Must haves for a newborn/ things you got but didn't use etc

[ttcsolomumtobe]

Hi all,

I have checked to see if this best fits in another forum but can't see one specifically for getting ready for the babies arrival. I'm only 14 weeks but starting to preorder some of the bigger items now.

I'm usually a super over preparer and will buy 10 of something rather than risk being short of 1 😆 but really want to buy more wisely when it comes to baby as unlikely to have a second and really need to be mindful of finances as doing this solo.

So guess my main questions are what items couldn't you live without when you had a newborn to 6 month old? What items did you buy that weren't used or needed?

Things such as baby towels/wash clothes/fitted sheets etc how many of those did you have?

My hope is to exclusively breastfeed but will get bottles/breast pump and a few ready made formula incase needed.

Any brands you would recommend for baby toiletries/nappies etc? Again I appreciate every baby is different and what one may be great with another may not be.

Thanks in advance

@Lavender14 how would you get a hospital to offer you a pump? Would you need to be admitted to the hospital? I’m imagining some kind of large built in machine !

op you might see if your local bf group offers breast pump hire or if you have a sling library for baby carrier hire.

I never used a breastfeeding cushion because I could use the carrier to support the baby while I fed them and I never used a insulated mug as I could move around easily whilst feeding the baby and make my tea whilst feeding the baby in the same way.

Bendy straw was good though!

When they're very little and floppy putting vests over their heads it's tricky. H&M do beautiful wrap vests with poppers so you lay it down, lay them on top and gently dress them.

Also, buy a cord tie, Etsy do beautiful ones, otherwise they have that big bulky plastic clip and it can catch/bleed on clothes.

If you're breastfeeding, a Hakaa

Honestly don't buy breast pump etc until the baby has arrived and you actually want / need it. I breastfed both of mine exclusively yet I was unable to express anything - my body just would not take to it. Then your lumbered with pumping paraphernalia and it can be hard to get rid of e.g charity shops can be funny about accepting it.

Just having a look through, I think all babies are different, as there are some things on here that my baby just didn't need and others are on my essentials list.

Didn't need at all:
Swaddle - baby hated being in swaddle
Sling wrap - again, baby hated being bundled up
Muslin squares
Gro egg room temperature - often found baby was perfectly happy when egg was red (it could have been that the thermometer was broken..?)
Pacifier
Electric breast pump
Baby soap (we just washed baby in water with no soap)
Babygrows with poppers
Little mittens (we found the ones on the babygrows were sufficient and the mittens were too big for our DC)

Essential:
Reusable breast pads for leaky boobs
Hakaa
Pampers nappies rarely leaked for us
Water wipes for when not at home
Extra large cotton wool pads from boots
Rapeseed oil for moisturising
Aveeno baby lotion also for moisturising
Babygrows with zips

Couldn't live without the cheeky wipes kit. Wish I'd had it for my first.
Baby swaddle
Baby sleeping bags
Ear thermometer
Bath thermometer
Moses basket really handy for first few weeks.
If breastfeeding, I used cloth changing mats to lie baby's head on in my bed, they were plastic on the base and fluffy on top, so when they spewed up it didn't go on my bed

Congratulations!

Most used:

• Aldi nappies
• Frida snot sucker
• Moses basket
• Babygrows
• Muslins
• MAM bottles and dummies
• Milton cold water bucket sterilised and tablets
• Perfect prep machine
• Sleeping bags (once baby hit 9lbs, she was 5lb 15oz so tiny!)
• Battery operated thermometer forehead thermometer
• £15 white noise machine from Amazon
• Cool air humidifier from Amazon
• Angel care baby bath seat
• a simple swing seat, not expensive and no thrills, just swings gently was about £30

Least used:

• Baby wrap, baby just didn't like it
• Swaddles
• Battery operated snot sucker was useless
• Outfits were a total faff until she hit 4 months and even now at 7 months, she's mostly in babygrows unless we go out for the day/special occasion
• Ewan the Sheep was useless

