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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Stuff you couldn't live without... and stuff you really didn't need

46 replies

humanfraggle · 16/10/2009 10:40

I'm 23 weeks with my first, and found out last week that we're on Team Pink

After your baby was born, which items did you find you couldn't possibly live without, and what did you use only once then relegate to the loft?!

x

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
prettyinpunk · 21/10/2009 12:51

We didn't bother with changing station or baby bath for our first two. Used floor/bed/sofa on mat to change and used a bath support in the big bath when dcs had grown out of sink.

We DID find bouncy chair useful for both (have just bought new one, in fact, for expected dc3). Found it most useful with DC2, especially during meal/cooking times for toddler 1 and being able to potter in kitchen.

Never bothered with swing & didn't miss it.

Had a Baby Bjorn papoose, which wasn't used much with dc1, but found invaluable with dc2 - when supermarket shopping with both dcs or dog-walking, so I could still hold hands/interact with dc1 easier than if I'd had the buggy.

Never bought 'changing bag' but used nice, original, big bags.

Nappy wrapper - never bothered. Nappy bags just as good.

Electric expresser - really good to have had.

Monitor - still use, so depending on house layout etc, would recommend.

Muslins/basic babygros/vests/grobags/snowsuit with in-built hand/foot coverings ALL essential.

stareyes76 · 21/10/2009 13:13

just a tip i have got 20 teatowels for £5 from supermarket i intend to use them instead of Muslins. im 28 weeks pregnant. have been told its the best tip of all.
to stop me stressing iv written two lists things we need and things we would like... iv put them on the back of living room door and ticked things off. it means you can add or take it away as well.
my baby book was fantastic in telling me things i need but there are lists online. for example www.babycentre.co.uk says:

It's tempting to think that when your baby is born you need all sorts of complicated and expensive equipment. In reality, you need very little but of course, you may want to buy a few extras. Our checklist below should give you an idea of what you will need before your baby is born - anything else is a nice extra and can probably wait till after your baby is born.

? Nappies. As newborn babies will need their nappies changed 10-12 times a day, buy enough nappies to keep you going for at least the first few days or so. If you are planning to use reusable nappies, it's a good idea to have at least one packet of disposables handy too.

? Baby wipes or cotton wool, for nappy changing.

? A changing mat, or a changing unit.

? Babygros. Three or four babygros or all-in-one sleepsuits will be very handy. Small babies tend to live in these in their first few months and really don't need to wear anything else, apart from a vest underneath in winter months, or a cardigan over the top if it is very cold.

? Baby vests/body suits. At least three or four vests, also known as body suits, are essential, with envelope necks and poppers underneath. These can be worn under babygros, or when the weather is very hot, a baby vest may be all your baby needs to wear.

? One or two blankets to wrap your baby in.

? One or two cardigans to provide an extra layer.

? An all-in-one warm suit with poppers beneath the legs is useful if your baby is born in winter.

? Moses basket or cot, unless your baby will be sleeping in your bed.

? A mattress which fits the Moses basket, cot or crib.

? Cot sheets and cellular blankets, or a bottom sheet and a baby sleeping bag.

? A baby bath (or you can use a washing up bowl), or a newborn bath support.

? A couple of small towels and some mild baby bath.

? A rear-facing car seat, if your baby will be travelling by car.

? A pram, pushchair or buggy that is suitable for newborn babies (with a lie-flat position).

? Nursing bras and breast pads if you are breastfeeding.

? Bottles, teats, bottle brushes and some sterilising method, if you are bottle feeding.

hope it helps. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Deemented · 21/10/2009 13:25

One thing i'd heartily reccomend is one of those thermos mugs that keep your drinks warm, because guarenteed you'll never finish a hot coffee for months afterwards otherwise!

OmniDroid · 21/10/2009 14:08

Baby #2 is now 7 months old, and the stuff we had from first time that we haven't used again is:

baby bath
changing unit
baby monitor
tummy tub bath
crib (I'm a soft hearted co-sleeper,I recognise this now)
pram. Really, she hates it.

