What are the baby essentials?

[NewbieOnTheWay]

Hi Everybody, I am currently 18 weeks pregnant and have just started to think everything through now, what would you say is the most important things to have when baby arrives?

I don't know the sex of the baby and don't have a huge budget. I have been looking at some things online prams etc but they all seem so expensive I was thinking of shopping at Boots so I got money back in points for everything I buy to balance it out a bit.

What are your reccomendations and pet hates please?

Thanks xx

Essential

• a good pushchair if you walk a lot. If you go everywhere by car probably not as important.
• Moses basket - cheap and portable. Well worth the £30 to £40 they cost.
• vests, babygros
• changing mat it can double as a play mat in the early days
• a swaddle blanket - a life saver for me

You don't need:

• bath stuff - shampoo, talc etc
• a baby bath or bath seat
• clothes other than vests and babygros
• top and tail bowl
• nursing clothes for you - other than bras
• a changing table
• a changing bag - any old bag will do!
• muslin squares - any old cloth will do!

And remember that the shops will still be open once the baby is born!

A brand new mattress is reccomended for each child - both for moses baskets and cots (to do with SIDs risk)

I loved our change table when we lived i a singe storey house - but hardly used it when we lived in a 2 evel house and the change table was upstairs in baby's room. If you do get one - I recommend the wooden ikea one which is a chest of drawers and change table top - very ueful for baby clothes storage.

-Grobags
-get some huuuuge muslin squares for swaddling - at least 1mx1m. Also great for shading buggy.
-I know 5 mums with newborns who have all loved the stretchy jersey slings - they all swear by the Moby Wrap, which does look lovely and cosy (although I beieve doesn't last as long as woven wraps as it has too much stretch to carry toddlers)
-some good nappy cream - we always used bepanthen and found it FAR better than sudocrem -also less messy.

Agree with - no other toiletries,
-cheap disposables (huggies etc only nesesary for bigger babies who do massive wees!).
-Even if you use washables (FAB - do it!!) - still buy a few disposables for the first few weeks or emergencies
-nice jarmies and dressing gown for you. Nice perfume, nice refreshing face spray - whatever makes you feel lovely and perks you up.
-If you use washables, you will need nappy buckets and some other bits and peices -maybe start another thread on the nappies board to ask exactly what you'll need.
-don't buy cotton wool - I have no ida why people do...its so hard to use, sticks to poo, not big enough and you get poo on your fingers...eurgh - just get some flannels.

Agre with don't buy sterilisers/pumps/bottles if you plan to BF. If you change your mind, you will be able to get them easily.

Get as much as you can second hand - and then buy one really gorgeous new item for baby, just to splurge I bought a wonderful sheet and blanket set for DD and that indulged my need to do some fun shopping. For DS I bought...actually, maybe nothing Poor boy.

I got some bargains from Primark yesterday, pack of 5 vests for £2, pack of 2 pairs of scratch mits 50p!
They also had lots of sleep suits etc but I couldn't see any just plain white ones, all pink or blue etc.

Mine is 13months now and I really tried to avoid buying unneccessary stuff but you never really know how it's going to turn out .... try friends first and take anything they offer you for free - YOU NEVER KNOW. I scoffed at the sterilizer my friend gave me because I was going to exclusively breast feed for the first 6 months. 6 weeks in with a very sick baby who was losing weight I sadly had to give formula and was extremely grateful (still breastfeeding now btw and that nightmare long gone!) Conversley the LO never took to prams or cots(screaming, screaming, screaming) so still have her in our bed and carry her in a sling! (didn't see THAT one coming). Good luck with everything it is such a wonderful journey of discovery!

ps - if you fancy a sling - borrow one from your local slingmeet first - www.slingmeet.co.uk - then buy when/if you and the bub get on with it - it is a v personal thing.

All good ideas so far!!
I would also suggests leaving baby clothes to nearer the time and see if your midwife can predict size. She estimated my baby between 8-9lbs so at least I didn't waste money on the new born size of vests etc. Don't buy a lot either as my little boy grew so quick he was in and out of sizes in no time.

I'd say essentials are:
Moses basket/cot/carrycot from pram
2 x flannelette sheets/blanket as bedding
Pram (with carrycot)

Clothes:
6 x vests
6 x sleeps suits
2 x litle carigans to keep warm

Essentials:
Cotton wool
Vaseline (for babies bum)
Nappies

Boots steriliser
Two pack of Tommie Tippee bottles (just incase b feeding is probematic)
Baby formular (as above)
Express pump
Nipple Cream

Bouncy Chair thingy for babe to sit in

I would second not buying anything 'just in case'.

When my milk came in (once home from hospital) I was really sore and looked like Jordan so my husband dashed round to a friends and borrowed a breast pump to make them a little easier for DS to manage! I only ever used it as a handheld as couldn't get on with the electric bit at all and made me feel a little bit like a cow ,

But shops are open once babies arrive so see how you go.

Borrow everything you can from friends etc. There are so many things which are actually really useful but you only need for a few weeks or so. You end up buying things like top and tail bowls because they are quite handy and only a fiver but you end up resenting them because you then have nowhere to put them and don't know what to do with them. Same goes for baby baths, bath supports and basically anything made of plastic. Honestly, if your friends still have them they will weep with joy when you offer to take them out of the house for them!