With my first I never managed to get her to sleep in the Moses basket. Not even once. However, the cat loved it and it’s done great service for the last 10 years as a laundry basket so I feel I got my money’s worth! I also never used the baby sensor thing that I got to go under the mattress in the Moses basket- it alarmed if the baby stopped breathing. Nope. Sold that. Also never used the baby mittens- the baby grows had little fold down wrist things. Never used the change bag as a rucksack was easier. Could have done with out a pram for the first year as she only wanted to be carried and spent all her time in her moby sling. She never even glanced at the baby toys in black and white they’re supposed to be fascinated with. I never needed the baby hairbrush/ nail clipper/ comb sets I was given. Boobs never leaked so didn’t need the pads. The manuals pump was rubbish so hired a hospital grade one that was much better and could return it after. She never took to dummies. I loved the sling though. And terry nappies worked best for us!

Most used
Vital Baby Sterliser
Medela freestyle flex pump (if bf)
Ewan Dream Sheep
Love to Swaddle
Changing caddy for downstairs
Next to me (Mamas and Papas)
Baby Bjorn Bouncer (worth it!! Prefers over an electric one)
Baby bath (freestanding)
Bottle drying rack
Baby Mori zip sleepsuits (expensive but worth it. I bought the bundles so unisex keeping for our next)
Silver Cross Dune pram bundle (and base- we use this for Moses downstairs)

Things we didn’t need:
Bath thermometer
Room thermometer (2 bed flat with portable thermostat so don’t know why I ever got one 🤷‍♀️)
Swaddles
Electric breast pump (breastfed for just over 2yrs but he only wanted it from source)
Bottles (as above)
Babygrows with zips (I hated the diagonal zips as found them more awkward to get on and much preferred poppers)
Socks/mittens
Moses basket (rarely used)
Reusable breast pads (smelt like gone off yoghurt after about 1hr)
Very limited use of pram

Things we loved/will use again 2nd time around
Nightlight
Lansinoh breast pads (really absorbant)
Hot milk nursing bras
Stretchy wrap sling
Water bottle with straw (useful in labour too)
Ear thermometer
Muslins (including big ones for putting baby on floor)
Aldi nappies (or pampers but significantly more pricey)
Water wipes for first few poos and then Aldi extra sensitive wipes

We mainly used babygrows for first 6 months with a few outfits here and there.

We had 3 crib sheets for Snuzpod but had a sicky baby and ordered some more at 3am after running out one night - they came very quickly though so don’t buy more than you need, everything can be ordered last minute.

Never used- muslins (dribble and puke free babies)
steriliser (fully breastfed)
crib (bedside cot)
dummies
Swaddles
baby powder, baby lotion, baby oil etc
changing unit (mat on the floor much safer)
cot bumpers/nests/props/other unsafe sleep
devices
formula or bottles
bumbo or other seats
scratch mitts
bibs other than aprons when on solids
electronic toys inc Ewan etc

Used all the time- breastfeeding cushion
bedside cot
sleeping bags
changing mat on the floor
cloth nappies and wipes
sling/wrap carrier
decent car seats (best I could afford)

The last infant I took care of had a SNOO bassinet. Cost a fortune but it worked great.

My must have as a mum and a caregiver, is a good travel system. The last family I had used the Uppa Baby Vista system. I almost wore the wheels off!

Completely forgot the device that saved my sanity.

www.argos.co.uk/product/8794590?clickSR=slp:term:baby%20bouncer:1:52:1

There was a point at about 4 weeks when I thought my darling daughter was trying to kill me with sleep deprivation, she just would not be put down or sleep at all. Then I put her in the bouncer and switched the vibrate setting on and she went to sleep, and she stayed asleep, and I made a nest out of the sofa cushions and duvets on the floor next to her and I went to sleep.

Ewan the Dream Sheep. Angrily threw his noisy ass out of the room at 3am. Fuck him.

Baby Bjorn Bouncer. Baby hates it. Waste of money.

Worth the money:

Woven baby wrap.

Ergobaby Omni 360 carrier.

