Mum2Be without a clue :(

[Cupiet]

Hi eveyone. I really need help in choosing things to buy for my newborn. with regards to where he sleeps...do I buy a moses basket or is that not really a necessity???? Should i just buy a cot now or later?? Also which baby monitor is the best??do i really need one?? one with/without camera? one with thermometer... what other items do i need.
so far i have
baby bath lotion etc
m&p skate
babygros
pram outfit
blankets n snuggle wraps
baby carrier n the cloth sling
baby bjorn bouncer
breast pump
tommee tipp bottle set with sterliser n warmers
sma powder milk
3packs of nappies
hospital bag fr babies r us
travel cot with basinett n changing table
baby grooming kit with comb brush thermometer

what else do i need to get??? i really need help???

DD is still in her moses basket at 4 months so for us a big necessity

you will need more than 3 packs of nappies - i got through around 8 nappies per day

you need to get plenty of muslins - great for putting on changing mat and on your shoulders for dribbling etc

also, vests with poppers (short sleeved body suits) - 7 should be ok

plenty of sheets - you will change them regularly. You can use a pillow case if you use a moses basket

cotton wool - use with water for nappy changes

monitors - if your house is large then yes it is a necessity and if you are planning on putting your DC into their own room

you need breastpads and nursing bras if you are planning to breastfeed

what's a pram outfit?

o ok. where do i get nursing bras? Its that bulky looking suit that makes the baby look like an astrounaut lol

Xcuse my manners Thank you o! do you know which moses basket is the best one- does it need to be very very padded and where do i get one that is affordable and the what is the average price for a good one? how long do babies use moses baskets for?

Deffo get a moses basket, I couldn't decide weather to get one and bought one second hand at the last minute. It was so handy because I could move it around the house as DD napped in the lounge with me during the day.
When she was 10 weeks we moved her into her own room and put the moses basket in the cot, so she was in something familiar and a cot just looks so big. She slept like that for another three weeks before we moved her into her cot.

We also found a Groegg thermometer invaluable as over heating a baby is very dangerous.

A couple of little hats.

Spend money on a good monitor - we have a Philips Avent one - it was about £80 but there is no interference. Lots of people I know have monitors that have just crackled all night and been incredibly irritating!

You can get nursing bras anywhere, but make sure you ask advice as your breasts and ribcage change so much before and after the birth. The one I bought was waaaay too tight for me after I gave birth, but then fitted a few days later.

Hope that helps.

Oh and get some maternity pads or Kotex night time pads (in black packaging).

Yes I agree with Heels - get a Gro Egg thermometer - I totally rely on it.

Also Grobags for when they are a bit older so they can't kick the covers off.

oh great thx o yea i heard i need disposable knickers...do i really? and if yes where do i get those n how many would i need. also after baby wakes up from moses basket... ummm... where do i put him? do i walk around with him all day? put him in the carrycot???.... i have no clue

Avent thermomoter for the bath (can also be used in any room).You can get it in Boots/Mothercare,it looks like a blue flower.

Maternity sanitary towels

Breast Pads

Don't worry about baby bath/lotion.You can just wash the baby in plain water to start with.

Any moses will do I bought one second hand, look out for NCT sales near you, that way you can see before you buy. I took a chance and bought one off Ebay, still has the tag on cost me a tenner. Always buy a new matress. I wouldn't spend a fortune as they are very handy but they only get used for a 3-4 months.

I bought desposable knickers from Boots, they came up very small. In the end I just went and bought some cheap cotton ones from Primark. They do get pretty mucky so good to just be able to through away.

During the day you can bring moses basket down to pop them in for a nap. You can also pop into pram, I bought a baby swing too which is battery operated but in no way do you need one.

sorry throw away

Hi all. Cannot believe how helpful this thread is! Thank you Cupiet for starting it.

I woke up this morning and thought right time to find out what exactly I need to get! DD due 15th May and I have yet to buy anything. Wasn't concerned until an experienced mum gave me an OMG look when I told her!! Off to Baby show in London, thought I would order it all from there as it may be cheaper. Anyone been? Is it any good?

Actually a friend is lending us a moses basket and we are going to strip and plaster the spare room over the next month so we have plans!

