Baby basics for newbie - questions on cots, sleeping bags etc

[Walnut8]

Hi everyone

I'm a total newbie and just starting to buy things for my baby due in March. We don't have much room in our flat, may be moving OS in 12 months and therefore want to minimise "stuff" but don't want to miss out or forget the necessary or helpful things. I have read lots of lists about things to get but still am confused about a few things ...

1. Moses basket - everyone I know seems to have started with a moses basket for baby to sleep in. We have looked at them and they seems a bit of a waste of space if only really useful for the first few months? Is this silly - are we better off starting with a moses then trying to sell? Or is starting with a cot really okay?

1. Sleeping bags/gro bags: these seem like a good idea but how do they work if baby starts in a cot? Do you just put them in a bag and then place feet to foot in the cot? Or would baby be better off tucked in with sheets and blankets (if starting in a cot)?

1. I've read on other newborn "things to get" lists on MN that it's a good idea to buy several packets of vests if nothing else clothing wise. Does this still apply if born in March (which will still be pretty cold) or am I better off getting long sleeved tops/onesies? Are there any other basic clothes I should look to get (hoping to get a lot from rellies but just in case ...)

1. I'm thinking a sling and a bouncer would be really helpful but DH isn't convinced. I think I'm sold on the sling idea no matter what but what is everyone's opinion on bouncers?

I'm sure there's more but can't think of any at the moment ... Sorry if the questions are a bit silly but as you can see, I really have no idea! Thank you.

hey congratulations!

in answer:

1 - borrow one if you can - we have borrowed ours and not used them for very long. they are really useful to start off with - ours didn't settle until late evening for a good few weeks so it was useful to have moses basket in living room while watching tv with lights off!

2 - grobags are really truly fab - there's a company called bambino merino that make lovely merino ones that are for use all year round and start from birth. most of them you have to be over 7lbs to use. there is a much lower chance of lo getting cold with these as they can't kick them off and I believe they are also endorsed (grobags in general I mean) by SIDS charities.

3 - but sleepsuits if you buy nothing else clothes wise. But also a couple of little hats (for wearing out and about or on way home from hospital at least). you will get given a ridiculous amount of newborn stuff but at least have some all in ones to start off with. mothercare and john lewis do them in packs of 5 or 7 I think (JL ones wash up really really well). mothercare also used to do a start pack of clothing which I remember was really useful.

4 - we had both - a sling is really useful if you don't want to be out with a buggy, and some find that babies do sleep well in them if they won't settle (and it stops your arms aching!). we also had one of the baby bjorn bouncers and the dss both loved it, but it's personal choice I think (I mean bouncy chairs not the things that hang from the door frame - the door frame things they need to be much older for)

only other thing you will find invaluable is muslins, lots of em.

have a look in the archives on here for all the threads on what you need - it's great information and a whole lot more than I've put here.

and don't forget the car seat for the journey home

good luck!

They are not silly at all, how on earth would you know all this stuff if you don't ask! We were given a moses basket and it was v useful for the first few months as they do need to be at the foot of wherever they are sleeping, but please don't spend a lot on it (I'm sure I saw some for £100
didn't use a sleeping bag for either of mine so don't know about those.
Don't buy loads of clothes, you will get given tons. For dd1 born in march we had the short sleeved vests and babygros. Don't forget you can put cardis etc on when they are out and about. Also had long sleeved tops with the poppers on when she was a bit bigger. They poo and sick on whatever they have on so don't get anything too nice!
Slings are god's gift to new mothers but neither of mine took to a bouncer (if you mean the door ones) but again, let someone buy both of those things for you!
Good luck!

Hello

Welcome to Mumsnet

Moses basket

IMO total waste of time and effort.Sadly both dcs were velcroed to me for first few weeks and I co-slept as they were "allergic" to cots/baskets at this point.
Not everyones cup of tea but just an individual POV

Baby sleeping bags

Wonderful inventions IMO,though some are loath to use before six months tho did with mine.

Vests and babygros

As I had 2 winter babies I used long sleeved vests and babygros on top (Primark do very inexpensive fleecy cosy ones) and babygros during day too when they were little,saves faffing with separates,babygros v useful.I still put a vest under mine in Springtime.

Slings and bouncers

Slings excellent,much help with screammy rfluxy dc no 2,and good for discreet bf out and about.Bouncy chair-ds loved it dd hated it!

Just personal experiences,I would say go with your instincts!

Good luck

1. moses is handy as you can have it in the living room with you when your baby is small and still sleeping pretty much all the time. unlike a cot which you can't move from room to room. also a lot of people can't fit a cot in their bedroom next to their bed, so again, moses is handy. but yes, you could just go straight to a cot.

1. you can get 0-6 month sleeping bags now, so yes you could go straight to a bag. however, they aren't suitable for very very tiny weight babies. the bag will have a weight guide on it. lots of people find small babies like being swaddled or at least wrapped up, more than a bag can do. this is because they've been tightly squeezed in the womb so settle better this way. yours may of course prefer room to kick his legs so this may not apply.