Didn’t use:
Moses basket (straight into the big cot, naps in the pram)
Sling (hate them)
Muslins (used a bib instead)
Baby towels (easier to grab a normal one)
Nappy bag (the large longchamp tote I already owned was perfect)
Swaddles (DC1 hated them, DC2 rolled very early)
Wrap vests with poppers everywhere, babygrows with poppers, anything with an excessive amount of poppers
Also didn’t rate the stage 0-1/birth to age 4 360 spin car seat as it was so bulky we replaced it when DS went forward facing at 2 anyway

Loved:
Pram suit for my Feb baby, because we walk a lot
Mam bottles and dummies (sterilised in the microwave so no steriliser needed)
Perfect prep machine
Having loads of sleeping bags, sheets and mattress protectors for the cot, I think we had 6 in total and no regrets
Water wipes
Baby grows with zips!
Shnuggle baby bath
Battery operated snot sucker for DC2 as they caught everything going from DC1 so it got a lot of use
Nappy bin- essential IMO if you don’t have easy access to your outside bin as once they start weaning they smell awful and you don’t want it stinking out your kitchen bin
Tripp trapp highchair with newborn pod

We mostly used pampers nappies but don’t over buy before they’re born, as you don’t know how long they’ll be in newborn and also what brand will suit

Don't buy too many things that may not agree with baby! E.g. bottles, formula, dummies, nappies, wipes, toiletries etc. Also I wasted a lot of money on some zip up baby swaddles (the expensive ones!) and my baby hated being swaddled!

If you're planning to exclusively breastfeed there is no "need" to get bottles or steriliser etc. These days it is so easy to get hold of things quickly, you'd be better off buying amazon prime for one month for next/same day deliveries of things you genuinely need rather than buying things you might need "just in case"

Things that I bought which were never used or completely unnecessary:

1. Cot (we bed shared)

1. Baby towels (most people have enough towels, the "baby" label is pointless)
2. Lots of newborn size clothing (you may get given some as gifts, or may have a baby who skips this size altogether. If you have a v small baby, you can always order clothing once they're born)
3. Baby sleeping bags in various sizes and thicknesses (never used, very impractical for cuddling and bedsharing)
4. Pram (first baby went in it sometimes but preferred to be upright in the sling, I never even set it up for the second baby and managed fine with the sling which is much more practical for keeping hands free and navigating pavements etc. One exception here is if you have a c-section, but see above re deliveries if needed)
5. Wet wipes (v "un green" and flannels work even better)
6. Baby shampoos (water and a flannel does the job)

On the whole, babies don't need many things. Congratulations and all the best for your new arrival

One thing we bought but never used was a changing table. Spent ages getting it too. ALWAYS changed on a mat on the floor.

I also spent a lot on a baby swing that not only took up shed loads of room but was hardly used. Luckily sold it on ok.

Colleague at work was into all the new fangled gadgets. She got one of those nappy bins. I heard her say afterwards no idea why she bought it lol!

I know people rave about perfect prep machine but for both our girls we just made up several bottles, stored in fridge and heated up as and when needed. I believe this is frowned upon by midwives but it worked for us.

Moses basket was used A LOT. Very handy to have something downstairs to pop them in even if they are in cot upstairs.

Not directly baby related but my must when you have kids is a hand held vacuum. I think I would have fallen apart had I not been able to whip out my hand held vacuum at the drop of a hat, kept me sane.

Any Amazon baby wrap is perfect for the first few months. I didn’t invest in any snazzy £100+ one after that, as I was soon pregnant again, and DD1 was just too heavy! My husband uses a Stokke carrier - we got it second hand for £10.

Definitely wish I’d prioritised the manoeuvre-ability of the pram (we changed to a buggy at 6 months old because the other bloody massive thing was a nightmare).

