Essential purchases for first baby

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Hi

We're expecting our first baby in August and I'd like to have a complete list of all the essential things that we need to have - from the big e.g. cot, to the small.

I'm sure that there's been lots of previous threads on this but I couldn't find anything so if anyone's able to point me to previous conversations.

Thanks in advance

Congratulations on pregnancy.

This is off the top of my head, but it's a start. There are other things you might like to get, but think these are the essentials. Sure now there's a starting point people will add stuff I've forgotten!

moses basket & sheets (for sleeping in first few months)
Cot & sheets (for when grown out of moses basket)
Grobags (found far easier than blankets)
car seat
pushchair
baby bath (although never really used mine, just took in big bath with me)
baby chair / bouncer / playmat (just one of these will be plenty, personally favoured playmat)

Nappies
nappy cream
cotton wool
muslin squares (great for loads of things)
cracked nipple cream
breast pads (I found washable cotton ones most comfortable, disposables a bit scratchy)
Steriliser or alternative
bottles
breastpump (if planning on expressing)
blankets (for wrapping baby when out and about)
I didn't use any bath products, just water
towels

10 short sleeved vests
4 babygrows
4 long sleeved t-shirts
4 comfy trousers
2 cardigans
hat

somewhere for baby to sleep in
car seat
sling (optional)
nappies
cotton wool
dish for water to clean baby
bedding
vests
babygrows
hat
coat
nappy cream
muslins
changing mat

Good list! I borrowed a moses basket as dd was in it such a short time.

Didn't bother with a baby bath but got one of those support things for the big bath, or took her in with me most of the time.

Grobags and muslins excellent.

I was bought one of those plastic boxes with all the toiletries in, and 5 years later still have most of it. Should throw it away really.

I bought a big tub of sudocreme which has lasted all this time!

Nappy sacks if using disposables.

I didn't buy any bottles/steriliser until after I discovered BF seemed to be a complete non-starter then sent DH to tescos for all the gear. Steriliser and 8 bottles!

I had more babygrows. If it's a hot summer you might want some shortie ones.

Hiya NKfff,
We have a 7 week old and we've needed to swaddle her to help her sleep, we love the Grobag Swaddle wrap, in fact we love it so much we then bought a second one! This is it on Amazon:
www.amazon.co.uk/Grobag-Swaddling-AG102-Cotton-Wrap/dp/B000KDXDWE

The other thing that was a lifesaver was to have a few cartons of baby formula (the ready made stuff) in the cupboard - even if you plan to breastfeed. I am breastfeeding exclusively now but my milk took a long time to come in and we had to give some formula at the start. A friend advised me to have some in the house 'just in case' and I was so glad I did. Plus they are only about 50p a carton so not expensive to sit unused in the cupboard if you never need them.

If you buy nipple cream I would go for Lansinoh, it really is good stuff. Might be an idea to have some good nappy cream in aswell. I find Sudocrem good most of the time and at the first sign of a rash I use Metanium which works wonders.

If you have a car, you can get a mirror that lets you see baby in your rear-view mirror. I love it because I can see if she is ok or not in the back. Mothercare do them: www.mothercare.com/gp/product/B000MFSGLS/sr=1-3/qid=1239737727/ref=sr_1_3/278-8581841-1938219?ie=UTF 8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=42835041&mcb=core

The other thing that has saved my back and was great when I was still in pain with my stitches was a cot-top change table. For me it really hurt to get up and down off the floor to change her and I didn't want to change her on our bed in case of exploding poo so the cot-top changer is brilliant.

Thats all I can think of, sorry for the essay-like reply!

Several large bags of love. free with most parents
More hugs than you can fit in your house. You will use a lot of these.

Bibs are an essential. The velcro kind rather than tie on though!!! I have about 30 and yet can never find one for my 10 day old DD

car seat- maxi cosi is fab, britax is good too
grobags-still using them 2 years later!
nappy sacks (not nasppy bins!) if using disposables
maclaren xt buggy, or quest if you don't need adjustable handles
sling or carrier-try them out to find out if you are a baby bjorn or wrap type of girl
we found our swing to be a life saver. you can buy one second hand or borrow from a friend
large playmat
huge amounts of muslins, vests nd babygrows. for babygrows just buy 0-3, who cares if they're large for the first month

Thanks for all the suggestions and tips (I've changed my nickname from the rather bizarre original one I was allocated). Hopefully my shopping can be a bit more focussed now - it was all a bit overwhelming.

