushion, I'd pop baby on it and have a hand free to eat, read or play with older dc.

A good changing bag- lots of room, convenient compartments and easy to open/close. Bonus if it fits on your pram without getting in the way.

Haaka breast pump.

Stretchy wrap- sometimes had him in it 5 hours or so when out and about.

Bouncer for high chair- lovely to have baby at the table. The high chair too, had the cheap ikea one and hated it- got a stokke and it's so much better and comfortable looking.

Proper travel system with bassinet- hate seeing small babies in lie flat pushchairs and worried a lot about position with the doona- too tempting to go over the 30mins- have it away after Mil kept DS in it for 2 hours.

Bath seat - baby lies up to his tummy in warm water and you have both hands free to wash/splash!

Grobag - complete miracle sleep machine.

A sleepyhead/dockatot. My baby would only be put down in one of these.

Mam bottles as so easy to sterilise.

An Ewan deluxe with the shhhing noises.