Morrisons or Eco No Plastic nappies.
Mirror for the car.
Sudocrem, bupanthen and Johnson’s.
Infacol/gripe water/calpol. You don’t want to need them and not have them.
Baby grows for the first 4-6 months, but after that, I personally think the baby needs diff clothes for diff weathers/activities.
Playpen.
Black and white books, lift flap books.
Comfort toys.
White noise machine with twinkly lights.
Highchair with newborn attachment so baba can watch you. Also saves you bending down.
Portable nightlight.
Set up a changing table in your room if baby is in there for the first few weeks.
Moses basket was great because it is lightweight and easy to bring downstairs. Baby slept in it by my bedside for the first few weeks.
Two changing mats.
Fold up changing mat for changing bag - get the biggest one you can find.
Nappy caddy - again, the cheap Amazon one has worked great.
At least 4 sets of mattress covers and protectors.
Shnuggle bath is still used at 12 months.
We’ve liked the Tuppence and Crumble Star Wrap, sooo much easier to put the baby into, and perfect for most British weather. We have used thermal snowsuits for the really cold weather, and got lots of use out of them. Still - got them second hand as they can be incredibly expensive and keep their quality.
Woolly booties and thick cardies were essential for a winter newborn.
Cotton wool, a towel and a cup of warm water for nappy changes.
Dummies - if baby doesn’t take it immediately, try a diff shape/size/brand, or try again in another week or so. Took my baby a while to take one, but was a very effective comfort to her after a few weeks, and she naturally rejected it from 5 months.
Chew toys (not Sophie) from about 4 months.
3 swaddles.
It was still cold when she outgrew swaddles, so we moved onto thick warm sleepsuits like this: https://www.next.co.uk/style/ST170410/526194?dp=a&dndl=1&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADm_5UWY_opfDgbZJZwAzlKVQySDu&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl9Pq8cWwgwMVdY1QBh3-oAacEAQYASABEgL49_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#526194

Things like shoes and coats - I would just wait until you actually need them. Your baby might start walking at 10 months, or 20 months, so you really don’t know what you’ll need.

For me, breastfeeding didn’t work at all. So I had wasted a loaaaad of money on all the paraphernalia. I’m not even sure I used the rocking chair in the nursery much, as DD soon took dream feeds lying down - so I’m glad I only got a cheap, second hand one.

DD needed a wearable bib, dressing gown and slippers from 4-6 months.

Towels with the hoods are v helpful, because you can put the hood on their head, allow the towel to fall outside of the baby bath, and pick baby up under the armpits (after 3 months or so. Before that it’s like trying to get a slippery fish out the bath!).

Just hear to echo others in DONT BUY EWAN THE SHEEP why anyone raves about this is beyond me 😅😅

We found the Ollie Owl by tomee tippee waaaaay better (and is USB chargeable doesn't eat through batteries!!)

Also sleepsuits with zippers - no faffy outfits!

Apart from that its definitely personal to baby and you wont know what you're getting til they arrive so try not to worry too much! Next day delivery will solve most problems 🥰🥰

Thing is that what is essential for someone is useless for another. And vice versa.

I never got much use out of muslins. Especially the massive ones. Used a couple for a bit of spit up. That was it.

I also dislike sleepsuits. I found the poppers a fiddly pain and moved to long-sleeved vests and dungarees ASAP.

But I loved my slings, both a stretchy ones and a structured one and wouldn't be without them.

I liked muslins - they’re big enough to give the whole baby which can be necessary if they’re sicky. But also, cotton bibs were great

Congratulations!

Pretty much the only things we used in the first few months were:

Babygrows
Sling
A chest of draws that you could also use as a changing table on the top and also just a mat I could take with me places
Nipple cream and pads
Haakaa
Some big muslins (mainly for modesty when out and about feeding)
Bouncer chair
Baby bath
Nappies and cotton wool.

Loved/needed/used:

• silver nipple cups from Amazon to protect your sore nipples in early days of breastfeeding
• Moses basket downstairs as well as cot upstairs
• groegg light, more as a nightlight than a thermometer
• bath thermometer
• angelcare bath seat
• Ergobaby Omni 360 carrier
• Hana bamboo baby wrap
• baby sleeping bags
• Aldi nappies
• Maam dummies, the kind with hollow middle
• black and white soft baby book with mirror (Jojo Maman Bebe sell it)
• Nappy change caddies upstairs and downstairs
• Snot sucker

Didn't use/like:

• babygros with feet, they're always either too big or small
• babybjorn mini carrier, incredibly painful on your back once they get heavier
• babybjorn bouncer, totally not worth the money. Can get good dupes for £50
• Ewan the sheep. Annoying that he stops after 20 mins. Get a small portable white noise machine from Amazon instead
• top & tail bowl. We never worked out why one bowl and working from head to tail wasn't just as good

Wrap sling is essential

velcro swaddles - little seeds from Amazon are good

buy lots of vests. You will be gifted loads of sleep suits but not vests so stick up!