But we have used:

moses basket
baby bouncer (mine loved it, going against the grain!)
playmat
slings/bushbaby rucsac carrier
1 million muslin cloths

and bought new:

baby lambskin, for making the car seat a LOT more comfy. She's asleep in it now.

BarakObamasTransitVan · 22/10/2009 10:25

Baby baths filled with water and ice make excellent wine coolers though, when you have parties.
Another thing I'd mention is that all the shops don't close just because you've had a baby - there are few things you cannot do without for the first few days (basically napies, clothes etc).

BarakObamasTransitVan · 22/10/2009 10:28

...posted too soon
By which I mean you don't need to have everything before she arrives.

susiey · 22/10/2009 12:55

we have used our baby bouncer both times

we didn't have a changing station and just stuck a changing mat on the top of a chest of drawere

we used our sling loads especially with number 2 in avoiding a double buggy

we never had a baby bath just put a tiny bit of water in the grown up bath or when they were tiny in the kitch en sink!
with number 2 I bought a plastic bath support so he could bath at the same time as his sister

prettyinpunk · 22/10/2009 13:05

definitely, definitely, definitely agree with deemented re thermos mug for YOUR hot drinks.

invaluable!!!

notcitrus · 22/10/2009 13:21

Best things:
Baby gym
Baby bouncer (very basic model)
Electric rocking swing - takes up lots of space and now I can't wait to get rid, but it's saved my sanity no end during the first year!
Towelling bath slope
Snot pipette!
Electric breast pump

Best advice was that I live in London and there are both shops and Ebay for anything I actually find I need.
And that all toys will seem pointless for the first 6 months, but come into their own for the next year. So true

Stuff I never used:
Pretty clothes (only found lots of them after the first 3 months and A had outgrown them)
Changing bag - carrier bag was fine until I needed food as well, then found nappy bags can't fit washable nappies. I now use 2 carrier bags.
Thermos mug - cos stuff still cools down and you can't microwave it

Next time round I'll
make more effort to fill the freezer with tasty meals,
get more people on a rota to help in the first 2 months, including a cleaner and
get a cot not a cotbed, as lifting A out before he learnt to sit and beg did my back in.

StealthPolarBear · 22/10/2009 13:29

never used the top and tail bowl
didn't get or need a changing 'station', mat on the floor will do

Only used the moses basket for 6 weeks last time (and 5wo dd is in it) but couldn't do without it as you can put it anywhere!
Muslin squares were well worth the money

StealthPolarBear · 22/10/2009 13:30

oh and didn't really use any 'outfits' before 6mo - just vest & sleepsuit, maybe that's just me though

StealthPolarBear · 22/10/2009 13:31

and the baby wore much the same

Stormfly · 22/10/2009 19:22

Didn't have a changing station (too worried about them rolling off) but we had the cot up in the nursery so although baby slept in moses basket/crib at first, the cot was useful for nappy changing. i.e. change baby with cot side down then lift up cot side to keep baby safely in whilst nipping to wash hands then back to fetch baby.

Putting the changing mat on our bed with me kneeling up on floor worked well too as it didn't hurt my back. Second changing mat kept downstairs - just used floor.

Muslins definately useful though and I liked the baby bath with sides which rested on the real bath sides so I could kneel beside the bath without straining my back there either. Monitor also essential for me - I know I could hear them cry without it but I needed to hear them breathing!

ThisPhantomPlopsPumpkins · 22/10/2009 19:33

Best things:

Bouncy chair.
Sling.
Amby Nature nest.

Unused:

Baby monitor.
Manual breast pump.
Baby swing.