1. you need vests and onesies (babygros) as well. my babies were both just under 9lb. i had 5 vests and 5 babygros in size 'upto 1 month' which lasted til they were 2 weeks. then i got 10 of each in 0-3 months. you'll also need a couple of cardigans.

1. yes get a sling. bouncer..as in a chair? yes but not a must have, certainly not straight away.

We bought a pram with carrycot attachment and not a pushchair bit. Carrycot was a bed and also where baby went when we went out. Didn't bother with the pushchair but as I knew we would get a buggy at 4 months. No need for moses basket.

Didn't bother with sleeping bag/grow bag things. Just normal sheets and blankets. easy to change, wash and dry.

Our first baby was born in March and he was fine in short sleeved vests and long sleeved baby grows.

DH really wanted a bouncer chair so we got one but baby also had a bean bag for laying on when having a change from the bouncy chair and play mat.

I had number 2 and 3 in a sling and wished I had had one for number one.

HTH.

Thank you so much for your replies so far!

By bouncer, I did mean a bouncing chair, not one that hangs off a door frame.

Cardis, sleepsuits and hats, great idea. I'll put the on the list!

And ladytophamhat, you reminded me of the car seat issue - we don't own a car and will get a taxi home from hospital. Am thinking DH will bring the pram to the hospital and we will just put the pram in the taxi. I did read a thread on this, someone mentioned that that is what they were going to do but I think I still wasn't sure if this was okay? Can anyone help on that one?

Congratulations!

1. Moses basket: we never had one for the reasons you state, instead we had a cheap IKEA cot next to the bed, second time round we took the side off and wedged the mattress against ours (with rolled up towels on the far side) to make a cheap bedside cot for co-sleeping. It had the advantage of never being too small - DS was still in it at 12 months.

1. Sleeping bags/gro bags: we swaddled until the DC were big enough for grobags.

1. Vests: yes vests (short-sleeved onesies) are great under long-sleeved tops in March, then when it gets hot in the summer just by themselves.

1. Sling and a bouncer: I used a wrap sling (like a mobi or kari-me) which I loved, and we had a baby chair that reclined so when DS fell asleep in it we just lay it flat.

One final thing - babychanging tables etc: just get a changing mat and do it on the floor. It's much safer and if you live in a flat you can always keep the mat under the cot/the sofa (with a box of nappies/cotton wool etc) to whip out when needed and hide when not.

Have you got a friend who can lend you a carseat? Or depending where you are, some taxi companies have their own...

You will have to check with your hospital maternity unit about the no car seat thing as some won't let you leave unless you have a car seat.

Also pram in taxi fine if it's a black cab but not a minicab.

Have you got any friends you could borrow some stuff from?

we used moses basket for around 4 or 5 months with our two

and swaddled for 3 or 4 months then switched to grobags (they are fab)

lots of vests and sleepsuits, something warm for out and about

sling yes v. good

the bouncy chair we had was good from about 8 weeks or so but there are probably ones that are better from earlier (more horizontal)

OmicronPersei8 could you tell me the brand of your baby seat (the reclining one)? It sounds great.

Thanks for the info on taxis. We don't know anyone with a baby car-seat (or other baby paraphernalia) unfortunately as most of our friends with babies are back home. I will check with my mid-wife though on the hospital policy (UCH) and with mini-cab companies about baby car seats.

Moses baskets - we didn't buy one at first as we had a carry cot for downstairs and a cot upstairs. But then I had emergency c-section and couldn't lift DD in and out of her cot so we bought one for £20 on ebay and a new mattress. Maybe wait and see. You can get borrow one quickly and cheaply if needed.

Grobags great but we swaddled for the first 4 or 5 months - just with a cotton blanket so maybe get one and see how things work out.

Clothes - Soemthing cosy for outside (but again maybe wait and see how big baby is DD was drowned in her 'newborn' one!). Otherwise, 6 vests, 6 babygros, maybe a little outfit if you see a cute one you like. It's enough to get started.

Sling - YES! Bouncer - borrow one? DD hated hers.

London taxis - try Addison Lee for ones with a car seat. Or black cab and pram.

My bouncer was passed down by a friend - it's ugly and worn and very old-fashioned. I think it's a chicco one. A bit like this

Chicco one new

Moses basket - I found this a complete waste of money. Both DS1 and DS2 ended up co-sleeping and for DC3 (due in 4 weeks) I haven't bothered with one.

Grobags - love them. Like others I swaddled at first then moved onto the sleeping bags.

Clothes - bought loads of outfits for DS1 but for DS2 just used shortsleeve bodysuits underneath sleepsuits (both winter babies). Again for DC3 I'm keeping it minimal with bodysuits and sleepsuits.

Sling - had a kari-me for DS2 and loved it. Wish I'd had one for DS1. Made life so much easier.

Bouncer - DS1 loved the vibrating chair but DS2 hated it.