And I guess I'll find out in August what all the muslin is needed for!

Forester - You really will need lots of muslins, we originally bought a pack of 10 but we now have about 25 of them and they are just in constant rotation. Some in the nursery, bedroom, lounge, car seat etc. Buy lots!!!

Muslin tip - I found the Boots ones were excellent - really big and absorbent and very pretty too! They often have them on buy one, get one 1/2 price so worth looking out for.

these aren't essentials but are things I found really really useful:

1. An extra filter jug & glass for water in the bedroom. Breastfeeding is thirsty work and I had a c-section so was good not to have traipse down to kitchen to get large glasses of water that I inevitably would be desperate for 3 minutes into a feed.

1. A couple of those lamps that have bright/dim/dimmer settings and switch on by touching them. One for beside bed, the other for nursery. We don't have dimmer switches on our lights and these were really useful in the middle of the night.

1. A good clock for bedroom wall and small cheap clocks dotted around the house - living room mantelpiece, baby room shelf etc. It's really hard to look at a wrist watch when you're breastfeeding/holding a baby and in the early days it seems to be really important and also quite hard to keep track of time. It's easier if you can see a clock wherever you are.

Usual muslins, chocolate, cotton wool pads (better than fluffy cotton wool I thought), lots of big maternity pads - more than you think, oh, and don't buy any clothes that button/popper up the back. They're such a bad design.

LadyBee - I think I'll ignore that you crossed out chocolate and add it to my list of essentials

I have bought some muslins from Ikea and they are great and so cheap. My friend has also recommended I get Baby Dam which fits into your bath if you're not using a baby bath (we have no room for a baby bath). You'll apparently save loads of water and it doesn't leak so you can sit in the dry bit in the bath.

Whats with all the muslin stuff, I never had any, couldnt see the need.

Things you dont need:
Muslins
Baby bath
Bath products
Nappy bin type thing

Things I did:
Plastic baby box (still have it now) to fill full of stuff that gets on your nerves (sudocrem, nappies, wipes etc)
Maternity towels (millions of them)
Breast pads
Nipple Cream
Steriliser
Bottles
Breast Pump
Babygrows
Vests
Blankets
Sheets
Moses Basket
Car Seat/TRavel system
Plug in low light for if you want to read without waking baby, or see when ur feeding without waking everyone else

Mosschops, but what did you use to quickly mop up all that baby sick, overflowing breastmilk, runny noses etc. When they get older I've used them as make-shift bibs, cover a larger area than most bibs, for wiping food off faces and even as a towel when my dd frequently fell face first paddling in puddles. may not seem quite so hygeinic as throw away wipes, tissues etc, but much cheaper in the long run and something you don't run out of just at that crucial moment! I love muslins

My ds also uses one as a comforter, maybe not such a good thing, hopefully he'll be weaned off it before he leaves home!

Also found them handy to throw over my shoulder when breastfeeding if I wanted to be a little more discreet, with one tucked under my breast to catch any dripping milk!

our DS had reflux (very common, very underdiagnosed!) we went through about 50 muslins a day mopping up sick.....

with hindsight, all i needed for 0-3 months was nappies, cotton wool, nappy bucket, changing mat, moses basket, sheets and blankets, muslins, sling, vests and babygros plus a couple of cardigans, a hat, the (magic, lifesaver) bouncy chair, and blanket or similar for them to lie on to play. everything else has sat unused, been given to us, or been bought as needed.

must say if i was using disposables i would shell out for a special bin, the days we use them they make an almighty stink in the house, even just wet ones.

agree with all about muslins - and worth buying a different colour/edging so you know they are yours when you are out and everyone has endless muslins!

also i would say worth getting organised with having stuff in stock in bulk at home - non-bio washing powder, loo roll etc - just one less thing to have to think about and you will be doing a lot of cleaning up/washing early on.

I would say those classic cotton knit baby blankets which have holes all over are great - or a little jersey cotton one - just for all different occasions/locations.

and one thing we were given with our second which I WISH I had had with our first was a Cuddledry towel - not essential but made life sooooo much easier when you are getting your baby out of the bath on your own. Website is www.cuddledry.com and they sell them in all the big baby stores.

Lastly I would say whether you use real nappies or not buying a pack of basic terry squares is really handy - especially for changing mat so you have something warm and soft for your baby to lie on but don't have to wash a huge cover every time they wee!!!

also Sudocrem - seems to solve all known rashes!

just re-read the instructions about links so to be a bit more helpful here's the hooded neck baby towel link again www.cuddledry.com - hope it works!

the thing about all these lists is that everyone thinks different things are essential/pointless

Go for minimalism at the start - you need very little and you'll be glad of an outing to the shops after a few days!