BikeRunSki · 22/10/2009 19:52

Must haves:
Muslins x1000
Bodysuit vests
Bouncy chair - contrary to what many people have said, my DS loved it (but only his cheap one, not his cousin's fancy one which swings and has sounds and things)
Door bouncer
Baby carrier (front carrier or sling, later backpack)
All in one fleecy waterproof suit
Decent trainers (I walked everywhere when DS was a newborn).
IKEA highchair
IKEA plastic bowls (for weaning)
Rucsac changing bag
Little seat for bath once he was big enough to sit up.

Waste of space:
Bumbo
Big chunky travel system
Expensive highchair
Fancy pants weaning bowls with built in spoons and lids
Posh changing bag
Baby bath
Moses basket (we were given a hand me down one, used it for abot 3 weeks)
Talc, baby bath, baby shampoo, baby lotion

Hybrid · 22/10/2009 20:20

I know people have said no to travel systems but one thing which we've found really invaluable is a car seat which can be put straight onto a push chair. Babies can't help but fall asleep in cars and if you had to keep taking them out and into a separate system you end up disturbing them all the time. This happened when we were on holiday and made me soooo thankful for our Quinny Buzz which I love.

I'd also say monitors are really useful. You can definitely hear a baby scream without them but they're really handy for knowing exactly what they're up to i.e. waking and having a grissle but then falling asleep on their own which you'd never know they were capable of if you didn't have a monitor.

Everyone's suggestions re. muslins, grobags, sleepsuits definite musts and I would second the fact that outfits or separates are pretty ambitious with a 0-3 month old as it's so fiddly when you're constantly having to change nappies.

I've used my medela electric breast pump LOADS and the steriliser and Dr Browns bottles that go with it.

CONGRATULTATIONS anyway!!

hobnob57 · 22/10/2009 21:53

Definitely no changing station. As others have said, a mat on the floor is fine. We had ours on the dining room table after my CS for a while.

I would also second the electric breast pump. Nothing prepares your for the weirdness of producing milk so don't worry about the feeling like a cow thing. I had the tommee tippee hand pump initially after a tesco promotion and struggled away with that for the first few weeks. A friend told me to get a grip and get a medela mini off ebay and I never looked back. I used it to death and have a lovely new 'swing' sitting waiting for my next LO to arrive. Cant' wait!

Second all those who said not to buy outfits. We didn't think we knew that many people, but were so overloaded with clothes we didn't buy a single item for DD until she was well over 9 months old. And even then it was only a cardi!

Do get something to put LO in whilst you cook/eat, be it a pouch/wrap sling, bouncy chair, swing chair, bean bag, etc. But if you can, beg, borrow or steal these items until you find out what suits and then get one you want.

humanfraggle · 23/10/2009 09:32

Right, that's it, decision made. The changing unit has got to go.

Now... how do I tell my SiL we don't want it and she can have it back? Eeek!

x

OP posts:
lola0109 · 23/10/2009 10:14

LOL at Stealthpolarbear for my birthday in January my SIL bought me a pair of (snowflake from sale obv) jammies and said as giving me my present as I know you're always in your jammies.

When she left I said to DP, what a cheeky bitch doesn't she realise I've just had a baby! His response was, "yes 5 months ago" I made more of an effort after that!

So humanfraggle some nice new clothes, make up, spa treatments etc for yourself are a must!

WorkingStudentMummy · 23/10/2009 11:04

Couldn't live without grobags, muslins (even after - they have 100s of uses around the house too!), and one of those baby carriers/sling type things. Oh, and a couple of the obvious things like babygrows, sleep suits and a cot!

We used washable nappies - tried several types and eventually settled on bambino mios... easy to use, and then just pop a load into the machine every second day. Thought they were fantastic and will be getting them out again in Dec/January for a freshening up wash. I honestly didn't find them a chore apart from the fact that they are reasonably bulky if you're out for the day and need to take a few changes with you. On the other hand i was horrified at how quickly the bin filled up when we decided to use disposables while on holiday...

BikeRunSki · 23/10/2009 22:25

Ooh yeas Grobags. Invaluable. And I have had no probs with cloth nappies either, although use bamboo disposables at night.

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