Moses basket - we were handed one down from friends. DS only slept in it for 3 weeks! Quite nady for carrying baby aroudn house in day. but if you have a bouncy chair and are short on space/money, then I wouldn't bother.

Grobags - miraculous. I think they have a lower weight limit of 10 lbs. We also swaddled DS until he was big enoufgh.

Vest - just get some short sleeved vest and sleepsuits (baby grows) and a couple of cotton hats to start with. You will shortly be inundated wit baby clothes. You need warm hats, jumpers/cardies and a pramsuit (all in one warm thing) but I bet you'll get loads as pressies.

Sling - I got a babycarrier (Baby Bjorn type) from Freecycle, and wouldn;t have been without it. I had a CS so It was great for the first few weeks before I could push the pram. Also much more convinient for walking in countryside and shopping. I will looking seriulsy into slings next time.

Bouncy chair - yes, ye, yes. DS had a v cheap one which he loved, and cried his eyes out whevere he went in his cousin's spangly one that played music, swung had lights etc.

def check with your hospital as some are rather insistent on how you take the baby home - we were told under no circumstances were we taking ours (either of them) home without a car seat, even in black cab with pram - ridiculous but if you have to borrow one from a trusted friend (so you know it hasn't been in an accident etc) and you are not going to need one on a regular basis then do that.

you might want to start a "what to take into hospital" thread, unless you can find information on other threads on here - my input will be cleaning wipes, flipflops to wear in the bathroom and lip balm

Moses basket - godsend IMO. I bought mine, but it has since been leant out to many friends for the first 3 months.

Sleepingbags - superb investments, DS still wears them at 2.3yrs old

Newborn clothes - I think I am alone on this one, but the majority of presents to us were toys for when baby was older/ vouchers/ clothes for when baby was older. Everyone was of the mindset that I would have bought clothes for first three months and they were right. Stock up on basics - hats, sleepsuits, vests (it can still be chilly in March and babies are not as good as us at regulating their temp). John lewis do really good quality packs of vests.

Sling/ bouncer. DS hated the sling, got used once. Bouncer chair - the baby bjorn sitter got used tons.

You will find that you will get lots of differing advice; and that is because everyone does things differently and our bubs are all different personalities!

Sorry to jump in on this thread, but I have a question about slings

Do they hurt your back? I'm prone to some back ache and I assumed they would, but no one has mentioned this. I maybe tempted...

Hmm, so many are recommending getting a moses! I'm still unsure. We are planning to get a pram with one of those detachable carry cots and I think I'm convinced about a reclining baby bouncer ... I'm really hoping that will be enough without the moses.

Thanks ladytophamhat, will definitely be checking with the hospital. And thanks also to whomever recommended addison lee - at least if the hospital insists on a car seat, we can try to book a minicab with a car seat through them.

Thanks for the tips about vests and clothes mistletoe (and everyone). Also for the tips about swaddling and sleeping bags. Do babies need (or like) to be swaddled AND then tucked in (I realise this might be a dumb question?!) or is swaddling enough?

Gosh hadn't even thought about a hospital list. One thing at a time or I'll start to freak out .

houmous I have a bad back and a Moby wrap sling for DS (3 months and about 16 lbs). Because it disperses the weight around your body and they are strapped to you rather than dangling from your shoulders it doesnt hurt. I think it has actually improved my posture because it encourages me to stand up straighter.
I also have a babyhawk mei-tei as well and I have found it just as easy to carry DS

IMO there is nothing lovelier than looking down at your sleeping DC all snuggled into you, and being able to kiss and sniff their little heads so easily. Sigh.

Houmous - my BabyBjorn with the extra support didn't, but I think the one without (active?) would.

Connecta slings look great for quite a structured sling with lots of support. I don't know how they'd be on a newborn though.

I had a carrycot (M & P) which attached to a chassis to make it like a pram when out & about, but also was like a small enclosed cot which I could move from room to room like a moses basket when mine were small - they all slept in it till about 5/6 months then transferred into a cotbed.

Grobags are fab! I swaddled mine for a couple of weeks then they all used grobags (and still do aged 7, 5 & 3!). They don't kick them off, get cold, tangled etc so there are less reasons for them to wake up through the night! Also when you travel, they still sleep in their grobag so they sort of take their bed with them - we have travelled a lot with all of them and found producing their grobag & special teddy signals bedtime even in an unfamiliar place.

Sling - brilliant for the first few weeks as you can get on round the house etc with your hands free and baby still feels close to you and safe. Great thereafter for trips where a buggy would be in the way.

Bouncer - borrow one if you can as not all babies like them - 2 of mine hated the bouncy chair, only one really liked it especially with its vibration setting on full shake.

Babygrows - 0-3 months, all in ones, John Lewis - worth spending more than Asda to get ones which wash REALLY well because they will get covered in poo and sick several times a day.

Muslins. Big tick.

Ebay is a great resource as people sell off barely used items cheaply. You still have three months so you have time to wait till items like carrycots/slings come up in your area to avoid postage too.

Very exciting times!!