I would say muslins are essential - I have 2dcs and have used them a huge amount (e.g. under the head in cot to catch dribble/sick to save changing sheets all the time/over shoulder when burping/catch overfolwing milk/as comforter (dd still carries one around with her at 2.5 but at least I have loads and they just throw in the wash))

I also still use the baby bath daily (even for 2.5 yr old) and it uses much less water so is better for the environment - have probably saved thousands of gallons in the last 2.5 yrs (keep and use it inside the big bath).

AN ANGELCARE SOUND AND MOVEMENT MONITOR!!
Didnt have one with my 1st bub, but did with second and its SUCH peace of mind. An alarm sounds if baby stops breathing for 20 seconds. It has already gone off once with ds2 in the middle of the night and i ran in and he wasnt breathing, had to shake him (gently) to get him breathing again.

Bibs that pop over the head, not tie ones.

Cloth nappies and muslin cloths, to put under babies head in the cot, and over shoulder cos they sick up alot.

A instant thermometer is really handy

Pamol/paracetamol

I found a nice fluffy sheepskin is nice to lay baby on, and good for in the pram too

Panty liners for that end 'not-bleeding-heavy-enough-for-big-pads' stage

A snuggly warm robe to wear when getting up in the night to feed (i LOVE mine)

A side sleeping wedge just in case you have a baby that hates being slept on its back (like both of mine) and it also makes for a really nice head shape.

A dimmer switch on your light or a dim lamp for night feeds

Plastic bags and ALWAYS a change of clothes for baby when out and about, cos they poo and spew and wee on themselves alot. Orange poo all up the back of a nice white outfit when shopping is not a good look...

Secret snacks in the baby bag, especially when bf!

vaseline - for the baby's bum to make cleaning those first sticky poos up much easier

to put in the creases of their neck to stop them getting sore

for your lips and eyelashes - good moisturiser

My sister did all her shopping online. Try here.

You actually need surprisingly little - if I made a pile of all the stuff I got and never used, and another of the stuff I did, the first would be huge and the second titchy. And I second the advice not to buy newborn sizes unless your baby is teeny.

• Car seat
• Pram or buggy that can recline flat or has a carry cot
• Sleepsuits x 6 (Front fastening: back fastening, and they have to lie on poppers)
• Vests x 6
• A warm cardigan
• scratch mittens (if not integral to sleepsuit)
• Cotton swaddle blanket x 2
• Carrycot on pram, OR Moses basket
• Nappies
• Cotton wool to change the nappy
• Tupperware bowl for warm water to change the nappy (you can't use anything but water on newborn skin for a month - they need to develop the "acid mantle")
• Muslins x 12
• If breastfeeding, Lansinoh cream

A Tummy Tub is nice but not at all essential. I didn't get one - ds bathes with me.

A sling means you can get on with doing things while they snooze happily - unless your baby hates slings, or you hate that particular one. I'd borrow before buying, myself.

Neals Yard bottom barrier cream is the best cure for nappy rash. Treats my eczema brilliantly, too. But you aren't meant to use it for the first month.

If you want disposable nappies, Nature Baby ones cost the same as the premium brands and are a lot gentler on the skin - more breathable and less bleach. He reacts to Pampers etc. with red rash - never has a problem with Nature Baby. Sainsburys, Boots and Waitrose sell them.

I wouldn't buy "outfits" for babies, really, given they sleep most of the time. I wouldn't want to sleep in jeans, and I've had 30 years of practice with clothing; they've been suspended in a fabulous bath all their lives. Even a soft cotton romper must be a shock!

The huuuuge threads on this are in the pregnancy forum, together with most pram recommendations for newborns, I found at the time.

I agree with the "formula in the house" thing. Shops aren't open at 9pm on a Sunday around here, and a dehydrated baby can't wait till Monday morning. Breastfeeding can be amazing, but when it goes completely tits-up an alternative is essential, as I rather horrendously found. My ds only needed formula for a week, but he'd have been in desperate trouble without it. Best thing perhaps is to take a couple of the ready-mixed jars from hospital, and the sterile packed teats, so you have that fallback option without having to fork out for bottles, sterilisers, etc.

Handpumps are apparently not much cop, and no point splashing out on an electrical if breastfeeding goes well.

Congratulations!