Thanks again for the ideas.

XXCV

I really wouldn't spend too much on a moses basket...DD was only in hers for about 6 weeks cos she liked to sleep all stretched out and it was just too small. If I was starting again I wouldn't have bothered buying one! You can buy cribs which will last 6 months or so or just go straight into a cot.

Also buy LOTS of nappies. You will get through around 10 a day to start with so it makes sense to stock up.

Disposable knickers complete waste of time imo - just get some cheap granny pants from primark, and buy twice as many maternity towels as you think you will need!

Monitor not really necessary unless you have a big house.......babies are LOUD! We've never needed to use one at home. If it'll give you peace of mind though it's worth having.

Nursing bras - they say to get yourself measured as late in the pregnancy as you can (definitely after 37 weeks). There are some attractive ones out there if you shop around!

Good thread!

Question about sleeping bags and swaddle wraps - how many do you need? If you're using traditional blankets and sheets and have to keep changing the sheet, won't sleeping bags/swaddle wraps also need changing an awful lot? Most guides say have 2 or 3.

Back to the original question... I have a moses basket but got it 2nd hand from Gumtree and bought a new mattress for it as I have no idea how long we'll be using it for. The original plan was that the baby would go straight into a cot bed, but that changed once we read the advice about sleeping in our room for the first months.

I also took a great book out from the library called "What to buy for your baby" (if you type it into Google it's the first result) that has good advice on what's essential, what's useful and what not to bother with, with checklists in each section and at the back.

I think the moses basket thing depends on whether you think you will have baby in your room for the first 6 months.

Obviously FSID recommend this, but my ds outgrew his moses basket by 3.5 months so we put him into his cot. Actually I think we had him in a travel cot in our room for a while in the inbetween stage.

I think if you definitely want your baby in the room with you for 6 months you need to buy a crib, which is a bit bigger and more expensive, but will last a lot longer.

I must say that I bought a baby swing when ds was about 9 weeks old as he had dreadful colic/reflux and cried constantly. It really was a lifesaver for me as he was kept amused and was securely strapped in so I could get on with things. It is also wonderful for rocking them to sleep.

Like HaveToWearHeels said, it's not essential but it did make life a bit easier for me.

I haven;t seen muslins on the list anywhere, but I could have missed them.

We used these for the obvious, but also put them like sheets under DD in the pram or when she was napping. Saved washing bigger iotems liek sheets - sometimes!

Cotton wool. Wipes don't work on new baby poo, they just slide around.
Agree disposable pants not really needed just dark cheap ones in a bigger size so that big nighttime towel stays in place.

I'd get 2 sleeping bags. My babies have all been over 7 lbs so i put them straight in sleeping bags and don't swaddle. I expect they make sleeping bags in smaller sizes now too. I'd def have them as an essential.

No need for baby toiletries at all, plain water is fine, and they smell so nice when they are small you don't want it to wash off!

cardigans to wear over babygros for first few days if it's cold out - but if you have "real" clothes not so necessary.

baby monitor - non essential IMHO, ditto thermometer. I spent a lot of time messing about with bath thermometers before my Mum kindly pointed out that generatins of parents have used an elbow for that job. it works fine. Grobags/sleeping bags come with a little room thermometer to tell you how many layers are needed.

We have a rigid plastic bath seat that I find v useful for bathing the baby. I am sure it is not essential but it sure makes it easier.
Muslins muslins muslins. Babies dribble [ Good luck

My first 2 DCs slept for only 1 month in a Moses Basket, and DC3 hated it from the moment he was born, so went straight into a cot, so it wasn't much use to me. Likewise, I never used the baby bath (just used the regular bathtub), grobags or digital monitors. Some of these things you'll figure out if you need after LO is born, depending on your preferences. I definitely bought too much for DC1, and now that I'm expecting DC4, I actually have less stuff.

Thanks again for your replies ladies.

I was also wondering. As I am in the process of moving I bought a graco contour electra travel cot instead of a crib. was this a good idea? My partners mom said she would get me a moses basket to put inside it/ or if i wanted to return the travel cot she would get me a cot. Should i do that instead??? i got the travel cot as it came with a changing table and a daytime napper. What would you suggest i do??