My DS is nearly 3 and last I cleared out the bathroom cupboard of newborn toiletries that we never used (didn't feel I could still use them on our soon to be newborn). That included 2 bottles of talc and some ridiculous massage balm. In the early days we just used water and then basted DS with olive oil as he had dry skin.

Don't bother with clothes. Between 6 to 10 vests and baygrows, a few cardies and that's it.

The same goes for a baby monitor. These are sold to people who have no idea how loud babies can cry! Your baby will be with you almost constantly in the first few weeks so you won't need one. If, a little later, you realise your house is so enormous you can't hear the poor child in the night, get one then!

I found a large, thick, concave changing mat that DS couldn't roll off was hugely useful (a bit pricey though).

A cot-top changer if you don't have a changing table. (we co-slept so I didn't need to keep removing it)

Light but warm cardies/jackets (2 or 3 max)

Sleepsuits without feet - harder to find but they lasted longer as DS' feet weren't straining out of them (he was BIG!)

Sleepsuits with a zip not presstuds - a genius-level notion! I think mine were H&M/Hennes.

A few light, easily washable/driable blankets.

A couple of floor cloth/throw things for safe tummy time on unhoovered floors.

A good quality sturdy rocker (not a flimsy-ass bouncer, especially if your child is large)

Tesco washing up bowl for baths - 89p!

Freeview + or Sky Plus. Absolutely bloody essential.

buy things from ebay, I didn't as I wanted everything to be perfect for PFB Wish I hadn't bothered now.

Oh, and for me a change table is an essential piece of kit as my back and knees are so bad.

Agree with ChristmasPenguin that changing on the floor is a killer for backs and knees. We had an old desk and chair in the house anyway, so just put a changing mat on top and sat down to change nappies. More comfy IMO than standing up, and it meant if I dropped something on the floor I could put a hand on baby (until he got too strong and mobile) and pick the thing up.

worth buying if you ever want to watch tv again: sky and sky plus. Leeza2 is right!!! Without this you might as well sell the telly.

i bought reusable nappies for DS (1st DC) and got so fed up of the constant washing required and muck of pooey nappies about that I opted for the peaceful way out and went with disposables. If i did it again I would only buy a starter pack to try out - as it was I wasted loads of money on piles of washable nappies, liners, nappy bins, top&tail bowls, and it was such a waste, even when resold.

bouncy chair and playgym will be most useful things till they get mobile. then you'll want a stairgate or two and safety latches!

we had IKEA Antilop chair and it is just utterly fabulous. Suits a small baby or toddler, easy to clean, light to move around, small in size (esp with tray off) and cheap as chips! Brilliant!

OK, only skimmed so might be repeating but here's my two-penn'orth:

Need:
Car seat if you have/use a car

Cot - no need to use Moses basket or crib - cot can be second hand but buy a new mattress.

Pram/pushchair - if you walk a lot, look at travel systems inc carrycots. If you mostly drive, look at lightweight strollers (Maclaren type). Could use sling from birth then a 6 mths plus stroller, as they are cheaper/lighter than the ones that lay flat

Sleepsuits and vests - supermarkets/Primark are cheap. Asda & Tesco have some pretty cute cheap stuff. You will get given clothes, so get the bare minimum for now.

Nappies - re-usable are only cheaper if you use them a lot of the time, so be realistic and honest with yourself!

Don't buy/could use alternative:

Top & tail bowls - any plastic tubs will do.

Changing mat - not essential, could just use a folded towel - easy to clean too!

Changing bag - if you join Boots parent club you usually get one free with a pack of Huggies nappies. If not, buy big cheap bag eg Primark - put a small towel in as a changing mat.

Special BF clothes aren't necessary - I used tops I could lift up and stick her on from underneath - cardigan hid the muffin top at the sides! Those tops with the slits only work if your nipples are in the right place and your baby doesn't mind snuffling through the fabric!

Cheap stuff:

Baby sleeping bags - can't use from newborn, but great when bigger - TK Maxx usually have some at £10

Second hand toys - NCT nearly new sales - go on the NCT website and it tells you what's coming up in your area. I bought a Fisher Price baby piano thingy for £3 last year, and one of those Tiny Love mobiles for £8 that cost nearly £40 new! Good for things like baby chairs/bouncers/swings - also check out Freecycle. Obviously it depends where you are as to how big your sales are and what sort of stuff there is/how much people charge at NCT sales.

Highchair - after 6 months - Ikea. about £12 - wipe clean plain white plastic - can take legs off to take in car if visiting someone - brilliant.

And I agree with above poster in getting at least 1 bottle and a couple of little cartons - just in case. They are expensive for the little amount in them, but if you buy a tin and don't use it that's even more pricey! I ended up pouring the cartons onto cereal at the weaning stage as I hadn't used them. If you haven't got a steriliser you can sterilise bottles in a pan of boiling water.

A sling - for me this has been a must have item - found ring slings really good,(the better baby sling). You can comfortably carry baby and get on with nearly all household chores. (except getting hot things out of oven). I bought mine for £6 off ebay and carried my son for well over a year, and am now using it with one or other of my twins.

Aren't you meant to use baby sleeping bags for newborns? I did.

Couldn't live without:

Good nursing bra
resuable nappies (Sandy's)
Car Seat
Cotton Cot blankets
Lansinoh
Babygrows

I thought this feeding pillow was brilliant - expensive but great for me as I had c-section and have always had a bad back.

A fanjo and some breasts are generally useful.

Does anyone know for sure what the recommended advice is regarding cot/ crib mattresses? I thought the current advice was that you didn't need a new mattress for a new baby so long as the old one has a waterproof cover.
I'm expecting my 4th baby and I don't want to spend £100+ on more new matresses if (as I have read previously) the advice about getting a new one is just some money making ploy! Obviously it is worth spending that if old mattresses pose a real risk re SIDS though.

Mersmam - my advice was out of date a bit - that's what comes of having big age gaps! Current advice from FSID website:

What kind of mattress should I use?
It is very important that your baby?s mattress is kept clean and dry. Ideally you should buy a new mattress for each new baby. If you are not able to do this, use the one you have, as long as it was made with a completely waterproof cover and has no tears, cracks or holes. Clean and dry it thoroughly. Check that the mattress is in good condition; is firm, not soft; fits the cot without any gaps; and doesn?t sag. Never sleep your baby on a pillow, cushion, bean bag or waterbed.

Thanks Housemum... I think our cot mattress will be OK actually as it has a removable washable cover and is just waterproof plastic underneath. We'll get a new one for the moses basket though.

I would recommend getting a good quality mattress to new mums. The first one we got for DD1 was great - sprung with removable washable covers (a must) but it cost about £130!!! We opted for a less expensive foam mattress for DD2 and she has a really flat head at the back which we're convinced was caused by the harder mattress!!

agree there nappy bin no use not a necessary.

ensure you have plenty of nappies, vests, baby grows and socks and lots of bibs/muslin squares for when baby is sick.

no need for a highchair yet.

i did like a baby bath and it was only 8 quid thats all you need it means then you can bath baby anywhere and i liked to do it in the living room where the fire was lit.

you will need a car seat if you are planning on being brought home in car or bus even i presume.

make sure you have all your bits and peices you need as well, trust me you will get lots of gifts.

Congratulations! There's lots of good advice here. Unfortunately mine is all expensive.

If your washing machine is old or in the least bit tempramental, seriously consider buying a better one. Mine packed in with the sheer volume of work it was expected to do (me too - but that's another story ..)

And yes, I agree all the Sky+ comments(or the like where you can pause live TV). The sad truth is you probably won't get to see many programs in their entirity in the next 2 years without it. Without it, you and your other half will glare at each other during 24, stuck to the settee with exhaustion, each waiting for the other to crack and go and see to the baby for the 10th time that night.

That (and the cleaner - thank you, Margaret, I will always love you) probably saved my marriage

Polony can't recommend a bedside cot enough. Ours turned our kingsize bed into an ultra super kingsize. It means that you are effectively co-sleeping, but without actually co-sleeping. I found rolling over, feeding lying down and rolling DD back was easy after some practice. It also meant that the transition from our room to her own room (at 9 months old!) was really easy as we just transferred the cot.
I love, love, love my cot, was my best baby buy of all time.
Now just have to work out how to kick DD1 out of it in time for baby2 in September...!

What worked for me (in context - small flat, vv little storage space, so as much as possible was space saving/dual purpose)

• travel system with carry cot - bought separate "breathable" mattress which meant we used the carry cot instead of moses basket.
• Bath seat - supports baby so you have two hands free for bathing. Also, takes up much less storage room than baby bath when not in use.
• cot top changer - saved me from serious backache.
• Bouncy chair - DD loved it.
• v-shaped pillow - great for feeding (breast or bottle), supporting them when they first sit, and so much more.
• nappy wrapper, controversial I know, but I love it! We still use it even now DD is toielt trained, as a normal bin. When it is properly closed DD cannot open it and is probably the only bin she has not at some point rifled through or emptied all over the place!
• small sheepskin (lambskin?) - cosy on the floor when she was immobile, tucked into the pushchair, take anywhere instant familiarity and now handy bedside rug!
• instant inflatable "travel" booster seat - used on normal dining chair instead of high chair.
• Cot-bed - second-hand from friends, and been fab - DD (nearly 3) loves her bed as she says "it is me-size, Mummy"!

wouldn't have bought if I'd known:

• Babybjorn - DD hated it, and gave me backache.
• Baby lotion, baby bath etc (DD has excema) but did find Infacol a godsend when she was vv little, and bepanthen was great for nappyrash.

Would have bought if I had known:

• nipple shields (sure I would have breastfed for longer if I'd had them - serious nipple issues!)

Phew - long list! Best advice is to think about what you are working with (space, ease of access, your personal preference etc) and buy accordingly. Best of luck!

Oh, and definitely check out NCT sales. I'm not a member but found them invaluable for bargains.